 
Darkness Awakens

Chronicles of Hunter - Book One

Copyright © 2017 Frank Perez

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Prologue

The Consort Prince glanced down upon the shattered remnants of the drone he'd just killed. A brittle section of an ebony bone was left unscathed from the briefest of battles. It was all he needed. With this final piece, the invocation would have enough energy to smash through the barrier. An obstacle that had kept his brethren, and himself confined for countless ages. Imprisoned for such a length of time now that the time before the barrier appeared to be a myth. The only benefit being they now they understood they were not alone in this universe, a much greater power lived and the Prince had spent centuries examining it.

Searching the sky, his gaze fell upon the pulsing bright green paths of power that formed the barrier on their home-world, no longer as compelling as they had been. Every moment, more of the Brethren's' power was being funneled towards its elimination. The robed ones must no longer be watching over the enforcement of the barrier if they had allowed it to go this long without redress, perhaps reasoning that the Brethren would never have the skill to escape.

Pain is what they would soon learn. Reams of blood would flow within the universe as the forces of The Brethren plundered each planet. The Regent Queens' might would have them all bowing. He thought back to the age before the attack by the combined forces of the Robed Ones and the monstrous Dark One. Centuries ago, they had shown up and slaughtered them for no reason. This time The Brethren would be the aggressors showing no sympathy.

An angry roar left his throat at the image of the times. The united strength of the four was like an imps' when measured to the Dark Ones', whose energy poured like magma from within.

The only useful thing that had come out of the unjust battle and captivity being the time they'd given him to examine the above origin of energy.

Where once he'd been happy with his wish to become the most dominant Brethren on this world, now he'd set his sights higher. The power above has taught me the way, he thought to himself. Only one tiny barrier now held him from subduing endless worlds, planting himself as their overlord.

While the barrier above kept the Brethren sealed within this world, it also opened him to the potential energy that could be used. For an entire century, he'd been sending his consciousness out into space, searching for a weak spot, a place to establish the base of his new command. Somewhere not under the continuous scrutiny of the Robed ones, home to someone powerful he could exploit to crush the confines of the barrier. Over time, his patience had won, allowing him to find the perfect one. A vulnerable young girl of immense power, born on a small remote planet, undetected and unknowing her potential. The Consort Prince directed his will and sent the first nightmares her way. With no one to guide her, his confidence was high she would open the portal, allowing The Brethren to re-enter space. Taking their self-appointed place as Masters.

Focusing on the bone he drew its dormant strength and inhaled it into his lungs, enjoying the familiar surge of power that the Queen had once used to anoint him with a single touch. Enough power he could now reach out over time and space to the one spot he saw the barrier was at its thinnest.

All beings in the universe would suffer at the might of The Brethren. Fear and submission their only choice.
Chapter 2

Smoke drifted through the room tracing lazy arcs around the dull halogen lights. Joe's Bar was no more distinguished than any of the thousands found around every city in the world. Gloomy, drab and smelling of booze. A few shabby stools placed overlooking mock mahogany benches from which the barkeep would pour drinks to the needy hearts seeking to drown out their suffering.

Being mid-afternoon on a Wednesday assured that there was a handful of individuals around, three in this specific bar, cradling their own drinks and maintaining their own counsel. The television set hanging on the wall silent and tuned in to some daytime show which no one was paying mind to, background imagery on the pretense of entertainment without the noisy chatter. Unlike when there was a sports game on the tube. Then the sound would be turned up to appease the mob of fans that would drift down to revel in a few suds whilst encouraging their favorite team.

Hunter threw back his shot of bourbon and drained the last of his beer, signaling the bartender to pour him another. Within a couple of hours, the bar would swell up with its normal clientele. The 'after-workers' as Hunter had defined them in one of his best-selling novels. These were people whose lives bore little in the way of true living. Ordinary everyday people who worked their nine-to-five jobs every single day and would then slip into Joe's on the way home for a quick beer before dealing with their average night-time routines.

Although Hunter was a best-selling writer of countless novels and admired by millions around the world, he envied the after-workers and their ways of life. They woke every day at the same time, did the same routines, working at the same place day in, day out and drifted back home where they ended up the night slumbering through a good eight hours of sleep.

Sleep. How we missed it.

Ever since Hunter could recall, he had not slept straight through the night. It was either a night time full of bizarre dreams that left him sweating, horrified, ecstatic and sometimes forlorn or a bleak nothingness like he would tonight when he would drink himself into a stupor. He felt like a fraud. He wasn't an author that came up with ideas, working long, hard hours at creating a storyline for his novels but rather someone who just detailed the peculiar realities of his dreams which felt more real than when he was awake. Those very dreams allowing him to develop into the ultimate author with tales covering every type of genre. No one knew what type of work he would come up with next, least of all, Hunter himself.

When the craziness had first taken his night's hostage, Hunter tried every remedy for it he could. Every doctor he'd gone to telling him the same thing, there was no such thing as too much dreaming. Everybody averaged the same time. Some would remember them, others didn't. It was probably more the case of him being awakened at the time he was in the REM stage of sleeping where the dreams occur. Heeding their advice, he tried everything he could think of to get himself tired, trying to fall asleep the way others did.

Nothing seemed to work.

There was no relief from the relentless stream of dreams he confronted every night on turning in. These dreams were so realistic that soon he confused them with reality. Things he felt had taken place in actual life were just figments and parts of greater stories from within his own tormented mind at night. That's when Hunter started to journal some of the night-time chaos. Perhaps it was nothing more than his subconscious trying to deliver some information to him.

It wasn't long before he realized the dreams all formed individual parts of a greater storyline. Stories he turned into novels making him a fortune. People assumed he was a literary prodigy when in fact he was doing nothing but recording his dreams. The only problem being he had found himself not being able to distinguish them from reality until one day he drank himself into unconsciousness.

That night, the dreams receded to nothing.

At least not that he could recall. He hadn't slept through but rather drunk himself into a virtual coma. The hangover the following morning the most ruthless he'd encountered. _Better than nothing_ , he thought to himself, _far better than not being able to sleep._

From that day on, this was his new normal. With nothing on his calendar, and occasionally even when full, he would relax at whichever bar he could and drink himself into oblivion. Unless he needed to draft a new story or find a new chapter for his latest work. All that would be required was for him to not drink, bringing the dreams once more without fail.

"Hitting it pretty hard today", the bartender said pouring Hunter another shot of bourbon, "Even for you. Ever'thing aright?" he continued in his strong southern drawl.

"Everything's sweet mate. Just another day in paradise. Looking forward to a nice little dinner and some sleep. Feel like some Chinese tonight. Maybe some nice Kung Pao Chicken." Hunter responded, throwing back the drink and placing a hundred dollar bill on the counter. "Keep the change," he added ignoring the knowing look that had materialized on the bartender's face. Something he'd become familiar with over the last couple of years.

Ah well, Hunter thought to himself as he shrugged on his raincoat preparing himself for the wintry streets, Time to look for a new place to drink.

He had turned into an authority on interpreting the slight nuances of the different bartenders over time. Hell, he'd become an expert on the way of life of alcoholics, full stop. The subtle looks in the eyes of the barkeep or waitress when you called for another drink, the shift in the way they put a glass in front of you or the not-so-subtle questioning on how much you had drunk all pointing to the conclusion that it was time find another watering hole. That one basic query from the barkeep the opening wedge that would seek to delve further into why he was drinking so much and that was not a place Hunter was happy to discuss with anyone, let alone a waiter or bartender.

Simpler to find a new place to drink.

This time he would try to discover three or four different places and spread out his drinking among them. Maybe if they saw his face once or twice weekly they wouldn't be so meddlesome. Tomorrow's issue. Tonight, his only concern was heading over to Kim's Place to get himself some dinner and on the way, stopping off at the liquor shop for a new bottle of Jim Beam. At least he could afford to be a drunk with great taste and get clobbered on bourbon rather than having to swill down a bad $5 cask wine.

His latest novel had been turned over to his publisher earlier in the day and for the next few weeks at least, he was looking forward to holding hands with the nothingness that being an alcoholic allowed him. Only sobering up when there was a demand to look normal for his agent.

With those thoughts, he pulled up the collar of his leather coat and headed down the rain-soaked street towards Kim's and his much-awaited Kung Pao chicken dinner.

*~*

The Kraxus shrugged its shoulders to ease its cramped muscles. It had forgotten the intensity of this travel, having its full body ripped apart into billions of individual pieces and hurled through time and space. Reforming again at the destination. Centuries since the last occurrence yet it only seemed like yesterday. It knelt in the rainstorm, raising its snout to assure that it was safe.

Unlike most of his Brethren, the Kraxus was a skilled warrior. It also had an extremely evolved sense of self-preservation, animal impulses and a higher level of intelligence than the lesser Brethren. All this, with the extra ability to alter its shape into any other being, made it the ideal soldier for the Consort Prince, and the clear option for the required mission. The Prince Consort would have exhausted itself considerably after spending so much of its elemental force in opening enough of a rift to give the Kraxus a way through to this forgotten planet. No doubt this also played into why it had been chosen. The attack on a crippled Prince Consort would have been immediate allowing it to take the position as the most dominant of The Brethren.

Nobody knew what its true form looked like apart from its own twin and it reveled in the fact. More often than not, the Kraxus would appear as it now stood. Six feet four inches tall, sleek black fur covering a torso that most body-builders would kill for. Its haunches more muscled than a stallion's and just as strong. In its present form, the head looked like a skull with a thin veneer of crimson skin. Hairless and human-like.

The Kraxus searched its surroundings. The dark alley cluttered with garbage taking flight before the howling wind as it coursed its way through the streets. He felt at home. An abused world taken for granted. After countless lifetimes within the Barrier, the different smells were exhilarating. Quivering with excitement, it sniffed out the power, assessing the winds to see how much was available in this world. The Brethren didn't have their own innate energy. They slaughtered and gained from other beings.

His eyes narrowed as a whiff of power moved over him, almost stumbling when a second aura fell upon it. In the distance, he felt two beings filled with an energy that the Kraxus had not known for centuries, not since the time of the battle with the dreaded robed ones. Confusion distorted his features for a moment as its maw grew into a cynical leer. Not only had The Brethren formed a way out of the Barrier but once he exploited the power he was feeling, he would be untouchable and the Prince Consort would die. The Prince would certainly have his own plans as did the Kraxus.

Sniffing the air he recalculated. With that much energy, he could take the Queen Regent as his own and turn into the new ruler of The Brethren and the rest of the universe.

He inhaled, the air on this planet was becoming toxic. Just the way the Kraxus liked it. The same underlying current of darkness as his own planet. This one, however, retained a slight tinge of a much lighter power. Breathable but not comfortable. He would need to take refuge for a few days and harness his power. Somewhere dark and moist place that would allow him to hide and gather himself. He would need as much energy as possible to survive the forces he had felt. One of those he would keep for himself, the other ensnared as requested. The Prince Consort would not know any different until he acted. Enough time was available to set traps of his own whilst looking out for ambushes.

With a mighty surge of his hindquarters, the Kraxus bound forth between the dark puddles of inky blackness surrounding the city, moving towards the two forces and shelter for a few days, positive in his own skill to achieve the tasks given.

*~*

Ren sat on the edge of Bonnie's bed hugging her until the tears subsided a little. Her daughters' nightmares were slowly getting worse with each passing night. Each nightmare, more pronounced and detailed with the passing nights.

The dreams had started a couple of months earlier with less frequency and early on she considered them to be nothing other than plain nightmares. Every child went through them.

Their frequency had increased to the where this week alone, Bonnie had woken up shouting in the darkness every single night. Somehow they had traversed the point between normal nightmare and something more sinister. Ren felt it deep within her as only a mother can. An inner voice alerting her to danger, a danger that seemed concentrated on her little eight-year-old.

"Shhh. It's Okay Bonnie. It was only a dream. Nobody can hurt you." she soothed, rocking back and forth willing her own calm onto her daughter.

"He's coming mum." Bonnie whispered "The bad devil in my dream. He looked at me and said my name. He was in the light now. I could see him this time."

"Nightmares can be like that, my darling," she whispered "they always know the worst things we fear. But always remember, they're just dreams and a dream can't hurt you. Ever. Even less so when I'm around, and I'll always be around for you."

A whispered sob escaped Bonnie as she looked at met her mother's eyes, "This is something different mum. The bad devil he isn't alone. He's just the one that's in charge. There are millions of them, but none as bad as him."

"Dreams baby. Just dreams." Ren replied, "There's never any reason to worry about them." Ignoring every bit of expert advice, she added "Come and sleep the rest of the night in my bed baby. I won't let anything ever hurt you."

"I know mum but the devil is really scary, even if it's only a dream. He's the Consort Prince, and he really wants to free his regent Queen."

' _Consort Prince? Regent Queen?'_ thought Ren to herself. ' _Just what the Hell is happening to my little girl? And where is she getting this stuff from?_ '

The stunned Watcher stood unseen in the corner of the room.

The young girl Bonnie, had come to his notice a few months ago alerted by an aural presence like nothing seen before; Her presence making the combined aural power of The Council itself look like a flickering candle next to the brilliance of a supernova. This would have to be reported and yet, he hesitated and kept a silent vigil, unwilling to report the matter back as he should have. Rampant thoughts went through his mind.

What would The Council make of this and how would they react?
Chapter 2

The five elders forming The Council sat upon a silver-colored marble pedestal which floated on an orange-colored ether. Specialized invitations the only way to gain access to their realm.

A realm secret amongst The Watchers alone. One never troubled.

They had taken on the burden of being the interpreters of the will of D'HarmaSan centuries ago. The ultimate mediators.

Elite watchers that excelled in their duties to bring peace and harmonious integration throughout the universe. Never swaying in their interpretation and ultimate judgements.

Each member was mind-linked to the others, individual auras shining for the others to see. Every thought and memory available to the rest. This ensured that there would be no ulterior motives lying behind the actions of any individual who sat on The Council as decreed by Luxfer centuries earlier.

The murder of D'HarmaSan occurred millennia ago at the hands of The Brethren. No one else apart from The Council knew of this. She had taken on the form of an ethereal being, almost mythical. Someone to have faith in with no physical proof of her existence. Much like the primitive religions that evolved in the younger species when they were feeling their way towards enlightenment. Every single planet in existence worked its way through this process, much like a young person works their way through puberty.

They glanced down as one at the floating ether, willing the pentagram of rift into growth, the only gateway to the circle.

The pulsing, orange-colored ether below their feet moved in a lazy pattern until a solid pentagram materialized inside it.

The portal stood open.

Glowing lines of power took form and the Watchers who awaited would soon have access to the rift and would flow through from wherever they stood, to reappear within the Circle.

A younger species was approaching the point of enlightenment. The critical point in its growth. All future possibilities for this planet forked out ahead. One path would lead it down chaos, destruction, war and terror. The other enlightenment.

Of the original Watchers hand-picked and trained by Luxfer, no written records existed but legends whispered stated that they were taken out of time itself and studied with him for thirty cycles in hand-to-hand combat mixed in with the ability to manipulate life forces for either incapacitation or healing. From that day on, they formed The Five. Their first act: to find, train and choose the next lot of watchers.

Whenever a Watcher would fall or reached the end of their life-cycle, a new Watcher would be chosen from amongst those already in Black, a long and arduous training program ensuring that only the best of the best became fully fledged Watchers.

From the time they were ready, each watcher would be sent out to different parts, to preserve order and guide other cultures towards enlightenment. They would also keep a lookout for other potential Watchers that could be prepared in their ways and to ensure the younger species were observed and reported on to The Council.

All continued well at the start. The Watchers continued doing what they'd been told by Luxfer. Over time, differences emerged.

Watchers from different sectors took it upon themselves to be absolute judge, jury and executioners.

Their power shifted inwards and rather a few of them had considered themselves Gods over their own territories.

*~*

The Watcher remained cross-legged in meditating in front of the entry portal to The Council, centering himself.

Dressed in the long flowing black dolman that all Watchers wore. A light flowing robe that woven from a special material that allowed it to absorb the aural power of its wearer, granting them the ability to manipulate it with ease.

He still remembered the day, almost thirty cycles ago that he had been awarded the dolman upon completion of his training.

Twenty cycles of constant striving in mastering the mysteries of aural battle. Hundreds were chosen to train every cycle, most would fail. All the others chosen alongside him had failed to reach the demands. In his twenty cycles of study, he had only seen three presented, in the thirty cycles since - another five.

Being awarded Elite of the Elite status was not something accomplished daily and even though it went against his training, he felt pride when he thought about it. Remembering to find his center as soon as he caught himself.

The Council would notice otherwise.

Most of his brother Watchers brought in potentials for training regularly. In thirty cycles though, he had found none worthy of the training. He worried sometimes at this. Was he flawed in his training and incapable of seeing the potential in others? Was his pride too large to admit that there may be others more capable than him out there? Others who would need training in the ancient ways? He was sure it was one of the main reasons he had set aside to look after the younger species on planets in the most remote regions of the universe. There was never any aural power to speak of on any of these and he would not be expected to bring in any potentials.

Thoughts went through his mind as he waited, ' _But now I've stumbled upon a girl. This tiny thing, surrounded by an aural presence and power the likes of which I have never beheld. A young wisp that has the capacity to destroy worlds and entire universes with just a thought. And she is unaware of the power she has, living on a speck of a planet in a universe that was treading dangerously close to taking the path of chaos. A species that The Council would soon determine too dangerous to allow to continue to evolve and would destroy it if their historical actions were anything to go by. Maybe things will be different with this one once they hear my report.'_

The portal hummed as the Council poured their power into it, signaling the opening would soon grant him access. He sighed and closed his eyes again, looking for his center, knowing he had about two minutes before being transported through the rift to report his findings.

Would they trust his judgement and believe in the things he was about to report?

Old doubts coursed through his mind anew, of The Council itself. Apart from Julian, he didn't trust them. Over time, he saw them as another group of power-greedy individuals, setting aside the task that Nexus had charged them with when it served them.

Everything was now gray where once only black and white existed. ' _No use worrying about it,_ _better to just report what I have seen and let them decide on a course of action. No doubt, I'll just be moved on from this planet and shunted off to another to watch.'_

But he still couldn't get the young girl out of his thoughts. Something different was going on there. _She was something different_.

The problem was that he couldn't decide if that was good or not.

*~*

The Council members looked at each other with something akin to dismay. The Watcher reporting this day had been one of their favorites at the time he'd been elevated to the Black. The inherent ability that flowed from him was overwhelming.

Thirty years with nothing of use from such talent. The debate had raged.

"What is the use of having a Watcher who doesn't achieve?" Elder Micah asked once again. "There are plenty of others ready to don the Dolman. Perhaps it's time we replace him."

Elgar rolled his eyes, "Once again we ride this Merry-Go-Round Micah. Never in our history has the Council stripped a Watcher of the Black. They either go down in battle or get to the end of their life-cycle. We cannot set a precedent when we are uncertain of what will take place. That one simple act has many differing future probabilities. None more certain than the next. No, this action is not something we can take lightly. We could never reach a consensus on this matter."

"That's because Julian has always refrained on the matter. His choice to not decide is what keeps him in the Black."

The most junior member of the Council, Julian kept his face blank knowing the others could read his aura and see his true feelings, regardless.

He had mentored and trained the Watcher in question from the beginning. A Watcher who had held more potential than any other recorded. His aural battle performances had no peer, his readings of aural power beyond any other in existence to date, and yet, with all this innate talent he still failed to prove himself worthy of the Black.

His talents for guiding younger species in the right direction still hinted at his power, only one of those under his guidance had come close to annihilation, due to his quiet and invisible influence. He was naturally gifted and Julian was unwilling to just let that talent go to waste and be destroyed as The Council was wont to do.

Besides, his Master had different plans.

Perhaps with this report, he would see the end of his days as a Watcher and if The Council had its way, the end of his own life-cycle with it.

Nothing else would be acceptable.

If word got out that a Watcher had been stripped of the black, there would be no knowing what the ripple effects throughout the universe would be. Better to end his life and announce a mighty battle in which the Watcher had fallen. A battle the Council would have to engineer. This wouldn't be the first time they'd acted like this, with no one the wiser.
Chapter 3

Hunter sat back in the oversized black leather chair in Ren's office, trying to get comfortable. The constant thrumming in his head was like an old friend now. A willing price he paid for dreamless sleep. Eye drops covered up the redness in the whites of his eyes and with enough breath mints in his pocket, he was ready to slip into the sober personality he had developed over the years. Few people would ever know he was hung over, almost all the time.

Sitting on the other side of the desk however, was Ren. One of the few individuals in the world that would see his true state if not the underlying reason for it. She assumed he was just another talented lowlife who wasn't thankful for the gifts handed to him. _A gift that others would murder for._ Is how she had put it to him once _and you squander it away like a little kid throwing a tantrum!_

_Kill for? Hell, I'd give it away for free! In fact, I'll give them everything I own with it!_ Hunter thought to himself once again. _If doing so would just set me free to live a life of my own, without the dreams,_ reluctant to confess to Ren just why he drank himself stupid every night.

"The new novel is absolutely brilliant Hunter," Ren stated "without a doubt, another best-seller on your hands. I truly do not understand how you come up with these stories. How you can go from writing an epic, set during a World War and then follow it up with something from a fantasy angle. Not to mention the three horror books. I've just never come across any other writer that has that type of capacity and imagination in them. Well done!"

Hunters' eyes followed Ren as she moved around the mahogany desk in front of him.

Dressed in a men's white business shirt tucked into a tight black mini-dress finished with heeled, black leather boots that went up to just below her knees, she was absolutely gorgeous and every man's eyes would follow her wherever she went. Not that she ever dressed to impress anyone other than herself. The make-up that was flawless on her was just slightly off today though and failed to mask the fact she had had a very late night. _Lucky her, and double lucky for whoever the guy was!_ Hunter thought to himself wishing he was as normal as everyone else. Perhaps he would have even had enough courage to ask her out if that was the case. Probably not.

With a start, he realized that he had not been paying attention to Ren. Lost in his own wandering, scattered thoughts as he stared at her oval, mocha colored face, deep blue eyes and her short cropped brown hair, layered with hints of purple and red highlights. "Sorry Ren", he muttered "Got lost in my own world for a minute. What did you say?"

Ren smiled, "Your own world? I think that you've actually got a whole new universe that you live in most of the time, Hunter. One small world is not enough for that imagination of yours."

Hunter watched as Ren's smile lit up her entire face. Those smiles were few these days unlike when they had first met. Back then, she was always smiling. Regaling him with the little fascinating things that her daughter had been up to. Now that he thought about it further, Hunter realized that she hadn't even mentioned her daughter the last few times that they'd caught up and that sleepless look on her face had developed over recent times. Something was not 100% in Ren's world and he missed the normal-ness of those little stories. Somehow they had always made him feel good, more human and less the outsider that knew himself to be.

"Plenty of weirdness in this one world Ren, no need to add an entirely new universe to my play-list."

Ren's smile deepened, reaching her eyes, "What I was saying before you went off on your mental walkabout, was that I've had another offer from Smitty and his crew again. The same as the last few only with a bigger cheque attached this time."

Smitty, aka Jonathan Smith IV, was the current heir and owner of Virtual Productions. They had bought the rights to the last 3 of Hunters books and turned them into Hollywood blockbusters that had made the studio hundreds of millions of dollars. Every single time though, Smitty and his crew had wanted Hunter to come on board as a Creative Consultant, with a very hefty pay-check to go along with it. Each time, they'd been disappointed when he had declined.

_It's bad enough that I had to live through all those moments, good and bad. There's no way in Hell that I will ever recreate it for the silver screen and the adoring fans_ , Hunter had thought to himself _never going to happen!_ He hadn't even bothered watching any of the releases. Regardless of how persistent Smitty and his group of high-powered execs were. In fact, Hunter had declined even meeting with them, allowing Ren to handle absolutely every detail of the process.

"Whatever you decide Ren," he told her "Same details as the last though. Not interested in doing anything with it. They can buy the rights and make whatever they want with the script. I'll leave it totally to you."

"That's what I figured you'd say but as your agent, I have to let you know about all the offers, regardless. Smitty doubled his offer this time for your services. A cool 5 million dollars."

"They could offer ten times that and the answer would still be no, Ren. There's literally not enough money in the world to make it happen. No need to pester me with the details. If you need the extra money from your commission, then just double what you charge me now. I don't need all that much anyways."

Ren laughed loud, a belly laugh that had tears running down her cheeks "I might just take you up on that Hunter. In the meantime, I'll let Smitty know your answer. Who knows? He might even double it again. He probably thinks he can get even more mileage and profit if your name is associated the next movie." reaching for the phone as it rang on her desk.

*~*

Wisps of smoke arose from the kneeling Watchers' form as he emerged. Clear gold metallic colors swirled outwards-the color of full spiritual energy and awakening. Few had ever attained such perfection, reinforcing their belief that something would have to be done about this particular Watcher soon.

Keeping their linked thoughts to themselves, they looked upon the Watcher and spoke directly into his mind, "We see that this planet is yet to change its course Watcher. It's as clear in your aura as you are before us. But yet, we also sense something that isn't quite clear. A confusion within you. Something that needs to be discussed. What is it?"

The Watcher raised his head and looked to Micah, hesitating, "I've witnessed something... strange. Something that will needs to further investigation."

The expression of The Five didn't waver, but The Watcher was more powerful than even they guessed. He could clearly read each individual members aura even though they had a shield woven around them that should have stopped him. It was a little something he had kept to himself, unwilling to share the information with anyone else. It was also one of the main reasons he didn't truly trust them. The thoughts they put forth to him when he was reporting held very little in common with what he read in each of their auras. Only Julian's aura resembled something akin to what The Watcher believed an aura of a Council member should be.

The bright pink of pure lust and coveting, mingled with the controlling orange dominating the other four Council members all pointed to hidden agendas. Games being played. Games The Council was supposed to be above. All decisions decreed by The Council should be above reproach and yet, their auras spoke the truth to him.

A truth they would not be able to deny if they knew he could see them.

"A young girl," he continued, "A tiny little thing, showed power a few months ago."

"Power is never seen on a planet that has yet to reach enlightenment Watcher. Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Julian interjected, "A little girl you say? Someone who shows promise of power in an as yet unenlightened species? Are you sure?"

"Completely sure, Councilor. At first, it was only a small snippet of power. But something happened recently. That small snippet has somehow transformed. The connections within her colors have morphed. She blends them all, without thought."

"Her aura is the brightest I've seen. It dwarfs anything else before it", he finished, watching the Five's auras from the corners of his eyes to better understand and gauge their feelings. Their colors filled with shock and disbelief, every single one of them including Julian. Even the usual demeanor on their faces fell for a moment before they reasserted control over themselves. It didn't take someone as talented as he was in reading to know that there was a lot of chatter going back and forth amongst them.

If he wanted to, he could push out his own consciousness and listen to what was being discussed. It would alert The Five to his true powers though and that was something that he wasn't comfortable letting them in on. So he stayed in his kneeling position watching them, like he had been taught to do, awaiting their commands.

"We will need to verify this Watcher. So far you have failed to produce even one potential candidate for us to decide upon and now, without warning, you bring us a tale of a powerful, wild talent. It sounds more like a bedtime story than the truth. But, have no fear. The Council will discuss the matter further and command your presence when needed. We will let you know what we decide when we are ready."

"D'HarmaSan guide your thoughts", The Watcher intoned and allowed himself to be transported by Micah, with a wave of his hand to a waiting area until summoned again.

"D'HarmaSan be damned, you failure," muttered Micah to himself as he turned to the other members of The Council. "This is... unexpected. That affliction must be mistaken. He comes to us with a wild story about a powerful untamed, wild girl-child! What does he expect us to do? Drop everything and fall to our knees believing her the D'HarmaSan reborn?"

The second eldest councilor, Arell turned around to face him, "Easy now, Micah. That failure has been nothing but a disappointment to us from the beginning. We all know that. Even Julian no longer defends him with the fervor he once did. Perhaps he has picked up some hint about our thoughts somehow and is trying to delay the inevitable."

He turned his body and swept an outstretched arm over the rest of The Council, "we all see what's important here. All he has done is given us enough reason to do what must be done, all above reproach. The Master will need to be informed."

*~*

For the first time he could recall, The Watcher had defied The Council.

As the Elder Micah had weaved his power to transport him to a holding cell to await The Council's further summons, an unexpected thought had filtered into his consciousness and he had weaved a small touch of the power into the mix. Instead of being transported by Micah, he had side-stepped the power flux and rendered himself invisible to The Council, staying within the chambers.

' _What am I doing?'_ He thought to himself once the power had completed, but he held his peace and waited, gazing over the combined auras of The Council. A gray darkness had crept into them, signaling some terrible things were taking place. Only Julian's aura had any positive color in it but it was tiny compared to the combined onslaught of the rest. He watched it change and mute down to a dark gray.

Whatever they considered, the rest had clearly won out. Not a single shred of color could be seen within any of them.

The Watcher Waited.

Considering themselves alone, The Five did not even bother with any attempt and shielding their physical forms from each other. _They look mad as Hell;_ the Watcher thought to himself. _When I bring them news of what may be the most miraculous thing ever, they're mad. Why? Was this some sort of test? D'HarmaSan be damned? Just what the Hell is going on? Who the Hell is this Master that they speak of?_

And still, The Watcher Waited.

The Five turned as one to the Pentagram and settled their collective power on opening a passageway. They were clearly getting ready to command him to return for their orders even though they hadn't even discussed the matter he had brought before them. There was something more going on.

A moment passed, and The Watcher did not feel the vibrations he would have felt if they were commanding his presence.

They're not asking for me! Who were they calling? This mysterious Master?

And yet, The Watcher Waited.

The Pentagram pulsed with swirling colors, getting more potent with each passing moment as The Five strengthened their collective power on it.

It took a few moments more for a form to materialize within the center of the Pentagram. The light grew stronger and stronger and within it, the form of a solitary standing individual could be seen. _Standing?_ Every Watcher knew the proper respect for The Five was to appear kneeling, head held low in deference, in a submission pose.

Who would have the gall to appear before The Five standing erect not fearing repercussion?

The Five stood as one and knelt, placing their hands alongside their heads on the marble pillar floor, as the figure became solid. _The Five taking a submission pose? What the Hell is going on here_ he thought again, tweaking his power a little, ensuring he was masked and unseen. Something was going on, something he wasn't completely sure he wanted to know about.

"Lift your heads, my sons," the figure boomed "and tell me why you're all so worried."

All the councilor's heads stayed bent, their foreheads brushing the floor, except for Micah. He raised his head two inches off the floor but kept his eyes on the ground "The Failed Watcher has just reported Master. He carried news about a young girl that he believes has energy like nothing ever before seen."

"A young girl? With power, on that ugly dirt speck of a world? Are you positive that this is correct?"

"Yes Master. I saw the images in his aura, Master. He seems to believe that the girl has almost unlimited innate power. Wild, untamed and natural... master."

"Bah. Power of that type has only ever existed once," the figure stated waving his hand in the air, dismissing the kneeling councilor "and was removed from consciousness a very long time ago."

"It is as you say Master. We are all in agreement. What would you have us do?"

A smile flitted across the Masters face, "It's a simple matter councilor. I will send The Jackal to take care of it. He will find this ... girl and bring her back. I doubt she is the powerful entity that The Failed One believes her to be."

"Of course, if he finds that she is as powerful as he claims, we will take no chances. Kill her being entirely. No rebirth to be granted. Extreme annihilation, followed by the entire planet."

"And what of the Failed One, Master?" asked Micah.

