 
## Chronicles Of Hunter

The Complete Series

Frank J Perez

Copyright 2018 Frank Perez

Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

### Chapter 1

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 3

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 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

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 besides 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 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

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?"

"Those 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!'_

### Chapter 15

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.

## Chapter 16

Light colored mist flowed through the dark passageways of the realm created as a holding area for those souls that the God of Heaven felt were undeserving of paradise. From the outset no one individual soul had attained that honor. All had gone through judgment and ended up here-in Hell.

Since the start of time these lost ones had created their own tortures. Each tormented soul bringing to life the individuals worse fears. The darkness was the force that sustained calm amidst the chaos of the realm until the day her master returned, when he would take his rightful place as Lord. She didn't punish, nor did she reward.

She observed and waited. Growing in strength with each passing soul that showed. Century's worth of new individuals seeking redemption for things they alone knew all housed within.

The darkness paused for a moment to look in on the soul in front of her. Visions of a decayed and burnt city building came to her. A naked man sitting in his own filth, chained to the wall. Rats gnawed on his genitals as he screamed in pain as a group of children laughed at his misery while throwing rocks. Whatever transgressions the man thought he had committed during his life being were being paid for as his own imagination saw fit and conjured to life.

She pulled back and moved onto the next.

A bleak, desolate landscape stretching out endlessly in every direction assailed her senses. Once again the smell of Sulfur and burning came to her. ' _Why do they always believe Sulfur is part of Hell? Even the ones that create icy-cold darkness include it as part of their world!'_ Inside a woman just wandered without purpose trying in vain to connect with the people she saw around her. No-one acknowledged her presence or made eye contact. The punishment she inflicted on herself was an eternity filled with nothing. No love, no hugs, no compassion. The darkness paused for a moment longer studying the misery caused by this torture. It was excruciating and far worse than any of the physical ones that others created for themselves. A torture of loneliness and silence.

She withdrew her awareness. Always a different version of the same sort of torture. Every single one based on the soul thinking that they had broken some kind of commandment from a higher power rather than realizing that the only sin they were committing was actually breaking the words of some deranged people looking to have their name immortalized within whatever religion they grew up with. Sexually repressed individuals or groups that were either looking to gain more power or to cover up their own excesses and perversions. A lot of times, both.

The souls that sat here punishing themselves failed to see the universal truth. What they currently underwent as penance was a creation of their own warped minds. The discomfort they were undergoing would never help them in their journey towards enlightenment. How could they not see that the commandments they had _failed to live up to during their lives_ always conveniently tied up with the beliefs of those who wrote them? If these _laws_ had been truly commanded by a God why would they constantly need adjusting? Why wouldn't the Divine Being make them clear? There would be no need for any form of human intervention!

If only she could make them see the truth.

But it wasn't her place to do so. She made them all as comfortable as they requested. Still, it amazed her that they would only know suffering at their own hands in the one realm that had been formed out of sheer love. For all the potential she saw within them it astounded that they could be so short sighted and continue to believe the utter nonsense that had been dumped on them during their brief mortal lives.

Her lord's realm was vast, bigger in size and number than any of the rest. The God currently reigning in Heaven continued to send souls into Hell, ensuring its continued growth, and it was all hers to maintain until her own master showed up to take command.

She yearned for the day that it happened. Perhaps with his guidance these lost souls would finally find peace and the path to eternal happiness and love. That was her ultimate hope.

And then he'd arrived. Not in the strength she had so often dreamed about but bruised, battered, torn and dying. This was something that she would never allow after having waited so long for him to arrive.

Cradling his prone body, after his battle with Gabriel and Michael, she had treated his wounds and filled him with her strength. Her task simple in her eyes. Her master would recover and he would learn. She would pour her vitality into his own and make him strong again. Tying the strength she held to his and allowing him to dispose of their enemies. Giving him the freedom to be able to turn the poor lost souls in Hell towards the light.

She swirled her mist over his body and began molding her essence deep into his core, whispering knowledge into him at the same time.

' _It was a crazy attempt for you to take on two of the most powerful beings in existence alone when your power is but a shadow of what it should be._ He squirmed as the darkness continued. _True, it should have been only one of them but you learned a very hard lesson. Never trust any of those brothers again! The same beings had already turned against your own maker, Luxfer. Not to mention your Mother. She placed her trust in them only to be betrayed! Her teachings lost to them as their ambitions grew.'_

' _The potential to bring the poor lost souls who currently dwell in this realm to enlightenment can only be achieved through love and light. Our enemies do not fall into this category. They have shown their contempt for the pure ways. Redemption will never be achieved by them as long as they continue to use, abuse and kill without regard to others.'_

His sweating body thrashed as images of the darkness continued to burrow deep inside him. She would continue to teach as he recovered, showing him where he had made mistakes and how he could avoid making them next time. Mixing in her love with the strength she gave him. They would stand together eternally. The last true bastions against the evil awakening throughout creation. Eventually Hunter would grow in strength and power and gain justice for the brutal loss of her original master Luxfer and the Goddess.

Both would be avenged.

*~*

Hunter rose and stretched his tired muscles. The time he'd spent recuperating had now come to an end. Darkness surrounded him like a lover, empowering him with visions, truths and power. No longer was he the simple Hunter that had begun this journey. He had grown immensely in spirit and now stood as the lord of Hell. The deep slumber bringing clarity to his life and the future paths he must walk.

Bonnie was safe and would continue to be so under the watchful umbrella of D'HarmaSan while Luxfer still held the barrier together that contained the Brethren. These things were all under control for the time being.

Gabriel and Michael were his immediate concern.

The two brothers had trained and fought together under the guidance of the Goddess for centuries. In the time before Hunter had been given his mantle of power, Gabriel had amassed many individuals and trained them. The loving darkness made him aware that the odds of winning any encounter against them was not good. Locating any potential allies with enough strength to help would be useless. The only alternative available to them was to create their own army from the powerful souls already inhabiting Hell and the darkness herself had already pinpointed certain individuals that would form his initial training group. His new generals. She had even taken it upon herself to provide the knowledge required directly into the individuals in question anticipating Hunter's acceptance of what they both knew needed to be done.

_'The only thing left_ ,' she added, ' _is for you to approve the plan and take your rightful place as Lord of Hell. Everything else has been taken care of and is ready to be put in motion.'_

A smile lit his features, Lord of Hell. It had a nice ring to it. The odds would be even with a dark army at his command, and once that was taken care of, plans could be made to take out J'ova. The Brethren would be a walk in the park compared to these.

Bringing to mind the souls that filled his realm saddened and filled him with rage. _How could anyone ever think that this torture was the meaning behind it all? Endless suffering, constant torture for what? Because they didn't follow some arbitrary rules created by someone else while they lived? Because they ate the wrong animal or took a drink of alcohol? Because they hadn't died in a way that was acceptable to others?_ "This cannot go on. All these souls need to find the truth. We must find a way for them to be released! D'HarmaSan would be furious if she knew the suffering they endure for no reason."

"All of them have been waiting for you, my Lord. Let me show you the ones I have chosen to begin with."

On the silent command from the darkness the group she had chosen marched wordlessly to her Lords chambers. She measured them again ensuring they were still worthy. Each chosen for the potential they carried within. A certain spark in their awareness had spoken to her of what they could be capable of with the right guidance. Drilling deep into the consciousness of each she had taken each of them back to a blank slate, ready for her to infuse the knowledge they would require. All of them were ready to be paraded for her Lord. The final decision always rested with him. Her job had been to provide.

For the first time in her existence she felt a little nervous. This was the first task she had undertaken for her Master and she didn't want to disappoint. Her eyeless gaze followed the group as they strode in to meet their Lord for the first time.

Hunter sat on a simple wooden chair as the group marched in. Each moving in unison and stopping an exact eight steps away from him. As if commanded they dropped to their knees as one. Getting up from his chair, he paced slowly across the front of the kneeling souls, taking his time inspecting each of those before him. There was no doubt in his mind that the darkness had chosen appropriately and he was not disappointed. He sent his thoughts out to her, ' _they are magnificent my love. I couldn't have chosen better myself.'_

Her entire being swelled with pride at both the words of her master and also the inherent feeling behind them. ' _I live but to serve you, my Lord. All that you desire I will always strive to make happen, no matter the cost.'_

"Please. Let's dispense with all this _my lord_ business. Your essence is an integral part of me now, and I wouldn't expect my own heart to address me so formally. Tell me, was it difficult to locate this many? How many others do you think you can find?"

' _Millions, my love. The ones you see before you are only a small sample of the total. Each of these souls are a weapon forged within the fires that burn in your realm and instilled with the passion for life that you bring. Many of them are looking for a chance to redeem themselves by perhaps getting another chance at a full life. Others have already started to gain a small understanding about the true path to enlightenment. All of them however, are eager to serve you. Each one a powerful warrior capable of destruction driven by the greatest power of all-love.'_

A sad smile crossed Hunter's features, "So many lost ones that need our help finding the true path. How can they all be so blind my love? It would only take them a second to reach enlightenment if they would open their eyes and hearts for the briefest of moments! Instead they languish in these self-created prisons! Why? Because a handful of self-proclaimed power-hungry lunatics told them so when they lived?" He shook his head once more, "The Gods must truly hate Mother to treat her children with such contempt."

The darkness swelled as she felt Hunter's disappointment, searching for a way to help, _'I know love. No one understands the truth the way you do and that's the reason I don't worry about these souls. As long as you're here to show them the way, they will survive.'_

## Chapter 17

The fight was even more lackluster than the four brothers had expected it to be.

The bodies of twenty other warriors lay broken, shredded and bloody on the sands of the arena around them. The crowd looked on completely stunned. The raw fury and controlled savagery displayed by the four warriors had rendered them speechless. Never had they witnessed a display of such unbridled power and carnage. They all thought it magnificent and a new standard had been set for future games.

For the four brothers standing on the sands of the arena however, it had felt like nothing more than a warm up session. They'd barely broken a sweat and no dirt clung to their garments.

The first couple of attempts by the twenty warriors had been met with tentative defensive replies as all four of the brothers had regained their initiative and the rhythm needed when fighting as one. From there it all turned ugly for their opponents. Twenty warriors who had never known fear or defeat had not lasted another full minute. Nothing in their training had prepared them against the savage assault suddenly facing them. Death had finally come.

Exchanging looks, each brother's face broke into a grin as memories of their past battles came to mind. As one, they disappeared from the sands of the arena leaving behind a stunned world and one ludis owner who was now bankrupt. His life most likely to come to an end on the very sands in front of him at the hands of those who controlled the games. All of them would scream for his blood and his death would be the only price they would accept. Closing himself away from the furious cries of the crowd, he wept.

*~*

The sun's rays streamed in through the giant lead-lit window overlooking the room. Tiny multi-colored dots hitting the grandiose banquet table sitting in the middle. A table that could easily have held twenty people with room to spare.

The four brothers sat around the table. Gabriel easing back in his chair, a wine-glass raised in front him, "Here's to my brothers, united once more and our glorious first victory as one in centuries. To Us!"

"To us," echoed the rest.

Servants stood in the background anticipating any need that each of the seated warriors may have. Gabriel at the head of the table, undisputed leader. To his left sat Michael, the Gods most fearless warrior with the largest of hearts. On the other side were Uriel-the calming influence and balancer of the group seated next to his twin Raphael, the healer.

The table in front of the group was overflowing with an assortment of meats, vegetables and fruits. An impromptu celebration decided upon by the brothers on their return from the battle and claiming of the twins.

Popping a grape into his mouth, Gabriel continued "I've been waiting so long for this moment. You'll never know how much I missed you all while you were gone. Now, we're together once more and we can finally take care of the things that Mother wanted from us."

"As we all agreed before the split, I've kept _certain_ things moving. I've convinced J'ova that we serve him and making him look upon Luxfer, and now Hunter as his enemy. The power that continues to flow into his realm powers each of us as well, though I don't believe he understands this. United, we match any of the remaining Gods in power. You may not recall this yet but Mother was wary of them all. This universe was created by her to ensure her own survival. That she was betrayed by Luxfer was unforeseen and has brought us to this point. Her last wish, whispered to me as she faded was that her _chosen ones_ should inherit what she'd created- _not any of her brother Gods._ "

Taking a sip of his wine, he added "That's us brothers. She trusted no one else to care for her universe."

Michael leaned forward, gazing into his glass, "Luxfer and his apprentice have much to answer for. They stole my true memories, planting completely false ones instead. They made me go against my own brother and fed me false information about the events that led to Mothers death. These are not things that I could easily forgive and yet, we tried. Gabriel and I extended the proverbial olive branch to Hunter. Only to have it thrown back at us. I agree with Gabe. Hunter is an infection that must be destroyed. A disease to be lanced. The darkness has completely consumed him as it did Luxfer."

Raphael shrugged his shoulders as he looked over at Uriel, "Our memories of all this are somewhat sketchy brothers. That we went into training the way we did is a bit surprising to us both but we do see the purpose behind it. If this Hunter is the menace you say he is, then we side with you-always. Without our Mother's guidance, this universe won't survive long, and if it was her intention for us to inherit its leadership, then we do whatever is necessary to make that happen, even if it means taking on the other Gods."

Uriel moved forwards, slamming his open hand on the table before him "It has always been the four of _us_ that Mother relied on. Luxfer betrayed not only her, but all of us in the process. That the God J'ova would even consider giving him his own realm speaks of just how dark and corrupt they have all become. This Hunter will only be more of the same. They weren't chosen- _we were._ If Mother was wary of these false Gods, then we must be too. All of those who opposed her need to be destroyed. This universe was created for our family, no other. J'ova and his brood must be destroyed. Hunter must be destroyed. Only then can true happiness and prosperity return to us all."

Gabriel feigned a sigh for the benefit of his brothers, "Once again it falls on us to do the things that others won't, brothers. We will unleash the might of the celestial army. First against Hunter and the might of Hell, and then, we go to war with the other Gods." Taking a last sip of his wine, "Mother would be proud of us. Especially considering all the sacrifices that we've made to get to this point."

Michael placed his elbows on the table looking over at Raf and Uriel, "Tell me more of what happened to you two. My recall of those times are either sketchy or non-existent and honestly, I don't fully trust any of the memories I have at the moment."

Gabriel leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to hear the story about to be told. He had inserted the memories directly into their minds so long ago that he could barely recall the exact details himself. Safer to hear what his brothers actually believed and keep that in mind for the future.

*~*

Raphael's eyes took on a distant look, as if seeing something in his mind, "The last thing I remember from those times was Gabe telling us to go and take care of the Queen while he protected Lux. The three of us were more than enough of a match for her and he was right. We went to where she lay with the Prince, shielding ourselves from her sight. At the right moment we all attacked as one, taking her out of the picture. When we returned we found Luxfer standing over Gabe with a sword at his neck..."

The forms of Michael, Uriel and Raphael appeared just in time to see Luxfer standing over a kneeling Gabriel, sword in hand, swinging straight at his exposed neck. Gabriel ducked his head and turned, avoiding most of the blow but getting a cut across his forehead for his troubles.

Michael screamed "Gabe. What's happening?"

"Luxfer betrays us, brothers." answered Gabriel, as Luxfer disappeared from their view. "He goes to confront Mother. I don't know what he'll do. We need to help her."

The three brothers looked at each other unsure of what to make of this, "What of the Brethren Gabe? We can't just let them go after all we've gone through?" asked Raphael.

Gabriel rose to his feet, wiping away the blood flowing down his face, "No we can't. Michael will stay here and get the final gem ready. The rest of us go to find Lux and stop him from doing whatever it is that he is doing."

*~*

Gabriel raised his sword to take the onslaught of yet another wave of attack from Luxfer, taking the impact meant for the kneeling Goddess behind him.

He looked over at the spot where both Uriel and Raphael had last been standing. Luxfer had inflicted a lot damage to them, both lying still on the floor. 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 Luxfer 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?

Luxfer's smile broadened, almost into a leer.

The last of the Goddess's four little protectors stood between them, her final line of defense pitiful as it was.

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

Gabriel's knees buckled as he took the brunt of Luxfers latest attack. He was weakening quickly now. Looking back towards his Goddess he threw a silent thought her way, 'Whatever you're doing Mother, please hurry.'

Gabriel had withstood everything that Luxfer had thrown at him up to now, his power draining with every blow, whilst Luxfer just got stronger. One more direct hit and he wouldn't survive. Luxfer drew his hand back to land the killing blow. Just as the force of the power leapt forth from his outstretched hand Michael materialized, taking most of the impact himself. Luxfer turned and immediately sent another blow at the Goddess. The blast taking her out completely.

Luxfer sauntered over to the charred outlines of the Goddess and Michael, smiling. Their bodies lay in complete ruin. No power left within either of the shattered shells. He smiled to himself. The smile turning to screams of terror as the force of Gabriel's power hit him from behind. While he had been busy gloating over the minor victory, Gabriel had pulled his essence within and unleashed them on the unsuspecting Lux. The power encasing and sending him hurtling back to the world of the Brethren, to be trapped as part of the barrier.

Gabriel opened his eyes to look at his brothers, "It was at that point that I found myself completely alone. Our Mother totally destroyed. Michael barely alive and both Uriel and Raphael in serious condition. I could see that the twins would survive given some rest but you Michael were another matter. Raf was badly wounded and couldn't even try to heal you. My own powers in that regards would be useless and with Mother gone there was no option left to me but to go and beg for J'ovas help, and even then it was touch and go for a long time.

"When the twins had recovered enough, we began to make plans to ensure that we would never be caught unawares again. Uriel actually came up with the plan. I won't lie, it was not something I agreed with initially and it took him a long time while recovering to convince me of it. The plan? Simple really, we figured our training had not been extensive enough under the Goddess. So we searched for somewhere in the universe where we could get the skills we needed. After much traveling I found this little world that was full of nothing but combat. A world where warriors battled to the death for fun. Surviving in the sands of the arena would teach us everything we would need. Unfortunately one of us had to stay behind to nurse you back to health. That fell on me. Uriel can tell you about what happened in the arena after I had wiped their memories."

"Why wipe their memories, Gabe?"

"That idea came from Raf. He figured it would be no use to go into this type of training fully aware of the powers they held. There'd be no challenge to it. To really learn all that they needed to they would have to be just another pair of warriors like the rest. No more, no less. It made sense at the time so I created a bracelet for each of them that nullified their powers."

*~*

The cheering of the crowd drowned out the dying warrior's scream of pain as he fell to the sand. He stared up at his opponent with hatred in his eyes. Death had come to him upon the sacred sand and he would die a warrior's death. A smile crossed his features as his opponent casually strode into view over his body, sword poised over his heart. Both warriors raised their eyes to where the controller of the games sat, waiting. A downward pointed thumb signaling to the crowd his judgment. Without emotion, the still standing warrior drove his sword straight through the fallen one's chest piercing his heart and exiting into the sand beneath. More blood spilled for the entertainment of the crowd.

The final contest of the day now complete. The crowd satisfied.

Max punched the wall that held the heavy gates, breaking the skin on his knuckles and drawing blood. "Damn them all to Hell. That's six bloody warriors I've lost today to that madman." He turned to look back at the three men at his back. "Tell me more about these two Gabriel. Your stories about their prowess intrigue me but I've been around the block a few times in my life. Do you really think they would be able to stand up to the likes of that warrior on the sands?"

Gabriel pointed at the two warriors in the middle of the arena, "Having watched what you consider great in the arena today, I can honestly say that my brothers would take any of them out, without a doubt. I guarantee it. Hell, I'd put them up against anyone you can think of right now, without training."

Max rubbed the blood accumulating on his knuckles stemming its flow, "Let's not rush things. If these two are really as good as you say then you won't have any issues with me putting them through a little test. Say, tomorrow? At my ludis?"

Gabriel smiled at the tactics Max was employing. Of course he would want to verify the twin's skill for himself, far away from the prying eyes of any of his competitors. "Dawn OK with you Max? Or do you prefer to sleep in?"

Max laughed, "Dawn sounds good. Let's see what these twins of yours can do and if all goes well, we can discuss terms."

Gabriel motioned to the twins to follow him out, "Tomorrow morning then, Max. See you at dawn."

*~*

Max sat at the open window watching as the rising sun cast its morning warmth upon the training sands below, the normal yellow color tinged with the orange of a glorious dawn. These quiet moments were his favorite part of the day. A time before his entire household were up and the craziness of training warriors began. The entire foundation of his business had been built upon the lifetime of hard work that his father had done before passing it into his care. Every single person's lives resting on his shoulders.

With another six of his warriors falling in the arena the previous day his stock had dwindled to only three individuals who were ready. Another dozen were currently finishing their training he hoped would prove worthy of the arena. The next boatload of slaves to be purchased weren't schedule to arrive for another fortnight, too late to be of any use in the following week's games. The appearance of the mysterious Gabriel had been a Godsend. A couple of extra warriors could be the difference between him staying in business or being sold to one of his competitors to join the warriors on the sands himself. The great rewards of the arena called for greater risks. Risks, he understood all too well.

A glimmer of reflected light caught his attention from the training ground below. His eyes widening as he watched the forms of Gabriel and the twins take shape from out of nowhere. He kept quiet and watched as Gabriel leaned in to speak with the others. Too far away from him to hear the whispered conversation. Turning from the window he strode out of his room to meet them. Making a mental note as he did. If the guards on duty failed to realize that three fully armed warriors had appeared from nowhere in his household by the time he reached the training sands below, they would pay for their failure with their lives. A lesson to the rest of his household. Incompetence would not be tolerated.

The house slaves sprang into action on hearing the slight noise of their master up and about, years of abuse having made them attuned to his moods, their lives dependent on it. Max ignored them all as he moved through the halls heading directly to the training grounds. One of his slaves would have already started running to inform the warriors in training he was coming. He slammed through the doors that led to the sands not slowing for the slave to open it for him, looking at the three brothers who still stood alone and unchallenged outside. The guards on duty were in for a bad day.

The brothers all turned at the sound of the door smashing against the lintel. The smile on Gabriel's face completely at odds with the chaos beginning to take shape around the entire house. The guards only becoming aware of the three as they had come to greet their master and had quickly taken up arms to surround them. _'Too late',_ thought Max as he moved towards Gabriel, ' _the damage is already done and your lives are forfeit.'_

Gabriel raised his arms, hands open to show he was not holding any weapons. The universal sign of peaceful intent. "Good morning Max! Nice of you to join us."

The look of confusion on the guard's faces irritated Max. Flicking one of his hands at them was enough of a signal for the smarter ones to understand that the three men did not pose a threat and more importantly, that they had clearly failed in their duty to protect their master. They stepped back still wary of the strangers despite the reassurance of their master. Each hoping that something might happen during the day that would allow them to avoid the punishment heading their way.

Clapping his hands at the waiting slaves Max started moving back into the villa motioning for Gabriel to follow, "Come inside and join me for some breakfast before we begin."

Gabriel followed his host through the open doors to the waiting table within. A hustle of activity came from all quarters as the most beautiful slaves on the estate brought courses of different foods and drink to their master. Uriel and Raphael taking up positions behind their brother as he sat. A quick look around telling Gabriel all he needed to know about his host. Faded artwork adorned the walls. Various pieces of furniture dotted the room. Everything had clearly seen better days. The story it conveyed, a simple one. A once fortunate and wealthy family lived within these walls trying in vain to keep up appearances. The naked drive and ambition of trying to restore the family's prominence was exactly what the type of person that Gabriel sought. Someone manipulated purely by money and the prestige that it would bring once more.

While everything else had taken a back seat and expenses cut, the stunning beauty of the every slave within the house-hold had never been compromised. Each one that Gabriel laid eyes on was stunning in their perfection. The women all exotic in nature compared to the pale color of their master. The men just as beautiful. All clearly brought in from other parts of the world by slavers. Something that Gabriel had despised when growing up, though he now saw the benefit in it. _As long as one is on the right side of the slave trade that is._ "So Max. You mentioned something about a small test when we left last night. Care to elaborate a little?"

Max was in the process of grabbing a small pastry off the table when Gabriel had opened the conversation with business matters. This wasn't the way it was usually discussed in these parts. He filed it away for reference. It might come in handy when negotiating price. "A simple test is usually enough to suffice Gabriel. Normally I would have my doctores assess new recruits and those that we purchase for their usefulness. Your case is a little different though. The way in which you've shown up here intrigues me. They have a look about them that speaks of a natural affinity for the weapons they carry but looks can be deceiving and I'm not in the habit of parting with my coin quite that easily. A quick fight for each of them against one of my men should show me enough, if you're still up for it?"

Gabriel brought the cup of tea in front of him to his mouth, covering the smirk on his lips. His host still thought the twins were being sold. Placing the cup back on the table he brought his steepled hands in front of his face, leaning forwards, "I'm not here to sell them Max. Your normal practice doesn't interest me and I could care less about any profit. I'm here to offer your school a lifeline. My brothers will train with you and fight in the arena. You can keep anything that they make. I will take care of funding their stay here. You won't be out of pocket in any way. If you're smart enough to handle the marketing of my brothers in the right way you'll walk away a very rich man. Your family name will once more grace the halls of power and the invitations to the best parties will once again be delivered to your door. The prowess and skills of your men will be held above all others. All this on the back of two of the mightiest warriors this planet has ever seen." He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the twins, "Not to mention the best looking by far. The women will literally drool at the sight and the men will wish they were like my brothers. A marketing dream and I offer it all to you free of charge."

"It takes a long time to train even the best of fighters Gabriel. The normal rules of combat don't apply. It's a spectacle, a show that we put on for the entertainment of the masses, with death coming at every turn. Are you comfortable paying that much with no immediate return and the possibility that your brothers may die?"

Gabriel leaned forward in his chair, grabbing a small piece of fruit from the table, "I have full faith in the twins Max. The spectacle they will provide will earn you lots of coin. I'd like to speed the process up however. Instead of setting each of them up against one of your fighters, why don't we pit the twins against _all_ your men? If my brothers lose, you can keep them, free and clear. If they win we do it my way."

Max leaned back thinking about the possibilities. He had three gladiators ready to battle. Looking at the form of the two brothers standing behind Gabriel he judged more would be needed to ensure victory. He would throw the three fully-fledged gladiators and add the three trainers he currently owned. All had been previous victors and champions in the arena. Enough fighting prowess to take on two unseasoned men, no matter how powerful they appeared. "Deal Gabriel. Let's put breakfast aside and get this done. We can finish up afterwards. If they prove as mighty as you say they are then they shouldn't have any problems going three to one against my men."

Gabriel savored the taste of the fruit he had just picked up. Licking his fingers as the juices flowed he said, "That my dear friend, I have no issues with."

*~*

The sun's rays moved over the top of the buildings in the ludis when the warriors had lined up on the training sands for the twin's test. Each of them had been armed with a training sword made of heavy wood, twice as heavy as that of a normal weapon. Sweat already evident on the almost naked bodies of those on the sand.

Max looked at the six men he had left under his command. Three of those were his doctores, training instructors to the rest. The other three were his final chance at making an impact on the games. Strong, good-looking and capable fighters ready to take on any challenger. The twins stood opposite his six fighters, completely still. No evidence of any nerves.

From his experience Max knew the signs. These two were either so skilled they weren't even worried or so hopeless they didn't understand what they were in for. He took a last quick look at both sides to ensure their readiness, "Begin." he thundered.

The six warriors moved out quickly at the command, spreading around the twins. Quick effective movements placing them into positions to attack. The twins had taken one quick look at each other for a brief moment and then simply turned to stand back-to-back. Once more becoming completely still and waiting.

The warriors lunged in a haphazard attack towards the twins. Interfering with each other's lunges. Raphael took the opportunity without pause. Swinging in a vicious high attack, he took out one of the trainers then quickly turned in the opposite direction to strike hard into the stomach of another. Both had gone down in pain, unable to stand again. The third warrior had held back watching the initial attack made by the other two. Sensing an opening, he unleashed an overhead swing directly at Raphael's exposed back. The twin had been expecting it however and the sword met no resistance as it passed through the empty air. The warrior had only a moment to register his surprise before the heavy wooden sword came crashing into the back of his exposed neck and darkness took over. Raphael turned to look at his brother. Everything appeared under control so he took a moment to watch and enjoy himself.

Uriel laughed as the two warriors went crashing into the other. As formidable as they may have been in single combat, training to fight as a unit had obviously not been one of their strong points. He waited for them to collect their weapons and regain their feet. Everyone knew he could have taken them out in that moment but had elected not to. Something they would never live down.

The twin knelt, driving the wooden sword hard into the sands at his feet. He stood back up to face his opponents, unarmed and smiling. All three warriors looked at each other. No fighter would ever give up their weapons. To do so would mean their death. They renewed their attack.

Swings, slashes and thrusts from every angle met nothing but air as Uriel moved through, around and under every single one. No matter which way the warriors moved, Uriel was no longer there. Punches, kicks and open-handed slaps pounded into each warrior as they attacked. The twin clearly toying with them.

Max let the demonstration go on for a little while, studying the way the twin moved. Between them they had proven everything he needed to see. Raphael's vicious attacks had taken out three opponents quickly. Uriel's open-handed fighting technique demonstrating they would provide the crowds with a show. To top it off, both of them so damn good-looking that the women in the city would be dreaming about them nightly, and no doubt so would some men though they would never admit to such publicly.

All movement came to a halt as the sound of Max's voice cut the through the air, "Enough! Doctore, get everyone cleaned up and ready for training."

Turning to Gabriel he added, "You've got your deal Gabriel. Let's do this your way."

*~*

Gabriel paced the halls in thought. Everything he had put in place was coming together. The little impromptu banquet with his brothers had tied them effectively back to what he required. The tiny inconsistencies in their stories had been justified internally by their own thoughts. He reflected once more on how powerful the brain was. Able to deduce things in leaps of logic that astounded while molding the truth to suit the conclusions it had already formed. Self-delusion was a powerful tool.

His brothers were busy building up what they believed to be the Celestial Army attempting to teach them the skills they would need to survive the coming battle. Gabriel knew better. Every soldier in the army was nothing but wall fodder to be carved up by the Army of Darkness waiting for them. His true strength would come from this very realm. His own. An army with no known equal in the universe. One he'd spent centuries developing and growing. His own soldiers would be deployed at the same time as the Celestial army took position in the war with Hell, interspersed through their ranks. When the battle was over the remainder of his people would move back to Heaven and be installed in key positions. The armies of Heaven would then be loyal to him alone without J'ova being any wiser. It would be a simple matter of timing to take over Heaven at that point and add the God to the list of those that had disappeared.

He smiled thinking about the other Gods he'd dealt with already.

The God Jomiel had been the first to understand what the Goddess had created and the potential that lay within it. The initial experiments he had started had been disastrous almost ending his own life a few times before stumbling across his first success of a tiny universe that had lived but for a moment. Elated, the God had poured more of his energy in creating a larger version. The end result being a new universe that would rival that of the Goddess. The power that Jomiel had spent in his creation however, had left him vulnerable and in a weakened state. So weak that Gabriel hadn't even required the services of the Jackal. He had handled it on his own. A simple matter to keep track of the energy flows as the God had undertaken his experiment. Waiting for the appropriate moment of weakness he had followed. Jomiel's body had slumped to the floor for a split second. Enough time for Gabriel to lunge forwards and behead him, taking the God's power as his own.

Standing over the remains of the fallen God he reminisced. The Goddess had been right about her brother Gods. Not a single one of them were worthy of the mantle that had been given to them. Their tiny powers and shortsightedness a liability for the future. Better they should fall now and become one with a greater force, himself.

Three other Gods had fallen quickly after Jomiel. Each subsequent destruction adding to the might that made him. His powers had finally reached the point where he was a match for any God on their own except for J'ova. Having usurped the worship of the individuals in the Goddesses universe had made him stronger and powerful than the other Gods. That power would diminish when his brothers and the celestial army took on Hunter. Every soul destroyed would weaken the God exponentially. Less worshipers would mean a quick demise and his power could then be incorporated with Gabriel's.

Hunter was the only unknown piece of the puzzle. His power matched Gabriels and its source was a mystery that he had yet to unravel.

The souls in Hell did not worship nor pray to him and the initial powers handed to him by Luxfer should not have continued to grow. And yet, every time they crossed paths, his powers had been greater than the last. Something, somewhere was feeding him and Gabriel was at a loss as to what exactly it was.

He reached the balcony that oversaw his kingdom.

A hundred feet below, the training of his own army continued. The sound of a hundred thousand weapons clashing rang through the air. One hundred thousand strong and yet Gabriel wasn't satisfied. Each of his warriors matched the might and animal fury of his beloved Jackal. Every single one created in imitation of the most perfect being in existence, himself, although shorter. _Wouldn't do to have them all looking identical to me!_

Yet more was needed.

Footsteps from behind signaled the appearance of his favorite general, who would stand to attention awaiting acknowledgment Gabriel let him stand there for a few moments before asking, "How do we stand, Mio?"

The general stood rock-solid, looking forward. Every movement and gesture calculated to not annoy his master. "All goes as planned, my Lord. Our current numbers stand a little over one hundred thousand. Each new soldier coming better prepared than the last. We cull less individuals with each group."

"Perfect general. And what of the Circle?"

