The Gifts

The Gifts Chapter 16

The Gifts

Copyright © 2023 by Brad A. Townsend

All rights reserved. This story or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author (Brad A. Townsend).

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental, or also used fictitiously.

Content warning: This story contains adult situations, language, and consensual sex between adult men. If said content is illegal in your state or country, please leave now and do not continue.

Introduction

Hello everybody, welcome to Chapter Sixteen! Things are ramping up for the guys, and while it doesn't seem like it sometimes the end is closer than they think! There are a few songs in this chapter, one by Momma Cass and one lyric that Lane uses for a joke. "New World Coming" by Cass Elliott, especially in the context of my story, is prophetic. Here's a link if you care to give it a listen:

New World Coming

The other song is the chorus to Bad Company's "Feel Like Making Love:"

Feel Like Making Love

Also just for reference because it's been a long time, here's a link to "The Humbling River," which is the song that inspired The Order, and continues to influence the story and the characters:

The Humbling River

I put a note at the very end of the chapter but I'll mention it here in case you want to jump down for reference. With the 10 Nephilim "fathers" of the guys showing up, the names are confusing. I put a list of who goes with whom to try and keep it all straight.

I want to thank again the people behind the scenes who help elevate the story. Tom is an amazing editor, and Jonathan is an amazing proofreader. I also want to thank everyone who has stuck with the story since the beginning. I know The Gifts is coming out much slower than The Order and I appreciate your patience.

At the time of this posting, Thanksgiving is almost upon us. If you celebrate that, have a great feast worthy of Bryan's efforts with Drew's help and Rich's too.

Everyone be safe and take care – the world is getting crazier by the day!

-  Brad

Go #TeamNephilim!

Chapter Sixteen

* Prelude – The First Creation at the Egg *

Rich slept surrounded by his brothers. Even in the heat and humidity of the place, their bodies pressed against him were a comfort. He dreamt of the day his parents died, escorted by God to Heaven, while he, his brothers, and The Order watched. His father's redemption was a miracle that proved anyone could change. In his dream Rich missed them terribly, especially his mother, but he knew she could see him and took solace in that.

As the RL's slept intertwined, Guy's head lay on Rich's chest and his gentle breath felt nice. The solidity of Guy's body felt even better. Rich and his brothers were magnificent physical specimens, equal in glory to Ken, Brad, and the rest of the nephilim. The egg's light glinted off the white lock in Rich's hair as he awoke to an unusual sound. Glancing around, he assumed that one of his brothers farted or belched, so he tried to go back to sleep but heard the sound again and realized it was in his mind. He gently dislodged himself from the entangled pile of muscled bodies and stood up to quietly move away. He had to piss anyway. The substance of the ocean that was not an ocean was neither solid, gas, nor liquid, and another paradox between the incompatibility of the two creations. It absorbed human waste, so they didn't have to use a primitive latrine. After relieving his bladder, Rich closed his eyes and listened. His eyes became slitted as he evoked his power, and his physical and mental perceptions heightened. Much louder now, the sound tugged at him, and he followed it. His emotions also heightened, and the feeling of missing his parents intensified.

The egg had grown to nearly twice its original mass and now exuded a visible aura since they arrived. The aura was a comfort to its protectors but also was a defense. The egg allowed Rich's and his brothers' touch, but this time, when his skin made contact, the egg's music enraptured him. Rich wasn't sure how long he listened while the egg's aura reflected off of his sweaty, muscular form. Eva watched him, impressed and pleased by what she perceived.

Eva: She sings loudly tonight.

The dragon's soft voice brought Rich back to himself and his eyes opened: Yes, she does. She's so beautiful.

Eva: She is. Did she wake you?

Rich: Yes. I dreamt of my parents, and I heard her.

Rich's dream was fresh and clear to Eva: The creator's light in your dream attracted her. You hold a piece of that light from his touch so you hear her song clearer than the others. His touch is never without reason.

Rich: I wish I knew why. I mean aside from being her protector. I could never have imagined the life I have now. Everything has changed so much. The only thing that hasn't changed is I still love to cook. I miss that.

Eva lowered her massive head to within inches of Rich and emitted a gentle blue fire that covered Rich like a soft mist.

Eva: Return to your slumber and cook in your dreams, young protector.

Rich stretched out his arms and pressed himself against the enormous dragon, as Bryan often did to Leroy. A brief imprint of his body remained where his sweat darkened her hide, but it evaporated quickly. Eva's love for Rich pushed into him, warming him and giving him the gift of his dream. Curling up against the crux of her neck, Rich fell asleep and dreamt of cooking with Bryan and Drew.

*

The Dove sat in His booth at the cosmic Waffle House. The kitchen was quiet without Frank, and he missed the smells of hashbrowns cooking. Miss Lula brought two cups of coffee and sat down to drink with him and listen to the music playing through the sound system. As Lane's song "The Humbling River" came to a close, the stars in Miss Lula's eyes, the eyes that held all creations, brightened, and a new song came on, "New World Coming." The Dove smiled: I remember sending her the lyrics.

Within Miss Lula's eyes, The Dove and Frank, in Heaven, watched threads from the egg find the tiny crack in its shell and weave their way through the first and second creations. As Cass Elliott's divine voice sang through the speakers, "There's a new world coming..." they watched the lyrics unfold.

* Chapter Sixteen *

Residing within Ken, the last remnants of Michael could recall only vague memories, bits and pieces of his life, so he took refuge in his grandson's life when he was a Navy SEAL. He lived through Ken's changes in the program, experienced Ken's awakening love for Brad, and cherished the first time Ken and Brad made love. He lived through the camaraderie and bonds between Ken and his brothers and their trials and tribulations as they became the warriors they were. Living in Ken mitigated the pain of Elegroth's torture, so Michael sought asylum in Ken's strength. Ken's Avatar seemed aware of his presence, and it protected Michael enough for him to survive.

A young human child began to appear among Ken's memories. She was sick, and Michael saw what little life remained in her. When Elegroth's forces attacked Earth, he watched the light of his fallen brethren enter the child to sustain her. Michael knew she must live, or the light of his fallen brothers would be lost forever.

The Dove: The love of a child with no hope shall rekindle the world.

His Father's words drove Michael's desperation to reach Ken's conscious mind, but he could not while he was lost in Ken's memories. However, at the coliseum, when Lily touched his wing, a portion of the light within her entered Michael which allowed him to speak in Ken's mind. Michael's eyes opened to see Lily limp in Ken's arms, and Michael's deep voice resounded in Ken's heart: The love of a child with no hope shall rekindle the world. Heal her, Ken. Heal them all.

**

Ken, Brad, Henry, Drew, Granny Wolf, and Cavall appeared in the coliseum. Henry and Drew remembered the otherness of physically existing in The Master's psyche and Ken's mind felt similar. As they looked around, everything appeared slightly distorted and Brad's Avatar felt the time dilation.

Ken raised his eyebrows and said, "I expected `ta be in the Congo where we came in."

Granny Wolf: The Eschphene's magic brought us to where our journey begins. Things will not be as you assume. The fallen archon's scent is powerful here. The smell of danger lingers.

Henry furrowed his brow and said, "I sense Elegroth too. Not actually him, but what he did to Michael – the part of him that's in you. We'd never have known this if we weren't here. I think Michael still suffers."

Ken exclaimed, "Fuck!"

Drew hugged Ken's waist, "Don't worry, Uncle Ken. We'll find him."

Ken reached down and pressed Drew against him and said, "I hope you're right, Tiger."

Cavall's hackles rose as a thick, guttural growl escaped his throat. Baring his fangs, he moved forward and looked back, expecting everyone to follow. His silver eyes reflected the oddity of where they were and seemed brighter than usual.

Granny Wolf: Follow Cavall. I will remain close to my cub.

Granny Wolf smelled danger, and unsure of what to expect, Brad and Henry shielded everyone. Cavall led them to an opening that did not normally exist at the end of the coliseum, and after sniffing the ground he moved in. Henry and Drew remembered Granny Wolf moving them within The Master's psyche, and Cavall did the same. Being within Ken, they expected to see his memories, but they were in Michael's and did not know what to make of that. After multiple transitions they stood in a newly created area covered in vegetation where everything was new and stunningly beautiful. No sun shone in the sky but the place was brilliantly lit.

Ken, Brad, and Drew experienced a powerful sensation of vertigo as they transitioned to a time before they existed. Henry remembered the time it happened to him when Granny Wolf led Drew and him further into The Master's memory to a time before Henry was born. As an archon, Henry was no longer affected by temporal displacement and he quickly sent a small surge of power to envelop his son and two brothers in order to settle their disorientation. Henry knelt to hold Drew: I got you, Tiger. You're fine. Remember when this happened to me?

Once acclimated they watched The Dove, Miss Lula, and Frank standing nearby wearing robes. Seeing Miss Lula and Frank not wearing their Waffle House uniforms seemed odd. Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel stood before them, but Michael was absent. A ball of light appeared from which grew the form of Luke, known as The Morning Star and also as The Bright One. His face shone with newborn, joyous innocence and they understood they witnessed his creation.

Ken: Why isn't Michael here?

Brad: Good question. From what we know Michael came before Luke, so he should be with them.

Henry's archonian perceptions delved deeper into the archangels: They haven't received their provinces yet. They are God's first children in this creation.

Ken: Do you see Michael?

Before Henry answered, Cavall whined softly and Drew moved to him: What's wrong, Cav?

Granny Wolf: Michael is not in this memory. It is his, and he should be, but is not. Cavall smells him, but the wrongness of his absence is disturbing.

Ken: What did Elegroth do `ta him?

Cavall sniffed the air and growled.

Granny Wolf: Follow.

Drew scratched Cavall between his ears and kissed the top of his head: Good boy.

As Cavall led them through the field, time flowed around them. Millennia passed in the span of minutes and the landscape changed. Cavall's hackles rose again and Granny Wolf growled. Ken and Henry smelled blood as a horrific sight appeared in the distance.

Henry: Wait a sec, guys; Drew doesn't need to see this.

Drew: It's alright, Dad.

Lifting Drew by his armpits, Henry hugged his son tightly: No, it's not. I know you've seen horrible things in your past, but that doesn't make it alright. War is..., well it's different.

Ken: Listen `ta your dad on this one, Tiger. I don't want you seein' what's up ahead either.

Drew looked at them in his adult manner and breathed in their love. Their care was a constant shield that buffered him from his past, and he knew they wanted to protect him. He lowered his head onto Henry's shoulder and relished his dad's heat and strength as he put his arms around Henry's neck: I love you.

Drew looked at Ken and Brad: You too. I understand. Uncle Lane sometimes says, "Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should."

Ken grinned and winked: For a dumbass, your Uncle Lane can be smart sometimes.

Drew giggled: He says that about you.

Ken: Oh he does, does he?

Ken kissed the top of Drew's head as Drew settled himself and closed his eyes as they began moving again. At first, the mangled forms of a few slaughtered angels and demons littered the landscape, but soon the area became thick with them and blood saturated the ground.

Ken wasn't sure where the memory came from, but he said: The rebellion. This is the first battle between Michael and Luke after Luke rebelled.

To Ken's sight the field seemed endless, and the smell nauseated him. It was terrible for all of them but worse for Ken. Brad, Henry, and he saw beyond the physical corpses to the extinguished light of the angels and the darkness of the demons. Henry's arms tightened around Drew in response: Let's keep moving.

Cavall growled again, alerting them to something ahead. Ken and Henry detected the clashing sounds of weapons and armor and above that, the screams of angels and pain-filled roars of demons. The carnage was unbelievable, even with their military background which included seeing war firsthand. Human war was a poor reflection of the savagery they witnessed. As images flashed through their minds Ken staggered from being pulled to somewhere else. Granny Wolf and Henry anchored Ken.

Brad: What's wrong?

Ken: I don't know. Seein' this and rememberin'... somethin' in me's reactin' `ta this. It's gotta be Michael.

Brad: Should we let you take us to wherever that is?

Granny Wolf: No. I smell deception. We must continue until more is revealed.

The noise level increased and they became surrounded by violence incarnate. When they reached the center of the battle, Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, and the other archangel grandfathers were present ... again, all except Michael. Even splattered with blood, the angels' armor shone brightly as they fought. At first, tear trails of light spilled as they killed the demons who were once their angelic brothers, but as time flowed through eons their tears lessened and their visages hardened.

Drew trembled at what he heard, so Brad dampened the sounds and reduced the smell of blood by creating an external construct. Cavall's silver eyes scanned the battle, searching for Michael within the memory but the archangel was still absent. His growl of frustration sounded like one of Bryan's grunts. Millions of years of death and violence on a scale unimaginable to mortals flowed around them, and they realized how long the fighting had gone on. The memory ignored them, and they walked freely and quickly to get past it.

Ken: No wonder Michael cut his emotions off. After seein' all this for so long... fuck.

Henry: I have Eleleth's memories. If you can believe it, Elegroth's rebellion was worse. God toned down the second creation compared to the first. I remember Elegroth's cruelty at his worst.

The white lock of Henry's hair glinted and he stopped cold: Oh my God.

Brad and Ken reacted instantly and spun to face him. Henry's emotions spiked at his sudden realization.

Brad: What?

Henry stared at them a moment. Drew raised his head to look in his father's eyes, inches from his own and cupped his rough cheek. He inhaled his father's scent and increased his presence within Henry.

Henry: Elegroth's cruelty ... I know why we haven't seen Michael. We won't find him here.

Ken: Whadda `ya mean? He's in me somewhere. He has `ta be here!

Henry: Being an archon is new to me. There are levels to what I am now that I haven't fully explored. Remembering Elegroth's capacity for evil... he tried to wipe Michael out of existence. When we rescued Michael and Luke, I couldn't reach Michael's chains ... Elegroth pulled Michael to him. He didn't just pull Michael. Elegroth knew he had lost him as a conduit to the second creation and wanted to ruin him on a deeper level, apart from the physical torture. He wanted Michael gone, as if he never existed.

Ken: But we remember him. I remember him. Ken's mental voice became barely audible and his pain was evident when he stated: I fuckin' killed him.

Henry: We remember Michael because Elegroth underestimated him. Archangels aren't as powerful as archons, but they are powerful. Before Elegroth erased him, Michael pushed himself into you, Ken. It was more than giving you his sword, armor, and the coliseum. He pushed himself into you before Elegroth could wipe him from existence. The memories we're in are Michael's because he hid himself in you. We have to find your memories.

Drew: The well. We have to find Uncle Ken's well, like the one my brother hid his secrets in.

Ken: I don't have a well. Ken glanced at Brad: Do I?

Brad: Not that you're aware of. Michael must have put one in you to hide himself.

Ken: That fucker. He better not be on vacation in my head while we're dealin' with this shit.

Henry and Brad chuckled, and Brad said: Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think when we find Michael it's not going to be pretty. Remember his condition when you killed him. He was barely alive. He's probably still in that state and hanging on, hoping we'll figure this out and find him.

Mixed emotions filled Ken at Brad's statement. He had come to love Michael as dearly as Brad and his brothers, and the thought of his continued suffering engulfed Ken. He thought Michael was gone and had come to grips with that. Now, Michael might still exist but in a horrible state of suffering. Ken's eyes hardened as he compartmentalized his emotions, containing them so he could focus on his mission. He would use them to fuel his need.

Ken: Where do we go? How do we find my well?

Brad: The question is how do we get out of Michael's memories and into yours? I'm sure I can find where we need to go once we're in you. I know you inside and out.

Henry expanded his senses and let his wisdom guide him. Cavall watched him and his silver eyes glinted to match the white lock in Henry's hair. He looked through Henry's archonian senses to the one place within Ken where he couldn't smell Michael. That was the doorway to Ken's memories and where they needed to be. They would have to traverse a lifetime of Michael's memories to get there, but now they had a purpose and direction.

Brad: How could Elegroth do this?

Henry: He isn't bound in time. To him, those last seconds of the rescue could have been an eternity if he had wanted. He was pissed that we rescued Luke and Michael and wanted to cause as much damage and pain to everyone as possible.

Anger ran through them at Henry's words, but Drew most of all. The incarnations magnified his emotions and he loved his uncles beyond measure. He loved Michael too. The situation with Ken was like his brother all over again, but worse, and power rumbled from the anger in his soul.

Brad: Let's keep moving.

Cavall knew the direction of the place they needed to find, and transitioned them closer. They appeared in a memory of the Atlanta lab with all the guys around them. Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel were present but, again, Michael was absent. The scene came back to Ken immediately - it was the first time he met Michael and Raphael. Gabriel and Uriel had interacted with Lane and Bryan before but it was the first time the men realized the beings they dealt with were archangels and they still were unaware of their relationships.