"Ah, his fate is now sealed. I do believe that even Julian is now totally for it. Am I correct Julian?"

Julian raised his head and sat back on his ankles. The others gasped and stared. None had ever been so forward with the Master "Signed, sealed and about to be delivered, My Lord," he exclaimed smiling. "I've only been waiting for your word to do so and the waiting has been absolute torture I must say."

The Master raised his face to the colors swirling above his head in the Pentagram and laughed. A loud, raucous laughter that boomed across the entire platform. Swinging a hand across his chest he pulled the ether at his feet to envelop his body, from his feet all the way around his torso. Turning his eyes upon the kneeling Council as it began to cover his face, "You would do well to heed Julian, I believe. I'm sure you all agree that he should be the head of this little gathering from now on. And never, ever think to yourselves that you can command my presence again. If needed, I'll command Your Presence.", he uttered as he vanished.

The other all turned to Julian, confusion etched on their faces. They believed themselves beyond the reach of anyone; The Master included but somehow; he had just removed himself from their presence. They worried - if he could move one way then there would be no stopping him from being able to come before them any time he wished.

The smile on Julian's face said it all. He had been under The Master's sway longer than they believed and no doubt had been instrumental in the sudden shift in power. No longer was his aura open to them - he had used the power to close himself off from them, completely forbidden by the Nexus on the creation of the first Council.

A satisfied smile crossed Julian's features as he willed himself to the pillar previously used by Micah, "Now the fun begins."

The Watcher waited no longer.

Taking care to not be noticed he opened himself fully to his powers. The Five were no longer above him as much as that rankled and tore against every fiber of his being. They had become corrupted somehow, more corrupt than even he had guessed. He was now a wanted man, and no longer considered himself a Watcher. Internally renouncing his allegiance, he backed away, watching as the remaining four councilors all turned and fell to their knees in front of Julian.

With a similar wave of his hand, he wove his own powers in a fashion to the one that the Five had called Master, willing his own transportation back to the lonely planet that housed one small, tiny little girl. The Jackal, he thought to himself, will need to be stopped. Whoever he is.

The little girl would live. He would give his own life to make sure that happened.

*~*

Cradling the phone to her ear and still smiling at Hunter, Ren answered "Ren speaking."

That was typical Ren. Straight forward and to the point. No messing around with useless chatter. It was one of the things that made her a brilliant publisher. Everyone she dealt with knew about her integrity and her blunt honesty. Hunter watched as the smile faded from Ren's face. Whatever was discussed was not good. "Just try to keep her calm. I'll be there as soon as I can to get her." Ren said into the phone before replacing the handset. "Damn. My car's in the shop. Gonna have to cab it."

Hunter looked over at Ren "Everything OK Ren?"

"Not really. That was Bonnie's school. Apparently she's been like a walking zombie today and she almost fell asleep during her math's class. Poor kid has been having a lot of nightmares for some reason lately and it looks like she had one at school." Ren paused, "They're having a hard time calming her down. Today of all days. My damn car is in the shop!"

"Don't stress. My car is downstairs. Happy to give you a lift."

"You sure Hunter? I'm not putting you out of your way?"

Hunter looked at Ren, "Nope. Nothing else in the calendar for today," _except for getting plastered,_ he added silently. _And there's no real time line for that, that's on ongoing task._

Ren slammed the lid of her notebook down and grabbed the coat off the back of her chair, "Appreciate this Hunter. I won't even charge you extra for the next novel!"

The drive to pick up Bonnie was uneventful. Ren being wrapped up in her own thoughts regarding her daughter so Hunter had been more than happy to just drive and let her be. He was now just waiting at the car while Ren had gone inside the school to collect her daughter. He watched closely as she emerged with a very-tired Bonnie and laid her down in the back seat for the drive back to her apartment.

Ren hugged Bonnie closer to her body as they stepped into the elevator that would take her up to her apartment. Hunter had slung her bag over his shoulder and was getting the keys ready to let them in. "The Prada bag suits you Hunter. It brings out your eyes."

Hunter turned back to give her a tentative smile. She'd always been able to put him at ease with her easy manner. Even now, when she was worried about her daughter, she was taking time out to ensure that he was at ease. "Always preferred Gucci. More my speed."

Ren returned his smile, "Well hurry up and open the door Mr. Gucci. She may not look like much but this girl weighs a ton when she's asleep!"

Hunter unlocked the door and pushed it open, allowing Ren to go inside. He stood at the entrance, unsure whether to come in any further. Ren looked over as she stepped into the other room where a couch dominated one side of the wall, "Don't be shy Hunter. Come in and close the door behind you. Let me get my girl settled down. Make yourself useful and put on some coffee. Kitchen's through there." She pointed with her chin.

Hunter moved through entry and into the room that Ren was pointing to. It was the first time that he'd been in anyone else's place for as long as he could remember.

He'd sometimes dreamed about what Ren's place would look like and he wasn't too far off the mark. Like the lady herself, the room oozed class. Not over the top, touch nothing class, but a lived in and used look that still looked classy.

Pieces of expensive furniture placed in perfect spots around the apartment. Original artworks hung from discrete spots on the walls. A caftan lay over the back of the chaise lounge she was lowering Bonnie on in complete view from where he was in the kitchen. Obvious placement by a mother of an eight-year-old where she could watch her daughter while preparing meals. He looked around and spotted the coffee machine. No drip brew for Ren, this was a fully operational barista machine with all the extras thrown in, which left Hunter at a complete loss. He did not understand where to even begin making a coffee using this monstrosity.

"If you know how to use that thing, I've underestimated you." Ren's voice whispered from the doorway, "Second cupboard to your left there's a kettle. That ", she added, pointing to the gleaming coffee maker, "came with the apartment."

Hunter gave a small chuckle "Thank God. I was thinking about impressing..."

A scream from Bonnie stopped Hunter from finishing his sentence. He was only a small step behind Ren as they went running into the room where she had laid Bonnie down to rest. The young girl had sat upright, as stiff as a board, screaming "Here's here, the devil. Go away. No!!!! Leave me alone"

Ren was there in a flash, grabbing her daughter in a huge embrace, trying to soothe her "Shhh, baby. Muma's here. It's all a dream, baby. Shhh...."

Hunter watched as Ren tried to calm Bonnie down. They were hugging each other on the couch, with Ren rocking Bonnie back and forth. Something felt off. Something beyond Bonnie's nightmare and her scream. There was a subtle hint of color at the corner of his eye, disappearing every time he turned to look. A deep, blood-like red, centered on the edge of the couch.

_Danger_. He thought to himself. _This is the feeling that I get in my dreams when something bad is about to happen._ He could see the hint of an outline within the color but nothing he could put his finger on. Every sense in his body was screaming danger yet the only strange thing that was happening was Bonnie herself, sobbing and screaming into her mother's shoulder.

"Shhh, baby. Muma's here. It's all a dream, baby. Shhh...." Ren soothed and then broke off. Hunter turned back to look at Ren wondering what had caused her to stop her whispering and he noticed, Bonnie was almost translucent. He could make out the couch behind her.

Ren's voice switched from a calming whisper to almost a shriek "Oh my God. What's happening? Hunter! Help me!"

He leaped over the coffee table in front of the couch to kneel in front of Ren and reached out his hand towards Bonnie. Not knowing what he could do when he looked into Ren's eyes; the shocked look mirroring his own. The red-colored mist disappeared from his view and he would have sworn that he'd dimly heard a dull, throaty bark. Reaching further towards Bonnie his hand came up empty, passing through Bonnie's body like she wasn't even there.

_What the Hell is going on?_ He thought to himself. _What the fuck is this? Have I fallen asleep? Is this my nightmare? His senses continued to scream at him, warning him of danger. Like seeing a young girl vanish in her mother's arms wasn't enough of a warning that something weird was going on_.

Ren was holding her arms tucked around each other, rocking back and forth. "Bonnie. Bonnie... Where are you?"

A change in the air warned him that the encounter continued. Once again he caught a snippet of a red-colored outline from the corner of his eye. This time it seemed more solid; he attacked without thought.

No resistance slowed him down as his body went through the color like it didn't exist. Ren just looked at him as if he had become deranged. "What the hell are you doing?" she began but didn't have time to finish, as the red mist that Hunter had tackled became solid.

A completely solid form, man-like. Covered in a robe of some sort, looking like some kind of druid or ancient priest, the face hidden deep within the darkness of the cowl, menacing.

Hunter felt himself shunted aside by a second man as he was on the verge of launching another attack at the figure in the red mist. This one having materialized just behind him, dressed identically to the first, the only difference being that he had his hood thrown back over his shoulders.

The new stranger raised a hand and pointed it straight at the first one. Deep blue, concentrated smoke lashed out from the outstretched arm, cackling with electricity. The impact of the blast sent the first figure flying, away from a now screaming Ren. "Quickly. Take Ren and get out." The stranger said to Hunter. "She's dead otherwise."

_Good Advice_. Thought Hunter, _regardless of who the hell you are_. Running across the room he grabbed Ren by the arm shoving her towards the open door back into the kitchen, away from the craziness going on in the living room. "What the hell is all this?" she asked breathlessly "and what happened to Bonnie?"

Hunter looked around the kitchen and then back into the living room where the fight was continuing, "I have no idea Ren. This is just... ", he trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"Crazy? A nightmare?" she prompted "Am I in my own nightmare Hunter?"

"I'm asking myself the same questions. Is it possible that we're both having the same?" Hunter took a deep breath and faced back to the living room where one of strangers had just blasted the other into oblivion "Whatever it is, it looks like it's coming to an end. There's only one of those guys left standing in there, and we're still trapped in the kitchen. Please tell me you've got some knives in here, if not a shotgun."

Ren looked over to the living room as Hunter spoke. She whispered, "Butchers knife. Second draw down," watching the strange figure stride across the living room towards the kitchen. "First chance you get, don't hesitate."

Despite her warning, Hunter had not made a move towards the knife as the figure strode towards them, completely captivated by the colors swirling off it. Bright gold and orange swirls coming off his head and shoulders as if he was producing his own heat-wave. With a start he realized that the figure was almost upon them and he hadn't even grabbed the knife that Ren mentioned. "Get behind me Ren, and as soon as you get an opening, run for it. Fast as you can. Get out of here and call the cops. I'll try to stall him somehow."

Ren reached across and to give him a hug, "Don't get yourself killed, damn you. Run with me out of here as fast as you can."

*~*

Michael lurked within the council chambers for a moment trying to glimpse the mysterious Jackal they kept mentioning hoping to get any information that would help him. Using his training, he centered himself and tried to gather his thoughts.

_Extreme annihilation of Bonnie? Destruction of an entire planet over it? It makes little sense!_ The Five council members broke away from each other and one by one disappeared. They hadn't needed to summon The Jackal in person which only meant that he had made a huge mistake in waiting. Time he could ill afford.

With a quick wave of his hand, he sent his physical form to Ren's apartment, already fearing that he would be too late.

A scene of total chaos befell Michael as he materialized in Ren's apartment. He caught the final moments of Bonnie dissipating, being caught in a trap of some sort.

A hazy figure lurked in the background, one he couldn't quite see. A dark grey aura surrounded it, bordering on black with red streaks running through it like mini bolts of lightning.

Not Good.

The Jackal was about to launch another attack and without thought; he shoved Hunter aside and sent a wave of pure, raw energy straight at him. Deep blue, concentrated smoke exploded from his outstretched hand, crackling with a powerful electric charge, taking the Jackal in the stomach, wounding him. The impact sent the Jackal flying, away from Ren.

Michael didn't take his eyes off The Jackal who was struggling to get up off the floor, "Quickly. Take Ren and get out, she's dead otherwise."

One of the sacred points in his training was that no Watcher would attack another without the express approval of The Five, something which had never happened, and yet; he stood there considering the total annihilation of another brother. _I can't do this._ _It's not right._

Reweaving the original power, he aimed at The Jackal. This hit wouldn't destroy him but it would leech away all of his power, giving him plenty of breathing room. The initial wound in The Jackal's stomach would take a long time to heal now rather than the couple of minutes it would have otherwise.

Remembering one of the newer planets he'd found at the edge of the Universe, he willed The Jackal away with a wave of his hand, transporting him across millions of light years then turned to scan his surroundings, in search of the other source of power.

Only a hint of it remained near the couch that Ren had been sitting on. A whisper. Not enough to gain any insight into who had been there.

With no other immediate threat, he turned towards the door that led into the kitchen. Somehow he would have to gain the trust of Ren and her male companion. _Easier said than done_ , he thought to himself as he strode across the living room. Especially when your daughter has disappeared into nothing right in front of your face and you've no idea what's happened.
Chapter 4

Hunter and Ren bounded down the stairwell keeping the mystery man in sight.

He'd stayed just outside the kitchen door after the chaos, looking at Ren. "We need to go, now!" turning around and heading for the open door.

Taking only a moment, she launched herself after him, "Come on Hunter. He's got to know something about Bonnie!"

The stranger turned his head as he was running in front of them, "Quickly now. It won't take the Council long to find out something is wrong and send more Watchers this way."

Having just witnessed her daughter disappear in her arms, followed by a close encounter where both she and Hunter should be dead, she was unwilling to lose sight of the only one amongst them who may hold some answers. Tears ran down her cheeks but she kept her wits about her as she followed the man into the lobby and out into a rain soaked street.

Turning left outside the door, the stranger headed to an alleyway that ran up the side of Ren's apartment. Without hesitation he ran through the alley and continued on until coming to a sliding stop underneath a streetlight with a broken lamp.

Turning, he grabbed Hunters hand "form a circle, hold Ren's hand," he whispered, "We need to get as far away from here as possible."

Having witnessed the chaos and mayhem in Rens' apartment, Hunters brain was a-whirl with thoughts, none of them coherent. He held out his hand and grabbed Ren not even understanding why the robed figure had asked him to.

The stranger made a gesture with his free hand that appeared to circle the three of them. Hunter watched in amazement as a swirl of golden mist surrounded them. Without Warning they dissipated leaving no signs of them behind in the alley.

Hunter and Ren sat across from their mysterious savior in a dimly lit diner.

The puffiness and redness of Ren's eyes a sole reminder of the tears shed for her daughter Bonnie while the three of them made a mad dash through the deserted city streets, looking for a place to hide, to stop and think.

_Bonnie_ , she thought to herself, her sweet adorable and innocent little girl vanished while she was holding her in her arms. _How could that be? No-one just up and vanishes like that? Well, almost nobody_ she amended, remembering how the stranger had waved his hand and made all three of them appear somewhere down-town. A solid fifty miles from her apartment.

A lone waitress stood by the counter ignoring them. She had just served them coffee and would wait to see if they needed anything else though they didn't have the look of her usual hungry customers. A tip would not be forthcoming.

Hunter looked up at Ren's face. He could see her struggling with what happened, struggling with it himself. First her daughter Bonnie had disappeared in front of their eyes, screaming as if she was in pain. Then the other watcher appears out of thin air, uttering soothing words. Words meant to gain their trust. Something they had almost gone along with until the second one showed up. What followed was something that would be seared into his memory forever.

The two of them, identically dressed, in some kind of fight, lighting up the entire room with pure energy.

He stored the image away in his memory, it might actually make a good story one day, if he ever went back to writing that was. His brain was struggling to make sense of everything. He reached his hand toward Ren's hand to offer some comfort but drew it back. He was still uncomfortable with human contact.

Ren saw Hunter stop his hand as he caught himself moving to take hers and smiled. A small, tired and weary smile. It was the first time she had seen any normal behavior from him and it had come when she was most vulnerable and not expecting it. She reached for the sugar and placed two teaspoons into her coffee, stirring in a daze. Hunter realized he would have to take the front foot and move things along, for Ren's sake, if not his own sanity. "So, where do we begin?"

"I'm not entirely sure," the strange man uttered, "This goes beyond anything I've ever come across."

Hunter slammed an open hand on the table in front of him, "Well, let me kick it off then. I'm Hunter and this is Ren. Now why don't you start with just what the Hell has happened to Ren's daughter?"

Ren looked towards Hunter with amazement at the vehemence in his voice.

She hadn't realized that Bonnie, or herself had meant anything to Hunter other than the relationship between publisher and writer. She shook her head. She must be misreading the situation.

Bonnie's disappearance had her head muddled, and she wasn't thinking clearly. Yet somehow, she wasn't entirely convinced of it. Hunter may be a brilliant writer but she had never seen him show any kind of emotion before, not even when she had presented him with awards and cheques with lots of zero's in it. Surely that would have been the key to seeing some emotion in the man and yet now, looking at his face, pure anger was radiating from his entire body aimed entirely at the stranger sitting on the other side of the table.

The Watcher looked at the two people before him organizing his thoughts. He had gone nameless for so long he was unsure of where to begin. Watcher was the only term he had gone by for a long time. But _I'm no longer a Watcher_. He reminded himself, _all that is behind me now. But what am I now? Who am I now? I don't even have any memories of the person who existed before Watcher!_

Recalling the name he'd gone by prior to beginning his training, he began "My name is... Michael and until a few hours ago, I was a Watcher, a select group of people who have been specifically trained to keep the peace in the universe."

Ren broke into Michael's narrative mid-sentence "I don't give a damn about any of that." She uttered through clenched teeth, the fury coming off her in waves "tell me what happened to Bonnie right now."

Michael sighed as he took in the veiled sorrow in Ren's eyes. Guiding a little of his power over her so that she would see that he wasn't lying and hoping to calm her down a little.

Hunter looked over at the swirling colors that had appeared from Michaels' hands and floating towards Ren, "What the Hell are you doing?"

After what he had just witnessed in Bonnie's room, he wasn't about to trust a light show like that too soon.

Michael looked over at Hunter "You can see the power?"

"Of course I can see that stuff. You'd have to be blind not to see it and you'd better stop that shit or I'll knock you right off that chair and call the cops."

Raising his hands in surrender, Michael added "You misunderstand its purpose. I was just trying to calm the situation down a little, to try to make some sense out of it. No harm was intended, believe me."

Ren looked between the two men not understanding what they were talking about but not liking what she had just heard. "I don't know anything about any power but believe me, you'd better start giving me some information, like right now about what's happening. Don't try to calm the situation or anything else."

"Okay. Well, as I just said, my name is Michael and until yesterday I was a Watcher. I guess you can call me the first official, former Watcher now. Your daughter has been transported somewhere," holding his hand up, forestalling the question he saw coming, "I don't know where... yet or by whom. Although I have a fair enough guess as to the why."

"Like I said, I'm a Watcher, _used to be a Watcher_." He corrected himself. "And one of the things I do is to nurture and guide developing species as they grow through maturity to possible enlightenment."

*~*

The Jackal lifted his tired head off the sandy floor. He knew that he was no longer on the same planet as The Failed Watcher but at least he was still on the same plane. He had underestimated the power that the failure possessed. A lesson that he'd learned the hard way and not to be repeated.

The effort of lifting himself off the ground and onto his knees almost made him retch. He'd never felt so much pain in his life. He concentrated and sent the force through his body, assessing the damage. Lots of broken bones, cuts, lacerations and the open wound on his stomach, which was still bleeding. Normally his internal force would have begun the healing process already. This time however, he was almost spent.

Anger and rage bubbled through his demeanor. No one had ever bested him and made him feel as useless as the failure had just done. He'd been caught unawares not expecting him to be present. The Five were supposed to have handled that. They would pay for their transgressions in time. First, he would take care of the failure himself.

Shifting on his heels, he sent his presence outwards, seeking some force to bring into himself, to allow him to heal quicker. Much to his annoyance, there was little of it to be found anywhere on this forsaken piece of rock. He would have to rely on his own internal power although that would take a longer time to raise the energy to do so.

He could always gather himself and call on The Master for help. He would be healed and fully powered instantly but he was loath to do so. To do that would be to show weakness in front of The Master, something that he would never do. The pain that he was currently experiencing would be nothing compared to what the Master would inflict on him.

The presence of one of The Brethren within the room of the young girl was something that he hadn't expected either. Twice in one day he'd been made a fool of and both times seemed to point back to the Five. They would keep, for now.

There was only one course of action as far as he was concerned. Heal himself, deal with the failure and then report back to The Master, avoiding any mention of his own failures.

With this plan in his thoughts, he settled back and concentrated on regenerating his life force. Stretching forth his awareness, he found a small clump of trees in the distance. Normally he would not even notice the power of that kind of life-force but now, he would take everything he could get his hands on. A slow process, but he had nothing but time.

*~*

Ren sat back in her chair, stunned. "Your fault?" she uttered. "Explain very carefully what you've done with my baby."

Hunter sat forwards in his chair, placing his elbows on the table in front of him. A wave of raw fury was coming off Hunters entire body though outwardly he appeared calm. Michael would have to be careful how he phrased the next part of the conversation or no trust would be able to rise between them. "The people of this planet are ones that were entrusted to me centuries ago and, since the beginning, I've been trying to guide you all in the right direction. I haven't let one species under my care not find enlightenment. This one however, has caused me nothing but concern for a very long time. When a species moves into its enlightened stage, individuals that live on the planet will start to show promise in the power. As a Watcher, if I came across any of these individuals with the potential to harness and use that power, my instructions were to transport them to the initiation temple for testing and if they were successful, they would be trained in our ways."

Michael paused for a moment to let them take in this information. It also allowed him a moment to check the aura emanating from Hunter and Ren.

The silent fury so evident a moment ago had dissipated a little, but he still needed to gain their trust. "A couple of months ago I came back to Earth for a final look. All around me I saw nothing but chaos and destruction. It wounded me. However, as I was about to take my report back to The Council, a spark of power hit me." Leaning forward towards them so they could see the seriousness of what he was about to say "Power, in any form has never been found on any species that is so far from enlightenment before, ever!"

He paused and took a sip of the lukewarm coffee before him, noting the subtle patterns in their auras.

What he had just said would have knocked any other being on any of the enlightened planets on its backside, yet they were barely moved. He had to remind himself that they were completely unaware of the enormity of that statement. It was like trying to make a newborn understand the enormity of gravity.

"I should have reported back to The Council straight away but I guess you could say that my... pride made me wait and watch the power for a little longer." Looking over at Ren, he continued "that power, Ren, resides in your daughter. For the past few months, I've been standing guard over her and watching the power continue to grow."

Hunter sat back in his chair, seeing where this was going. "So essentially you set your goons on Bonnie and now she's at this... whatever training. How the fuck do we get her back?"

Michael sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath. Hunter's fury was justified and he allowed it to wash over him without affecting him. "Not quite Hunter. That should have been what happened but... no. I watched and waited, seeing Bonnie's power continue to grow. Until yesterday. When she had that nightmare last night, her power flared beyond anything I've ever seen."

The raw fury returned to Rens aura in a tumultuous wave that almost felt like a physical blow to Michael, "Last night's nightmare?" she whispered "You've been like a peeping Tom in our lives for a few months now? How dare you? What the Hell gives you the right to do something like that?"

Hunter reached out his hand and placed it on Rens with no hesitation this time, as furious as she was but also determined to hear the rest of Michael's story and they needed to stay as calm as possible for that to happen. "And then what happened? You reported back to these... Five?"

Michael placed his open palms on the table face-down. Sitting forward once more, a gesture meant to show he was not manipulating any of the force. Hunter leaned forwards regarding Michael's hands, giving him a small nod to show him he understood and waited for him to continue.

"And then yes, I went to The Council to report what I had found. You need to understand that The Council has overseen every part of our lives since its inception millennia ago. Only the wisest elders are selected to be a part of it, guiding all in maintaining enlightenment. Only for a while now, I've doubted them."

Michael's face took on a far-away look like he was reliving something terrible. "Their auras shifted in color slightly. Most Watchers don't have the power to be able to see The Council as I do. When I reported what I had seen, what Bonnie's power was like, they shift was enormous. They were border-line... evil, for want of a better word. That's when I did something totally forbidden. I eavesdropped on their conversation without their knowledge. Something has happened to The Council, to The Five," he paused "and frankly, I stopped trusting them."

Hunter let Michael pause for a moment as telling this story appeared to be giving him physical pain. He turned his face to Ren to see how she was coping and saw her looking straight at him as if questioning whether to believe Michael. Hunter gave a small shrug of his shoulders, unconvinced, but willing to let Michael finish.

He looked down and noticed that he had been holding Rens hand the entire time without realizing it. He made a move to release her hand when Rens fingers tightened on his, urging him to keep holding on, which he was more than happy to do.

*~*

Michael broke out of his reverie facing Ren "I listened in on their plans, Ren. I didn't trust them to tell me the truth and decided on the spur of the moment I would listen in to their deliberations before they summoned me back. Seems my instincts were right. Not a second after I had supposedly been removed, the five spoke to another being. One I've never seen before. Now, remember what I said? The Five are supposed to be the ultimate arbiters. They answer to no-one, and yet, they all fell to their knees when this person appeared. The one they call Master."

Hunter watched as Michael took another gulp from his coffee, doubting that he had even tasted it. "This Master told them to capture Bonnie and then to dispose of me. No, wait, capturing Bonnie only if they sensed the power, is the way he put it." The intense eyes focused on Ren, making sure she understood what was coming next "Too much power and they were to obliterate her entire being."

Michael raised one of his hands to forestall questions, eager to get the whole story out as both Ren and Hunter leaned forwards to interrupt, "They sent that first Watcher you saw in your daughter's room Ren. Someone they called The Jackal. The rest you know. Except for one thing. I was on The Jackal's trail the entire time. The trap that has caught Bonnie, I don't think that The Council was behind it! I read his aura-he was as surprised as everyone else. He had no idea it was coming. That's the reason that I could attack him as quickly as I did with no warning. The result may have been completely different otherwise."

Michael sat back in his chair staring into nothing. "And now, I need to find out who the Hell the second player is as well as staying alive from the other Watchers that The Five will send our way."

Hunter exchanged a glance with Ren before turning back to Michael "That's all well and good, Michael. But what do we do now? There's not a lot of options left open here!"

"I know Hunter. I need to get more detailed information on what we're facing. More information on The Jackal as well as trying to figure out what it was that took Bonnie. To do that, I'll be going to find my old teacher. If anyone has any answers, it'll be him."

Ren let go of Hunters hand and pointed her finger at Michael "and you'd leave us here, defenseless while you're off gathering information?" she asked.

"Not so defenseless Ren. I've sent The Jackal to a quiet little corner of the Universe to a planet that doesn't even have the seeds of life as yet. He's hurt and won't be able to heal himself too quickly. More than enough time for me to get to Jonah and back."

Ren took a deep breath and looked like she was getting ready to launch into a scathing attack on Michael when she heard Hunter say, "Perfect Michael. Let's get started right now. No time to waste."

Ren looked over at him as he spoke, a quizzical look on her face. Hunter however, turned his face sideways, away from Michael's direct view and gave her a casual wink. "The quicker you get started, the quicker you'll be back."

*~*

They watched as Michael made his way out onto the rainy street.

Ren turned her body around to face Hunter, picking up her cup of coffee, more from habit than any real need. "He tells a story that's worthy of any of your novels Hunter. I don't know whether to believe him or call an ambulance to take him to the loony bin."

Hunter signaled for the waitress for some fresh coffee, "I know. I feel like I'm caught up in one of my novels but without the benefit of knowing what will happen. But whether we believe him or not is irrelevant though. The fact that he believes it means we have to think our way through this as though it is real."

The waitress had come over to them holding a freshly brewed pot of coffee, "Can I get you folks anything else?" she asked in a bored way. Hunter looked up at the specials on the board, "Actually, yeah. We'll have two of your big breakfasts please, all the trimmings."

The waitress nodded and smiled "be right up sunshine." She said as she waltzed off towards the kitchen.

Ren looked over to find Hunter smiling. "Breakfast? You want to sit here casually and eat breakfast while Bonnie is God knows where? We should be out there looking for her, calling the police, FBI... something. Not sitting here having breakfast!"

Hunter looked over at Ren as she spoke. Listening to the words that any mother would have said. "You said it yourself Ren, it feels like we're in a horror story of some sort, and in this area I'm the expert."

"Calling the police or any other authority is the first thing I thought of. But what exactly will we tell them Ren? Bonnie disappeared in your arms. She wasn't kidnapped by some psycho in the traditional sense she just up and... vanished. No ransom note forthcoming that we know of. Then two other weirdos in robes suddenly appear, like a cheap magicians trick, in a puff of smoke. All they were missing was the beautiful sidekick to saw in half. They went at each other throwing lightning from their hands until one of them made the other one blow up into nothing. And then," he paused "then, he transported us to a diner, God knows how far away from where we were and we all sat down for a coffee, where he proceeded to tell us, well... the fantasy story that he just did. How long do you think it would take before some very serious looking medics showed up with some nice new jackets for us?"

Ren searched Hunters face for sarcasm. Seeing none. "I know Hunter. I know. I just feel so useless, sitting here doing nothing. I need to think. I need to... do something."

Hunter drank more coffee. He felt the frustration coursing through Ren frustration and knew that she was just venting. _How did I get caught in the middle of this?_ He thought to himself. _I'm not special. I'm the least special person there is, more a liability to Ren than anything else_. He caught himself, _no_. _That's not right._

In his entire life, no one had depended on him. He had kept himself at arms-length from everyone. Ren was the closest that he'd allowed anyone to get, even though they weren't that close. Or at least that's what he'd thought before all the madness had started.

A stunning beauty like Ren should have had a prince at her side, not a nut-case like him and yet, here they were. No knight in shining armor, but a novelist wielding a mighty pen, metaphorically. "Well for starters, let's avoid the most obvious things that happen in books. First, we eat a big breakfast. If the day goes along the narrative of a novel, we probably won't have time to eat again! And while we're filling up, we figure out what we need to do next. Let's get our thoughts in gear. Nothing else that's happened makes any difference to me, until we get Bonnie back safe and sound. Then we can sort out the rest if we want to."

The waitress sauntered over with their breakfast. "Enjoy." she said, placing the brimming plates of food before them "Let me know if you need anything else."

Ren hadn't realized how hungry she was until the smell of the food on her plate hit her. "Okay then Mr. Expert," she began, taking a forkful of the scrambled eggs on her plate and placing it in her mouth, "What's our first step?"

Hunter swallowed the mouthful of bacon he'd just taken, "That's the easy part. We find ourselves a Priest. And I know just the one." He paused for a moment before adding, "Think about it Ren. Auras, enlightenment, Watchers... all these form parts of the basics of most religions. Whoever this group of nut-cases are, they're obviously basing a lot of their beliefs on either quasi-religious writings or superstitions of some sort. And right now, we have nothing else to go on. We need to talk to someone who may have heard about this group before, an expert on theology and all the craziness that goes along with it."

Ren waved her empty fork through the air in front of her, full of doubt "So what, we waltz over to the nearest church, grab a priest and just tell him this crazy story? We'll be in the loony bin in no time if we do that!"

The hint of a smile was on Hunter's lips as he looked at Ren "Not quite. We'll be in the loony bin before we talk to the priest."

An understanding grin lit up Rens face as understanding of what Hunter had just told her, hit home "Father Toby." She whispered, looking up at Hunters own grin "Sorry. Former Padre Toby. If anyone knows, it'll be him!"

*~*

Father Toby, or Former Padre Toby as his writer's biography referred to him had been a Jesuit priest in the past, not that you just set that aside on a whim and stop being one. From the moment he could talk, he'd regaled his parents and anyone who would listen, with stories about being able to see angels and speak to God or as the young Toby would say the Lady God with the big laugh.

That he had been touched was plain to see. Most didn't know just what he had been touched with though.