"The Circle now stand at over a thousand, Lord. More of our warriors are achieving entry to the elite unit."

Gabriel turned around, leaning back against the balcony. "That won't do General. Attaining entry into the Circle should be a lot harder. The word elite should mean something. Let's begin with changing the process. As of this moment that unit has no members. All have lost their place. From now on gaining entry into the Circle will be twice as hard as it was before. Draw up some of your thoughts on the matter and present them to me an hour from now. No later."

Mio pounded his fist to his chest, just over his heart. "Your will, my Lord."

He turned back to continue his assessment of the army, "One last thing General. If any single one of the warriors who currently form part of the circle proves unworthy of the new Circle, I'll take your head."

"Yes my Lord."

Gabriel turned to look over the balcony again, the general out of his mind. _You see Mother? Fear is the only path to perfection. Love only leads to utter chaos and confusion._

## Chapter 18

Only six remained of the original twelve Gods.

The awareness of the Goddess had disappeared and no sign had been seen of her for centuries now. This was nothing new to the surviving Gods however as she had done so quite a number of times in the past. Though never for quite this length of time.

Five of the other Gods had simply disappeared with no-one knowing the reasons behind it. The Goddesses stupid little experiment was rapidly bringing around the demise of their entire existence. They would gladly have spanked her if she had not disappeared already.

J'ova was now corrupt, believing himself the one and only true God. His powers had grown exponentially with every living soul that worshiped him from the new worlds that the Goddess had created leaving behind his own family.

Quick, decisive action was a foreign concept to those assembled, yet this was exactly what would be required if they wished to be around much longer.

They had let the war begin without realizing what it was and all five were now caught in the middle of it, unprepared.

Each of them thought they were greater than the next, having come to the same conclusion eons ago. They had all gone their separate ways and created their own universes when they had begun to realize the power that J'ova was gaining from those worshiping him. It was at this time they had done something completely alien to them and reached out to organize a meeting. Their combined might would be required in the coming madness.

They settled down on couches that had appeared underneath them, the God Ebrum bringing them to order, "The time for debate is now behind us. We all know what's at stake. Our dear little sister has left us all in somewhat of a quandary. Her experiments have brought us all to the brink of disaster. Some of our brothers have already disappeared and it's safe to assume it was because of her stupidity. The power that J'ova wields increases every second because of all this. The rest of us must unite if we're to survive the coming onslaught. Make no mistake my friends, this is a war we find ourselves in."

The others nodded their heads in silent approval with Ebrum which he took as a cue to continue, "The combined might of his four generals is not something to be sneezed at. Together, they have the ability to match each and everyone one of us! J'ova knows this and uses them to his own purpose. We cannot allow this to happen! Their might must be matched by a mightier power, one that _we control._ "

Ados stroked his beard as he looked at Ebrum, "While that all sounds good on the surface it's just not workable. For us to create that kind of army would weaken us. We'd leave ourselves vulnerable and exposed. None of us would consider doing such a thing. There must be an alternative solution."

Getting to his feet the God paced, hands clasped behind his back. "Agreed, my friend. Which is why I put forth a different solution. After a little digging I came across an interesting fact. The little Goddess created her universe and as we all know a lot of good came out of it. However, not every single species turned out the same. On one particular planet, things went a little awry. The inhabitants so morally ambivalent that their very presence was a danger to us all though we weren't aware of it at the time. To counteract this threat, D'HarmaSan created a unique individual and imbued it with her own essence. I guess you could call it a lesser God. One incredibly powerful individual totally beholden to her alone."

Looking at each of the others for emphasis, he added "I think this might be the way we should go. D'HarmaSan herself showed us this is possible. All of us will create one powerful individual being and instill our own essence within them. If our dear little sister could do it, so can we and let's forego the whole conversation of who will answer to whom-none of us will allow any of the others to be in charge. Therefore I propose that _none_ of us should be."

Confusion moved through the other Gods at Embrum's words. Ados took advantage of their silence to question, "So just who would be in charge if we can't agree on one of us? Are we just to turn them loose? You expect us to relinquish a part of our own powers to create these _lesser Gods_ and then have no control over them?"

Ebrum stopped his pacing and took a seat. The confusion of his brothers and the subsequent question was one he had wrestled with for some time now. "Not at all. That would be crazy. My suggestion would be to place them under the command of the Dark One in Hell."

The nodding heads of the other Gods let him know the solution was adequate, "We send our own soldiers to _help_ Hunter and place them under his command. J'ova and his merry bunch won't be the wiser. They all trundle off to their little war and we keep our hands clean. Gently guiding the outcome our way." Moving his gaze across the assembled Gods, he added "and once that's out of the way, we concentrate on bringing our almighty brother back in line with the rest of us, as well as taking care of our little _sister_ if she ever shows up again."

The room fell silent as Ebrum finished outlining his plans. All of them silently thinking through the possible scenarios. Placing their own men under Hunter's control was a stroke of genius. If Hell failed to win the war, each of them could walk away as if they had nothing to do with it. If the opposite happened and Hell's army took out the Celestial one then each of the five Gods assembled would have an ally in Hunter and their own dear brother would have to bow to them.

It was a win-win situation as far as they could see.

## Chapter 19

Bonnie opened her eyes a little, searching. The Brethren still surrounded her on all sides, powerful streams of their essence attacking the sphere of protection woven around her. It still held, and would do so for as long as she needed. For a long time now they thought they had captured her within this sphere when in truth, she had been working on a very delicate situation from the start.

Looking at the tendrils of red that snaked upwards, she smiled. Smart of the Prince to turn the rebounding energy into an attack on the barrier. Too bad for them that D'HarmaSan had seen it and taken steps.

The Prince believed that every pulse of the power that radiated towards the barrier was weakening it, and while this held true, he had failed to notice the slight alteration that she had woven within it. Each pulse would weaken the barrier but would also energize Luxfer at the same time, and that was her ultimate goal and reason for having stayed so long on the planet.

Even now her child above was stirring. When the barrier finally fell, it would free him to pursue his purpose. She sighed, ' _it will also allow me to finally leave this dreadful place.'_

She probed outwards to see the current state of things elsewhere. The others didn't understand how much danger they were in. All of them corrupted now in their quest for dominance as she had foreseen so long ago. Her four children caught up in the madness that seemed to be taking hold of every part of creation, not just her own universe.

Only Luxfer and Hunter were still true to their nature amongst the higher beings, and herself of course. The universe kept whispering to her, imparting all the knowledge it gained each second. She wept and looked forward to the time when her child would be free.

' _Soon._ ' She thought, _'the time for reckoning is almost here._ '

She looked down at her new body again. It felt strange to have the wisdom and knowledge of all-time being housed in a seven-and-a-half, almost-eight-year-old girl. She was both Bonnie and the immortal Goddess at the same time. It would be an interesting future to see how things would work. ' _Still_ ,' she thought ' _the others always saw me as a young girl so-no harm, no foul. Appearing to be an innocent young girl will do no harm, it may even work to my advantage if I can survive puberty somehow!'_

A wave of sadness washed over her as the image of her mother- _Bonnie's_ mother, entered her mind. This was the one thing she had yet to broach with the young girl and she wouldn't do so until the rest of her consciousness had merged. Bonnie would need all the strength she could get when she learned about Ren's death and with the power of a Goddess in her hands, there was no telling what the consequences would be.

' _Not that all hope had completely disappeared. Things weren't quite that grim yet',_ she thought as her gaze turned once more to the barrier in the sky and her child trapped within.

*~*

He floated in a sea of unending warmth, dreaming.

Time held no meaning for him but somehow he still felt it moving swiftly. He knew centuries had passed as he watched over the planet below, showering his protection and love over it.

Now, it was all coming to an end.

Snippets of memories from an earlier time-before he had become the barrier filtered into his awareness. A small sampling of unconnected events. Moments spent with his mother and brothers and with others in conflict. They swam past, lightly caressing his consciousness leaving him confused. Some of them filled him with hope and joy, others with nothing but despair and at moments, even hatred.

He began to question as full awareness slowly returned. Why had he spent centuries surrounding this one planet, holding back those within the sphere? What was so important about this? Had he taken this on for himself or had others made him take it up? Was this punishment for misdeeds or rewards for good behavior?

The questioning continued while he sought to understand his purpose in life. _'Life. Is this what I currently have, or is there more to it? I'm not the same as those below me! Why is this? Who am I? Who are they?'_

A slight whisper in the surrounding darkness caressed his being. He listened intently to the woman as if she were speaking from a vast distance. The female voice had visited him many times before adding to his recollection of memories. She spoke in hushed tones, "The time is almost here, my son. The task you've been doing is almost complete. Nothing more will be accomplished by continuing down this path. Other tasks await you."

He listened closer to the voice, trying to make sense of his surroundings, "Long ago, those below us were the greatest threat to this universe that I could have imagined. Their very presence a danger to all existence. At this moment however, the threat they pose is minimal compared to the pure evil that exists elsewhere. Of all the things I've learned these few centuries, this is the one tenet that underlies all else. There is no such thing as pure evil or pure good within any of us. When free will is given to all, then the outcome is never certain. We hope and believe in the best but must prepare for the worst; _what we believe is the worst._ Those that choose a different path also think they do no harm."

' _Perhaps you should consider ending the entire thing?'_ he had asked of the bodiless voice, _'If the potential harm is as great as you see it to be, then it could be best to just remove it from existence completely? Maybe take away their free will?'_

"I actually considered doing so for a long time, my son. Perhaps the other Gods were right and I shouldn't have gone down this path. The time for that however, is well past. Each of my brother Gods have their own universe now, all filled with different dangers. Though they keep that a secret from the rest. They struggle amongst themselves for superiority, hoping to become the greatest God. They create worlds filled with worshipers for no other reason than to increase their own power. Goodness and the path to enlightenment not even a consideration. In fact, they ensure that no-one will ever rise to those heights, afraid of giving their power away to another."

He heard her sigh with disappointment, "Most of my very own children turned against me, looking to become more powerful. Only you have stayed true to me. And now I find myself about to fight a war on many fronts. The forces taking the field will overrun us if we're not careful. Billions of souls will be destroyed in the process, but I see no alternative. Our enemies have left us none. At this very moment, we gather an army of our own under the guidance of your son, Hunter. But I fear that even this may not be enough. For each soul that fights for us ten others will take the field against them.

"I've witnessed the effects of wars between the lesser beings. Terrible things! And yet these will be nothing when compared to a war between the Gods. A war which appears to be our fate. Heed my words Luxfer, in order for the light to continue the dark army must prevail. For only then can the balance be truly maintained. When the time comes, take yourself directly to your son and join forces. Only together will we have any hope of stopping the coming onslaught, and even this may not be enough."

The whispered words bore deep into his essence, filling him with dread. When the Goddess that created everything around you became afraid, it was time to worry. _'How much time do we have left before this madness begins?'_

"The madness began eons ago! This coming wave of lunacy starts now, my son. I came to prepare you for it and make you understand the dangers we face. Hope still lies within us, but love must prevail."

Bonnie closed her eyes once more and drew back her awareness from Luxfer, pondering her last words. _Love must win else evil would prevail. Yet I have spent centuries pouring this energy throughout the universe and they still come! If anything, the evil has become more prevalent. Even my own children now plot against the very thing they were created from. Power and might the only thing that matters almost everywhere with only a handful of true beings of goodness shining bright on occasion._

Stretching out her awareness into a separate realm, she looked over the few souls she had collected over time, _No. Evil would not win. It does not have the ability to nurture, to grow or to succeed._ Her children of Light would survive, but was it worth having centuries of unspeakable evil in charge of the universe for this to occur?

Time would tell. The process was about to start.

*~*

The brilliance of the light permeating the atmosphere below him had faded over time, becoming less pronounced over the recent days. The barrier which had held the Brethren at bay for centuries was now coming to an end. He was both happy and anxious at the same time. Happy that he'd done the best he could with the barrier, anxious that it may have all been for nothing if the words of his Goddess were anything to go by.

D'HarmaSan did not foresee what the consequences of her own actions would create. A universe with the potential to destroy everything in creation, and once again he was being asked to be at the center of things-to turn the tide. His full awareness back under his command once more along with all the sorrow and heartbreak.

Thinking of the last command that his Goddess had given him, he sent his awareness out to probe the location of Hunter. Invisible to others he came across as a shining light to Luxfer, pinpointing him in the realm he'd claimed. The same realm that J'ova had offered him so many centuries ago. _My realm I guess._ He continued watching, assessing the man that Hunter had become. If they were to become partners and work together to overcome evil he would need to know everything prior to making his presence known.

With the barrier below no longer requiring his full attention he moved a small part of himself to Hell, invisible. Darkness assaulted him as he did, latching on to the small bit of essence that had materialized. It picked him up and violently thrashed him back and forth, finishing up by washing over him and expelling him from Hell. Luxfer drew back, dazed. He hadn't anticipated to be so brutally attacked. Whatever guards Hunter had posted around himself seemed to be working. They were powerful enough to eject an unwary Luxfer from the realm in moments. He smiled, a partnership with Hunter seemed well worth forming!

Concentrating, he sent out a thought to Hunter, wondering if the guard would allow it to get through. _"Hunter. The barrier holding the Brethren in place is failing. Heed me. Mother needs us. All existence needs us, and we must work together."_

Hunter's head jerked around at the sound of struggle from his darkness. She'd mentally sounded a warning to him before launching herself into whatever had tried to get into Hell. A short silence followed the quick intense moment, " _Nothing to fear, my love. Whatever that was, it won't be back too quickly. I've made sure of that."_

He smiled. The darkness had proven to be a formidable friend. She would destroy anything that came anywhere near him with wrong intentions. Turning back to survey the training of those below, he replied "I never fear with you at my side. How do you think the new recruits are holding up? Do we need to push them harder?"

The darkness swirled around her masters' body, caressing " _Never fear. They will be ready. I'll make sure of that. Those who disappoint us will be taken care of._ " She felt the thoughts of the intruder she'd just ejected trying to get to her lover and quickly smothered them, " _and those who try to meddle will be dealt with harshly."_

## Chapter 20

The clash of sparring swords littered the air as Michael ducked underneath an inept swing by the warrior before him. He swung his own straight back around in a reverse arc that took his opponents legs out from under him, leaving him in a heap on the floor. He shook his head, disgusted at the performance of those they were training. Few if any, showing potential to make any difference in their upcoming battle with Hell. "Is this a waste of time, brother?" he asked of Uriel who had been watching him.

Uriel looked around the grounds at the thousand so-called warriors in training, "It appears so Michael. I could take the whole lot of them on myself and be having lunch with you in an hour."

Gabriel wandered over to the two, having overheard the conversation. He placed a gentle hand on Michael's shoulder, "They will always look like children to the likes of us, brothers. I sometimes try to think back to when we began our training wondering if this is the level we began at." The sound of bodies hitting the ground made him turn and look. Raphael stood over the three fallen trainees he'd just taken down without a weapon, "although I can't recall ever being _quite_ this inept."

Putting an arm around the two, he added "We make do with what we've been given. No matter how unskilled we think this group is. We always remember, they're being trained by the greatest warriors ever known-us! Something is bound to rub off on them. The enemy won't have this advantage. Anyone that Hunter throws our way will be even more inept than these and won't have the benefit of being led by the greatest generals in history. This war," he continued "won't be won by having the biggest or mightiest army. Remember the ultimate aim. Every single one of them that falls, from each side will weaken both Hunter and J'ova." Shaking his head as he caught Rafael taking down another six warriors, "Let's promote these and get them to take over the training. We've better things to be concentrating on."

## Chapter 21

Footsteps echoed off the tiled walls as the young woman strode towards the old man's room. Only the single guard covering the entrance had questioned her presence, and he had been easily diverted. Every part of her outfit was black, from the knee-high boots that covered the lower part of her leather pants to the long overcoat covering the skin-tight top. The ponytail of her hair swinging back and forth across her back with each step she took.

The small touch of power she had weaved through her essence making sure that everyone who saw her quickly looked away, not taking any notice. When they were inevitably questioned later, their answers would be vague and inconsistent. No descriptions would ever be noted of the individuals attired in black with a sword strapped across their backs.

The Children of the Light would forever remain anonymous to the masses.

She turned left at the end of the hall knowing exactly where the old man's room was. _Not like it's the first time I've been here._

Toby lay propped up in bed, an open book in his lap, looking around. The past twelve months had been spent _living_ here. ' _If you can call this living,'_ he thought, ' _more like staying as comfortable as possible before the end.'_ His entire life had been torn apart after emerging from the darkness of his coma.

The only person in the world that meant a shred to him was dead, murdered at the hands of some psychotic killer who remained uncaught. Her daughter was still missing, presumed dead by authorities. The culprit still running free. Were they the same? Were the kidnapping and murder linked? Or were they both only the initial part of a greater plan to get at him?

He thought back to the books he'd written. _Did I unwittingly place Ren in this position?_

Toby understood the way life worked better than most of humanity. Being a priest had given him the insight to one side of it, being chosen by the Goddess the other. These two aspects of his life had given him an intellectual knowledge of how grief operated but had been a poor teacher when it came to the emotional cost.

Early on grief would take a hold on him in a life crushing squeeze. Leaving him unable to breathe. No sooner had one wave subsided when there would be another giant wave just waiting to take him under. The tiniest thing would set off a new one. Twelve months on, the waves had slowly moved apart. Grief could still bring him to his knees but he knew the next might take a few days, or even weeks before it hit. Breathing room that allowed him a normal life in-between.

Now and again he would consider the things which had occurred, wondering if he had made a mistake. Perhaps he had interpreted the Goddess' vision incorrectly. He understood the futility in these thoughts and would mentally scold himself each time. The thoughts however, kept coming-and for the first time in his life, the voice of his Goddess stayed silent no matter how hard he prayed or screamed at her.

A choked sob escaped his throat, "Oh Ren. I should have just kept my mouth shut and not involved you in any of this."

A low chuckle made him look towards the open door, "That would be a first for you, old man. I'd be disappointed if you started to keep your opinions to yourself."

Stunned at the voice, his mouth made several attempts at speech but failed to utter a single sound. "Can't believe I finally found a way to make you speechless padre. And to think, all it took was for me to die and then show up here. Would've done it sooner if I'd known."

Toby's hands clenched on the sheets of his bed as he took in the smiling face of his adopted daughter, "Ren? Is that really you?"

Ren smiled at him, enjoying the moment "Take it easy old man. Don't want you having a heart attack on me now. Not after everything I've gone through to get here."

The old man relaxed the death grip he had taken on the sheets and exhaled, "They told me you were dead!"

Ren walked over to the padre, hugging him, "Funny that, they told me the same thing!"

*~*

She pulled back from the hug but held on to the father's hand, ignoring the tears falling down his face. "Come. Get out of bed and walk with me a little. You must be sick of lying down so much with only yourself for company."

Father Toby moved himself into a seated position on the bed, expecting the pain to take hold. Instead, he felt completely energized. Throwing back the covers of the bed, he stood and took Ren's hand. They strolled out of his room towards a lounge area two doors down. "Feels so good to be out and about. Amazing how it's the little things you end up missing the most," He locked eyes with Ren, "not including the people of course."

The smile on her face grew wider, "Thanks old man. Good to know that my time on this planet actually made an impact on _someone."_ Closing the door to the sounds of a medical emergency alarm that had begun to wail in the corridor, she guided them to an empty spot on the large couch.

"Won't be long now until those alarms are for me, I guess", the father said as he sat.

"Death comes to us all eventually padre. There's nothing to be scared of. Of all people, you should know that it isn't the end. More exists."

Father Toby sat forwards, elbows on his knees and his hands clasped under his chin, "I should know better, that's true Ren. But let me tell you now. There's a world of difference in knowing something in your head and actually living through it. I _know_ there's more. I've _felt_ the presence of the Goddess and yet, doubts persist. It's only when you live through something that you can truly comprehend it. Your death and the following months taught me that. Even having you here, in front of me won't remove it, I think. There's a doubting Thomas that lives in each of us, regardless of how much faith we hold."

Ren made herself comfortable, leaning back into the couch, "I'm so sorry I put you through that padre. It's one of the shittier things that we go through as part of living. Wish I could change it. There is a different side to it all though. Which brings me to why I'm here. Get comfy old man and enjoy someone else telling a story for once."

She looked off into the distance gathering her thoughts, "I guess I should begin just before my murder, though I won't dwell on that particular event. The Only thing important about that part of my life is that I died. Regardless of how it came about. I only had one thought going through my head- Bonnie. Was she still alive and OK? What would she do without me here to guide her? Would she stay the little angel I knew or would my death turn her into a crazed psychotic? All questions that any parent would have about their children. I was distraught, even in death. So much so that I wasn't even paying attention to what was happening around me.

When I finally started to pay attention to my surroundings I found myself standing in a queue, waiting for judgment. _Billions_ of other souls in front of me standing in complete silence. I look back on it now and think how ridiculous it was yet at the time, it seemed the most natural thing to do.

I don't know how long I stood there. Time passes differently within the different realms. All I know is one moment I was quietly standing in line and the next, I was sitting on this huge divan-staring at my daughter!"

She took a moment to gauge the old man's reaction. To her amazement she saw him sitting there paying rapt attention. Questions clearly on his mind yet he waited for her to finish her story before asking. _'I shouldn't have expected anything less from the old man,'_ she thought _, 'if nothing else-he knows how to listen to stories!'_

She breathed deep trying to clear her thoughts. This was the first time she'd actually tried to articulate what had happened and it wasn't coming as easily as she thought it would. Then it struck her. This was the _padre_ she was talking to. All his life he'd dealt with the visions that the Goddess would send his way. That was the way forward! She reached out and covered his eyes with the palm of her hand, "This should make it easier for both of us old man. Sit back and watch."

*~*

D'HarmaSan reached out and grabbed Ren's soul from the throng waiting in line to learn their fate. This was one soul J'ova would not be judging. She owed Ren a debt and the Goddess always paid her dues.

Moving her to the sphere she currently lived in, D'HarmaSan created a beautiful divan for Ren to sit on. Trying to ease her into the things they were about to discuss. Showing up in the form of Bonnie had been a deliberate decision on her part. Ren would need to get used to the fact that the mind of a Goddess now lived within the body of her daughter. She would understand once she realized what the alternatives had been. She prepared herself for what she was about to put Ren through as she watched her materialize on the couch.

A stunned Ren leaned forward towards Bonnie. She headed this off, "No Ren. This body may be that of your daughters but her spirit is no longer the only entity within it. I am the Goddess D'HarmaSan, soon to be the Goddess Bonnie I guess." Leaning back on the divan she let a touch of her power move through the body, making it a little older and tinged with a small part of her previous form. The woman that now looked back at Ren appeared to be in her early twenties rather than the eight-year-old that had been sitting there. "This is much better. I wasn't really looking forward to going through puberty, anyway. Perks of being a Goddess."

Shock ran through Ren's body at the sight before her. The woman still exhibited parts of what were her daughter; the voice that spoke however, was ageless, filled with wisdom. "I think I would have died of a heart attack-if I wasn't already dead... _My Goddess?_ "

Bonnie's laughter echoed across the entire cavern, her entire body shaking with it, "Oh hell No! Not from you!" She leaned towards Ren, tears of laughter still falling down her cheeks, "Listen babe, I get enough of that groveling crap from everyone else. We've been through _way too much_ for you to be paying homage _to me,_ or for me to even want it for that matter. That's never been my style, though some of the other Gods have gained a taste for it, amongst other less desirable things.

"But that discussion is for later on. First things first, a question. How much of what you've read or been told by father Toby do you actually believe Ren?"

"The truth? I guess you could say I was ambivalent about his stories originally. Not really believing it but at the same time not dismissing them. They were definitely great stories that would sell-that much I was certain of and I came to care deeply for the old man. _He_ believed every word, without doubt. At the time, well, let's just say I was little skeptical."

"At the time?"

Ren took a moment to gather her thoughts again. "Yes. At the time. When all the stuff happened with Bonnie and Hunter, Michael... Gabriel; it kinda makes you look at things a little differently. Truth is, I haven't had a chance to think and digest it all."

Looking around herself, she added "and finding myself here, after dying-that definitely puts a different light on it even more. Makes me lean more towards believing the padre's story, I guess."

Bonnie pursed her lips in thought, "I guess that's a good a place to start as any. Let me try to fill in some of the gaps for you.

"Point one, I created everything you see around you at the moment. Your entire existence is based on my intervention over millennia. This is a fact, pure and simple. Now, just because I created everything does not mean that I _control_ everything. All creatures in this universe have free will to choose as they decide best. It's always been my one true hope that the majority would choose what I consider being the _right_ option. Doing so would put them on the path of enlightenment Ren. Allowing them to eventually rise to the same level of being that I am.

"I'm not all-powerful and all-knowing as some would have you believe. The truth is that I struggle with decisions the same as everyone else, and sometimes, well let's just say that even a Goddess can make a mistake now and again. One of those mistakes almost cost me my life. We'll come to those in a minute, though. Let's start with some of the good stuff.

"Humans are an unbelievable and incredible species, Ren. Without prompting, guidance or any input of any sort from _the Gods,_ they've managed to find their way to creating unique souls. I didn't create them like this Ren, they made these themselves! And they didn't stop there. Some of these clever little things figured out something even before I did! They learned how to reincarnate their own essence over several lifetimes! I only just figured that out myself.

"It really proves my point about this whole experiment. The potential that can grow here is beyond even my imagining, and while I was quite happy to not interfere up to this point, now, well the other Gods are forcing my hand. Each of them has taken to creating their own versions of reality Ren. Some of them are even creating multiple versions. I can no longer sit on the sidelines and hope everything will be okay. Steps need to be taken."

She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at Ren, "I want _you_ to help me with this. These clever little souls, these _wise ones_ must be protected. If the other Gods learn of their existence, I have no doubt that they will collaborate to destroy them. They will see them as a threat to their own existence and take action. I don't think this should be allowed. Will you help me Ren?"

Ren sat back on the divan thinking over recent events. Her one and only concern, Bonnie, had now transitioned into a Divine Being. _Exceeded my expectations for her I guess. I thought she might grow up to be a doctor or something equally important. Becoming a Goddess? That clearly trumps anything I could have wished for her._ "One question Goddess. Why me? You've got powerful individuals at your command. People like Hunter, Michael and others no doubt, yet you tap _a_ _nobody_ like me on the shoulder for help. Why? And where would I even begin this? I know nothing of these wise-ones you mentioned."

"There's a few reasons for this Ren. All lining up like it was fated. I feel I owe you a debt for taking Bonnie away from you although the alternative would have been much worse. Those others that you mention, Hunter, Michael... the others? Let's just say that the future paths that are in front of them are not quite clear to me. Too many things are happening which have the potential to take their focus away from this or any other task I give them. As to your last question. I can't tell you much about these wise ones. I've only felt their existence while I slumbered and joined with this body. I don't know how many there are, or where they dwell, but I do know where you can begin. And that's the final reason I chose you, Ren. There is _one_ wise one whom I _do know._ You see Ren, the first one I'm one hundred percent sure is one of these wise ones is none other than your old buddy, the padre.

"And there's no one else I would trust to bring this truth to him because if I don't miss my guess, he'll outright reject that he is one."

Toby's eyes cleared as images of the Goddess faded from his mind. She had never led him astray as yet but this time a twinge of doubt entered his mind. _Wise one? Me? I think maybe someone needs to review that decision!_ "Are you certain about this Ren? I have no memories of having lived other lives before this one. No special knowledge in this chestnut of a brain. Could the Goddess be mistaken?"

"I don't have the answers to that padre. I can only tell you that _She_ believes it. Personally, if I had to lay a bet on it, you would be my choice. There's definitely more in that head of yours than you know. I just _feel_ it."

"Feelings aside Ren, I know nothing more than what I've already written about. All those are just stories that the Goddess imparted. _I'm not special! Why me?_ "

Ren smiled at hearing the same words she had uttered to the Goddess coming from the padre. "I know how you feel Toby and trust me when I say that I feel the same way, but tell me honestly-if you had to choose, who would you pick? If something like this is happening, we might as well be involved! Beats just hanging out in line waiting to be judged. Besides, my daughter now lives as part of the Goddess. Ain't no way I wouldn't take her side. Right or wrong."

"So where do we begin then Ren? Like I said, I've got no special knowledge, there's nothing _extra_ inside this peanut brain."

"I have a little insight in to that padre and a theory. When I first passed, my only thoughts were about Bonnie and what would happen to her without me. As I stood in that line, little fragmented bits of thoughts came to me. Tiny pieces of _previous_ lives. Now, I'm no wise one but I'm thinking that perhaps the full knowledge collected by each of us only becomes available again once we cross over. If that's the way it works, then all the information we need will come to you eventually!"

Toby shook his head as he pondered Ren's words, "That would mean that I'm useless to you Ren, until I die. Do we have time to wait for that to happen?"

"Sorry to break the news to you like this padre, but that process began the moment we walked out of your room.

"Welcome to the afterlife father."

Toby moved his head around taking in the room, a twinkle in his eye, "Not exactly what I was expecting but no real disappointment though." his gaze came to rest on Ren, "I've heard of these so-called wise ones in my studies Ren. I'm not exactly happy to have my name mentioned in the same sentence."

"Why not padre? From what Bonnie told me I figured they would be the ones that have found the right path!"

Toby brought his clasped hands up in front of his face like he always did when about to impart knowledge, "Let me tell you what I've learned of these wise ones.

"The people that I've researched in my life, _my former life,_ which took the mantle of 'wise one' believe that they are reincarnations of earlier beings who existed. Now I won't ever deny that, for I truly believe that there are those amongst us who do so. The ones I've come across though all believe that they were sorcerers, witches, shamans and high priests of one sort or another. They go around claiming to be 'this' or 'that' and mostly, they part fools with their money, justifying it to themselves in many ways.

"How could I possibly ever learn what it feels to live different lives if all I've ever done is the same damn thing over and over again Ren? Not once did I come across any single one that claimed they were a peasant or slave or just _ordinary_ in any way. I would be more impressed if some of them claimed that they had been homeless, abused or tortured. Learning through actual experience and struggling in some way!

"They seem to believe that they were put here to teach others and dish out advice. They absolutely love to do so, and while there's nothing wrong with that per-se, they get upset that others continue to ask for advice.

"Answer me this Ren. What kind of teacher would get upset that those they wish to teach continuously ask them questions? Or worse, take issue with the fact that some of their students won't heed them? That's being self-centered Ren, not wise!"

Pausing for a moment, he allowed Ren time to take in what he was saying. Walking over to the open window and looking down, "Maybe these poor souls are on the path to becoming a wise one and this is one lesson they must learn. I don't know, makes a sort of perverted sense I guess. Their minds need to be opened a little more.

"We both know that the Gods are not foolproof, Ren. They make mistakes and misjudge! Even my own beloved Goddess has admitted to doing so, and she created everything we see! No Ren, I refuse to don this mantle of wise-one if this is what's expected of me. Far too many people have I seen walk the dark path when they so righteously believed themselves to be so damn good! So many giving sermons about evil and then doing the same damn thing behind locked doors somehow defending the wicked acts within their minds.

"This world Ren, may not be completely evil but we come damn close. So very few people actually perform acts of good for no other reason than doing so. There's always some sort of _reward_ associated with it. Some small wish to ease a troubled mind, to balance the scales. To become a martyr or a saint.

"They visit their churches the required minimum hoping to avoid Hell. Once again not because they wish to be closer to their God but to avoid punishment.

"They confess their sins to their priests, again to avoid punishment and not because they're truly sorry!

"The very religious ignorance that brought us hundreds upon hundreds of different forms of war. As humans, we twist things around to conform to what we believe. Even the word itself Ren! The modern word _religion_ is derived from the Latin word _religio._ Let me enlighten you. Its meaning? _An individual virtue of worship._ It was never meant to be a doctrine or practice, let alone the ultimate source of truth! The original word was about the _individual's_ form of worship. An individual's relationship with their God or Goddess!

"Unlike what every person would have you believe these days Ren, true relationships are not formed on the basis of how many people see it on social media or how many of your friends like it or how many times you call each other babe or honey. True love and relationships come from the light, love and interaction of people and their Gods.

"And that, we're failing at. Miserably.

"Look around you, even today Ren. The stories that you printed regarding the Goddess not that long ago, my own words. At this very moment, they are being used in sermons and lectures that support different opinions. All taken out of context. I know of at least two different ministries out there which have been founded upon the words in a couple of paragraphs alone! One mass shooting _of innocents_ based on one warped individual, who probably didn't even read the entire book! Killings performed in the name of my Goddess. I warned her this might happen! Told her to think twice!"

Ren sat back taking in everything Toby had just told her.

This was the first time she'd heard him say these things and it only confirmed her suspicions that Bonnie had chosen correctly.

In her own small view of the world, the only souls that would have reached such an approximation of perfection would be those that denied they were. Those who actually considered themselves a wise-one would still have a long path to travel. "All that padre is the exact reason I need you. Let's put aside the question of whether you belong on the list or not. You do agree there are those out there, _somewhere,_ who may have attained or are on the path to achieving it, don't you?"

"Of course Ren. I don't see there would be much point to anything at all in life if that wasn't the case."