Each successive transition took them to a specific interaction with Michael, where he was absent within the memory. They were surprised that the final memory was in Syria. Ken recognized the modified pressure chambers the doctor used for the program. Ken's name was inscribed on his as Lt. Bruce Dutcher. Next to his was Lt. Alan Weatherson, and he recognized his brothers' rank and birth names on the others.

Granny Wolf: This place is the nexus of your memories and Michael's. It is a paradox that binds the two of you.

The chamber was dark except for lights from various equipment. Brad's perfect recollection remembered the hardware, but the sounds and smells wrapped around Ken. Back then, they had no idea who Aaron really was or of his capabilities. A large sealed freezer containing the nephilim DNA that would be spliced into theirs stood in the center of the pressure chambers. Ten orbs of light appeared but rather than the archangels it was the nephilim fathers of the team. Ken recognized Mikail among them.

Mikail: We can still rebel.

Ukail: Like Luke? That sounds odd coming from the son of Luke's greatest enemy. You wish to join Luke?

Gariel: You realize we are observed. We have no choice.

Rekail: I am not pleased, but I comprehend the need. Come, let it be done. We will not even know of the passage of time after we awaken.

Rakail: Will there be a place for us when we do awake?

Jakail: It matters not. We will live in whatever world awaits us.

A moment of silence fell as the nephilim looked at each other. Then, as one, they touched the freezer and a bright light came from their hands. They replaced the DNA Aaron had acquired with their own, and once the light dimmed they vanished, entering a state of purgatory for breaking a mandate that forbade interference in the mortal world.

Brad realized the truth of Granny Wolf's statement. Ken wasn't present in the memory, yet somehow it existed in his unconscious mind through Michael. It was the portal to where they needed to go – Ken's memories.

Brad and Ken both gazed at the room they remembered so well. Their journey started in that room, and at that time in their lives they had no idea what Aaron had planned for them. Cavall moved them forward slightly and they witnessed the doctor splicing their souls, and the souls of their brothers. Brad remembered witnessing the awakening of his brothers in an alternate reality and had the same feeling of profundity as he watched their own souls being split. He witnessed the birth of a new species – them, God's third children.

The sounds and smells of the chamber permeated their thoughts, and they drifted forward in time through the memories of acclimating to their changes. The problematic time between Ken and Brad (then Bruce and Alan) of admitting their love for one another was there, and once their training was complete, the missions they ran as SEALS for the US Government. Brad sharpened Ken's memory of their final flight as SEALs in the modified Sikorsky MH-53 helicopter that had been their primary mission transport for years. He remembered the smell of fuel, brine, used equipment, and even the musky scent of their sweat. In Ken's memory, he felt the rumble of thunder within his body as the skies darkened when they flew above the Mediterranean Sea.

Ken: As crazy as it sounds, I miss those days.

Brad: Me too. They were slightly less complicated...

Ken wondered: How can these memories be Michael's?

Brad: We know the archangels watched over us years before we awakened. My guess is that Michael was with us even then, completely unbeknownst to us, and in this place they're yours too.

Ken chuckled: He was still a dick then and must have hated it, but he was a soldier and followed God's orders without question. Makes me love `im more.

Brad moved closer to his husband and kissed his cheek: When you confronted Michael and opened his heart, I think this memory must have become precious to him, or it wouldn't be this vivid. It lets me know that as close as we are to our grandparents, there's still so much of their lives and existence we don't know.

Despite the urgency of their mission, Cavall paused to let his friends rest in the memories that meant so much to them. His profound compassion for them ran deep, and witnessing their reaction stirred his memories of Áedán and Taliesin. The threads of Cavall's life were woven into The Order's tapestry across centuries, and if not for him, Drew could not have been successful against The Master. Brad drew Cavall tighter in their hearts expressing their love for him as a friend and companion. Drew hugged him and Cavall licked at his face, making him giggle.

Ken took a deep breath and his reluctance to leave the memory was clear, but so was his resolve to find Michael: We need `ta move.

At his words, Cavall transitioned them between Michael's memories and Ken's, yet they still stood in the same room.

Granny Wolf: We start now at your beginning, Kenneth Habbersham. The fallen archon's scent still lingers, even here. We must continue to be wary.

Granny Wolf and Cavall shifted them to Ken's earliest childhood memories where his life was laid bare. Brad had merged with Ken so often that everything in his life was known and imprinted in his soul, but without Brad's perfect recall Henry and Drew wouldn't have known everything. During Ken's young life he was under the curse and completely human; however, there was no judgment about things they witnessed before he was awake. If anything, it strengthened their unconditional love for him.

They lived his life when his foster mother died and then his feelings of abandonment when his foster father sent him back to the orphanage where he lived until he turned eighteen. They lived his closeted sexuality in college, joining the Navy where he met Kevin, and going through BUDS with him. Each memory took them further into not only his life but into him. After his first awakening in Atlanta, Ken's memories became sharper and more precise as his angelic heritage made more of an imprint in time, and then through his Avatar even more so. They witnessed the ripples that began to appear from his actions and the actions of his brothers. Finally, they caught up to the memory of entering the void to rescue Michael; however, this time in the darkness, Ken's well awaited them rather than the black rock.

Ken: It is a fuckin' well.

Brad: Because you imagine it that way. When Drew said well, your brain imagined a literal well like Henry and Drew found in The Master's mind.

To Ken's enhanced hearing, faint echoes of Michael screaming which caused Ken to wince came up from the depths. Henry remembered hearing Drew's cries of torment so he placed a comforting hand on Ken's shoulder.

Granny Wolf: As it was with The Master, there is a trap here. The fallen one's scent is strong. I do not sense him directly, but a potent remnant of his evil is tied to Michael.

Their shields, already bright, glowed brighter in the blackness of the void. Ken's well was not covered in chains as The Master's was. Elegroth wanted them to find Michael. For the briefest of moments, Ken's anxiety spiked over what he was about to find, but he asserted his training and control and his resolve hardened. Then, his will and conviction solidified as his Avatar ignited. The love from Henry's wall also backed him up, along with Drew and, of course, Brad. Cavall paused to make sure Ken was prepared and then transitioned them into the well. They appeared in the void surrounded by the rest of the team. Orophir also was there, moving ahead to give Darren a visual so they could bypass the demonic guards. Once through they expected to see Luke holding Michael, but Luke wasn't present.

The scene was unlike anything they expected. Three versions of Michael awaited them: the bloody and tortured Michael they were there to rescue, the newly born Michael, freshly created by God, and Michael, the leader of the high hosts, in blood-covered armor. At first glance the two other Michaels seemed to be comforting the third, but on closer inspection their grips were firm and cruel.

Granny Wolf: These are the embodiment of Michael's missing memories. The fallen archon placed them here for us to find.

The two embodiments with eyes that smoked of green void energy looked directly at Ken. Their smiles, which at first seemed beatific, became sneers, distorting Michael's angelic visage into repulsive masks. Elegroth's voice came from both simultaneously: I knew you would come. You could not resist. So brave, so heroic, so predictable. I have learned more about you than you can fathom. You are children who play with toys beyond your comprehension.

Cavall observed the scene with his silver eyes that saw everything. What remained of Michael's essence, the real Michael, was perilously close to death. His suffering was unimaginable and Cavall whined. He understood that the two amalgams, hosts of the archangel's memories, were keys to Michael's prison. They were also everything left of Michael except the dying life spark that lay in the prison. If the memories were destroyed Michael would cease to exist, yet their destruction was the key to opening the prison.

Granny Wolf and Cavall howled and moved before Drew, who feared his father and uncles would get hurt. Brad stayed with Drew but threw all his power into Ken and Henry. Cavall's howl conveyed the knowledge of what he saw, and the two amalgams smiled.

The Amalgams: There is no way for Michael to survive, and he will die by your hand... again. However, this time he will not only die, but he never will have been.

The white lock in Henry's hair glinted, matching Cavall's silver eyes, and he understood the depth of the trap: Ken, if we kill them and Michael ceases to exist, he will never have sired Mikail. You would never become his grandson. I'm not sure what effect that will have on the second creation, but a change of that magnitude will be catastrophic throughout the arc of time.

Ken: Fuck!

Michael's faint groan reached Ken's ears. Tears streamed from grandfather and grandson as they made eye contact. Michael's hand twitched, attempting to reach Ken but the prison prevented him. The scene of Ken's imprisonment by Dr. Cromwell when Brad dreamed of Ken lying on the table under a spotlight flashed in Brad's mind.

*

Keeping track of time was difficult. In fact, he had an intuitive sense Time wasn't moving, and there was so little to the place his senses had no bearings. An indeterminate amount of time passed, although it seemed quite a while, and Brad noticed a light in the distance. He moved forward guardedly.

As he got closer, it looked like a table with a bright light shining down on a man lying spread eagle, and a sudden sense of urgency hit Brad in the pit of his stomach.

Something was wrong.

When he got within a few feet of the table, Brad hit an invisible barrier and was shocked at what he saw. The man on the table was in horrible shape, covered in blood and sweat, with many open wounds, some obvious burns, and multiple fractures in his arms and legs.

With the amount of damage and blood, Brad wondered how he could still be alive. As he looked more closely he noticed that the man was held down by thick metal bands. The face that slowly turned towards him was bruised and swollen, but as soon as they made eye contact, recognition hit Brad like a bolt of lightning.

"KEN! OH FUCK! KEN!"

For a brief second Brad was too stunned to react, and then he launched himself against the barrier, pounding his fists against it, desperate to reach Ken.

Ken stared back, his gaze foggy, with no recognition in his eyes. Tears of fear, anger, and frustration spilled from Brad as he attacked the barrier. It finally started to give, and as it weakened, Ken gained more awareness. His eyes, nearly swollen shut, held a glimmer of recognition.

In the real world, the computer monitoring Ken's brain activity registered the change, as Brad's attack weakened the effects of the serum Dr. Cromwell used to keep Ken from accessing his abilities.

Ken's lips moved, but Brad couldn't hear through the barrier. Pushing his broken and tortured body, Ken struggled to move. It was agonizing, but with his wrist broken and slick with blood, he managed to pull his hand through the shackle.

Ken continued struggling, veins visible across his body from the strain, and Brad had no idea how he endured the pain. His face, under the blood, was beet red. Inch by inch he raised his arm, fighting to straighten the angle of the fractures, straining to reach Brad. Their desperation to reach each other was clear and seemed to be taking forever, even though it was only a few seconds.

When Ken's arm pulled free, blood and spit flew from his mouth as he screamed, his teeth stained with blood and his nostrils flaring with every breath, fighting off overwhelming agony. Brad wondered how Ken could still be conscious through the damage and torture, and his heart ached at his suffering.

The progress was slow and excruciating, but Brad was closer. His hand felt broken from punching the barrier, but he couldn't stop. He was about to black out from the pain when his fist broke through.

Ken's outstretched hand trembled, and he couldn't straighten his broken arm, but despite the shaking from his efforts he kept pushing.

Finally, their fingertips touched, and Ken's voice filled Brad's Mind.

Brad! Oh God, B! Get me outta here! I can't hold on anymore... I. I... I tried man, but I c...c...can't take this anymore!

Ken broke down and started sobbing.

"Ken! Oh fuck, oh fuck!"

Looking at his best friend, his lover, and what they had done to him, hearing the agony in his voice, set fire to Brad. Terrified for his partner, he didn't know what to do to save him.

When their fingertips touched, Ken's emotions became a part of Brad. The extent of his torture became evident, and Brad realized Ken was breaking.

Unaware of how he did it, acting on pure instinct, Brad took everything he saw into himself, desperately trying to share or at least lessen Ken's suffering in any way he could. Through the connection of their fingertips, Brad took the fire, the pain, the guilt, all the anger and hatred directed at whoever was responsible, into himself.

Then, he pushed his love into Ken like a hot brand, searing through the pain with his own fire. Brad let his love for Ken wash over him and fill his lover up, stoking his emotions for the man in front of him. Everything within him grew until what he felt was palpable, and he pushed it into Ken, trying to give him hope and strength.

*

Michael put something of himself in Ken at the time of his death. They still didn't fully comprehend it, but Michael bestowed his sword, armor, and the coliseum to Ken, yet there was something more, an imprint, or perhaps more than that. Whatever it was drew Ken to the coliseum when he held Lily in his arms. The stone table was real, not part of a dream. Brad's intuition told him to make a connection between Ken and Michael to find out what it was.

Brad: Guys, hold those two off. Don't harm them. You know what happens if we destroy them.

Drew watched and listened. Deep anxiety ran through him for his uncle and Michael. Henry felt his son breathing hard, a sure sign of his extreme emotions. He saw Drew's tears shining brightly in his eyes and hated to see that. Drew didn't deserve it.

In a calm voice, Drew thought: Dad, put me down.

Henry's eyes widened at what he saw in his son. The incarnations were present, and Drew's eyes blazed so white they illuminated the darkness of the void.

Henry: Brad, figure out a way into that prison. Drew and I will take care of the amalgams.

Resting his hand on Drew's shoulder, Henry brought his archonian strength to bear, adding it to his sons: Let's go, Tiger.

Drew's dome formed around each amalgam to contain them. When they were secure, Henry took himself, Drew, and the amalgams out of Ken and to the doors.

*

The power in Henry and Drew was staggering and Ken and Brad watched them vanish with the amalgams. None of the urgency passed, however, as Michael was near death, and Brad's Avatar and Gift ignited from his need.

Brad: I'm going to need everything we have for this.

Hope sprang in Ken's heart, and at his call Yggdrasil materially formed around them. Ken's Avatar ignited with Brad's, and he locked them together. Elegroth's prison was potent and resisted them, but Brad only needed a connection between Ken and Michael. Their Avatars would make them equal to the task, but to fight Elegroth they needed to be more than enough.

Brad: Get ready, Ken. I'm not sure what's going to happen. Get close to Michael.

The veil did not exist in the void, but Brad's Gift called it into being. In the same manner that Brother Jalaam used to close the Crossroad, Brad twisted the veil. His Avatar brightened, and Ken's grief and hope gave Brad what he needed to be more than equal for his husband. Sweat formed on his forehead from the effort, but the two points of the veil met, one inside Michael's prison and the other in front of Ken.

Brad: Touch him.

Brad's effort resounded in his mental voice, and Ken held up his hand. Michael felt the opening and stretched his broken limbs, forcing them to straighten as his fingertips touched Ken's. Together, Ken and Brad pulled everything that was left of Michael through that connection. The physical touch allowed Brad to translocate Michael from within the prison and into Ken's arms.

The immensity of Michael's suffering hit the wall of Ken's will and conviction, but Ken held it at bay in order to help his grandfather. Deep within Ken existed the memory of what Brad had done for him during his own torture. He could never forget how Brad took his pain, his wish to die, to end his existence, into himself. That act created a creature of pain and insanity that nearly killed them both, but they weren't awake then, nor did they have their Avatars. Hardening himself, Ken did the same for Michael by cradling him and then pulling his trembling grandfather against him. He rocked Michael as if he were a child and took Michael's suffering upon himself. Before Michael's anguish and misery could take root in Ken, his Avatar contained it, and Ken used it to fuel their need. Ken continually taught his brothers to use their pain as a source of strength, and no creature in existence had ever suffered more than Michael at Elegroth's hand. Fire and rage stormed in Ken over what he saw. Tears filled Ken's and Brad's eyes. Brad's compassion tempered everything happening between the three of them and he carried them, along with Cavall and Granny Wolf, out of Ken's mind and back to the coliseum. This was a place of comfort to Ken and Michael, and Brad's intuition told him that it was integral to Michael's recovery.

Németh observed everything by splitting his perceptions when Henry and Drew went to the doors. When Brad and Ken left Ken's mind he closed the portal that allowed their presence within Ken. Elegroth watched as well but Németh protected his friends from the fallen archon's influence. Németh knew Elegroth had attained a new way to breach the second creation, but it did not come without a cost and he could not yet do so with impunity. As angry as the nephilims' interference made Elegroth, it was not worth the price of another confrontation, at least not yet.

As Brad and Ken appeared with Michael in the coliseum, Brad called out: Guys! We need you! We have Michael and he's near death.

The image of Michael flashed in their minds as Brad pulled them from the physical realm into a merge. Everyone but Henry and Drew appeared around them, brought by Ken. Their Avatars and Gifts lit up the coliseum like a star. Ropes of azure, crimson, and gold whipped out of them and twisted into a massive column of white. Lane looked at the devastation in Michael but didn't flinch. He knew that the damage was on multiple levels of existence and that it would tax him to the utmost, but he was unfazed by the enormity of his task.