As he grew into manhood, he understood that he needed to keep what the Goddess showed him a secret. He'd taken too many beatings in his life, mocked and harassed for telling others what he saw and heard. Even those people that society considered safe, like the local priest would scream and call him many names when he spoke to them about the colors and the angels. They would preach about all the wonders of their gods but doubtful when someone presented them with what could have been physical proof, preferring to base their knowledge on words written thousands of years ago by unknown hands.

He was imbued with too much faith to even consider doing anything other than following his religious calling. The only real issue he had faced was deciding which. It was a simple decision to make once he stumbled across the teachings of the Jesuits. He would dedicate himself to his studies and keep the truth of what he knew to himself. Trying his utmost to help mankind, and so his journey with The Jesuits began.

He would spend the next eleven years going through the five formal stages designed to prepare him for the Ignatius life. From the initial discernment through to taking his final vows to become a part of the society, he'd studied hard. From that moment on he would be out teaching, writing and at certain parts of his life doing missionary work.

It all changed one night as he sat down to his daily 5 PM prayers with some of the other priests. His visions never wavered through his life but they had never come as clear as what he'd experienced that day. The message from his Goddess was crystal clear. Considering nothing else, he'd retired from The Jesuits and sat down to write a book. Not just a theological studies book but the stories that his Goddess would show him in his mind. He could have continued in the priesthood but it didn't feel right he did so while putting down the thoughts he was penning.

This would cause a shit-storm!

For the first time in his life, the self-imposed constraints fell away, and he wrote about the Goddess and the different stories she imparted to him without censorship.

When he had finished putting his thoughts down on paper, he began the long laborious task of finding someone to publish it. Only one person had shown the courage to take a chance on such a controversial book Ren. The only caveat she'd insisted on was that he not use his real name as author. A nom de plume would ensure his privacy and protection from the inevitable backlash and possible violence that would come. He'd named her a visionary for her forward-looking attitude. An attitude that had saved his life if not his sanity.

Padre Toby had followed up the release of his first book 'A Goddess Dies' with 'The Lie of Angels.' Both had been admired and scorned at the same time selling millions of copies between them with padre Toby becoming both the most hated man in the world as well as the most admired depending on which side of the fence you sat on.

The effect that this had on the priest though was undeniable.

Most thought him unhinged at the best of times but following the release of his second book, most thought him nuts.

Priests, prophets and lay-men from all different religions in the world accused him of treachery and demon-worship. The faithful gathered to denounce him in every form they could from the online world to physical bricks being hurled through his windows, all before the official release of the book.

Different religious factions from around the world worked together to bring about the end of his book. Something the world had never seen. Entire countries had banned the import of his work though it was not a crime to have a copy. From middle-eastern countries to Europe and beyond. Peaceful protests would be organized where the participants would burn copies. Threats made to book-stores warning them to stop selling it were taken seriously.

Unwilling to let the wrath of those people who would kill him be loosed on anyone he cared about, he'd done the only thing he could think of for safety. He'd spoken Ren into having him committed to a mental asylum. At long last, he'd felt safe and pretending he was insane was a no-brainer and came as easily as breathing. All he had to do was to stop censoring himself. Without trying to fit in any longer, he could pass his days in the company of those others who inhabited the illustrious institution. Never for a moment even having to pretend to be crazy as the world at large saw this as given fact already.

*~*

Ren signed her name at the front security desk knowing she was one of the few people with the authority to visit Toby. She'd continued to visit the father at least once a week since he'd been admitted by her hand. The forced separation from the outside world had done him the world of good.

Gone was the pallor and anxiety that had marred his features for the time that she'd known him, replaced with a serene look of utter contentment. A person happy with exactly where they were in life. His frame was still thin but he no longer had the anorexic look that he'd had. At 5' 5" with a crown of thinning white wispy hair he now resembled someone's grandfather. The startling blue eyes however, still promised clarity and a sense of purpose. The open book on his lap was titled 'Bound to Differ: The Dynamics of Theological Discourses' a testament to the fact that the old man's mind was still as sharp as it had ever been. He looked up as Ren's shadow passed over him, "My darling daughter!" he exclaimed when he saw who it was "Visiting me twice in one week? I must be the luckiest person alive!"

Hunter watched as she leaned in to hug the old man. The tension melted off her as she did. It was obviously a closer relationship than just being his publisher and he found himself both jealous of the intimacy and grateful that she had it. "It's good to see you too, you old crank." A tear forming in the corner of her eyes. She sniffed and blinked, trying to stop the tears, "someone's kidnapped Bonnie."

Toby pulled backwards out of her embrace, staring "Kidnapped? Who? How? How much money do they want? Do they want to know about me?" The questions just tumbled from his mouth as fast as he could think them. "They can have me. Tell them where I am. Whatever amount of money they want. It's yours."

Ren listened to the old man's questions, a faint smile showing through her tears. She reached up and put her index finger across his lips, stalling any more questions

"Nothing to do with you Toby. You're still safe." She looked back at Hunter and added "We just want to have a quick chat with you about some... strange things that have happened. To get your input and help."

Toby looked over Rens' head at Hunter, noticing him for the first time, "I assume you're with the police or the FBI? What could you possibly need from an old man like me?"

Ren laid her hand on the old man's arm, "It's nothing like that Toby. Let me introduce you. Father Tobias this is my friend Hunter. Hunter, meet padre Toby."

"Hunter? As in Hunter Black, the writer?"

"One and the same Father. Nice to meet you."

"Please, I'm not anyone's father. Call me Toby."

Hunter looked over at Ren, understanding why she'd agreed to be his publisher. The old man exuded a serenity that made you trust him. His eyes looked through you like he knew what you were thinking and was just waiting to see what you would say. The eyes of someone at peace with the world. He smiled "Well Toby, we've come to ask for your wisdom with what's happened to Bonnie."

"Ha! If you think what I give people is wisdom, then you're in even bigger trouble than you think!" giving out a laugh that cut off without warning. His head falling forwards onto his chest.

Hunter looked over at Ren unsure of what had just happened to the padre. She was staring at Toby, her head tilted. She had obviously seen this happen before, "What's happening Ren?"

Ren looked over at Hunter, having forgotten for a moment that he was even there, "I've seen this happen before Hunter. He told me that this is how he gets his stories for the books. He receives these visions. They rarely last too long from what he's mentioned previously, even though he can fill entire chapters at a time when they come. Best to leave him be for a moment."

She had barely finished her sentence when the Padre broke out of his vision. Raising his head he turned his clear eyes towards Hunter, engaging and drawing him in. "You need information." Reaching out to take Hunters hands in his, the padre whispered "The Goddess needs you and you need to see some things."

Padre Toby's eyes were filled with a power that held him; he couldn't move a muscle. The world around him turned dark until all he could make out was the crystal blue eyes. "She speaks and would have you heed her."

Hunter slumped forwards in his chair, still holding the padre's hands, both their eyes were clouded over, completely white. Ren sat paralyzed beside them not knowing what she could do. She'd experienced this before from Toby but had never seen him drag others into it. There was nothing left for her to do but wait.

*~*

The Kraxus slunk into the darkness of the corner. He'd come back to hiding in the abandoned part of the sewer below Ren's apartment. The time trap he'd built to capture the girl had taken a toll on his power. Luckily, there'd been plenty of diversions taking place which had allowed him to ensure that the trap had sprung and given him enough time for to escape, with no one following.

It had expected the girl to be powerful, The Prince Consort had been clear about that. Take no chances, and it hadn't.

What it had not counted on though, was one of the robed menaces getting involved, let alone two of them. That one of them had turned on the other intrigued it. He recalled that they had fought as one in the last battle before the dreaded barrier went up. No retreat. But its eyes had seen what it never thought it would be a witness to, one of the robed menaces turning on its own.

The leer on his face deepened into a wide, wolfish grin. This was something that he could exploit and have some fun with.

The leer disappeared when he thought about the other human encountered in the room. That one had shown no light of the power. The Kraxus, slid down on its haunches, no longer amused. The last time he had come across a being of that sort was during the Last Battle. The Dreaded Dark One. A being that not even the most powerful among The Brethren had been able to beat. The Dark One had rained fire down on them. Fire and hurt. Completely destroying legions of his brothers in that battle and never receiving so much as a scratch.

_The Dark One_ , the Kraxus thought to himself. Apart from The Witch, the only being that he feared. _Was it possible that this was the same being? Or perhaps there were more scattered throughout the universe now?_

Either way, it was something that had to be reported back. Plans would need to be changed.
Chapter 5

D'HarmaSan sat cross-legged on the ground of the planet that she had just created. 'So much work to do,' She thought to herself, 'and only so much time.'

The entire universe had been brought to life because she was bored.

Hanging around with the other Gods was just pure boredom. They carried on and debated things that held no meaning. There were twelve of them in total and she was sick of the lot of them. Sometimes she would throw in a casual remark just to set them off. It was fun to watch God's losing their shit over nothing. It helped pass the time.

Recently though, she'd been thinking about the act of creating. In her mind she'd been thinking about kicking off a small experiment, to see if any living organisms could grow. It was just a hunch on her part but she was a Goddess. Hunches and casual thoughts became reality if she wasn't paying attention. The others would be pissed.

Of that she had no doubt. It was one thing that they talked about endlessly.

Not one of them could see any benefit in it. She knew what they were thinking. It wasn't about anything other than their own power. If they succeeded in this, what was to stop these new beings growing and one day becoming more powerful than them? That was unthinkable!

D'HarmaSan however didn't care. Erroneous thoughts went through her mind now. There was no denying it to herself. She would create life, albeit in a round-about way. The seeds of her new universe already planted. All that was required would be a small touch of her power. With a bang, her new universe would be born.

Within a couple of million years, life would sprout. A drop in the ocean in the life of an immortal being. She smiled to herself, _technically I'm not creating life. Life would create itself. I just need to ensure that the right sequence of events occur._ Humming to herself she reached forth her hand and gently placed her index finger on the nothingness in front of her. A slight touch of the power transferred itself.

She leaned back satisfied, a small smile on her lips and sighed. _Creating life was tiring!_

The first million years of her little experiment went by in a flash. She'd immersed herself in it, gently guiding the gases as they expanded and grew. Already she'd created millions of different little planets. Each having its own atmosphere and the potential for life to grow. On some of these, certain little cells had already manifested. She'd underestimated just how much effort would be involved in their creation though. But somehow, it was all rewarding. The Others still didn't know about her little experiment and she was keen to keep it that way.

They'd find out about it in due course but her little universe would be evolved enough by then. Her child would need to grow up one day and like all children, they'd have to learn to not rely on her for everything.

She reached out and gently touched the now solid ground beneath her feet, willing her essence into the planets core. _Another one done_ she thought, _maybe it's time to see how the early ones are getting on. I could use some help here._

With that thought, she disappeared and transported herself to one of the first planets that she'd created. Life should be abundant there by now if her plan had worked.

*~*

D'HarmaSan looked around her with glee. The first few thousand planets that she had visited were a bust. Some of these were hot, gaseous planets where nothing grew. Others were coated in a layer of ice with continuous snow storms. The rest ranged in their wildness and extremes.

But now on this planet, she came across a world that was thriving. Life covered every part. Not just a simple form of it either but individuals that shone with a smattering of the power that she herself possessed! True, they were still young in the process but somehow not only had life grown here, but it had evolved to the point of the true self-awareness of enlightenment.

To say that the Goddess was overjoyed would have put it mildly. If this was any sign of how life went, then it lent weight to her argument that Gods themselves could be created and by extension the question would need to be looked at; had the twelve themselves been an experiment created by some other life-force? The implications would be enormous and worth the effort of her own small experiment.

She reached out to a few of the more advanced in their power, reading them.

They actually knew of their own power! She thought, and yet, they don't go around flaunting it. They care, they heal and they help others. Always humble. The Goddess was pleased.

*~*

Another few thousand planets later and the Goddess still hadn't come across any other life forms. Only one planet had the beginnings of what may grow into life. She would have to revisit them to see how they'd grown. The planet that she found herself at that point however, was rife with life forms. Life forms that were as powerful as the others that She'd first come across. The world itself was stark, covered completely in red dust that swirled and spread as massive hurricanes dealt death and destruction in their wake. The beings here had just adapted to the environment.

Everywhere she looked a different type of life came into view.

Every single one had the power, and they weren't shy about using it. Fights raged everywhere, and she noticed that whichever life force came out victorious was assimilating the vanquished ones' power. Making themselves even more powerful.

This was not what she had expected, ever.

The thought of what she was witnessing made her uneasy. If The Others ever tumbled across any of these beings, they would completely destroy her little universe without hesitation and she probably would join them in doing so. But there's also hope, she thought remembering the other planet, there cannot be light without the dark. But the darkness that she saw in these creatures went beyond the balance. If they continued to grow at this rate, the balance would tip well and truly in their favor.

One of the more powerful creatures was staring her way.

_Strange_ , she thought _he shouldn't be able to see me_. The figure lifted a muscled arm and pointed at her. "Witch ", it screamed in a guttural voice that came out almost like a growl. The circle of creatures that surrounded this powerful one all turned as one and looked to where he pointed. As one, they all lifted off their backsides and ran towards her, intent on taking her down.

_They can all see me!_ She realized before vanishing. _How is that even possible?_

*~*

She had sat on one of the deserted planets meditating, for the best part of a century. She could destroy the entire planet but was loath to do so. After all, every experiment has the potential to take you on unexpected journey and detours. _Were they truly so dark? Were they redeemable?_ Millions of thoughts had gone through her vast mind over the century.

Destruction and annihilation were the easy path. That would be the choice of The Others. That wasn't her though. Every experiment needed a nudge here and there. She did so here.

She would create her own entity from pure energy. An extension of her power. An incorruptible being created with as much power as her, well almost, she amended.

The difference being that she would have to hide his aura to stop the creatures from being able to sense him. To do so, she would ensure that he shone inwards.

There would be repercussions with doing so but they would have to be borne.

She pictured the almost perfection that the original people that she'd come across had shown and decided that she would form her new being in their image.

Holding the picture in her mind, she tuned in to her own power and built it up. Once she felt the correct pitch of her power, she allowed it to flow through her outstretched arm, through her fingertips and into the air before her. A myriad of colors swirled through her as she called forth the power. Bright Jades, blues and orange fissures of raw light, twirled amongst each other, forming a being in front of her. A being that was aware and completely hers. _Not only are you a part of me_ , she thought _you're the best parts of me_.

She strode around him, eyes scanning for any imperfection. Standing erect at six feet of height, his eyes followed her as she walked around him.

_Strong,_ she thought. _Flawless. A God incarnate._

Her inspection finished, she strode back to face him, head on. Reaching out a gentle hand, she caressed his cheek "You are the center. You stand as a nexus. The darkness grows in ways that we cannot allow and they see us. Your brilliance is held within, the light shining internally. Forever dark to others, yet my brightest of children - my bringer of light. In fact, that's what I shall name you. Luxfer: The Light Bringer."

The newly name Luxfer stared deep into his mother's eyes, "as you wish Mother."

Luxfer looked at the world around him.

Even though he'd only been aware for a moment, he knew everything there was to know about the planet. He knew of the reason for his being. He would head off to the planet he saw in his mind, watch and be patient. If there was even a remote possibility of the creatures being redeemed, he would try. If not, the alternative plan would be put in place. He would spend most of his power on creating the barrier. A barrier that would enclose the entire planet where they could self-destruct if that was their purpose or find the path to enlightenment.

D'HarmaSan smiled to herself.

Her child, Luxfer would take care of things for her. Now she was free to further research the rest of the planets. But first, she would go back to her precious first children and see how much further along the path to enlightenment they'd gone. At the rate that they had grown they should be well on their way to being able to understand their Goddess.

*~*

The shocked look on D'HarmaSans' face gave an insight into her thoughts as she walked around the beautiful plaza on Orcuna.

The last time she'd been here, the planet had been alive, filled with colored auras and a sense of serenity everywhere. Now, no matter where she looked the colors were jaded. She was surrounded by a world of faded, muted color. A world that was jaded.

Where once there had been a world filled with hope, joy and pure love now there was also misery, tiredness and hopelessness. The world's history now filled with chapter upon chapter of bloody wars, greed and corruption. _What happened to my beautiful planet?_ She thought to herself. _How could it have gone from such a sense of purpose to nothing but misery?_ This would require some serious inspection and observation on her part. She was determined to understand the cause behind it all. With a thought and a small amount of will, she created herself in the image of one of Orcunas people, immersing herself in the day-to-day life of those around her so that she could understand what lay behind it all.

*~*

D'HarmaSan followed the rest of the congregation as they knelt down on their respective pews. Every head bowed down in respectful submission. She raised her head slightly to get a better view of the self-titled Father Confessor.

It had only taken her a matter of hours to determine that a great chasm had been formed in this society by of all things religion. Society had gotten to the stage where they were looking for answers. Instinctively knowing that there was more out there.

Splintered groups had risen thousands of years earlier. Each espousing their own version of what God required of them.

_God_ she thought, _they had to settle on a male! Regardless, do they really think that I've nothing better to do than to sit here listening to their chatter all day? The whole point was for them to evolve on their own. What would be the use of it all if I have to do it for them! Easier for me to create a bunch of clones of myself if that's what I wanted._

Her mood had declined as she continued to learn what had befallen them. It had all come back down to power and control. Those who were less gifted were always looking for a way to make themselves heard, she thought as she knelt down in a pew amongst a thousand others. All awaiting the words of wisdom about to be imparted by the newly anointed Father Confessor.

His predecessor had mysteriously died, and he was now the new owner of the mantle. From what she had heard, every time this happened, God would speak to the new leader, informing him of his updated plans for the populace, she couldn't wait to hear what her new instructions may be.

The song that the choir had been singing came to an end. The lights dimmed and spotlights lit up the pulpit. The great hall itself completely in shadows now as all eyes turned forwards towards the front. A lone figure wandered in from the left and strode across the stage. The lighting followed him casting a halo around him. It's almost like they're trying to reproduce the aural light that they had once had, she thought to herself. A pale imitation of what once came naturally to them. The figure crossed the stage and came to a halt in front of a lectern that had been placed on a pedestal. Small steps lead up to it. I guess we need to make sure everyone can see us; she smiled to herself.

All around her the faithful waited. No one stirred.

"Remember brethren," the figure began in a booming voice "our labor - that we might not be a burden to any of you. Each of you are a witness, as is the almighty God on just how devoutly, justly and blamelessly we behave in our daily lives. As God Himself told the illustrious Prophet every one of you are my child and as any father requires, you will walk in a manner worthy of me that you may come to know me in eternal glory at my gates. The one and only God has spoken to me, my children. As I took our dearly departed previous Confessor's hands in mine when he lay dying. God was calling him back home to be rewarded for his efforts." He paused, taking in all the people before him "and with a final sigh my predecessor's soul went forth. Heed me now my children, for the words of our God are immutable. He has shone his light of everlasting hope on my very soul and silently communed with me. A new era is dawning and we shall have an accounting! All those brave souls that have travelled forth to be one with God have raised their voices. I hear them as clearly as I see each of you before me. The ways of the Church of Confession is the only way that you will be able to reach glorious commune with God. All others will be tossed into the eternal fires of the Abyss!"

D'HarmaSan looked at the faces of the surrounding faithful.

Most of the faces around her were wet with tears. She assumed that they were of joy. Deep inside, she wept, unlike those around her, her tears were of sadness. Once again she wondered how an entire race could fall so far from enlightenment, especially when they had been so close to it at the start! She closed her eyes for the rest of the service and sat through tales of hope, joy and of the eventual bliss that would be theirs in the next life, so long as they adhered to the will of The Father Confessor in this one.

When the sermon came to an end, she moved outside with the throng. Most of them were milling around hoping to be touched by the new Father Confessor and she had to move through obstacles at every turn. She thought back to the line in service where the Father Confessor had spoken about those who had travelled forth to be with God.

Was this only a metaphor? Another fact to keep the others in line? Or was there more to it? Could they have evolved to the point of having incorporeal assets without enlightenment? She would need to find out. It didn't seem possible!

*~*

D'HarmaSan sat invisible at one of the revered hospices of the Church of the Confessor, waiting for one of the faithful to go towards God. The moment would come soon, she could read it in their aura.

She sat there watching for the moment, eager to see what would happen. She had sat through a sermon from the leader of the Church of the True Redeemer, filled with fire, death and eventually the same melding with God that the Confessor had proclaimed.

The same madness using different terminology. Where one church knelt on their left in obedience, the other used their right. One felt that the union with God would only happen if you confessed, the other only if you followed a strict code of commandments.

_Ridiculous_ , she thought again _the power of enlightenment is within each of you. You don't get anointed with it by anyone else! And you were so damn close to it the last time I was here!_

A subtle shift in the aura of the patient alerted her that the moment of death had come. She watched, waiting to see what would happen. A look of surprise flitted across her features for a moment as she witnessed the persons aura come forth from the body. Somehow it retained a distinct impression of the person and floated off through the air. She waited a heartbeat and followed at a distance, keeping it in her view, eager to see where it went. It floated through the multi-colored vibrant ether, its own color still a muted gray. She wondered whether it could see the wonders around it or if it was oblivious to it all. More questions!

She followed along as the journey continued beyond the ether heading to a small patch on the outer fringes. There was no color coming from it. The soul slowed down and settled down upon a platform which was filled with millions of others, all a dull gray. She stared around her, confused. Ignoring the queue that was waiting in line, she transported herself to the where it began.

A huge set of gates loomed before her, closed. She stretched forth her power searching beyond the gates to determine what awaited all these souls. Nothing! There's nothing there. Their very essence has created this place of judgement and they're sitting here waiting patiently for their God to show up! To judge them. Each of them individually?

She sat down to think. _It's part of the experiment. I can't interfere with this, can I? Ain't no damn way I will be sitting on my arse for eternity judging this lot_ , she thought _the whole point was for them to become enlightened without my intervention! AGH!_

She watched and counted as new souls continued to pour into this plane. Damn. There's tens of thousands coming through at all times. What would happen if something didn't change here? What would this concentration of raw, dirty power do if it got to a tipping point? Would it burst forth into her own plane? What would The Others do? Would they feel like they were being attacked? Would they fight back, against whom? Her? Retribution of some sort would occur if she wasn't careful.

A smile touched her face, The Others! Or more specifically J'ova. She would sweetly nudge J'ova into taking this on. He was a kindly old thing but filled with wrath! Pleasure and pain.

Just the guiding hand that these souls required and after all, they were expecting A God!

*~*

D'HarmaSan settled back into the form that she'd created back on Orcuna.

She was feeling good about herself now that she had a plan on what to do. J'ova can sort out what he wants to do with the lost souls, She thought, he can get them all to dress in a tutu and play music for him all day, for all I care. As long as they're not just piling up there, looking for a way to explode!

Putting thoughts of the souls behind her, she stretched forth with her power trying to locate the beings that still had a spark of the power. She had felt their presence as she had moved between places whilst researching the two churches. While not as powerful as they had once been, these individuals had known of their power. Now it was time to locate them to see what she could do.

It didn't take her long to locate one of them. He was moving down one of the dark alleys in the city, being very careful to mask his presence. With a thought, she bounded across the space in a fraction of a second, stealing up behind the figure as it wandered through a heavy steel door. She followed. The door and walls no barrier to her power as she floated through them.

The figure made its way down a set of stairs heading to what she assumed was some kind of basement. She got a glimpse of him as he paused at the bottom step before a simple wooden door, looking back over its shoulder. Clear gray eyes looked out from a smooth face. A few wisps of blonde colored hair tumbled down his forehead. She could clearly see the power of his aura as he sent his awareness out around the room. Making sure that he wasn't followed. Once satisfied that he was alone, he entered the door in front of him with no acknowledgement. D'HarmaSan followed.

They entered a dim, dark small room. You wouldn't be able to swing the proverbial hamster in here, she thought at least not if you wanted it to stay alive. She looked across the room at those who were already within it.

There were four of them in total. Each dressed in a dark hooded robe that would hide their features. All four hoods had been thrown back over their shoulders for now. Looking at the four of them anyone would have thought that they were brothers.

Of similar height to the one that she'd followed, each of them had the same gray colored eyes, flawless skin and a shock of almost white, blond hair on their heads. A look of pure happiness and joy on each of the faces.

"Finally Michael," one figure spoke "We were getting worried when we didn't hear from you."

The one that she'd followed here, Michael turned to the other speaker, "Something felt off Gabe. Felt like I was being watched but couldn't pinpoint anything. Took a much longer detour to get here than normal. Didn't want to risk it."

Gabe tilted his head, watching Michael, "Watched? You can easily detect any physical presence brother, even from a hundred miles away."

D'HarmaSan watched as the one she now knew as Michael tilted his head, in almost identical fashion to the other, "I know and that's what worried me. Nothing physical for miles around me."

"You were always the worrier brother. Come. You're safe now with us. We can re-energize and be at peace. At least for now."

D'HarmaSan sat down to watch the four. Each had taken a seat on the hard floor, legs crossed, and holding hands with the ones sitting on either side of them. She watched transfixed as she saw the tiniest glimmer of the power envelop each of the four. It floated around each individual and then poured into the circle that they had created. She heard them all take a collective breath, open their eyes and focus their wills on the power ball that they had just created. With an intake of breath from each of them, the ball broke apart and inhaled by each. A look of pure satisfaction breaking out their faces.

Their auras are actually brighter and more powerful! Somehow, these four had added to their power by using and sharing their own inner power. Interesting. Why didn't I think of that?

The pureness of their energy drew her in further. No corruption of any sort existed in it. It was a mere fraction of the power that this race had once held but the central essence of it was the same. Nothing but love. She smiled to herself.

It's not really interfering with the experiment if I take these with me, she thought, just a ... different experiment based on the first. She tilted her head at a slight angle, almost mimicking the others, only one thing for it, she added to herself materialize and see how they react!

Stuff that she amended to herself, I'll just take them with me. Explain things on the other side where they won't be able to run off. She smiled to herself this would be fun!

Weaving a little of the power, she sent it out to surround her new children. J'ova could keep the rest, these four however belonged to her, and with that thought she transported all five of them to her resting plane - far away from Orcuna and all its misery.

*~*

D'HarmaSan watched on with pride. Her four children had just finished their daily training and were silently meditating. Her gaze swept over them as she took in their aural presence. A stunning visual display of color assailed her eyes. A far cry from when they'd first been transported here. Centuries of training with a Goddess will do that to you.

For the first part she'd made sure that they had relearned everything that their race had forgotten about healing, both the body and spirit. Then she had moved into battle training. She knew it had to be done to rein in The Brethren but had still been loath to expose even these four to it, having seen the corruption that could be caused in people's spirits. Much to her delight, her four children had taken to it. Not so much as a slight darkening in their auras. She was so proud!

The smile only lasted a small time on her lips, _soon_ she thought _unless my Luxfer lets me know otherwise, I will have to send the four of them to help._ The thought made her sad, almost making her wish that she had paid heed to the others and not gone ahead with her experiment. _But if I'd done that, I would never have seen the pure potential for love that they can all achieve! Surely that's got to be worth the price of some bad seeds!_

*~*

D'HarmaSan looked up as the Four approached her. Not since she had been training them had she needed to summon them to her and wariness washed over their auras. They were wondering why.

Her children had kept themselves busy by helping her to guide the inhabitants of planets as they approached enlightenment. Some of these had had to be exterminated as they were on the same path as The Brethren and she was taking no chances, other though surprised her with the speed of their growth. Even after all these centuries it still gave her a thrill.

All that was about to change as far as her four Children were concerned, anyway. The universe would have to move on without them for a while, come what may. After centuries of watching and trying to sway The Brethren, her other child Nexus had sent through a message to her. He'd had zero impact on them and was left with no other course of action. They would have to be confined within that one world before they spread themselves throughout the rest of her universe like a disease.

"They will fight mother," Luxfer had added, "once they know of what is happening. The Queen will have to be neutralized quickly or within weeks she will be able to create a whole new army of them."

The Four came to a stop in front of her wondering at the summons. They had not been summoned like this for centuries. Their powers were now almost a match for their Mother's. They waited knowing that D'HarmaSan would speak to them when she was ready. "My children. The time has come. I hoped that it wouldn't be needed but Nexus tells me otherwise." She paused for a heartbeat, "you all know the story and what's required. Go now and help Luxfer. Protect and guard him while he completes what he was born to do. The Brethren must be contained."

Gabe looked at his brothers beside him, as usual he was the first to move, an unofficial leader per se. He knelt before D'HarmaSan and the others moved to follow him, "we're ready Mother. The Brethren will never be allowed to leave that planet."

D'HarmaSan's gaze went over her children, Gabriel, always assuming a mantle of leader. Michael, her most fearless warrior and the one with the most heart. Raphael, with his uncanny ability to heal almost anything and Uriel, the balancer and protector. If these four together with her beloved Luxfer couldn't stop the potential onslaught of The Brethren, then she would have to step in herself. Most definitely a last resort.

*~*

The Four sat in a cave on the world of The Brethren. Even with all the personal training that their Mother had given them they'd just been able to hold their own.

For fifty years now Luxfer had been moving around the planet searching for precise points, down to the millimeter and placing a particular gem at each of them. _When I finish this_ , he'd explained, _I will power it up and a barrier will be formed. None of The Brethren will be able to breach it._

They'd placed thousands of these gems around the planet so far. The Brethren could not go near them even though they had tried over and over again.

Michael leaned back against the wall of the cave, another day, another host of Brethren annihilated. _Another scar to my collection._ The Four had battled countless Brethren of all types.

Some were winged, black furred monstrosities that would swoop down on them from the sky, others were made of the same rock that the planet was giving them the ability to blend with their terrain. Some of these were almost mindless, heeding whatever their leaders told them to do. Others were more cunning.

Regardless of the individual type though, all were filled with the same purpose, to kill the dreaded Robed Ones, as they called them. Luxfer was the only one that they were blind to. He wondered at that, _his aura doesn't shine. Not a speck of color comes off him. Everything else shines, even The Brethren have a darkness coming off them. Luxfer however, has... nothing!_ Not for the first time he wondered at it and as every other time that he'd thought about it, he let it go. _Nothing can be done about it, anyway. He's Mother's child the same as us. Though he keeps apart from us. Not a true brother but a brother, nevertheless_.

With a sigh, he leaned his head back against the cave wall and stepped into his center. _The war continues and a new battle will soon be upon us. Time to replenish, rest and get ready._ He placed his sword down beside his leg, the blade as bright as the first day that his Mother had given it to him. _The Flaming Sword_ , he thought. A name that he'd heard The Brethren themselves use, _fitting name._

*~*

Luxfer knelt down on the summit of the tallest mountain on the forsaken planet. He held the final gem in his hands searching for the precise spot in which to lay it down. _With this final one in place, I'll be able to gather my powers and fire it up. The Brethren will be trapped here for as long as the Barrier holds._

He looked back at his four brothers. Each was fighting a battle of their own against the Brethren. Uriel was matched with a group of Rockies as they labelled them. Huge beasts with uncanny natural cunning that would take the head off their opponent in a heartbeat if given the chance. One of them on their own a power to behold. Michael and Raf fighting as one, back to back. Michael's sword almost aflame in tune with the power of his aura. The winged demons were only ever held at bay because of Michael's sword.

Raphael, protected from the swoopers by Michael was busy cutting a swathe through any of the Brethren who got to close and Gabe, surrounded by a plethora of mixed demons. _Not unusual_ , he thought _he always seems to take the biggest risks head on._

Michael looked back towards Luxfer. Their time on this planet was coming to an end. Exhilaration running through his veins even though all four of them were being pressed as hard as they'd ever been, "Almost over now Uriel. A few moments more and we'll finally be done with this forsaken, dusty rock. I can't wait!"