"Then help me find them, padre. Help keep _me_ on the right track. Let's find these _wise ones_ and get them somewhere out of harm's way. It may not be completely altruistic of me but it might let me balance out my own ledger. At least let a little good come out of my own selfishness."

Padre Toby smiled at how Ren had turned his own words around in the discussion, "That's the one thing I've always loved about you Ren. You learn quickly. Where do we begin?"

Returning his smile, Ren said "I've given that a little thought padre. Finding them would be useless if we have nowhere for them to stay safe. Where in all of existence can we possibly hide these wise souls who probably shine brighter than the rest of us combined? Where would they be safe, away from the prying eyes of the other Gods? There's only one place I could think of.

"Hell."

## Chapter 22

Ebrum considered himself greater than the rest of his brothers combined. They had failed to foresee the ramifications of D'HarmaSan's experiment. Only he had seen the potential chaos and destruction that would come out of it and taken protective action. The version of the universe he created did not contain any of the mistakes the goddess had made in hers. Free will was a useless notion and not required at all, just enough different populations who all worshiped and prayed to him daily. Not that he paid any attention to their desires, dreams, hopes or prayers. He had no time, patience or need to fulfill any of those or the desire to listen to their useless rants.

Each planet in his version of reality contained the same individual, endlessly working towards powering him with their own essence. That's all that mattered from any of this, power.

With all her talk about free will and love, D'HarmaSan had learned that particular lesson the hard way. Only the Gods held the power and capability to determine the course of events. The lesser beings were too fragile and inept to be allowed its use. That one small oversight on her part had led to the current dilemma they all found themselves in. His little sister had paid the price. She was now either dead or as close to it as possible for a God.

He would miss her and the endless mischief she got up to. It had helped passed the time in the years before this madness had begun. ' _At least I won't have to destroy her as I will the others.'_

His other siblings were a different matter entirely. He was looking forward to their destruction. Every single one had been nothing but a pain throughout his existence. Forever debating and arguing over inconsequential things and not seeing the truth behind it all. _I mean, all they need to do is listen to me! To shut their damn mouths for a moment and pay attention! But no, not them. Yap, yap, yap... Should have taken care of them a long time ago._

Thinking back to the purpose of their meeting, he plucked one individual from his universe out of their present reality and brought them to him. Every being within his realm looked the same to him. ' _This one will do',_ he thought, ' _you can be the one I send to Hunter. After all, my brother are of no consequence and will soon be dealt with. Let them believe what they will.'_

Waving his hand, he sent the selected warrior to the agreed upon location, ' _Not long to go now and everything in creation will worship me. I AM the one and only God!'_

Across other realms in different realities four other deities had just finished up similar conversations with themselves. All claiming to be _the one and only and all believing themselves supreme._ Each at war with the others.

## Chapter 23

Leaving Toby to continue his investigations into the wise ones, Ren left to try and find where Hell resided. After much time discussing it with the padre, they both felt the most logical place to start would be the realm where she'd been taken from by the Goddess, the line waiting to be judged by the God J'ova. It made sense as this was the only place they actually knew of where the search could begin, their knowledge of the other realms lacking in clarity.

With a quick goodbye to the padre she vanished from his sight and materialized well away from the gates behind which the God had his throne. The place least likely to get caught out.

She looked around. Everything was as she remembered. Utter silence from the throng surrounding her. Every soul waiting patiently in line, ready to be judged. All eyes staring straight ahead.

_'Incredible to think that I just up and went along with this. When so much wonder, joy and happiness is around us the afterlife should not be this gray!'_ She moved forward on foot. Distance had no meaning.

Days passed without incident, each identical to the last. The gates coming closer into view the only change. The souls surrounding her were dressed in antique outfits. No doubt she'd passed through generations of them without realizing. None gave her a second look, each having eyes only for the upcoming gates and their turn at judgment She shook her head, _'Would they actually do anything if they realized that they were all going to Hell?'_ Thinking back to the time that she herself had spent standing in the line she added, ' _Probably not. Nothing else mattered to me except for those damn gates when I was here!'_

The gates in question were only about half a mile in front of her and she had been hearing the decision of J'ova for the past half day. Without fail, all had been found wanting and moved on. Not once had she heard him grant entry into his heaven. ' _Must be lonely in there for anyone that's actually made it!'_

She moved slowly through the line approaching the front. A flash of light caught her attention for a moment. Peering closer, she saw a gorgeous young man in armor motioning to the next in line. The soul trudged forward through the gates. A moment later, the booming voice uttered the words that she had come to detest, "Unredeemable. Let the Dark One handle you."

Another flash as the God's light shone against the young man's armor again. The arm motioning for the next soul that had waited centuries for this split second in time to move forward. The time had come. She would not get another chance. Moving quickly to the next person that waited, she casually moved to the place in front of him. He stood there saying nothing. Not complaining about her cutting in the line before him. She shrugged her shoulders. ' _You've waited who-knows-how-long and yet don't argue when someone skips in front of you. That should count on the positive for you!'_ Smiling to herself and knowing full well that nothing they did seemed to make a difference to the judgments being made.

The voice of the God sounded again, followed by the flash of light. Her turn had come. Time to go to Hell.

Trying to imitate the walk of those around her, she ambled towards the throne where the God sat. Hoping that no one would notice that the way she was clothed was absolutely nothing like those who had come before. Her worries were for nothing as she stopped to listen to her own judgment. The God didn't even bother looking at her. She peered closer and realized that he wasn't even truly there. This was just an apparition of the God. All the talk of judgment, redemption and salvation she'd been led to believe while she still lived had been a lie. J'ova hadn't even bothered to take the task her Goddess had given him seriously. The illusion sitting before her would give the same outcome regardless of who stood in front of it. The voice bounced off the walls around her as the illusion of the God faded, "Unredeemable. Let the Dark One handle you."

*~*

Her senses returned and she found herself in a dark, slimy cavern. The smell of sulfur surrounding her. ' _Is there something in the burning smell of sulfur that we all associate with depravity?'_ She smiled. Getting into Hell had been easier than she had thought it would be. The smile fading quickly once she took a good look around.

From what the Goddess had told her, Hell had been a place created out of pure love. She could picture Hunter in charge of that version. What she saw all around her however was plain misery. Complete darkness and the absence of love.

It didn't tie in with what the Goddess had told her about Luxfer, Hunter or Hell. Something else was going on. ' _Have I come to the wrong Hell? Is there_ _more than one version of it?'_ She would need to keep her wits sharp until she found Hunter and understood what was going on.

Taking two strides, she reached out her hand to the door holding her in the cell. It looked impenetrable yet opened at the slightest touch from her fingers. ' _Bonnie was right about that part. The realms respond to our mental thoughts._ _I would have been locked in there forever if I didn't realize that. As above, so below. Better be careful what I wish for while I'm here, cos it damn well is gonna happen!'_

Not having any knowledge of the ways or layout of Hell, she turned left at the door and began the trek down the long corridor, walking for what seemed like hours before catching herself for the first time. There was no need for her to walk like this. Distance had no meaning when it was all in her head! ' _Damn! No sooner did I tell myself to be careful than I began to walk like I expected the corridor to be long.'_

Sitting down, she crossed her legs and meditated a little. ' _The mind is so powerful that we delude ourselves without even knowing. Much greater care needs to be taken. This happened to me and I understood exactly what was happening!'_ She stood dusting off her leather pants, "Lesson learned."

Ren's voice bounced off the walls around her, "Lesson learned, again. For the hundredth time!" Frustrated at herself for once more falling prey to her own internal thoughts.

She had thought momentarily that she should be dying of thirst as she had not had a drink in hours and her mind had completely altered the reality around her to suit. She sank to her knees and began crawling as though she was traversing the largest desert on Earth. Parched, with no water. No end in sight. Her death assured.

It was only when her head fell onto the floor that she remembered where she was and screamed in fury. Frustration giving over to anger. Slapping herself hard across the cheek, she stood back up. Once more in control of herself and ready to go.

The darkness watched on. So many times now this particular soul had found a way out of its own torture. No other soul had ever done so and she was intrigued. For the first time she took a much closer at one of the damned, probing deeper into her mind.

Visions of the woman playing with her daughter sprung forth with clarity. Utter devotion and pure love. Maybe that was the key to the woman's power. Pure love would easily see through the self-created tortures of their own mind and allow her to break the spell. She pushed deeper into Ren's memories trying to understand more. Love of a daughter could not possibly be all there was to it.

A life filled with both the lowest points of sadness and despair and the highest joys of pure love for her daughter and husband. Nothing amazingly clever or new in any of it. Nothing that gave this woman any special insights into the ways of Hell. Intrigued, the darkness went further still.

_'Hunter!'_ She screamed within the confines of her own essence. ' _This woman knows the Lord. She knows my love!'_ She brought more of her attention back to the smiling woman, snaking her essence deeper still. ' _Not only does she know him but_ s _he's in love with my man! NO! This cannot be! He belongs to me, always!'_

Ren looked up as the atmosphere around her got heavier. Somehow darker and more angry. It felt like a living presence. ' _No, not again. There is nothing real about any of this. Remember yourself. You create this reality. The darkness is nothing but that, darkness.'_ She took a few steps towards it, determined to walk right through it, telling herself that it didn't exist other than within her mind.

The swirling dark however, had different ideas. Ren's body almost bounced backward as it met a physical resistance that she hadn't anticipated. ' _This isn't the same. Something else is happening here. Keep a blank mind, think nothing. If I am creating this, it will disappear because it is not real.'_

The darkness continued to swirl in concentric circles in front of her. Slowly taking on the shape of a woman. Identical in form to herself. Closing her eyes to it, she spoke aloud "This is not real. I created this reality and you are not part of it." She took a half step back on opening her eyes. The swirling mist no longer existed. Instead she was looking upon her own face, with a slight alien cast to it. The eyes a little more angled, the jawline a tad squarer. "What the Hell have I gotten myself into now?"

"More than you can imagine I would say. Tell me Ren, how is it that you know our Master? What is it that you are here for? Come, Speak! I cannot help you if you won't."

Ren hesitated, still wondering if this was actually happening or if it was but another torture her own mind was dreaming up for her. "I've come to talk to Hunter. To ask him a favor."

"What, exactly does this favor entail? What makes you sneak into our realm under false pretense and search out the master?"

"I came here to ask Hunter for a safe spot for _certain_ individuals that need protecting. I couldn't think of a better place for them than here, under his guidance." She paused taking in the feeling of hate emanating from the feminine figure before her. Her female intuition literally screaming that something else was at play. Something yet unknown. She would hold back further information until she saw Hunter. He was the only one she trusted.

The woman turned her back on Ren and casually walked down the next corridor. Looking back she said, "Come then Ren. Let me take you the Master so that you can make your request. He is but a short distance from here." Pointing a hand at a door in the distance, "in fact, three doors down is where you will find him."

Ren reassessed her feelings towards the woman. Perhaps being in Hell was causing her intuition to play up. After all the different weird and warped realities her own mind had conjured, the possibility was real. She would keep her guard up but follow. Nothing would be gained by not doing so. "Thank you. I don't know how much longer I could have kept going without any help."

The darkness stopped in front of the door she had pointed out, hand poised on the handle. "It's truly my pleasure Ren. My only thoughts are to protect the master, nothing more. If all you are here for is to ask a favor, then he should know. After all, it is his realm." Turning the handle, the darkness opened the door revealing a brightly lit room. Hunter sat on a throne at the far end, a scepter casually held in one hand. His head adorned with a golden crown.

The words left her mouth as she flew across the room, "Hunter!"

She reached him before he had managed to get up fully from his seat, hanging onto him tightly until she felt him force her arms away from his body. Looking into his face, she was met with a scowl, anger coming off him like a heat wave, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Hunter? It's me. Ren!"

"I know who you are bitch! What makes you think you can just walk in here expecting anything after everything you've put me through?"

The voices trailed off as the Darkness closed the door on the couple, a smile of satisfaction crossing her features as she created locks to ensure there would be no escape. Ren had finally found her Hell, and this time the darkness would ensure she didn't break out of it easily.

## Chapter 24

The five individuals chosen by the Gods to help Hunter in the war against J'ova stood just outside the entry to Hell. Each of them imbued with some of their Gods essence. Powerful, minor deities in their own right.

On the surface they had been sent to help, within each however, lay the seeds of different instructions from their respective God. _Help the dark one achieve victory but be on the lookout for a chance to take out the rest._ They waited.

The darkness stirred, assessing the powers each of them held. They were unaware she was even present, expecting only Hunter. Easing towards the nearest one she probed deep. ' _Powerful, but not nearly as powerful as my beloved. You stand but children in a playground. Easily handled.'_ Moving across the five she found the hidden instructions within each of them. ' _The Gods show a distinct lack of respect for my Lord. They would be better off fearing him instead of trying to deceive, then he might show mercy. These actions will only bring misery and pain to them all.'_

She kept probing. ' _It is a wonder that my love survived at all without me. Every time I come across one of these individuals they wish him nothing but harm! They all want to destroy him. Evil must rule the worlds outside this realm. How much suffering did my poor darling go through when he was surrounded by nothing but evil all this time.'_

She pulled back, preparing to report the five to Hunter, ' _Never again will I allow him to place himself in such danger. Not from the likes of these, the Gods or that bitch that showed up. Never!'_

One hundred meters behind the five, Luxfer watched from the darkness of a sheltered grotto. The beings standing before the entrance to Hell were powerful entities in their own right and would wait and see how Hunter's guards handled them to better prepare himself for entry.

A frown marred his features as he witnessed the darkness gather around them. They five stood still, unaware they were already being assessed. No one in creation apart from Hunter and himself should have that kind of power and yet the creature he saw exuded the same symptoms of internal light as his own. Perhaps Hunter had created this creature from a part of his own being. That would explain it. He continued to watch, paying closer attention to the dark being.

It swirled and coalesced into a semi-transparent form in front of the five. Luxfer cocked his head a little, 'D _efinitely female in form, yet they still don't see her. Interesting! Maybe not quite as powerful as I originally thought.'_

The dark woman kept her attention fixed on the five before her. Bits of dark smoke moving through each of them before returning to her outstretched hand. ' _She sends her own essence within each one. Going deeper than they know. By the time she's finished, she'll know them better than they know themselves. Nothing will be kept secret.'_ He nodded and tipped an imaginary hat to Hunter, ' _Well done. The perfect guardian! She even caught me off guard the first time.'_

Luxfer watched as the female form turned to march through the entrance, the five following behind her, having passed her inspection without realizing. Waiting a heartbeat before striding toward the same opening, completely cloaked and unnoticed. She would not know of his presence until he decided it would happen. He would only approach Hunter once he was convinced about all that was happening.

Standing in perfect formation, the five waited for Hunter in the large cavern that the female had taken them to. The dark entity now a swirling mist surrounding each with only a hint of the outline of the woman Luxfer had seen outside to be seen. ' _Almost as if she hides her true form.'_ he thought turning his gaze to his own created son.

Hunter paced in front of the beings that the darkness had just brought before him, probing each as they passed, judging their power. They all stood almost identical in strength. Nowhere near as powerful as himself but combined they would prove a worthy adversary, sending a silent question to the darkness, ' _Will they stand united against our enemies?'_

The darkness coalesced for a moment outlining the face of a woman. Ruby red lips parted against Hunter's ear, "Absolutely love. They harbor a different agenda deep within but they all have instructions to do what they must to gain your trust. At the same time they will be looking for any opening to either destroy one of the others or you. If we never give them that opening they will do as we wish."

"We already have an army at our disposal. A _trusted_ army that will march on my word and meet the enemy head-on. Each of our warriors more powerful than those they will meet. Of what possible use can these five be to us? Do the _Gods_ really believe that I will trust them just because they send _five_ warriors to help in the struggle? So late in the game? Can they think me so gullible?"

"I can only give you my opinion based on what I've witnessed so far together with what I felt within each of these my love."

"And what do you think?"

"These Gods you mention absolutely believe that you will be taken in that easily. Each of the individuals you see before you has been created with the belief that they are more powerful than the next. An imitation of what their creators think! They will try to outdo each other to gain your trust, only to turn on you and deliver you up to their masters. All of them, without fail are so proud of the being they are.

"That is a weakness that we can use against them. They already believe themselves to be individually better than the rest. We use that to keep them under control and reach our goals. We use that to crush our enemies. And when we're done with them, we use them to destroy their masters!"

Hunter walked back to his chair and sat, "And the best way to _use_ them would be?"

Luxfer's voice echoed throughout the chamber as Hunter sat, "Why not send the five to take care of Gabriel and Michael?"

Hunter had risen halfway out of his chair before realizing who the voice belonged to. The darkness swelled around him in protection. Coiled, ready to pounce. She'd been caught unawares, ' _Get ready love. This one is very powerful and crafty. I've removed him once already and yet he shows up again unannounced.'_

"Slow down, relax. He's no threat to us." He got up and walked straight up to Luxfer, "I was told you no longer existed Luxfer. That the only parts left of you were holding the Brethren at bay as part of the barrier. What's happened to change all that?"

Luxfer took his time taking in his surroundings. This entire realm reached out to his being, filling him with hope and joy. Not once in his entire existence had he felt like this, like he belonged. Even the dark entity weaving a protective barrier around Hunter felt like an old friend. "The Brethren no longer hold our attention the way they used to Hunter. They are no longer the threat we believed them to be. In fact," he added as he strode to look at the five, "I don't think they ever truly were. I think we made a huge mistake at the time, confusing their apathy with evil. True evil exists Hunter. We were just looking in the wrong place for it. These five who stand here before you, they're the agents of where evil really lurks. Those that call themselves Gods are finally showing their real nature to us."

The darkness curled herself around Hunter, confusion coursing through her being. Her master sat within the cocoon barrier she had weaved and yet, the stranger before her called to her. Even more so than when her love had first arrived, torn and bloody. She inspected him, trying to probe within his exterior, searching for the truth.

Luxfer motioned to her with his open hand, inviting her towards him, "Please. Delve deeper. I hide nothing from either one of you. You have nothing to fear."

She paused uncertain of the correct action to take. Her master knew the individual in front of her and considered him a friend. She couldn't detect even the tiniest wisp of power emanating from him, yet knew that he was powerful. It was almost like this person and her master were one and the same, and then it struck home. _Luxfer! The Original lord of the realm!_ Hunter's memories had lain open to her from the moment he'd arrived needing to recover and Luxfer had been a part of those. Her confusion compounded. _Do I now have two masters? I was created to serve one. My entire being attached to my love._

Luxfer smiled at the darkness knowing what she was going through. Every rock and grain of sand in this realm was speaking, guiding and filling him with knowledge. Only _she_ held the power though. "Please. Let's all take a moment."

Turning his attention back to Hunter, he pointed a thumb back over his shoulder, "Sending these against Gabriel has the potential of ending this war before it even begins. If they manage to take out the brothers, their army is done. J'ova wouldn't know what to do. We can use that as leverage to get what we need from him. If they fail, then we've taken out the most powerful beings that the other five Gods currently have. We can use _that_ as leverage to get what we want _from them._ Either way is to our advantage. We seem to be caught in war where we have different enemies lined up against us. The only advantage we have is that they aren't working together. Keeping them divided will make our lives much easier."

Hunter leaned forward in his chair, hands clasped in front of his mouth, "We had already decided that Gabriel and Michael were our biggest threats at the moment. You're right Luxfer. Sending these won't hinder our progress in any way. It may actually buy us some time." He turned to the surrounding darkness, "See to it my love. It's time we took the fight to our enemy's doorstep."

## Chapter 25

Toby put the book in his hands on the table in front of him. Everything he had come across regarding the wise ones had left him disheartened. He had no doubt these beings existed but like everything else that humans had a hand in, it had been twisted to suit the thoughts of certain individuals.

He picked up the book and began reading once more.

Wise ones are an intense and exotic human, often eccentric, glowing from within. When you come across one you will notice a deep, penetrating stare as if they can see your very soul. The truth of everything is apparent to them as they are highly intuitive. They dress in long flowing robes and look like characters from a romance novel.

Throughout their many different lifetimes they have learned to channel their powers to affect everything around them, including things like the weather.

Reincarnated sorceress, high priests, shamans, witches and wizards they have a solid energy associated with Earth, reaching maturity well ahead of others.

Many of these wise ones have been called back from the spirit world to help the Earth through its current bleak situation.

Toby slammed the book down on the pile of others. _More of the same nonsense._ All the things that at one time had been completely forbidden and heathenish were now being incorporated into a new belief. Everyone searching for that one truth, unable to see more than one side of the story. Snippets of what he felt instinctively to be the truth layered within the views held by the individual. Absolutely no difference between these and the writings of old.

Looking at his watch, he got up to leave. Time to catch up with a guru. Him and five hundred others who had all paid a tiny fortune for the privilege of hearing wisdom, supplied with lunch and beverages followed by a book-signing.

He looked closely at the faces of the crowd in the auditorium surrounding him. Most sat completely enamored with the talk of their guru. Scattered through the crowd were some obvious non-believers.

The hall was massive, filled with uncomfortable chairs where they would all sit for the best part of the next ten hours. A top of the range sound system ensuring that every word uttered by the current speaker would be heard by all in attendance. Merchandise stands stood ready at the back of the hall covered in books, video and t-shirts. A modern-day concert given by a non-musician.

He had paid three times the amount others had to ensure he was as close to the speaker as possible. Only two rows separating them. One of the privileged few if the glances of those around the hall were anything to go by. Their new messiah seated on a comfortable couch of red velvet, dressed in long flowing robes with her hair held back by a headband weaved through with yellow flowers at the center of the elevated stage for all to see. The entire scene would have felt at home if he could travel through time and transport straight to the 1960s-minus the LSD.

She had talked about the different realms that had been told to her by an angel. Interspersed with stories from the crowd where everyone appeared to have led an earlier existence of being a witch, warlock, pixie, sorcerer and at one point, even a unicorn. He stifled a yawn as the speaker continued, " they may like to wear long flowing robes all dark in color as they are very somber individuals who have seen everything there is to see throughout the ages. All the pain and suffering they carry in their hearts. They demand respect. The respect due to those that bring lessons to others. Some of these wise ones are now transcending into a mix of wise one _and angel._ " She paused for effect, "These are the Knight Paladins. Think of them as knights in full armor, crusaders or Templars."

A quiet chuckle from his left made Toby turn. An older lady, large round glasses held by a plastic chain draped around her neck leaned his way a little, "Methinks she should have had one of her assistants do more research. Bringing in the Templar knights into a talk about the different realms? A bit like asking someone to talk to Hitler to gain a better understanding of a day in the life of someone of the Jewish persuasion, or perhaps more politically correct, ask a shark what it's like to be vegetarian." Looking deeper into Toby's eyes, a slight hint of a smile on her mouth, "or fail to give the microphone to somebody who claims to have spoken with a Goddess."

"You know me ma'am?"

"Yes I do padre. I know all there is to know about you. I know the story of your training as a Jesuit, your early childhood, even how you like your tea! Perhaps I should have worn my long flowing black robe so you would recognize me as a wise one." Slowly standing out of her chair she motioned with a quick jerk of her head toward the exit, "or maybe I'm just a charlatan who recognized you from the nice photo on your dust jacket and the small biography that went with it? Buy you a coffee?"

Toby smiled as he made his way behind her, eager to see where this would lead. His first interaction as a recently deceased, with a still living person. _I wonder if I can pull it off?_

Sitting at a plastic table he watched as the woman returned with two coffees in hand. Everything about her was average from her height and weight to her clothing, a pair of faded jeans, runners and a t-shirt. And yet, he sat there intrigued. Something drew him to explore further.

He half rose as she placed the coffee on the table in front of him, "Thank you for that. Not very gentlemanly of me to allow you to get them though."

"Fear not padre, its free." she said sitting across from him, "if you don't count the three grand that I spent to be here, that is."

Toby laughed as he took his seat. The old lady had a way about her, appearing to see the lighter side of life. "So tell me a bit about yourself. You don't come across as the type to frequent these sorts of gatherings. Unless I miss my guess. You seem to know about me but perhaps I may ask your name?"

The old woman brought the coffee to her lips, blowing on it gently trying to cool it down a little, "A little hard to have a conversation when you don't know the other person's name. It's Marjory. As old fashioned as I am." She smiled, "just call me Mags. Everyone else does. Where to begin? You're right padre, I'm not the type to blindly follow where these flowery worded self-proclaimed deities will take me. I guess I'm just searching for ... something. Don't really know exactly what if you were to press me though."

"Like there's a piece of the puzzle missing? The full picture not showing properly?"

Mags laughed and actually slapped an open palm on the table, "Well put! I couldn't have stated it better myself! Oh, don't get me wrong! I've lived a wonderful life. Was married for over fifty years to the best man ever to live. Children, grandchildren and even my first great-grandchild on the way. No unusual heartache or dramas. Well, nothing that is any worse than most families go through and truth is, better than a lot of them have it. I've lived through world wars and witnessed the worst mankind has to offer. Times of hardship and despair. But I've also seen some truly marvelous things in my time. The courage and hope that some individuals bring to the world. And yet, at this late stage of the game I find myself questioning. Not about life itself padre but the meaning behind it all."

She sipped her coffee once more, "Maybe I'm just finally going senile. Some of my kids seem to think so anyway. Afraid I might be wasting away their inheritance on gatherings like this." The smile washed across her features once more as she added, "Or maybe I'm just going through a mid-life crisis!

"Either way, I don't plan on just sitting out the rest of my time on my lazy ass waiting for the end. If answers exist, I need to find them. At the very least, the last chapter of my life will be filled with adventure and new stories. Not laced with me trying to find new hiding spots for wads of cash that I don't want the government to find out about, trying to hide it in my drapes or under my rocking chair."

"So you visit all these gurus hoping to come across the right one for you? For a version of the truth that ties in with what you believe?"

Mags waved her hand in the air between them, "Bah. Please padre. I can't believe such an inane question would even be uttered by the author of such enlightening books, regardless of whether they are true or not. A Jesuit professor and that is the best you can do? Spare me. Did you have someone else write those books? Please!"

Toby sat back in the plastic chair taking a sip of the now lukewarm coffee, "Playing Devil's Advocate has always been one of my failings, my dear. I apologize."

Mags gave a small chuckle, "Devil's advocate. Don't you find it strange just how many religious platitudes have made their way into general language padre? I always found that one to be among the funniest though. Someone appointed by the church to challenge a proposed new pope or the reality of a miracle. Someone who knows all about every skeleton in their closet. I've always found that hard to reconcile with the fact that the pope is supposed to be God's mouthpiece on Earth. Picked by God himself. Shouldn't make a difference to the rest if the chosen one has a million skeletons in the closet or not, you'd think. If it's good enough for the man above, it should be good enough for them!

"But, enough of the maudlin stuff padre. Tell me, why would a dead person like yourself have any interest in this little get-together anyway? Please don't tell me that the missing piece is still lost after we pass! That would be a sad thought indeed."

Toby sat back in his chair astounded at the composed manner in which Mags had casually mentioned him being dead. She hadn't given any outward signs of anything unusual taking place, just a normal conversation between two people. "Are you usually so blasé about chatting with those no longer alive Mags? I thought I'd been fooling you all this time."

The cheeky half-grin returned to her face, "I've always been able to see them padre. Though I've never had the chance to sit and have such a normal conversation with one of them. When I was a young girl my parents actually spoke to their priest about what they called my visions. I'm fairly certain they thought me possessed by the Devil himself. I know they were only doing what they felt was the right thing by me padre but, can you imagine the absolute horror I was put through? The worse things I should have been worried about at that age should have been whether Timmy from the next block up was going to ask me to the dance at school! Instead, I'm surrounded by three old men in full church regalia drilling me about my sins and thoughts on God and the Devil."

She sat back in her chair, "Young Timmy never did ask me to that dance. He went with Jane down the road. I still wonder whether it was because of the gossip at the time."

"So you just kept quiet I assume?"

"Tried to padre. That was the easiest way out. Made a great big show about how normal I was after the fiasco with the priests. Kept my mouth shut for a long time afterwards about it all. Almost drove me crazy keeping up two separate lives. Life however had something else in mind for me. As I grew older I realized that this wasn't the curse I thought it to be. At some points I actually considered it a blessing. Now I'm even older and not necessarily wiser. I see it neither a blessing nor curse. It's just part of who I am.

"You see padre, one of the hardest lessons I've learned in this life is that we're not here to punish or reward. I try to help others when I can. Sometimes those who have passed over show themselves merely to pass on their well wishes and love at other times, there's a slightly darker reason. When I was younger I used to charge large amounts to those who came seeking. Later on I began doing it for free. I went from one extreme to the other yet a lot of people went away disappointed and sometime angry with what I had to say. Do you know why padre? People weren't looking for answers. What they were after was somebody to validate the things they had already decided for themselves! I couldn't handle it any more. Life came full circle and once more I became _normal,_ telling everyone that I could no longer help them. Only took me seventy years to realize that I needed to help myself before I could truly help others."

"And have you found what you've been looking for? Any of these self-styled gurus helped in any way?"

"I really don't know padre. There are little bits and pieces of things. A snippet here, a throwaway line there that sometimes resonate with me, like they're just touching on the real meaning behind it all. Overall though it just doesn't gel. I honestly wish I wasn't quite so inquisitive sometimes. That I could just follow like the others in the room. Life would be so much easier that way. But enough about me now father. Tell me. Why are you still hanging out here? If the stories you wrote are real and the Goddess does truly exist, why haven't you moved on to... wherever it is she is? It's got to be a damn sight more exciting than rehashing things from this life!"

"That my dear, is a very long story. Let me alleviate your mind a little. The Goddess _most definitely_ exists, but before I go to her and give her a piece of my mind there's a little something that she's asked of me."

"You plan on meeting the Goddess and _giving her a piece of your mind,_ padre? I don't envy you."

Toby smiled at Mags, "Oh, it's not the first time I've called her nuts, believe me. I doubt it'll be the last if she continues making such stupid choices. But that's a discussion for another time Mags. The sixty-four million dollar question of the day is this. How much do you truly know about these so called _wise-ones?_ "

## Chapter 26

Luxfer wandered through the halls of Hell without any particular purpose, trying to get a feel for his realm. Every speck of dirt whispered to him as he walked past, filling him with a full history of what had transpired since its inception, something that it didn't appear to share with Hunter. So far he'd been less than impressed at the progress of those souls currently inhabiting Hell. No matter how much positive energy was spent on their guidance most of them continued to punish themselves for things that shouldn't have even been an issue in the first place.

He paused at a random door listening. Another misguided soul housed within tormenting themselves over some perceived sin foisted on them by a secular religion. Apparently it had been a mortal sin on their home-world to steal. He slapped the wall with his hand, _what was the greater sin? Stealing a loaf of bread or allowing your own children to die of hunger?_ Too many choices in these worlds were made in black and white, when Luxfer knew that most things sat in the gray. Putting his forehead against the cell door he pushed some of his love towards the woman, trying to alleviate her pain in the hopes that she would stop torturing herself when it wasn't required.

Moving on to the next cell he paused once more. No signs from within this room of any kind of pain. He sighed anticipating what he would find when he looked.

A man was sitting on a comfortable couch sipping a drink. The remains of a banquet lay on the table before him. Expansive ocean views could be seen from the floor to ceiling window he was currently looking out from. Paradise. Luxfer looked deeper. In life, this man had been a sadistic, psychopath who had mutilated, butchered, tortured and raped over fifty people-men, women and children included and yet he sat within the walls of Hell, completely at peace.

The darkness appeared beside him taking the form of the gorgeous woman he had first seen. "Makes you think whether we're following the right path, doesn't it? So much evil resides in this soul and yet he sits there perfectly at peace. All because he doesn't think he's done anything wrong." Waving a hand towards the other cells, she added "and others are in continuous pain over the most minor things."

"It truly does. Behind this door sits nothing but evil, yet he sits comfortable without a care. I'm surprised he hasn't brought into his world some other beings to torture, rape and mutilate. Then he would truly feel like he was in heaven."

The darkness reached out, caressing Luxfer's face, "He tries hard to do just that, my lord. All the evil ones do. Please forgive me as I know I'm not supposed to interfere but I couldn't sit by and do nothing. I may not be able to punish these wicked ones but at the very least I can deny them the things they most crave." She looked back towards the closed door, "If I had my way, they would not sit comfortably at all. They would be punished with _my version of Hell._ Like they truly deserve."

Luxfer looked at her beautiful oval face where the beginnings of tears were forming, "Worry not. There's nothing to forgive. I'm starting to agree with you. Mother cannot possibly have imagined that this would be the fate of these horrid things. They make the Brethren look like angels. Don't say a word to anyone, especially Hunter. Let's keep this our little secret." Reaching out a hand, he used one of his fingers to bring up her head to face him, "and if you sort of _punish_ them now and again, who's to know?"

The darkness stared deep into Luxfer's eyes, her own shining with tears of gratitude, "The true lord has finally arrived."

"I've expended too much love and pure energy upon true evil over the centuries without anything changing. Something different is required. If only mother would come once more, she would know what to do. In her absence, I will do what I feel is needed. Come. Let's return to my son to see what needs doing next."