Ken: Can `ya fix him?

Lane: Does Loy shit in the woods?

Loy guffawed and lightly smacked Lane on the back of his head. Amidst his tears Ken smiled as their camaraderie uplifted him. Their collective soul wrapped around Ken, Michael, and Brad in a blanket of comfort. Aaron and Albrecht were with them to offer their calm presence and power. Ken felt the warmth of their souls and their hands pushing their belief and support into him to fortify the wall of his faith that Michael would survive.

Lane took them deep within the underlying base of creation to the fundamental place that mortals were unaware existed. Starting there, he flooded healing into Michael. It took a massive amount of time and effort where time didn't move, but through their Avatars they were enough. Michael's suffering gradually eased, and he drifted off to sleep in Ken's arms. His twisted and broken form straightened as Darren followed Lane's lead. The stubs on his back where Elegroth severed his wings regenerated to their full glory. Despite their efforts, Michael had an emptiness they couldn't yet heal. The parts of him that Henry and Drew took to the doors left him incomplete. The amalgams weren't only memories but parts of Michael necessary to make him whole.

*

Henry and Drew appeared with the amalgams, shattering the quiet sanctity of the temple. Each time Henry came to the doors, Eleleth's memories were closer to him than in the physical realm. The other seals, bright again, called to him and shone on him and his son.

Henry: We have to cleanse them without destroying them.

Drew: Remember what Mr. Uriel and the other angels did to me when I died?

Drew's question brought the most painful memory of Henry's life back to him.

*

Uriel knelt, and rather than fold Drew's Soul into his wings he cupped the glowing orb in his hand. Holding it aloft, he looked at it.

The other archangels wrapped their wings around their brother, and a hot wind blew around them.  It soothed their sweaty skin with a wholesome touch, and dried their tears.  Euphoria filled them, and their chests caught with a sudden intake of breath.

Tiny sparks began shooting out of the soul Uriel held aloft. At first it was one, then a few more, and after a few seconds thousands of them streamed out, swirling around the beautiful orb like fireflies.  At first glance they were beautiful, like tiny golden snowflakes, but to the bodies' enhanced vision, coupled with their understanding, the flaws in them were clear.  The tiny crystalline sparks put off the light of human souls, but they were misshapen and broken.

The archangels pulled the tortured soul fragments out of Drew. Brad realized what they were first, and then everyone through him, recognizing the ones they met while Drew was learning to control his abilities: Rhavi, Ferguson, and the first version of Drew that had no name.  Those were a few of his incarnations that were sane, but so many were broken to the point where they weren't.

Uriel and his brothers separated over eleven thousand fragments, leaving Drew's soul pure and intact.  When they were done, Uriel enfolded the incarnations in the comfort of his wings.

"Rest now, little ones.  Find the peace you should have had long ago.  There is a special place in Heaven for you all, and you will be happy and whole there, I promise you."

*

Henry was an archon, a heavenly being above even an archangel. He held Eleleth's strength in addition to his own wisdom. The corruption that bound Michael's memories as the amalgams was Elegroth's work, and he used the black stone of the void to increase their potency. Combined, the two powers were adamant. Yet Henry, with his son at the doors, was a match for those powers.

Henry: I know what to do. Can you hold them long enough for me to do this? It won't be easy.

Drew's resolve, due to his love for Michael and Ken even more so, made Henry proud. Drew's eyes blazed white as he grinned at his father: You bet your sweet ass.

Henry raised an eyebrow: Who taught you that one?

Drew: Grandpa Tag.

Henry: Oh! Then I guess it's alright to say it if it came from Tag.

Drew: Don't tell Auntie Olive.

Henry: It'll be our secret.

One of the things Drew adored about Henry was his ability to make him always feel valued. In the midst of what they were doing, Henry held Drew in his heart and Drew knew he was the focal point of his father's love.

Smiling at each other, Henry thought: Let's do this, Tiger.

Eleleth's sword appeared in Henry's hands, and the pommel creaked from the strength of his grip. The Seals' light brightened, and Henry felt the ripples resounding within them. Closing his eyes, Henry drifted in the temple's sanctity and used his sword to channel the power he needed. His strength built until Drew no longer saw his father, and then an arc of power struck the first amalgam.

Similar to Drew's soul being cleansed, Henry removed and annihilated Elegroth's influence within Michael's memories to leave them pure and intact. Spanning billions of years of memories was an effort, but eventually the amalgam was pure, and Drew dispersed the dome containing the purified one. The amalgam was now a beautiful, angelic memory sphere, mesmerizing to look at, an incarnation of a third of Michael's existence waiting to return to him.

When Henry's light dimmed and Drew could see him again, the sight of his father reminded him of everything he loved about Henry. His mind traveled back to the time he and Henry were in The Master's psyche and down the well of his deepest memories - the time when Henry took care of him and protected him. The scent of Henry's sweat and aftershave, the heat and strength of his body, surrounded Drew and he smiled.

Simultaneously Henry and Drew perceived the imp's presence. Its dark form seemed washed out in the temple's light, but it was present and sparked more memories in Drew. Images from his first life when The Master was simply his older brother, laughing, hunting, and playing with Drew in the valley of Yggdrasil. They spoke mind to mind, heart to heart before their tongues held speech.

Henry: Drew!

Drew: It's okay, Dad.

The stone, glowing, appeared in Drew's hand. As he squeezed it, smoke exuded the acrid odor of his blood. His hand felt wet and he looked down to see blood seeping through his fingers. Drew had never squeezed the stone so hard, and it had cut into his flesh as he stared intently at the imp and asked: Do you remember? When we were boys?

The stone blazed hot in Drew's hand when he asked his question, and he looked deeply at it. Like the first time he came to the doors, the stone grew in his perception until its blood-filled pores were like lakes. Casually, Drew imprisoned the imp, and in its weakened state it could not escape.

Henry: What are you doing?

Drew: He needs to remember.

The Imp: I remember only my hate for you, idiot brother.

Drew: No. You loved me once like I loved you. I still love you.

Drew's voice echoed with the voices of his incarnations and his eyes turned as bright as the temple: Remember.

*

The comforting sounds of the valley surrounded the two brothers. Quietly, with the utmost care, they used crude spears to stalk and stab fish in the stream. The version of Drew who had no name looked up to his older brother, the young Master. He was older and stronger, but Drew was equally smart.

Drew forced the imp to relive the last year of their life together and the months when The Dark One corrupted the young Master. Drew's love never wavered, and the imp hissed. The memory sped up and Drew relived the unbearable pain as his brother brutally attacked him, crushing his skull until he was unrecognizable.

*

Thunder and lightning filled the skies.  Rain poured as the Heavens wept.  Creation groaned, and the laughter of the Dark One echoed through the Valley, the universe, and the Heavens. Even though it prolonged his pain, Drew slowed his perception of time.  It was hard, the hardest thing he'd ever done, but he held on because he had to, just like Henry. He had to, in order to say the words he needed to say in his brother's mind, to let him know he had been tricked by The Dark One.

Y.. You didn't have to d...do th...this.  I always l... loved... you.  You al.. always... were, a... and... always...will... be the br ... other... I... love.

Increasing his perception of time, he steeled himself for the final blow.  Reliving Henry's last thoughts as his dad lay dying in the fight with the Eschphene leader, how courageous and stoic Henry was, gave Drew the bravery to push through, matching Henry's courage and the courage of his uncles.  Seeing it in them, he could do no less.  They fought so hard to save him, but this time he would save them.

I...it's okay.  Y..you...didn't h..have ... to.. do ..this.  Y..you.. were... tricked.  The V..Voice lied.  I...love... you...

The Master heard his brother's words, this time not as feelings and emotions but as words, just like the Voice.  He understood them because they were mind to mind and from Drew's heart. The young Master felt his brother's love in his words, and he realized again how wrong he had been.  He had been tricked, and the agony over that realization again hit him hard. After grabbing Drew in his arms, the young Master wailed as he cradled his brother's body.  Drew's last thought, not in words, brought him comfort.  With his brother's arms around him, he knew he wasn't alone at the end as he thought. 

He was with his brother.

*

Stepping out of the memory, Drew watched his brother's initial reaction. The paradox of Henry and Drew being present in the memory three years prior had altered the past when the young Master asked Drew's forgiveness for his act. Drew held the stone at the doors in the physical realm as his brother held it in the memory. Both versions of the stone were bathed in Drew's blood. The doors were an epicenter of a massive paradox. All the ripples Lane caused by his decision to save three innocents while letting three more pass on to heaven resounded within them. Those ripples empowered the doors and weakened the imp, who embodied the curse. Because of where and who Drew and the imp were, Drew did the impossible. In the memory, he reached out and slashed his brother's arm with the stone, drawing blood. Their blood mingled, and Drew's memories entered the imp. While the imp experienced the unimaginable physical and emotional pain he inflicted on his brother, the imp was alone while Drew had over eleven thousand incarnations to support him.

Grimacing, Drew thought: I can save you. You can come back. Let me help you. Please...

The imp: I have no wish for salvation, brother. I am the curse. I have no desire to return.

Drew: When my uncles win, you will be destroyed. I don't want that.

The Imp: You are an ignorant, selfish child.

The violence of the imp's words stung, and Drew let his brother go. The imp hissed loudly and fled back to the void.

*

Henry felt The Dove's attention on them. God wasn't physically present, but his awareness filled the temple as another part of His plan was fulfilled. Deep in his heart, Henry prayed: Please let Drew be okay in all this. I can't lose him again.

Henry: Drew, are you alright?

Almost casually, Drew had held the second amalgam throughout his encounter with the imp. Henry knew that something in his son changed. Something ... shifted ...between Drew, the imp, and the stone, and whatever it was hadn't yet settled. Drew looked at Henry with immense sadness, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he thought: I'm okay, Dad. Let's help Mr. Michael and go home.

Not sure what else to say, Henry said: I love you.

Drew smiled through his tears: I love you more.

Turning his attention to the second amalgam Henry cleansed it, and when he finished Drew moved to him. His face was red and splotchy like when he was younger. He was upset, and at that moment he wasn't the crux of the curse but a ten-year-old boy who needed his father. Henry picked him up, and Drew's arms and legs went around him the way they used to: It's okay, Tiger. It's okay.

Drew sniffled and rested his head on Henry's shoulder: I still love him.

Henry: I know.

Drew: I have to save him.

Henry: Drew ... I'm not sure you can, honey. All we can do is try. You know your uncles and I are with you all the way. If there's a way, we'll find it.

Drew quietly thought: I know.

Henry was still concerned over what happened in the memories between Drew and the imp but he masked his worry as he took them to the coliseum.

*

Drew and Henry appeared with the two memory spheres. Ken, surrounded by his brothers and mentors, cradled Michael in his lap. The light of The Order shone brightly, and Henry discerned the unique aspects of each of his brothers within the light. It was glorious and became more so as Drew and Henry became a part of it. As soon as Henry and Drew appeared Ken looked up with fresh tears in his eyes. Through his Avatar, he understood that the memory spheres they held were the missing incarnations of Michael's existence – the only chance for Michael's restoration

Ken: `Ya did it.

Ken knew Henry intimately and understood that more happened at the doors than just cleansing Michael's memories. The emotions in father and son churned under the surface, but being with their family calmed them. Henry released the spheres, they bobbed gently toward Michael and finally they entered his body. For a moment his eyes remained closed, but when he opened them, he saw Ken's ubiquitous joy.

Ken: Fuck. We found you. You're awake.

Ken pulled Michael closer against him with all his strength, and his embrace was returned in equal measure. Ten orbs of light appeared and grew into the shapes of Luke and the other angelic grandfathers. Tears of light covered their faces and their eyes brightened as they pulled Michael into angelic communion.

Michael stood and Drew hugged him around his waist: I'm happy you're back.

Michael: I as well, child. Thank you for my return – you are the gift of life.

Michael flexed his wings and the other archangels joined him to make a ring around everyone. The impossible happened, another paradox, and the last vestiges of Elegroth's plan to erase Michael vanished. The Dove appeared, and the archangels bowed as he embraced Michael. No words were spoken but he smiled: Thank you, my children, for bringing Michael back.

The dove caressed the side of Michael's face: You are whole again, yet more than you were. You survived the void and Elegroth's corruption, and as such, you now have power against both.

Eyes widened at the revelation, but the understanding from their Avatars saw the difference in Michael.

Ken: Take your sword and armor back and the coliseum.

Michael: No, Ken. I bequeathed them to you, and they remain yours. We will share the coliseum if you like.

Ken breathed hard from the emotions still roiling in him and from coming to grips with the fact that Michael was back. Near bursting, he thought: No Grandfather. I love.

The Dove: I have a gift for you, Michael, to replace what you gifted Ken.

An angel appeared, more muscular than any angel they had yet seen. He wore a smith's apron that left his thick arms and massive shoulders bare. His skin shone with sweat as The Dove called him directly from his forge.

The Dove: I bade Malachiel craft you new armor and a sword.

Malachiel moved forward and touched foreheads with Michael, wrapping him in his wings. When his wings withdrew, Michael stood in newly crafted armor with a sword at his side. Similar to Orophir's dagger, the sword held a gem that initially seemed dull and lifeless, but when Michael gripped the hilt, the gem blazed to life, swirling with white, black, and green power.

Michael grinned: Your skill remains unsurpassed, brother. Thank you.

Malachiel nodded to the gem: You can thank Luke's scion for that trick. I must return to my forge. Use these wisely and defeat the fallen archon.

As Malachiel's form brightened, his last words were almost a whisper: Tell Mikail he must earn a new weapon.

Michael looked confused. He had no knowledge of the nephilim and other angels who were released from their state of purgatory.

Ken: Umm... yeah... about that. I'll fill you in.

Luke: Michael, I return the leadership of the high hosts to you.

Michael: No, brother. We will lead them together.

Michael stared at Luke intently and emphatically stated: You are worthy.

Luke's visage lightened and his back straightened. Bowing his head he replied: As you wish.

The Dove vanished, and Raphael said: Heaven rejoices at your return, Michael. Come home for a time so that all can witness this miracle.

Michael turned to Drew: Blessed child, I am eternally grateful to you.

Drew, with genuine humility, bowed his head, and by doing so did not see all those present bow their heads to him. Michael next turned to Ken and held out his hands: I must go, but will come to you soon. Thank you, Ken, for everything.

Ken took Michael's hands, but his emotions were still barely within his control and he didn't know what else to say except: No problem.

As the eleven archangels transformed into balls of light, the shit talk started.

Bill: No problem? Seriously? What kind of a response is that?

Ken: I don't know. What would you have said?

Kevin: Not that!

The conversation devolved quickly as Ken's brothers surrounded him, touching him, ruffling his hair, and in Lane's case slapping his ass. The pressure in Ken's chest lessened with his laughter, and his relief took over. The realization that Michael was back was still difficult to believe, but he had returned. Lane played the opening theme music to "The Six Million Dollar Man" but changed the lyrics: Michael, an archangel barely alive. Gentlemen, we rebuilt him, we had the technology.

Bryan: God, I love my nerd.

Darren: Holy shit, that was cheesy, even for you, Lane.

Ricky: At least it wasn't about holy shit.

Loy: Give him time. Apparently, he stalks me in the woods.

Lane: Brad, the next time you guys make out, like we know you will in a few minutes, you have to make the sound effect when Ken gets hard. Do the whole slow-motion thing with time. It will be perfect.

Brad: God, you're weird.

Ken looked down at his crotch and then back up. His little kid grin appeared, and he thought: Nun un un un un un un un un.

A brief silence followed before Lane played the lyric from The Police's "Sending out an SOS," and everybody lost it.

Albrecht howled and Aaron shook his head, but smiled. Drew seemed a bit confused, and Ken hugged him: We got a new TV show for you `ta watch. You're gonna love it.

***

Over the following weeks, Ken's happiness over Michael's return continued to spread throughout the rest of the team. Something good and profound happened for a change, with no loss attached to it. Life in the Congo caught a semblance of normality: the kids had lessons, practiced their music, watched their newest TV fix, The Six Million Dollar Man, Loy's projects proceeded well, and Bryan cooked with Drew's help. The egg remained quiet and safe, and Ken sparred with Michael at least once a week, in addition to taking Drew, Raph, and a few of the guys with him to the coliseum for Raph's training.

Lane created a team of little monsters in the boys once they started watching The Six Million Dollar Man, as they ran around making the bionic sound effects and moving in pretend slow motion while they did everything.

***

Thomin sensed a change in the stone after Drew's encounter with the imp. The young Master's blood, even though it was from a memory, mingled with Drew's. In the silence of the vault, Thomin heard Drew's screams and the words of the young Master asking forgiveness. The archangel gave little mind to the curse and the outside world; the battles of The Order were their own and not his. Not that he remembered anyway.