Uriel took a deep breath, a lull in the Brethren's attack giving him a moment of respite. He looked towards Gabe "I dare say not all of us are thinking the same brother. Gabe truly looks to be enjoying himself over there. Killing Brethren has become his favorite past-time!"

Michael looked to where Uriel had pointed, at his brother Gabriel. To everyone else watching, it would seem that Gabe truly was enjoying himself. Only Michael knew the truth. Gabe was truly sick of the killing. He was rushing through to get to the end of things. The stress of being a self-proclaimed leader was wearing him down. Soon brother. Hold on. This should be the last battle of the war. We'll once again be reunited with our Mother and get back to our true purpose.

Gabriel was fighting almost without heart. He was sick of all the killing. Using his powers to heal and help others always brought him joy and a sense of purpose. Killing drove him down a different path. A dark path. Each of the four brothers had known this and were trying to find their center.

The clone twin had morphed into a tiny little imp-sized glob. He would follow the commands imparted by his Queen and immerse himself onto the robed one while it was busy fighting some of the other Brethren. The Prince Consort together with the Queen had kept the powers of the twin clones away from the Robed Ones. They did not understand that they even existed. It squirmed forwards towards the battling Robed One. It would attach itself to him and insinuate itself within the very skin of the creature. Before the Robed One could understand what was happening, the clone would be in control or at the very least, insinuating its own purpose. It would make its Queen proud.

Gabriel turned his attention to Luxfer, "Let's get this finished already. Michael, take Uriel and Raf and take out the Queen. I'll stay here and cover Luxfer."

Michael glanced over to Luxfer, seeking his input. "Might as well get started," he said to Raphael and Uriel after Luxfer had nodded his head, "Quicker we get started, quicker we can get home!"

Uriel drove the spear he was using deep into the remaining Brethren's body, turning it to dust. "Ready when you are, brother."

*~*

The Prince Consort looked around the cave making sure that the defense of the Queen was under control. The clone, twin to the one at the heart of the battle, flanking his every move. Between the two of them, no power should be able to break through to their Queen. Without her, all was lost and The Brethren would go backwards. Unless someone powerful enough to control them comes forth, he thought and there's really only two of us with that kind of power. It glanced over the clone that had been flanking his every move, and now that I've separated the two twins, the one clone left here will not be powerful enough to do anything but bow to my wishes. It checked its power once more, ensuring that he was at optimum level. All good. This cannot continue much longer. Somewhere out there, there was another presence. It knew that and yet we're powerless to see it.

The Queen threw out a thought to her protectors, 'They Come! Prepare yourselves!'

The Prince Consort eyed the clone beside him, "Ready yourself. The Robed Ones bring the war to us here." ignoring the slight bow of the clone, The Prince moved over to stand next to its Queen. "They will pay with their lives for this war. It ends now!"

A gentle mist formed itself inside the cave. Three figures outlined amongst the color. Michael, Uriel and Raphael raised their weapons and readied themselves for the onslaught about to happen. If all went to plan they'd be in and out in a heartbeat before any of The Brethren could understand what was truly happening. A quick hop back to Gabe and Luxfer and they would then head home. "It all ends now," Michael whispered to his brothers, "one way or another."

Uriel looked over at Michael. Giving him a small nod he silently detached himself from within the mist. Michael and Raphael took the cue and did the same. The mist would continue to take shape in the cave but the three brothers would have already moved in on the Queen by that time and with luck, rendered her useless. Gabe's plan. Misdirection of The Brethren he'd called it. Genius is what the other brother's thought. While all the Brethren were getting ready to attack the mist, they'd appear from four angles and take out the Queen. _Three now_ , he amended. _Still enough surprise to do the job._

They watched from their vantage point as the mist finished getting solid. All the Brethren within the cave lunged forwards towards the waiting despised Robed Ones. Michael and his brothers became solid, the illusions within the mist disappearing. With a lunge of their weapons, each brother pierced the flesh of The Queen. Their purposeful strikes hitting within a millisecond of each other. All aimed at different vital parts of her anatomy.

The Prince Consort watched his Brethren attack the Robed Ones, just before they disappeared. _It's a trick!_ It thought, a moment before the shrill piercing scream of his Queen rendered him and every other Brethren on the planet senseless. _We've lost!_

*~*

Gabe stood beside Luxfer, a slew of The Brethren laying everywhere around him. He was sitting in a meditative pose before Gabe.

Gabe wasn't sure of what Luxfer was doing. The gems had all been placed now, the Queen shortly to be finished with. All that was left was to power the damn stones and go home. They all deserved a break. His head pulsed and ached. Never had the darkness weighed upon him as much as it did now. It will soon be over. He thought, my brothers should hit the Queen real soon.

He stared down at Luxfer again, his fingers clutching his sword. _You truly believe yourself to be Mother's favorite. Don't you? Simple matter to turn you to dust while you sit there meditating. Blame it on the Brethren, no one would be the wiser._ He shook his head to clear the vision of Luxfer lying dead before him. Scanning the horizon he noticed half a dozen more swoopers heading his way. Time to get back to work and get off this cursed rock once and for all.

Luxfer sat cross-legged, centering himself. He needed to draw as much power within himself as he could to finish the job at hand. He would power the barrier with his own essence, leaving just enough of himself to go back to his Mother, who would ensure that he healed once more. After everything was done.

The approaching swoopers screamed as one as if they were in pure agony. Luxfer was expecting this once the Queen had been dealt with. Michael, Uriel and Raphael had succeeded. He was unprepared however when Gabriel let out an almighty scream at the same time. Like somehow he was being affected by the Queen's fall.

The forms of Michael, Uriel and Raphael appeared on the edge of his vision as he turned to see Gabriel, sword in hand, swinging straight at his exposed neck. Luxfer ducked his head and turned, avoiding most of the blow but getting a cut across his forehead for his troubles.

Michael screamed "Gabe. What are you doing?"

"What needs to be done, brother." Answered Gabriel, disappearing from their view.

Michael turned to Uriel and Raphael, "Follow him. Find out what's going on." He checked on the injured Luxfer, who yelled "No. Stay here. The Brethren need to be stopped. I'll need your powers to do so. Mine are..." he whispered "slipping away."

His vision failing him, Luxfer drew in the power of his three brothers as they held him close. _Only one shot at this. Must be perfect!_ He smiled up at Michael, "The Brethren will be held once I finish. As soon as you see the barrier, go to Mother. She must be protected at all costs."

"Of course, brother. We will all go together."

"I'm going to have to disappoint you, Michael. You three will need to go alone for a little. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can."

Michael looked down at Luxfer, unsure what that last comment actually meant but understanding that he needed to be with his Mother. She would not be expecting Gabriel to have turned and would be vulnerable. He felt his powers being drawn into Luxfer. "The Brethren will only be incapacitated for a short moment. I cannot allow this to pass for we won't get another chance."

Luxfer took a long deep breath and looked up at his brothers. "Go now. Look to Mother and see to Gabriel." He fixed his eyes upon Michael, drawing him in "and always remember Michael. Those that choose the mantle of leadership are not always the most powerful. You have greatness in you far beyond what you currently think. Never doubt yourself. Love is more powerful than you imagine."

With those final words of encouragement Luxfer drew within himself, toying with the power within. He sent his awareness to the final gem that he had placed in the ground and sent his power to it. Like a laser beam, his power burned into the gemstone, lighting it up in a brilliant jade green color. All around the world he could sense the other gems glowing as they received power from the first. Slightly at first but then gathering speed, lines of power pulsed around the world. The Barrier was being created and becoming more powerful as his own power dwindled. He would wait until almost the very end. When all but a sliver of power remained within him, he would transport himself outside the barrier and from there, to the waiting arms of his mother.

Moments passed or it may have been a century. His awareness limited to maintaining his life force. He floated through the ether just outside the planet that housed The Brethren.

The Barrier formed. _Job completed,_ he thought to himself. _Time to head back home_.

With that thought, Luxfer sent out his awareness to his Mother. She would transport him home and heal him. A smile crossed his face. It would be the first time that he'd be able to just be himself. It would be a welcome change. The smile left his face as suddenly as it had materialized. His awareness of his Mother was missing. _How could a Goddess not be present? Something has gone awry!_ Thoughts of Michael and Gabriel came thundering back into his brain. _No!_ He screamed _whatever you've done, hold on Mother. I'm coming!_

Luxfer gathered the little bits of power left inside and willed himself to the last location where he had felt a small flicker of his Mothers power. A flicker. One small tiny candle compared to the glory of a Sun that should be there. He materialized on a plane that was awash with crackling energy. In the distance, he could see hints of a battle being fought. _Darkness!_ He thought, _the dark power._ Having spent centuries watching and evaluating the Brethren, he knew their strength.

_Have I miscalculated? Did I fail to contain all The Brethren?_ Semi lucid thoughts made their way through his brain. _Has one of them escaped already?_ A gentle, feather like presence touched him. Mother! She still lives, but... _Barely_. He stopped and concentrated on the touch. She was trying to tell him something. Dropping to his knees, he closed his eyes and focused his entire being on that tiny caress, tuning in to the words of his Mother.

After a moment he eyed the sky, a lonely tear falling down his cheek. He sent out his thoughts, 'as you wish Mother,' and got up on his feet. No longer rushing, his plans had been made for him.

*~*

The battle raged on in his periphery as he made his way to the locations that his mother had told him about. He had already collected four of the individuals that he had been charged with, only the last one remained. He sighed. _Once this is finished, the battle would end._ In the dark corners of his consciousness his Mother had told him so. She was fighting a holding action against the darkness, nothing more. "But remember my son," she had told him "darkness may win a battle here and there but the war is not lost. Free will reigns and... Unforeseen things may happen. Understand always, that I have never been prouder of anything or anyone than I have been of you. Go now and take the last individual. Tell them their purpose... and always remember I love you, Luxfer. "

He reached out with his power and encased the individual before him, transporting them both to the location where he had hidden the other four, _beginning of the End_ , he thought as he materialized in the room. The others all stood as one as they appeared within the dimly lit room. It had only taken him a few hours to collect them all, his mother's directions explicitly correct. With a wave of his hand, he wove a solid wall of power around the group. "Listen up. I'm here to tell you about the Goddess D'HarmaSan. She has need of you." With that, he melded their consciousness with his own being and imparted the knowledge of his mother to them.

No longer would this universe be unknowing of her. These five would form the beginning of universal knowledge about her.

*~*

Michael raised his sword to take the onslaught of yet another wave of attack from Gabriel, taking the impact meant for D'HarmaSan. She was kneeling behind him, meditating.

He looked over again at the spot where both Uriel and Raphael had last been standing. Both obliterated by a carefully placed blow from Gabriel. His heart ached at the thought but tears would have to wait. He would join them soon if he didn't keep his wits about him. He watched Gabriel stride back across the floor. All swagger and full of pride. The color of his aura a muted gray with flashes of dark red streaks flaring through it. The same color as The Brethren. How could this be?

Gabriel's smile broadened, almost into a leer.

The last of his brothers stood between him and the Witch. He looked over at her prostrated form. _She's nothing. Once I deal with Michael, she'll be done and my Brethren will be let loose. Not just on the one planet though, this time we will rule over an entire Universe and with the Queen gone, they will all bow to me_.

Gabriel threw his head back and laughed. A deep guttural laugh. He lunged forward and threw another blast at Michael. _Your powers are waning brother. You fail to see that I will obliterate you, both_ , and he renewed his attack.

Michael's knees buckled as took the brunt of Gabriels' latest attack. He was weakening quickly now. He looked back towards D'HarmaSan. _Whatever you're doing Mother, please hurry._

D'HarmaSan had drawn herself inwards.

For the first time in her existence she'd been caught unaware. Gabriel had appeared behind her as she had been admiring the work of Luxfer. Turning her gaze back to Gabriel, she'd been assaulted by an aura of pure hatred. It only took her a moment to see how her child had been subverted. The dark nothingness of one of the Brethren attached to his very being his power being augmented by the very Queen of The Brethren. Too much to handle. She'd quickly woven a defensive shield around her, a moment before the attack. It had saved her, somewhat.

Drained to where she had almost lost her entire being, she forced her thoughts and power inwards, protecting the last bits of her own essence. She'd felt her other children materialize in the room but could do nothing to help them. She watched stunned as Gabriel had taken out Uriel and Raphael in the blink of an eye. Their essences dissolving into nothing. Only Michael escaped the onslaught but she could feel his powers waning. If she didn't do something, all her children would be lost. She sent out her thoughts to find Luxfer. Instructing him on what to do. It was a desperate gamble but there was nothing left to do. If the last of her children survived, there would still be a glimmer of hope. If he succumbed... nothing.

Luxfer floated around The Barrier. He had just finished with the Five, giving them all the knowledge of D'HarmaSan that his mother had requested and explained to them how they would form the first Council of Five to lead and guide the rest. His mother had chosen wisely. There were no stupid questions from any of them. They had all taken the information in their stride and understood. They had bowed to him as he had disappeared to check on the Barrier. After this, there's only one thing left to do. His time was coming to an end. There was only one task left for him to do. His Mother's final instruction. He would not fail her.

Much like D'HarmaSan had done he focused his entire being and the little of power he still had inwards. His awareness of the Universe and his own surroundings dissipated as he turned into mist, dispersing in all directions.

Luxfer, first child of D'HarmaSan, was no more.

*~*

D'HarmaSan felt her child disperse.

With silent tears she re-focused on where she was. Michael had withstood everything that Gabriel had thrown at him up to now, his power draining with every blow, whilst Gabriel seemed to get stronger. She could sense that Michael wouldn't survive another blow. She watched as Gabriel drew his hand back to land the killing blow. Just as the force of the power leapt forth from Gabriel's outstretched hand, she materialized, taking most of the impact herself. She looked over to where her Michael lay, broken and bruised on the floor while a laughing Gabriel stood over him. She'd been able to take almost all the hit, the bits that she had missed had taken Michael full on. Her awareness dimmed, she had done all she could.

Gabriel sauntered over to the charred outline of the Witch and smiled. Every single one of them had been beneath him. His powers unmatched. He reached out to assess the damage done to his brother. The body lay in complete ruin. No power left within the shattered shell. He smiled to himself. It would be such a simple matter to annihilate him, but that was too easy. He reached out with his power and sucked the memories out of Michael's head. _Complete shell._ He thought to himself. _Let's make sure you have a life filled with misery and hopelessness. And then, some day, I will let you remember who you are and what happened. THEN I'll completely obliterate you._ He laughed again, _this would be so much fun!_ He flicked his wrist and sent the barely living body of his former brother to a planet on the edge of the Universe. _See you soon... ish. Perhaps._
Chapter 6

Michael pulled his robe closer around himself to ward off the chill as he appeared in one of the lesser-known grottos of the library. He wove a subtle pattern of unseeing around himself to ensure that he wasn't seen, even by any of the countless individuals working there.

Known as 'The Great Library', the name didn't truly describe the immensity of the building that housed every piece of knowledge in the Universe. The structure encompassed an entire planet and was overseen by millions of keepers. They were charged with ensuring that all knowledge would be collected from every conceivable planet known, enlightened or otherwise. Their entire reason for being was knowledge.

Countless individuals had felt the call, their purpose for being.

It was part of every Watchers role to collect and return as many copies of any knowledge throughout the Universe. Having spent so much time of his life so far guiding the younger planets, Michael had built a strong relationship with The Keeper, his mentor and former teacher Jonah.

His mind wandered back to Hunter and Ren. That Hunter had actually seen the power as he had tried to calm Ren was on his mind. No one who had not been trained should have had the ability to do so. Between what he had witnessed with Bonnie and then with Hunter, it made little sense. His mind was being assaulted with things that should not be happening and yet, they were.

_First, the Five, then Bonnie and now Hunter_. It was a mystery to him. One that he definitely didn't like.

He put thoughts of Hunter and Ren behind him. They would do whatever they thought was necessary to find Bonnie. He didn't blame them. At least they'd be safe while he was off getting information from his old teacher. With The Jackal dislocated off to the nether regions of the Universe, they'd be safe from attack. Well, as safe as he could make them for now.

He turned his thoughts to Jonah. If anyone can make sense of this, it would be his old teacher and mentor.

Tuning his power inwards, he opened himself to the forces that lived in the library, searching for the life force of Jonah. It didn't take Michael long to find him. As usual, he was down in the underbelly of planet. Deep within the catacombs that stored those items that were deemed too powerful for the eyes of just everyone. This was where the bulk of the texts that had yet to be deciphered lay. There was only about one hundred individuals that knew about the catacombs, all overseen by Jonah.

*~*

He watched and waited until a point where Jonah was undisturbed again, alone with his books, and send forth a small message to Jonah's awareness. " _Jonah. It's Michael. I mean, it's your former pupil. I need to talk to you. Alone._ "

Jonah looked around him at the sound the voice. He'd only had one pupil in his entire life. One that had been deemed special. But this mind-speech was something new to him. He'd never heard about anyone alive who actually had the power to do this on their own. " _Is that truly you?_ " he hurled the thoughts outwards, hoping that his pupil could hear them.

" _Yes. It's me. Is there someone private where we can talk?_ "

" _Of course, my son. Meet me in Catacomb 5A. Three levels down from the entrance. Turn left and it will be the 5th door on your right. Give me about half an hour to get things ready and then come and meet me. I'll lift the wards on the room so you can transport directly into it._ "

" _Thanks Jonah. I'll see you in half an hour._ " With that final thought, Michael broke off the mind link between them. _Meet me in the catacombs he thought, brilliant place_. No one other than those that Jonah allowed could access them. Searching for a quiet corner out of the way, he slid down into his meditation pose. Crossed legs, with his palms held upwards on his knees. Half an hour would give him plenty of time to harness as much power within him as he could and allow him to heal the small wounds that he'd collected in his tussle with The Jackal. It would give him enough time to figure out what questions he would ask Jonah, without getting him into any trouble.

When the half hour had almost passed, Michael stood and sent forth his awareness through his immediate vicinity, ensuring that all was still calm. Everything around him was ordinary with nothing even exciting taking place. He lifted his head and brought the power back within himself, filling his entire being. He pictured the room that Jonah had described in the catacombs and willed himself there. Slowly, he disappeared, and appeared within the catacomb. Travelling through teleportation always took a few seconds to complete.

Others described to him the feeling of not being aware of anything around them until the process had been completed. Michael awareness however, was always there even if his physical body wasn't.

In the moments that he took to teleport, he could see Jonah standing in the room, off to one side. The pentagram drawn on the floor, in the middle of the room didn't surprise Michael. Every room with even a small amount of power held one. It made teleporting between them easy.

Michael looked into his mentor's eyes when he was almost ready and realized his mistake. He looked back down at the floor; the pentagram was glowing pink! It was a trap!

Disappointment was etched on Jonah's face as he turned to the struggling Michael, "I'm sorry my son. But word has already reached us about what you've done to The Council."

"The Council? What's happened?"

"Come now, Michael. Even within these sacred walls we heard about what you did. Gaining access to their very chambers and assassinating them. Only Julian escaped your plot, more through sheer luck than anything else, from what we've been told."

Shaking his head, he added "May D'HarmaSan have mercy on you my son because I don't believe anyone else will."

*~*

Michael opened his eyes and looked around. The cell was small, dark and cramped. It reminded him of the room that had been assigned to him as an acolyte.

Tiny and cramped. Enough room for a tiny cot to sleep in and no windows. _Not that there's even a cot in this one,_ he thought. A single solitary ward-rune covered the floor of the cell. Repeated on each interior wall and the ceiling. Upon awakening, Michael had tried to transport himself out, to no avail. Whatever the runes were, they had blunted him. He could feel the steady pull of the runes draining his power a bit at a time. A prison. He sat back down and considered his options.

Not that there were many. The steady pull was making his thoughts hazy, like he was trying to run in water. _What have I actually gotten myself into?_ Closing his eyes, he sought his center. _I've never seen this kind of power before._ Taking a steadying deep breath, he exhaled and turned his power inwards, focusing his entire will on the runes before him. He would study every single inch of it and figure it out. To find a minute flaw in the web that would allow him to get out.

Without the benefit of any outside light, he could only guess at the time. _Days_ , he thought, _it's been at least a few days since I woke up here._ In that time he'd understood the nature of the trap he was within. Each rune comprised millions of individual sigils linked by a small patch of power to the others surrounding it. Small convergences in the power lines pulsed with power as they both drew power from their neighbor and powered others in return. There must be a pattern to it. Although he'd failed to see it as yet. _Given enough time, I'd be able to break through. Time, however is not something I have enough of. Ren and Hunter might be dead already for I know._

He searched out one of the individual sigils and concentrated on it. Somewhere within the complex lines an answer awaited. He would find it.

*~*

Jonah leaned back on his chair, worried thoughts coursing through his mind. The instructions that had come through days earlier had weighed on him. The one and only pupil that he'd ever trained had gone rogue. No Watcher had ever done so that he could recall. Julian himself warned him to prepare him for what needed to be done if his former pupil tried to contact him.

_He'd called himself Michael._ All Watchers left the past behind them when they ascended to the position. As acolytes they were taught to surrender all personal things, including the things that made them... them. But somehow this had made him something more rather than detracting from him. He was still a Watcher, but knowing history, even just a name had made him feel that he was in the presence of something bigger. _But,_ he added to himself, _was this a bad thing?_ His instincts told him no but the story that Julian had told of the cold, callous murder of the other Five spoke otherwise. _Michael_ , he thought _what are the chances that he would name himself after a character in the scroll he had been deciphering?_

The scrolls. For the past five years Jonah had been recording the tales woven throughout the twenty scrolls that had been unearthed on some forgotten planet. Tales of D'HarmaSan and her children. If only that was the case. He truly believed that a being by that name had once existed. That she had been a Goddess... well, that was a different matter.

Although this version of the story went into great details. The author had apparently been told this story from none other than Luxfer. _There must be a grain of truth to these stories though, so many of them follow a very similar path to the ones that our own ancestors wrote. The difference in these though was subtle, but major._ There were no commandments, not one snippet of telling others how their lives must be lived. This version centered more on Luxfer and the other four brothers. _Luxfer again. The name keeps popping up in the writings of all different species_. This was the first writings though where he had come across mention of the other Four brothers.

_Fascinating story_ Jonah thought to himself again, _strange though, the very description of Michael that the scrolls mentioned would suit his former pupil down to a tee._ Another coincidence to ponder.

*~*

The door to Michael's cell opened. The light pouring in from outside the door blinding him for a moment. It was the first time anyone had visited him since he'd awoken. The figure of a watcher looked in at him. _No,_ he thought _not a Watcher_. The mysterious Master was standing there watching him.

He took a deep breath and looked straight at the Master. Straining every sense in his body to get an insight of who this was. _Nothing. The damn runes are preventing me from getting anything from him._ The figure took a step closer within the room. His face buried deep within the cowl of his hood, observing him. _Obviously the runes only work one way._

_"_ Give him some bread and water," the master said turning to the watcher behind him, "I want him alive... for now." He turned back towards Michael, studying him once more, "still completely useless and blank. I thought he had more in him than this."

The watcher bowed his head as his Master strode off down the hall, "Yes Master. Bread and water."

The Master's voice echoed off the walls as he walked away from the cell, "and take care of Michael's old mentor. Make it look like he had an accident of some sort. Let's not take any unnecessary chances."

_They're going to kill Jonah just because he knows I'm here? Who is this guy?_ The door to his cell was pulled shut. The watcher turned to Michael as it was about to close, "I'll be back with your... _meal_ soon. Enjoy it. You won't be getting too many of them."

Once the door closed Michael returned his focus back on the sigils before him, looking for the elusive pattern that he knew would be there and waited for his _meal._

*~*

Hours passed before the cell door was opened once more. A robed figure standing at the door holding a tray with a small loaf of bread and a tin cup of water. _Well, I assume it is water._ Michael thought to himself. He wasn't worried over the minimal food, he'd gone for far longer periods without it as an acolyte. Fasting was a way of life and a practice easy to get back into. _Like riding a bike as they say on Earth. Never forget how._

The robed figure took a step into the cell and lifted his head. The watcher stood just outside the door ready for anything. Michael took a look at the robed figure holding the tray. _It's Jonah!_

With a small wink Jonah placed the tray on the floor, just outside the rune. He lifted the bread and tossed it over the outer layers, ensuring that the runes remained untouched and in place. The watcher shoved his foot into Jonah's back, "Leave the water outside the runes." he smiled and looked at Michael, "I may be nice and give him some later. For now, he can dream about it and stare at it."

Jonah bowed his head and placed the tin cup on the floor. He picked up the tray and walked back out of the cell. The Watcher laughed as he closed the door, "enjoy your bread."

Michael sat back down on the floor ignoring the jibes of the Watcher. Somehow Jonah had gotten himself into a position where he had delivered the bread to Michael. And then he had winked at him before tossing the loaf through the air. Michael sat and pondered, ensuring that his captor was not watching him. He placed the loaf of bread in his lap and ignored it. He closed his eyes not wanting his captor to see him looking at the cup of water. _Definitely don't want you seeing that Jonah put the tin cup just a smidgen over the outer rune._ He took a deep breath. _I hope it's enough of a cover in the power network to let me break through_.

*~*

Jonah raised his head and peered over the pulpit. The two Watchers were still searching through the catacombs, for him. He had heard them as they first approached the main chambers even though they had tried to remain silent. The invisible wards that he'd placed around the chambers alerted him to anyone waiting for him. This time, they had saved his life.

The nature of the works that he had spent his life translating meant that he'd added a few little personal spaces within the catacombs over the decades. Quiet and secretive places that allowed him to work on what he considered some very _dangerous_ pieces of writing that were definitely not meant for the masses.

No one else knew about the existence of these. Not even his closest associates. Small, almost invisible runes were drawn around various parts of these places. Different runes of power that he'd as yet not told anyone about. _Lucky that I did, he_ thought to himself. He held a book to his chest _._ It was filled with his thoughts on the stories that he had deciphered over the years. Stories that would get him killed if not worse. _Too many coincidences in far too many writings from way too many sources._ Over the many years that he'd been doing this, he had come across the same story time and again.

Subtle differences in each where the author had tried to make sense of things from their own limited view but an underlying thread that remained constant. A Goddess and her four warriors. A mighty battle. Powerful weapons. Some called it a Flaming Sword, others the Burning Sword and yet others The Power Sword. Regardless of the differences in the stories though, each held that there was _some kind of sword..._ and each had been wielded by the one warrior, Michael or Mikel, Mychael...

_If even a tiny portion of these are correct, Michael had been defeated and fell, along with his brother warriors. Their enemy had taken their weapons_. _Each of them useless according to the stories as they were attuned to the frequency and power of each warrior._

Jonah sat back waiting for the two Watchers to finish their search and move on, _What if it's true?_ He thought again for what seemed the millionth time, _and I've got a possible clue to the location of these weapons in my hands?_ The ethical dilemma weighed on him. _What was the choice for the greater good? That an innocent is killed for this? Or that an evil one is allowed free? What facts do I actually know?_

He sighed. He had zero facts. Everything that he understood at this point was second hand. Some things from Michael other things from Julian. _Put it all aside then and go with your own instincts,_ he thought. The answer was simple if he went down this path, Michael. The Watchers themselves had given him the method.

*~*

Things moved swiftly after Jonah had decided. While meticulous and circumspect at most times, everyone knew that once Jonah had reached a decision, things happened quickly.

It was a lot easier than even he had expected. _The secrecy that the ones who were hunting him were using, had actually played into his hands._ No one questioned him as he approached the kitchen. No one saw him silently slip away into one of the storage areas waiting for the Watcher that would appear at any moment. _A golden rule my friends when you're on the hunt for someone don't discuss what you need to do next in detail!_ He thought back a moment, _bread and water is what they would take to Michael._ It was his only option, dangerous as it was. He would remove the Watcher tasked with doing this chore and replace him. He rubbed his fingers on the rune-stone in his hands. Small and round, it would give him one shot at overcoming the Watcher. If he failed, he'd be dead. _At least the kitchen is deserted everyone is off at muster._

The Watcher moved into Jonah's field of vision, reaching for a small loaf of bread. He placed into onto a small tray and grabbed the tin cup. Head bent over the sink, he didn't feel Jonah unleash the power of the stone from behind him. A purple mist enveloped the Watcher, and he keeled over, incapacitated. Jonah quickly moved over to him and turned him on his back. _Still breathing._ If his studies were accurate, the Watcher would be out for the count for at least a day. _No one would be the wiser until they either found him or went looking._ He shook head, _no turning back now. The path is chosen._ He picked up the Watcher by the ankles and dragged him into an out of the way cavern. _Way too old to try to be carrying him, that's for sure, and I only need a little of time to get to Michael._

*~*

Michael eased himself back into his center. Enough time had now passed that he was certain that no one was watching.

He looked at the small loaf of bread in his hands. The small corner of a notebook jutted from within. Something that Jonah wanted him to have. Ripping apart the bread, he pulled the small notebook out of its hiding spot. _Once I'm clear, I can read what Jonah put here._

He sent his awareness back into the rune at his feet. As he had hoped, the power was still thrumming through the majority of the structure. Only one small part had a tiny blight on it, the sigils directly beneath the cup. He looked closer. No longer were these groups of sigils feeding back into the rest. They were drawing in the power and it had begun to pool.

Michael smiled. Enough of a gap that he could easily call forth his own power and fuse it with the cup. Transportation beyond the room would be a simple matter. He sat back once more and considered. _Jonah. The Wink. The cup._ Something had obviously made Jonah reconsider his position. Enough so that he'd been willing to put his own life on the line to help Michael. _At the very least I need to warn him of what I overheard. Make him leave and go underground somehow._ He took a deep breath and readied himself, _no use wasting time. Now or never._

With that final thought, Michael poured as much of himself towards the waiting power within the cup. Nothing stopped him as he felt his powers returning to his essence. Smiling, he willed himself out of the cell. He looked back as he dissipated, straight into the eyes of a shadow of himself. _With any luck they wouldn't discover the ruse for a while._
Chapter 7

Hunter opened his eyes dropping the padre's hands. He could feel the pressure of Ren's hand on his shoulder. He was certain that he'd been sitting in the chair opposite Toby for hours, if not days. Visions of D'HarmaSan and the story he'd just witnessed flowing through his mind. He turned his head, surprised that he wasn't stiffer, and looked at Ren smiling.

Ren caught Hunter's smile and returned one of her own, "No luck I take it or was the message that simple?"

Hunter's looked back at Ren, a probing look on his face. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, the fact that you closed your eyes for about three seconds makes me think that nothing of any earth-shattering importance happened. What else would I think? Thanks for going along with the padre, Hunter. I think he might finally be moving into senility."

Hunter turned his body until he was facing Ren, "Three seconds?"

"Maybe five. I wouldn't go past half a minute though. That would be generous."

_Less than a minute? Was that even possible? I lived through the creation and expansion of an entire Universe? Lived life through the eyes of a Goddess, saw the capture of an entire species, centuries passed! Was that even possible?_ Hunter looked up at Ren, realizing that the look on his face would have her worried. "Listen Ren. There's a lot to discuss. But", he looked over at the now sleeping form of Toby, "we need a bit of breathing room and space. Let's get out of here and let the old man sleep for a while. I can catch you up on things over some coffee."

Ren looked over at Hunter, watching his expression. Something had happened in the short time that he'd had his eyes closed, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what. "Let's go down the street. There's a coffee shop a block up. We can talk there."