The darkness began to dissolve her form as Luxfer walked off. Stopping when she heard him say, "Keep that form, my love. It pleases me so much more than just the dark mist you change in to."

A satisfied smile spread across her face as she hurried to catch up to her true master as the screams of torture began in the cell they had just left.

*~*

Hunter looked up on hearing different footsteps approach. Having been left with nothing but his own thoughts for a while had started to clarify some of the fuzziness that had been upon him since his near death at the hands of Michael and Gabriel. The feelings of love and desire for this realm had subsided a little, confusing him. It had made him wonder if something else was at play here. Was this some elaborate scheme by the brothers to ensnare him? Was everything around him formed by his own mind, his own personal Hell?

He shook his head. _That didn't feel right. A personal Hell of my own making and what? I make myself the master of it?_ No. Something else was happening and he vowed he would keep his mind open to what it was.

Luxfer strode into view, closely followed by a gorgeous young woman. _I know you!_ The thought flashed through his mind, only to dissipate before he could catch hold of it. His love for this realm had become a burning passion once more, all other thoughts banished. "So how was your little stroll through Hell?"

Luxfer walked to the empty chair beside Hunter and sat. His body draping into the seat. "Not exactly what I expected if truth be told. There's a long road ahead of us if we're to make any kind of impact on any of these souls. They're all lost, adrift in their own suffering with no end in sight." He sighed, "There must be a better way."

"I know what you mean Luxfer. But for now we have larger problems to handle. Until this mess with the Gods is sorted it won't make one single bit of difference to those who abide here. Don't you agree?"

Luxfer straightened his back in the chair, no longer slumping. Looking straight at Hunter he said, "I would love to see you argue that point with the ones that are going through the suffering, Hunter. See how quickly they agree with you over the bigger picture." He thrust his arm towards the hall he had just come from, "Stand before them and say that. Tell them that the suffering and torture they currently go through is all _for the greater good._ Let them know that we are about to go to war _with Gods._ A war that we may not win! And if that happens, then what? Do you honestly believe that these Gods will be so gracious in their victory that they will spare them? Isn't it more likely that they'll take out their anger on them? Make them suffer even more?"

He stood and began pacing, "No Hunter. I've lived centuries trying to do things _for the greater good_ and yet we stand now in a far worse place then when I started! There _must_ be a better way!"

His pacing came to a stop before Hunter, head bowed slightly, "I just wish I honestly knew what it was." Raising his eyes to meet Hunters, "But for now, you're right. The greater evil and threat come from Gabriel, and the rest. We don't have the capacity to be fighting a war on two different fronts _and_ make the changes needed here at the same time. We do what we can. How goes the plan for our illustrious fighters? Are they ready to go up against the combined might of Gabriel and Michael?"

"As much as I would love to say yes to that Luxfer, I can't. At this point it's a fifty-fifty outcome. I've spent a lot of time with them, training. They're now about a hundred times more prepared than when they first arrived but still I have my doubts. I wouldn't even consider sending them at all if we didn't have the element of surprise on our side. Even with that I wouldn't lay a bet on the outcome. It's like the other Gods don't truly understand the power and skills that the brothers command."

"We always knew that may be the case Hunter. Not the outcome we desired but a possibility all the same. Have you given any thought to your approach to the Gods if their favorite warriors fall? What will you do to make them place their support behind us?"

"Some Luxfer. I think the best way to get their support is to drive home just how powerful Gabriel and Michael are and how much more powerful J'ova must be to keep them in line. Point out that if their very best warriors weren't a match for the two, even when they were outnumbered three to one then drastic measures will be needed. Their only option and hope for survival will be to band together as one. A united host against J'ova and Gabriel is the only possible way that they may come out alive. If by some miracle the five do come out victorious J'ova should be a much easier sell. Point out the fact that he's completely outnumbered and outclassed and _his_ only hope of survival is to support us. At least that's the plan."

"As good as anything I can come up with Hunter. So tell me, when will you set this in motion? The sooner we do this the better our chances and the less prepared Gabriel will be."

"The five are ready to go the moment I decide Luxfer. Gabriel's pride is so damn big that he doesn't even bother to hide his whereabouts. I thought that it might prove useful if we were to wait until the next time he visited J'ova so that the God can witness the outcome fist-hand. That may prove handy when the time to negotiate comes around."

"Good thinking, as long as Gabriel's visits to J'ova don't happen once a century."

Hunter put one of his hands on Luxfer's shoulder, "That's the interesting thing. Since I've been keeping tabs on his movements I've noticed that Gabriel visits extremely often. Way more than I would've thought so."

*~*

The gates allowing access to the God J'ova were closed. All the souls waiting patiently outside for their turn. Inside the room J'ova sat on his throne contemplating his latest discussion with Gabriel, who was currently lounging on a very comfortable recliner before him. The two had been meeting constantly for a while now ensuring the plans that were being created would be carried out the way they needed them to.

At first, he had been astounded at the level of deviousness within Gabriel. He had expected something entirely different from a creature created by D'HarmaSan. Something a little more in line with who his sister was. Instead, he'd been confronted by a powerful entity that held no love or compassion for the lesser beings. All should be destroyed as far as he was concerned. The thought completely at odds with the Goddess. The reason why she would have chosen this particular individual eluded him.

J'ova was considered a radical by the others but even he didn't hold the fanatic views of the creature before him. He did however, share some of his views on Hunter. He needed to be stamped out completely if he wouldn't fall in line with what was required. Someone else could always be put in charge of Hell if that's what it came to. This was the point that the two were discussing, "Look Gabriel. You know I agree with the overall view of what we need to do. I still think that we need to take care on the timing of this. It would do neither of us any good to make an attempt on Hunter only to fail. My brothers would quickly join forces, only seeing us as a threat that would ultimately attack each of them in turn."

Gabriel leaned back, willing a glass of ale into existence. Not that he was the biggest fan of the beverage but he understood how much J'ova disliked it. Just another minor way of letting the God know that he was not complete master, "Understood J'ova. We've been over this ground a hundred times, more! The army that I've been putting together for you-your _celestial_ army stands ready now. Hunter has too many potential warriors in that realm for you to ever be comfortable with. If we don't take the initiative and do something now he'll come after us. At a time when _he thinks_ appropriate." Bringing the glass to take a sip of the ale, "Wars are won by those willing to take risks, J'ova. Calculated ones but risks. The time for planning sits behind us. Now we need to act."

The God sat quiet for moment, still not completely convinced on the necessity of taking out the entire army of Hell. "Tell me again why we need to take out so many of the souls in Hell Gabriel. Hunter needs to go, I totally agree. But if we remove the head of the snake the rest of the body can be used by me. Why annihilate a perfectly good army?"

In his dealings with the God this had been the only true sticking point, the complete destruction of the army currently serving Hunter. J'ova was correct, there wasn't any real reason for it, from his point of view. To Gabriel though, any army he could take out of the equation would be one less battle he would need to fight. Having no other option left, he'd lied. "Because they wouldn't be _your_ army J'ova. Regardless of what happens. I've told you of the ones that we captured. Nothing turned them from being loyal to Hunter. Each of them went to their ends loyal to him. You have no other option but to remove them entirely. Only then will you have the chance to rebuild from scratch. Think on it, a God with the power of both the Celestial and the Dark army behind him. You will be unstoppable. The others will have no option but to call you master." Bringing the drink to his lips once more he watched as the magic words: _loyalty, power and master_ washed over J'ova. Naiveté was not solely the province of the lesser beings.

A slight change in the air brought Gabriel to his feet a moment before the five individuals appeared. The couch and ale were replaced with his sword as he came fully upright.

The other protectors that J'ova had with him took a moment longer to react, forming a protective ring around their God, waiting for instructions. Gabriels quick assessment of the five made him realize that something more than just a simple attack was under way. The five beings in front of him exuded an enormous amount of power shining from each. Combined, they may even prove a match for him! He sent out a mental command to his brothers. A united front would be needed. It was also the perfect opportunity for Gabriel to drive home his point to the reluctant God. "Stay your hand J'ova. I sense that they are expecting you to interfere and have something _nasty_ in mind. Let your angels take care of the intruders. There's only five of them against your twenty."

"Truly Gabriel. You're right. Not worth getting worked up over." He pointed at the five, "My angels. Destroy the intruders."

Half of the angels protecting J'ova moved forward to engage the five. Gabriel watched, amazed that the God hadn't picked up how powerful they were and just how easily his _mighty_ angels would be defeated. He stepped back to study the way the five moved. Information he would need when they had finished chopping up their current foes.

*~*

The clash of steel swords echoed across the chamber as Uriel brought his weapon up to defend a fierce attack from Michael. The brothers had been sparring with each other every chance they got, ensuring their skills were kept sharp.

Initially they had trained with the army before realizing that they would never give them the workouts they needed, regardless of how many warriors they pitted themselves against. Only the four brothers were capable of doing so. They would take turns sparring with each other or at times, going two on one.

The different styles of training each had received in their lives gave them an added edge against the others. Michael's more traditional training completely different to the arena-based self-preservation style of Uriel and Raphael. Each picking up tips and insights from the others.

Sweat glistened on Michael's brow as he took a half-step to the side, anticipating Uriel's next move. He'd been caught out a few times with the same maneuver in previous encounters and was looking for it. Without hesitating, he jumped over the swinging leg and brought the training blade down across Uriel's back. "Not this time brother. Saw it coming a mile away!"

Uriel laughed at Michael's comment, "About damn time too Michael. I was wondering how many times you would fall for the same thing!"

Michael's reply stuck on his lips as the voice of Gabriel came through to them all _, 'Quickly brothers. To me. We're under attack!'_

Each of the brothers instantly dropped the training weapons they were using. With a quick glance at the others, they moved quickly to where Gabriel was currently discussing things with the God. Ready for battle.

*~*

Gabriel motioned to his three brothers to hold back as they materialized, ready to jump in the fray. The first lot of angels lay dead around the hall, easily dispatched by the five warriors who were now in the process of systematically cutting down the rest. The three brothers looked on trying to understand what was happening. Gabriel's voice cut in on their thoughts _, "These five just appeared here. I get the feeling that they're an advance attack courtesy of Hunter. Watch closely as they finish off J'ovas angels. They are not without power or talent. Don't engage until I say so. This is the perfect opportunity to get our point through to the God."_

Michael took a step back immediately followed by Raphael and Uriel. Each had heard Gabriel and moved away from the fray, weapons ready to do battle. They watched as the remaining angels were quickly dispatched with. Not once had they even come close to doing any damage to the five warriors before them. Studying their movements in anticipation of what was to come. _"Interesting brothers. Even though they are easily taking care of these others, they don't appear to really be working together in unison. If you look closely you'll notice that they actually get in each other's way at times. Five powerful individuals, not a team as such."_

Gabriel's thoughts cut through to each _, "I noticed the same thing myself. It's making me wonder whether they actually have been sent by Hunter. I would have thought that if he had trained each of these, that they would know how to work together much better than this. Perhaps it's something else? Doesn't make a difference to us at this point though. If we don't know who has sent these then you can best believe that J'ova won't have a clue either. We can attach the blame to whoever we wish and he won't have any option but to follow our suggestions."_

Gabriel kept quiet at the last comment made. While he agreed with the basic premise of it, knowing who had actually created these individuals was something he needed to know. Luxfer had the power to create these but was no longer in the picture. He didn't believe that Hunter had acquired enough knowledge in the short span of time to do so. D'HarmaSan was the next to come to mind but once again, she was out of the picture. He hadn't created them so that only left the other Gods or Hunter having control over powers that he shouldn't have. No. There's no way to rush that kind of thing. It takes centuries to build. It must be the other Gods and yet they claim to be here on Hell's behalf. Could the other Gods have aligned themselves with Hunter? The only reason he could think of that would make them do that was if they felt J'ova had become too powerful for them. Or have they somehow found out about my own desires?

Gabriel put the thoughts on the back-burner as the five finished taking care of the rest of J'ovas angels. As one they turned their attention to where he stood next to the God. "You see? This is the kind of underhanded treachery I've been warning you about." Taking a step to place himself between the God and the warriors he added, "Imagine the outcome if I hadn't been here at the same time! Think on that while we take care of these pests for you. Come Brothers."

*~*

The last surviving member of the five lay prone at Gabriel's feet all four brother's swords aimed squarely down towards him, "Tell us who sent you?" Gabriel thundered at him.

The warrior looked up at the four blades poised over his body knowing that his time had come. It would not be to his God's advantage to allow J'ova and Gabriel to know the full truth. Adding in a barely audible whisper, "Luxfer. That's who sent us."

Gabriel controlled his surprise on hearing Luxfer's name, turning his hard eyes turned towards the God, "By their own account J'ova, it appears as though Luxfer has somehow returned to take the mantle of Lord of Hell. The very thing that he fore-swore against when you asked him. Not only returned but if this warrior speaks the truth, he is gathering an army to rival yours! You cannot allow this J'ova. To do so would mark the end of your time! Five warriors of their power could easily be enough for any one of us individually. It was only through pure luck that they attacked at a time when we were ready. What will happen next time? Luxfer is returned and he will never bow down to you, Lord. He has always been and will continue to be loyal to D'HarmaSan. Regardless of whether she lives or not. Having Hunter in Hell was one thing. There was at least a chance of talking reason with him. But Luxfer? I don't see you have any other choice. Gather the Celestial Army Lord. Take your heavenly might and completely destroy Luxfer. Hell can be rebuilt and another put in charge but not while Luxfer exists."

J'ova sat back staring at what remained of the twenty angels that he had hand-picked for protection. The ease in which the five warriors had dispatched them made him wary. They had been amongst the most powerful of those that served the Celestial army. Now Gabriel was telling him that his only choice was to throw the entire army at the forces of Hell. It made sense to do so before Luxfer could create more of these powerful warriors, but it would leave him at the mercy of his own brother Gods. ' _Still',_ he thought, ' _my army is being trained by the four fiercest brothers ever created. The four of them easily taking care of the assassins that Luxfer had sent. That must count for something!'_

"Okay Gabriel. I see your point. Take your brothers and yourself to my army now and prepare for the attack. From this moment on, The Celestial Army is at war with Hell, and more importantly with Luxfer. Send me some warriors for protection in the time being, just in case this attack was only the first."

"Thank you Lord."

J'ova turned his gaze to encompass all the brothers, "With all four of you leading my army, Hell won't stand a chance! Now finish it."

The warrior let out a final shout of defiance as the four swords fell as one into his body.

*~*

Gabriel strode a step in front of his brothers towards the waiting army, eager to begin this part of his plan. The attack on J'ova had played into his hands nicely allowing him to gain the God's confidence to unleash the horde of angels against whatever Luxfer currently had housed in Hell. The only wrinkle in the entire plan had been learning of the return of Luxfer. This was something that he hadn't planned for.

Michael's voice came from behind, echoing his own inner thoughts, "What do we do regarding Luxfer, Gabe?"

"Nothing right now brother. First we gather our army and get them ready to move on Hell. While that process is happening we can sit and discuss what our options are. Regardless of which dark master is currently at the helm there, the outcome will be the same. Both J'ova and Hell's power will dwindle to nothing, or close to it. Our original plan still holds. The only extra thing we need to consider now is Hunter. Has he been completely expelled from Hell? Or has he been destroyed somehow? That is what truly worries me, not which of the two of them is currently in charge."

Uriel had been keeping step with the others on Michael's right, "Do we then continue the plan as is and lead this army ourselves? Perhaps one of us should take some time to investigate what's happened between the two so we can plan appropriately?"

Gabriel stopped mid-stride forcing the three behind to almost crash into his back. "I thought about that Uriel and I'm not convinced that it will give us any advantage. We can get the truth of what happened between them when we decimate his army. Luxfer won't be in a position to keep anything from us at that stage. Remember, Hunter managed to evade the combined strength of Michael and myself the first time. No telling what he's learned in the meantime. Let's not make the mistake of underestimating him again." He turned and continued walking towards the waiting army, "When next we cross paths with him, Hunter must be neutralized. Once and for all. And the odds are better for us if we take him on united."

*~*

Within moments of the four brothers heading off, J'ova had sent a message to his brother Gods to meet with him on the neutral world they had all agreed upon. Gabriel had been right in his assessment of what would happen if Luxfer had indeed returned. Each of them would be taken out-one at a time. A united front from all the Gods would be required to handle D'HarmaSan's little hound dog. This was something all the Gods had discussed very early on when they had found out about her experiment and agreed that this action that could be invoked by any one of them to meet on neutral ground to discuss things as a fail-safe mechanism.

Almost as one, each of the Gods had materialized on the world. J'ova had been the last to arrive and quickly begun, "My brothers. Thank you all for coming. I have something urgent that needs discussing. All our fates hang in the balance."

The others looked back and forth at each other, wondering if J'ova had found out about the warriors that each had sent to work for Luxfer and preparing themselves for any surprise he may bring. Ebrum took the opportunity to find out more, not trusting that the others had somehow not ganged up against him, "So what exactly is this news brother? Tell us about this calamity that exists."

J'ova took a step towards the empty chair meant for him and sat. Slamming an open hand on the arm, "D'HarmaSan's little pet, Luxfer has apparently returned and taken over the realm of Hell, supposedly ousting Hunter. I have no idea how or even why, but his first action was to decide we're a threat to him brothers! He sent a full half-dozen beings of his own creation and attacked me as I sat in my own realm. With no provocation! It was only through sheer luck that I managed to destroy them and escape!"

The other Gods sat back in their chairs relieved that J'ova had assumed the warriors behind the attack had come from Hell. It should have been Hunter that sat behind the attack and yet now they found out that Luxfer had returned. The only being in existence they truly feared since the demise of their sister God. Their plan to oust J'ova had failed but at least the steps taken to ensure their own survival had worked. There was no way that J'ova would ever believe a word that came from Luxfer. Not after such a blatant attack. Their secret was safe for the time being.

Ebrum leaned forward, elbows on his knees, "This Luxfer has always had the potential to be an absolute disaster for us all, J'ova. From the very beginning. Each of us thought this being had disappeared, no longer alive. Now you tell us that he's not only alive but in control of Hell? Is he the reason that we now only number _half_ what we did? This, my brothers is very dangerous indeed. Thoughts?"

J'ova sat back now that he had the full attention of the remaining Gods, "Indulge me for a moment and listen to what I've learned. All the creatures that D'HarmaSan has created come through my realm for judgment. Until very recently, most have been quite benign. Needing just minor punishment. Lately however, the ones that come before me have been much darker of spirit, the capacity for pure evil exists within each and every one of them. For a while I thought these an anomaly. It wasn't until more and more of them came before me that I delved deeper. They all seem to be coming from one particular source. A tiny planet on the edges of some newly formed galaxy at the end of nowhere. The inhabitants have somehow evolved to the point that their essences are capable of either becoming completely enlightened or committing truly dark evil. A darkness never before seen anywhere!"

Getting up from his chair, J'ova turned to face the others, "They cannot be allowed to continue to grow in spiritual power if the potential for evil still exists. There's no telling what will happen if we let it go on."

"So what is it you suggest we do? Destroy it completely?"

J'ova returned to his seat, slumping wearily, "No. I don't think we can just up and destroy them. I get the feeling that this is just the first species of many that will begin to pop up in the future. A better plan needs to be put in place, and while it may be that we will have to step in and destroy them I don't think that it should be decided by us, as such.

"No. I suggest that we do the same thing that D'HarmaSan did all those centuries ago. We create _one single unique individual_ that is imbued with all of our essences with the sole purpose of going to this planet and living among them. Study them as much as possible. This one individual can be the final judge of their fate."

Ebrum half stood from his chair, astounded at the complete lunacy he was hearing, "That's ridiculous! There's no way I'll ever give that kind of power to any individual who isn't under our control somehow! We'd just be creating the same thing _and making the same damn mistake_ that D'HarmaSan did! Count me out!"

J'ova looked around at the faces of the other Gods, realizing that not one of them would agree to this course of action as it stood. He'd have to move onto plan B. Waving his hand in the air in front of his face, "Of course we wouldn't do the same thing as our dearest little sister. The creature will be created with _all our essences partly,_ and with that much power they will not be allowed to a damn thing without the consent of each and every one of us. Independently. Each of us will unite and create a seal. One for each of us. When it comes time to decide on the future of this planet we all will have the choice of breaking our own seal if we want it to go ahead. Only when the six seals are broken will this creature be able to move ahead with the plan. To make sure that we are all able to keep track, one final seal will be created. The Seventh. This seal will be kept by him. When all six of us have agreed, he will then break the seventh to acknowledge and let us know that they are about to be destroyed."

"And this creature? What will be its nature? Will it be looking for the darkness that hides within these others or will he be looking for the good? How will he determine their fate?"

"I think that's one of the other mistakes that D'HarmaSan made that we can avoid. Our creature will be neither. They will not be looking at these people from either side of the spectrum. To be truly unbiased, they will need to be able to see every side of the equation. Let's face it brothers, Love & the Dark haven't worked out so well. This new creature, _our_ new creature will be totally ambivalent. Complete logic with zero emotions to weigh down any decisions that must made. And upon the breaking of the Seventh Seal, complete destruction will rain down upon this so called, Earth."

The Gods looked upon each other in thought. The idea taking hold. Luxfer was a force unleashed on them that couldn't be abided. Someone that was outside the natural order of things with the ability to destroy them all. It made sense that they had someone on their side that would be his equal. Luxfer may be the king of Hell but it would be completely devoid of any followers if no new souls were sent his way.

Ebrum sat forward at the silent approval from the others, "I think this would be acceptable to all of us J'ova. As long as no single individual God is in charge and we all have equal say. I think I speak for all when I say that the potential power that we will all receive from these individuals if they stay on the right path is worth allowing them to continue, at least for the time being that is. If we then allow our own angel to determine their fate then not one of us can get mad over the outcome. All would have an equal say. Angel of Mercy or Angel of Death. The outcome is in their own hands, not ours."

"So be it. Let us get to work then brothers and create our angel and see to the end of Luxfer once and for all."

*~*

Gabriel's eyes raked across the ranks of the army below him where every angel was standing in perfect harmony waiting for the coming battle. Freshly cleaned weapons gleamed bright under the white lights of Heaven. He peered closer through their ranks. Unknown to the God or any of his own brothers, Gabriel had inserted his own highly trained warriors. His general Mio standing amongst the other angels as well. The ruse would ensure that his own army would end up gathering in Heaven once this battle was done. All under his control with no one the wiser. Having seen the level of incompetence in the God's warriors he had no doubt that the only ones who stood a chance of surviving would be his army.

Michael, Uriel and Raphael all stood beside him ready to take their individual vengeance on Luxfer and Hell. The three of them had been so easily converted to Gabriels way of thinking that it made him wonder if he had ever been as naive as they were.

Years of planning and hard work were finally falling into place. His own army interspersed with the celestial one, soon to take their place. Hell's own army about to be dispatched, Luxfer with them. J'ova completely under his control and the other five Gods soon to follow. He would be unmatched and unstoppable. The greatest God ever to reign.

Michael's voice cut through his thoughts, "The calm before the chaos, brother. Not having second thoughts now, are you?"

Gabriel turned to face his three brothers. Michael, strong and ready was looking at him, waiting for an answer. He grinned, "Never brother. It's in these moments before the chaos that you ensure everything is in place. Nothing forgotten." Placing his hand on Michael's shoulder, he added "Wouldn't do us any good if we open the gates and then remember that we don't have any weapons, yeah?"

Uriel laughed at Gabriel's comment, "Truth be told, with some of those below it wouldn't make any difference if they went without a weapon."

All four brother joined in the laughter, "Probably right Uriel, but let me assure you. We will be victorious today, have no doubt. Oh, I know that _most_ of those below us won't be coming back. That's the price they pay. Some however, will. Whether through sheer dumb luck or otherwise. From our point of view, the four of us _shall_ survive. Remember the plan. While this lot is keeping the rest of Hell busy, we take out Luxfer and Hunter, but take no chances. Against the two of them on their own turf? It could get dicey. No chances. If we can, we take them out. If not, we live to fight another day. Our end goal will still have been achieved."

Gabriel hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the waiting army, "They're the fodder in this attack. Not us. Are we ready for this?"

The three brothers drew their swords, nodding. Gabriel drew his own out of his scabbard and raised it in the air. The entire army of angels below him took the sign and drew their own weapons, getting ready to attack. Michael, Raphael and Uriel all placed their swords on Gabriels to unite their powers. The swords began to glow as their combined energy was poured within, ready for Gabriel to open the portal to Hell. A portal that each and every soldier below would have access to simply by taking a step forward.

In unison, they all took that one step and marched into Hell.

*~*

Luxfer looked on as Hunter sat trying to locate Gabriel. The five warriors had been dispatched a while ago and should have reported by now. That no word had reached them in the time they'd been gone could only mean one thing that they'd failed. Gabriel and Michael must have taken them down. First, Hunter had tried locating the five without success. To ensure that they had the correct outcome, he'd then gone on to look for Gabriel. This would determine what their next move would be, to talk to J'ova or the other Gods. Hunter's face took on a frown. Something was troubling him, "Gabriel is still in Heaven Luxfer. I can sense him but there's something else."

Luxfer took a step towards Hunter, "What? What do you feel?"

Hunter jumped out of his seat causing Luxfer to take a couple of steps backwards, barely keeping his balance. Hunter had drawn his sword out of thin air, waving it around "We're under attack. My love, get the army ready. Lux, they're here."

At the same time Hunter had been pushing to his feet and drawing his weapon, millions of individual warriors had begun to march through into Hell. Luxfer watched as each one moved through a brilliant point of white light with a weapon drawn and looking for an enemy. Hate bubbled up within him. ' _They dare attack my realm, en mass? They will pay for this!'_ Drawing his own sword, he met the first assailant as they crossed into Hell. Slicing hard across where the incoming soldier's throat would be. One down, a few million to go.

The Darkness had been sitting watching Hunter as his cries came, moving immediately to action. The army was always ready. She'd made sure of that. It took her a moment to see the way they were pouring into the realm and she took immediate steps to materialize as many of her own soldiers into the same areas. Hell would not be overrun quite as easily as her enemies believed it would.

With both armies engaged in a battle for survival, she moved over to Hunter and Luxfer. Both would require her power if they were to survive. The bulk of their enemies would concentrate on taking them out, no doubt. She fumed and the entire environment within Hell took a slightly darker cast, causing everyone to take a moment to wonder what had just happened. Pouring her anger deep within, she built an invisible barrier around her lovers. None of these warriors would even come close to touching them while she lived.

Hunter's sword whirled around his body as he targeted the enemy. Each slice finding its target, each slash drawing blood. The bodies of angels from both sides of the conflict piling up around him and taking a terrible toll on both sides. "This is insane, Luxfer. No one comes out a winner from this craziness! What were they thinking?"

Luxfer spun a half-circle, decapitating three warriors in the process, "No idea Hunter. Maybe they lost all reason when the five warriors showed up? A God's pride is even bigger than his ego. And for some insane reason I tend to think that the ego of a certain Gabriel is even bigger than that of the Gods."

Hunter spun as the voice of Gabriel came from behind, "Now that my brother, truly hurts."

*~*

The darkness hissed in anger at the voice of Gabriel. This was the cause of Hunter's injuries and the source of Luxfer's troubles for a long time. She poured even more of herself into the barrier, ready for an attack. Hunter's voice came to her, "Easy love. They pose no threat to the three of us, not here on our home soil."

Luxfer took a step towards the brothers, not quite believing his eyes. All four of them stood side-by-side, including Uriel and Raphael! He'd thought them dead for so long. "Not exactly a warm family welcome Gabe. What the Hell were you hoping to achieve with this nonsense? There's no way that you can take both Hunter and myself out in our own realm! You should know that! The only ones to lose out of this will be those warriors who even now die at your command! Its nuts!"

Gabriel took a step towards the waiting Luxfer, swinging his sword around at the fallen angels, "These are nothing Lux. They only provide the opportunity for my brothers and myself to face you two. Four on two and you believe us incapable of taking the victory? It seems all those years of inactivity and useless containment of the Brethren has weakened your mind. You're outnumbered and will die today... brother."

The darkness within the realm went shades darker. An ominous heaviness growing around the cavern, enveloping all of them as they watched the misty darkness take form between them. Brilliant pulses of blue lightning streaking between her outstretched arms, as white flashes brought everyone to near blindness. Her voice boomed throughout the entire realm, seeming to come from everywhere at once. All signs of struggle stopped as fear gripped everyone at the same time, "No one enters the dark realms of Hell with evil intentions and lives. You're all judged guilty, no appeals will be heard."

Gabriel took a millisecond to assess the situation and sent a silent command to his own warriors within the army, telling them to flee. His army would survive and be waiting for his return in Heaven, the others would die.

A dark wind began howling through the tunnels and caverns that made up the realm, a living thing formed from the very darkness of Hell itself, winding its way through every corner. Celestial warriors who had moments before been battling with the army of Hell began screaming as they were torn apart from within. Neon green streaks of powerful lightning lashing out at those who were attempting to leave, entwining through their legs, preventing escape. The darkness advanced on all, none escaping her wrath.

The chaos and noise of the battle had stopped within moments of the darkness unleashing her powers. None had been able to escape her. The only ones left standing from the celestial army within Hell were Gabriel and his brothers, waiting to see where Luxfer and Hunter were headed with this. Each ready to disappear.

The dark mist swirled back towards the figure that stood between them, revealing the female form that she had begun to take regularly. The lightning and power streaks had now subsided as she stood, staring at the four brothers. Each of them could feel the unbridled raw power she held within. Knowing instinctively that she would prove the difference between victory and defeat if they took on Hunter and Luxfer within their walls.

Gabriel made a chopping motion towards Michael as he was about to speak, sending a silent thought. ' _No brother, say nothing. Give nothing away. This entity before us is too powerful within this realm for us to take on and survive. She's useless outside it though, like all other powers within a realm. Let Luxfer and Hunter believe that they've won the day and that we run from them in fear. Our purpose has been fulfilled if not our desires. Let's go.'_

As one all four brothers turned and disappeared from Hell, leaving the darkness seething with hatred and unable to wreak vengeance on them for her lovers.

## Chapter 27

Luxfer looked around at the mass of dead angels littering the floors of his realm. Millions from both sides lay amidst pools of blood, weapons strewn in all directions. His own sword covered in the blood of the angelic host. J'ova had outmaneuvered him. They had been so sure about their plan with the five that this level of consequence had not even entered their mind.

At worst they had assumed that Gabriel and Michael would make some form of attack on Hunter and himself, not talk the God into unleashing his entire army against Hell. That action just didn't make any sense. Both sides would dwindle in power and J'ova himself would be decimated to the point that the other Gods would easily take him to task.

Hunter's voice came from behind, breaking him out of his reverie, "We've really fucked up here Luxfer. What in heaven's name does J'ova think he's achieved with this lunacy? The only thing I can think is that he was hoping that we would be taken out at the same time."

"I think it's safe to assume that our destruction is his ultimate goal Hunter. We pose a threat to him that he cannot allow." Turning a half circle, he swept his arms across the bodies, "What we need to figure out is what the destruction of so many millions _from both sides_ gets him. Sure, the might of Hell is taken down a notch. But the expense to his own power is in equal proportion! This is pure madness!"

Hunter sat on the step in front of him, his sword thrown casually on the floor, "That I agree with. Complete madness. An attack on Gabriel and Michael bringing this kind of revenge? Totally unexpected. I'm starting to think that just maybe, we've been wrong in our assumptions. Perhaps the brothers truly have just taken up positions with J'ova. That's the only thing I can think of that makes sense. To top it all off, it appears that all four of the brothers are once again united. Another mystery."

Luxfer strode back towards Hunter, waving his sword back to the fallen angels once more, "You're right Hunter. I've made some terrible assumptions and even bigger mistakes. It's a safe bet that all my _brothers_ are now in league with J'ova. And I can't stop there either. The others Gods _must be in league with him as well!_ If he has enough power to control the likes of Gabe and Michael, the others would have been nothing!"

Bringing his sword forwards once more, he planted the point straight down, looking Hunter in the eyes, "This is no longer the case of having multiple enemies against us Hunter. This is clearly Hell _against everyone else._ All of them. My previous plans of divide and conquer no longer stand or make sense." He stood straight putting his sword away in its scabbard, "From this moment on Hell is at war with all and I'm going to make them wish they'd never been born, the whole damn lot of them."

Hunter got to his feet quickly, not liking where Luxfer's words were heading, "Now Luxfer, let's take a moment before we decide anything. We're angry and can easily make the wrong choices here. Let the dust settle a bit and we can discuss it again."

Luxfer face remained unchanged, Hunter's words not making an impact, "No Hunter. For too long I've done things based on someone else's thoughts. That stops now." He looked around, "This realm is mine to do with as I see fit, and I think it's time I do so. Love and compassion has only led to the utter destruction of my warriors. My new army will be structured a little differently. There are souls within my demesne that are the darkest of evil. They will no longer sit having banquets and living the high life. Evil will be punished, severely. Even those that have managed to elude me will be hunted down and returned to me for punishment. My loving darkness will oversee this for me. The current Gods have no idea what's really needed here. They are the ones that have allowed evil to grow to the extent it has, so therefore _they are the greatest evil to exist._ One way or another, they will all bow down to my will in the end."