Silencing the stone, Thomin went about cataloging his treasures and ensuring they were all present and safe. Some of his treasures were so potent that they could disrupt the second creation. The duplicate of Orophir's dagger, with its dull, lifeless gem was one. The stone was another. He did not comprehend its significance, but his province told him The Mantle of The Order was another object that could shake the foundations of creation. Outside of a host, it was an orb that floated above a pedestal. He remembered untwining it from Aaron Jochebedson's soul. Sometimes it faintly sang, sounding sad, as if it longed for someone or something. Perhaps another treasure Thomin needed to find.

***

Drew fell asleep at his regular bedtime but slept fitfully. He got up, paced around, and looked in on Henry. He missed sleeping with his dad. His thoughts turned sexual for no apparent reason, and he became erect, so he returned to his room to masturbate. Still wide awake after he finished, he crawled into bed with Henry.

Henry sounded bleary as he asked, "Hey, Tiger. Is everything okay?"

Drew said, "Can I sleep with you?"

Henry's heat and scent wafted up when he raised the sheet, and Drew snuggled against him. Henry's arm went around him, holding him close, and Drew quickly drifted back to a deep slumber.

*

A bright light shining through his closed eyelids woke him. The light was from the doors, and Drew found himself awake and standing naked at the base where the doors came together. He didn't sense the imp, but the curse pulsed powerfully within his veins. Either his brother was getting stronger, or he was becoming more sensitive to it as his own power increased. He felt the stone in his hand, hot and wet, and when he looked down blood dripped from it. He noticed stains on the floor from his last encounter with the imp when Drew cut his brother's arm in a memory. For the first time he could remember he didn't want the stone with him. Holding it out, he asked, "Mister Thomin, can you please take it back?"

The stone vanished and Drew stood silently, wondering why he was there. He was in his body and knew Henry would be worried if he woke and found Drew gone. Looking up at the Seals, Drew knew which one belonged to Henry. It was near the bottom, and Drew was now tall enough to jump and grasp the ledge. He leaped as high as he could, and on his second attempt his fingers found the ledge, and he pulled himself up. The suddenness of the transition caught Drew off guard. He was inside Henry, as Henry was inside Eleleth when they joined. Far more potent than a merge, Henry's love, his very existence, permeated Drew. The love of his father imbued and overcame him to the point where he simply existed within Henry. He wanted to stay there forever and never leave. Nothing else mattered but being in his father.

*

Granny Wolf: Henry Ross, awake!

Simultaneous to Granny Wolf's urgent cry, Henry felt Drew within him.

Henry: What the? Drew!

Henry squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden onslaught of emotion. On instinct, Henry vanished to appear in his Seal, the source of what was happening.

Within his Seal Henry embraced his son: Drew? Honey?

Drew: Dad?

In the Seal they were one, even more so than in a merge. Henry remembered his inability to separate from Eleleth and how overpowering their love was. Henry loved his son so much that it gave him more clarity of thought. He knew he had to separate them soon, or it would be far more painful for his son, and he didn't want that.

Drew: ... Didn't mean to ... couldn't sleep. The stone ...

        Henry: I know, honey. Focus on my arms around you and try to hug me back.

Feebly, Drew's arms made it around Henry, and after a moment he squeezed harder: That's my boy. Keep focusing.

Henry took them out of the Seal and knelt with Drew's arms and legs wrapped around him like a spider. The heat of Henry's bare skin aroused Drew, which gave him something else to focus on. The Dove appeared. He knew Henry's fear for himself and Drew.

Henry implored: Will you help us?

The Dove cupped Henry's cheek and the top of Drew's head, and each caught his breath as they returned to himself. Henry held his son tighter, afraid for his emotional state.

Chagrinned, Henry thought: I didn't think you would.

The Dove: You have the strength and the will, so I did nothing you were unable to do.

Henry: Thank you.

The Dove: Drew's desire to save his brother brought him here.

Henry: He did something...

The Dove: Yes. Much wisdom lies within Drew's heart. Even more compassion. He has realized an essential truth about his brother.

Henry: Is what he wants possible?

The Dove: All things are possible, Henry. You know this.

Henry's expression hardened. He wasn't in the mood to be fucked with.

The Dove smiled: Yes, but as with all great things, not without cost. The choice will be Drews at the appropriate time. You and his uncles can influence his decision, but the choice will be his.

Fresh tears formed and dripped from Henry's eyes: I can't lose him again.

The Dove leaned forward, kissed Henry's forehead and the top of Drew's head, and vanished.

*

Back in his bed, Henry held Drew while they both cried.

Drew: I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean for that to happen. I came in to sleep with you and woke up at the doors. I didn't go on purpose.

After blending with Drew, Henry knew everything and was terrified for his son.

Henry: Drew..., honey, I know what you want to do. Please promise me... I'm begging you... don't do anything without me or your uncle's involvement, okay? Maybe you can save your brother, but if you have to sacrifice yourself again to do it... that would destroy me.

Drew: If saving him means losing you or any of my uncles, I won't do it. I promise. I don't know why I still love him or why it's so important to me. He's mean and horrible... but he's my brother, and he was tricked into being what he is. He doesn't deserve any of it.

Henry: He was tricked at first, but he embraced everything. He chose to be evil after he killed you. You suffered for eighty thousand years because of his choice. You want to save him because you are the kindest and most compassionate person I've ever known. Even more than your Uncle Brad. You are the most special son anyone could ever possibly have, and I can't tell you how grateful I am that you chose me to be your dad.

Drew: I didn't have a choice. Not like you mean. You showed up in that basement when Mom and I were scared. Something about you made me feel safe, and you were willing to die to protect Mom and me. I saw your pain, and you wanted to save me and Mom from that.

Henry laughed through his tears: I guess we were made for each other.

Drew: The birdman told you he sent you to me. I'm the luckiest boy in the world because of that.

Henry: I guess we both won the lotto.

They both laughed and Henry, wanting to bring things back to normal, thought: Let's get some shut-eye. We've had enough excitement for one night.

Drew: Dad?

Henry: Yeah?

Drew: I love you.

Henry: I love you more.

Henry pulled Drew more snuggly against him with one arm and pulled the sheet over them with the other. Their souls brightened, and Drew's wrapped around his father. They fell asleep in each other's blissful light as Cavall and Bullet jumped on the bed to curl up as close as possible. Granny Wolf watched over their dreams and took them to play catch at the playground in Atlanta across the street from the original base. In their dream, they were not the last archon or the crux of the curse, but Henry and Drew, father and son, playing ball.

***

Before the morning meeting while Ken and most of the guys were imbibing their morning coffee, Raph entered the kitchen. Freshly showered, with his hair still wet, Ken noted the changes in Raph's body. A few of the guys whistled and catcalls began to fly. Raph turned ten shades of red, but while embarrassed, he was also pleased.

Darren: Own it, Raph. You've always been a handsome guy, but damn, you are looking fine.

Raph: Thanks, guys... Raph's appreciation was evident, and he smiled even more when Drew held up his fist for a fist bump. Thanks to the slinkymeister here, I'm feeling better than ever. I didn't realize the healing rune in my body would make such a big difference. I have zero recovery time and no soreness.

Ken: I shoulda thought of that. Fuck, that rocks.

Raph: Ken, I have some things to go over with you guys in this morning's meeting. It might take more time than usual unless you want to do it in our heads. I hate taking away from your training time, but it's important stuff.

Brad: I have us covered. You'll have as much time as you need, Raph. My curiosity is peaked now.

Tommy, Brett, Drew, Teesha, AJ, and Maddie got up to clean their plates and put them in the dishwasher. Hugs and butt swats ensued as all the guys kissed the cheeks or the tops of all the kids' heads as they left to start their lessons. After the coffee cups had been rinsed, the adults filed into the conference room. Aaron and Albrecht were the last to arrive and entered three minutes after the start time. Lane's grin turned impish: You're late, Doc.

Aaron sat and meticulously laid out his tablet, then straightening his lab coat, he looked at Lane with a severe expression and thought: A wizard, Lane, is never late. He arrives precisely when he means to.

Lane didn't know how to react. The Tolkien geek in him burst forth and his eyes watered: Oh my God, Doc. Thank you.

Bryan clasped a hand on Lane's shoulder, fully understanding what the doctor had done for his husband. He winked at Aaron and grinned his thanks.

Ken still chuckled when he said: Alright, ladies, gents, and Tolkien geek, let's get started. B, take us down.

Brad already maintained a link with everyone in the base, but he deepened it almost to the point of a complete merge. He took them into a construct of the conference room, and they were so deep time barely moved. Ken stood at the lectern and motioned to Raph: You're up.

Another of the many changes in Raph, aside from the physical, were his organizational skills. Working with Loy, Aaron, Albrecht, and especially Sally so closely, and with everything on his plate, he had learned to multitask at a level that even impressed Aaron. Taking out his tablet, Raph pulled up his notes and began: Alright, I have a lot to go over. I'll start with Loy's sanctuaries because that's the easiest. All the land is now acquired, and property, facility, and agricultural managers are hired. I've given them responsibility to hire their own staff, but the nephilim are game changers. There are more than we realized, but there are also some kinks where they're concerned.

Loy: Like what?

Lane: Water sports?

Raph: Well, for starters, they aren't used to dealing with humans. Thanks to Istariel, Alariel, and that bunch, all the nephilim are multi-lingual, but most are entirely ignorant of our culture. Istariel and his group will keep them in line and educate them. Not all of them are nice, and some were in their state of penance for horrific things, but hopefully, they've mellowed over time. They have free will in this, but Barachiel has mandated that he will not tolerate any wickedness, and he or his legions will personally deal with any troublemakers.

Eyebrows rose at his comments.

We've made offers to all major medical personnel and are still waiting to hear back from a few. Construction has started for housing, grounds, and general facilities. With the help of the nephilim, what would have taken the better part of a year will only take a few months at most.

Loy, please carve out some time so you and I can come up with a procedure to handle extreme cases that are sure to come up. We'll empty kill shelters first, but there are a lot of abused animals, many with severe trauma, physical and emotional, and even birth defects. There are countless organizations already for catching, spaying, and neutering feral and stray critters, and we'll be bringing most of them under our umbrella once we're fully operational. Any questions?

Everyone was impressed by what Raph had already accomplished, but there were questions. Raph answered them and other concerns in addition to noting things he needed to work on. When matters relating to the sanctuaries were settled, he continued: Okay, on to the next item. The runes you've placed so far are causing quite a stir. Frankly, no one knows how to deal with the major disruptions from the truth. Outside the influence of the runes, many politicians are calling for their removal or a change of venue for the governments to meet in.

In many cases, the effective area of the runes extends outside the walls of the buildings and onto the sidewalks. People have discovered this, and there are new trends on social media of `truth or dare' games. It's become an entirely new form of entertainment. Leave it to humans to turn something profound into a superficial game. After Bry and Leroy in North Korea and healing every sick person in the world, many people still don't trust us or our motives.

The first reaction was anger, with Bryan being the most affected. Brad's Avatar lit up and he strengthened their link into a complete merge. His compassion blanketed them, taking care of his brothers first. Ken's will and conviction built a wall behind that blanket and he thought: It sucks, but we pretty much knew this would happen. Not the specifics, but the imp's fightin' back.

Aaron: Yes, Kenneth, it is. I predict a higher level of division and separation among humans between those who believe us and wish to fight the curse and those who are weak-willed and wish to embrace the curse and take no responsibility for themselves or their actions. We must remember our primary tenet of loving them.

In the merge, Brad's experience of putting himself into every human on the planet was clear and present. He entered the conscious and unconscious minds of everyone and witnessed the Curse of Eden in full effect. The entire range of the human condition from those who tried to love as unconditionally as possible to the hatred and division between sex, race, and ideologies. Compassion and empathy often were absent, and people reveled in the misery and misfortune of others while becoming hypocritically angry at being treated the same way by others. The world's fragility was shocking to see and the lynchpin that kept it going or could bring it all tumbling down was the curse.

Brad's Avatar brightened to be equal to the task of upholding them. Their anger turned to pain over the plight of man and Aaron's gentle reminder. Compassion filled them until their hearts nearly burst. Raph cried with them for his fellow man and wished everyone could know what he did and feel the love of literally touching another soul.

Once they settled, and Brad took them back to themselves, Raph thought: There's no immediate answer to this, but I wanted to bring it up so you're aware. There are a lot of buildings around the world that still need runes.

Ken: Yeah, we need `ta stay the course and see it through. There are punk politicians everywhere.

Lane: Here's what I predict. People are already fed up with politicians, and if they move out of their buildings to avoid the runes, it exposes them as liars even more. That will backfire in a major way. I still say more good will come of this than we think. It's just going to take some time, and we need to add more ASAP.

Albrecht: Well said, and I concur.

Ken: Okay, thanks for the brief. What's next?

Raph: Javier is at capacity with protectors who need to be reinserted into new lives. He has a few who want to be reset, but most don't want to forget. I get what he's saying. It's like how Ken taught me to use my anger as a weapon. If their past is taken away, it weakens them. It will make our job easier, to be honest. We'll just need to find places for them to live and set them up with some form of income until they get jobs and become self-sufficient. What happened with Erik and that demon spread quickly. Protectors find and help one another. A few still find Javy on their own, but most of the time he's getting small groups. He's thrilled, and the Narcan packs are working wonders to clean them up, but he's at his limit on space and the ability to feed everyone he has so we need to help him make room for more.

Darren: Who would have thought former protectors would turn around and become the good guys?

Henry: It makes sense. We've seen evil firsthand. Experienced it, whether willingly or coerced. Remember – I was a protector and totally 100% lost until Loy freed me and a little boy found me. The general public saw that demon and the fight over Atlanta, but they haven't felt it like we have.

Pat: So that's the answer? Expose the world to true evil? Let the whole world raise its skirt and go running like little girls?

Bill: That's Lane's job.

Lane: Hey! You guys do it too!

Ken: Okay, ladies, we all have skirts and we all run like girls. Except me.

Before things deteriorated, Ken raised his hands: Let's get back on track.

Aaron: I will contact Javier after our meeting, Raphael.

Raph: You rock, Doc. The next thing is General Hammond. He wants to meet with the RL's for a status update. He's getting a lot of pressure to show some results. He's aware of the time differential at the egg, and I told him the RL's can't come here, so he wants to go there briefly to see everything for himself.

Ken: Fuck. We gotta keep him happy, but we don't have time for participation trophies. Let me think on that one. What's next?

Raph: Okay, this next item is weird. It's sort of like another Lily situation. I can't figure out why my social media filters floated this to the top. Yesterday, nine people were struck by lightning and not just killed but turned to ash. The lightning wasn't just a single strike; it was persistent until nothing was left of the victim.

Whistles and a smattering of "fuck me's" and "holy shits" went around the table.

Raph: Here's the kicker. Every one of the victims was in the middle of performing a horrific act: murder, rape, torture, some involving children, infants, or animals. The details are nasty.

The ops board lit up with the various local news articles and police records. The victims, if you want to call them that, were all males with priors. Extreme records. These events occurred over a few hours, so not simultaneously. They were spread out, seemingly randomly, around the globe. There might be more by now since our meeting started. As far as I can tell, no news outlet has linked them together, except for one conspiracy theory social media site.

Brad immediately thought about the man he and Ken recently healed and Lily, the little girl with cancer. Lily's case involved angels and Michael, but he couldn't rule out a connection yet. Brad was sure that the puppet strings dealing with him and Ken were not from God. There were too many unknowns.

Brad: Pat, do you see a pattern?

Pat's eyes flashed white and his Avatar and Gift lit up. His Avatar synched with the other bodies' but without his Gift, Ken wasn't part of the second connection. Everyone sensed his frustration and tightened their hearts around him. Pat backed far out in the second creation, about as far as he was comfortable without capturing the attention of the imp and delved into the patterns, ripples, and vortices he saw.

Time wasn't moving, but he spent an exorbitant amount of it observing everything. His Avatar of understanding, magnified by his brothers discerned a connection. A tiny thread, barely visible to him, phased in and out of creation. Henry followed it through Pat and sent his perception to the first creation. The thread wove between the two creations, and Henry traced it to its source – the egg.

Pat and Henry: Holy shit.

Lane listened, and as if it were a discordant bowstring, he heard the fractured and incomplete music that seemed to have produced the random events.

Lane: This is bad.

Ken: Ya' think? Can we stop it?

Brad: So far, the effects have been objectively beneficial.

Kevin: Yeah... until they aren't.