"Sounds good. I've got a lot to tell you."

Ren leaned back on the plastic chair. The café turned out to be one of the newer upmarket places catering to those with more money than sense. An eight dollar coffee in a mug. No wonder this world is going to Hell in a hand-basket, she thought.

She'd sat at the table while Hunter had relayed what he'd gone through with the padre. _All that in like, 5 seconds? Had both of her best-selling authors gone into some kind of mini mass-delusion?_ She took another pull of her coffee and placed the cup down on the table, "Hunter. That story is... _incredible_ , I guess. Definitely something to think about publishing. But it's now been almost 12 hours since Bonnie disappeared and we're no closer to knowing anything useful about it." She tried to gauge the expression on Hunter's face but couldn't nail it down, "I think maybe it's time we went to the authorities. I know none of it makes sense but... I need to do something more than what we're doing now."

Hunter's reply surprised her a little but at the same time made her glad, "Couldn't agree more Ren. All this stuff that's happened is just making us go on a tangent. I was thinking that we finish this coffee and go back to your apartment. We left in such a rush on Michael's trail that we didn't even stop to take a breath, to see if the kidnapper left anything behind." He looked up at Ren's face, gratitude clearly etched on her features and added "Stuff the coffee. Let's go now."

Ren's answering smile was all he needed. In moments, they had paid the outrageous bill for their special blend coffee and headed out the door towards Hunter's car.

Ren leaned back into the plush seat in Hunter's Mercedes. _Say what you want about him, the man's got nice taste in cars_. She thought to herself as she closed her eyes. _Humans are truly weird. Less than twelve hours ago I saw my daughter disappear in my arms and now we're heading back to look for clues about her kidnapper, like someone stole in through the window and drove her away in their mini-van. Not to mention that two guys playing dress up appeared from nowhere and have an all-out brawl. Throwing lightning from their hands at each other no less_. She sighed, _but what else can I do? Something needs to be done to get Bonnie back and let's face it, as much as I love the old man, the padre is as crazy as two cats in a hessian bag_. She opened her eyes slightly and looked over at Hunter, _and the only person who's been the most clear-headed over this turned out to be you Hunter. A brilliant writer, no doubt. But definitely not my first choice in this matter. Border-line alcoholic that keeps everyone at arms-length_. Once again she wondered at Hunter's history.

He'd always tried to appear normal when he caught up with Ren, _but let's face it, I've lived through this before Hunter_ , remembering her husband. _I sat by and watched him drink himself to death. No matter what I tried, it was never enough._

_Depression and alcohol took him down a dark, lonely path and we were dragged along with him. My love and having a beautiful daughter were clearly no match. The darkness won out. Maybe that's just the man I attract._ She thought as she watched Hunter, _but no! There's something else inside you. I've felt it since we first met_! Thinking back again on the things that had occurred over the past 12 hours, she added to herself, _and you've definitely gone beyond what I expected._

Hunter kept quiet as he drove them back to Ren's apartment.

He had felt Ren's eyes on him as he drove, even though she was obviously trying to not let him see. He smiled and let her believe that. Other things were going through his mind. How could he explain to her that the story felt to him like one of his own nightmares and dreams? He'd lived through it, just like the others. Not just witnessed it in his mind. _D'HarmaSan, Michael, the Brethren... all of it! It's either real or I'm in somebody else's dream! Perhaps I have more in common with the padre than I thought. Get Ren to sign me up. Three meals a day and daytime television._ He paused, _Nope. Without the alcohol the dreams would quickly return. Funny though, in the past 12 hours this is the first time that a drink has crossed my mind and, the weirdest things have happened._ He quickly glanced over at the now sleeping Ren, _What would you think about me Ren, if I told you about the colors?_

Since the moment he opened his eyes following his journey with the padre, Hunter had seen the surrounding colors.

Small wisps at the beginning had turned into full-blown auras surrounding everyone around him. All different. Some were a muted dark color, others so bright they almost blinded him. He looked over at Ren again, a brilliant blue color permeated from her, tinged with some muddy shades of orange. Pure love for those around her but worried. Somehow he could read people through the colors. _I do not understand how but somehow if I concentrate on them the colors tell me everything about that person._ He shook head to clear the colors and turned his attention back to the road. _As if life wasn't strange enough..._

The drive back to Ren's apartment was without incident. Each of them lost in their own thoughts. They climbed the stairs to Ren's apartment slowly. Hunter looked over at Ren's aura, _she's afraid,_ he thought to himself as he reached out to take her hand, knowing she needed the human contact. Ren smiled at him and said, "Thanks. I definitely needed that."

"No probs. Remember, I'll be right by you, no matter what comes."

The smile on Ren's face was all the answer he needed. She opened the door, and they stepped through the threshold, their gazes turning as one towards the couch. "It feels like I haven't been here in months, though it's only been twelve hours."

"I know what you mean. Let's get to it and see if there's anything we can find. Then we'll figure out what we do next."

*~*

The Kraxus awoke from its slumber. Something had disturbed the trap that it had set in the apartment above. Lifting its snout, it breathed in, trying to catch a scent. The gamble had paid off. Rather than traipsing trying to locate them it had lain a trap and wait for a while, hoping the humans would return. It sniffed again.

Only the humans. No Robed Ones.

It would not be caught out again like it had been the first time. The Prince Consort had been clear in its instructions when the Kraxus had reported. _Destroy them both! And any Robed One around as well!_ Its muzzle parted in a growling leer.

This time, blood would spill.

*~*

Ren went over to the couch where she'd last held Bonnie and sat down. She looked over at Hunter who had stopped in the doorway, a bemused look on his face. "What is it Hunter?"

In the moment that it had taken Ren to walk to the couch Hunter had been mesmerized by the amount of information available to his senses. He could clearly see traces of all the different colors within the room. Traces left behind of... Michael in the corner, the other one... The battle. _All clear to me. I can actually see what went on here even if I hadn't been here._ He looked over at Ren about to tell her when he noticed something else. Something that had been completely overlooked the first time in all the chaos that had been happening. _There'd been another presence here at the time. Right behind where Ren had been holding Bonnie!_ A dark presence, almost... evil in nature. That had been the culprit behind Bonnie's disappearance. It had nothing to do with either Michael or the other robed figure.

He looked closer. Reading the colors better. Apart from the initial presence he noticed a newer, cleaner red colored mist that had drawn itself around Ren, "Ren. Don't move. Sit still." He traced the room with his eyes following the trail of the mist. Back towards him and out the door. Turning, he came face to face with the Devil itself.

*~*

Hunter darted his eyes back towards Ren. She hadn't moved. Not a muscle. He looked closer. A look of pure terror was etched on her frozen face.

Hold on Ren. Whatever's happening. I'm coming.

A deep growl assailed him from the figure at the door. Hunters' eyes looked at the monster before him. Well over six feet tall with a skull sitting atop a muscled torso, covered in red fur. He wasted no time trying to communicate with the creature. The dark colors swirling all around its body told him what he needed to know.

_It's a mind trap. Right this very second, it is scouring through Rens' head picking out the information that it needs and then it will dispose of her. Her usefulness at an end._ "Not gonna happen you mangy furred dipshit," Hunter screamed as he lunged at the Kraxus, wrapping his arms around its neck. The Kraxus' leer turned into a howl as Hunter poured his entire being into stopping the beast's mental attack on Ren.

*~*

Hunter looked around himself at the scorched red dust on the floor. Dark figures moved through his consciousness, _The Brethren_ he thought. _It looks like I'm back on the same planet that I saw in the Padre's dream but this time I'm here._ He focused on a spot in the distance that seemed to draw him in, transporting over to it. The red dust replaced by hard red rocks beneath his feet. He was inside a huge cave of some sort. The beast from Ren's apartment knelt down before an even bigger, more powerful Brethren. A name floated into his awareness ~ _Prince Consort._ The two creatures obviously speaking to each other within their minds. _Based on the body language, it's obvious that the one that has Ren trapped reports back to this one._ Another life force hit his awareness, beyond two creatures before them. _Further down,_ he thought _more caves_. He pictured in his mind where the new force was coming from and willed himself to it.

Bonnie floated in a bubble of pure white ether within another bubble of red. Swirling mists surrounding her on all sides. She looked serene and at peace as if meditating. Outside the two spheres though, surrounded by a horde of different Brethren. Some were holding back as if they were examining the anomaly. Others were making attacks on it, trying to pierce the sphere with many weapons, to no avail. Hunter actually relaxed a little. Whilst not in the best place, Bonnie was currently safe, within that bubble of energy. Something or someone had obviously taken an interest in keeping her from harm. Hunter concentrated and sent his thoughts to Bonnie, hoping she would hear them through the two barriers. _Chin up kid. We're coming to get you_. He looked down at the surrounding Brethren, drones. _Just puppets doing what your masters tell you to do_. He dismissed them from his mind as irrelevant and moved back to the surface.

The red dust swirled around him once more. Ignoring the pull of the forces that he now knew to be those of The Brethren and Bonnie, he concentrated his attention on the barrier in the sky. Green lines of power still pulsed through the sky but they were much dimmer than the ones he had seen created in his daydream. _Almost like the batteries are dying in a toy. Not good. There's more to what's happening at the moment than just Bonnie. Something much larger_. He probed the barrier, expecting to be repelled back. His essence went straight into it with no push-back of any sort.

_What type of barrier is as easy as this to penetrate?_ He went deeper trying to get an understanding of it. He took only a moment to understand the absolute brilliance of the barrier. So simple and yet, the most effective thing that could have been created! He smiled. Also, one of the hardest things for anyone to do and yet, Luxfer has kept The Brethren at bay for millennia by doing this. It also explained the sphere surrounding Bonnie at least what it was, not who had done it.

He drew himself away from the barrier once more. He was running out of time. Soon the Kraxus would return its full attention back on Ren again. With his newly acquired sense of his own powers it would be a simple matter to destroy the Kraxus upon his return. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to do so while it was mind-linked to Ren. The chances of her being destroyed along with the Kraxus were too great. His only option was to incapacitate it and remove it somewhere else. Hunter prepared himself for the return.

Ren sat on the couch frozen. She couldn't move a muscle. Her eyes however took in the entire scene before her.

One moment Hunter had been looking at her with a funny look on his face, telling her not to move, the next the creature had appeared from nowhere behind him. She'd tried to yell out to him, to warn him but she'd frozen up, unable to even move a finger.

Hunter had turned around not knowing what waited behind him. _Run Hunter,_ she'd screamed in her mind, unable to utter even a single sound. Instead of running though, she'd watched on as Hunter threw himself over the creature encircling it in his arms.

That's when she'd felt the presence in her mind.

Unable to resist, she sat there as the creature had pulled her mind apart. Memories were pulled out of her brain and examined. Anything to do with Bonnie, carefully scrutinized. She felt violated, and it horrified it beyond anything that she had ever encountered. She could feel the tears falling silently down her face as she looked over at the creature and Hunter. _Please Hunter_ , she pleaded silently _Help Me!_

With no warning, she saw Hunter wink at her silent plea. A huge smile on his face. He looked down at the creature in his arms and seemed to squeeze inwards, like he was giving it a huge hug. The effect on the creature was instantaneous. It lifted its snout upwards and let out a huge guttural growl of pain. Hunter just continued to squeeze. Ren felt herself able to move again. Whatever the creature had been doing to her had obviously broken apart with Hunter's hug. Looking back at Hunter, she saw him give a final powerful squeeze. The creature in his arms screamed once more and dissipated in a red cloud. Ren heaved a powerful sigh, glad the ordeal was over. Never in her entire life had she ever felt so hopeless. So damn powerless and she was still no closer to finding out what had happened to her daughter. She looked up as Hunter approached her. Sitting next to her he didn't hesitate in putting his arms around her, hugging her close. "We're not powerless Ren. There's hope." He reached out one of his hands and wiped away a tear, "We've got more going for us than we realized. Bonnie's safe."

"I'd love to believe that Hunter. But, we keep getting attacked and do not understand what we're up against. My girl," she said with a catch in her voice "is still missing and I don't know what to bloody do about it."

Hunter leaned forwards and gave Ren a gentle caressing kiss on her forehead, "That's the thing Ren. Believe me when I tell you that Bonnie is safe, safer than we are at the moment. And as for what comes next," he paused and looked straight into her eyes, "I know exactly what we need to do."

*~*

Hunter placed a fresh cup of coffee on the table in front of Ren. Her eyes were unfocused having just listened to Hunter's story. He sat down on the chair next to her, giving her time to take it all in. "You actually believe all this is true Hunter?", she asked in a quiet voice. "I know there have been some really weird things happening but... God!" she looked up at him, "or Goddess I should say."

"I know Ren. It's a lot to take in." He sipped at his coffee, "between the padre and what just happened with this demon, I feel like I've lived centuries." He looked into Ren's eyes, "It's not just a fairy tale or horror story," he amended "This is for real."

"OK, Hunter. Let's say for argument's sake that this power of yours is real, that what's happening is all because of some power struggle, and I can't believe I'm saying this out loud," she said shaking her head "Good versus Evil. It still doesn't explain why Bonnie has been taken. You've not mentioned her in anything so far. What has she to do with any of it?"

Hunter looked away and sighed "I honestly can't tell you, Ren. There's nothing I've been told that ties everything that's been happening together. Maybe they only took her as a way to get to me."

Ren snorted, almost blowing out the mouthful of coffee she'd just taken, "Bullshit! And you know it, Hunter. Before any of this happened you'd met Bonnie maybe once in your life. No way in Hell that it had anything to do with you." She sighed, gathering herself again, "That aside Hunter, you said that you knew what to do next. What's our next move?"

Hunter leaned back in his chair holding the steaming cup of coffee in both hands, "This is going to be tough Ren. We wait for Michael to come back."

"Why?"

"Because he's more than even he thinks he is Ren. To get Bonnie back, I'm going to need his help and my instructions were very clear. I can't just tell him who he is, it would possibly destroy his mind and take him years to come to terms with." he paused "and time is not something that we have a lot of."
Chapter 8

Michael moved in behind Hunter. Somehow in the small time that he'd been gone their positions had been reversed and now Hunter stood there knowing more about what was happening than he did.

The tiny bits of the story that Hunter had told him rang true - _but it's not the whole truth. I need not read your aura to see that Hunter. It's written on your face._ But no matter how many times he'd asked, Hunter had been elusive in the details. The same look that Jonah had looked at him with. _Like they were trying to see something in me, but what?_

He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering himself. "The Flaming Sword?" he asked aloud again. "Could this mystical weapon truly exist?"

Hunter looked back at Michael. They'd been over this a hundred times already. "Your old teacher seemed to think so. So you tell me Michael, was he prone to exaggeration or crazy schemes, fantasies?"

Michael stopped to think again.

Jonah was not someone that would say anything unless he believed it. Sometimes he would play the advocate, the provocateur. Taking a ludicrous position in a debate. Doing so to make others think. To get them to go beyond themselves in search of a greater truth, or as he was so fond of saying, 'a truer version of the truth'. This time, however, there was no gray area. At the front of the book of notes that he had handed Michael just before sacrificing himself, there was a written sentence in his handwriting.

Find the sword Michael - The Cat Below The Others.

Nothing more, nothing less. A simple command with no other meaning. He sighed once more, "No he wasn't. Simple fact, if Jonah wanted this sword to be found then he must have thought that it actually exists."

"That's what I figured based on what you've told me about him. So let's just assume that this sword is real and go fetch it." He looked over at Ren who had just read through the notes in the book. "We just need to determine what the cat below the others means. You knew him, Michael. Any ideas?"

"No idea. Jonah didn't have a cat, let alone more than one." he blew out a harsh breath, "I really wish that I'd been able to locate him when I escaped. It would've answered a lot of questions."

Ren was flipping through the book that Michael had brought with him. Holding it up to them, "Surely this isn't finished. I would assume that there'd be other notes if that's all he did." She looked over at Hunter "Maybe it was just the first one he could get his hands on to leave you a message? He'd just helped you escape and maybe... just the first thing he grabbed?"

Michael looked up at Ren as she looked through the book again, "The cat! Jonah must've meant the catacombs." he took a deep breath and added "when I first went to talk to him, we met up in a catacomb underneath the citadel. One of his private places where he could work in peace. What if there are others below those?" It makes sense. If the things that he was working on were things that had to be kept from everyone you would definitely need somewhere that others wouldn't be able to just stumble across!"

Hunter smiled at Ren. She gave him a small smile and shrugged her shoulders. "We've nothing else to go on so might as well have a look. Ren can stay here and read through Jonah's notes to see if there's anything that can help us in it. That devil won't be coming back in any hurry." Turning back to face Michael, Hunter added "You and I will go. Jump in and out before anyone knows we're there. No heroics and no contact with anyone else."

Ren kept her eyes on Hunter as they dissipated. Their parting hug had been longer and deeper than any other contact that she'd had with him. _My God_ , she thought _I'm falling in love with him!_ With one last smile, she had reached out to caress his face, _Stay safe damn you_. _You're the only thing keeping me sane at the moment._

At the same time that she'd been thinking this, Hunter had reached out and traced his finger down her cheek. His voice had come through if only in her mind, _loved you from the start, Ren. Should have manned up long ago. We'll be back real soon and then we'll get Bonnie back. Promise._

She stood there a moment longer. _Humans are capable of anything. Yesterday I would have completely lost it seeing people disappear in front of me. Today, it's the most natural thing in the world._ Lifting her shoulders, she turned towards the kitchen. A cup of tea and then down to some serious reading.

*~*

For some, time heals the spirit. Introspection and forced quietness will allow them to concentrate on their own flaws and how they might gain a better understanding of their own place in the universe. For others, however, this couldn't be further from the truth. Wounds inflicted upon them over time by anyone, magnified and built upon until their current state of mind is nothing but lethal. The road to Hell is not paved with good intentions but with pure evil and hatred.

The Jackal was clear in his mind on which of these paths he travelled. Having been saved by The Master a very long time ago he'd been taught his place. Not willingly at the start. It had taken the Master at least six times of beating him within an inch of his life for the Jackal to understand that he was in the presence of a power much greater than himself. So long ago, he thought, the memories coming unbidden...

*~*

The woman was lying back on the makeshift bed, towels and other bits of scattered cloth strewn all around the tiny hovel that she called home.

She was one of the unnamed. A member of an outcast society seen as a blight on the otherwise perfect city of Skendi whose inhabitants were all tall, proud and perfect. The unnamed ones were those that lived on the fringes. Tasked with taking care of the things in life that the Perfect ones would never sully their hands with. They lived in tiny towns along the edge, never allowed to contact their betters.

It went without saying that no contact didn't mean that they weren't taken advantage of. Whenever one of the perfect ones decided that they wanted some fun on the wild side, one of the unnamed ones would be the beneficiary of their efforts. Efforts that more often than not turned out to be the last moments in life for the unnamed. The lucky ones would live to see another day of misery; torn, bruised and broken, yet alive. She had survived countless times.

Young and with a firm body, she'd attracted the notice of several perfect ones. For almost three days they had abused her in every way imaginable. Drinking, laughing and goading each other on to more and more depraved acts. Acts which she had borne the brunt of.

When they'd tired of their games they had tossed her aside, back to the miserable little room which she called home. None of the other unnamed came to help. That was not unusual. Misery doesn't really like company, it prefers to stay hidden in the dark, wallowing. It took a few more days for her to recover enough to get back on her feet. She fell back into her daily routine. Scrubbing things and washing others. All the while trying to avoid as much scrutiny as possible. She used tight wads of cloth to squeeze down her breasts and pile on as much mud and crap on her face and body as possible. Whatever she could do to make sure that none of the perfect ones noticed her.

After a few months, her belly had got bigger. She had heard about these things from other unnamed women. There's a child in there. She panicked.

With no other family around her, it would just be her and the child with no protection. The other unnamed would be no help. They were so starved that they would just as soon take the child and eat it - and her as well. _Never. It's mine!_ She thought to herself and collected the little bits of nothing she owned. The one blunt knife and a little bit of food went into a folded cloth.

She looked around, nothing else.

Under the cover of darkness, she took off. None of the others sparing her a glance. She ran for what seemed like hours heading off into a nearby range of mountains. Once she was over there, she thought I'll be away from the perfect ones. It wouldn't be worth the effort for them to come and take me back. My child will be born free. It may only be a short life but it will be a free one!

The thought of freedom kept her going through the days and nights. For the first week she barely slept, an hour here and there. Constantly moving further up the mountain. The trees provided plenty of different fruit and once; she had accidentally killed a bird with her knife. She'd been asleep, and the bird had come up beside her looking for food. She was woken and become so startled at the sight that, without thinking, she'd plunged the blunt knife into it, over and over again. Once she'd realized what it was, she had paused. Reaching out, she'd ripped the feathers off the birds back and plunged her mouth into the meat. Bloody juices had dribbled down her face. She'd tasted nothing so good!

The months passed quickly once she had travelled over the initial mountain. On the other side lay a green valley with lots of places to hide. She continued on without pausing. One mountain was not far enough away for her. Another one lay in the distance. She would go over that one before even thinking of stopping.

And so she found herself in her small make-shift shack on a bed of tattered cloth, in labor and wishing it would end. When the pain subsided she smiled. Her child would be born free as she had promised herself. Nothing else mattered.

A new wave of pain washed over her. The baby was coming. Blood lay all around her on the floor. Her screams would have been heard by anyone for miles around. Another lull in the pain. She looked down. It's a boy. He's here. With the final bit of strength left to her, she grabbed the bit of cloth that she'd been harboring against this day and wrapped the boy in it. She brought him to her chest and hugged him.

She lay back her head and closed her eyes, never to open them again.

*~*

The child had been born completely aware of its surroundings. Not once uttering a single sound as his mother had taken her last breath. It would be the last thing that she would do for him. He knew who she had been and her full history but felt nothing. She was there to deliver him, nothing more. His small legs stiffened a little as he heard a noise from the front of the shack.

A lone jackal was working its way into the hovel, no doubt lured by the smell of the blood that lay all around him. He looked at it - _You and your brothers, are all mine to rule_. He sent out his awareness towards it; the jackal falling onto its haunches as it was assailed by the tiny creature, never standing a chance.

Within days the baby was being looked after by dozens of jackals. Each of them protecting and feeding him. His body transforming within weeks into a child. Within the space of a year, he was out hunting with the rest of the pack and holding his own. A grown man well over six feet in height with the ability to kill his prey with a simple thought.

*~*

It was into his second year of life that they had come across the hooded figure.

Out hunting one night, the pack had sent out a mental warning to the others. _Danger_. They had all but screamed. Not once since he had come into his full growth had the pack been even worried in any way. With a leader as powerful as him they felt invincible. Nothing could touch them. That the pack was warning about danger gave him pause for a moment. This animal would have to be very powerful to scare them like it had. He eased his way towards the place where the figure was, keen to get a better look at it before killing it.

From the cover of a large bush, he studied it.

Dressed in black with a hood covering its head. The same size as he was. Nothing remarkable about it at all, except for the dark swirling colors surrounding it. Most of his prey had only some lighter colors that would fade when he killed them. These colors, however, held power. There was no other word for it.

No options here.

His pack had been right in their assessment, this thing was dangerous. As a hunter, the child knew that hesitation never gave you the results you were after. He would strike now before his prey even knew he was there. The child sent out its most powerful blast. One that would destroy his prey.

The figure hunched closer to the fire that it had built before it as the full impact of the child's blast hit it. He shrugged his shoulders and stretched out his hands towards the heat of the fire. "Not bad for someone with no training," the quiet voice said, "Let me show you how it should be done though." stretching one of its hands out towards where the child lay hidden and clicked its fingers.

The dark power that the child could see surrounding the figure blew outwards from the click in an ever-expanding circle. He covered his ears. Every single member of his pack had screamed out at the same time in yowls of pain. It had brought him to his knees. As quickly as it had come, it went silent. For the first time, the child could hear none of his pack. He sent out his thoughts around the surrounding area.

Nothing. A complete blank. His pack was gone. Still on his knees and reeling from the complete silence that he was not accustomed to, he had failed to notice that the figure now stood before him, reaching one of his hands down to lay upon the child's head, "Now you truly are alone, jackal. My Jackal." With that, the child found itself transported. Away from the only life he had ever known.

*~*

Time passed and the child now known as Jackal knew nothing but pain.

The master would appear unannounced at different times and would unleash pain upon him. In the beginning, the child had thought that the master was just having fun with him. Breaking him over and over again until he could no longer stand, at which point the master would just disappear and leave him in the darkness once more.

He had thought himself so powerful before the master had come. Now, he wished nothing else but for the misery and pain to come to an end. His mind as shattered as his body.

The Jackal's mind went beyond the point of caring. The Master would tire of this game sooner or later and kill him. Better to go out on his own terms, however small they were. He knelt down, bowed his head low and waited, feeling a little like the hunter that he had been before the Master had come. One way or another, the pain would end.

The Master appeared from nowhere once more, studying the inert form of Jackal. He narrowed his eyes.

Without so much as moving a muscle, the Jackal unleashed his power, identical to the first attack he had made upon the Master and hoping that this time, he was unprepared for it. The Master took half a step backwards as the Jackal's blast hit. He caught himself and strode forward, a huge smile on his face, "Finally Jackal. The true learning can now begin!" And disappeared.

Everything fell into place in the Jackal's mind then. The Master had been trying to teach him all this time. Pain accompanied failure. Do well and there was no pain! Next time the Master showed up, he would study how the power was weaved and throw it all back at the Master.

*~*

Years passed and his training continued. His Master's lessons were never learned from a book or spoken aloud. Each lesson built upon a foundation of pain and struggle. The quicker each was figured out, the less the pain inflicted. The power that the Jackal now held within him was like comparing the power of a star against a candle. He laughed when he thought back to the start. _He could have killed me without a second thought back then and I thought I'd been so powerful_. Now he truly understood himself. _I am an extension of the Master. His will is my own._

_This is the reason for those lessons though,_ the Jackal thought to himself. _Nothing can be done now that hasn't already been done._ He had endured the endless days on the rocky, barren planet he was on. Digging small wells in the sand, topped off with a little bit of canvas provided enough liquids for his body to survive. The Master was thorough. His power had returned over the first few days. Survival was the point during those first hours. Regeneration came next.

And now, it's time to get back to work. This is one failure that the Master will never allow and the pain of the past would be nothing compared to what he will inflict on me if I fail.

Gathering the power back under his control again, he transported himself back to where he'd come from. The most logical place to pick up the trail of the failed one. This time, there won't be any surprises.

*~*

Jonah's notebook lay on the kitchen table in front of Ren. An untouched cup of tea sitting at her elbow. For the past two hours, she had sat engrossed by the short notes in the book. Snippets of a much larger story lay before her. Some of the notes actually tying up with the story that Hunter had told her in the coffee shop. Once more her thoughts wandered back to her daughter. Bonnie. _What has any of this got to do with you my darling?_ She sighed once more, the tears no longer forthcoming. Dry, wretched sounds coming from her throat, she bent over and put her head on the table in front of her as the physical pain of her missing daughter once more washed over her.

Completely caught up in her own misery, Ren failed to realize the subtle shift in the temperature of the room.

Her eyes were still clamped shut as the mist materialized behind her in the living room. A dark red mist, that swirled around a robed figure, until the figure had become material. Her shoulders were heaving with silent tears as the Jackal strode across the living room, towards the open door of the kitchen.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, not realizing that the very act of her lifting her head had played right into the Jackal's hands. She was lost in her mind with images of her daughter as the Jackal quickly leant forth and placed one hand under her chin and the other around the back of her head, jerking them apart.

The smile of her daughter's memories still etched on her face, Ren fell sideways off her chair. _Actions always leave a much better impression than words, his Master had taught him that._ _It will put the failed one off balance when he comes after me and an enemy that is off balance is easily toppled._

Deep, guttural laughter came out of his mouth as he vanished, leaving behind enough details for the failure to follow, where he would finish him off, once and for all.

*~*

Hunter looked around him at the contents of the small room that they had materialized in. Not much larger than his living room, decorated with a funny-looking rune on the floor. The infamous 5A; where he'd been caught in the trap last time.

He studied the rune closer, understanding how it worked. With nothing powering it up though it just sat there like a nice piece of art, albeit on the ground rather than hanging on a nice canvas on the wall. Easy to see how one would miss it, he thought there's only a very subtle difference between a rune that is a portal and one that is a prison. You'd need to be looking out for it to notice.

Upon arriving, Michael had gone straight over to the writing desk. Scattered papers were strewn all over it. _Even though this room is as private as you can get, you still felt the need to have an even deeper hiding hole, my old friend. What were you working on that made you that paranoid? And what was it that made you cast aside your vow of commitment to The Five and help me escape?_

While Michael was busy rummaging through the notes left behind on Jonah's desk, Hunter had been looking more at the runes on the floor, "There's something not quite right about this Michael."

Michael looked over at Hunter, surprised that he had seen the trap within the runes. "Yep. A subtle change in the way the runes are drawing power and they turn into a trap rather than a portal."

"No. Not that. That was easy to see." He paused, "there's something... else. Something not quite right." He looked over at Michael, "look into the middle of the rune and tell me what you see."

Michael looked closer at the spot that Hunter had told him to. The middle rune was always made up of the sign for D'HarmaSan. This was no exception. "I don't see what you mean, Hunter. That rune is the symbol for..."

"I know what it is Michael." Hunter interrupted him. "Try to make your eyes unfocused while looking at it."

Michael looked over at Hunter surprised by the interruption and even more confused about the fact that Hunter seemed to know all this stuff. He moved his eyes back towards the central rune and tried to un-focus his eyes whilst still being able to see it. Like a mirage in a desert, a smaller rune swam through his vision, circling the original. He took a step back, looking over at Hunter, confused.

"What you're seeing there is an ancient rune Michael. Centuries old. Essentially, it's a portal within a portal. I have no idea where your friend learned about it, regardless", he reached out and took Michaels' hand, "We follow the trail."

Hunter's voice floated into his consciousness as they floated through the nothing to get to their destination. "Your friend would not have had the power to generate that rune, Michael. I can only guess here but I think that the rune on the floor in that room was created long before he took up residence there. I can't even imagine how he knew about it. Perhaps he came across something in one of those scrolls he was deciphering. Either way, it makes no difference. He seemed to think that there was something underneath the catacomb and I intend to find out what it is."

Michael took it all in with no reply. He agreed with Hunter's assessment of the ability of Jonah. Whilst without peer, his internal powers were lacking. He may have known about a hidden rune by reading about it. Nothing else fit. But if it was put there by someone else, who had done so and for what reason? They would only find out once they investigated. Nothing else for it I guess.

Michael prepared himself as they materialized in a much darker room, ready to throw up a shield around them both unsure of what to expect. He lowered his hands realizing that Hunter had beaten him to the task. Michael looked over at Hunter with something akin to awe on his face. He was still without an aura that Michael could see and yet the control and sheer power under his command astounded him.

Yesterday he looked ready to lose his mind when he first saw me. Today, I'm actually a little bit scared of him. From what I've seen so far, he'd snuff me out like a candle if he wished.

It was something that they would need to discuss once they had time to catch up.

*~*

The room they'd transported into was the same size as the one they had just left. That's where the similarities ended, however; with this room being covered in millions of individual runes, each one linked to the next. The power that was being put forth from the room was immense. A physical force. It felt good; it felt right.

Michael breathed deep, it felt cleansing. A cleansing that went deep into his soul. "I could easily live here forever." he murmured to himself.