"So you will try to dethrone the current Gods and take their place Luxfer? No love in your heart, just as there isn't any in theirs? Who wins out of that? That's crazier than the madness that's just fallen on us! Don't do this Luxfer. Nothing good can come of it!"

"Good will only ever reign once we clear the evil away Hunter."

"But don't you see Luxfer? Our mother created you to bring the evil of the brethren to the light using pure love, not hatred and evil. Will you turn your back on everything now? Will you go against her wishes?"

Luxfer took two giant strides and grabbed Hunter by the coat, lifting him into the air, toes barely touching the ground, "MY mother, created me to turn the Brethren. True. She also took in my brothers and gave them every advantage and training she could. AND WHERE DID THAT GET HER? Dead! At the hands of the very children she created, protecting one from the other. The other, MICHAEL, now sits on Gabriel's right hand side against ME. And both have joined forces with the other Gods."

Hunter fell heavily on the floor as Luxfer let him go, "The only true innocents in this entire affair have been the Brethren themselves Hunter. They were attacked by us. They're not evil at all. In fact, compared to a lot of the souls that are currently housed here, they may as well be angels! And they will form the back-bone of my new army."

"The Brethren? You can't be serious! They're filled with nothing but hate Luxfer. You yourself kept them at bay for centuries. How does that make any sense at all? We just survived the utter lunacy of a direct attack on Hell and now you go and decide something that's even crazier. Think for a moment on what you're proposing to do here."

Luxfer ran a hand down his tired face, "I have Hunter. All these souls that are in the process of enlightenment do not have the inner fortitude to take on the Gods. They're saddled with useless and wrong information about them and they will never be able to do what's needed." He knelt down in front of Hunter bringing his face to the same level, "The Brethren have never had any of that nonsense thrust upon them. They are like a clean slate that I can work with and show them the true path. Once they're aligned with me Hell will be unstoppable and we can finally purge evil from this Universe as D'HarmaSan wanted. It's the only way to ensure we make our Mother's dream for this universe come to fruition."

"No Luxfer, it's not. Doing this will lead to nothing but chaos and destruction. Please, I beg of you, don't do this."

"Sorry Hunter, my mind is made up. This is the way we move forwards. No other."

"There's no _we_ here Luxfer. If you choose this path to travel I won't be a part of it. I _can't_ be a part of it! Please. Think! Take a bit more time before deciding."

Luxfer walked away from Hunter head bowed, "No Hunter. There's no other option open to us, _to me._ I've tried different ways and they've all ended in failure. No more. Centuries of going by other people's rules haven't made an iota of difference. Everything is now worse off than ever!" He stopped and turned to face Hunter, "That stops now. If you won't be a part of it, that's your decision to make. Leave Hell now. But let me be absolutely clear on one thing. Lift a hand to impede me and you will be classified an enemy like the others and I won't hesitate to destroy you."

Hunter shook his head not believing where the conversation had gone, "Are you truly serious about this Luxfer? Is this the way you want to part ways? Will you be able to live with the outcome?"

Luxfer looked at Hunter, the seriousness of the situation etched in every part of his face, "I've lived through worse Hunter. This will be a walk in the park. Now decide. Stay and help or leave Hell. I go to collect my new army now. When I get back you'll either be here or not. Your choice."

Turning his back, he left Hunter with his own struggles. The plan had been brewing in his mind for a while now and much discussion had been had with the darkness of Hell as to the possible outcomes. They'd both agreed that the Brethren were the logical option to form the base of Hell's new army.

With no previous feelings about the realms of the Gods, they should be easy to convert to his way of thinking. The only sticking points would be the Queen and the Prince. Both of these would likely be opposed to anything Luxfer put forth. The Queen would need to be disposed of as there would be no place in Hell for her. The Prince however, could prove an asset if approached in the right manner and be convinced to work for Luxfer, his former jailer. "This meeting should prove interesting my love. I have no doubt in my mind that the moment the Prince lays eyes on me an all-out attack will follow. Your thoughts?"

The darkness enveloped Luxfer like a hug, "We've been over all the alternatives Lux. I totally agree that the Prince will do as you say in the first instance. I also have no doubts that you will sway him to your cause. As we've discussed, use every means possible to gain his trust. Lie if need be. But I don't think it will even come to that. Once he hears that the Brethren will be released and have the power to move between worlds and provide punishment, he'll agree to whatever you want him to. Get them here, however you can Lux, our combined might will bring them into line. We'll have an army like none ever seen before. The Gods will tremble!"

"My thoughts exactly. Let's get to work. I'll be back shortly."

*~*

Memories floated through Luxfer's mind as he looked across the wilderness of the world, as familiar to him as his own body. Centuries spent as part of the barrier controlling the Brethren had given him a unique insight into all he could see, from the vast red deserts that took up half the planet to the wilderness of the rain forests and every species of creature within it.

He knelt and grabbed a handful of the red sand beneath his feet allowing it to trickle through his slightly parted fingers, feeling the power that was held within. A tiny sigh escaped his lips as he thought back on the conversation that he'd had with D'HarmaSan all that time ago.

They had made a terrible mistake in assuming that the basis of this entire planet was evil. It was nothing of the sort. Natural selection, the weak willed ones were culled and the strong survived. That's the only thing that was taking place here, until they had intervened. Once the external presence of the Goddess and himself had been introduced into the mix, evil had begun to sprout within the hearts of the Brethren, not before. The Prince and the Queen had been doing nothing but taking care of their own, the only way they knew how.

Now it was up to him to convince them all to join Hell and become his standing army. The reasons to do so were numerous, a benefit to both sides, if they could be made to look past the fact that he had been the one to keep them jailed for centuries. The one behind the war that had been waged against them, centuries ago.

He stood and dusted off his hands, looking west towards the cavern that held the Queen and in all likelihood, the Prince. The plan was simple. Appear at the very last moment, gather the Prince and transport him back to Hell, where the darkness would be waiting to subdue him and allow Luxfer to try and get his point across. Simple, as long as the Prince didn't kill him first.

*~*

Luxfer had taken most of the morning making his way unseen to the Queen's chamber, avoiding any of the brethren that crossed his path. Within, the Prince sat alone having a one-sided conversation with her. The torches lining the sides of the irregular walls giving Luxfer plenty of shadowed locations to listen in to what was said.

The Prince leaned in, placing his head against the Queens, "We're getting close now, my Regent. Even though the Dark One has disappeared the way he did we still have enough lingering power to allow us to move from this desolate rock to somewhere more _hospitable._ The link that the girl has given us shows me that we will have no problem in taking over her planet and there are literally _billions_ of losers living there. Enough to power me to a level unseen before."

Raising his hand in the air he added, "The witch and the Dark one will not trouble us. We were ill-prepared for them when they last attacked. This time however, we will take the fight to them. With the newly birthed warriors that you have been pumping out there will be no-one who can stand in my way." The Prince's hand came full circle to land pointing directly at the Queen, "And you my darling Queen, will stay here under my protection and continue to give me the warriors I need."

Luxfer had stayed silent in the shadows while the Prince had been talking, expecting the Queen to put an end to his rant, surprised when she had stayed silent. Looking closer at her he realized that she had not even moved a muscle or acknowledged anything that the Prince had said. Risking discovery he pushed his awareness out to her, stunned by the complete silence he felt. The Queen was just a husk of a body with no thoughts or even a mind! Somewhere along the line the Prince must have taken over with no other brethren the wiser. _Crafty old devil!_ Pulling back his awareness he stopped to think over the new turn of events. With the Queen no longer a threat the only one he needed to worry about was the Prince. That made things a lot easier for his plan, only having to turn one devil was hell of a lot easier than dealing with two.

The Prince had continued his ranting as Luxfer watched on. The perfect opportunity to grab him while his mind was focused on other things. Pushing aside further thought he moved into action. Harnessing the full power he possessed into a single point, he unleashed it on the unsuspecting Prince, covering him fully before he could react. The dark mist lashed from his outstretched hands taking over the unsuspecting Prince, transporting him instantly to the cavern in Hell where the darkness awaited his presence. Within moments it was complete and Luxfer was left alone in the cavern with the Queen. He moved into the light to examine her a little closer. His initial assessment had been correct, she was nothing but a shell with no will of her own. The perfect vessel to continue breeding warriors for Hell.

He smiled to himself as he thought how easy this had all become. First the Queen had been taken out of the equation and then the overheard conversation of the Prince had given him the details required to turn him into one of Hell's minions. Concentrating, he reached out to the darkness, "My love."

The reply came quick and sharp, "Well done my Lord. I currently have the Prince caught up in my web ready for us. Are you OK?"

"Everything is perfect my dear. I don't think you'll even need me to turn the Prince over to our side. It appears his most intense desire aligns with what we ourselves want to achieve. Let him know that the Brethren will have full access to the planet he wants, including every individual within it. All theirs for the taking as long as he bows down to me as Master."

"Is that truly all he wants?"

Luxfer smiled at the insinuation within the question, "Of course not my dear. It was always his intention to use that planet as a base to operate from with the ultimate goal of taking on the Goddess and myself. I think we should be able to come to some kind of agreement."

"Leave it with me, my darling. I'll make sure it happens."

Bringing his focus back to the cavern he approached the Regent Queen trying to see if he could find any other useful bits of information.

*~*

Brilliant pulses of blue mixed with the white light streaming from the vertical opening in front of Luxfer. For two days the darkness and he had been working on creating the rift opening that would give the Brethren a direct portal from their world direct to Hell. Now all that was required were the final touches.

The Prince would bring his immediate lieutenants first. The initial process of gathering the entire army of Brethren within the walls of Hell. Over time the rest would follow, as required.

The mist of the darkness lay heavy across the entire cavern. Trying to anticipate anything that may go wrong-the perfect guardian. "Relax love. Everything is going according to what we planned."

"I know Lord. I cannot control it though. It's my nature to worry over any possibilities that may occur, even though we've planned it all out."

"I know and really, I wouldn't have it any other way. Now let's finish this up. Pour your energy my way so I may put the final piece in place and we can start gathering our army, once and for all."

The darkness pulled her essence in a tightly controlled ball of energy, extending it towards Luxfer. It would only take a moment to open the gateway with both of the energies in harmony. Luxfer took a deep breath as the power of the darkness reached him. He looked around seeing every minute detail of his realm. With as much power as he currently housed within his body he could take over the entire universe. Unfortunately it wouldn't last long. He moved his sight back to the pulsing lights, infusing the tiny strands of magical life that flowed between the blue and white pulses.

The gateway glowed brighter as Luxfer's power touched its edges, seemingly alive for a moment. Luxfer hunched over as the power he had just used left his body completely, a rasping voice barely whispered, "It's done. Give me a moment to catch my breath and I'll send the command through to the Prince that he can begin to bring his brethren through."

"Take as long as you need, my Lord. You must be at your most powerful when they start to filter through. Any sign of weakness from you at this point will not help our cause."

Luxfer's words trailed away as weariness overtook his body, "Truly, my love. What would I do without you?"

The darkness looked down at the form of her sleeping master, "Nothing my love. You wouldn't be able to do anything without me. As it should be."

*~*

The prince lay back in his chair facing Luxfer. Taking a sip of the wine from his raised cup, savoring the taste, "To think that I've gone so many centuries without having these little luxuries is unbelievable Lord. We should have sat down and talked things over a long time ago. My home-world could have been a drastically different place."

Luxfer sat studying the creature in front of him noting the difference in attitude. The Prince had struggled valiantly when Luxfer had shown up within the cavern that housed the Queen and himself. The sight of his most hated enemy appearing from nowhere in the heart of his stronghold had given the Prince a momentary pause. Enough that Luxfer had been able to weave his power around the Prince and brought him to Hell and the waiting arms of the Darkness. It was all over from that point on.

The Darkness had pounced on the Prince before he'd even become solid. A complete barrier that stopped him from accessing his powers. Helpless, he'd thrashed, ranted and raved at Luxfer for a long time. It had taken her hours of constant nudging with her essence to finally calm the Prince down enough for Luxfer to begin talking to him, trying to get his point across. Working together, the Prince had finally been subdued and started listening as Luxfer got his points across. An agreement had been reached quickly once the Prince saw what they were being asked to be a part of. The Queen would continue to do as he asked and the Brethren would become the new army for Hell.

Once that had been achieved Luxfer had begun exposing the Prince to the finer things he'd never had access to. The Prince had taken an extreme liking to them all. "It's fair to say that we all stuffed up big time. Each of us were entrenched in our own little corners, pushing our own views upon the other. I've apologized for the part I played in that. All behind us now. The future awaits and it's a much brighter place for us all now that we're working together."

The Prince shifted in his seat, getting more comfortable, "Agreed Luxfer. So tell me a little more of this _Earth_ and the creatures there. Are they truly as evil as you say?"

"Evil beyond words prince. In this universe there is no other species that comes close to what they're capable of. The destruction of their wars, famine, power and greed innate in their being cannot be described." He leaned forwards in his chair towards the prince, "In fact, I won't even try. Let me show you so you can witness it first-hand."

*~*

The Prince took in his surroundings wondering where Luxfer had taken him. It became apparent to him immediately that he was only here as a witness and wouldn't be able to interfere in any way. A small cottage stood in front of him, tidy and all but hidden in a copse of trees. Smoke poured out from the tiny chimney on the roof. The sound of an axe chopping up wood for the fireplace coming from behind the tiny dwelling echoed throughout the trees surrounding the home. The songs of birds trilled through the air as a hazy sheet of summer rain fell lazily from the skies. A welcome relief for the summer heat.

He stepped back smiling as a couple of children burst from the trees making their way around the corner of the cottage, their laughter trailing away as they enjoyed whatever game it was they were playing. He followed the two girls to the other side wondering what it was that he was being shown.

The silent form of Luxfer appeared at his side as he looked around the corner. The two young girls had jumped onto the back of the large man with the axe. All of them laughing and having a great time. "Just a nice, normal family trying to get by in the world. Wouldn't you say Prince?"

"Totally. They don't look very evil to me in any way Luxfer. What am I to learn from this?"

"What you see before you is just something completely normal. Nothing unusual about them at all. The father works hard to provide food, shelter and as much comfort to his family as he can. Even if there's little enough of it to go around."

Luxfer turned and pointed towards the other side of the cottage where the sounds of approaching horses could now be heard. "Watch what happens next. And remember, what you see here is just one small sample of what's happening around us everywhere at this time."

The prince turned his eyes to the men on horseback that had just arrived at the cottage. The father of the two children had gone completely silent, a questioning look on his face, "Quickly girls. Inside the house. Go to your mother and do what she tells you."

Without questioning the girls disappeared quickly through the door to their cottage, silently closing it behind them.

The Prince felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. Where moments before it had been a beautiful summer day with the family clearly enjoying themselves, now it felt heavier. Like an invisible dark cloud had come from out of the blue sky darkening everything it touched.

The arrival of the three men on horseback did not appear to bode well. The one in front had the look of the leader of the pack. Almost six foot tall with a neatly trimmed beard. His hair long, cascading over the broad lace of his linen collar atop his trimmed doublet. A pair of bucket top boots finished up the ensemble and gave him the air of a magistrate. The two who followed him clearly taking their cues on dress from the man himself in a not-so-subtle attempt at gaining his trust.

Luxfer place his arm around the prince, "That salubrious gentleman you see before you is Mr. Matthew Hopkins. At this point in time he's pretty much unknown to the people around us. That however, will change shortly and his name will go down in history and not for the right reasons."

The Prince took a moment to study the nondescript person moving towards him. "How so Luxfer?"

"Over the next three years or so, he will take on the self-appointed title of Witch-Finder General. Hopkins along with his cohorts will be responsible for sending more people to their deaths for being witches than have been sentenced in the past one hundred years. His little group of cronies will actually account for over half of the deaths associated with this crime over three centuries. Why? Were they trying to prove those people guilty of the crimes of malevolent, dangerous or harmful magic? Did they prove them to be in league with the Devil? No! It was all about power, prestige and money! Some of these little hamlets will even have to impose a new tax to pay for these disgusting acts!"

"Were any of those sentenced actually guilty of their crimes Luxfer?"

Luxfer looked at the Prince grinning, "Well, I can tell you with absolute certainty that not one of them was ever in league with myself! As for the other charges? Who knows? But let me ask you this. Would you believe anyone to be guilty because they bled when being pricked by a needle? Or not bleed when supposedly cut with a blunt knife? How about if the person floated to the top of a lake when tied to a chair? All these ridiculous things will form part of the proof that Hopkins and his followers will put forth that the accused are guilty of witchcraft and send hundreds of people to a nasty death. All for greed."

The Prince looked back at the family now. Sounds of argument and derision coming from the altercation with Hopkins, "I can see how it would be devastating to those involved Luxfer but you only mentioned a few hundred people. As bad as that is, it's only a handful when you consider the billions you've told me about."

"Ah my friend. This is only the beginning and you're correct. As terrible as these events will be they actually pale in comparison to what comes next."

"Show me."

*~*

They reappeared in a lavish room filled with a huge mahogany table surrounded with thirty chairs. All of them occupied by a man of middle-eastern appearance dressed in military gear. At the head of a table sat one powerful looking individual, similarly attired, a pair of gold handguns casually placed on the table before him. Waves of smoke drifted up from the thick cigar in his mouth. Luxfer strode to stand behind the head, "This gentleman is named Saddam. He began his life in poverty much like the rest of the world at the time. Daily life was filled with struggle and violence, and he took these as part of his life moving forward. In this part of the world religion has caused much instability and distrust, mainly between Sunni and Shiites. Most of the actual population are actually Shiite but a minority of Sunni have long ruled and been administrators. Early on he was involved in assassination attempts, kidnappings and torture. It was only through a military coup that his party came to power and this man was put in charge of the purge.

"Anyone who had opposed them were either tortured and killed or exiled. All this before he had even become the official leader of the party. This is a man who didn't hesitate to use torture on children to extract confessions from adults. Genocidal campaigns against entire nations soon followed. Over a million deaths where blame can be placed squarely on this individual, but one man alone cannot do this. Hundreds, if not thousands of like-minded people looking for more power and money were involved, all equally as guilty. I could carry you from here to another stop, and another after that, and so on. The evil that is embedded within this species cannot be allowed to continue without repercussion. The earth slides slowly towards the greatest evil ever known, led by people like this."

The Prince had been listening intently to Luxfer astonished at the callous nature of those he'd seen, "but surely these situations all come back to one individual who has the charisma and charm to take others down the same path. There must be those who do the same for good?"

"Individually they are capable of the utmost good Prince. Unfortunately, people as a whole are evil. If not actively evil, then they're just as guilty for standing on the side-lines and doing nothing, or close to it. When one person does great things amongst them, they don't carry the same kind of weight and following that the evil ones do. Not enough to make a difference anyway. The only way to make the lesson stick is through fear. Once they fear the consequences then perhaps, just maybe they'll start to do good. The God's army will not push them in the right direction. It's up to us to do so."

"So what exactly do you need the brethren to do? Are we to be used as punishers?"

"My plan is actually quite simple Prince. Most of you will stay in Hell training against the possibility of attack from the Celestial Army. I don't think they're quite as finished as we thought. Slowly though, we will start to move you through to the Earth. Unleashing punishment on those individuals, like this one, who should not wait until their death to feel retribution. We move into place without alerting Gabriel and then do what's needed."

The Prince smiled. All his brethren would be extremely happy to bring punishing consequences to those on Earth.

## Chapter 28

Hunter walked the dark streets deep in thought. It was just before dawn and everything was quiet, at its darkest. Everything he had known had fallen apart and he found himself adrift. For the first time in his life, he had found a purpose. Something to aim for, greater than himself. Then slowly things had unraveled.

The beginnings of what could possibly have been a great future with Ren taken away from him by demons. The chance to help millions of lost souls taken away by Luxfer. His previous career as an author no longer held any appeal. Being a loner for most of his life had left him with no one to turn to. A willing ear, a sympathetic shoulder. Nothing.

He wandered without purpose, not even bothering going back to his own apartment. The thought of finding a bar that was open at this time of night and just getting plastered top in his thoughts. It was only the memory of Ren that stopped him from indulging. _'Funny',_ he thought _'I only really knew her for such a short time and yet the impact that she's had on my life has been enormous.'_ He picked up the pace as memories of Ren came flooding back. _'The padre! I should check to see that he's alright. Ren would like that.'_

He looked up taking in his surroundings, noticing that he'd been making his way back to the diner where Ren and he had eaten their one and only meal together. _'Funny how we always get drawn back to the things we love when we aren't even trying to. Only a short walk up the street to where the padre currently resides. Perhaps a quick bite to wait for them to open up.'_

The diner sat exactly as he remembered. Brightly lit and garish, the food as awful as the last time he'd visited. Yet he still held a sweet spot in his heart for it. Ordering the full breakfast he sat at the remotest corner table, thinking.

The decimation of the army in Hell and Luxfer's response was a real worry. His final comments of amassing a new army under the control of himself and the darkness a clear indication on his intentions, an all-out war with the Gods. Nothing good would come out of that for every living being in the universe. He would run this past the padre if he had come out of his coma that was, otherwise he had absolutely no idea what his next move could possibly be. Finishing up his breakfast he headed back to where Toby resided.

Hunter was shown to the office where he had met up with Dr Livingstone previously. The doctor's face still etched with worry lines and the tiny strands of his long hair barely raked over the bald scalp. He motioned to the empty chair across from his own and placed the handset of his phone back in its cradle. "Mr. Hunter, please take a seat."

Hunter slowly eased himself down in the offered chair. The fact that he had been brought to meet with the administrator instead of being taken directly to the padre's room a clear indication that he had not come out of the coma as yet. "I take it there's been no change in the padre's condition then?"

The doctor leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily, "Actually there has been. We've been trying to reach you regarding what's happened but have not been able to. You really must update us with proper contact details before you leave today. But back to Tobias. Unfortunately he never recovered from the coma. We took care of him as well as we possibly could but weren't able to help him. He's passed and is no longer with us. As I mentioned earlier, we've been trying to get in touch with you as his next of kin-as his _only_ next of kin, without success. Luckily for us all, the padre had gone to great lengths to ensure that everything was handled in this situation. His final wishes were taken care of to the letter. His lawyer has been finalizing where all his assets will be going and the like. I've got his business card here for you in case you need to get in touch with him."

"Thank you doctor. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me and for all your help in looking after the padre."

The doctor waved a hand through the air, "Think nothing of it Mr. Hunter. We do what we can."

' _You do what you can as long as the recipient has millions in the bank and you're hoping to cash in on some',_ he thought as he made his way back down the tiled corridor to the exit door. _'A pauper's grave would have awaited the padre otherwise, after months of sitting in a morgue somewhere with no one to claim him.'_

Sheets of rain poured from the sky as Hunter made his way out of the hospice. Pulling up the collar on his coat he made his way down the street, thinking.

His options had dwindled down to nothing. No allies to be had whichever way he looked at it. The padre had been his last hope until he had met up with the administrator. Dark gray skies mirrored that grayness within him. How was one man supposed to stop a war between the Gods and Hell? Should he even attempt to do so? He stopped his thoughts quickly. The consequences of sitting on the sidelines while the war raged were not acceptable. Every living person on Earth would be a casualty without understanding the reasons behind it. If one man was what it took, then one man would have to be enough.

Soaked through to the bone he continued walking aimlessly. Waiting for inspiration to come. The voice of the homeless person he was walking past coming upon him suddenly, "You're not done yet."

Hunter stopped. His instincts telling him that this was more than just the mad rumblings of a crazy person. "Sorry?"

A face peered up at him from within the loose rags lying on the floor. An older woman looked up at him speaking in a clear, deep tone "The Goddess. She says that you're not done _just_ yet. Too much needs doing and you need help. Seek the priest."

Hunter looked down at the woman in amazement, "The priest? He's dead! How can he possibly help me?"

The homeless woman looked up at Hunter as he spoke, scrambling back into the corner and screamed at him, "Priest? I'm no priest. Get away. Go. I've got nothing for you! I'm just an old woman dammit. Leave me alone!"

Hunter took a step back from the woman at his feet. Whatever D'HarmaSan had done to her had obviously only been for that one quick message. There'd be no further help there. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else." He walked off, the despair of moments before, lifted somewhat.

' _Now',_ he thought ' _Where to begin looking for the padre? He's died and there's no way I could possibly show up in line for Heaven without attracting the attention of the God. Eventually he will end up with Luxfer but that could take thousands of years!'_ Raising his face to the pouring rain he yelled, "Where the hell do I even begin to search for the padre Goddess? Couldn't you have been a little more specific damn it? No wonder Toby always argued with you!"

Hunter turned as a low voice chuckled behind him, followed by the voice of the padre "Once you begin to argue with the Goddess Hunter, you're spiritual growth begins. It's how it started with me. Where's Ren?"

*~*

Seeing the padre appear magically at the time that he most needed made Hunter speechless for a moment, until he digested the question he'd been asked, "Ren? Padre, Ren's dead, and come to think of it, so are you!"

The padre had been having fun watching the effect that he'd had on Hunter. The raft of emotions that had crossed his features in a split second clear for him to see. The smile fell off his face at Hunter's comment about Ren, "I know Ren is dead Hunter. That wasn't what I meant. I had a nice long chat with her just after I died, or more accurately, during my death. She was off to talk to you in Hell. I assumed this was the reason the Goddess nudged me in your direction just now. That somehow you guys needed my help in some way to finalize the plans regarding the wise ones."

Hunter regarded the old man critically not understanding most of what was being said. The _wise ones_ was something new to him as well as the whole Ren part. "Let's take this conversation somewhere out of the rain padre. We need to chat."

*~*

The waitress placed the two cups of coffee on the table in front of them as Hunter was finishing his story, "and that pretty much sums up my time in Hell padre. I left before Luxfer returned not confident that I would be able to leave otherwise. Headed over here to check up on you and... Now find myself here. Now tell me, why did you expect Ren to be with me?"

Toby grabbed the sugar on the table and placed a teaspoon into the cup, stirring slowly. "I think the story of what I'm currently up to can keep Hunter. The main thing you need to know is that Ren went into Hell looking for you. That's the last time I saw her. And with you showing up now without her I can only think that something has gone wrong, or else she'd have made contact with me."

"Why was she coming to Hell for me padre? What prompted that?"

"The Goddess Hunter. She still lives and she's taken Ren as part of her posse I guess you could say. Somehow, these wise ones have come to her attention and she's adamant that Ren help her to save, shelter and protect them. I was her first stop in this mission. She believes that I can help her find them. She came and showed me what the Goddess needed and after a bit of discussion, I agreed. The only safe haven we could think of was Hell, under your protection. So off she went to ask. At least that was our thinking."

"Did she mention just how she planned on getting there padre? Anything at all?"

"She only had a broad plan which began with joining the queue waiting to get into Heaven. From there she was pretty much going to wing it, hoping that God would move her in the direction of Hell."

Something had been gnawing on the edges of Hunter's consciousness as they had chatted. The mention of Ren and Hell in the same sentence teasing some kind of memory from him.

"Oh damn me padre! Ren made it to the realm! How could I be so blind?"

Toby leaned forwards and placed his elbows on the table in front of him, "What Hunter? What is it?"

Hunter leaned back in his chair, a sigh escaping his lips, "The Darkness padre. She's a force that rules Hell on behalf of Luxfer. It didn't even dawn on me until just now. In my time there, she was just a force of nature I guess you could say. Somewhere along the line though, she began morphing into a physical presence. A physical presence that bore a distinct likeness to Ren. How could she even know what she looks like if not for seeing Ren herself?"

"Well damn me as well then Hunter. That's a fairly safe assumption and something I wouldn't bet against. Not her life anyway. What can we do? Is she in danger now that you're no longer useful to Hell?"

"I dare say she's in extreme danger. Why else would the darkness have kept her presence from me otherwise? So, what do we do? Nothing else to do padre. I'm going to find a way to get into Hell and get her back!"

"That's the goal Hunter, not what we're going to do. Based on the story that you just told me, it would be a suicide mission for you to step foot back in Hell right now. What are our options? Is it possible for me to go get her? Can someone else get in to Hell unnoticed? Is there a way to reach her without physically going? Let's stop for a moment and make a plan. No more winging it. That's what got Ren into trouble in the first place."

Hunter took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The padre was right. Too many things had happened since the entire fiasco had started based on not enough information and even less planning. Ren's life was not something he would trust to this. "You're right padre. Sorry. Just the thought of Ren sitting in Hell under the influence of the darkness sends shivers through my spine. Options. Number one. I wouldn't trust anyone else with this task, not even you padre. I just couldn't live with myself if somebody else failed and Ren had to pay the price."

"I can understand that Hunter. Option one off the table for now. If no one else, then it must be you. So, do you need to be in Hell physically for this, or is there another way?"

"I hadn't thought about it until now padre but first let me ask you a question. When the Goddess has taken you on your visions in the past, did they seem real to you?"

"Absolutely Hunter. No doubt about it. Why?"

"Because I just had a thought padre. What if she wasn't just showing us those visions? What if she actually took us as invisible witnesses to those events? Is that even possible?"

The padre leaned back in thought, chewing on one of his fingernails, "She's the original Goddess Hunter. Anything is possible. Let's explore that a little. Do you think you would be able to duplicate that?"

Hunter took a moment thinking on the question Toby had just posed. "Possibly padre. I was just thinking about the time I visited the Brethren on their planet. I think I might have actually been doing it without even realizing. I think it's worth trying in any case. Worst case scenario is that I can't and we have to figure out a different way."

"Correct Hunter. Let's try this way first. Now, what about the wise ones? If Hell is no longer an option, where can we hide them from view? I can't think of anywhere in this universe that would be a safe haven from Gabriel and a God."

"Do you agree with the Goddess about these people padre?"

Leaning back in his chair, the padre took a moment to answer going back through everything he had witnessed, "I think so Hunter. If you sit with Mags for more than a minute you soon have an instinctive feeling that she's more than just your average person. You begin to trust her without even realizing it and she draws things out of you with just a smile. Her outlook on life is a mixture of absolute optimism that doesn't ignore the darker aspects of human nature. It's like she sees the entire scope of it all and still questions. Though her faith is rock-solid. She's a one-of-a-kind for sure."

Hunter smiled at the padre. What he'd just described was a female version of himself and he hadn't even been aware of it. "She does sound rather special padre and I honestly can't wait to meet her. For right now, I can't think of anywhere safe to take her. Best for you to just keep moving around and not let Gabriel have a target to aim for. Once we get Ren back we can sit and figure out a more permanent solution. What do you think? Reckon you can keep moving around?"

"After so many years of confinement my boy, that's an easy promise to keep! Consider me constant motion! Now, get your ass out of here and bring Ren back to us."

*~*

Ren raised her head from the wet pavement. Rain streamed down from the sky obliterating everything in sight. Complete darkness covered the entire street. Cold, wet, miserable and hungry, she looked down at the sleeping form of Bonnie in her arms. It had been a few days now since they had been able to get something to eat and even then, Ren had let Bonnie take the lion's share of the meal, taking barely enough to keep up her energy. ' _Soon_ ', she thought ' _I'll have to find somewhere to leave my baby girl. Somewhere safe.'_

That was the problem though. No matter how many safe places she found to leave Bonnie at, somehow her father had tracked them down. Violence, broken bones and bruises would always end up as a result. Nowhere was safe.

She pulled the cardboard box over the sleeping form of her daughter trying in vain to keep as much of the rain off her as possible. ' _How can it all have come to this?'_ She was prey, tracked at every turn by either her husband Joe or Hunter.

She wept, more for her daughter than herself. Something would have to give soon with only one possible outcome that she could see. The end of her life and not being there any longer to protect her daughter.

Just outside the cell door, the darkness smiled. Ren had gone down this particular punishment numerous times now. Each getting worse with time. _These humans really know how to destroy themselves if you give them half a chance._ She sat down to enjoy the show that Ren was about to go through again, wondering at what new tortures she would invent for herself.

*~*

The sound of footsteps echoed off the buildings in the dark lane. Ren hunched deeper into the corner they were hiding in. Hoping that it was someone just taking a short-cut through the lane. Her instincts told her otherwise though. The footsteps would belong to one or the other of her tormentors. She stifled the involuntary sobs threatening to escape her throat. _Not again! They would not give her away this time!_ She forced them down, wiping away the tears that blurred her vision. She was better than this! She would overcome this terror. The mistakes that she had made with her husband and then with Hunter would not ruin the life of her daughter.

' _Strange',_ she thought ' _All this time and I still can't bring to mind any specifics on what I did. Has my mind just repressed it all? Was it so terrible that I just don't want to remember?'_ She sat still as the footsteps came to a halt not far from where she was. She darted her eyes to where the noise had come from.

As if her previous memory had conjured them up, Hunter and Joe stood there, staring towards where she sat. Both of them wearing identical salacious grins on their faces.

The sobs escaped her as she moved to stand, waking Bonnie in the process. She tapped her daughter's shoulder twice, quickly. A secret signal that they had come up between them telling Bonnie to run and where to hide. Putting herself between her daughter and the two men, trying to give her as much of a head-start as possible. ' _Run Bonnie. Hide!'_

She straightened her shoulders, facing them. Knowing the beating that she was about to receive. Just another in a long line of them. Her breathing increased, adrenaline rushing through her body as she stood her ground going against every instinct within her that was yelling _RUN._ Every single moment she could extract from these two was an extra moment of safety for her daughter. Slowing her breathing, she fought to maintain a clear head.