Ken: We need `ta get to the egg and talk with Eva. Maybe she'll know how `ta stop it, if that's even possible. With a sigh, Ken continued: Fuck, it's always somethin'. Raph? Anythin' else?

Raph: Nope. That's everything on my list.

Henry: I have something, Ken. I shielded this until it was time to bring it up. I know there's a lot going on, but something happened with Drew last night. He physically traveled to the doors while he slept. I followed and spoke with The Dove.

Henry opened the place where he kept the memory and revealed Drew's desire to save the imp. They witnessed Drew's interaction with the young Master in his memory – when he and Henry were at the doors while cleansing the amalgams of Michael's memories – where paradoxically, Drew cut his brother's arm and mingled their blood. The shared pain between Henry and Drew blending and separating touched the men as much or more than anything they had seen so far. Even Aaron and Albrecht were unsure of the ramifications between the stone and the blending, but they expressed grave concern.

Aaron: We must carefully observe Drew. His power has grown to the point he no longer needs the stone, which also bears consideration. His existence still holds the doors closed, and the two creations separate.

Ken: On it, Doc. Okay, we got things `ta do. Everybody jump on your tasks. I think we need `ta split up and not all go `ta the egg. I'll decide who and we'll go tomorrow. It's urgent, but a day won't make any significant difference with the time differential.

Albrecht: Will you need Darren this afternoon to place more runes?

Ken: We can manage without him if we have `ta. You need him for harness duty?

Albrecht: Yes, if possible. I am at the stage of joining the links. Soon, the harness will be ready for a small test. I think you should all be present for that.

Loy: Hot damn, you bet.

Ken: Okay. Trainin' `til noon, then lunch, then rune time for the world government buildin's while Dar and Albrecht play mad scientist.

Henry: I can ask Sally to excuse Drew to fill in for Dar if you want. He's ahead on his lessons, so it won't hurt his grades.

Ken: Sure. I bet he'd like that, and we can use the extra juice.

***

Brad quietly observed his husband squat two tons. Ken's physical perfection became even more beautiful when he hoisted the weight on his shoulders and his entire body tightened. He made it seem effortless, but his form shone with sweat after fifteen reps. With as much pressure as Ken put on himself as their leader, along with his frustration of not having his Gift, Ken had a unique capability to lose himself in his physicality. Brad often marveled over Ken's ability to live in the moment and push his troubles aside.

As Ken set the bar down and turned off the power, he noticed Brad's admiring look and winked with his little kid grin. To Brad, aside from the afterglow of sex, Ken was most handsome in moments like this, when he seemed carefree and doing what he loved. Ken wiped his face with a towel and then threw the cloth over his shoulder as he made his way to his husband: You're supposed `ta be liftin', not pervin'. Before Brad could respond Ken caught him off guard with a kiss.

Bryan sighed: If you make out, we all make out.

In the air around them, Lane played the chorus of "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Bad Company.

Laughing, Ken thought: Just kissin' my stud husband. You should too.

Lane puckered his lips: I'm all for that.

Ken: You know I meant your own. Hey, you know what guys? We got a long day ahead. Why don't we go private and get charged up. We got an hour left and sex cardio is still cardio, so let's burn some calories.

Kevin put his arms around Ken from behind and lifted him off the ground: I knew I loved you for a reason.

Kevin's erection against Ken's butt crack was evident. Laughing, Ken thought: Bill, get ready. Kev's cocked and loaded. I meant locked...

As soon as Ken mentioned sex they all became hard. There was no embarrassment, and their casual affections heightened their excitement. As they made their way to the locker room, they bumped shoulders, put arms on shoulders or around waists, ruffled sweaty hair, kissed cheeks, and even squeezed ass cheeks. The heat and humidity their bodies produced when pumped added to their exhilaration. They contained these feelings while training, but afterward their laser focus shifted to getting each other off. Without having to ask, Darren's eyes flashed white and each couple appeared in their quarters. Henry appeared with Adam, and Zack appeared on his own to indulge in a self-pleasure ritual while embracing the half of his wife's soul that resided in him.

As soon as Brad appeared in their room he turned up the thermostat. Ken grinned because he knew Brad liked their sweat when they made love. Next, he moved to Ken and put his hands on Ken's chest, pushing against the solidity of his husband. Ken tensed so Brad's fingers didn't press into his flesh which elicited his first moan of pleasure. Brad's hands shifted to roam over the expanse of Ken's pecs and their still constrained erections pressed together through their shorts. Ken put his arms around his husband and pulled them firmly together into their signature full-bodied hug: Fuck, I love you.

Brad removed his chin from the crook of Ken's neck and shoulder to lock their eyes together. The intensity of their love channeling between them was almost frightening and was more powerful than their physical lust. Ken lowered his defenses and transformed from the leader of The Order to the vulnerable man Brad loved. Brad removed Ken's shorts, freeing his erection, and then pushed him back onto the bed. Removing his own shorts, he crawled over Ken while never breaking eye contact. Using their physical bond, Brad took advantage of Ken's hypersensitivity and used his entire arsenal of skills to take Ken to the edge and keep him there.

Setting a trigger to give them enough time to shower after their explosive bliss, Brad's smile turned lustful as his eyes feasted on his husband. Ken knew that look and his erection flexed: Oh, fuck. Here we go...

**

The entire team entered the conference room dressed in their assault suits. Most still had wet hair but their faces were relaxed and happy from the afterglow of the sex that made them their most potent and their auras brightest. Drew came in and fist-pumped everyone within reach on the way to his chair.

Ken: B, pull up the list and let's see where we are.

The Ops board lit up with a world map covered in green and red dots; red meant no rune and green meant they had already placed a rune.

Brad: We have the least density in the US right now, so I suggest we start with DC and the northeast capitals before lunch. We can work our way down the east coast and end in Florida.

Drew: That'll be cool. We're learning US history, and it will be neat to see the Capitol Building.

Ken: How many runes will we need there, kiddo?

Drew: Two. One for the House and one for the Senate. But we should put one in the White House too.

Grins ran around the table, and Ken asked: Why do `ya think that?

Drew didn't skip a beat: Because all presidents lie. The military does too. We know that because of Uncle Raph, so we should also put one in the Pentagon. That makes four.

Ken: Four it is. Raph, what's the temperature in the areas we've already covered?

Raph: Tense. Most countries have temporarily stopped press conferences. Everyone knows politicians lie, but when the level of it is so clearly revealed it's insane. Nearly all representatives of every party and their aids can't hold a normal conversation around the runes.

Bryan: Shine a bright light and the cockroaches scatter.

Aaron: Because of this, I am monitoring world events. As lies and deceit between countries unravel, intervening might be necessary before military responses occur.

Lane sighed: This is worse than high school. We should start a fantasy football league but with world leaders.

Bryan's deep mental voice shook with anger: If anyone launches a nuke...

Ken: If that happens we'll stop it and show the world what else we're capable of. So far we've been nice: we've healed their bodies, Drew's shown them what it's like `ta not be under the curse, and B showed them what it's like to be of sound and balanced mind... if any country or rogue political leader or military wants `ta go there...

Kevin: Billy goat?

Ken: Damn straight. No more kid gloves.

Brad: We need to get started. Drew has to be back by 1900 for band practice.

Drew: Miss Shan and Auntie Olive are making dinner since Uncle Bryan is busy. What's soul food?

Ken's stomach rumbled and everyone gave him shit.

Henry: You'll love it, Tiger.

Lane: Don't worry, I'll clean your arteries after we eat.

Ken: B, do your thing. Dar, on B's image you do your thing and then head out with Albrecht.

Brad cast his mind from the Congo to Washington, DC and found a security guard stationed on the House floor. The crisp, clear image filled Darren's mind and his eyes flashed white as he translocated them.

**

They appeared invisible and undetectable on the House floor of the US Capitol Building in the middle of a contentious hearing with the House Speaker slamming the gavel repeatedly in an attempt to keep some semblance of order.

Bryan grunted: Fucking children.

Drew: Uncle Bryan!

Bryan: Sorry, kiddo.

Drew: In civics class, Miss Sally taught us about Robert's Rules of Order, and we took turns as the speaker. Teesha beat that gavel like your drums Uncle Bryan.

Once they stopped chuckling, Ken thought: Power up.

The entire team's eyes flashed white as they invoked their sources of power, and in the center of the chamber the ghostly form of Yggdrasil appeared. Brad removed the veil, Loy called animal spirits, Lane listened, and then he used the power they raised to slip them out of time. Suddenly, the humans around them stopped moving and the place became serenely quiet. Drew wandered curiously about, looking at phone screens and laptops of various representatives. He sounded angry: They aren't paying attention. They're playing games or working on other things. And this one has pictures up of three people doing the nasty.

Bill: It sucks, but this is the reality of today's world.

Drew's next comment startled them: The good in them is buried so deep they don't even try. It's my brother's fault, really, but they could do better. Don't they want to? Or do they just not care?

Henry: That's a tough one, Tiger.

Brad's Avatar ignited, and he knelt beside Drew: The curse is primarily responsible, but always remember, Drew, that humans are blind in their hearts and minds. They can't love like we do, so we have to love them, and sometimes we have to love for them.

Drew: I've shown them a few times what it's like to be without my brother, and you did too. That's three times. Isn't that supposed to mean something?

Bill: This isn't a good sample to form an opinion. There are a lot of good people in the world. Look at Jake, Craig, and the other RL's. They were good before their changes.

Bryan: These people here are power-hungry hypocrites caught in a loop of wanting more for themselves. They're drunk on power and privilege and stay thirsty so they keep drinking more.

Drew: Their hearts are hard. I can see them. They wear masks.

Brad: They do. But they're lost and don't know how to help themselves. That's part of the nature of the curse; once you give in to it, it's almost impossible to reject it, and the people here gave into it a long time ago.

Ken picked Drew up and hugged him: Maybe I made a mistake havin' you with us. I forget sometimes that you don't see as much of this stuff as we do and I don't like seein' you upset.

Drew: I'm fine, Uncle Ken. I need to see this. It makes me want to save my brother and everyone else from being like this even more.

Drew's sincerity was unmistakable and his uncle's souls surrounded him at the same time they reached out to touch him. Ken held him in his arms, but the hands of everyone touched him. Lane tickled his ribs, which brought a giggle and caused Drew to squirm. Ken set him down and Drew thought: I'm alright, Uncle Ken. Really. Let's get this shindig started. I'm sorry for slowing things down.

Lane: You didn't kiddo. We're outside the arc of time, so we're on schedule. We just want to make sure you're alright.

Drew: I'm good.

Lane fist-bumped Drew: You're badass.

Ken: Okay, one rune `a truth comin' up.

The nine nephilim plus Henry, Drew, Adam, and Zack, intoned the Rune of Truth in the first language of the second creation, and once the rune formed they empowered it for permanence. The brightly glowing rune blazed in the House, and its aura extended to the center of the building and would overlap the next rune placed on the Senate floor. To the humans in the building, the runes would spontaneously appear.

***

Once the last rune of the day was placed in Tallahassee, Florida, Brad and the mentalists called on their sources of power but Ken stopped them: Dar always gets miffed if we don't call him.

Lane: He's such a big girl that way.

Loy: You feel the same if one of us heals when you're not around.

Lane: Okay, okay, touché. Call Mr. Universe.

Brad grinned as his mind reached across the globe to the Congo: Hey, Dar. We're ready to come home.

Darren stood in Albrecht's workshop, bare-chested except for a smiths apron. A massive crucible filled with molten silver hovered in front of him, and the image of his hyper-masculine form, muscles tensed and pumped from his exertions, filled their minds. As they merged, they felt the heat on their own skin and smelled his sweat. His Avatar glowed brightly but began to spit brighter arcs of color as his eyes flashed white when he translocated his brothers and nephew to the safe spot in the Congo. Pat, especially, became aroused at the sight and smell of his husband as cat calls resounded in their minds. The most telling comment came from Ken: You are one lucky SOB, Pat.

At the same time, Ken pushed himself into Brad, engulfing his husband's soul: I love the fuck outta you. His message was private and Brad responded: I'm not jealous. Dar's hot as hell, no pun intended, and I agree. Pat's one lucky man. But I'm luckier.

Darren: If ya'll are done perving on me, wait until you get to the kitchen. Olive and Shan have outdone themselves on dinner. Bry, prepare to be officially jealous.

Brad linked with Olive and Shan, and the smells in the kitchen filled their senses. Ken's stomach immediately cried out for food.

Olive: My Lord!

Shan: Brad, I don't know how you've put up with that all these years.

Ken: Hey! I have other attributes that make up for that one minor thing.

Shan snickered: Yeah, I've seen a few of those, one in particular. Not that I was lookin'.

Ken blushed and Brad hugged him from behind as the shit talk followed.

Olive: Cornbread's almost ready. You men get cleaned up and come sit down for some good ole chop lickin' vittles.

Tag wasn't linked, but everyone knew he was the culprit when Olive blurted out: Git your hands outta that!

Everyone except Drew was ravenous after the expenditure of power they sustained while placing the runes, and the massive spread of food seemed to be absorbed through osmosis because it practically vanished. There were so many options that even the children found something they liked. Afterward, while the guys drank coffee and chatted with Sally, Shan, Tag, and Olive, Tommy announced to the rest of the kids, "Music room in fifteen minutes."

Kevin: God, he sounds just like Ken. Bill, we need to talk with him.

Ken: Why? He sounds awesome.

Most of the guys fake coughed to cover their cries of "bullshit."

Like all the rooms in the Congo, the music room was soundproof. When Drew came in, Tommy and Brett were already there fiddling with their instruments.

Tommy smiled, "Hey!"

Drew fist-bumped Tommy, Brett, Teesha, and Maddie, and Teesha said, "I have your homework for today."

Drew said, "Cool, thanks."

Brett said, "I wish we could help our dads like you."

Drew sat beside Teesha and said, "It's not a big deal. It was fun being with all my uncles but kind of boring too. I did get to see the US Capitol. If you all want a tour I memorized it."

All four kids responded enthusiastically and Drew's eyes flashed white as he took them into a construct of the Capitol Building. Predictably, Teesha went for the gavel and gave it a few firm whacks while pretending to be Speaker of the House. While Tommy, Brett, Teesha, and Maddie spent the equivalent of an hour exploring the building, Drew knocked out his homework. He would have to write down his answers in the physical realm later, but he worked everything out while time wasn't moving.

Tommy whistled loudly in the rotunda and listened to the echo, "Man, the acoustics here rock."

When the novelty of the old building wore off the kids quickly got bored so Drew took them back to their bodies.

Drew asked, "What are we learning tonight, Tommy?"

Tommy said, "It's a really cool song from the sixties. I was going through a playlist Uncle Lane made for me, and man, it's awesome. It's called "Night's in White Satin" by a band called The Moody Blues. I'll play it for us first, then I have the sheet music printed out."

Tommy's smartphone sat on the keyboard, and when he hit play the kids were enraptured by the song written more than fifty years prior.

**

Loy had a night off from Aslan duty with the kids in band practice. He had become so accustomed to the kids piling on him after dinner that he missed it. The television was off for a change, and all the guys were gathered in the den.

Brad kept them linked, and even though they weren't deep, Loy's unsettled spirit was apparent, especially to Ricky. Bryan took the opportunity they seldom had of being without the kids and mixed some adult drinks for a change. Brad and Ricky glanced at each other and with a slight wink and a nod, Lane, masked by Ricky, induced slight pressure to Loy's bladder.

Getting up from the couch, Loy muttered, "Jesus, Bry, what did you put in these things."

Shit talk ensued about Loy not holding his liquor, and he flipped them off while laughing as he made his way to the bathroom. When he returned, Ken, Kevin, and Darren had shifted their positions. Ricky and Kevin were on either end of the couch and Ken and Darren were on the floor with their backs against it. Instead of crawling over them he translocated himself about an inch over where he wanted to be and plopped down with his head on Ricky's lap and his feet in Kevin's. He made sure his head didn't land on Ricky's balls.

Ricky: Thanks!

When the conversation continued, Ricky lightly massaged Loy's head, and Kevin started on his feet. Ken and Darren leaned their heads against him, while in his mind everyone touched him. He stopped himself from tearing up as he drifted in their care and affection.

Loy's mental voice sounded soft and sleepy: This is the best.

Lane: The best is yet to come...

Ken: Just wait.

Loy started to look at Ken, but Ricky held his head down: Don't move, dumbass.

Loy: Wait for what?

Ken's grin appeared: This is even better than the kids. The kids don't give happy endings.

Loy: Fuuuuuuuck.