Hunter looked over at Michael with a knowing smile. "That, would make sense." He ignored Michael's questioning look and moved over to place his hand on the runes on the wall. "Peaceful. Whoever created this place truly understood themselves. This," he added waving his hand around the room, "is but an extension of its creator."

"It just feels... right. There's no other words for it. Like I'm home." Michael said. One rune on the wall caught his eyes, he walked over and caressed it, tracing the outline "this is a copy of one of the runes I have tattooed on my shoulder, I just don't remember when or how..."

Michael's eyes rolled back in his head and his body went limp.

Hunter caught him in his arms just as he was about to hit the floor and laid him down on his back. "It's time to come back to us now, Michael. No more hiding. We need you... Bonnie needs you."

Michael felt himself falling but never reached the ground. He felt like he was floating on the air itself. The room he was in was still the same with some minor differences. Hunter was no longer present with him and every rune drawn in the room was filled with power. He could feel it all. _I've never seen this before and yet, it somehow all feels familiar._ He forced himself upright and looked around him closer.

The rune he'd first noticed was thrumming harder than the others. Like it's waiting for something to release it. He reached out his hand and traced the outline of it once more with his index finger. Small streaks of contained lightning flickered around it as he traced the full outline. Strange, I didn't notice that the first time I did it. Looking around him at the rest of the room a sudden thought struck him, _this room is in two different planes at the same time. The first room sits on the same plane as the rest of the universe, this part here is just slightly shifted upwards a little. A slight variation in the vibrations would make it almost impossible for anyone to get access to. The perfect hiding place I guess. In plain sight but totally removed at the same time! There must be something important here or whoever built this would never have spent the time and energy required to do this._

He stepped backwards towards the center of the room, his eyes never leaving the rune. _And somehow, you are the catalyst._

Kneeling down, he concentrated all his will and thoughts on the rune. No sooner had he knelt down than the rune flared to life. A brilliant white light shot out from within it. Like a laser it homed in on the kneeling Michael, striking him with a powerful force that would have brought him to his knees if he hadn't already done so.

The world around him shrunk as the room disappeared from his view. His entire being had drawn itself into the light and nothing else mattered. The visions began...

Memories coursed through his mind and consciousness.

Moments from when he was young and scared on a distant planet; _hopelessness mixed in with pure hope._

Hope based on nothing but faith...

Finding his brothers... banding together,

The religious persecution.

His body arched back and convulsed as centuries worth of memories flooded straight back into his mind without remorse.

The Brethren... Uriel, Raphael & Gabriel... The training... The Goddess D'HarmaSan...

Sweat stood out on Michaels face. The feelings of centuries of life raging within his body. The joy, mixed with the sadness... Ecstasy & hopelessness, Pleasure & Pain... The ebb and flow of life, two sides of the coin, each reliant on the other for survival.

He sat up and gasped aloud. The final memories that had gone through his mind had been of his brother Gabriel and the fight with D'HarmaSan. _Mother!_ He screamed into the abyss of his mind; _you sacrificed yourself for me_! Opening his eyes, he looked around him. Hunter was there holding one of his hands. Tears were falling down his cheeks.

Hunter sat there holding Michaels' hand. There was nothing to say. This was something he would have to work through himself. All he could do was offer support and whatever little comfort his presence gave. He had understood the truth of who Michael was when he had gone through his own understanding, just as he'd known Michael would soon come to a consolidation point soon an unveiling of the truth. He sat there and waited for the tsunami of emotions washing over Michael to subside.

Time passed as Michael centered himself again. Hunters' physical contact had made it a lot easier for him. He stood up. _Centuries of intense emotions all gathered in moments within my consciousness,_ he thought _No wonder people choose to forget_.

Hunter watched Michael as he stood up. No evidence left of the person he had been. His aura shone, white and pure, his demeanor a rock of hope. His eyes had become even clearer than they had been, almost translucent. Vast knowledge held within them. The dark robe which he'd worn was now white, lined with hundreds of stitched runes, also in white.

Gone was the Watcher and lapdog of the Five. In his place stood Michael, The Protector.

Hunter gave Michael a lopsided grin, "I take it you're now back with us once more?"

The answering voice was Michael's but slightly deeper, more in control. Somehow more present than it had been, "Sometimes the protector must protect himself Hunter. That is behind us now though. The next phase begins. Battles will be fought. Some we win, others we don't. The war itself however, is far from over." He walked a small circle stretching his shoulders and limbering his arms.

Looking back at Hunter he added, "It's time to take the battle back to Gabriel."

"And the sword? Any ideas on where we can find it?"

"The Sword, Hunter was never lost. It was always in plain sight." Michael took two strides and placed his hands on Hunter's shoulders, looking him deep in the eyes, he added " _I am The Sword!_ "

*~*

Hunter sat on the pavement awash in a sea of red and blue flashing lights. It hadn't taken long for the fire brigade to reach Ren's apartment block. By the time they got there the whole building had been alight, with little chance of it being put out. He looked up at the flaming inferno before him. _My fault._ He thought to himself. _I completely lost control._

Michael and he had parted ways after their trip to find the missing sword. Michael to search out Julian and get whatever information he could from him. Hunter had been eager to get back to Ren. His happiness at being reunited with Ren shattered the moment he'd appeared in the apartment and had seen Ren's broken body on the floor. He'd rushed over to her knowing she was no longer alive, yet unwilling to believe it. The extinguished aura telling him otherwise.

He'd picked her up and cradled her body to his, the tears flowing down his cheeks, anguish and pain etched on his face. He hadn't even realized it when he picked her up and took her to the living room, lying her on the coach, he'd returned to the kitchen once more. Trying to figure out what had happened. The trail had been easily detected. _Sneaking in from behind her, like a coward._

Two notes had stood apart from the rest of the mess on the kitchen table. One written by Ren herself. Scribbled words and doodles whilst she had been reading through the notebook no doubt. In amongst them the words _Love Hunter? & Yes_, like a teenagers dreamy writing. The note he held in his hand.

The other note had been scrawled in a completely different type of writing. Hunter had understood it regardless.

A short, taunting note. On reading it he had felt the inferno of rage build up inside him.

Losing all control and without thought, it built up and exploded like a volcano outwards from him. The kitchen was incinerated in an instant, the rest of the apartment had been alight before his awareness even knew of it.

Nothing was left of what was once Ren's apartment. The entire floor wiped out in a moment, including the body of Ren herself. Hunter came back to his senses. The maniacal rage spent almost as quickly as it had built within. He looked around and realized that nothing would be salvaged apart for the two notes he held in his palm.

He willed himself out of the building.

Fire engines could already be heard in the distance. In these days of extreme terrorism a blast like this would not go unnoticed for long.

He found himself across the street, staring at the inferno. The previous heat of rage replaced by an eerie calm in his heart. The rest of his body though, was the pure, frozen iciness of calculated purpose. He looked down at the note in his hand once more, in control now.

Your Bitch Is Dead. Come & Face Me Failure. You're next.

~ Jackal

The Dog would pay.

*~*

Michael cloaked his essence in a wave of emptiness. No one would know of his presence. He collected himself and sent forth his awareness through the citadel, searching for Julian.

As he had expected, Julian's presence was sitting within the plane that the Council had once presided from, sitting on the main pillar. The respect he had once held for Julian was long gone. Studying the darkness of his aura, he searched for any hints of Gabriel or Bonnie. _Nothing_ , he thought _not one single iota of anything to do with either of them. He's nothing but a pawn in this game. An unknowing pawn._ Death would come to him because of it, unknowing or not.

A small stirring in his essence made Michael stop. _Something else._ He shifted his perceptions slightly, and the room came alive with darkness.

Behind Julian sat The Jackal. The evil darkness coming off him in waves washing all across the room. Hiding the other twenty Watchers were there with him. _They're waiting for me. How could they know I'm even here?_ He probed a little further. Still no thoughts about Bonnie or Gabriel had come to the fore.

Michael withdrew his probing and sat back to think things through. He'd easily found out that they were waiting for him to show. _Could Gabriel have somehow sensed his presence and orchestrated this little trap? It didn't fit, if Gabriel was behind it, there'd be some resonance there. And if it was Gabe why hasn't he shown himself? Surely that would be the best bait to get me to commit?_

Julian and The Jackal were evil, true but they would easily keep until they had freed Bonnie. If Gabe was there though, his thinking may have been different. For now, he kept only a touch of his awareness on the room, waiting for Hunter to return with Ren.

*~*

Hunter sat back staring off at nothing.

Any trace of emotion that had built within him since knowing Ren, had been totally obliterated, replaced with an icy cold hatred.

He thought about the original plan he had made with Michael. Come, collect Ren and take her back to the secret room. Safe from any harm. _Stupid me. In all the running around I completely forgot about the Jackal. So damn proud of myself after taking care of that other devil. I felt like nothing could touch us. Like we were back in control of things. And now, you're dead Ren. What do I tell Bonnie when I get back... if I get her back? What kind of life will she have without you there?_

He closed his eyes and sighed, _the original plan was good at the time and is still the right course now, albeit without being able to take you to safety Ren. I'll go meet up with Michael and together we'll free Bonnie from her cage._

He looked skyward, _but I promise you this Ren. Once Bonnie is safe, all bets are off. Those dogs will pay for what they've done. Even if it costs me my life!_
Chapter 9

The Prince Consort stood in thought before the girl. His plans for her had gone into disarray from the first instant she'd been transported to the cave. The secret, dark fantasies it had harbored for centuries within itself failed to come to fruition. It frowned in annoyance. No matter what kind of attack they tried on the field, it was unyielding. Pure white radiance continued to swirl around her. Almost like a clone of the barrier above. The frown deepened as it thought back to those times.

The robed ones had appeared out of nowhere it had seemed and begun their destruction of the Brethren's world. Many of his own minions and drones had obliterated over the course of that struggle. Not that it mattered that much to him.

The Queen always provided him with more of them on command. None of the other Brethren understood how things truly worked now; that she was enthralled by the Prince himself and had no will of her own. He had kept it that way for centuries, waiting for the right time to mount an all-out attack that would place him at the head of his world.

And then they'd shown up, and it was all he could do to keep his own head above water. He had had to put centuries of careful planning on hold when the robed ones had shown themselves. He lifted his face towards the ceiling, feeling the weight of the dreaded barrier even through the tons of rock above his head.

Nowhere near as strong as it had been in the beginning, its power dwindling. Soon he could begin his true conquest. The robed ones themselves had shown him that there was more to take advantage of than just his own little world. A whole universe out there, filled with millions upon millions of worlds - all waiting for him to take advantage of them.

Striding off towards his waiting Queen he sent a mental command to the drones. Behind him, the sound of the attack against the force exploded. Many of the drones falling dead. It didn't matter to the Prince. The Queen would provide him with more.

*~*

Michael broke out his thoughts as Hunter materialized within the room, alone. A puzzled look crossed his features, "Where's Ren?"

Hunter crossed the room to where Michael sat. Putting his back against the wall he allowed his body to slide downwards until he was sitting on the floor. He hung his head downwards, arms draped over his knees. Eyes closed as if he was trying to shut out the rest of the world. "She's dead Michael." he said in a quiet voice.

Michaels head came up on hearing the news, his eyes becoming intense and staring straight at Hunter, "What? But..."

Hunter raised his head and stared right back into Michaels' eyes. Hard, cold eyes bore into his face, a stark contrast to the dejected state of the rest of his body. "My fault. I thought we were being so damn brilliant. Instead, all I did was to get her killed. I shouldn't have left her alone." He reached into his pocket and took out the note that the Jackal had left behind, passing it to Michael. "I thought she was safe dammit! Once I got rid of that demon she should have been OK. Instead, my own stupidity got her killed. How the Hell did I forget about the other lunatic?" Hunter took a deep breath, calming his shattered nerves a little, "At least I know who did it. I have no idea why it's so damn personal with him and I don't care. If it's a damn fight he wants, a damn fight is what I'll give him and this time I won't be playing nice."

Michael straightened the note that Hunter had passed him. His eyes shut with the pain that coursed through his body, tears forming in the corners. He forced them open and re-read the note again before taking the edges of the note and folding it.

The grief and sorrow he was feeling on hearing about Ren mixed in with an intense hatred now. He reached out his hand and placed it over Hunter's fist. Understanding a little of what the man must be feeling.

"No Hunter. Not your fault." He paused for a heartbeat then added, "This message was meant for me."

*~*

A smile split that face of the Prince.

Since the absolute disaster that had befallen them last time, he had spent a lot of time studying the barrier, straining to understand how it worked. It was the reason he'd been able to send the Kraxus through. Some of the other parts of the puzzle he'd been able to use. One of those measures was now active. The tingling just behind the nape of his neck was clear a sign that something out of the ordinary had happened. He looked towards the setting sun, its brightness dimmed and tinged with the green glow that still kept them trapped. The time was fast approaching when its power would be done. He hoped this signaled the beginning of it.

Looking towards the slanted tree next to him at one of his lesser drones, he sent a quick mental command to the bat-like creature. Dark leathery wings which had been furled against its body as it hung upside down from a branch awaiting darkness flapped silently as it flew off. Its silent flight would ensure that the Prince would know what had broken through the barrier and onto the planet. He sat down to wait. Patience was something he had learned the hard way. He sent out his awareness and took command of the drone.

The sandy valley below whipped past as it gathered speed. The nocturnal Brethren were just emerging from the resting places they used during the day.

Normally it wouldn't be out flying quite so early but the command of the Prince was not something it could ignore even if it had wanted to. Compelled, it headed straight towards where the dreaded star was just now disappearing from view, spurred on by the awareness of the Prince within its mind. The destination didn't seem to be that far off, at least not with the speed it could achieve. Once it was closer, it would slow down to allow it to be totally undetectable by whatever prey it was that they were chasing. It flew on.

For another hour it flew on, steady on its path. The presence of the Prince ensuring that it hadn't been distracted by any of the things that would normally consume its awareness, feeding on lesser Brethren.

It had easily spotted two mantaree's on its journey. On any other night, the bat would have slowed down and circled above, waiting for the right time to gather speed and swoop down. It would have extended its claws and scratched deep into the soft patch on the top of the mantaree's skull, releasing its poison before moving out of range. The poison would work its way through their system within minutes, leaving them arched back lying on the floor, completely immobilized. That's when it would feed. The meat of the body fueling its own and the essence of its being getting merged in with the bats. The pure terror and pain they felt as they were devoured alive making the Bat feel invincible. That pleasure would have to wait tonight. The Prince came first.

It slowed down on the silent command of the Prince and began a wide-ranging circle, completely silent to anything below. It concentrated its vision on the earth below. No colors swirled anywhere. Complete darkness. The bat felt the confusion of the Prince. He'd been expecting something here. On silent wings, it began a circling descent to where the Prince wanted, watching every inch below to see what was happening.

The Prince looked on seeing everything that the drone could see within his mind. He could detect nothing from the patch of earth below but something had tripped the alarm he'd set. No Brethren would have registered here, the vibrations needed to trigger it went beyond what any of them were capable of. For the second time that day he frowned in annoyance and commanded the drone to drop all the way to the earth, regardless of what lay in store. It caught a fleeting sense of fear from the drone that was quickly extinguished, its power nowhere near a match for the Prince.

The drone retracted its wings and pulled its talons back against its own body, gathering full speed as it descended towards the earth below. As yet nothing registered within the Prince. When it was about ten feet off the ground it brought it wings out to their full length and extended its clawed feet, raising dust in all directions as it settled on the floor, twisting its head first one way and then the other.

Again nothing! The Prince was annoyed. Just as he reached forth to destroy the drone in his rage, a great cry of pain erupted in his head. Quickly taking back control of the drone, he caught its final moments as its life-force faded away, a figure walking away from the drone towards the shadows. Dressed completely in black with no sense of power coming off it. _Impossible!_ The Prince thought to himself, _The Dark One has returned and yet the barrier is still up!_

*~*

Hunter walked off from the demon bat he had just killed.

He had ensured that he was totally cloaked upon first transporting here. And then he'd waited. Sooner or later one of the Brethren would come close enough for him to find out whether his invisibility was complete or not. It hadn't taken long for Hunter to see the bat circling overhead. He watched as it circled, waiting to see if it would detect him.

Without warning, the demon had begun a dive towards the ground.

For one fleeting moment Hunter thought he'd been detected and was almost about to blast it with his power, until he noticed that it wasn't aimed at him but rather a good twenty meters away. He stayed his hand and watched as the bat-like creature landed on the floor, looking around for any signs of danger. He eased himself around it. It had sensed something but the cloak he'd woven had at the least, confused it. He smiled. It would be a simple matter to blast the thing into nothing but doing so may alert any other Brethren that may be in the area. Instead, he quickly leapt forward and twisted the demons neck, snapping it in two. It would be dead far quicker than it deserved. Hunter walked away- _quicker than some of the others will die that's for sure._

*~*

Hunter looked skywards towards the dim green light of the barrier above. It still amazed him to think that such a subtle thing could have kept the Brethren imprisoned on this planet for so many centuries. He wondered whether he would have been able to sacrifice himself the same way, unable to picture doing so.

He was coming to the end of his second day amongst the Brethren, trying to learn as much as he could about the Prince Consort and the Queen. _I'll only get one shot at this,_ he thought _Best make sure I cover as much as I possibly can._

He'd walked to the east after his encounter with the bat-like demon, taking in every nuance of where he was.

He'd become confident that the cloak surrounding him was operational. The sandy terrain beneath his feet had turned into a rich red-colored moss under his feet.

Different smaller life forms had buzzed through the air, like giant mosquitoes paying no attention to him. Kneeling down, he'd run his hands over the moss trying to get a feel for everything around him. His senses perked. The moss at his feet was not just alive like other plants but also held an inkling of thought. Simple thoughts as they were, they still surprised him. He stood up and shifted his awareness a little.

The land surrounding him was shrouded with a misty, pink glow. It flowed over and around everything he saw from the moss at his feet all the way through the pink-red clouds in the sky. The only parts not uncovered were a small space around him.

As if it was a sentient thing, the mist avoided him. He looked skywards. The green barrier was being pounded by the mist. Huge cyclonic swirls of red mist thrust upwards like a tornado, to end with a green flash of light and dissipate. It was strange to think that a battle of immense proportions had been waging over his head and he'd not felt a thing. _I'm surprised that the barrier has lasted this long considering the amount of damage that it must be taking._ Moving forwards with renewed purpose, he stepped towards the small copse of trees in the distance.

*~*

For the past hour he had sat enthralled at the view below him.

Sitting atop a large boulder, he'd watched as the brightly colored bird had sat on the edges of the river bed, chirping. Reds, blue, green and yellow feathers had floated through the air as it dove into the shallows, splashing around. Its song loud and endless, like it was enjoying itself without a care in the world. A second bird had quickly joined the first as if enchanted, both of them creating havoc and having fun. It was the first bit of joy that Hunter had come across in this bleak land and he wanted to study it further.

It hadn't taken long for the thrilling sounds to attract others. Hunter had sensed them easing their way through the trees. Three of them in total. Hairless, their sinewy bodies looked like snakes that had grown arms and legs. Tongues darting out of the thin mouths every once in a while, testing the surrounding air. They stood there watching the birds for a few moments. With an unspoken signal, each had crouched down and disappeared. Hunter frowned and looked closer. _Not disappeared, they're blending in with the surroundings, like chameleons_. Each of them had slithered over the ground on their bellies, moving away from the others and taking up positions surrounding the two birds, which were still chirping away and playing, not realizing the danger that they were in.

Hunter had been tempted to create some kind of warning for the birds. This world desperately needed more of this joy but he had forced himself not to interfere. His goal was to take out the Prince and the Queen, not save some birds. So he sat and watched.

The snake creatures had moved in closer around the birds, which had settled down on the edge of the bank, still chattering away. Without warning, the snakes had reared up and pounced upon the birds. Feathers flying in every direction. The chirping had stopped as the hunters went to work on devouring their prey. Hunter shook his head and was about to move on when something strange caught his eye.

The feathers that had been floating in the air had all settled back down to the ground, in an exact circle around the three snakes, glowing. One creature within the circle lifted its head and the forked tongue slithered out of its mouth, tasting the air. It whirled quickly and took two steps backwards, agitated. The others looked up, sensing its distress. As one, all three of the snakes bounded off as quickly as their legs allowed. The light surrounding the feathers had grown so bright that Hunter had to shade his eyes to see what was happening. As if they were one, all the feathers launched themselves to where the three snakes were scrambling up the side of the small incline. Each single feather on target like an arrow, piercing the snakes' skin with ease.

Hunter watched the fallen snakes, fascinated.

Each one was covered in hundreds of pulsing feathers. He looked closer with revulsion. The feathers were leeching the blood out of their victims. Tiny tendrils of red working their way through the veins in each feather. _Redemption truly doesn't seem possible for this species_ , he thought _when even the smallest of things on this planet is prey or hunter._

Hunter forced his mind back on the present. Standing up, he looked down the hill towards the entrance to the miles of tunnels which housed the Prince and the Queen. It hadn't taken him long to find out the location, every single mind that he had probed during the past two days knew where this lay, the place that caused the most dread and fear amongst them all. A place to be avoided at all costs. Small tendrils of laser like mist beams crisscrossed the entire plateau. An early warning system for the Prince, no doubt. _You may have the entrance up here covered pretty well, but just how far does your coverage go Prince?_ He looked down at his feet, feeling the empty spaces deep in the earth below. _Let's see if your alarm system catches me from this far out!_

Concentrating on himself, he willed himself downwards into the waiting tunnels below.

*~*

The Prince laid its clawed talon on the Queens head, willing her to produce more warriors. Over the past two days she had given him an army of fully grown battle drones. Seeing the Dark One through the eyes of the bat drone had sent him running down to the cavern where the Queen lay. It had always been his intention to create the army once the barrier had weakened further. Now he had been forced to change those plans. It was not something that he was accustomed to doing and it had made him even more irritated than usual.

With the Queen producing his army as quickly as she could, he'd gone to the deeper chambers where the girl was held. He disposed of the drones that had been working at weakening the barrier, inhaling their power to augment his own. The girl was now a lower priority to him. The dreaded Dark One now consuming his entire thoughts. The girl would keep. Taking one last look at the chamber, the Prince created a solid wall around the entire structure, making it almost invisible to everyone and headed back towards the chamber that housed the Queen to await the coming of the Dark One.

*~*

Hunter had materialized in one of the many tunnels that wove their way through the underside of the mountains. He could sense the Queen but the Prince went undetected. _Strange_ , he thought _I would have expected the opposite to be the case._

He pushed the thought aside. It made no difference to him. Both would lay dead before he was finished.

He moved off down the tunnel towards the steady pull of the Queens' life-force that he could feel, only a few hundred meters away. With the death of their Queen, the Brethren should fall apart.

Hunter paused before the opening to the cavern which housed the Queen. So far he hadn't come across anything resembling security around her. Powerful wards crossed the air in front of him but they didn't seem to be any protection for her against him, they'd been engineered to cloak her presence from other Brethren. Keeping to the many shadows that surrounded the room, he entered. No one stirred.

The huge body of the Queen lay in the middle of the room. Her body was like a giant ant. Like the rest of the Brethren, she was red in color. Three parts made up her body, all covered in tiny red fur. The antennae on her head easily two meters long. Her six legs looking withered, bent below her body. Thousands of embryonic sacs lay behind her, ready for their time to hatch and she was producing more. With a tiny almost human-sounding groan, another sac come out from behind her.

Almost instantly, two of the Brethren that were behind her leaped forwards and dragged the sac to where the others were, making room. Already the Queen had groaned again like she was about to produce another one.

Hunter looked around the cavern again, ensuring that the two drones and Queen were the only ones here. It made little sense. That many Brethren being birthed in such a short time would annihilate this planet. Something else must be going on. He sent his awareness further down to the caves behind the Queen. Millions upon millions of fully formed Brethren lay in wait within the confines of their embryonic cocoons. Every single one awaiting the mental command of their Queen to hatch.

_She's making an army_ , Hunter thought to himself. _But an army against what? There's no one on this planet that comes even close to her power, not to mention that without her the Brethren would need another Queen to reproduce and only the Queen can produce another..._ Maybe the centuries of being contained had warped how the Brethren thought.

He made one final search of his surroundings before attacking. The combined might of Michael, Uriel and Raphael had not been enough to destroy the Queen the last time they'd met, even though they had caught her completely off guard. Something more drastic was needed this time around. It would be a complete destruction of every single part of her being. He breathed deep, taking as much concentrated power as he could hold inside him.

_This would be ugly, gory and excruciatingly painful, but it falls upon a handful of us to do what others won't. To walk the paths of darkness in service to the light_. Eyes squinting as he concentrated his entire being on the task, Hunter unleashed the full fury of his essence into the prone body of the Queen, pulling back to himself, readying for the offensive onslaught that would follow.

Hunter looked around cavern, bewildered. Nothing attacked.

The two drones stood rock still in the same positions that they had held, looking like they were just waiting for the Queen to lay the next egg. Weird! He looked over to the shattered remains of the Queen, dead. He'd vented his power into every part of her body and quickly retreated into himself.

He watched as the Queens' body had convulsed and shaken for a moment, each internal body part had exploded within and yet she hadn't sent out any kind of mental warning to any of the Brethren. It sounded like she had given a sigh of relief at the end, just before she burst into millions of pieces. He sent his thoughts out towards where the embryos lay. Each of them stood as they had. Unharmed. With the death of their Queen, they should all have been destroyed and yet, each of them still lived, still awaited the command of the Queen.

The frown formed on Hunters' face once more. None of what had happened since his arrival was making any kind of sense.

*~*

Hunter peeked over the edge of the ledge that he was sitting on, darkness surrounding him. He'd just finished witnessing the revolting vision of the Prince below him. A group of demons knelt prostrated before him. The remains of others scattered around the floor. The kneeling ones just sat and waited as the Prince had made his way to stand before each of them. Taking their heads in his hands, he'd grabbed the tops of their heads and twisted it open to reveal the grey slushiness of the brain within.

A smile of satisfaction on his face as he seemed to savor the essence of each. He would then thrust his hands into the grey matter and jerk it free of the body, bloody and gore falling from the wounded bodies as they hit the floor. His mouth opened, and the jaws unhinged to allow him to place the full piece in his mouth, the brain slithering down its throat like a snake devouring its prey.

Hunter shifted his perception slightly to allow him to see the Princes' aura. As he had guessed, the feeding was not just to fuel his body; the Prince was filling up on the essence of the others, gathering more power with each passing moment. He would have to act soon before the Prince gathered more power.

Looking around the rest of the room, Hunter took stock of the Brethren that the Prince had surrounded himself with. Two of them stood close to the entry way, guarding the only entrance in. Another two stood behind the kneeling victims and two more stood with their backs against the wall of the cavern behind the Prince. All of them were identical in form to the Prince, albeit a slightly smaller version.

Bristling muscles on a human-like torso, each of them around six feet tall with a strong, thick, segmented tail that ended in what looked like a venomous stinger. Each of them armed with what appeared to be a spear, ending in a double-point, much like their stingers. Six bodyguards and the Prince himself. The shadows that I could see in the sacs that the Queen lay, all bore a similarity to the brethren below, Hunter thought to himself a veritable army of these creatures and all indications point to them being controlled by the Prince, not the Queen.

Hunter moved back into the shadows once more to think, his original plan of taking out the Queen and Prince no longer applicable. Something deeper was going on.

With the Queen dead, half the battle should be done. Instead, nothing had changed. The barrier overhead was quickly coming to the end of its life and the Prince appeared to be gathering an army together. Something larger was going on.

He would go onto the next part of his plan, freeing Bonnie and then get back to Michael to discuss what the next steps would be. He eased back into himself and sought Bonnies' presence again.

It looked like she was still in the same place as earlier.

Hunter took one last peek over the ledge to ensure himself that everything was still the same. The drones were still on guard as the Prince was working his way through his meal. With another shudder, he moved himself into the cavern where Bonnie was held.

*~*

Hunter sat cloaked in the shadows of the cavern that held Bonnie. She still sat within the two spheres of power surrounding her, the initial white one surrounded by the red. The only difference now was that there were no longer any brethren trying to attack her.

This whole thing had started with Bonnie and yet here she sat, completely unguarded. Making sure that there were no hidden traps around, Hunter stepped forwards to get a closer look. He watched as the lines of power within the red sphere crackled and shook. Each little wisp draining away the source from the white sphere before shooting upwards towards the barrier outside, leaving behind it a long, slender thread back to the original source.

Somehow the Brethren had turned the power of the white sphere against the barrier itself. Looking closer, Hunter saw how easy it would be to break the red sphere apart and get access to Bonnie. Doing so however, would bring the barrier above completely undone.

He stepped back into the shadows once more. Looking around, he committed the cavern to memory. When he came back, he would not have to go hunting for her. For now, Bonnie would have to stay behind. _Sorry Ren, I will get her back. Just not right now._

*~*

It had taken most of the day since Hunter had returned to Michael upon Ren's death to convince him not to go after The Jackal. They'd argued back and forth, going over the same things time and again before Hunter had thrown his hands in the air and yelled at Michael "I can finish it now! I could have done it already if you'd just stop arguing. Jackal, Julian, the rest of them... and anyone else that gets in my way!"

"Of that I have no doubt Hunter!" Michael had screamed back at him. Dropping his voice to almost a whisper he added, "And that's the reason that I can't let you do this."

That final whisper had done what no amount of arguing and yelling had done all day. It brought Hunter to a complete stop. The rage inside him subsiding. "What do you mean?"

Michael sighed. Now that he had Hunters' attention "In your current state, and with your powers as they are, you could bring this whole citadel down around us without even leaving this room. I'm not worried about them doing anything to you, Hunter. I worry about what you doing this will do to you." He paused for a moment then added, "Sometimes we all need to do things that are not exactly right. Some call it the lesser of two evils. The choices that we make at these convergence points are very powerful. The wrong choice will lead you to your own destruction. What most people fail to see is that even making the right choice here but for the wrong reasons will also lead down the same path! The essence, emotions and power that we bring to these decisions weigh just as heavily as choosing the wrong way."

"I don't have so many brothers left Hunter that I can afford to lose another to a wrong choice."

Things had gone easier after that. They'd both sat back and worked out what they would do next. With the murderous rage of emotions coursing through Hunter's body at the moment, he would go to free Bonnie. Michael would see what he could do about The Jackal and Julian.

*~*

Julian sat back in his chair, sick of waiting. His eyes darted around the room once more. Twenty Watchers, each hiding in the shadows waiting for the failure. The Jackal sitting within the dark recess behind this very chair. He drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair again, scanning the room once more. Myself sitting here as bait. His fingers stopped drumming, not that I had much choice in that.

One moment he had been sitting in the chair dictating to the new group of four before him how they would be forming a new committee to oversee things, reporting to him and the next...

The next, the Jackal had appeared from nowhere, blasting the four individuals before him into nothing, trapping me in this damn chair and then transporting twenty other Watchers into the chambers, without even acknowledging me! The Master would be furious when he heard about this! Julian sighed and his fingers drummed against the arm of the chair again, The Master hasn't answered my calls since this all began. Not a sign from him at all.

The Jackal sat in the shadows behind Julian's chair. Doubts had formed in his mind about the failed one. Killing his woman and leaving the note should have flushed him out quicker than this. The Master had assured him that the failed one was not to be feared that he held minimal power and even less cunning. That the Master could be wrong did not even enter his thoughts. That thinking led down the painful path. It wasn't the Master who was wrong, he himself had underestimated the situation. More than once now if his failures of the previous days was anything to go by.