Joe turned and spoke a word to Hunter, his voice pitched too low for her to hear. Hunter's face wavered for a moment as if she was looking at him through a mirage. The grin no longer on his face, looking around at the surrounding buildings.

Joe had quickly moved to one side of Ren effectively trapping her between Hunter and himself. The beating would begin with some fun from both of them. Slowly increasing in tempo until she could no longer talk, walk and barely draw breath.

She turned towards her husband. Experience had taught her that he would be the one to begin things, "Please Joe. No more. I beg you."

Joe threw his head back and laughed, amused by the situation. Without warning, his hand went flying out to smash Ren across her cheek, sending her body backwards into the waiting arms of Hunter. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall, waiting for the blows to come as Joe pulled back his fist, ready for the first true hit.

Hunter swung around holding Ren in her arms, turning his back on Joe, the anticipated fist never striking home. "Ren. This is all in your head. None of it is real. Look at me."

Ren opened her eyes slightly looking back over her shoulder at the form of Hunter. The angry, evil look that she had been accustomed to no longer evident. In its place she saw a smiling Hunter, sorrow in his eyes. "In my head?" she whispered, "How?"

"You're in Hell Ren. The darkness has pulled you in. Everything around you is all in your head, your own thoughts are designing these tortures. Think. What's the last thing you remember prior to all this craziness beginning?"

Ren took a moment to survey her surroundings, thinking back on what had happened. "I don't know Hunter. It's all a blur, fuzzy. The only clear parts are what I see around me. How could all this be only in my head? Look around you, everything is real!"

Hunter felt Ren's body tense as he hugged her tighter, "No Ren. The only things that are real in any of this are you and me. Nothing else. And even I'm not 100% present here at the moment. This is just a projection of me. It's the only way I could enter Hell again safely without alerting Luxfer. You're the key to getting out of this Ren. Just believe me. Everything is in your mind. That's the way Hell works."

Hunter's final words about Hell triggered a small recollection within her mind. Something about the way Hell worked slowly filtered into her consciousness, ' _the Realms respond to our mental thoughts. Think it and it becomes true.'_ She opened her eyes in sudden understanding of what she'd just put herself through. The Goddess had warned her numerous times about this and how easily one could get caught in the web. Frustrated, she punched herself in the thigh trying to get her mind back to what was important. The dark woman had tricked her. ' _No',_ she amended ' _I tricked myself. All she did was open me to suggestion.'_ "Damn this place Hunter. The power it holds is ridiculous. Hunter?"

She looked around to no avail. Hunter was no longer with her. Whether it had been an apparition as he claimed or if she had only created him in her mind didn't matter now. The only thing of importance was that she got out of here as quickly as she could. Her mission in Hell could wait until she recovered her balance properly. Hell was too much for her to take on alone at this point. She would return with a much better plan next time after talking it over with the padre. She moved out of the cell, carefully moving down the hall with purpose.

*~*

Punishing evil made her happier than she had been since the inception of Hell. Finding real evil gave her a buzz that she reveled in. Overall most of the souls that had been coming through she had left to their own torturous designs. The occasional one however, she would sit and punish appropriately as she saw fit.

One soul out of the billions currently housed in Hell held a special place in her heart. Ren. That particular woman would be punished beyond the rest, for eternity. She smiled as she pulled her awareness back from the individual beyond the door in front of her.

_Time to look into her favorite guest once more._ A frown marred her features as she went looking. The pure horror that was usually evident from the woman was missing. The darkness concentrated harder, dissolving her form to move to the cell that currently housed Ren. Time to take up the horror a notch if she no longer felt as threatened as she should.

Her mouth gaped as she materialized before the open door of the cell. This was no longer just a matter of the woman having eased her terror. Somehow, she had broken free of the spell that the darkness had woven around her. She peered within the cell to find it empty. Somehow the damn woman had not only broken out of the spell but found a way out. She wouldn't get far.

The darkness put everything else out of her mind, concentrating fully on locating Ren. Nothing else mattered now. Her awareness concentrated on every single part of the realm beginning just outside the cell. Looking closer she saw a small snippet of a trail leading down the corridor. ' _You're good Ren, but not good enough.'_ Following the trail she headed off in the direction it led.

Hours went by as she methodically tracked the woman and frustration was starting to kick in. Ren should not have been able to elude her for this long! It was her realm and she was its mistress. The thought stopped her dead in her tracks. A frown on her face. The tracks she had been following so closely had begun to circle back towards the original cell. _Was she lost, confused and wandering?_ The darkness felt a jolt of joy. If the woman had begun to get confused then they were almost at the end of this little game and she would ensure the next lot of punishment would take her to the limits of what could be endured.

Another few hours went by as she scoured the tracks. She had been right earlier. Ren's tracks had been heading straight back to her cell. That would make things easier for the darkness. The cell was dead ahead, the tracks ending at the door. She smiled in anticipation of seeing the look on the woman's face when she finally caught up. She rushed to the open door.

Nothing! Not a single trace remained of the woman. Somehow she had managed to not only escape but had led the Darkness on a wild goose chase through Hell! The damn woman had used the power of the realm against her! Rage bubbled through her entire being as she sat to think of her next move. The punishment she would heap upon Ren would make every other soul in Hell think they were in paradise. The ultimate warning for anyone else to even consider going up against her.

*~*

Hunter's eyes had barely opened when the padre asked, "Did you manage to get through to her?"

"I think so padre. It's hard to tell how things go in Hell but it looked like she realized what I was telling her before I had to move back. How long was I out for?"

"Not long Hunter. Our assessment of how time moves in the different realms appears to be true. If that's the case then we should be seeing Ren back here soon."

Hunter rubbed the palms of his hands over his tired eyes, "Will she know where to find us or will we need to go looking?"

"She'll know where we are, we made plans to meet here if and when we needed to. Hopefully her time in Hell hasn't made her forget any of it."

## Chapter 29

A tiny dark blob disengaged itself from the end of Gabriel's foot and moved unseen towards a crack in the floor below, easing its way gently through the break to the level below. He had done this numerous times over the centuries since taking control of the angel's thoughts and body. The only member of the brethren to have been completely outside the sphere of influence of the barrier.

For centuries he had worked hard at guiding events towards the eventual release of his Queen and all the brethren. Now it appeared his usefulness was at an end. If the stories that his host had just been told were true, the Brethren were now aligning themselves with the dreaded dark one and his army. He couldn't believe it. The Prince had taken sides against his own Queen by taking service with their most hated enemy.

He morphed back into his normal state. Six feet, four inches tall, sleek black fur covering an immensely muscled torso with haunches like a stallions and just as strong. His head nothing but a skull with a thin veneer of crimson skin. Hairless and human-like. An exact duplicate of his recently departed twin, The Kraxus. He shook his head like a dog getting rid of the excess water after a bath, trying to dislodge his hosts feel on his body.

Moving over to the darkest corner of the room, he sat to think things through. He couldn't let this rest the way it stood. Not after so much effort and hard-work over the centuries and definitely not after having seen his twin be sacrificed to achieve this outcome.

For the Prince to have joined forces with the Dark One must mean that he had been corrupted or coerced. He would need to find a clearer picture of how things now stood with his brethren.

Sitting in a meditative pose he found the calm within his body and gently sent out his awareness to probe his home-world. A slight lifting of his spirit split from his physical body and flew across the universe, searching for home.

*~*

He floated above the planet dumbstruck. The barrier that had enveloped the entire sphere for centuries was now gone. Nothing remained in its place except for the atmosphere itself. Numbness began to turn to anger as he moved closer to the lands below. Nothing moved to stop or hinder him in any way.

A raging scream leapt from his throat as he descended. The fury growing stronger. Landing hard on the solid red sands below he paused to sniff the air. Reacquainting himself with his home. A home he had been in exile from for centuries. The air no longer felt the same as his memory recalled. Gone was the dark, dreary and toxic quality it had once held to be replaced with something just _normal_. The damn Angel's realm contained more evil in the air than his home-world did!

The fury within him subsided slightly, could it be that the centuries spent outside of the barrier had made him more powerful than any of the other brethren? Had they somehow become soft in the preceding years? Was that even possible?

A leer appeared on his face at the possibilities this would present if it were true. The Brethren all under his command and the Angel under his control. All would tremble and kneel before him, including the Gods. He liked that. Raising his snout he tried catching a whiff of where the Prince of his Queen lay. Turning a full circle with no luck. He'd caught glimpses of many of his brethren but nothing of the two most powerful on the planet. His eyes narrowed thinking that perhaps the stories the Angel had been told were right. If either of them yet lived on the planet he would have been able to sniff them out easily.

Taking off in bounding strides he headed west to the last location of the Queen and her hive.

*~*

The clone poked one of the bones littering the floor with his foot. The calcified remains of what had been the Queen and her protector drones were strewn throughout the cavern. At least one part of the stories appeared to have some truth in them. He would not bet on the other not being the same. The Prince had definitely been corrupted and killed his Queen. The murderous rage began to bubble through his being once more. So much work undertaken by him to gain the freedom of all his brethren and yet, when they had managed to escape the barrier the Prince had made them all servants of Hell, if the stories were right.

The original plan had been to use the Angel and the army that he had built to _destroy_ Luxfer! Not to become his minion. He slowed his breathing, calming his emotions. One of the many useful skills he had picked up over the time spent corrupting Gabriel. It was no use going off in a rage. Better to control, bottle and let the rage fester and grow. To be unleashed at the correct time.

Clearing his mind he focused on the facts again. The barrier had been destroyed. His Queen murdered and the Prince missing from the planet. No effort had been made to contact him when the barrier had fallen. He was on his own. The Angel was now under his control without requiring him to be a constant presence attached to his body. Like a puppet-master he could pull the strings unseen from afar.

He stopped midway through his musings as a thought struck. If in fact he had become _more powerful_ over the centuries could he use this to take control of the Prince? Or better still, would the Dark One fall under his sway? No harm would come from exploring the possibility. The rewards outweighing the risks. The leer returned to his face as he readied himself to move back to his body. He would need to be physically present if he was to attempt the plan.

*~*

The entry path to Hell lay exactly as the Angel's thoughts had mentioned. A tiny opening to a cave that lay between the realms, a crack where reality ceased to exist as anyone understood it.

He stopped a moment studying every aspect of it and watched for the dark presence that Gabriel kept thinking about when he'd last been here. Nothing moved or stirred as he stood still. The air completely calm. Looking inwards for a moment, he morphed into the tiny black blob that would be completely unseen by those that happened on him. A tiny rolling marble of _nothing_ that would blend in with any surroundings. He moved slowly towards the opening, ready for any attack. For the next hour he would move forwards an inch and then pause. Repeating the process until he stood just in front of the opening. Convinced that he was under no immediate threat he moved a few paces within the cave opening and stopped, looking closer at Hell.

The atmosphere around him changed between one second and the next as he crossed over the threshold into Hell. Outside the opening the day had been slightly overcast with some sun shining down upon the land. The moment he'd crossed however, the atmosphere had completely darkened and the air felt heavier. Wisps of fog moved throughout the cave as if searching for something. He watched closely to make sure that it wasn't looking for any intruders, like himself. It didn't take him long to see the fog moved with purpose in a defined pattern. If he was correct it would shortly take a sharp left turn and completely surround him before moving off to the far corner once more. He waited.

Everything disappeared as the fog rolled over him, leaving the feeling of a living thing, not an innate thing. He was under no illusion that this was a living guard, ready to destroy anything that wandered into its path. He moved slightly, testing. The fog continued on its journey unaware of his presence. He put it out of his mind and made his way towards the only other opening in the cave, the true entry into Hell. Rolling through it to the caverns beyond.

*~*

He stopped in amazement as the first entry took him into a large brightly lit cavern. Luxfer and the Prince both sat at a large table which dominated one side of the room. Wine and a large assortment of food in front of them. Over Luxfer's shoulder he spied a stunning woman bathed in complete darkness. _This must be the female that Gabriel had encountered the last time he'd been here._ Hell was a totally different realm to the others he'd been to. Every piece of it brimmed with a power missing from the others, all of it centered on the dark female at Luxfer's side. No wonder she was as powerful as Gabriel had claimed. The very air of Hell fed into her. He would have to be careful in how he handled the situation or be forced to face the wrath of the darkness.

Luxfer took a bit of the chicken drumstick savoring the taste. Food and drink were not needed by his body to survive yet the mere luxury of having an abundance of each made him happy, allowing him to focus his concentration on the tasks at hand. "How many of the brethren have you managed to move onto the Earth now Prince?"

Swallowing a mouthful of the caviar he'd been chewing, the Prince replied, "Tens of thousands so far Luxfer. There appears no end to the number of evilly inclined people on that cursed planet. My brothers move in the shadows with each of them looking for ways to inflict punishment while they yet live. At this stage however, I don't really see any change in their behavior. Every time we punish, they justify their own actions and behavior. In most cases committing even worse crimes than the previous ones. Perhaps we are wasting our time doing it this way?"

Luxfer sat back licking the juices off his fingers, "Sometimes these things take a little time to manifest results Prince. It may just be as simple as we haven't hit the line of complete fear inside them as yet. Continue the punishment and push them to their limit. Once that line is crossed by one the rest will fall into place."

"As you wish Luxfer, but to really get to that breaking point we will need to move more of the Brethren than we have to date. Millions of them will be needed on the ground. Only a total blanket of fear will make the masses move towards enlightenment."

"Then start increasing the numbers Prince. I've given you carte-blanche to do what you think is necessary. Send millions of your brethren through the portal to Earth. Cover the whole planet in a web of fear that will bring them to their knees. Show them the way."

Grabbing another caviar topped cracker, the Prince smiled at the thought of millions more of his brothers moving onto the Earth to unleash punishment. Never had they felt so happy and useful.

At the same time he'd been listening to the conversation between the two, the twin had been assessing the dark woman. A slight shift in his awareness had brought to life the dark tendrils of power that flowed from her body, encasing Luxfer and twisting around the Prince. Her dark influence ensuring the decisions made were to her liking, reinforcing his original thoughts about how the Prince and Luxfer had now gone soft. Neither one of them had any inkling of what the dark woman was doing, each believing themselves in total control. Hers was the power behind everything in Hell. The puppet master pulling the strings behind the stage, unseen and unknown by all.

The initial plan of taking over the Prince or Luxfer would be of no use while she was free, it would need modifying. To take over Hell effectively he would need to make her essence his. Everything else would be controlled once that happened. He studied her in earnest this time taking note of how the power of the realm flowed into her. Hell fed her at the same time that she fed it, tying her to the realm but at the same time making her all powerful within it. That was the key to his success. He would not have to get remotely near her physically and risk discovery by either the Prince or Luxfer. Her presence was all around him.

Steadying himself he gently guided the essential part of his being into the surrounding air. At once it moved directly into the dark female without notice. Pleasure cascaded over his remaining essence as he continued to release his entire being outwards, a drip at a time until nothing remained of the black blob on the floor.

When the final piece of himself had made the journey into the dark female's essence he began to investigate gently. Sending tiny probing thoughts within the form she maintained. It became apparent immediately to him that her thoughts and power were centered on something else in Hell and she was not fully paying attention to the two beings in front of her. This would work to his benefit as she was so engrossed in the other task that she had not felt a thing when the clone attached himself to her body. Stealthily he moved up towards where her central essence lived. The real part that formed the darkness, pausing for the briefest of moments before launching himself in an all-out attack, trying to overpower her before she had a chance to realize what was happening.

The darkness stumbled for a tiny moment letting out a tiny gasp as the clone completely overtook her being. She was his until he decided otherwise.

Luxfer looked over his shoulder on hearing the tiny gasp, "Everything okay?"

The twin looked down at his most hated enemy from within the essence of the darkness, "Everything is perfect, my Lord."

Luxfer stood up from the table signaling the end of the meeting, "Punish the evil-doers Prince and do it swiftly. Send as many of your brethren through the portal as you can. Delays will only help Gabriel."

The Prince stood and bowed low to Luxfer, "Your will, Lord."

Watching the retreating back of the Prince as he left the room Luxfer turned to the Darkness, "What was that about my love? I've never heard you utter anything like that before. Not even when I showed up unannounced."

The twin kept the smile on his face as he turned to Luxfer, "Nothing major. A small intruder trying to break his way into Hell. Caught me off guard a little."

"Caught you off guard and you consider it minor, my love? Nothing that is _minor_ could do so. What was it?"

The darkness moved closer to Luxfer putting her arms around his shoulders. Her heated breath making him close his eyes in pure joy. Leaning in close she whispered, "A forgotten Brethren my love. Somehow the sneaky bugger made his way through the entrance to this very chamber."

The joy left Luxfer's face as he struggled with the thought of a forgotten Brethren, "Forgotten Brethren? What the hell is tha...?" His voice trailed off to nothing as the twin clamped his arms tighter around the offered neck, shattering the tiny defenses that Luxfer held in place. The struggle lasted even less time than the one he had gone through with the Darkness. Between his most hated enemy and the Darkness, Hell was under his complete control. A high piercing laugh escaped his throat as he sent out a silent command to the Prince, requesting his return for an updated set of instructions.

Confusion ran through the Prince's mind at the sudden request from Luxfer to return to the cavern. It had only been moments since he'd been summarily dismissed to get on with the task of taking more of his brethren through the portal to Earth. Putting any doubt out of his mind he turned in his tracks and headed back to the chambers.

Luxfer sat in the same spot as when he'd left, toying with the glass of wine he was holding. The confused look on his face fading as the sound of the Prince's footsteps echoed through the room, coming to a halt as he stood in front of him waiting for the reason behind the summons.

Placing the glass on the table before him, Luxfer stood facing the Prince, "Ah, thanks for coming back so quickly my Prince. We need to discuss a few more things before you go. Please, take a seat."

Taking a seat at the offered table the Prince sat wondering at the tone coming from Luxfer. Up to this point he'd been sincere in his conversations. This time however, there was a hard edge to the innocuous words which put him on edge. Something monumental must have happened in the moments between their last meeting, "What is it Luxfer? What's changed?"

In a sudden sharp movement, the clone turned full circle behind the Prince. A sword materializing in his hands mid-swing. The momentum of the slash taking the sword clean through the unwary Prince. He smiled watching the lifeless head of his Prince skate across the cavern floor, coming to rest a few meters away as the headless corpse fell to the floor at his feet, "There can only be one Prince of Darkness, and you're not him. That's what has changed, _my Prince._ "

## Chapter 30

The Angel of Mercy had been meticulous upon leaving the Gods in their realm. The mission they had placed on his shoulders was clear. Study the history of the people on Earth as much as possible and determine whether they would be destroyed or allowed another chance at redemption.

For the rest of the universe time moves in a straight line. Everyone begins at point A and moves forward through to point B. Lives measured in the intervals between the two.

The Gods had modified the rules when it came to the Angel of Mercy, instilling in him the ability to be present at any point in time that he chose. To be both everywhere and nowhere at the same time and have the ability to witness anything he chose.

He had decided the process would be methodical and logical in its progression, beginning early on in the making of mankind and moving forwards to the present. This would give him a clear time-line and indication of whether humans were making any progress at all toward enlightenment. The scales would tell the story at the end of his journey.

*~*

The Great Spirit, Wakonda

Three medicine men sat around the large pine tree at the center of the clearing. Decorated with strips of cloth of varying colors, eagle feathers, stuffed birds and horns. All offerings to the Great Spirit of Wakonda, the creative force never personified by the tribes as being of any gender.

A group of fifteen warriors began marching abreast and chanting around the circle of tents surrounding the central dance area where many others had gathered. Everyone had relinquished anything that may have been made by the white man.

The high priest strode forth to give his final address to those present before the dance began. Addressing such things as the direction it would flow and the singing associated with it.

Over one hundred people stood directly behind each other holding their hands on the other's shoulders, beginning to chant, "Father, I come." The chants falling to utter silence after a few moments followed by groans and moans as they all shouted out the names of departed relatives and friends.

As if moved by some unseen conductor they raised their faces towards the sky and lifted their hands straight up, invoking the power of the Great Spirit, Wakonda. All in the hopes that they would be allowed to talk to those who had passed over. For a full fifteen minutes they continued to implore the spirit before finally sitting down in the dust.

The moment of the dance had arrived. Everyone stood and held hands, swinging their arms back and forth as hard as they possibly could as they began to circle. Some of them would begin to weaken quickly, held up by their neighbors until they could no longer move.

A strong gust of wind moved through them picking up the loose dirt at their feet. Shrouding them as they continued the dance as if the Great Spirit had been listening and sent the spirits to join in, their invisible feet pounding into the earth to create a dust storm around the mortal dancers.

The Angel looked on as one by one the dancers would break away from their fellows and literally fall down exhausted, too weak to even stand. Completely ignored by those still dancing. The unseen conductor once more moved over the crowd willing them to stop and sit as over one hundred bodies still lay in the dirt where they had fallen into a trance.

They waited for the fallen to recover, bringing each into the center of the circle where the medicine-man stood, relaying their visions to him alone. The medicine-man would listen to each story then turn to the seated crowd and scream the details of each for all to hear.

The Angel looked at the faces of those listening to the story. Disbelief, disdain and even a few registering subtle rage.

His long white hair moved back and forth as he shook his head. Praying to a gender-less Great Spirit would add weight to one side of the scales. Disbelief, disdain and rage would add the same amount to the other.

Once again the people of Earth had left the scales in complete balance. He moved on.

*~*

Supreme Court

The room fell silent as the twelve members of the jury were escorted back into the court-room, ready to deliver their verdict.

The case had gone on for over five weeks in the case of the young man named Marcus accused of murder as each side had presented their case for judgment. The Angel looked on impressed. The value of having twelve of their own peers in judgment was appealing and would level out the field of injustice that could be held by one person in their hearts.

All the evidence pointed to the fact that Marcus was indeed guilty of having murdered a young Muslim boy named Moe in a hate-filled wave of rage, while high on the drug Ice. The defense had tried to persuade the jury on this very basis. Now the matter lay in the hands of the twelve seated in the dock.

The jury foreman rose to his feet as he had been instructed to do when delivering the verdict, "We, the Jury, find the defendant, Marcus Auriel, guilty of murder as charged."

Silence fell through the court at the verdict. Everyone knowing that it could not end any other way. The judge shifted in his seat, banging his gavel for attention. "Marcus Auriel, you have been convicted of murder on the basis of overwhelming proof. Having presided over the trial for a number of weeks now, I am assured of the following. From a very young age you were indoctrinated by white supremacist groups and raised within that environment. An environment which has been written about in many other places as being detrimental to any child's growth.

" _The views you were forced to live with daily formed into a deep hatred of those people of other races, colors and religions. In an act of pure machismo after a night of heavy drinking with some of your buddies you were goaded into an act so vile that it carries with it a sentence of life in prison. That there were no witnesses to the goading is a sad indictment of our society as I strongly believe that those who provided the fuel for this act should be standing beside you in punishment._

" _On your way home from the drunken bender, you and your buddies happened to cross paths with a young man, Moe. Inebriation fueled with hate led you all to chase him for three blocks. Only you out of your group of friends managed to catch up to him as he tried to escape down an alley. An alley which unfortunately only had one exit._

" _You caught up with him and proceeded to pound him senseless, continuing to do so well after he had fallen unconscious. This however, wasn't enough to quell your rage. You pulled out your knife and plunged into repeatedly into his neck. A total of forty-seven times, well beyond what would be needed to murder him._

" _All this was still not enough to satisfy you. Grabbing the young man by his feet you managed to drag the dead body onto the main road where at least six people witnessed you dropping the body at the intersection and then ran off. Laughing the entire way._

" _This has left a lasting impression on those who knew the young Moe. An aspiring artist with the world at his feet. His parents now left childless. The sentence for murder is straight forward here, Life. What I find myself questioning is the minimum term I must impose. The heinous and serious nature of this crime means that I cannot impose anything less than the full life term."_

The young man burst into tears on hearing the term imposed by the judge. One single insane act in his young life had brought his freedom to an end. Never would he ever see the outside of a prison cell again.

The crowd stood to leave after everything had been completed. Unnoticed by the security guards, Moe's father Abdul had managed to move across the floor to stand beside Marcus. Before any of them could act the old man had taken Marcus in a huge hug. Tears streaming down his face as he whispered, "I forgive you."

The Angel stood at the back of the room astounded again. The scales balanced once more. He moved on.

*~*

The Angel of Mercy took another look around at the city as the rain pelted down like a cascading waterfall. His investigations had come to the point where no more could be added to either side of the equation. The six Gods had broken the seal in their possession and it was now down to him to decide what would happen to those on Earth. The future of all humanity lay in the decision he was about to make.

He went through the check list in his mind once more.

The potential for good on the planet was incredible, as was their potential for pure evil.

The scales lay balanced on that score. Every single act of pure evil performed on the planet was being balanced by another act of pure goodness. The cross-roads still lay before them and that path had not yet been decided.

Only one thing had started to sway the scales. The growing number of Brethren attaching themselves unseen to larger numbers of individuals on the planet. This was a real worry to him. To allow that to continue would send the scales completely in one direction and with it, perhaps the entire universe.

Was this enough for him to break the Seventh Seal or should he give them a little more time and see what they would do?

He thought back on all the things he had learned about them. The wars fought in the name of some faceless religion, the destruction of the very soil and air they breathed, starvation, hunger and egotistic ambition. Murder, greed and lust. All weighing for the negative.

The positives were absolutely breath-taking in their beauty though. Individuals giving their lives for the greater good. One person standing up against tyranny and oppression, over and over again. The music and the art. One lone father whispering forgiveness in the ear of his only son's murderer. Inspirational beyond compare.

Diseases being cured at an enormous pace whilst big companies withheld other life-saving drugs for major killers. Enough food being grown for the entire planet yet more than half of it being tossed away into the garbage. Governments from all countries more interested in lining their own pockets and helping out their own friends in power. In return for more power for themselves.

Power. That's what it mostly came back down to. Whether it was the power of politics, fame or just to influence others. Ninety percent of the world was currently obsessed with it in one form or another. The other ten percent keeping the scales in balance.

' _Ninety percent of the people on this planet have become apathetic to their own surroundings. The beginning steps towards the darkest of evil. Only one in ten making a real difference.'_ He pulled out the Seventh Seal from inside his coat, staring at it a long time _, 'but does that mean the entire planet deserved this level of punishment? Complete destruction?'_

The six Gods felt this was the case. The final decision however, lay with him. Taking a firm grip with both hands he brought the seal up to his chest. Hesitating only a moment before breaking it apart.

The increased presence of the Brethren had been the tipping point for him. Redemption may have been a possibility if not for their influence. The Seventh Seal turned to dust in his hands, blowing away in the wind. Turning his back on the city he headed for home. His job now complete.

Armageddon would shortly be unleashed upon the Earth.

## Chapter 31

Bonnie fought back the tears as another wave of sadness moved over her entire being. In the past it would sometimes seep through the fabric of the universe causing rain, hail and flooding. On the other hand, a lot of the worlds in her universe would go through unseasonable bouts of warm, pleasant weather and peace when she was happy. She had always been fearful of what would happen if she was moved to anger.

She struggled to contain the rising urge as the events unfolded on Earth. Never had she thought of interfering with the natural growth of any species to this extent.

Now, chaos reigned around her and the time had come to teach everyone a small lesson. She stopped fighting the anger and gave into it. Others might get a little mad or annoyed, not her. The Goddess never did things by half. She went from sadness to wrath without stopping at any of the intervals in between. But first, a dose of love was required.

*~*

J'ova felt his sister's presence return to the present at the same time that the other Gods began to manifest within his hall. Adus, the last to form moved quickly towards him, "D'HarmaSan is back, and damn me, I can feel her anger rising. What do we do?"

The God sat thinking in silence. The wrath of their sister was something none of them wanted. That she had chosen this point in time to reappear in their lives could not be a coincidence. As whimsical and as flighty as she was, there was always a purpose to each of her movements and moods.

Including the dark side of her own persona, infrequent as it manifested.

The Goddess had such a long fuse that each of the Gods could push her without worry of retribution. Her limit however, seemed to have been met. Her wrath clearly felt. The danger it presented to everything, including them something not easily swayed. "I sense her anger too brother but losing our composure at this point will mean our end. We must calm ourselves and think things through clearly. We must meet her rage with cold precision or risk everything."

Adus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "The last time D'HarmaSan lost it like this she took out the immortal titans. Remember them? Those beings were a power to rival each and every one of us and yet they couldn't stand up to the fury of our sister alone." He turned to the others, "And now that rage is centered on us. How do we fight this and survive?"

J'ova looked at the faces of his brother Gods knowing exactly what each of them was feeling. The end of their entire being was coming for them. Their own sister the catalyst, "Only one thing can stop this from happening brothers, as much as we don't want to do so. We must unite as one. Only then will we rival her in power when she's mad." The resigned look on each of their features enough for him to continue, "Send forth your entire essence to me, brothers. Quickly now. We can't be sure of how fast she'll attack."

The remaining Gods looked at each other for only a brief moment before doing as J'ova asked. Arguments at this point would only delay the inevitable. Their combined powers would create a new God to rival their sister D'HarmaSan. There was no other option left to them. All six would disappear and continue moving forwards as part of the One God, as long as they could withstand the wrath of their little Goddess. Something that was not set in stone or absolutely clear to happen in their minds. She was capable of destroying them utterly in her fury, the complete opposite of her undying and everlasting love.

*~*

Ren sauntered casually down the street that led to the diner, hoping the padre would be there waiting as they had agreed upon. The casualness of her walk was a deliberate ploy to give her time to assess the things that had occurred in Hell and formulate her thoughts. It would save time when she met up with him. It had also given her plenty of opportunities to ensure that no-one from Hell had been dispatched after her.

She'd taken a detoured route on coming back to Earth, well away from her appointed meeting place with the padre. Deception a better alternative at this point to a direct conflict with any of the minions of Hell.

She paused at the first intersection she came to. To anyone watching it would appear as if she was confused and unsure of what she was doing. Behind the mask of ineptness however, she had sent out probes in every direction to assess whether anyone was watching. She felt nothing and continued her journey.

At almost every intersection she had done the same thing until now she stood a block away from the diner, the force of the padre's essence clearly felt. She stopped one last time without any preamble or pretense and sent out her awareness not even bothering to mask what she was doing this time. If someone had found her out this close to the appointed location, a struggle would be the only way out.

She waited nervously expecting the worse. After long minutes of nothing happening she felt safe enough to go straight to the diner to catch up with the padre.

*~*

Hunter finished up his third cup of coffee staring off into space. Every single minute that passed without Ren showing up was making him that much more anxious to be up and doing something about it. He stomped down the feeling, at least momentarily. The padre and he had agreed on the amount of time they would wait before taking further action and there was only about ten minutes left. Holding up his empty cup he signaled the waitress for another. For the first time since this whole fiasco had started he wished he could be getting a refill of bourbon instead.

The welcoming smile on the face of the waitress was like a bright invitation to him as she finished pouring him the latest cup, "Thanks love."

"My pleasure cutie. _Anything_ you need, just ask." she answered, her hips swinging in dramatic fashion as she walked away, Hunter's eyes following the movement closely. His jaw dropped as he turned back to the padre about to tell him that enough was enough. The time had come for action. The words never leaving his mouth as he found himself staring deep into the eyes of Ren, seated casually next to the padre as if she'd been there the whole time, arm draped over his shoulder, "See anything you like, _cutie?"_ she asked with a huge grin.

Luckily for Hunter the cup of coffee he was holding was only a couple of centimeters above the table when he had turned back to the padre. The noise it made as it dropped not enough to cause unwanted attention. He rushed out of his chair and around the table to Ren, no hesitation in his movements, enveloping her in a tight hug. Struggling to get the words out of his mouth through the tears streaming down his face he said, "I thought I'd lost you forever! Tell me you're really here."

Ren had her arms around Hunter's neck holding him close. Her lips near his ear, "Technically you did, dummy. It's all behind us now. Let's not waste any more precious time tiptoeing around each other. I love you Hunter. Full Stop!"

Hunter pulled his head back from Ren's shoulder tears gleaming in his eyes. Leaning in quickly to kiss her gently, "Me too Ren. Me too."

A coughing from made them both turn around to see the padre sitting in the booth, a huge grin on his face, "I hate to cut the reunion short lovebirds but I think we've got some major crapola to talk about."

Hunter joined in on Ren's laughter as she asked, "Crapola padre? You never cease to amaze me old man!" She moved to sit in the spot that Hunter had vacated, grabbing his hand to guide him down next to her, "but amazement or not, you've got a point. Where do we even start, again?"

Hunter stared at Ren while holding her hand, reassuring himself that she was not about to disappear, "For starters Ren you should know that I'm most likely a wanted man by both Heaven and Hell. Not to mention that I've probably got a huge target on my back for the other Gods as well. As far as divine and spiritual entities go, the Goddess is about the only one on my side, if she still thinks that way, that is. J'ova, Gabriel and his brothers _and_ the army they control will not hesitate to take me out of the picture any chance they get. Regardless of the parting words I had with Luxfer, I get the strong feeling that he wouldn't shed a tear to make the same happen."