Ken's idea had the desired effect and Loy became hard. In his relaxed state it was the only part of his body that was firm and solid. His shirt disappeared but his shorts remained. The weight of their heads and sensation of Ken and Darren's short hair against his skin aroused him even more. Kevin's touch extended up his legs to his thighs and calves. Their love magnified their touch until Loy was about to reach an orgasm, but he held off.

Ken: Thanks but I don't need any conditioner in my hair.

Chuckles filled the den. Loy's tears finally came, and his mental voice choked: Thanks, guys.

One by one their lips kissed his cheek or lips. Their physical ministrations never stopped until Loy couldn't contain himself, mainly because he didn't want to, and he held no embarrassment for his condition.

Kevin: Okay, Ricky, he's all yours. I hope you live through it unscathed, but Lane'll be on healing duty just in case.

Darren's eyes flashed white and Ricky and Loy appeared an inch over the bed in their room. He even removed the rest of their clothes so they were naked and ready. Ricky was as aroused as Loy.

Ricky's grin spoke volumes: This first one is free because you need it so badly and I'm a nice guy.

He gripped Loy's erection, and red fire erupted from his hand. Connected as they were they both fired shot after shot between them. The red fire spread and their bodies swelled as blood filled not only their erections but their muscles and a light sheen of sweat followed. Loy emitted feral, guttural grunts with each shot, and his eyes turned amber like a wolf's. Ricky held them together tightly, loving the feel of Loy's contractions. Their brothers stayed with them to enhance everything between the two husbands. Animals across the Congo roared their response as Loy became a part of them.

Ken looked down at his crotch and raised his eyebrows: Fuck. B, put you're readin' glasses on. We're past the paper. We got an entire fuckin' novel here.

Bryan's Avatar lit up and his raven wing tattoos fluttered as life energy pervaded all of them. Lane was too stunned to make a joke and lost himself in his husband.

Bill: That's a first. Now we know how to shut him up.

Pat: Dar...

Their excitement was at the brink of what they could contain, and before their impending explosions, they all appeared in their prospective bedrooms. Brad kept them linked, and their awareness of each other was powerful, carrying them through a night of seemingly endless physical and emotional bliss.

When the kids finished and made their way to their bedrooms they knew what the closed doors meant. Drew became erect at the thought of what was happening between his father, Adam, and Sally. Even though he was only ten, his soul and memories were eighty thousand years old, and he felt momentarily sad that he had never known that kind of love in all his lifetimes. He still didn't know physical love, and it would be years, if ever, before he did, but he tapped into his dad's and his uncles' emotions and settled in their love, which was more than enough.

***

Orophir paused in his work. He had been in his physical form for months and still wasn't used to it and his back and shoulders were stiff from leaning over his table. Getting up, he stretched and was surprised to see Jayléth at his door. She often visited him, and he enjoyed her company.

She teasingly thought: Greetings, Halfling.

The term halfling initially offended him, but he quickly realized there was no ill intent behind it. Over time he enjoyed the nickname, particularly from his new friend.

Moving into the room, she asked: Do you require anything? Sustenance?

Orophir was hungry but his intent to finish his project overpowered his desire for food: My need is comprehension, not nourishment. Your father has presented me with a problem, and I cannot interpret your sigils correctly.

Jayléth moved behind him, put her hands on his back, and peeked over his shoulder to his work area: Perhaps I can help? She stared for a moment and then materialized the sigils in the air, leaving traces of orange fire. These sigils are not meant to be seen as you view them. She cupped her hand below the floating sigils and slowly rotated them. Understanding dawned on the nephilim, and his face broke out into the glorious smile she loved to see and he thought: Thank you.

Her hands returned to his back: You are tense. You sit too long with bad posture. Her strong hands began massaging the tension out of him, and Orophir sighed in pleasure. The tone of her mental voice changed: Remove your robe.

Still innocent in many ways, Orophir did as she asked and stood before her naked. She admired his form so unlike her kind and ran her hands over his muscles, again leaving slight traces of orange fire, and his tension flowed down to his groin making him erect. Embarrassed, he moved his hands to cover himself but she quickly thought: Do not cover yourself. It is beautiful and there is no need for shame. You are my friend, and I have wanted this for a long time.

Orophir's awkwardness was apparent, and she gently asked: Are you familiar with this type of pleasure?

His thoughts were confused and he could only focus on her hands touching him, lower and lower until she gripped his throbbing erection, and he choked out: No.

Sensitive to his lack of experience, she asked: Do you wish me to stop?

He mentally stammered: No.

She smiled as much as her facial features allowed, but her eyes glinted with lust: You thirst for knowledge. It will be my honor to teach you this. As she spoke, her hands continued caressing his length until he shuddered his release into her hands. She raised her dripping fingers and licked his discharge without breaking eye contact: You are sweet, not at all like my people.

As a nephilim, Orophir boasted strength and stamina far above normal humans and remained hard. She caressed his balls: You produce much from these. You only have two. Eschphene have many. I like yours better.

She took his hand and thought: Come with me, and I will continue your instruction. Orophir seemed to be in a stupor, coming to grips with the new sensations she caused in his human form. A willing student, he let himself be led to her bedchamber where Jayléth proceeded to teach him many new and wonderful delights.

*

Hours later, Orophir could not stop smiling. Németh entered his work area and saw the sigils in the air, combined in their proper form. What surprised him were runes from the first language of the second creation floating and interacting with the Eschphene sigils. That Orophir made the connection so quickly impressed the ancient being and he put his hand on Orophir's shoulder: Well done, child. Well done.

Orophir: Thank you, Németh. I was having difficulty, but I spoke with Jayléth and her aid brought comprehension.

Teasingly Németh thought: I see her aid brought more than that. I am glad she assisted you on your new journey.

Orophir blushed: Have I offended you? It was not my intent...

Németh quickly assured him: There is no offense. My daughter made her intent towards you known some time ago. I am pleased to see you grow in all ways. What you learned has increased your center towards balance more than you are aware.

Glancing at the floating sigils and runes, he continued: You have made a remarkable leap in knowledge and done what few scholars among my people ever have accomplished. Your affinity for runes and sigils seems unparalleled among your kind. The power you will wield when the relationships between our magic is fully understood will be formidable. I am proud of you, child. Very proud.

Orophir blushed again, but this time from Németh's praise which made him even more glad that he chose to learn from the ancient leader. His love for Németh was equal to the love he expressed for Istariel, his cousins, and the hybrid nephilim of The Order. After his upbringing by The Dark One, he never could have imagined being so happy and fulfilled.

Németh's expression turned serious: The Balance is stronger because of you, child. Our plight would be more difficult if you had perished as you desired when confronting your sire. You both have found happiness, and that stabilizes the Balance.

***

At precisely 0200 EST, Brad's voice entered General Hammond's mind: Hello, General. Are you ready?

General Hammond: Yes.

The General, dressed casually for his trip to the egg, stood in his office. His uniform hung on a rack for his return. He never entered the Pentagon out of uniform, but after once experiencing the heat and humidity of the first creation, he did not want to wear the heavy clothes. With no fanfare he vanished and appeared in the gymnasium of the Congo base. Ken, Brad, Bill, Kevin, and Raph awaited him. After shaking hands, Raph grinned and nodded to the general's attire, "I never would have pegged you for a Lulu Lemon kind of guy, General."

Ignoring Raph's comment, the general extended his hand, "Good to see you again, Martinez. The rest of you as well." After formally shaking the hands of those present, he said, "Where are we?"

Ken said, "For your safety, General, it's best not to know. We have facilities all over the world. The best I can give you is it's morning here. Do you need anythin' before we go? Hit the head? Coffee? Water?"

General Hammond said, "No thank you."

Ken decided that Brad and Bill would take them to the first creation on the current trip. They need the practice.

General Hammon looked at Ken and said, "Your suit looks hot."

Raph: No one say a word. He's not a joker.

Loy, Rick, Henry, Dar, Pat, Lane, and Bryan came through the room wearing only shorts and workout shoes. The guys said their greetings to the general, but in their minds, shit talk flew about the general thinking Ken looked hot in his suit.

Ken managed to keep a straight face and said, "They're very comfortable, sir. Alright, B, Bill, you're up. Take us `ta the egg."

The eyes of the four men blazed white and their Avatars ignited. The three Gifts among them added to their power and they vanished from the second creation. The men who remained in the second creation felt their brothers slip away. Their presence, which was so subtle but a part of them, went missing and they felt the absence. Darren perceived it far more profoundly. He was the second creation, and the hole their absence left in him wasn't only in his soul but in him.

Pat understood and hugged his husband tightly for a moment: I know, Dar. That's the sucky part of who and what we are. Your pattern is incomplete without them, and it hurts you. Me too.

Everyone grouped around Darren to surround him with their heat and strength. They engulfed Pat, who held Darren in his arms, affirming their presence to try to counteract what Darren felt. After a moment, Darren smiled: Thanks, guys. Big boy panties are on now.

Pat: I'd rather take those off, but I don't want these guys feasting on your hotness in the ring.

Lane: Hey, we could spar nakey for a change, like the ancient Greeks.

Bryan: If we do that, it will end up being a big fuck fest and Ken will be pissed.

Loy: He'll just be mad `cause he missed out.

Bryan chuckled and shook his head: Yeah, you're probably right.

Ricky: Since Debbie Downer isn't here, I'll have to take his place. Training comes first. We take this shit seriously. Me and Loy only have half a day with you guys, and it needs to count.

Adam: I guess you don't mean count how many times we can get off in half a day?

Lane: Most of you yahoo's can't count that high.

Everyone laughed at Adam's joke, but they were soldiers and their dedication was too strong. Zack grabbed Ken's clipboard and mentally called out the daily pairings and regiment.

***

Chloe, the usual chatterbox, seemed unusually quiet so Kelly asked, "You alright, sweet?"

Kelly barely heard Chloe's low, subdued "Yes, Mummy." Kelly knew her daughter was troubled by the way she clutched Mrs. Beasley. The doll was a present from Lane. Kelly had never seen the old television show "Family Affair" that the doll came from, but Lane made a big deal of it and taught Chloe to refer to Albrecht as Mr. French.

Kelly led them down by the waterfront to watch boats in the harbor. The smell of the water and the boats always soothed both mother and daughter. The Australian day was warm and sunny with a slight ocean breeze. She loved Adelaide and was thankful that Aaron got her an apartment in her home city. After locating an unoccupied park bench Kelly broadcast a gentle compulsion around her so that no one would sit with them.

Pulling Chloe into her lap, she thought: Tell Mummy what's wrong, sweet.

Chloe: I miss my friends. Why can't we live with them so I can always see them?

Kelly's dilemma returned full force from her daughter's words. After Darren and Pat rescued her from The Enemy, even after they healed her body, the scars on her soul took a long time to heal. The unconditional love of Aaron, Albrecht, Darren, and the rest of the guys eventually healed her in a way she never thought possible, and she owed them everything... but while she supported The Order and was a part of it whether she wanted to be or not, she still floundered with who and what she was. She loved everyone and visiting them, but she never felt at home outside Australia, and Chloe didn't understand that. Kelly had another purpose that Chloe didn't know about. Australia had been a stronghold of The Enemy for hundreds of years, and Kelly sought out remnants of what was left. For her safety, she never acted on anything she discovered; rather, she notified Albrecht, and he took matters from there. The Order took her safety and the safety of her daughter seriously.

A sudden chill gave her goosebumps and something cold brushed against her soul. Her shields should have prevented whatever it was from being aware of Chloe or her, but she felt the need to leave immediately. Brushing Chloe's nose with her finger, she said, "Tell you what, mate. Let's get some ice cream and head home. I need to start dinner. You can help me cook, and we can talk more about this."

Chloe asked, "Can Mrs. Beasley have some ice cream?"

Kelly smiled and said, "She can share a bit of yours, sweet, but not too much. Her stomach is tiny, so she can only have a few licks."

Kelly wasn't sure why, but vague memories of her imprisonment were stronger than usual. She had been in a coma most of that time, but after being awakened and taught mental disciplines, many memories buried in her unconscious mind became accessible. She remembered the pain and torture inflicted on her and her daughter – and the many children she carried for The Enemy that didn't live. The Master used Kelly as an incubator for something called "an innocent." Innocents were unique and genetically modified by The Enemy to be incredibly powerful. Specially trained keepers tended to them and wielded their power while emotionally subjugating them. Their power was pure and untainted and its innocence was used violently against the light. Kelly remembered Chloe's screams, already awake within her womb, which is how Darren found her.

What Kelly didn't know, nor did Darren nor Lane or any of the guys, is that at one point in Kelly's womb, Chloe briefly became an innocent. Because The Enemy agent didn't have enough knowledge or skill to realize his success he continued his manipulation. None of the guys saw what rested in Chloe because it lay dormant, just as they didn't see Drew for who he was before his seventh birthday. Kelly didn't know about her daughter's gift or the role Mrs. Beasley was about to play. At the moment she was unnerved and focused on staying inconspicuous. Mother and daughter stopped at the ice cream vendor in the park, Chloe got her cone, and Kelly stopped short from terror when she turned towards her apartment. Three shabbily dressed men with malignant green auras stared at her. Their suits, once immaculate, were now almost rags. She smelled them from where she stood and was certain she and her daughter were about to die, or worse, become captive to Elegroth. Her power could only touch the part of them from her creation, and her light wasn't strong enough to burn them to ash as could her friends. Kelly knew what slight chance she had was to run into the open among people where they wouldn't overtly use their power. She lifted her daughter into her arms and ran. Kelly attempted to send a memory sphere but it snuffed out, and when she tried her cellphone it had no signal.

Chloe's voice jiggled as they ran, "Mummy? What's wrong?"

Breathless, Kelly said, "Hush, sweet. There are some very bad men here who want to hurt us."

Chloe didn't fully understand what was happening but trusted her mother. These men were from the new Enemy, one whose power they couldn't touch. Chloe linked with Kelly, and becoming aware of their danger added her power to her mothers. Kelly suddenly stopped and said, "Oh, God, no." Three more suits blocked her way and as she turned, three more stood in her path. Three more appeared from around a corner to box her in. Without the strength to reach her friends in the Congo, she hoped that Lane or one of the guys would know through their Avatars that something was happening, but that was a faint hope. She would not allow herself or, most importantly, her daughter, to be captured. Sobbing, Kelly prepared to obliterate Chloe's mind and her own

*

The Dove and Miss Lula watched a thread, undetectable to humans, sent from the egg, appear in the air. The egg had no intelligence, yet it sought to influence events where powerful music occurred. Whether the thread was drawn to the evil music of Elegroth's servants or Chloe's bright innocence might never be known, but it moved to and around Mrs. Beasley.

Chloe looked at her mummy and saw the terror and hopelessness on her face. When it came down to the act, Kelly could not kill either of them. Chloe's small hand reached up, touched her mother's tears, and thought: It's okay, Mummy. Don't cry.

All Kelly could say was: I'm so sorry, sweet.

Chloe's voice caught Kelly's attention: Mummy, look! Mrs. Beasley has a new ribbon in her hair! It's pretty! Mrs. Beasley thinks so, too. She doesn't like the bad men and says she'll protect us.

The suits closed in and were within a few yards of the mother and daughter. People stared at first but then ran screaming at the sight of their green, glowing eyes. The aura they projected sent a feeling of abject terror into unshielded humans. Kelly didn't understand what was happening. Sudden and unexpected power from Chloe flooded Kelly. It was pure and as brightly white as the souls of her brothers in The Order, perhaps even brighter. It was raw and untapped but available. Kelly's fear vanished as she became lost in the light, and her shield solidified. Time stopped moving, and Kelly delved into her daughter. The light was so pure and innocent that it was painful at first. Kelly was awake and no longer tainted by the curse, but even so, the light seemed too pure even for that. Chloe, whose eyes were the source of the light, held Mrs. Beasley. She now saw the thread but didn't know what it was. Thin and barely visible, it was only long enough to wrap once around Mrs. Beasley's hair.

The hardness in Kelly reasserted itself, and her maternal instincts to protect her daughter fed into the light. A dome formed, large enough to surround her and encase the suits. When it dimmed, the suits were gone with no trace – no ash, clothes, or any evidence they had been present. She knew they were not only gone but erased as if they never were, removed from both creations by the power in her daughter.

As the world returned to normal, Kelly had no idea what had happened but knew she needed to talk to Albrecht. She also needed privacy. Setting Chloe down, she took her daughter's hand and headed back to their apartment: Come on, sweet. We need to get home and away from here. We may still be in danger.

Chloe: Mrs. Beasley says not to worry. Isn't her new ribbon pretty?

Kelly saw the ribbon, which slowly shifted colors in her mind's eye. Whatever it was, it saved them, yet still she feared the unknown.