He hadn't even thought twice about using Julian as bait. The Master had been clear in his instructions, Do what is necessary to destroy the failed one. Sacrificing a pawn like Julian was not worth even a moment's notice. His eyes scanned the lines of power that he had weaved throughout the room. They all lay ready and fully charged. They would incapacitate the failed one as soon as his feet touched the ground in the room.

*~*

Michael stood in the middle of the room with no one being the wiser. He had willed himself into it but slightly out of phase with the rest. The surrounding traps would not spring unless he tripped them. He looked around himself. The Watchers were on guard, ready to pounce. He read their auras and sighed once more, every single one of them was dark. Was there no good people left in the citadel any longer? How could I have totally missed this for so long? He shifted his gaze back to Julian, seated in the chair. Gone was any semblance of the council member that he remembered. Worried lines raged across his face, the ever-present smile long gone.

He thought back to his parting words with Hunter, _Truly good people are always asked to do the things that others won't do. The lesser of two evils._ His gaze moved to the figure standing behind Julian, _although sometimes, the lesser of the two evils is actually something you look forward to doing._

He smiled to himself and got ready. The Jackals' trap was about to get sprung.

*~*

Total chaos erupted the moment that Michael moved back into sync with the rest of the room.

As one, every Watcher in the room had drawn their swords and quickly taken up positions around him. Michael smiled to himself noticing that the Jackal had not moved a muscle, thinking himself invisible to him. He would let him continue thinking that. He paused and looked around him to the Watchers. Stretching out his arm, his sword materializing in his hands before the startled enemy. He sent a small touch of his power through the sword, igniting it and making it look like it was aflame. The fear in the eyes of the Watchers well worth the effort. Even the Jackal flinched for a moment, he thought.

He slipped under the clumsy overhead swing of the first Watcher and plunged his sword into the one behind him, spinning around to snap the neck of the first. Before the others had even moved, he'd spun back around to reclaim his sword and turned back to face them. Ready for the next attack, a manic grin on his face.

The Jackal watched on, studying Michaels' movements as he took on the Watchers. There had been no doubt in his mind that Michael would take them all out that hadn't been their purpose, regardless. He had gathered them all here under that pretext, allowing them to think that he needed them. His only aim had been to determine the failed ones' strength. The strength and grace of his movements were a sight to behold. It had been easy to underestimate this one. For the first time that he could ever recall, he doubted the words of his master. He's much more powerful than you made out!

He watched on as Michael took two giant steps and rolled forwards, coming up between four of the stunned watchers. In one spinning swoop, he'd severed all four heads with the sword at the same time throwing two smaller triangle blades further out. Each blade flew into the throats of the unsuspecting watchers standing beyond the fray. Both dead before their bodies had hit the floor.

Within a minute of beginning, half of the Watchers lay dead before Michael.

The other watchers took a step backwards at the bloody onslaught, turning their eyes on each other. Fear evident on each face. One after the other they whirled away and disappeared from view, leaving the scene.

Michael looked around him ensuring that there were no other surprises waiting. When he was satisfied he turned and strode towards the seated Julian, sword extended. Placing the tip of his sword underneath his chin, he forced Julian's face up so that he could see his eyes. "I see the puppet but where's the puppet master?"

The Jackal stepped forwards out of the shadows dropping the surrounding cloak at the same time. Raising his own sword, he pointed it at Michael. Michael laughed and stared at the emerging form of the Jackal, "Did you really think yourself invisible there?" extending his sword towards the ready Jackal "I knew it all along."

The Jackal dipped his sword slightly and smiled, "The Master was right, you really aren't as smart or as good as you think you are."

Michael took a step towards the Jackal getting ready for the oncoming fight, "That remains to be seen."

The Jackals' sword dipped until the tip was actually touching the ground. He looked up at Michael and laughed, "It's already been proven."

Michael turned his head at the sound of a second voice behind him, "Even dumber than I initially thought as well." Before any thought even registered, he was hit from behind with force. Getting only a tiny glimpse of Gabriel before the darkness took him, "Welcome home, Brother."
Chapter 10

After leaving the world of the Brethren, Hunter had gone to the rendezvous point that Michael and he had initially agreed upon. The peaceful room where Michael had first come to understand himself - Michael's room, as they'd called it. He lingered there for what felt like an eternity waiting for Michael to show up and used the time thinking back to the events that had occurred.

_The Queen of the Brethren lay dead at his own hands. Her death should have sent shock-waves through_ _the entire species and yet nothing of the sort had occurred, not even the tiniest spasm had gone through the drones that were there in the cave with him. The drones themselves had not even lifted a finger to help their own Queen as he'd systematically destroyed her._

_The_ _Prince himself had been gorging on the life essence of those that had knelt before him, something that only the Queen should have been able to do._

_Bonnie still trapped even though the bubble of pure evil that had surrounded_ _was no longer present._

The army being created. An army that the planet itself could not sustain.

The Barrier holding back the joint might of the Brethren still in effect but nearly at the end of its tenure.

He'd continued to think on these things, over and over until finally, he had tired of his surroundings.

So now he found himself walking the dark streets of the city, senses fully alert and yet not truly seeing anything. Michael should have returned a long time ago so something must have gone wrong. Knowing the strength and inner steel that Michael had, he knew that both the Jackal and Julian should have been no match for him. Not even the assembled might of every other watcher on this plane should have stopped Michael from doing what needed to be done _._ Something must have gone _drastically_ wrong and the only unknown factor here was Gabriel.

Could Michaels brother had gotten involved? There'd been no sign of him that they'd felt. Yet, had he found out what was happening and got involved?

Too many questions with no answers. Ren's death had left a hollow part inside him. The knowledge that had come from the visions that the padre had shown him swirled through him. He had power. A power that was still developing within him. Not the same as Michaels', whose power shone brightly with colors. He showed not the slightest externally. _Inside though,_ he thought _it shines greater than any other I've seen._ He still didn't know what to make of it.

Thinking of his own power had ignited the flame of a small thought. _Padre Toby_! He'd been instrumental right from the start of this. Maybe he could shed further light on things. He stopped walking and for the first time took notice of his surroundings. Everywhere he looked his perceptions took in an overwhelming sense of nothingness bordering on becoming despair.

*~*

The constant clicks of the assistant's low heeled shoes resounded off the tiled foyer as Hunter accompanied her to where the padre was.

He had shown up to the institution to talk with padre Toby suspecting that they would not allow him in. The opposite had happened. Upon announcing himself at security, he'd been asked to sign in and wait while an assistant came to collect him. It didn't take long for one to show. With a brief greeting and hello she had asked him to follow her.

Instead of moving to the main lounge where he had met up with him before, they had ridden the elevator up to the top level of the building and gotten out. The attendant didn't meet his eyes or even acknowledge him in any way. Pausing at a closed door, she had tapped twice and opened it, motioning for Hunter to enter.

Hunter stepped through the door and into a modest office. A tiny desk sat in the heart of the room stacked high with charts and notes. A slight man had gotten to his feet on the other side of it. "Mr. Hunter? Please take a seat." he suggested, gesturing to the small chair in front of him, "I'm Dr Livingstone. The principal of this hospital."

Hunter wasn't certain what he had just stepped into so he didn't worry about correcting the doctor on the mistake of his name. Calmly he moved forward and took a seat facing the doctor as he did. He stood at around five feet four inches, a foot lower than Hunter himself. Tiny strands of long hair were raked over from one side of his scalp to the other in a fruitless try at masking up an altogether bald skull. Deeply etched lines across his face spoke of a life spent fretting about cases. The edges of a blue-collar peeked out from beneath the harsh white coat on which a stethoscope was still wrapped starting on one side of the coat, it wrapped across the collar of his neck and dropped loosely on the other. An intense crimson tie polished off the ensemble. Traditional doctor attire from what Hunter could see.

Doctor Livingstone flipped through a pile of folders in front of him, clearly looking for something. With a small satisfied _aha_ , he found the one he was after and extracted a small notebook. Looking up at Hunter with a small twinge of sadness in his eyes, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk.

"I'm sorry to have to inform you about this Mr. Hunter, but after you left us a few days ago, the good father slipped into a coma and has not awakened. We've been trying to get in contact with Ms Nia ever since without success."

Hunter had just been staring at the doctor as he'd spoken. No glimmer of any emotion passing his features. "Ms Nia?" he asked.

"Correct. Ms Ren Nia. She is recorded as the person we are to call in an emergency." The doctor sat back in his chair, then continued "Toby updated his information to include you as a second contact point, in case we could not reach Ms Nia. He was emphatic about it yesterday morning and wouldn't settle down until it had been done."

He leaned forward on his desk once more. Seemingly powerless to stay in one position too long, "He also gave precise instructions to the doctor who was working yesterday. This binder," he added, waving it at Hunter, "was to be handed over to _you_ , if anything unfortunate befell him."

Hunter took the notebook that the doctor had waved at him and rose. "Thank you, doctor. I'll let Ms Nia know about Toby. I appreciate your time." He retreated out of the office and wandered down the corridor mindful that the doctor's eyes were watching him the full way. In a slight daze, Hunter got out of the lift and departed the building. Heading down the road without noticing where he was heading.

Within moments he realized that he was following the same route the Ren & himself had taken to the coffee shop where they had had their one and only breakfast together, in what now seemed like a different life. He went in and took a seat at the corner booth as far away from the front door as possible. The same tired looking hostess from the previous morning made her way over to him, "Breakfast again today Hun?" she enquired.

Hunter gave a sad smile, "Perfect. Just for one today"

The waitress smiled back at him, "Back in a jiffy sunshine."

Hunter waited while the waitress moved back and poured him a coffee before taking out the notebook to read. It was packed with page after page of hand-printed notes by the Padre. He turned to the first page.

_Hunter. What follows here is a part of the story you weren't ready for earlier. My heart has broken over what has happened to Ren, she couldn't have been closer to me or nicer._ _I loved her_ _as if she was my daughter - more so. Please do not allow the blackness to collect within your own soul, too much of the world is at risk for that to happen and I know for a fact that Ren would not have wanted that._

For what it's worth, I was genuinely hoping that you two would have found a path to be together, Ren deserved a taste of light in her world & I feel you would have been ideal for her. That she cared for you, never doubt my friend. She showed that by allowing you to come and visit me. That was one vow I drew from her before approving myself to be confined.

Now, I beg of you. Read the following narrative. They are not the made-up ramblings of a psychopath as most would have you think. Consider me nothing more than a pen that is being wielded by mighty forces in our universe. The Goddess is absolute, and she lives yet if merely for the briefest of moments; as does Luxfer, for now. I have noted this tale as recited by Luxfer, others are what I recall about specific parts of my vision. I'm sorry I didn't have time to clean it up all nice for you. Time is something we are all lacking at the moment. While he is yet living, Luxfer appears to be in some kind of dream state. I hope you can discover answers in the pages that follow.

It begins when the Goddess came out of her century-deep introspection...

*~*

She had remained on one of the isolated planets meditating for the best part of a century. She could readily destroy the full planet but was loathe to do so. Every experiment has the potential to take you on an unexpected course with many detours.

Were they genuinely so bleak in essence or were they redeemable?

Millions of theories had flown through her immense mind over the century. Extinction and elimination were the simple paths. That would be the judgement of The Others. That wasn't her though. Every experiment required a nudge here and there. She determined to do so here.

She would create her own individual from sheer spirit. An extension of her power. This being would be incorruptible. She'd have to create him with as much power as her, well virtually, she amended. The distinction being that she would have to suppress his aura to block the creatures from being able to perceive him. To do so, she would assure that his burned inwards. There would be repercussions with doing so but they would have to be borne.

She visualized the near perfection of the original nation she'd created had shown and concluded that she would form her new being in their likeness. Seizing the picture in her mind, she tuned in to her strength and built it up. Once she felt the correct pitch of her power, she allowed it to gently trickle through her outstretched arm, through her fingertips and into the air before her.

A myriad of colors whirled through her as she called forth the power. Bright Jades, blues and orange fissures of raw light, spun amongst each other, gradually creating a being in front of her. A being that was entirely conscious and wholly hers. _Not only are you a part of me_ , she reflected _you're the best parts of me_.

She calmly strode around him, searching for any shortcoming. Standing erect at six feet of height, his eyes watched her as she walked around him. _Strong_ , she saw. _Flawless_. A God incarnate. Her inspection completed, she strode back to watch him, head on. Reaching out a soft hand, she caressed his cheek "You are the center. You stand as a Nexus at this moment. The darkness increases in ways that we cannot allow and they know us.

Your brilliance is kept within, the light burning internally. Always black to others, even though you are the brightest of my children - my bringer of light. In fact, that's what I shall call you. Luxfer: The Light Bringer."
I watched her as she took her time scrutinizing me. My mother, D'HarmaSan - the Immortal. Every fiber of my soul was emitting perfect love, enclosed in a darkened nothing that restricted the wonderful energy from burning unless I chose to do so.

Naturally I grasped the reasons behind the choice. Without the radiant brilliance, any species like the Brethren would not notice I was around until I resolved to show myself. It was an exceptional solution that could only have developed from the mind of a deity. There would be a price to pay, however, the restraint that kept in the radiance would likewise block any positive vibrations and energy from coming in the other way, unless I was cautious and made sure to it happened.

The Goddess reached out her perfect palm and tenderly cradled my face, "These Brethren are incredibly powerful my son, and filled with hate. We cannot allow that to continue. Their very nature leeches away the morality and light from this universe - and they've become aware. Seek to discover a means to return them to the light." I looked deep into my mother's eyes, "as you will Mother." I responded and willed myself to the place she had shown me.

The place of the Brethren.

*~*

Crimson dust churned across the sand dunes.

I alone stood against the storm, untouched. My heightened senses took in the incredible spirit of the earth below my own feet. The very fiber and energy that was emanating out of the ground, dark and corrupt leeching into all that sprouted here. The Brethren had never stood a chance. Their very essences had been created from a malignant seed. They weren't really evil. The concept itself was foreign to them. The mighty and dominant endured, those less so would either be killed or served more powerful masters to assure their own survival. Choosing a random path, I strode off to locate some of the Brethren. Time would tell if I could discover some minor glow of morality within them. I genuinely believed so.

After having studied the Brethren for a few years, I formed the opinion that each one of them was utterly indifferent to others who were not part of their own small tribe. Often they lived in smaller groups that ensured serve their survival. Love was a foreign notion to them.

Most of those that I had crossed paths with were neither joyous nor sad. Doing whatever it took to endure. Animal instincts taking over in most situations. I called these the wild ones. They had the skill to procreate, and they lived apart of the Queen and her disciples, maintaining effectively out of sight so as not to provoke her wrath. Their failure to discover joy and laughter in their hearts made me sad. No one should be compelled to endure this.

*~*

Faint laughter caused me to pause in my steps. I was working my way through the widest forest on the world. Magnificent wide-leafed red trees enclosed a range billions of square acres. The peculiar species of creatures I had crossed path with was immense, usually tinged with the flame red maroon's that I now identified with everything on the planet. Once in a while, I would capture a glimpse of fowl that were a kaleidoscope of colors stretching from a flat pink to a blood red.

Laughter! Not once in the ten years I had spent roaming and investigating the Brethren had I even heard anything remotely like it. I paused and listened closer, assuring that it wasn't an unusual form of an ambush being used. The laughter went on. Subtle, as if the owner was working to disguise it. I cocked my head, straining to detect the spot from where it came.

A small grinning face peeped out of from behind a giant bush, topped with berries. I was riveted at the first view of joy. Whatever this was, it was staring over in my direction, as if waiting. I took two silent steps sideways, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever was bringing this creature happiness. The eyes tracked me. I willed myself to dissolve and appear a few meters further out. The creature's eyes grew in disbelief, the entire head searched around.

It broke out from behind the bush. Standing at around five feet, the creature had a face that was virtually indistinguishable to my own in features. Wide shoulders with a broad neck perched atop a frame full of muscle, covered in small sharp black needles. It took two steps into the clearing I had just been standing in and searched around in bewilderment.

I remained perfectly still, mesmerized. It had to be a fluke. There was no way I could be seen or noticed. Gently, I pulled in my spirit, not moving a muscle so as not to have any noise show my presence. The tiny creature put a hand on his hip, scratching his head, clearly confused. It glanced around again. When his gaze rounded to the place where I stood, its eyes lit up again and the hilarity came rushing out. It lay back on its butt and went on laughing as if I had just told it the best joke it had ever heard.

I was about to take a tentative step towards the creature when the laughing abruptly ceased. The figure leaped up off the floor, face scanning the tops of the woods and sky beyond. It took two rapid strides away from me and halted, glancing back. Without warning and with a rush that was astonishing from such a small creature, it hopped across the interval between us and hoisted me over his shoulder, without stopping it went on, going through the woods. I glanced around as the tiny thing body handled me into a small opening in the trunk of an enormous tree. Tossed in without a thought as the creature scuttled in behind me. The interior of the tree was massive once you got past the narrow opening of it. The creature moved hastily to the side of the opening and forced a boulder to mask the entrance, cutting off all light from entering. Turning back it made a few brief gestures, beseeching me to be silent.

A great fluttering of wings whooshed through the woods beyond our tree. I ambled over to the entrance and stole a glance through a slight gap in the trunk. I couldn't see anything but enormous groups of shadows as they flew in and out amongst the branches, searching for prey. The small creature insistently tugging at my cloak, pulling me further backward into the shadows. I allowed myself to be dragged. This small, grinning creature was seeking to save me from others!

I lay back and waited, a small smile appeared on my face. Maybe, just maybe I had finally discovered something worth saving on the planet.

*~*

For the rest of my time on the world, I made that tiny area of the jungle my base.

The tiny creatures accepted me as one of their own, never troubling me about any of my lengthy absences. Their capability for wonder and amusement brought light into the otherwise dull and dreary existence I was going through on the planet. I happened across an occasional handful of these kinds of tribes throughout the planet. Frequently in the most secluded isolated parts. If joy can survive and develop through even these types of circumstances, then all would not be wasted. They could be redeemed, and the balance brought back!

Sadly, it wasn't to be.

The bad nature that enveloped everything here slowly drove its way through even these fragments of joy. I watched a gradual deterioration in contentment and joy with each new generation of the creatures. Their lifespans only measured two decades and with each new birth, a little less amusement and laughs came.

The last time I visited my little friends, they had changed into just another species of Brethren on the planet. Fighting for survival with no joy or laughter. I think I had witnessed what had taken place to all of them from the start. It had just taken more time to work its way through the entire planet.

My soul ached as once more I found myself alone on a world crowded with nothing but feral beasts. Animals with the capability to judge and even control their own internal force.

For fifty years now I had roamed and searched. For one brief, shining moment I thought I might succeed. That light, I fear, has now faded completely. I will call on Mother and let her know there is no atonement to be had here. Not how we had foreseen. We will seek another way.

*~*

Part of the plans I had created with Mother involved this absolute obstacle. In my mind, I had the knowledge and scope of the entire world. In my travels throughout the decades, I had been placing certain gemstones at some specific points.

Each of these gems was approximately the size of my fist, round and weathered. In each of them, I had permeated some of my own particular essence and love. To power up the barrier that would influence the Brethren I had simply to lay the final one. The story I showed you previously details what took place. That my own brother Gabriel could be so twisted by one of the Brethren was something unexpected by us all. I have every confidence in Michael to lead him back into harmony. Either way, that is out of my control.

To let you know the power of the barrier I will just mention this - evil cannot prevail over evil. Dark cannot force back the darkness. The light is the only thing that will fight off the darkness. Good is the only thing capable of defeating evil. Love can fight the indifference - and that's what the barrier is all about. My Purest Love for every single Brethren, based on the love I hold in my soul for those tiny little, spiked creatures that brought me wonder and bliss on this world, prepared to put themselves in jeopardy to care for me.

There is only one other point I must pass on to you so you understand. I am not 100% certain of how long I have lived in the extraordinary fabric of the environment I find myself in.

Somewhere along the way though, I was contacted in my mind by a being who called himself J'ova. A powerful being such as our very own Mother. He told me a story about my own Mother asking him to intercept and judge the spirits of those who found their way to him. Mother must have referred the dark one in their discussion.

He made it very clear he believed that those who he would not anoint, would be turned over to my supervision. Somehow, I guess he thinks that Mother made me to reclaim every unredeemable in the Universe. I sought to make him understand that this wasn't the situation that the task that my Mother placed upon me would never allow me to take up that charge. I can only express that he is not anywhere near as kindly as he looks, his temper is a frightful thing to see. Without having Mother to support me I was helpless to pacify him and I suspect that having invested so much of my spirit on the Brethren, perhaps a hint of that energy came to the fore.

I don't say this as an excuse but it is, however, a reason. I would never renounce my own Mother, not even for another God and I told him so. He left in a rage and the ferocity of a God, my friend is not something I would wish on anybody.

I do not know if anything will become of this. Perhaps nothing will, but it was significant enough that I felt you should know, just in case.

And so finally, this is where I find myself now. The story I have recounted above is what took place with the Brethren. I composed myself into the barrier that has retained them now for generations and I find myself at the end of my time. I have hoarded some of my strength recognizing that this day was occurring. My story needed to be circulated to those of you who blessed by Mother with the sight. I know that you will take notice of it all. Amongst you, there should be someone that requires this knowledge. I know not who or where. But know this, whoever you are and whatever you are called - you are in reality my child, a dark one like myself. Do not fear it. I have done all I can to strengthen you. I have sent you visions and dreams of the dark that lives within every living thing in the universe, but more importantly I have shown you how redemption is possible.

The entire universe will soon be in your hands and I know Mother well enough to know she will have chosen carefully, even if you yourself do not see it. Fear not my child and move forth. I have nothing but love and faith in you.

Luxfer.

The Dark One.

*~*

Hunter remained at the coffee shop, his breakfast untouched before him, struggling to digest the contents of the notebook that the padre had left him. He had already surmised the mechanics of how the barrier was working but had not realized the degree of Luxfers' sacrifice. And now he calls for me of all people to take up his plan.

He sat back in thought, it still gave no further certainty on why Bonnie had been captured by the Brethren. There were still parts missing. Until I figure that out, all else can keep. Even Michael at this time is secondary. He turned all the choices he had left in his mind.

Getting Gabriel to talk would bring about an encounter he was not looking forward to and even if he came out triumphant, there would be no guarantee that Gabriel would let him know anything.

Padre Toby was a clear choice but with the old man having gone into a coma the chances of getting anything helpful out of him were next to nothing. Luxfer & D'HarmaSan. Even if they still lived would be in no state to inform him of anything.

He reflected on the words recorded in the notebook before him.

J'ova. Apparently another God.

He'd been with D'HarmaSan at some stage of the journey and had even spoken to Luxfer. Perhaps he could provide some information on the situation. Failing that, he added calmly to himself, I must locate Gabriel and force him to talk.
Chapter 11

Michael roused, his head and body filled with pain. Lifting his throbbing head from his chest, he opened his eyes gradually taking in his surroundings, finding himself in a dim cavern of some sort. Drops of water fell down the irregular rock face along the walls. His arms had been bound over his head, his feet scarcely reaching the ground. He peered closer at the chains detaining him. Not only was he shackled by his arms, a heavy link of the chain had been forced through each of his palms, thickened blood visible all down his arms. Every slight movement of his arms producing a vigorous wave of pain straight through his entire naked body.

He closed his eyes and centered himself. The essence of his pain forced into the background. Sighing, he opened his eyes once more and got a closer look at his surroundings.

It didn't take him long to make out the other two figures similarly chained and naked along one of the other walls, both unconscious. _Julian and Jonah,_ he thought to himself. _I guess failure and disappointment aren't tolerated too well!_ His old mentor's body was covered in wounds, some of them still bleeding freely. His face a mass of bruising and swelling that gave a small insight into what must have been some very sick torture.

A deep sonorous voice cut into his thoughts, "It truly is a shame to have to waste such an incredible talent as your old teacher, brother - but traitorous behavior such as he has shown cannot be tolerated." Michael turned his head slightly to the left taking in the powerful figure of Gabriel, casually leaning against the other wall as he turned his face towards him, "His tortured and extremely painful death will be a lesson to all others on what they can expect if they don't follow my rules. And I have you, my brother, to thank for it."

Gabriel strode forwards slowly towards Julian, who had stirred into awareness. He knelt down on one knee before him and lightly grasped him by the chin with one hand, raising his head. Julian opened his eyes somewhat, every breath he was drawing clearly painful. Gabriel grinned and let Julian's head fall. Rising, he shifted his face backward towards Michael, an evil smirk on his face "This other one has followed faithfully but not as successfully as I would have preferred. My apprentice asked that I give him over for some entertainment, so I have."

"He requested you as well dear brother, but I have some different ideas in mind for you." Gabriel stepped closer to Michael moving his face to within inches, he continued "And before I'm satisfied, the details of your death will make Julian's look like a fun day out. Enjoy your stay here brother and take in the excitement of getting a front-row view of the festivities."

Michael watched as Gabriel spun and strode out of the cavern. He closed his eyes once more seeking to gather himself, his body still aching, with a lot more apparently on the way.

*~*

Faithful to his pledge, Julian's death was only painful to see.

The continued abuse of Jonah, however, was something else. Cries of pain had assailed Michael as he had been obliged to watch Jonah endure hour after hour of abuse at the hands of the Jackal, all focused at the beginnings of mental torment towards himself. Everything had been adopted against the old man from violation and asphyxiation to much simpler beatings. That he had survived everything so long astounded Michael. The sheer pain he must have gone through astonished the mind. Now he lay there coming to the end of his limits, his body covered in visible wounds. The sheer amount of blood on the floor beneath him a testimonial to how much he'd had to endure.

The cries that had marked the preceding hours were no longer present.

The Jackal had only been capable of raising tiny whimpers from the exhausted body before him. Now and again he would shift his gaze to Michael and smirk, making certain he knew what his old mentor was going through was all because of him.

Michael didn't allow himself to reveal any emotion during Jonah's struggles. It was precisely what they were after and he would not give them the gratification. Instead, he turned inwards.

The shackles that gripped him had established a hurdle that didn't allow him to use his own energies. The metal itself seemed to be absorbing them. He filed away that knowledge for later on, it may become handy sometime in the future. Assuming I can get myself out of this somehow! The background noises had come to a close. Complete quiet. Michael opened his eyes and peered over towards Jonah. The Jackal had freed the bracelets that had been keeping him up and without that support, his body had settled to the floor. Michael looked closer.

Jonah's body was no longer producing any traces of an aura. The abuse had come to an end. He drew a deep breath and considered the form of the Jackal standing over the motionless form of his mentor. Not once in the whole time he tortured Jonah had he even articulated a lone sound. The glances he had given Michael throughout, the only form of communication he desired.

The Jackal grinned one last time as he stared at Michael. Pure satisfaction beaming from him. Without a word he spun and sauntered nonchalantly out of the chamber leaving Michael alone with the lifeless body of Jonah for company.
Chapter 12

Hunter turned full circle taking in his surroundings, having just materialized within the plane that contained the spirits who were awaiting judgement J'ovas plane.

Stretched out as far as he could see, was row upon row of souls patiently awaiting their time for judgment. Billions of them. He shook his head at the narrow-minded idiocy of the whole situation. Stretching out his consciousness, he detected the entrance gates in the distance, beyond which J'ova would live. Readying himself mentally, he advanced towards them, taking his time in doing so.

He stepped through the gates, needing to see first-hand what was taking place.

J'ova sat upon a golden-colored throne. Massive in stature compared to those that were brought in before him. The being that rested on the throne was on par with The Goddess. The force that he had, shining from within, his face framed with eyes that seemed to perceive all about you.

Hunter smiled to himself. It was a deftly crafted illusion that worked marvels on the innocent. He remained in the shadows as the next in line was brought forwards, flanked on each side by a towering, thickly muscled individual dressed in a silvery robe. A golden sword strapped diagonally across their back reminiscent of the one that Michael used.

J'ova took one glance down at the figure prostrated before him and spoke one sentence, "Unredeemed, you belong to the Dark One." He waved an indifferent hand at the wretched life and they immediately dissolved.

Hunter remained in the shadows waiting to see what would take place when someone actually attained redemption in the eyes of J'ova. Soul after soul was trotted out before The God, not one having achieved so. After remaining for what seemed like an eternity, he followed one of the lost ones to their new home. A home that apparently he would be in charge of.

Complete pandemonium assaulted his senses as he materialized. Where on the plane he had just left behind, there was nothing but indifference, here pure chaos reigned. Regardless of where he searched, he found himself peering into a nightmare.

The miserable spirits sentenced to this place were in utter agony. Lashed and enslaved by invisible forces. Hunter strained his senses outward seeking to uncover the cause of the horrors. _Nothing!_ He thought to himself, _these miserable damned individuals have actually produced this whole damn Hell for themselves thinking that this was what awaited them! How can they not know that it was all nothing but their own imagination at work?_ He paused at the tone of an enormous resounding voice, "Surrender to the will of The Dark One. Your sins have carried you to this place and you will never leave!"

Oh wonderful. This is what we have created? Oh Mother, why? The Dark One is all about eternal love and the atonement of everybody and everything. This is just sheer madness! Torturing a lost spirit will never lead to the road of redemption. Only love can do that!

Shaking his head, he forced himself visible and known to J'ova. Visions of the self-created Hell making him livid. The God rounded his face towards Hunter and waved his hand in front of his face. The great gates closed with a thud, the souls outside waited again. "So you belatedly selected to join me Hunter ", the vast voice roared "I'm not used to being kept waiting. Move forth and stand before me. Let's get down to what's required of you."

Hunter kept his face empty of any emotion as he made to stand in front the glorious throne, recognizing that J'ova would fume at not being able to see him. After all, he'd only ever faced Luxfer via his mind and had never come face-to-face with the swathed darkness that encompassed both of them. He swept his eyes across The God's aura. _Such vanity!_ He thought to himself. _He views himself as the One and Only True God. The only path for any of these poor souls to discover enlightenment! The same conclusion that The Goddess herself regarded as a possible catastrophe from the Brethren sits right before me._

He shook his head wistfully. _What have we achieved Mother?_ He hesitated for a heartbeat. His original strategy was to come here and smooth talk his way through what needed to be expressed. Perhaps even to allow J'ova to assume that he'd won.

Now, however, he saw that doing so would be an enormous mistake. Even the slimmest form of reverence and deferment to This God would only make matters worse. _I guess I will have to do things the hard way, yet again!_

Hunter took a deep breath and looked The God in his eyes, combative. "J'ova," he started using the Gods first name on purpose "The things that are required of me have already been discussed with My Goddess. There is nothing for you to add to it. That's not even the reason I came here today."

"My Mother, The Goddess D'HarmaSan created this. It is by her privilege that either of us is here. It was my understanding she placed judgement of these poor souls at your feet. Something you readily agreed to." He paused for a moment for effect, "and now it turns out you prefer to deal with the simple part. The good ones that come to this place. These other souls that you have condemned now wallow in a place barren of any kind of love. Unable to even grasp the goodness of The Goddess." He took two steps closer to The God, "You've failed J'ova, and I have discovered nothing but suffering and pain in this place."

Hunter took a couple of steps backward, inhaling deep into his lungs. Softly he continued," Please tell me J'ova that we can recover from this. That you realize that the poor souls currently being abused are the ones that actually need our comfort and your support. Take them back under your direction, I implore you. Only love can redeem them. Hate and suffering will simply produce more of the same."

Blood had gradually been building within J'ovas' face. His fury barely under restraint.

Trying to glare through Hunter, he spoke through clenched teeth, "Your Goddess no longer remains, Hunter. Those damned souls are yours. You are, after all, The Prince of The Dark. D'HarmaSan herself named you so. A Dark One in name, body and spirit and you will do what I command! For I am the one and only God!"