He turned his body as full on to Ren as he could, "Unfortunately you two find yourselves in the same situation. Guilty by association and all that..."

The padre's voice cut through the end of Hunter's sentence, "Guilty by our own damn choice Hunter. Not because of anything you've done."

Ren quickly added to the padre's comment, "And I sure as Hell wouldn't have it any other way. Let the whole damn universe line up against us. We'll find a way."

Hunter smiled at the vote of confidence from the two, "How did a dumb-ass like me ever get so lucky?"

Ren smiled as she placed her hand on Hunter's cheek, bringing his face around to allow her to place a gentle kiss on his lips, "You keep that in mind if you ever get too big for your boots mister. And if you don't, I'll get the padre to remind you."

"How do we find a way Ren when every Immortal, God, Angel and Devil in existence is baying for our blood? What can the three of us do to even tip the scales let alone win?"

The voice of the Goddess came from the empty spot next to the padre, "You three really need to start getting it through your heads just how powerful you are." A misty cloud began forming into the body of the Goddess, "Do you really think any of those _others_ you mentioned would give you a second thought if you didn't have the power to destroy them somehow? Why would any God, Luxfer, Demon or Angel have to put plans in place to cater for you if they weren't scared? Have any of you even thought about that?"

Astonishment at the sudden appearance of the Goddess turned to sheepish looks as they took in what she was saying. Bonnie signaled the waitress, "Let's get some of these all-day breakfasts that I've heard so much about. Better to talk on a full stomach."

A slight raise of the eyes was the only indication that the waitress gave at seeing what appeared to be two couples at the table when there had only been the two men a moment ago, "What can I get y'all?" she asked pulling out a little notebook.

Bonnie gave her a wide smile, "Four of your all-day breakfasts with all the trimmings and plenty of that good smelling coffee gorgeous. I'm famished!"

A sudden feeling of well-being washed over the waitress at the woman's words. In one tiny moment all her worries had disappeared and she felt nothing but love and peace, "Won't be but a moment, if y'all can wait."

The Goddess reached out, taking the waitresses hand in her own. Her eyes capturing her full attention and drawing her in, "For you Darlene, we've got all the time in the world."

The padre turned to Bonnie as the waitress moved off to get their breakfast order, "What was all that about Goddess?"

Bonnie sat back in her chair a sad smile on her face as she looked at the waitresses retreating back, "That young woman padre has been through so much Hell in her life that I'm surprised she's still able to function the way she does. Anything you can imagine she's felt at one time or another. Born into poverty, abused as a child, not able to finish school. Things that are just all too common these days. And yet she still perseveres! Always looking for the bright side in life. Dragged herself from nothing to where she currently is in life."

Turning her face to capture the attention of those seated she added, "Not much by most people's standards but the whole world to her. She was married briefly and had two beautiful children that she absolutely adored and doted on. A nice little house in the suburbs that even had a picket fence! Then less than a year ago her world went back down the spiral once more. A drunk driver ran a red light crashing into and killing her husband and children. The faceless banking sector moved in, like the vultures they are to take her house. And then three weeks ago she got news from her doctor that she's got a brain tumor. They've given her less than a year to live.

"Life can be great padre and yet it can totally suck. Luck, to use the vernacular, can be a real bitch. I may not be the control freak that everyone in creation thinks I am but I'm happy to help out a little when I can. Especially someone whose positive outlook on life affects everyone she comes across, like Darlene."

The coffee in Ren's cup dripped over the edge as her hand shook slightly on picking it up. Taking a sip she asked, "Is there more we can do for her Bonnie? No-one deserves that kind of misery."

"There's always more that can be done. But there's only one of me and _billions_ in pain. We do what we can Ren. For now, the best use of our time is to stop these cretins from destroying everything I've built and worked for. Their influence has turned the entire planet into a killing ground and it's only going to get worse." Smiling as the waitress came forwards to serve them breakfast, "But all that after I get to taste this damn thing once and for all!"

*~*

Having reluctantly released his hold on Ren's hand to eat breakfast, Hunter picked up the broken thread of their original conversation. "I see your point Goddess about our enemies perhaps being scared enough to put plans in place to 'take us out' as you so delicately put it, but at the end of the day, we're still only three people. What influence or effect can we truly have?"

The Goddess had been busily picking out bits of the breakfast in front of her with her fork. Sniffing at each morsel delicately before savoring each mouthful, "Before I answer that Hunter, let me ask you a question. How do you think humans evolve and get better?"

The padre leaned forwards on the table, "I assume most change would come from the huge movements that have occurred in the past. Abolition of slavery and things like that. One person _can_ make a difference Goddess, as long as they're in a position of power to turn their ideas into some kind of law."

"Oh padre. I think you've been out of my influence for far too long." She sat back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling in thought, "Those individuals in power that you speak of are the end of the process, Toby. The real movement and growth begins long before they pen their signatures to paper. It comes long before the mighty orators use their skills and talent for public speaking to move the masses.

"No padre. The real movement starts when one single solitary individual stands up and says _no more._ One tired, overworked person who gets on a bus heading for home and refuses to give her seat to someone society considers as _superior to her._ It's when a single individual puts his life on the line by standing in the path of a column of tanks for zero reward. It's when a parent gives their life so that their child may live. Everything grows through adversity. Including people.

"So ask yourselves, if one tired person can change the lives of millions of others around the world, how much do you think _three_ of you can achieve?"

Ren saw the questioning look on the padre's face and felt the questions come, "I see your point Goddess but those individuals that you speak of, and their associated movements took decades to be realized. If at all! What we're talking about here is pretty much instant annihilation. Not quite the same thing."

The playful smile returned to Bonnie's face as she turned to the padre, "That's true but you do have _one_ weapon at your disposal that they didn't padre."

Placing a hundred dollar note on the bill the waitress had left, she got up to leave, "You have the Goddess of all creation watching your back. That's got to count for a little something I would think!"

The others got up and followed the Goddess to the exit. She paused for a moment as she walked past the waitress taking a necklace out her pocket and placing it around the surprised woman's neck, "This my dear, suits you more than me. It really sets off your eyes."

Darlene fingered the necklace gently, "I can't accept this. It's not right."

Bonnie traced a gentle finger down the startled waitress's cheek, "Nothing could be more right darling. It's yours." She turned and caught up with the waiting others on the street.

"Another bit of the 'little' you were talking about?" asked the padre.

"You'll have to wait and see padre." She answered looking over at Ren, "After all, a woman's got to have _some_ mystery at times. Right Ren?"

Ren's answering smile mirrored the one on the Goddess, "A girl's gotta have her secrets."

The padre looked back and forth between the two women, "This is more than just a female secret though. Correct Goddess?"

"You really are a crafty old devil, Toby, and yes you are correct. That little trinket I just gave Darlene is a piece that hasn't seen the light of day for centuries. It has graced the necks of ancient Queens and peasants alike. The pink rock it holds is what's known as a type II color diamond with a perfect rating by today's standards. Worth around 1.9 million dollars per carat," She faced the padre once more, "and she's got a whole 9 of the suckers in that piece."

Hunter shook his head at the Goddesses words, "To me it just looked like a nice little necklace with some costume jewel attached. I hope she realizes what she's got."

"Oh I think she will Hunter. Or more accurately, she will once the two gentlemen that were sitting in the other booth get a look at it." Taking in the confused looks of the three, she added "One of them is an expert jeweler and will ask for a closer look, the other is an agent from Christie's auction house. Darlene will never have to work another day in her life if things go the way I think they will."

"For someone who constantly tells me she won't get involved, you sure meddle a lot Goddess." stated Toby.

The smile on Bonnie's face grew wider at the padre's words. Turning her face back to the diner in the distance she pointed, "If I can't help someone out now and again, what would be the point? Especially when they come to my visit me. I mean, you do know the name of the diner we just left, don't you?"

The Goddess laughed as each of their faces looked to where she pointed, their mouths dropping open in astonishment. The blue neon sign in the distance could clearly be read as the words flashed for people passing by, _'The Goddess Diner. Open 24/7.'_

*~*

The clone had shed the physical form of Luxfer it had taken and allowed his true self to shine through. Gone was the weak human that he'd inherited, replaced by his full six foot, four inches of pure muscle. Menacing enough to keep any of his former brothers under control. The assembled fighters stood silent, their eyes moving in time with his pacing, wondering what was to come.

Echoes from his last step bounced around the cavern as he turned to face them. His smoldering, hate-filled visage falling on them all, "No longer will the brethren be used as part of anyone else's games. Their pathetic attempts at control fall far beneath what we're capable of. Gabriel and the sorry little bunch of idiots that he calls an army are of no concern to the likes of us. From now on we take the fight to them. Kill them without second thought whenever you come across one. If you wait and ask for permission I'll kill you myself. But all that is not our main concern. The first thing we need to attend to is the humans that live on the dirt covered rock called Earth. All of you must work to get yourselves there. Punishing only the evil ones is not our goal here. _All_ of them will be punished without exception, once we get them back here. Capture them as they try to move on to Heaven and force them here. Turn their thoughts away from J'ova as they live."

One of the warriors in the line raised his face and spoke, "We've tried moving some of our brothers onto the Earth and have been meeting resistance in being able to manifest physically, Lord. It's like there's a force working against us when we try, no matter what we do."

Luxfer walked to where the speaker was standing, "That won't stop us for long brother. Continue moving through as you currently are. Whatever seeks to stop our movement will eventually be overwhelmed." Raising his voice to ensure that all present heard him, he added "If we're being blocked then you can best bet that so are Gabriel's forces. They may not even have realized what's happening as yet. Use this to your advantage against them. Destroy any of the angels you come across but above all, continue to spread your influence over the humans. Gently push them into greater acts of depravity against their fellows. Every one of those souls that comes directly through our realm will only add to our collective might and weaken our enemies at the same time! Now go. See to it my brothers!"

His hard eyes followed the movement as hundreds of his brethren left the cavern. Each of them now had clarity on what was required. Every individual on Earth would soon be plagued by thoughts, feelings and desires fed to them from one of his brothers. The weak-willed ones would fall quickly under their sway and begin to spread the darkness to all living things. Some would be harder to sway and a handful more would never be moved no matter what they tried. A minority that would be able to do nothing but watch from the sidelines as the Earth collapsed in on itself under the weight of the darkness about to envelop it.

A smile appeared on his face as he thought about the fun he was about to have as he toyed with the ring on his finger. He looked at it closer making sure that it was still ready for the attack on mankind.

His head came up with a sudden jerk as he felt the opening of a second portal on the Earth. Tracing its origins he quickly felt the distinct impressions of the assembled Gods and Hunter. He sniffed, the animal instinct not yet having left his being entirely. There was one other there. The damn witch had returned. The smile on his face stretched even further. All of his enemies in the one spot. Not one of them understanding who controlled the forces of Hell now. An ear shattering shriek of laughter escaped his lips as he moved to weave the power inside him and open his own gateway to where they all stood.

The fun had now started.

Michael, Uriel and Raphael sat quietly as Gabriel recounted the events that had taken place in Hell. Over ninety percent of the Celestial army had been destroyed in the battle with Luxfer. "Whatever it is that guards Hell J'ova is much too powerful within that realm to take on. There would be zero chance of victory if we decided to do so." Turning his body, he pointed at the three brother, "Even our combined efforts would be for naught. We need to find another way."

The God had sat silent through Gabriel's recounting of the battle with Hell, a cold fury rising in his chest. All the training and plans that had been put in place had been routed by what Gabriel called the darkness. A being that sounded like another God had risen from nowhere, albeit one confined to the boundaries of one realm. "Consider this loss a small detour in the larger plan, Gabriel." Looking towards the back of the hall where the invisible specter of his brother Gods stood unseen by those around him he added, "We have bigger things to discuss."

"What could possibly be bigger than this, J'ova?"

J'ova rose from his seat and walked casually down the steps passed a started Gabriel, heading towards where his brothers had begun to appear. Bright balls of light appearing from nowhere gathered in intensity until all those present had to shield their eyes. Gabriel squinted as the light eventually faded revealing the forms of the other Gods as J'ova walked to be at their side. Turning back to face the four brothers, J'ova spoke "What could be bigger than this small squabble with Luxfer? The destruction of everyone on Earth. _That_ is the main game, Gabriel. Everything else pales into insignificance in comparison. That one tiny speck of dirt that circles some forgotten star holds a species that has the capacity to bring everything in existence to nothing. All the Gods have now decided what is to happen. In this, we stand united."

Taking two strides towards Gabriel, he lifted his hand, pointing "The Angel of Death has cast his vote. The Seventh Seal is now dust and with it, the fate of everyone on Earth is decided. You and your brothers are to take the lead in this charge. That species will be eradicated completely. Not a speck to remain." Crossing his arms across his chest he added "Do we make ourselves clear, my angel? Or must we take steps to remove you as well?"

Gabriel turned his gaze to Michael, taking note of all his brothers' faces. Confusion and wariness crossing their features. Michael's voice came into his mind clearly, _"Be careful how you answer brother. This is not some spur of the moment decision on the Gods part. They'll be ready for any kind of attack or deception. Right now I'd not be willing to wager that we'll be a match for them if they stand united."_

" _Raphael? Uriel? Thoughts?"_

Raphael's voice transposed that of Michael's _, "I'm tending to agree with Michael on this one Gabe. It appears that while we were busy making our plans, J'ova went off in a direction we haven't anticipated. We could easily have taken them on previously. At this point however, it's like they've found a new source of power. All of them are actually pouring their power into J'ova! No. I say we play nice for now and then consider our options."_

Gabriel turned to Uriel, his quietest brother, raising his eyebrows _, "Et tu, Uriel?"_

The angel Uriel, protector and balancer amongst the brothers took a moment to study the forms of the Gods standing behind J'ova. The power emanating from each of them an easy match against each of the brothers. He delved deeper. Lines of power suddenly appearing in his vision. Every single God had linked their essence with the others in much the same way that the four brothers themselves had done in the past. The total sum being diverted to the smiling J'ova. It was not something he would have expected from beings such as these whose sole purpose to date had been accumulating their own individual power. He sent his thoughts out to all the brothers, _"Too much for us Gabe. Even if we were to try and link up together. The united power of the six Divine creatures in front of us would destroy us in a heart-beat. Better to make them believe that we will do as they say and then think about how we handle this. Raphael is right. We need to survive and fight another day."_

Michael looked over as Gabriel took in what his brothers were saying. It had been the first time in centuries that Gabriel had actually asked and listened to their opinions. The assembled Gods, it appeared, were not the only ones whose behavior had changed recently _, "What do you say Gabe?"_

" _I say that as usual, the hardest things in life always fall on our shoulders. Let's see what J'ova wants from us. Whatever else happens, we live through this as one."_

"We are you generals in this war J'ova. Nothing that has happened will change that. So tell us, what is it that you require from my brothers and me?"

J'ova walked towards Gabriel allowing the presence of his power to shine, engulfing the entire hall. The four brothers would need to feel it completely to understand. Putting his arm around Gabriel's shoulder he guided him towards the other three, "At this very moment Gabe, Luxfer is in the process of sending through millions of his little devils onto the Earth. Now usually, I wouldn't worry about this. In fact, I would probably have helped him somehow. His ultimate goal this time is not something I can abide. He intends to transfer the power of every soul on Earth into Hell to join with his own. This cannot happen. It would make him too powerful. What he didn't count on though was the presence of my dear darling sister showing up."

The God turned his face as Michael spoke, "D'HarmaSan has returned?"

"Correct Michael. Not only has she come back to us but somehow she is stopping any of Hell's minions from physically manifesting on Earth. She cannot stop their spirits from going through however. Luxfer is no match for her. Which is where my brothers and I come into the picture. We will take care of our dear wayward sister once and for all. When this happens, you four are to lead an all-out assault against every single being on Earth, including any of the Brethren that may be there. In one single attack we will return everything to the way it should be."

Gabriel bowed low, his brothers following his lead, "As you command, my lord."

*~*

A shiny ray of blue pulsing light wrenched open in the air, the Goddess walking through it followed by her children. It sizzled for a moment longer before disappearing from view completely, as if never having existed in the first place.

Hunter looked around at the hard barren rock, stretching as far as he could see in every direction. "Where are we Goddess?"

Bonnie had knelt to pick up a fistful of dirt on first crossing the portal. She stood back up allowing it to fall through her fingers, "We're as far away from any person on the planet as I could arrange Hunter." One arm moving in an arc, taking in their surroundings, "This is the Sahara. This world's largest _hot_ desert. Nine point four million square miles of the harshest environment on Earth, apart from the polar caps. West from here we have the Atlas Mountains. To the north, the Mediterranean Sea, the East the Red sea, and to the south, the Niger River."

A puzzled look crossed Ren's features, "I thought the Sahara was covered in sand? Would've have bet anything on it."

"There are some pockets that look like that Ren. Most of it however, is as you see around us. The perfect place for us on Earth. Far enough away from civilization that we won't be creating too much of a stir and yet still part of the planet, which is important."

"And now?"

The Goddess motioned to them to come closer, "Now comes what most people consider the hard part. The waiting. It gives me a chance to give you all some instructions." Placing a hand around the padre she said, "You my dear Toby are only here as a witness. Do not get involved in what happens. The task you undertook for me with the wise ones is your only concern."

Ren came over to the padre, also placing one of her arms around his shoulder, "The Goddess is right, padre. Having you in the battle won't get us any closer to victory and you're far more important than that to us."

Bonnie looked over at Ren, "Glad you think that way Ren because I'm sidelining you as well." Her hand quickly came up in a halting movement as Ren was about to argue, "Stop Ren. The padre needs his protector if he's to be of any value in the future and you promised me you would do what I asked of you when you took on the responsibility."

Turning around, she placed both hands on Hunter's shoulders, a strong commanding presence. "Don't expect me to sit this one out Goddess. That's a promise I _won't_ be able to keep."

The Goddess's eyes began to water as she tried to control her tears, "No my dearest Hunter. I won't ask something of you that I know you won't be able to do. What I will ask however, is that your first objective should be to protect Ren and the padre. Don't place yourself in the path of unnecessary danger out of some cheap macho bullshit. Can you at least promise me that?"

"Protect Ren and the padre? Only jump in if I feel the situation warrants it and not out of some crazy hyped up macho bullshit? That's an easy promise to keep Goddess. Scout's honor."

She looked around at each of their faces, "Then we go back to the hard part. We wait." Raising her eyes to the clear blue skies she added, "My brothers shouldn't take too long to get here."

*~*

Gabriel stood from his bowed position to look at the God, "What do you wish us to do first?"

J'ova turned his back on the angel, his intention now made clear. The time had come, waiting any longer would do them no good. Raising his hand over his head, he brought it down in a sharp chopping motion straight towards the ground leaving a powerful red streak in the air behind it as it passed. A portal opening large enough for one person stood open pulsing with red and blue streaks of miniature lightning. "Now you go through the portal to where my sister currently sits, I'll follow behind. Your mission better be clear Gabriel, the very moment my sister falls I expect to see Armageddon on Earth. Do I make myself understood? The _very_ same moment!"

The four brothers dipped their heads in unison, "Of course my Lord. The very moment."

Bonnie motioned the others to silence as she felt the first stirrings of the portal emanate outward from a clear patch to her left. Her brothers were finally making their move. Turning her back as the air began to thrum and stir, she addressed the others, "Remember your promises. All of you. This is something between my brothers and me. An issue between the Gods. Don't get yourselves caught in the middle. Nothing good can come of it. Especially you Hunter, only as an absolute final resort are you to interfere. Understood?"

Hunter stood next to Ren with an arm casually resting around her hips, "Understood my Goddess. We all know what we have promised you. I would like to get a promise from you in return, if I may?"

"Make it quick Hunter, we only have a moment before the gate opens fully."

Hunter's eyes went to the gleaming portal opening behind the Goddess. The air had started to rush inwards as red and blue flashes of light crackled and sizzled. A moment more was all any of them had, "Promise us you'll be careful." he said, "That's all we want from you."

"A promise easily kept my darling. Now stand back and watch."

Bonnie switched her full attention to the opening and the coming of her brothers. She'd done everything in her power to ready the three behind her for what was to come. Nothing more would be achieved by talking about it any further. They would either be ready or not.

She took a breath looking deep within herself. The raw fury of her entire being kept at check for the moment. Steeling herself she allowed the rage to slowly move through her being. Revenge was not in her nature but retribution and justice formed a basic part of who she was.

She had been willing to not interfere as one by one her children had turned their faces from her, each working to undermine what she had built. The love she had for each had not diminished regardless of the acts they had perpetrated. All of them still had the potential to come back to a place within her heart.

She had not meddled extensively with the Brethren either. Only getting involved when it had become necessary to stop their evil from flowing throughout the rest of the universe.

She had even stayed her hand as her brothers had tried to take over the entire universe. Still believing that love would prevail.

It wasn't until the evil nature of the Brethren had begun to manifest within the essence of her own brothers that she felt compelled to act. Evil among any of the lesser beings could be dealt with, an evil that permeated through the very fabric that made up the Gods was something else entirely.

That was the final straw prompting the wrath she now felt within her. A wrath that had only been released at one other time in history. Her fury and rage completely eradicating the evil presence of the immortal Titans as they had declared war on her family. Her brothers appeared to have forgotten that particular little spat.

She continued to watch as the portal finished opening. The dark ether swirling within the flashing light of the break in space and time. She waited, watching for any surprises that her brothers may try.

Her eyes widened slightly as the figure of Gabriel strode through the opening in front of Michael, Uriel and Raphael. Her four children looking around for any attempts on their lives as they stepped through. Her head tilted slightly as she took a close look at each of them. The darkness that had clung to Gabriel like a cloak when they'd last met was no longer evident. The light of his aura shining brightly, a deep white once more. The eyes looking back at her holding a deep sorrow, yet he stayed silent. The other three brothers looked upon her with nothing but love. All evidence of hate completely gone.

Bonnie smiled. If this was to be her last moments in existence at least she would go out being loved by those she loved the most.

Her smile evaporated as her brother J'ova stepped through the portal dressed in full battle armor. Something he had never worn before. Her eyes narrowed at the implication of that statement. Only one side would continue to live on after this confrontation. She shook her head sadly. Even now her brothers did not see the power that love held within the universe. To them, power would always reside with the most ruthless.

Her head turned sharply as the portal gate winked out of existence before any of her other brothers had come through. Confusion turning to disbelief as she stretched her awareness out to J'ova. Every one of her brothers had given up their essences to create the one being that stood before her. The smile returned to her face. Maybe they had paid attention to the last time she'd lost her cool after all.

J'ova answered the smile on his sister's face with one of his own, "Hello there my darling sister." Pausing for a moment to look around at the environment he added, "Nice to see you haven't completely destroyed everything around here in a temper tantrum. Perhaps you're finally growing up and learning to control your emotions."

"Hello my brothers. Interesting new embodiment you all have there. Six Gods housed in the one vessel." Looking over at Gabriel she winked, "Scared much of an emotional little wreck like me?"

Gabriel tried hard to keep the smile from forming on his face, without success. The wink that D'HarmaSan had given him telling him all he needed to know. He was still loved by his Mother, everything forgiven. A lecture may be forthcoming but it would be dealt with from a place of love and forgiveness, not hatred. For the first time in centuries the weight lifted off his shoulders and he felt truly alive once more. Looking over at his brothers he noticed the same sorry smiles and sheepish looks on each of their faces.

J'ova spat the words out his mouth, "Your _emotions_ are what got us all into this mess in the first place, D'HarmaSan. The stupid little experiments you've undertaken through the years bringing us to the edge of our existence. All your brothers have now turned to dust, nothing but soon to be forgotten memories floating away on the winds. You bring nothing but utter destruction to everything you've touched, ever! We cannot allow this to continue. Your tenure as a Goddess is now at an end." A sword materializing in his hands as he continued, "Unless you think yourself the equal of us."

The sword lifted, pointing directly at her, "Choose now. Submit to our will and I will allow you to live on in a lesser capacity than before. Refuse us and join our other brothers as a bad memory."

The Goddess glanced quickly at the others surrounding her, making sure they were out of harm's way before allowing the full fury of her wrath to manifest itself. Her gaze turned as hard as rock as drew herself to her full height. The power she held within given full vent, nothing held back.

A cyclone of air began at her feet, swirling around her entire body as dust, rocks and dirt was sent in all directions. Arms stretch out wide she stared at her brothers, "The choice is not mine to make, my brothers. The decision to live or die rested solely in your own hands." The howling wind caught the edges of her dress, shredding it to pieces. Underneath the simple white dress, the Goddess was attired in golden armor accentuating her female form. A sword taking form in each of her hands. Her long hair swayed in the wind forming a halo around her body, "And your decision is already made."

The noise of the cyclonic windstorm surrounding the Goddess covered the slight shimmer appearing on the rocky shelf overlooking the battle between the Gods, a portal opening as Luxfer exited. The tiny intake of air as it closed behind his back completely undetected. He looked down at those assembled. Gabriel and his brothers stood silently on one side while Hunter and a couple of others stood facing them. All eyes riveted on the forms of J'ova and the witch. A smile of pure delight crossed his face when he realized the two Gods were about to do battle. This was exactly the type of distraction he needed to put his own plan in motion, regardless of which one was victorious. Lady luck had just placed the perfect solution at his feet. Every drop of Divine blood that fell to the sands under their feet would add fuel to what he had planned for mankind. He would wait for the right opportunity to appear in the middle of the battleground below, once it was safe. A simple matter to plunge the ring on his finger into the Earth and open his power to it. Every soul on the Earth would feed back their energy making him more powerful than any other being ever. He focused on the assembly of people surrounding the battle. On one side stood Gabriel and his brothers. They would not interfere as long as he held sway over them.

On the other side he spied Hunter. He could be troublesome and someone to watch out for. Kneeling on the rocks, he turned his attention to the battle once more, waiting for the opening that would present itself.

The fierce winds surrounding the Goddess died down as she strode forward to meet the combined might of her brothers. The raging fury within her honed down to a razor-sharp edge focused solely on the being in front of her.

J'ova took two small steps towards his sister, holding his sword in both hands, ready to attack. Knowing he would not be victorious by playing defense. In a move that no human could have possibly made he jumped in air, twisting his body and slashing straight down at the exposed head of the Goddess, only to meet no resistance.

Anticipating his first move Bonnie had held her spot until the last moment and casually done a pirouette on one leg, bringing both of her swords into the protected back of the God, sending him face-first into the dirt.

Annoyance turned to anger as J'ova picked himself off the floor, knowing that his impatience and assumed superiority had almost gotten him killed in the first clash of the battle. Studying the edge of his sword for any nicks he taunted, "Beginner's luck dear sister. It won't happen again."

On the edge of the battle Hunter had been holding Ren's hand as if it were a life-line. He turned to her, "Looks like the Goddess knows how handle herself pretty well in a fight."

Ren squeezed his hand, her eyes never leaving the fight, "Never underestimate a female my love. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned but I'll let you in on a little secret, the wrath of a scorned woman is nothing compared to that of one that's pissed off and protecting her family." She turned and gave him a quick wink, "Remember that when this is over."

He squeezed her hand in return, "And I dare say that the fury of a Goddess protecting _all of her children_ is something that no-one in their right minds would want to face. At this point I worry less about our dear Goddess as I do Gabriel and the others. There's nothing stopping them from taking a hand if they see an opening. I won't let that happen." Turning to face Ren he added, "I _can't_ let that happen Ren."

"I know Hunter, and I wouldn't expect you to. If you see any of them making even the tiniest movement to interfere, do what you think is necessary. Just make sure you stay out of my way because I'll be right there next to you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you Ren."

The ringing sound of swords clashing into armor continued to permeate the air as both J'ova and the Goddess attacked each other, inflicting small wounds that bled on to the dirt. Luxfer looked on with the delight of a small child seeing Santa Claus. At times he even had to stop himself from clapping and shouting in approval as one of the Divine beings in the battle performed an outstanding maneuver and drew blood from the other. Looking at the ground under their feet he noticed that their blood had begun to pool, no longer just small droplets here and there. He continued waiting for his opening, enjoying the thoroughly entertaining show they were putting on for him in the meantime.

Bonnie took a step back after the latest clash of swords. The initial rush of adrenaline was now beginning to wear off and letting her feel the pain of the injuries J'ova had been inflicting. She took stock, dozens of minor wounds littered her body draining her. The struggle against the combined Gods meant that she couldn't use her powers to heal without giving them an advantage. Looking over at the body of J'ova she saw similar wounds. At least he wouldn't be able to do so either without in turn giving her the advantage. Taking advantage of the small pause in the struggle she looked around to make sure everyone else was still safely out of harm's way.

J'ova stood back at the same time grateful for the brief interlude, staring at his sister with awe. The Gods had thought they had known how powerful she could be when pushed into a corner but the sheer ferocity and tenacity she had displayed against their combined power had taken them completely by surprise. The Divine being that consisted of six male Gods combined had barely been enough to keep one single solitary female Goddess at bay.

Luxfer timed his move to perfection. As he saw the two Gods break apart for a moment he jumped landing behind the Goddess, where the blood lay thickest on the floor.

Bonnie caught the unexpected motion from the corner of her eye and turned to meet the threat. It was the opening that J'ova had been waiting for. Without thought he leapt back into the fray swinging his sword at her exposed neck in a savage move.

Hunter heard a scream of anger from Gabriel that mimicked his own cry of NO as he saw what J'ova intended. Without thinking of the risks he lunged forwards to push the Goddess out of the path of the incoming blade and certain death. Gabriel had been closer to J'ova at the time and lunged into his exposed back at the same time. The God's slashing blade merely slicing into Bonnie's neck instead of certain decapitation. No-one else had reacted as quickly.

All eyes turned to Luxfer as he knelt plunging his hand into the dirt, a crazy laugh escaping his lips. "Too late for you all!"

Before anyone could make a move the Earth began a violent shake. Bright green lights crackled from where Luxfer still held his fist to the dirt, moving outwards. In one split second it had grown and taken flight to the sky above. Hunter knelt over the fallen Goddess cradling her head in his arms, trying to protect her from the debris flying around them. Bonnie looked over his shoulder at the giant green power beam that had begun to stretch over the sky her eyes widening, "It's a power vortex. He plans to drain the life-force out of everyone on Earth. You've got to stop him, now! We're all dead otherwise."

Hunter looked over at where the fallen God still lay. Gabriel kneeling next to him searching for life. Their eyes met briefly as Gabriel looked up and nodded his way, letting him know that J'ova still lived. The force of the cyclonic winds had thrown everyone else back away from Luxfer. Only the two of them had managed to stay put. He watched as Gabriel tried to rise from his kneeling position only to stumble back down, head bowed. Clearly unable to make the slightest movement towards Luxfer. Gathering his own resolve Hunter tried the same thing. Pressure began to press down on his shoulders as he did like a giant pair of hands forcing him back. He pushed harder, in vain. The pressure too much for him as he fell hard on his knees. His eyes sought those of the Goddess once more looking for instruction and guidance, staring in shock. Her eyes had closed and she fell limp to the floor as she spoke her last words, "Too late my dearest. We're finished." Shuffling forward on his knees he grabbed Bonnie's head and placed it in his lap. Looking up to find Ren's eyes staring straight at him, filled with tears. Reaching out with his thoughts to her, _'Love you Ren.'_

Luxfer knelt on the ground in the eye of the storm he beheld swirling around him. The tiny break in the fight between J'ova and the witch had been more than enough for him to do what he needed to. That J'ova had actually managed to overcome the witch was an added bonus to the events of the day. He smiled. The power of the ring had been designed after he had studied the barrier that the witch had used against them in the first place, with a slight variation. Instead of using the creator's powers to sway others it used a simple vortex motion to literally suck the power out of others and into the waiting vessel. In this case, himself.

Every being on Earth had felt the sudden spike of pain as he'd lunged the ring into the Earth, enhanced by the Divine blood beneath it. A sharp stab of pain making most of them think they were having a heart-attack, followed by a quick weakening of their spiritual essence as their own tiny power made its way back up the green vortex and back to him. The process had already begun as he felt the energy swirling into him. Soon there would only be shells left of the species that had inhabited the planet. Looking around he decided that he'd make it his new home. From here he would take the brethren across the wide expanse of the entire universe and make them all his slaves. None would escape.

All around the world people stopped for the tiniest moment as a flash of green light pulsed in their eyesight, a stab of pain hitting them in the chest. All eyes turned skywards as one as it appeared to turn the brightest shade of blue they'd ever beheld.

Ren held Hunter's gaze for as long as she was able to before flying dust and debris obscured him. The dazzling glow that moments before had been a shade of green had instantaneously turned a deep cobalt blue. She looked to where Luxfer knelt on the dirt his smile now gone, struggling to pull his hand from the earth. The weakening of her spirit from a moment earlier now replaced by a growing strength. The circling winds had started to die down, enough that she could make out Luxfer's final cry of _NO_ as his body blew apart into a million pieces.