Kelly: Yes, it is.

Chloe: Can Mrs. Beasley and I help make dinner when we get home?

Kelly: Of course you can. It will be fun. Now, let's hurry.

Chloe: Okay, Mummy.

***

Ken, Brad, Bill, Kevin, and General Hammond appeared not far from Eva and the egg.

Ken's first comment was: Fuck. It got bigger!

Bill snickered: That's what Brad said, but yeah, you're right.

Further away but within easy sight of Ken and Kevin, the RL's sparred with the three Eschphene brothers. Everything about what Ken and the others saw was more than impressive. Ken couldn't perceive power in the first creation yet, but Kevin could and his Avatar understood the immense strength of the RL's. The four men merged but kept General Hammond in a separate link to shield him from their shit-talk. The RL's stopped sparring and ran over as Eva welcomed the new arrivals: Greetings, Order.

As one, the four men returned: Hello, Eva. It's great to see you again.

The six RL's joined the merge and the emotions were thick between them. They saluted General Hammond, who returned the formality, but in their hearts they were naked with their brothers, shoulder to shoulder, with tears of joy expressed in their eyes. The Eschphene brothers joined the merge as much as their kind could. Similar to their father, they had knowledge that was not to be shared, but there was no lack of love or trust. With the instantaneous sharing, their tears were equally laughter and love.

After lengthy hugs and hair ruffles, Ken said: Guys, I hardly know where `ta start. I'm more than proud of `ya.

His praise meant the world to them, especially Rich, but their expressions sobered at the reason for the visit.

Brad: Besides appeasing the general, these random threads from the egg are a concern.

Jacob: We had no idea, sirs. The egg is growing and changing and can protect itself to some degree now.

Rich: The music in it is starting to coalesce, but it's a paradox. Another infinite existence lies inside it, and we don't have a clue how long it will take to fully mature.

Eva listened, and although she did not manifest herself in their merge, she looked at the threads through their minds. Her gaze followed the latest one and when it phased to the second creation her mind touched Leroy's, instructing him to follow it. Leroy followed the thread from within his cave and witnessed Kelly's encounter. The golden orbs of his eyes widened at Chloe's nature and how the thread created a doorway for her veiled power. Before he could intervene, Kelly had already annihilated Elegroth's minions sent to kill her and her daughter.

Eva: The youngest child of your acquaintance..., she has been touched by the latest thread. There is a power in her that was always present but had no means to manifest. The thread has created a path to that power. Your friend and her daughter are safe, but to allay your fears I will have Jörmungandr contact his Abba.

Jacob still had strong feelings for Kelly and Chloe even though he broke off their relationship. Eva shared Kelly's encounter through Leroy, and Ken was confident Bryan would take care of it, but they still reacted out of love and concern with momentary anxiety.

Eva's pupils nearly disappeared as her eyes brightened to look at the egg. Underneath its pedestal she saw the crack. It was created from within the egg as if it wanted to reach out.

Brad asked: You refer to the egg as she. Is it sentient?

Eva: Yes and no. She has purpose and the ability to achieve that purpose. I see the opening she created. She seems drawn to the first and second creations in some way I have yet to fathom. Perhaps she seeks music, regardless of light or dark.

Ken: Can we stop her?

Eva: I deem it unwise to try.

Héneth: I will inform my father of this. Perhaps he can provide insight.

Brad: Well, we know a little more now, but doing nothing about it wasn't our expectation. I understand now and agree that interfering would most likely cause unintended consequences. I'll talk to Aaron and see if we can devise some way to detect them as they enter our creation.

Ken: Fuck. Another thing on the list of things `ta keep up with.

Glancing at his namesake, Ken fist bumped Kéneth: By the way, tell your dad we said hello and we miss him. We saw Eleneth recently, but we haven't seen Orophir yet. How's he doin'?

The three Eschphene chuckled, and the RL's looked sheepish.

Ken: What? Is he okay?

Héneth: Our sister Jayléth has taken it upon herself to instruct Orophir in the ways of Eschphene mating. He is well endowed for a human, but compared to an Eschphene, he is small and only has two testicles. For some odd reason, she likes the exotic nature of the differences between our species.

Ken's, Brad's, Bill's, and Kevin's eyes went wide and the three Eschphene and the six RL's roared with laughter.

Héneth: Do not fear for him.

Kevin: We aren't afraid; we're happy for him. He's been alone his entire life. Lane nicknamed him the thousand-year-old virgin.

Déreth: Well, no more. He has robust stamina and keeps Jayléth from annoying us. She likes the small penises and kept disturbing our training, trying to distract and lure our new human brothers away from their training.

Within the merge, the men of The Order and the Eschphene brothers continued their banter but also shared knowledge and their love for one another. The RL's were interested in the effects of the truth runes in the government buildings, and Ken, Brad, Kevin, and Bill relived the RL's encounters against Elegroth's incursions at the egg.

Jacob: Sirs, I feel like we're missing something. Elegroth knows what we're capable of. We haven't faced him directly but we've decimated every incursion so far. He's wasting troops for no reason, but he keeps sending them. There has to be another reason we aren't seeing.

Ken: We're wonderin' the same, other than he's testing your abilities. He's waitin' for somethin'. Until we figure it out, we'll just keep our defenses strong. You ladies are doing a fantastic job here. You're seein' more action than we are, but we still got our fair share.

Snicker's resounded about Ken's reference to action. In the merge they saw how often all of them made out. The physical barriers between the RL's had vanished, and their full expression of love towards each other as men and brothers became realized. There was no longer any embarrassment or suppressed emotion. The Eschphene helped break down the final barriers, and everyone was grateful.

Rich: I know time isn't moving for the general but we need to give him his time with us. Our new buddies here showed us a nifty trick. It's a persistent memory sphere that works on touch. We created one and imbued it with our battles so far for the general to take back. Anyone who touches the sphere will see and experience what we put into it.

Brad whistled: That's incredible. I can't wait to show Aaron and Albrecht.

Héneth: Orophir is ultimately responsible. His ability to twine our magic with yours matches that of our father.

Guy: There's one other thing before we go back up top to talk with the general. We have a gift for the doctor for you to take back.

Smiles appeared on the RL's faces, and Ken, Brad, Kevin, and Bill roared with laughter as the image of a gold chain appeared in their minds. It was an Eschphene pendant made of pure gold, a heavy chain worthy of any gang member or professional athlete. Written in Eschphene sigils the pendant read, "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish! – A A Ron."

***

The brothers still in the Congo spent the morning pushing and hardening their bodies to be the warriors mankind needed. After lunch, Lane, Bryan, Loy, Ricky, Darren, Pat, Adam, and Zack moved to the hot yoga room to practice their mental disciplines. Sweat covered their muscular forms, accentuating their perfection. Their bodies put out as much heat as the steam from the rocks, relaxing them. The air was thick with moisture, and they sweated out as much as they absorbed, becoming conduits for the elements of fire and water. Lane's hands on Bryan's shoulders accentuated their connection. In the spiritual realm their bodies were encircled by white ropes of power, blended from the azure, gold, and crimson from their energy centers. Lane dampened all sound to remove distraction, and in the spiritual realm they rested in the liquid golden purity of their souls' light. The eight men were one, and on the periphery, within Zack, part of his wife Renee was with them. Adam had his hands on Zack's shoulders and Mr. Buckles circled Zack and Loy alternately to enjoy the presence of his human and his steward.

From the silence a voice as deep as a mountain entered Bryan's mind: ABBA.

Leroy's presence entered their merge, and his mind and fire, a power that could destroy or renew the second creation, enveloped them in loving comfort.

Bryan: Leroy? Is something wrong, buddy?

Leroy: THE YOUNGEST GIRL CHILD AND HER MOTHER NEED YOU.

An image of Kelly and Chloe entered their minds.

Leroy: DANGER HAS PASSED, BUT SHE REMAINS FRIGHTENED. COMFORT HER.

Bryan: Fuck! We're on our way. Thanks, you big fucker!

Leroy: YOU ARE WELCOME, LITTLE FUCKER.

During their disciplines, they honed and stretched their ability to hold power. At the moment they shone like eight stars in the spiritual realm, and effortlessly, even without Leroy's hide, Darren entered Kelly's mind to get a visual of her apartment, and the eight men instantly translocated from Africa to Australia. Kelly felt their touch and didn't jump when eight gloriously masculine, naked men appeared in her apartment. Chloe felt them as well and squealed in delight. She ran to her uncle Darren but stopped short: Ewwey! Uncle Darren, you're sweaty.

The men smiled, and their sweat evaporated with a flash of Darren's eyes. He put the illusion of shorts on them as well. Leaning over, Darren scooped Chloe up into a hug: Is that better, sweat pea?

With a vigorous nod she kissed his cheek and squeezed her arms around his neck. With his free arm, he embraced Kelly: Leroy said something happened. Are you and Chloe alright? As the adults merged, Chloe was passed from uncle to uncle for a hug and a kiss, and she made them kiss Mrs. Beasley too.

Excluding Chloe, Kelly merged with her eight mates, and once again they were naked and touching in the special place within their souls. Kelly's entire encounter became known to them, and their eyes widened as the remaining fear in her vanished, washed away by their warm protection.

Lane: Mrs. Beasley did that? Damn, she's badass.

Loy pulled Aaron and Albrecht into their merge, and Aaron said: Innocents require a focus, usually a doll, as a bridge to their power. If you remember, Lane, when you rescued the alternate version of me, the child with Down Syndrome held a sock puppet. Mrs. Beasley was a more fortuitous gift than we ever imagined.

Lane: Puppet strings?

Darren: Or a thread from the egg. We don't know how long that crack has been sending out tendrils.

Aaron: I wonder about the threads of which we know somehow all being beneficial. Even with the loss of life, the people killed were not innocent.

Pat: I don't think we can count on that to continue. Hopefully, Ken and those yahoos at the egg will put a stop to them, but with the time differential, we need to keep a sharp lookout for more until they come back.

Aaron: Kelly, my dear, would you come back to the base with us? I know you prefer Adelaide, but those suits managed to find you, so more will come. Elegroth will most assuredly wonder how you destroyed nine of his servants single-handedly.

Kelly's conflict was apparent, but she was street-smart and knew Aaron was right.

Aaron: We will get you a new apartment that they will be unaware of. In the meantime, having you and Chloe with us will be a delight.

Kelly wiped a tear from her eye and didn't say a word, but she nodded her acknowledgment. Everyone saw into her heart and knew her desire to stay, but duty outweighed her wants.

Albrecht: Very good. Your room here is just as you left it.

Bryan kept various Australian snacks and Kelly's favorite foods in his pantry. The menu he kept in his mind was already changing based on her return, and she managed a smile: You spoil us, Bry. Especially Chloe, but me too. Thanks. Let me pack.

***

Muted noise from the loud city street filtered down to the basement. The heat in the stuffy, smoke-filled room seemed unbearable to humans and kept them away. Gariel, dressed in rags, plucked his lap harp randomly while his hash-fogged mind drifted. Ukail, carrying bags of food, entered the room.

Gariel: Thank God. I'm about to die of starvation. I hate this form and the mortal world.

Ignoring Gariel's drama, Ukail said: The spices here are good. You'll enjoy the taste on your mortal tongue. If we were home you couldn't taste anything.

Gariel: If we were home, we wouldn't need to eat.

The door opened, and Salail, Rekail, and Mikail entered. Salail: There are other advantages to these forms. We all like sex.

Mikail: Yes, but human women, and many men, are too fragile. They break easily.

Rekail: If you had a modicum of self-control that wouldn't happen.

Mikail shrugged his shoulders as he looked in the bags of food: Perhaps, but where is the fun in that? Boring sex is ... boring.

Gariel continued playing his harp and didn't eat. The other four nephilim placed food containers on the table and began to eat using wooden chopsticks. Rakail, Ukail, Bakail, Sakail, and Jakail entered carrying jugs of wine.

Bakail, the son of Barachiel and Loy's father, said: I hate what the world has become. I wish the old mandate of sharing technology with mortals still stood.

Jakail: As pathetic as mortals have become, there are those among them who are clever. They discovered on their own what we see or perhaps with the help of The Master. He ignored the old mandates, much to the chuff of our sires.

Mikail: And he is dead by Luke's hand.

Gariel: You are wrong. The Master lives. While you sulk over your broken weapon, I listen and observe.

Ukail: We agreed not to go home! You endanger us all.

Gariel chuckled and stilled his harp strings: I was careful and learned much. Luke killed The Master with a weapon crafted by a nephilim named Orophir, Luke's direct offspring, yet somehow, The Master made a deal directly with the curse and is now its embodiment. Another creation exists, one that God made before ours. It lies in ruins, but a powerful being called an archon wishes to destroy that creation and ours to form a new one of his design. Gariel's eyes flashed white as he communed with the other nephilim, sharing the knowledge he had gleaned.

Mikail: Elegroth sounds like a worthy ally.

Rekail, son of Remiel, noted the colors of the wardstones shift from blue to red and thought: Silence! Someone approaches!

The small room was already crowded with the ten nephilim, but four more appeared, wearing their customary grey robes but with their cowls thrown back. Istariel, Telcharan, Ruviel, and Alariel slipped through the veil, their shields bright in the spiritual realm. The four made eye contact with the ten and the tension between them was palpable.

Mikail: What do you wish Istariel? You hold no authority over us.

Istariel: Perhaps, but your fathers still wish me to keep an eye on you to prevent any mischief. This creation is on the brink of extreme change and the human world is fractured in ways of which you are unaware. You will not stoke their weaknesses to create fires. The archangels now have free will, and there is no longer a state of purgatory. These changes are dangerous. You will be dealt with if you become a problem for your fathers or The Order.

Mikail: Do you threaten us?

Ruviel: We prepare you with hope if your feeble mind is capable of discerning the difference. Make of his statement what you will.

Istariel: I am aware of your attempt on Kenneth Habersham's life, Mikail. You have no idea how powerful your children are. They are the saviors of this creation, and they face a foe beyond your comprehension. I admonish you again, at your peril, do not interfere with them.

Istariel, Telcharan, Ruviel, and Alariel vanished across the veil, leaving the room in silence. The ten nephilim glanced at each other, their eyes flashed white to ward the room, and they burst into laughter.

Gariel: Pompous asses. I say we find a way to approach Elegroth. His side sounds much more fun.

***

Drew slept fitfully as Granny Wolf watched over his dreams. There was no way for her to comfort him other than waking him up. His dreams were potent and she feared for her cub as she watched Drew make connections in his unconscious mind – connections that could decide the fate of all three creations. She attempted to alter his dreams but was unable. Even when Cavall joined his strength to hers they were unable to do so which indicated that his dreams were divine in nature. Unable to observe his discomfort any longer, she woke him up. Because he couldn't fall back to sleep he went to Henry's door and opened it enough to peek in. Henry slept alone, and Drew sighed in relief. He crawled onto the bed, and Henry woke: Is something wrong?

Drew: I can't sleep.

Henry could see there was more going on, but it wasn't an emergency so he would wait until morning to bring it up. Lifting the sheet, he thought: Get in.

Drew grinned in the darkness and snuggled against his dad's warmth. Henry's scent wrapped around Drew, and he got hard. Henry knew it and kissed Drew on the back of his head: It's alright, Tiger.

Drew sighed dejectedly: But it happens all the time.

Henry: Believe me, I understand. It's the same for all guys around your age. It's worse for you because of who and what you are, and I hate that for you.

Their conversation halted as father and son drifted back to sleep; however, as soon as Drew crossed that barrier, he opened his eyes and was elsewhere. He had never been to the cosmic Waffle House before but knew it from the memories of his father and uncles. The Dove sat smiling across from him.

Drew grinned and said, "Hi. Why am I here?"

Miss Lula set down a glass of chocolate milk, "Here `ya go, darlin'. What'll you have?"

A laminated menu that doubled as a placemat rested in front of him, and he pointed to a picture of "The All-Star" special. Miss Lula's partially toothless grin widened and she said, "Excellent choice."

As if Frank was there, she loudly called out the order, then proceeded to put oil on the hot grill and drop hashbrowns, bacon, and eggs down. The aroma that followed the sizzle made his stomach growl.

The Dove said, "You follow after your Uncle Ken. That's a wonderful thing."

Drew smiled but asked again, "Why are we here?"

The Dove replied, "To talk." The stone appeared on the table, and The Dove continued, "You know about what."

Drew's eyes watered and his head lowered, "I want to save him. I figured out what I have to do, but I can't. Not without ruining everything."

The Dove asked intently, "What do you wish for your brother?"

Drew said, "For him to be happy, the way we started. To grow up with a dad like mine, and be real brothers..."