Hunter sighed and looked upon The God with sorrow in his eyes. All he had discovered up to now had pointed to the fact that J'ova would not bend. _Oh Luxfer, you were right._ _A Gods' fury is not something I would wish on anybody but I tell you now, A Gods' stubbornness eclipses even that of their fury. And yet here I stand, about to do just that._ He sighed, _there are things in this life that a few of us are capable of handling. Mother, I hope you were right about this!_

The two figures that had been accompanying the souls before J'ova unsheathed their swords as one and rounded on Hunter. He could only speculate that this was at some kind of silent command from J'ova. Hunter was prepared for the probability though and suspended them both without even glancing at them.

He shifted back towards J'ova, "I am now and eternally the servant to My Goddess J'ova. Never will I bend down and hand over my dedication to another. Do what you will but know now that if we ever find ourselves at odds", he took a step closer to The God "I will kill you."

Concealing himself, Hunter retreated from J'ovas view and willed himself back to Michael's inner sanctum. Plan B would have to be the way forwards.

*~*

For the past three hours, Hunter had quietly sat and meditated on where he stood.

There had been no sign of Michael as yet and he could only guess that the worst had passed. Michael must have fallen to Gabriel. He looked inwards once more, rejoicing in the strange energies under his command. The tiny amount he had used thus far were a drop in the ocean when compared to what he could call forth.

He reflected sadly on Ren's death. Could he have done more to save her if he had been fully cognizant of what he was capable of? Would this entire mess not even be taking place?

He caught himself speculating about these pointless things. Matters stood as they were. Can't travel back in time to change any of it. Best not to dwell on them. Things would be different going forward.

He now recognized that he was in control and not just another tourist aboard someone else's bus. Glancing down at his hands and without deliberate thought a sword materialized, black from hilt to the tip of the blade, black leather encircling the handle with a plain hilt. Constructed only for fatal purposes. This was not a blade for appearance only.

Hefting it, he hacked across the air in front of him. A perfect balance of weight that would allow him to achieve the greatest dexterity.

Hunter rose and took a final look around him. He had been treading water and wasting time hoping Michael would eventually appear, knowing full well from the start that the probability of that taking place was minimal.

Closing his eyes, he sent forth his awareness searching for any traces of Gabriel. It didn't take long at all. The natural energy that Michael's brother radiated allowed Hunter to locate him within moments.

Murmuring a hushed appeal to his mother, he went to face Gabriel head on, once and for all.

*~*

Gabriel sat back on the high-backed chair looking at the kneeling form of the Jackal before him. The description of the torture that he had inflicted upon the captives bored him. The only saving grace was the effect that it would have had on his brother Michael. He was disappointed that it had not broken him as much as he had hoped. The usefulness of his apprentice ended at this point though. Gabriel knew from experience that mere physical torture would not avail further. To truly break his brother he would have to tear his spiritual faith in D'HarmaSan to pieces. Once Michael saw the lies that she had perpetrated he would begin to see the truth and with his brother as his right-hand man, there would be no stopping him. He would make himself mightiest God above the others.

His mind wandered, the others... Old, weak and useless. While he disagreed with D'HarmaSan and she had to be removed at least she'd had the conviction to create this universe and the creatures within. All bowing in the presence of their true God. It was a shame that she had not taken the might that she held and used it. Instead of relying on something as useless as love to try and conquer. The powerful were born to rule! The weak-willed ones only there to serve our desires. Enlightenment should only ever be the province of those with enough strength to take it. This little experiment of Hers' proved as such. She had been destroyed and the only other being to even join in the games had been J'ova another relic from the past who was incapable of doing what was needed.

He looked over his shoulder to the silent presence that was always with him, sending him instructions. The time has come. Go now and show my brother the way. Make him join us or break him apart. Either way will do.

The Brethren morphed itself into the same shape it had assumed when taking over Gabriel. It had been studying these inferior species for millennia now and understood how simple a task it would be to completely change the thought patterns that governed Michael. It would not attack bluntly as it had the first time with Gabriel.

It now understood all the nuances of how to manipulate them. A few well-placed suggestions coupled with disorienting and slightly modifying Michaels' memories of The Witch would be all it took. Michael would be his in short order, minutes at most. It lingered on that thought for a moment. With both Gabriel and Michael as his generals, the imp would finally be in a position to take over. Everything was going to plan.

*~*

The physical presence of Hunter formed in the same chamber that Gabriel was seated. He quickly took note of the ten watchers standing around the room as well as The Jackal and Gabriel talking to each other in front of the seat that adorned the top end of the chamber. Sword in hand he let his gaze go back to Gabriel, meeting his eyes dead on. He breathed deep into his lungs, trying to contain the beast of revenge that was even now trying to cut loose at the sight of The Jackal. He would use that power and harness it like a razor edge weapon when it was time. For the next few moments though, he would concentrate on removing the obstacles before him.

The watchers all moved fluidly as if they'd been expecting an attack for a while. Cold and calculated, they took positions around Hunter preventing any easy routes to their master Gabriel.

The Jackal stood before Gabriel and watched. He would be ready if any of the watchers allowed an opening.

Hunter looked around himself taking stock. He only used a small amount of his own power to raise a shield from any form of attack that wasn't physical. The element of surprise was still on his side and he would need every advantage he could get. With this many of the enemy still alive and Michael not to be seen he had to assume that they were better prepared than they had given them credit for in their initial plans. Michael may not have been ready but they would find Hunter a slightly different challenge.

The first attack came without any type of warning, predictable as it was, from behind Hunter. A huge overhead swing that was meant to cleave his head in two if it had succeeded. Regrettably for the watcher, it was exactly the first move that Hunter had anticipated. Spinning with inhuman speed he swung the dark blade around his body at the same time that the watchers' blade was passing where his head had just been, Hunters' own dark blade cleanly severing the head without slowing. The watcher's eyes stayed open for a moment, not knowing that he was actually dead as his head rolled away from the rest of his body.

Hunter continued spinning until he was facing Gabriel again, the dead watcher lying on the floor behind him, forgotten.

Gabriel just smiled, enjoying the spectacle. Two of the other watchers went to move as one against Hunter, from two separate angles. Hunter threw himself forwards and came up rolling behind them. Unknowingly imitating the move that Michael had made in his own battle earlier. Coming to a halt at the end of the roll and still on his knees, his hand flicked towards one of the other watchers who hadn't made a move as yet throwing a knife with perfect precision, taking him in the throat. He would drown in his own blood within moments. Hunter didn't pause. As soon as the knife had left his hand, he had whirled back around to the other two watchers. Thrusting his sword through the back of one and straight into the chest of the other.

Hunter paused for a moment, pulling his sword free. Four of the watchers now lay dead before him and as yet, neither the Jackal nor Gabriel had made a move to enter the fray. This didn't surprise Hunter in the least, correctly anticipating just how arrogant they both would be. He had no doubts about the usefulness of the watchers to Gabriel. They were just being used to tire him out. He couldn't allow that. With only a handful of watchers left between him and the others, Hunter decided that it was time for a little surprise.

Feigning a lunge at one of the remaining watchers, he whirled at the last possible moment with a swing aimed directly at the Jackal. A blow that if landed, would have taken his head clean off and maybe spilling a little blood Gabriels' way. The Jackal, however, had anticipated something of this sort. Barely twisting his wrist as he brought his own sword up to block the attack. The sound of the clashing steel rebounding around the chamber.

Gabriel cocked his head to the side, locking eyes with Hunter. "Impressive." He said bringing up a finger to his lips, "but I must tell you. Michael killed more of them in less time than you did, albeit with less panache and style than you!"

He moved a couple of steps sideways, away from the Jackal.

"Let's dispense with the preview now. Why don't you show me what you can do against my apprentice here? Put on a good show and I might even give you your chance at me."

Hunter didn't waste any time or energy in trading insults with Gabriel, walking boldly backwards towards the center of the room again. He raised his sword until it was level with the floor in the direction of the Jackal a silent invitation to begin.

A malicious grin formed on the face of the Jackal as he arrogantly strode towards the waiting Hunter. When he had faced Michael earlier it had been only to snare him, bait for the trap that his master had set. This contest, however, would be the real deal. The fury and hate that Gabriel had instilled in him throughout his life etched on his face.

Hunter watched him approach. Before him now stood the animal that had cold-bloodedly killed Ren. He stamped on the furious emotions that had begun to swell within him. Now was not the time. The Jackal may have been the instrument of her death but the one pulling the strings still stood. Once he had dealt with the puppet, the puppet-master would feel the full fury of his wrath.

*~*

Hunter took a deep breath at a lull in the fight. The furious onslaught that the Jackal had come at him with had almost gotten past his defenses a couple of times. Both fighters had begun to show the first signs of fatigue with little beads of sweat forming on each of their brows.

He'd given as good as he had gotten, however. Neither one of them unscarred. Blood ran down one small cut on Hunter's forehead, nothing too damaging. The Jackal, however, had received a nasty slash from Hunter's sword at one point, cockiness obscuring his reasoning. The slash across his side was deep but not fatal.

Blood had poured freely for a while until it had begun to cake on the robe he was wearing. It had unsettled him slightly and now Hunter looked the more aggressive of the two, turning from counter-attacks to full-on attack mode.

Darting a quick peek towards Gabriel, Hunter ensured that nothing untoward was being planned. Gabriel returned his look with a huge grin on his face. _The nut-case was actually enjoying this!_ Hunter shook his head slightly at the madness that now housed Michael's brother. Without giving any kind of warning he quickly turned and took two long strides towards the Jackal, feigning with his sword aimed at the wound along his side. As he anticipated the Jackal slashed out in a tumultuous whirl of his sword to protect his injury. At the last possible moment, Hunter took a further step in and slashed upwards over the others raised sword, cutting cleanly through his neck - a fatal wound.

The Jackals sword, dripping with blood fell from his lifeless hands. His body no longer having the energy to hold it. Head bent back at a grotesque angle, his body collapsed upon itself and fell to the ground.

Hunter paused for a moment and took a step back. Only the puppet master left now. He turned at the sound of clapping behind him. Gabriel was standing and actually cheering him on, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Hunter had just killed his apprentice. The look on his face, ecstatic. Hunter looked up at him completely saddened. The madness of evil must truly have had a firm hold on Gabriel. A disconsolate sigh escaped his lips, _mercy and redemption would be completely impossible even if I truly wanted to give it to you._

*~*

Gabriel took the steps from his chair to the bloody floor where the bodies of the dead watchers and that of his own apprentice lay. He peered at Hunter, speaking in a quiet voice. "Bravo, my brother. Well done. This little scene you've given me ranks right up there with the battles my other brothers and I had with the Brethren, so many centuries ago." Cocking his head at a slight angle, he added, "Tell me you don't love the rush of adrenalin and the pure sense of _joy_ that this brings you. Not to mention the fun!"

Hunter bent to the fallen figure of the Jackal, wiping away the blood gathered on his black blade, taking his time.

This treatment wasn't required as it had the ability to clean itself with merely a thought from him. The only purpose being to give Gabriel pause. "The death of others is never fun Gabriel. Adrenalin is a natural thing but taking joy in it is pure madness." Standing up, he let the black blade vanish before adding, "I honestly hoped that you'd have better sense than that by now."

Gabriels body shook as he laughed at Hunter's words. "Sense?" he replied through the laughter "There's no sense in what we're doing brother." Stretching his arms out wide he turned a full circle as he spoke, "Our mother created this place out of pure boredom! The only reason for any of this is what we decide needs doing!"

"It may have started out that way Gabe but it no longer holds true. Every single living being has the possibility to become one with The Goddess. The outcome is up to them and the ability to do so lives within every one of them. We were created to help them find their way! Not to place ourselves above them and make ourselves pseudo-Gods."

Gabriel shook his head "I once thought the same way Hunter. D'HarmaSan was very persuasive. It took a long time for me to see through the web of lies she crafted. She chose the most powerful beings she could find. Each one of us touched by The Goddess herself and raised above the weak-willed ones who haven't been able to rise any further. Look at the surrounding history! The laws governing every one of us dictate that the most powerful will always take charge over the rest."

"Luxfer tried to do it through love. He failed! He was crafted by our Mother from darkness but didn't use it as he should have. If that was truly the way to go, D'HarmaSan would have had no use for him! She was more than capable of doing it herself!" Gabriel paused for a moment before adding, "As much as I loved her brother, she was weak and lazy. Her death cleared the path for those of us willing to do what is necessary. The dark place that we call Hell has been created specifically for you, with J'ova overseeing the judgement of every soul that comes before him. Soon, even that will stop. Every single soul will go there first with only the powerful moving further. Think on it brother, there won't be any further need for certain _Gods!"_

"What you mean Gabriel is that there won't be a need for _other_ Gods. Just yourself."

"Not just myself, Hunter. There will be plenty of room for all my brothers. Join with us and we'll be unstoppable! Together, we can show them the true way! D'HarmaSan is gone and J'ova will follow soon. The others are even weaker and will be swept aside. _We are the next generation of Gods,_ and you my dark One, will sit at my right hand."

Hunter shook his head as he listened to Gabriel's words. Words that ironically mimicked the same arrangement that J'ova had used when trying to lure him. Both of them convinced that their plan for the universe was the only way. "I'm sorry Gabe but I cannot agree with this. Darkness and violence will never be the answer to achieving a higher state of being. I've visited Hell and there's no need for it. Violence breeds more violence. The darkness is never the true path to the light. Take a look at your own actions. Our Mother, gone and all your brother's dead, at your own hands. This can't be the answer!"

Hunter spun, an astonished look on his face as the sound of Michaels' voice joined in the conversation from behind, "Not entirely correct, Hunter. I'm still here."

For a fleeting moment Hunter felt elated at seeing Michael, safe and unharmed, until he uttered, "Gabe's right though. We need to change the way we do things."

*~*

Hunter stood there, unable to comprehend what he was hearing or do anything as he watched Michael stroll across the chamber floor and up the stairs to hug Gabriel in the most casual of ways. Gone was the thrill that had gone through his body on hearing Michaels' voice, replaced with a sense of disbelief.

"Our Mother made some serious mistakes in this mess of an experiment, Hunter. She believed everyone would love as completely as she did. The truth has shown us otherwise. Only one person in billions has shown the capacity to do so. This cannot continue. The consequences of so many souls going down the dark path with no hope of redemption will overwhelm us before we know what's happening." He placed an arm around Gabriels' shoulder, "Far better for them to start there and move towards the light, no matter how long they take to get there."

"That you will never convince me of, Michael. It's far too easy for you to sit here and condemn every one of them without seeing the actual torture they are putting themselves through, for no reason. They're being sent to Hell on the basis of breaking an arbitrary set of rules they don't even know exist. No my brother, I cannot allow that to happen. Too much has been sacrificed already."

Michael looked back towards Gabriel, "Nothing left for us to do then. We appear to be at an impasse. There were only two options available. Join us", Jumping over the two steps that led to the ground on which Hunter stood, he added "or die."

Hunter backed up a few steps as Michael launched himself onto the floor in front of him. With the initial shock of seeing him passed, Hunter had used the interval to look over Michaels' essence. He'd sensed the Brethren that had attached itself to Michael and intuited its intentions. The same darkness that enveloped Gabriel now poured off him. There was still hope for them if Hunter could only figure a way to remove the influence of the creature. It would not happen instantaneously though. Removing the darkness would take time and that was something he had little of at this point.

Gabriel had kept quiet through the whole exchange between the two. Michael stood a greater chance of convincing Hunter on the reality of the situation than he. _I honestly believed Michael would have tried harder though,_ he thought to himself, descending the steps to circle Hunter on the opposite side form Michael. Both of them bringing their swords to the ready, watching Hunter move into a position that would allow him to see them at the same time. He swung his sword in a high overhead move, forcing Hunter to turn to block the attack. A laugh escaping his lips as Michael took the opportunity presented to kick Hunter hard in the kidneys.

Hunter felt the force of Michaels' kick as he turned to block the frontal attack of Gabriel. These two had trained and fought alongside each other for a long time as every thrust made by one was followed with a counter-strike by the other. One always on defense while the other attacked. It allowed both of them a chance to regain their balance and not overexert themselves. Hunter, however, never had a chance to recover. Within minutes, dozens of small cuts across his body and face had flowed with blood and breathing hard. Facing these two was equivalent to taking on two Gods at the same time.

_Too much!_ He reasoned, as the relentless attack continued. _At this pace, I won't even survive let alone have any chance of winning._ Removing himself from this confrontation would be his only solution. _I need to go somewhere that neither one of these will be able to guess at._ Hunter felt the flow of the fight shift into a small pattern. Both brothers obviously just toying with him now. A high attack from one side would unleash a lower attack from the other as he blocked the first. Each block was getting that much harder to achieve. Taking a gamble, he let Gabriel swing high again and brought his own sword up to block. Twisting his entire body, he sensed Michaels' blade slice through his side before he even felt it. Dropping his sword, he stumbled back a few steps to give the impression that he'd been mortally wounded, landing hard on his backside.

Both brothers lowered their swords as he'd correctly guessed they would. With a quick wave of his hand, he vanished, leaving no trace of his presence.
Chapter 13

Cheers thundered through the arena from the crowd watching the two warriors on the blood soaked sand below. Claymore, one of the greatest in the arena outclassing his opponent with a sweeping move that had taken the legs out from under him, weapon flying into the distance. He crossed the distance in two quick strides to stand behind the fallen man, sword poised at the back of his neck and looked towards the podium, waiting for the final kill command.

Max swept his gaze across the chanting crowd, gauging their mood. The lives of the combatants his to decide as patron of the arena. He swept his arm in a giant arc that took in all those assembled; and brought it to a halt, pointing at the two contestants, pausing for a moment for show. His eyes locked with Claymore as he swung his fist downwards.

Death. No mercy given.

Claymores' grip on the sword tightened as he thrust straight down, the dead man's body smashing into the ground. Another victory for him.

The twins looked on the spectacle from the gated waiting area that allowed them a limited view of the contest. Being undisputed champions had its perks.

Raphael turned from the gate, flexing the gauntlet on his hand, "Another win for the big man, brother. Even though his skills are somewhat mediocre."

Uriel's hands tightened on the grill of the gate in front of him, "He gives the crowd a show, nothing else matters in this place. It's the only thing that's kept him alive... and us. Where do you think we would be without all this glory?"

They had been over this ground countless times with no answer. Neither of them knew anything other than the life they led, having awoken one day in a cell with nothing but their clothes, a sword and a bracelet. Talking about it and asking questions had earned them nothing but further hardship, "One day Uriel, we will put all of this senseless killing behind us. Slaughter for the entertainment of the crowd is not who we are. One day..."

Uriel placed a hand on his brothers' shoulder, gripping, "It will happen brother. Have faith. The time is coming, but not today. Today, we go out into the arena and destroy whoever they put in our way. We kill, we survive and we live to reach that one day. Come."

*~*

The team cleaning the aftermath of the battle was taking too long for Gabriels taste. Michael and he sat on the steps watching them work as they discussed recent events. Hunter's decision to up and go without having the decency of staying dead in front of them was an issue. Neither one would acknowledge victory until that happened. They would have to fall back on logic to find him, unable to track him using their powers.

Stretching his legs before him, he eased back on his elbows. "Once again the dark one irritates me Michael. He hunts us at every turn for no other reason than his inability to understand the truth. The same as Lux before him. Why can't they understand that this is why they were created? Why must they continue to push beyond that?"

"Them not radiating any energy like us should be enough for them to see they're not natural. Abominations created for one particular purpose. Nothing more! Mother didn't _choose_ them as she did us, she created them, like little test-tube experiments," He sat forward, unable to contain the rage "and if they won't settle for what they should do, then they won't exist for long."

"Is that what happened to Raf and Uriel, Gabe? Were they not living up to expectations either? Is that why they had to die?"

Gabriel stood and followed the members of the cleaning crew who had finished up and were walking out. Slamming the door behind as the last one exited, he turned back to Michael, squatting on his heels to be eye-to-eye with him, "Die? You think your brothers are dead? Oh my... those fake memories the dark one inserted in you are even worse than I feared. They're not dead Michael. Raphael and Uriel are alive! They've put themselves in a world where they can train harder than ever-without the use of their powers."

"How can they be alive when I remember you destroying them, Gabe? After the fight with the Brethren you slashed at Lux then killed our brothers? The only reason I still live is because Mother sacrificed herself for me! I wouldn't be here otherwise!"

Gabriel shook his head as he sat back on the steps, "Poor Michael. They've really done a number on you, haven't they brother? None of what you remember actually happened! We were so busy putting up the barrier for the Brethren that none of us actually noticed Lux coming back here. By the time we realized, it was too late.

He'd mortally wounded our Mother and merged his essence within the barrier so we couldn't catch him. Mother died at his hands, Michael, and now he's pushed his essence into Hunter! We can only assume that this time, he's after us. No other explanation fits! And even so I was still willing to give him a chance and take charge of those damned souls as Mother wanted him to. That option no longer exists. The time is here for the four of us to be back together. An entire species like the Brethren wasn't able to break us and now, it's time to show the rest. But first, Hunter will need to be taken care of, and we will need all of us for that." Reaching out a hand to Michael, he willed them both to where Uriel and Raphael were.

*~*

Max stood within the podium where the famous mixed with their political sponsors and raised his hands over his head, signaling the crowd for silence, "Ladies and gentlemen. Once again Claymore has stunned his opponent with a stunning victory! But we all know why we're here-The Finale!"

The silent crowd erupted with cheers as the patron of the games mentioned their favorite heroes of the arena, making him wait a full minute before the chanting got to a manageable state, "Today's effort may bring about the end of their reign, for I bring to you-the might of the Sharyum army, six warriors who together brought down an entire squadron of their enemies, with no casualties - S-SIX!"

Roars of approval mixed with shouts of 'boo' assailed the warriors as they strode to the middle of the arena. Max let the crowd go for a little, waiting for the exact moment to introduce the twins, "They come today with a promise given; that they will be the ones that finally take out... The Twins!"

The brothers strode straight to the middle of the sands and stopped, facing the six. All six warriors' bodies were bare except for a loin-cloth, showcasing the rippling muscles that held weaponry; in formation across from the two brothers. As one, all brought the pommel of their swords up to their face, blades pointing downward and bowed low. A sign of respect for the prowess in battle of the twins.

Gabe took a step out of the shadows behind Max, having materialized moments before with a stunned Michael. "Those six will barely make the twins break a sweat. I think they need a greater challenge. Why don't you get a little bit more creative Max? Send whatever you have out to face them. I think the time has arrived to let the crowd see the true potential of our brothers. Those bracelets that they are wearing act like an inhibitor, not allowing them to use their powers. Time to let them loose!"

Hearing the voice of the twins' owner behind him, Max turned; in time to see Gabriels outstretched hand pointing to the middle arena. With a loud click, the bracelets on the wrist of each twin opened; to fall to the sand below them. Gabe locked eyes with Michael, smiling "Shall we show the damage that all four of us can do together?"

Michaels' sword appeared in his hand, "Let's!" both brothers appearing in unison next to Uriel and Raphael on the sand.

The crowd paused in stunned amazement as the figures of Michael and Gabriel appeared next to their beloved twins. Each of the brothers attired in a simple white sleeveless robe showcasing the muscles underneath. Uriel and Raphael had realized their own power as the bracelets on their wrists ripped apart and fell. Looking over at the forms of Michael and Gabriel as snippets of forgotten memories filtered into their consciousness.

For the first time in centuries the four brothers stood united, ready to battle.

Max moved quickly through the maze of corridors leading down to the chambers below the arena to gather every single one of his fighters who were capable of holding a weapon. He was under no illusion that this could cause him complete ruin, having witnessed first-hand the damage that the twins were capable of. With four of them in the arena the results would be devastating. His entire stable of fighters would fall bringing down the fighting empire that he'd spent a lifetime creating, and with his main financial sponsor taking to the sands, payment was not assured. _No, far better to throw everything he had at the situation and hope to win._

Calculating mentally, he figured he would be able to field another twelve-odd fighters-no guarantee that it would be enough to be victorious, but all he had on hand. He would try to talk his rivals into throwing something into the mix but doubted his chances. They would be smug knowing that not only would he be losing his fabled twins today but his entire operation with it.

Motioning the guard stationed outside the cell to open the gate, "Move! All of you, on the sands-NOW! Take whatever weapons you can get your hands on and kill them all."

Gazing to each face, his head stopped as he came to Claymore, "Some of you have been waiting for this chance for a long time. The twins are your opponents. Show me that you've got what it takes to be part of my horde! GO!"

The approval of the crowd became evident the moment the gates rolled open and they saw a host of extra fighters move to stand alongside S-Six. The show unfolding beyond all expectation.

*~*

Gabe stepped forward and turned to his brothers, deliberately showing his unguarded back to the warriors facing them, "All of us has gone through untold pain for a long time now brothers, but nothing in this universe has been made that can keep us apart. Between us, we've vanquished countless people and even kept an entire species of evil from spreading."

Levelling one of his arms, he pointed back towards the assembled might ready to battle, his sword appearing in his hand, "These, are nothing but a little warm-up to get us all back in the groove. Try not to make them suffer, too much."

As if the words themselves had opened the gates, every warrior before them leapt into the fray, battle cries sounding across the arena. Their only options; life or death.

Hunter laid back on the bench searching the surrounding darkness, his wounds still throbbing. The undertaking before him seeming insurmountable with Michael's defection to aid his brother. It still confused Hunter that after everything they had been through the previous few days that he would willingly agree to do so.

Gabriel had shown them how callous and bloody-minded he could be. While he hadn't been the one to plunge the knife, the blood of Ren was still his to bare. His own mother, siblings and Luxfer all fell in one way or another under the plans he'd put into motion.

Sighing, he eased his battered body into a more comfortable position, _No use dwelling on it_ , for now, better to spend the time thinking about his own next moves.

The quietness of the environment within the dark plane was soothing, allowing him to think and work through the process of where he was. He would have been overwhelmed in moments if he'd stood and fought. On instinct he'd taken a direct hit on the side of his body from Michael, allowing them to believe that he was seriously wounded. Sheltering it from direct view, he'd moved through space to the one spot he was certain they would not think he'd go-the dark plane where the damned souls were being shunted off to; Hell.

The power surrounding him began to work its magic, the tenseness leaving his body; the healing had begun. _Being healed for what though?_ He started listing things off in his head;

Ren was no longer around, dead at the hands of Gabriel.

Michael it seemed has taken his brothers side against me.

The Goddess lies dead.

Bonnie still trapped with the Brethren, who would soon be free of the barrier.

And let me not forget; I've made a new enemy; A God!

' _Funny,'_ he thought ' _To think that of all places in the universe, the one I feel most comfortable and safe within is the realm that I refused to take charge of'!_ Closing his eyes to allow his body to heal, he added, ' _This might not be such a bad place after all, now all I need to do is sort out the rest!'_
Epilogue

Bonnie dreamed.

She remembered feeling tired at school during math's class, her eyelids dropping. Constant nightmares had been keeping her awake for so long now that she was almost always walking around in a half-dream state. The last nightmare that she'd had was one of the worst. The devil creature had found her and was coming to get her. She was really mad at herself. I'm seven and a half years old now practically eight! I shouldn't be getting scared of some stupid boogie man in my dreams! And yet the nightmares continued, getting worse. She had thought that she was going crazy, so she'd tried to keep the worst of it from her mum.

And now she dreamed again. It had begun with the nightmare creature once again coming for her. This time actually almost taking her until the white lady had appeared. She was beautiful like her mum but in different ways. She had brilliant white skin and blonde hair where her mother had mocha-colored skin and dark eyes. The love that shone from the lady's eyes, however, was identical to her mothers'. She felt safe.

The lady had taken her by the hand and looked deep into her eyes, "Fear not little one. You're safe with me. That little devil can't reach you here."

Bonnie believed the lady.

There was something about her that was just right. Her seven-year-old mind not fully able to comprehend A Goddess and instinctively knowing who she was. The lady reached out with her hands and placed one on each side of Bonnies' face, the same way that her mother always did. She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sleep now little one. All will be as it should be when you wake up."

She was only a memory of herself at the moment, but for a Goddess, that was enough to have a physical presence when needed. D'HarmaSan smiled to herself as she watched Bonnies' eyes close at her words. The young girl was perfect for her purposes and it had taken one of the Brethren to bring her to my attention.

Strange how those who are considered evil by most can still bring about changes for the other side! She took the small child in her arms and sat back down, ensuring that the force that she had erected around them was maintained. The other Brethren could never break through it. She had intervened when the Kraxus had captured the little girl, on a whim. That whim had turned into a hunch which had morphed into the reality that she now found herself in. She had allowed the Brethren to take them both to their home-world.

The experiment had taken her into some new directions that had been totally unanticipated by her. Not only was every species in the universe a part of it but now The Gods' themselves had been dragged into it. In the beginning, it had all been about whether enlightenment could be attained by others. Of that she no longer had any doubt.

The events that had taken place over the last few millennia though had meant that the rules of the experiment had now changed. It was now left to see whether The Gods' themselves, could fall from the grace of enlightenment. She looked back down at Bonnie's face, it would also answer whether a Goddess could be reincarnated. The dream that had once been D'HarmaSan continued to rock the sleeping girl in her arms at the same time allowing pieces of her entire being to filter through and merge with the girl's own presence.

_I wonder how long this will take?_ She thought to herself as she hummed a tune into Bonnies' ear.

*~*

Padre Toby's eyes glazed over and rolled back into his head. Only the whites were showing. He dropped the spoonful of soup that he had been about to place in his mouth. His thoughts, a million miles away from his current location.

Visions borne of The Goddess swam over his consciousness. He sat prone in this position for only a moment and then lurched forward, reaching for his notebook and pen.

He wrote;

All people dream, this is a natural state. Some dreams are made of bright colors and rainbows. Hope & Happiness. Others are much darker in nature. Tales of Woe & Despair.

What do you think would happen, Dear Reader when a Goddess dreams?

When a being of infinite power is dreaming, what are the consequences of their dreaming thoughts?

Do they create entire worlds with their dreams? Worlds full of hope & joy? Instant gratification and satisfaction, filled with rainbow-colored unicorns and endless Nirvana? Perhaps.

But as with everything else in life, what would the consequences be if the same powerful entity began having a nightmare?

Rivers of blood? Plagues? Destruction of worlds? A Swarm of Demons?

Fall on your knees and pray, Dear Reader; For the Goddess stirs in her sleep and only time will tell which type of dream She may have.

Still in slumber, She weeps.

Her Children scattered and the war still rages.

Limited awareness whilst She sleeps, yet awareness is still there.

She reaches forth plucking souls from the very fiber of the Universe.

Limited awareness whilst she sleeps.

Yet awareness is still there.

She lends hope & protection to those that are most in need.

She will lend fury & fire when awareness comes back to her.

Fall on your knees and pray, for The Goddess slowly moves from a state of total slumber to a state of restless dreams.

The memory that had once been D'HarmaSan gave a small smile. She reached out and found the waiting soul she was looking for, plucking it out of the air with a gentle motion.

One more soul saved. The experiment would roll on.

*~**~**~*

Here ends **Darkness Awakens**

**Chronicles of Hunter** **1**.

Thank you for reading my book.

If you enjoyed it, won't you please take a moment to leave me a review?

Thanks,

Frank
Discover other titles by Frank J Perez:

Chronicles of Hunter

Darkness Awakens

The Seventh Seal

Other Titles

Pushing Fifty, Still Pushing

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