The Dove sadly smiled. He did not like to see Drew anguished or even upset, not after everything he had done and gone through, even though it was all necessary. Gently, he said, "Do not be sad, Drew. I will not tell you how, but there is a way, one you must find in your own time."

Drew brightened somewhat, his mind churning, but Miss Lula brought his food, "Here `ya go, darlin! Best I can do, and that's not half bad. Save room for pie."

Grinning, Drew said, "Yes, ma'am, and thank you," and dug into his food. The stone sat on the outer corner of the booth like a third occupant, watching and listening. In the void, the imp felt the stone. He did not know where it was, but it caused him significant discomfort, and he hissed into the blackness to shut himself off from it.

As he ate, Drew looked around, swinging his legs as kids often do. The Mall of Georgia sat across the busy road as people came and went in their frantic lives. He wondered if they thought about what he or his uncles did or if any of it mattered. He noticed a van with a man smoking a cigarette inside parked outside the door. Even through the glass and the distance, Drew saw the man wink at him, sending warmth through his soul.

The Dove reached across and caressed Drew's cheek, "It matters, Drew. All of it. Especially you, your father, Eleneth, and your uncles. Chloe, too, and Tag and Olive. Everyone you touch, you bring with you to what happens next."

Washing down a mouthful of hashbrowns with the best chocolate milk he had ever tasted, Drew asked, "What's going to happen?"

The Dove smiled, but before he could answer, Miss Lula set a piece of warm apple pie with melted butter in front of him and said, "If we told `ya, darlin', it wouldn't be a secret now would it?"

The aroma of the pie filled Drew, and in the eternity of his life, he would always remember that wholesome smell. He couldn't wait to return home and ask his Auntie Olive or Uncle Bryan how to make one.

*

The RL's met with General Hampton, and Ken insisted he should be present as the leader of The Order. Bill and Kevin visited with the Eschphene brothers, but Brad seemed uncharacteristically restless. Ken and Brad were no longer merged, just linked, and Ken wasn't deep enough to know if something was wrong. Ken: Everythin' good?

Brad: Yes. I'll just kick some rocks, or whatever these things are, on the ground until you're finished.

Ken's presence increased, and he hugged Brad mentally: Love you. If it's any consolation, I'd rather be kickin' rocks with you than placatin' the general.

Brad smiled: Love you, too. Give him what he wants and make him happy.

Ken: If things go sideways, I'll dazzle him with my hotness.

Brad burst out laughing and shook his head. Once again, Ken knew his husband and how to take his mind from a dark place. You do that, but leave some for me.

Brad meandered about, and before long, he ended up in front of the egg. His unconscious mind pondered the threads she had sent out, wondering at their purpose. The egg had grown to twice the height of when he first saw it. Swirling colors danced across her surface in a mesmerizing aura. Rich said she could defend itself, but Brad meant no harm when he reached out to touch her. His intuition told him to remove his glove, so he touched the smooth surface with his bare flesh. Tiny threads that were physical and spiritual emerged and wrapped around his hand as soon as he made contact. His eyes flashed white in response and he became paralyzed. Brad was within Kevin's field of vision and his Avatar ignited as he saw what happened and Bill and he rushed towards him: Brad!

Ken heard their outcry, and while he felt no inkling of anything wrong, he abruptly broke away from the meeting and with all his speed made his way toward the egg. When Kevin and Bill got close, more threads emerged and wrapped around them. In the same manner as Brad their eyes flashed white and they became paralyzed. Before Ken reached them, Brad, Kevin, and Bill vanished, and their presence, that deeply seated part of them that was always together, went with them.

Ken: Fuck! DOUBLE FUCK!

*

Brad, Bill, and Kevin floated bodiless in a mass of thickly tangled threads. Tendrils attached to them drug them through the interior of the egg. The three men seemed unable to move of their own volition.

Brad: Nothing works the same here. It's not like the spiritual realm.

Kevin could barely respond because his Avatar of Understanding was overloaded by the infinite threads surrounding them. Bill dispersed himself and had more clarity as his perceptions changed into something more discernible. He became his husband and Brad, and as them, he embraced their Gifts and the chaos lessened to a manageable state. He dispersed them as well and the three of them were able to talk clearly.

Brad: We're in the egg.

Kevin: She wants something from us.

Bill: From within us. She wants our music.

The three men were merged by Bill being each of them and Brad's intellect and intuition took what Kevin's Avatar saw. He and Bill listened to the discordant music and tried to slow their perception of time to perceive the missing parts. However, no arc of time existed within the egg. They barely existed where they were and the songs of their souls were a large part of what was missing. The egg was trying to fill herself by absorbing them.

Brad: She wants our Gifts and our souls. We have to get out of here or we're lost.

Bill: Why isn't Ken in with us?

Brad: He doesn't have his Gift yet. That's got to be it. She needs the music of our souls, Avatars, and Gifts, and Ken only has two of those right now.

Kevin's Gift, the Gift of Binding, coupled with his Avatar realized an even greater danger: Oh shit, guys. Our Gifts are still corrupt. If the egg takes what we are now, their corruption will become a part of her.

Brad: It's not a coincidence that you two are here. Your combined Gifts are the only way out of this. You have to unbind and disperse us so we don't exist and the egg can't see us. Then, reform us in our creation.

Kevin: That's pretty fucked up, even for us.

They were three, yet one, and potent. Kevin and Bill understood that this was the only perceivable way out of their predicament. Kevin and Brad felt Bill's grin as he thought: See you fellas on the other side. In their souls, they too smiled in awareness that Bill used the movie quotation in honor of Lane. In the brightness of the egg, amid the chaotic threads and discordant music, the Avatars and Gifts of the three nephilim ignited. Simultaneously, they ceased to exist within the egg, and as Brad predicted the threads no longer bound them.

In the second creation, Brad, Bill, and Kevin re-formed their existence on the safety pad for translocation to the Congo base. Their presence flowed into their brothers from whom they sought comfort after their ordeal.

Brad: We can't go back to the egg. It's too dangerous for us now, but I have to let Ken know we're alright. With the time differential, there's no telling how long we've been missing there.

The pain of Brad's separation from Ken hurt all of them, and Henry immediately said: I'll go, Brad. Based on what happened to you three, the egg will have no interest in me. I'll bring Ken and the general home.

*

Henry appeared to a disheveled and distraught Ken, and before he said hello he merged with his brother: They're safe. He also slipped General Hammond's mind into neutral so they could speak freely. Ken's relief was palpable, and Henry embraced him. The RL's surrounded them, and Henry brought them into the merge so they could see what happened. As the protectors of the egg they needed to know and understand her development.

Henry: Ken, I'm taking you and the general home. Boys, what Brad, Bill, and Kev experienced sheds some light on your role with the egg but also raises questions.

Ken: And puts more pressure to find my fuckin' Gift. And get `em all restored without the fuckin' forge. Fuckin' green shit Elegroth.

Henry: We all know, but do you want the general to know? We promised full disclosure, but the public doesn't need to know the details. The truth runes could cause a problem with that.

Rich: I don't like it but maybe we should modify his memory slightly and just leave our meeting intact. He doesn't grasp the egg and what she really means. To him she's still some vague concept. He knows she's important and he's smart, but this is beyond him. They're likely to balk if he goes back to his superiors and they think we don't have total control over this situation.

Ken: I don't know what they could do, `ta be honest. If they pull the funding to keep your program goin', then fuck `em. You all belong here now. I say no tamperin' with memories and let them react. It'll show their character. If it goes south, I'll deal with it.

Eva: Your wisdom is great, Kenneth Habersham.

Ken grinned: Thanks, Eva.

Turning to the RL's he said: Guy's, you're doin' awesome. Stay on top of your trainin'. We're all really proud of you, and if you need anythin', let us know.

Kéneth: They need smore supplies.

The RL's burst out laughing as Eva replied: They do not.

Ken's little kid grin appeared: Well, maybe an emergency supply. I'll have Bry put somethin' together.

Eva: I retract my statement of your wisdom.

Ken: Have I mentioned how lucky Leroy is `ta have such a beautiful mate?

Rich: I promise we'll move farther away from the egg next time.

Ken: Was it really that bad?

In the merge, Ken lived the memory, and his eyes watered: Holy fuck that's rank.

Henry and the RL's laughed, but Ken couldn't let his protégés suffer without their favorite camping snack, and more importantly the opportunity to laugh at Eschphene burp-farts. Ken winked at Kéneth to let him know he would take care of his namesake.

In their merge, the RL's grouped around Ken, pushing themselves into him and uplifting his soul. In their bodies, they sharply saluted him, and he returned the gesture. Henry released General Hammond's mind and they also saluted him, just as Henry took them back to their creation.

Epilogue

The endless cries of a tiny kitten drove Gary crazy. Near midnight, the Texas heat still was unbearable and his AC didn't work. He rolled the windows down but the hot wind brought no relief and didn't drown out the cries of the tiny cat. Gary turned up the radio, and bad country music blared through the speakers, but he still heard the incessant cries. Only a few more minutes you little shit.

His destination was a dead-end miles from nowhere where people dumped animals. Gary had abandoned quite a few himself. As he cut the engine, the loud sounds of night insects replaced the noise of his truck. The back and armpits of Gary's t-shirt were soaked through with sweat. A hot, comfortless breeze blew around him. He looked in the bed of his truck for a rag but couldn't find one, and shouted, "God damned muther fucker!"

Already frustrated and annoyed by the incessant cries of the kitten, Gary's temper broke. Ripping off his t-shirt, he tore it into strips and tied them together. He roughly grabbed the kitten and tied one end tightly around its neck. Terrified, it hissed and spat at him, but it was no match for his anger or strength. He tied the cloth so tightly that the kitten could barely breathe and went into the underbrush a few feet off the road. The place smelled, and he saw desiccated bodies of puppies and kittens covered with ants and maggots feeding off what remained. He tied the other end of his makeshift leash to a small tree and as he stood up to leave the headlights of his truck went out. Total darkness fell and the night became eerily silent except for the rumbling of distant heat lighting.

*

Loy awoke to a tightness around his neck. As he clutched his throat, an echo of terror came through his Avatar; he quelled the tightness and the fear and reached for its source. His Avatar shone brightly enough to light the bedroom.

Ricky jolted awake at Loy's movement and asked, "What's wrong? You're Avatar..."

Loy disengaged from Ricky's strong, loving arms and threw the sheet off them. The tone of his mental voice brooked no argument: I'll be right back. He vanished, naked from his bed to appear beside Gary's truck on the road.

The kitten stopped struggling and Gary thought it might already be dead from the tightness of its collar, but the knot had loosened and the kitten breathed normally. A new sound replaced the rumbling thunder that he couldn't identify at first. When he realized it was the kitten's purr, he shouted, "What the fuck?"

Loy had appeared in the hot, humid night and turned off the truck's lights with his mind. His eyes turned feral to see in the night but his spatial awareness was even more acute, so he knew Gary's position, the truck's, and the kitten's. The tiny animal was his first concern, and it appeared in his hands, free from the makeshift collar. It was happy now and fulfilled by its Steward, but Loy saw the recent terror in its mind. Loy's anger magnified at what he saw, but once he scanned Gary's mind he became livid: WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? WE FIXED YOU!

Gary dropped to the ground in surprise and panic, nearly shitting his pants from the voice in his head and even more from the anger it carried. Anger at him.

Gary shouted into the darkness, "What's happening? Who the hell are you?"

Loy cuddled the kitten, holding it against his bare chest and rubbing his nose against its head. A trickle of power restored it to total health and well-being. Loy also filled its belly with mother's milk and its purring intensified.

Loy: A few days ago, we fixed everyone on the planet. We healed your bodies, minds, and souls. You saw what life will be like when we win. Yet here we stand, only a few days later, and you've already forgotten everything. And you're murdering a precious life. Do you feel superior now?

Gary knew who stood before him. Not his name, but that he was from The Order, and Gary's bladder let loose, filling his jeans with warm piss.

Loy: I should kill you for your treatment of this little one and for all the others you killed. All the ones you will kill. Loy's mental voice turned steely, and he continued: Tell me why I shouldn't.

A voice Loy didn't recognize said: We both know you won't do that. You don't have it in you.

Loy's shields blazed so powerfully that his body glowed in the darkness. A man who looked amazingly like him stood a few feet away, dressed shabbily, like a homeless person.

Loy: Who are you?

Bakail: I heard you were smart. Everyone says so. Look at me and then look in a mirror. Don't you know?

Loy: Why are you here?

Bakail: To do what you cannot.

Loy: No! I can compel him not to kill any more animals.

Bakail: That only solves one aspect of the problem. Your compulsion is only against animals. What about the humans his interest will turn to when you take away his easy toys? What of the children he will molest? The women he will have his way with?

Loy: You don't know any of that.

Bakail: Oh, but I do. I might not be old for one of my kind, but I'm far older than you. Before my time in purgatory, I lived amongst the depravity of humans. I still do. What Brad Wilson did was interesting, but it was little more than a band-aid. One thing my father neglected to tell you... there is no more purgatory. I can do whatever I wish, free from consequence. We all can.

Bakail casually lifted a hand and pointed at Gary who trembled on the ground out of his depth and listened to the two nephilim. A bolt of power shot from Bakail's hand, obliterating Gary's mind. He wasn't dead but would now live as an empty vessel until he died of starvation or dehydration.

Bakail: It's too bad there's not enough of him left to comprehend his plight. It would be better if he felt what that poor creature you hold would have felt.

Loy: If you harm one more human, I will end you. You're wrong about there being no consequences. I'll be your consequence.

Bakail chuckled: You'll have to catch me first and prove my deed.

Loy watched Bakail slip through the veil into the spiritual realm, discarding his human form. As Loy stared at the spot Bakail vacated, the kitten reached up and Loy felt the cool touch of its pads on his face. Despite what occurred, Loy smiled and sank into the unconditional love of the tiny life in his hands.

Loy: Come with me, kiddo. We'll find you a good home tomorrow.

Rubbing his nose against the kitten's head made it purr louder, and its little body rumbled in pleasure as they translocated back to the Congo. Ricky sat in bed waiting with his back against the headboard. None of the team were supposed to travel alone and he was angry at Loy for acting rashly. He started in as soon as Loy appeared: Loy? What the fuck..., but paused: That's a kitten.

Loy chuckled: No shit, Sherlock.

Loy's feral eyes flashed white, returning to their usual dark brown as he merged with Ricky, sharing his experience. Ricky's first reaction was to stretch out his hands: Let me hold him.

The kitten, still purring loudly, immediately cuddled against Rick's thick neck and shoulder. His subsequent reaction was: Fuck. Your dad seems as big a dick as Ken's. If they're all like that, we've got another problem on our hands.

Loy returned to bed and pressed against his husband as he pet the kitten.

Ricky: Can we keep him?

Loy: I want to, but it's not a good idea.

Ricky: The kids can look after him. Is it a him?

Loy: He's a she.

Ricky: That sounded woke. Animal pronouns?

Loy laughed out loud: Fucker. You know what I meant. Let's sleep on it and decide in the morning. We'll need to talk to Bill and Kevin, Sally, and Shan at least. Cav and Bullet won't be a problem.

Ricky: I'm still pissed you went on your own. Ken's going to blow a gasket.

Loy: Speaking of blowing... Ricky felt Loy's hardness against his leg and mouth on his dick. Sorry, but this whole thing got me worked up.

Ricky sighed with a grin: You are so high maintenance.

Loy raised his eyebrows hopefully: Lucky you.

A gentle compulsion sent the kitten to leap onto their headboard. It happily purred, content to bask in the steward's unconditional love as he made love to his husband. Once they were done, despite their sweat, the kitten wriggled its way between them and fell asleep.

Author's note

I fully realize the Angel and Nephilim names are confusing, especially with the naming conventions. For reference, here's a list of who goes with whom to keep it straight:

Ken > Mikail > Michael

Brad > Rakail > Raphael

Bryan > Ukail > Uriel

Lane > Gariel > Gabriel

Ricky > Ragail > Raguel

Loy > Bakail > Barachiel

Kevin > Salail > Selaphiel

Bill > Jakail > Jegudiel

Pat > Sakail > Saraquel

Darren > Rekail > Remiel

Email: Brad Townsend - bookofloagaeth@gmail.com

Twitter: BATownsend_Author @BookofLoagaeth (this is my official `author' Twitter, but the one I use every day is Brad A. Townsend (@Southguy49).  It's an 18+ NSFW Account as you can imagine, but that's where I hang out.  It's my only social media presence at this time other than TikTok, but I only watch videos there and don't post anything.)

(I'm no longer on Facebook)

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