The swirling dust began to settle on the earth as the wind died out completely. She looked over to see Hunter still on his knees staring at the empty spot where the Goddess had lain, a questioning look on his face. Rushing over to engulf him in the biggest hug of his life. The padre rushed over to place an arm around the hugging duo, looking over to where he'd last seen J'ova, Gabriel and the others. All of them had disappeared along with his Goddess. Weeping tears of joy he allowed himself to savor the moment with the two people he loved most in the world. Questions could wait.

## Chapter 32

Hunter, Ren and the padre sat at a booth within the Goddess Diner in silence. Around them, the world moved on in its steady pattern of life unaware of how close they had all come to complete annihilation.

The little bell hanging over the entrance chimed as the door opened and Bonnie walked in, smiling at Darlene. Motioning to the others as if letting her know she was expected. The waitress smiled and went to grab some menus for the group. Stopping as Bonnie leaned in to speak to her. Placing the menu back in their slots she headed off to the kitchen. The Goddess walked over to the waiting group and sat. "I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of ordering some breakfast for us. I don't know about you guys but I'm starved!"

"Sounds like a plan," the padre answered as leaned in to give her a hug, "but won't she recognize you as her mysterious benefactor?"

Bonnie cradled the padre's face with her palm, leaning in to the hug, "Not at all my son. We don't look anything like the people she remembers."

Hunter laid his head on Ren's shoulder as looked over at the Goddess, "I'm surprised she still works here or hasn't she figured out what she owns as yet?"

"Oh, she knows exactly what she's got Hunter but this place holds a special place in her heart, as does her new _man._ If things continue that way for her, I have no doubt that she'll be the new owner of the diner in the not too distant future. Fingers crossed!"

Ren placed her head against Hunters, "At least what little time she has left will be spent happy Goddess. Small blessings."

"Not so little Ren. It appears the doctors made a tiny mistake and misdiagnosed Darlene's symptoms. A very apologetic letter will soon be making its way to her." She watched as the waitress moved through the aisle with their breakfast, "I dare say she's got a long life ahead of her yet."

Silence fell across the table as their breakfasts were served and each began to eat, surprised at the hunger they felt. The Goddess studied each in turn waiting for the questions to begin. She decided to help them out. Swallowing a mouthful of the delicious scrambled eggs, she began "So, down to brass tacks as they say. What would you like to know first?"

The padre had been taking a sip of his coffee, enjoying the peaceful moment. Hunter and Ren both looked over at him with questioning eyes. He smiled, "I guess we can start with the _big_ one first. Right there at the very end, I thought we were done. Luxfer and his hordes appeared to be on the very cusp of winning. I could feel my own life fading before that _blast._ What happened?"

"That my dear padre, was a power that went beyond what even I guessed and it proves the point behind all of this. I've always said that goodness lies at the very heart of all we know. The evil one underestimated the pure love that everyone on Earth has at their core. It was like the spirit within every living entity on the planet rejected what was happening. In that briefest of moments the entire combined living forces screamed _no._ Casting their own power back at him. Too much goodness for the spirit holding Luxfer in thrall to handle."

Hunter looked over at the Goddess a sad smile on his face, "I once had a conversation with Luxfer in Hell, before he booted me out that is. His words went along the lines of _Hope still lies within us, but love must prevail._ I guess even he understood what needed to happen. I thought he was talking about Gabriel and Michael to be honest."

"My words on Luxfer's lips, Hunter. At the time I thought the same as you. The love and goodness of the entire planet manifesting like it did was a shock to me as well."

Ren picked up where Hunter left off, "And Gabriel? Why the sudden shift after so many centuries of working against you Goddess? He was a completely different person there at the end."

"Completely different to the angel you've known, Ren. From my view he went back to the loving heart I found all those years ago. The dark soul that you came to see was taken over by one of the Brethren a long time ago. The very same evil that took over Luxfer and Hell. Without that constant influence over him it would only have been a matter of time for Gabriel to return once more."

Smiling, Ren added, "Let me guess, the added incentive of seeing you about to be destroyed quickened the process? What about Luxfer?"

"You're one hundred percent right about Gabriel, Ren. He was always the one to take charge. The others always followed his lead. Something that I think may need some work. All four of them are much too powerful to just blindly follow anyone. As for Luxfer. Once more he leads Hell, his original intentions back in play. The events and sway of the darkness no longer rule his life. I dare say he'll find a way to bring more of my children towards the light. At least that's what I hope."

The padre had been silently taking in the conversation from his first question, not surprised by the answers his Goddess had given so far. "And what of the other Gods? Do we need to worry about retribution Goddess? Will J'ova take this lightly or is he even now, planning a way to get back at you?"

"My loving brother has his hands full at the moment. All four of my children still command Heaven to be honest. Archangels one and all. J'ova has retreated back into himself. My hope is that he's thinking over everything that's happened and just how close we _all_ came to extinction, himself included. Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and Uriel will run things until he comes out of his meditations. For the time being humanity is safe in their hands. As for the other Gods, I think it's safe to say they won't be an issue any time in the future. Every single one of you are a force to be reckoned with on your own, let alone when you stand united."

"But the darkness is not completely obliterated. Is it Goddess?" asked Hunter.

Bonnie put a perfectly manicured finger on her lips as she looked at Hunter, "No Hunter. It's not. In fact, it never can be. Without the dark light would fail to be and vice-versa. It's only when you understand this simple concept that you begin to grow fully. A dark spirit dwells within each of us, as does the light. Think for a moment about your own journey so far. You're surrounded by those you love," the Goddess added motioning with one hand at Ren, "but a spark of the dark resides within."

"How so, Goddess?"

"To answer that question, I must ask you one first-what are your feelings towards the Jackal? The person that murdered Ren when she lived?"

Hunter's eyes went first to Ren before dropping his gaze to the table, "Hate, I guess. I know I should forgive that _animal_ but it's a damn hard thing to do."

The Goddess reached across the table and raised Hunter's face, "You hate him because of what he did to those you love and yet know absolutely nothing about him. One small act enough for the darkness within you to take hold, Hunter. If you actually knew his background those feelings may be different."

"I see your point, Goddess. Unfortunately I'll never have the chance to understand his motives and whether knowing them would mean I could ever forgive him."

D'HarmaSan, the Goddess of all creation and destroyer of Gods leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes, "Never say never, my darling Hunter. You never know what's around the corner."

*~*

Here ends Chronicles of Hunter,

The Complete Series.

Thank you once again for reading my stories. I hope you get as much enjoyment from them as I have in creating them for you. For more information on my books, see the links below or my bio at the start of the book.

Keep reading below for an excerpt of Sienna, another Dark Legends Novel for your enjoyment.

Frank

### Discover other titles by Frank J Perez:

Dark Legends

Sienna

Impaler

Other Titles

Pushing Fifty, Still Pushing

Connect with Me:

Friend me on Facebook:

<https://www.facebook.com/frank.perez.creative>

Subscribe to my blog:

http:// www.frankperez.com.au/blog

Favorite me at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/FrankPerez

## Sienna Chapter 1

Niko lifted his gaze from the cards and peered at the woman across the table, the fourth psychic he had investigated in the past month. He frowned, another fraud to place on his ever-growing list. Rumor and online talk had brought him to see for himself whether she was the real deal or not. He sighed internally, the wisps of despair beginning to toy with his emotions. The ancestors had guided him to this city, the new foundational strength for magical powers and so far he'd only come across a tiny portion of people with even an inkling of it.

He didn't recall the inane words he spoke as their time came to an end, thanking her as he placed money down before heading out into the windswept street, the smell of rain heavy in the air.

Looking up to the sky as he often did when reaching out to the ancestors, he asked _"Is there any chance you've made a mistake this time? I've been here three months now and nothing! Maybe I misunderstood you?"_ Of course there was no answer. Nothing new in that. They never did unless _they_ wanted to and that was never when _he_ needed.

The slight click of the door locking made him look over his shoulder at the shopfront he'd just exited. The green neon sign of 'Mystic Aura' had been switched off and the closed sign put up. Smiling he headed up the street to where his Audi was parked. Sometimes even those with no ability sensed a certain _something_ when in his presence. Maybe even enough for them to look for a different way of fleecing the unwary. Pausing at the car for a moment, he looked around at the city streets. The ancestors had guided him to what was basically the ass end of the world. A city so far away from any of their previous hallowed grounds that it made him wonder what the hell they were thinking.

This was nothing like the wild, untamed, party streets of New Orleans or the quaint, historically significant lands of Salem. Nor was it anything like the palace of the Chinese emperors, the backwaters of Port-Au-Prince or even Transylvania. All those places had a feeling of something supernatural about them before he'd even begun to work his own magic there. This city was just blank. A nothingness when it came to magical essence and feeling. Filled with skyscrapers and the normal everyday hub of people going about their ordinary mortal lives.

Maybe the ancestors had started to move into the twentieth century now and Melbourne would be the start of a new form of magic. Time would tell, it always did.

*~*

Shifting himself into a slightly higher plane he looked over the wards crossing the entire blue-stone walls of the converted church on the outskirts of the city that he currently called home. The bright lines lay untouched and unbroken, everything secure. Not that he'd really expected anything less but he had been wrong in the past and sure as hell wasn't about to stop being careful now.

Pressing the button on the automatic door opener he eased the car into its parking spot keeping an eye on the door until it came to a full close. The familiar sense of serenity hit him as he climbed the stairs from the ground floor to the ultra-modern interior. Whilst the facade of the church had been kept in place, the inside of the 1861 building had been completely gutted and renovated. Sleek lines and open living spaces bright with the multi-colored lights streaming in through the stained glass windows of the original church. The kaleidoscope of colors dancing across the expensive furniture that now sat where the faithful had once congregated.

The smell of cooking bacon hit his senses as he headed to the kitchen with a smile. Of course Sienna would be frying up a storm as she always did while he investigated. It was a tradition now centuries old and one he could always count on. Walking over to the large dining table he dropped his keys heavily, scratching the surface and listened as Sienna's husky voice came over the sizzling pan, "A two hundred and fifty thousand dollar table and you treat it like it's a fifty buck piece from IKEA, Niko. I know money's not an issue but a little respect for the artistic creations we pay so handsomely for wouldn't go astray. I take it today's little adventure yielded nothing?"

Sitting heavily into one of the dining chairs he looked over and marveled anew at her perfection. Five foot ten with the darkest hair flowing freely half way down her back. High chiseled cheek bones framing her dark ebony eyes which could smolder and make you fall in love or harden and make you weep with fear depending on her mood. All atop a body that was sheer female perfection and made everybody stop to stare. The inspiration and personification of the words Nubian Princess. "Nope. Not a damn thing Sienna, another fraud. I'm starting to get bored. This damn town is so _blah_ that I can't understand what the hell the ancestors are trying to achieve here. This place is nothing like the others we've lived in previously. There's just no soul to it."

Sienna walked to the table with two plates laden with bacon, eggs and sausages-the perfect pick me up when Niko returned from one of the many useless adventures he'd been sent on by the ancestors. Smiling, she sat opposite him and gave a small laugh, "You romanticize everything from the past Niko." Waving a fork filled with bacon at him she added, "Think back honestly to most of the places we've been over time. Port-Au-Prince was nothing but a bunch of hovels with goat shit covering everything including the people. Salem was a nice enough place but the people there had not yet learned the meaning of washing themselves. They stank to high-heaven! And don't get me started on New Orleans. Mosquito infested swampland where the horses smelled better than the people themselves, and had better manners to boot. This place is nice, clean and is filled with a hell of a lot of convenience. Even if it is somewhat lacking in the spiritual side of things."

Placing the forkful of food in her mouth, she took a moment to chew before adding, "And that after all, is what we were created for. Eat some food and stop stressing. The ancestors will show us the way as they always have."

## Sienna Chapter 2

Roni watched as the last of the customers for the day made their way out of the store. Usually she loved her job as a fashion assistant in a retail shop and it gave her a thrill to have the ability to help people pick out the right accessories and outfits. Today however time had dragged its heels at the slowest pace she could ever recall. There had even been moments when it appeared that the clock had been going backwards. Putting on a fake smile, she waved as the last customer exited, "Thank you for shopping with us, Mrs. K. Those outfits you've got are going to be an absolute hit at your party this weekend. Enjoy." With a quick flick of her wrist, the front door was locked and the lights barely switched off before she was making a mad dash to the back room to collect her bag and leave. The others would shortly be arriving at her apartment for some dinner, drinks and the main attraction of the night, a little magical mayhem and she still had to pick up the pizzas!

Making her way quickly across the now empty parking lot to her beaten up Subaru she opened the door and keyed the ignition before opening her bag and taking out the old locket. Rebel and herself had come across the jaded silver piece on one of their weekends away in a tiny hovel that sold antiques near Lake Goldsmith, while on their way to the Jailhouse Rock Festival in Ararat to enjoy the markets, food, dancing and music of the street carnival the previous March and of course, the formal ball. The trip had been going along nicely until her ever unreliable rexxy had begun to sputter and stall on the outskirts of the town, lasting just long enough for her to gently guide it to the nearest service station. The mechanic had asked a couple of quick questions and then told them to have some fun sight-seeing for an hour or so while he diagnosed the problem.

Rebel's familiar cheeky lopsided smile was planted firmly on her face, "You really are going to have to get yourself something a bit more reliable Roni because one day this shit-heap is gonna leave you stranded somewhere not quite so picturesque!"

"Oh Rebel you know better than that. This isn't being stranded as much as a chance for an adventurous detour! Come, let's check out this one-horse town and see what mischief we can get up to!"

The mechanic looked up on hearing the laughter and watched as the two gorgeous women practically skipped down the street towards the handful of shopfronts that made up the town's main street. Shaking his head he turned his attention back to the car, knowing full well that trying to kill an hour in this town could sometimes feel like a lifetime.

Less than a minute later, the two women had found the one and only shop of any interest to them, apart from the cafe. A tiny weathered door with an even tinier dust stained window housing an Antiques sign. Roni looked quickly at Rebel and smiled. Both of them were consumed with the ancient pieces of jewelry and associated trinkets from the past as part of their studies into magic. That her little rexxy had decided to break down in a tiny microscopic town that actually housed an antiques shop was not coincidental, "Mischief in a one-horse town Rebel. What do you think the odds would be of something like this happening?"

"With us babe, ninety-nine point nine percent! We're damn magnets when it comes to attracting this shit! Let's go in."

The tinkle of a rusty metal bell rang out across the shop as the two girls let themselves in and began poking around. The tiny room was no larger than a few square meters and packed high leaving very little room to move. No visible counter stood anywhere and it appeared to be empty of people. Rebel eased her way through a gap in the piled junk and turned to Roni, eyebrows raised, "Throwback to a time when everyone left everything unlocked and open. Trusting on the goodness of people or are we gonna end up falling over the corpse of some old lady that no-one has realized died about a week ago?"

Roni's reply never left her lips as the wheezy voice of an old lady filled the air, "Not today hopefully." A tiny head framed with slicked-back white hair popped up from behind one of the stacks, green eyes twinkling as she looked at the two young ladies before her, "You girls after anything in particular or just poking around?"

Looking around at the piles of dusty items in the shop before turning her focus back to the old lady Roni replied, "Poking around sounds about right. As luck would have it my car is having a bit of a spat with me at the moment so we thought we'd take a look around for a bit. You know, killing time and all that."

"Well you girls just take your time then. Have a good look around. Killing time and poking around is kind of what I'm here for. Maybe we'll all get lucky and you'll fall in love with something that catches your fancy and makes me rich enough to retire!" The old lady's gaze went back and forth between the two of them before she added, "Let you in on a little secret. The _good_ stuff that you'd most likely be interested in lies in the back room." Lifting a wrinkled and weathered hand she pointed beyond all the piles, "A plethora of goodies awaits those souls brave enough to find a way through the maze of despair you find yourselves in."

With a wink and a deepening of her smile, the old lady finished, "Many an adventurer has been lost trying to get there. Good luck!"

The smile on Rebel's face mirrored the one on the old lady, "Challenge accepted. If the goodies are in that back room then that's where we're headed."

It had taken them over five minutes of navigating their way through the assorted piles before finally emerging into the back room the old lady had pointed to, amazement on their faces at the sight of the old lady herself gently swaying back and forth in a rocking chair. Clearly she had a clear path that they knew nothing about. Rebel's laughter faded as Roni felt drawn to the shelves across the back wall. Something here was calling out to her. She smiled, her unreliable Subaru may always have been breaking down at the most inopportune moments but it never failed to deliver the goods. Taking two steps forwards she went straight to the furthest shelf, searching. The wispy tug of intuition making her eyes fall immediately on the silver locket.

Picking it up gently, she took a closer look. The front of the locket was engraved with lines and swirls of all kinds. A kaleidoscope of patterns. Running her finger down the side, she located the clasp that would open it, pushing down. Nothing happened. She tried a couple of more times before giving up. Sometimes these old pieces were so worn that their internal mechanisms had either rusted solid or were simply broken. Jayce would be able to fix it easily being the handyman of the group. She turned the locket over to get a better look at the other side. It was completely clear of any of the designs that littered the front of the piece. A single name engraved dead-center, SalHai NorMel.

Rebel's whisper cut into her thoughts. She was reading the name over Roni's shoulder, "That is one seriously weird name. Not to mention the way it's spelled. I know things were written differently back in time but that is _really_ messed up." Bringing her gaze over to Roni's eyes she added, "I take it this is what Lady Luck wanted us to see?"

Roni's eyes went back to the locket, her fingertips wiping away the dirt, "Yeah. I think so. As soon as I touched it I knew I had to have it. Come on, we're done here. Let's buy this and go."

Six months of owning the locket with nothing coming of it. Jayce had been unable to open the locket no matter what he tried which was weird in its own way. Rebel, Max and she had absolutely no luck in tracking down anything to do with the weird name. No information, no history... nothing. A mysterious silver locket with such a unique name engraved on it should have yielded _something_ in six months of searching. Placing the locket back in her handbag Roni buckled herself in and drove off. After the pizza and wine, her small coven would be trying a little incantation that she herself had come up with. With any luck, a little light would be shed on the history of the mysterious little locket they held in their possession.

*~*

Jayce leaned across the tiny dining table and grabbed another slice of the pizza, the others pretty much done. It was typical of him to finish every piece of food available yet he was not even remotely fat. Standing a little over six feet in height, his body was naturally muscle-bound without ever having spent a single day in the gym. His parents, teachers and coaches over the years had come to lament the fact that he had chosen to ignore every type of physical sport. His dedication, talent and natural bulk would have made him a superstar in any field he decided upon and much to the chagrin of all involved he had chosen science and mathematics over any of them. Roni watched as the man-mountain chewed into what would easily have been his thirteenth slice of pizza, "The people I'd kill to have a metabolism like yours, Jayce."

Around the mouthful of food he'd just bitten into Jayce answered, "Trust me Roni, it's not all unicorns and rainbows. I'm always starving! And remember, what goes in must come out. You _definitely_ don't want to be around for that part of the story!" A chorus of _gross_ echoed across the kitchen as bits of pizza topping went flying his way courtesy of the others at the table, "Hey, It's just the truth. Not like you guys are still eating either." Taking another bite, Jayce added "I'm the only one still eating so I should be yelling _gross_ at myself."

Seated across from Jayce, Rebel smiled, "If we had to wait for you to have an empty mouth before speaking no-one would have ever heard a word from you since the day you were born! Finish your damn dinner already Jayce. We got some fun things to do tonight courtesy of Roni's talents!"

Max raised his wine glass in a toast to Roni. In complete contrast to Jayce he stood only five foot five with a wiry frame and thin, oily hair. In a slightly wheezy voice he added, "To Roni, superstar witch conjurer and potionist!"

Roni joined in everyone's laughter and returned Max's mock salute with one of her own, "And don't none of you heathens ever forget it! But pray tell, what in hell is a damn _potionist?_ You been reading Harry Potter again Maxi boy?"

Rebel raised her eyes on mention of her favorite character. The self-proclaimed Harry Potter expert of the group she piped in, "Don't recall seeing that particular non-existent word in the books... Plenty of others though."

Roni caught the quick smirk which crossed Jayce's face, a smirk no doubt mirrored on her own face, "Let's clear the table of this mess and get to work my little witches. We can discuss the merits of non-existent words in the esteemed Harry Potter series later. I'm dying to see if this incantation actually works or not!"

Less than five minutes later, the table had been cleared of all dishes, food and glasses. The tablecloth moved away to reveal the faded woodwork underneath. All four seated at the different compass points; north, south, east and west. Roni began to pour salt onto the table in a circle covering the entire top, "A magic circle of salt to prevent any unwanted energies or spirits to get through and something to focus our energies on."

As soon as the circle was finished she drew a pentagram within it, before grabbing the cards from the table in front of her. At the head of the pentagram she placed a card with a circle, within it was a sun, "The Spirit to guide us on our journey." Before quickly adding the other four cards to the different points of the pentagram, "Water, Air, Fire and Earth. The Four Elements of all creation."

She looked over at Rebel signaling for the water filled bowl to be placed in the center, "Pure water to harness all the good energy." Max took this as his cue and placed a black candle on the side of the bowl, lighting it. "A black candle to hold every speck of negative energy or power that would hinder us in our endeavors." Taking the locket in her hands she gently lowered it into the waiting bowl of water, "Now, as we discussed and practiced earlier. Close your eyes and focus on the protection circle. Hold hands and say the chant out loud three times, together. Ready?"

Each one of them reached out a hand to the person next to them and held it tight. Closing their eyes, they focused their minds until they felt the time was right. As one they all began, _"We banish the bad, banish the ugly, banish the distractions and banish the evil. Remove yourselves from this locket and let the goodness shine on it."_

Their final words faded into silence before Roni opened her eyes slightly to peer at the locket. The water in which it lay had begun to glow a dark, eerie smoky gray, slight wisps of smoke rising from the entire bowl. In the short moment where they had been performing the chant the black candle had burned out completely, not a drop remained to be seen. Looking around at the others she was met with the same amazed look of incredulity on each face, no one willing to break the silence. Her voice shook slightly as she whispered to them, "Whatever you do, don't break the circle. Something is still happening. Continue concentrating all your energy on the locket. Picture it opening and revealing its history to us."

Rebel locked eyes with Roni her features wary, "Uhm babe, Is that really a good idea? Look closer at the bowl, it's starting to shake."

Before Roni could form an answer a flash of light blew out of the bowl, shattering it into a thousand shards. Water blew out in a huge splash only to stop suddenly as it hit the protective barrier in place. The loud noise of the bowl smashing and the subsequent splash of water caught them all by surprise as each took an involuntary step back and let go of each other. The light dimming to nothing before their very eyes. Roni looked closer at the remains on the table once her eyes had cleared. Fear and confusion etched across her face as she stared at the protective circle of salt on the table. A circle which had turned completely black. "This does not look good. Any of you guys have any idea about what's going on?" The confused looks on all the surrounding faces gave her the answer to her question. "Okay then. Let's clean this mess up before we figure out what's going on."

*~*

Sienna was putting away the last of the plates into the dishwasher when the force of the power washed over her. Dropping the plate quickly, she turned her focus around to Niko who had just rushed out of his bedroom, eyes wide. "What the hell was that Niko?" she asked before bringing herself to complete silence at Niko's upraised finger, watching as he moved a few steps into the living room, eyes closed and an open palm held upwards. Sienna knew that he was channeling his own powers, searching for the source of the magical force they'd both felt.

After a few minutes of complete silence Niko opened his eyes and looked at her, "Darkness comes, Sienna. Powerful, filled with hate. I've never felt anything like it before. Not even Lafayette had the same feeling as this, nowhere near as bad."

Sienna just stared at Niko, mouth agape. For him to have brought up Lafayette was a bad sign. Telling her that this was even worse made her head spin. Lafayette had almost been the end of them both. They _had_ won but victory had come with the biggest cost either one of them had ever paid. Now Niko was telling her that whatever it was they had just felt was even worse. An involuntary shiver coursed through her body before she asked, "Are you sure Niko? Worse?"

"More than sure Si. Get the scry waters out and working. Next time this happens I want to know the exact location it's coming from."

"Next time Nik? No chance that this was a one-off fluke of some kind?"

Niko walked the intervening space and took both of her hands in his, "No fluke Sienna. Whatever is out there hasn't even started to manifest yet. It's evil, dark and filled with hate. That much I was able to glean before it disappeared. Get the scry waters out and ready for me while I step up the protective barrier on this place. The simple wards we have at the moment are nowhere near enough."

"What are you planning Nik? How far are you going to go?"

Niko let go of Sienna's hands and walked away a few steps before stopping. Looking up at the ceiling he answered, "Whatever we just felt Si is worse than Lafayette. I don't plan on letting us get caught out the way we did back then. I promised myself I would never place you in that kind of danger ever again." Turning to face her once more, he added, "I'm calling on the Dragon. I won't feel safe otherwise."

Sienna took in Niko's words and felt the world fall away beneath her. For him to summon the Dragon meant that things were about to get very bad in their lives. The Dragon was a spirit of such might and power that even getting his help would be a life and death struggle for Niko. For him to even consider going to this length brought a chill to her very core. Even in Lafayette the Dragon had been a last resort, not the first option. "If that's what you think it'll take Niko then give me half an hour to get the waters ready. There's no way I'm letting you go onto the spirit plane to talk to him without any back-up."

Niko smiled at Sienna knowing full-well that she would have argued the point to death in the past. After the events of Lafayette though, any mention of the enslaved spirits would spur her to action rather than not. "There's no way I would let myself go without you watching my back Sienna. As soon as you get the waters ready come into the back room. I'll have started the journey by then. Remember what we're dealing with. Watch your back as well as mine. First sign of trouble or even the tiniest whisper from your intuition and you get the hell out of there as quickly as possible, regardless of what's happening."

"I remember our agreement Niko. Just make sure you do as well. Whatever else happens we live to fight another day. No heroics."

## Sienna Chapter 3

Jayce cast his eyes over the remnants on the kitchen table, eyes narrowed in thought, "I reckon we just leave it as is for the time being Roni. Let's not mess with it for the moment while we chat."

Roni took a look at the other's faces before answering, "Maybe we should do that. Truth is I don't really want to touch any of it, even though I don't want it sitting there any longer either. Let me make some tea up for us, help settle us down a bit."

Rebel took a couple of steps further away from the table, hugging herself, "That sounds like a good plan. I'm still shaking and I'm not sure why. It's either tea or a shot of whiskey for me please."

Roni forced a laugh, trying hard to lighten the current mood in the room, "Let's just stick with the tea for now Rebel. If that fails to help then I'll crack open a bottle of Johnny. For some reason I don't think the red wine will be much help tonight." Walking towards the tiny kitchen in her apartment, she felt the presence of one of the others following. She turned at the counter-top expecting to see Rebel, only to see Max watching her instead, a confused look on his face. "Ask you a question Roni?"

"Of course Maxi, anything you want. What is it?"

Max swiveled his head to look back upon the dining table in thought, "We've been at this magic thing now for what? Ten years of so? In all that time, every single incantation or spell we've managed to come across and try have been spoken in different languages. Everything from Latin to Egyptian. Lots of different ones in between. Why did we use _modern_ English for the one tonight? I mean, before this one the only English version we used was the one that we found from the early 1100's and the language was so messed up it may as well have been a different language anyways."

Roni smiled at the question. It came as no surprise to her that the first one to pick up on this would have been Max. Beneath the wiry, small exterior lay a brain with an IQ that measured off the charts. "Call it a hunch or female intuition Maxi."

"Bullshit Roni. Fess up. Why?"

Roni took a moment to switch off the now boiling water for the tea and began to pour it into the individual cups. Jayce's voice cut in on her thoughts from the tiny living room area, "C'mon Roni. Answer the question. The more info we all have about what's just gone down the better. Why English?"

She sighed and placed the kettle back on the stove top before turning to face them all. "I wasn't joking about the hunch. When I first started to write it up I put it down in English. When I was happy with it I began to do the usual translations-Latin, French and Creole. Looking for the right wording and temperament. Same as I always do. Truth is I didn't even get half-way through translating it into Latin before I was struck with the thought. Why was I doing this in the first place?" Raising her arm she moved it in an arc taking them all in, "Why do we ever translate them? Anyone?"

She nodded as complete silence answered her, "Exactly. The witches in Egypt cast their spells in Egyptian. The ones in the UK in Old English. New Orleans was a mixture of Creole, English and French. It just came to me out of the blue; every witch in history has always written, spoken and cast their spells in their native tongue! The idea was so simple and _ludicrous_ that I ignored it for a few days but it never left me. In fact, it gnawed away at me. Imagine the focus of energy that would happen if we weren't worried about the pronunciation and literal translation of what we were trying to achieve! Our entire will cast solely on the purpose behind the words and _not the words themselves._ So I figured I'd give it a shot. Worst case scenario would be that I would have to go back and do the translations before we tried again." Looking back at the mess on the dining table she added, "Looks like my female intuition nudged me in the right direction. I think we're definitely onto something."

Rebel's voice came through from the living room, "No shit Sherlock. Next time you might want to give us a heads up."

"Toughen up chich. A bit of a flash and a broken bowl are the only things that happened tonight. Not like we conjured up Satan and let him loose on the world. No harm done, we just have to be better prepared next time."

*~*

Sienna cast her eyes one last time over the dark waters. Within it lay a map of the city of Melbourne, all landmarks clearly marked. She took a closer look at the area surrounding the docklands. A hazy form of green still covered a tiny area near the apartments on the waterfront. Whatever had made the disturbance had been so powerful that remnants of its power still lingered in the air. She shook her head thinking, " _Powerful indeed."_ Turning her back on the water she headed to the back room and Niko. The journey into the spirit realm was an easy one for him under normal circumstances. This particular journey was anything but normal however. To face a spirit like the Dragon in its own plane of existence would require Niko to do some serious meditation before-hand. Once that was complete, he would lie back and force himself to drift slowly from this realm to the next. All in the hopes of not making the Dragon aware of his presence in the spirit world before he was ready to face him.

Her own journey would be markedly quicker in comparison. She would focus on Niko's spirit as he traveled across and then count a slow, steady sixty before literally blasting across the realms to stand by his side. She knew from experience that the long sixty seconds on this realm would coincide with what would seem like hours on the other. Enough time for Niko to find the Dragon and leash him, or at least that was the plan. With a spirit as powerful as the Dragon all bets were off and she knew that she might find herself materializing in the midst of a giant battle between the two or worse-case, coming to light over the dead body of Niko. Both of those scenarios ended with only one option for her, a fight to the death with the Dragon if they weren't able to subdue him again and if Niko _was_ dead the odds were definitely against her being able to best it.

Taking a deep breath she walked over to the cabinet that housed her katana. The ancient sword not only priceless because of its antique quality and heritage, but one of the deadliest weapons they had ever forged. The priceless blade had been a gift by the very grateful first ever emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang and handed over to them in their victory celebrations well over two thousand years ago. The spirit housed within the blade itself, Amon, was far older though relatively new to its current living arrangements. He'd been considered a God by some in history and a devil by others. In certain scriptures he had even been named as one of Lucifer's own generals in the war against Heaven. Sienna had never been able to get a clear answer out of him. The only thing she knew for a fact was that it was _ancient and powerful._ Only the sneaky, devilish plan crafted by Grigori over one hundred years earlier had been good enough to capture and hold the spirit. Although it had come at a great cost to Niko.

Picking up the sword she felt the flush of warmth begin to move up her arm. Amos would always try to test the strength of her resolve when she did so. Bringing the blade up to her face, she hissed at it, "Sentar Cabeza, Amon. I am _still_ your master," before walking towards the back-room and the waiting Niko with a smile on her face. The power of cowering an ancient and powerful evil spirit like Amon always made her feel good and ready for a fight, she just wished it wasn't up against an adversary as tough as the Dragon.

Flickering candlelight and the smell of burning incense assailed her senses as she entered the darkened back-room. Niko lay on his back on the flat futon bed at her feet. Sienna sat on the floor and crossed her legs, taking long, deep breaths in tune with Niko's own. Reaching out she placed one of her hands over his heart, feeling the steady pulse of his strong heartbeat and began willing her own into the same synchronous pattern. It took her only a moment between one heartbeat and the next to locate his spirit, already having completed the journey into the next plane. She paused for a moment to think. Niko's journey from this realm to the next should have taken him a lot longer. There was no reason for him to have jumped straight onto the spirit plane without at the very least knowing she was ready to jump across. A warm tingling began to form in her other hand, the one holding her katana. She frowned, angry at Amon for attempting to assert control at this point, she had no time for it. Moving her focus to the spirit within the sword she was about to unleash the spell of pain on it when Amon's voice cut across her entire mind, _"Danger. Trap! Unleash me. We fight! Now!"_

Instantly she pulled back her awareness from both the sword and Niko, thinking quickly. The spirit Amon was tied to her own life-force as long as she held the sword. For it to have sent out such a warning to her could only mean one thing, Niko was in real danger and if she had traveled to the spirit plane as planned, her own life would be in danger; and with it Amon's own. Taking the sword in both hands she brought it up to eye-level and focused, _"What danger Amon? Who do we fight?"_

The katana in her hands started to physically shake as the anger of the spirit within manifested itself, _"Dragon loose. Trapped your man. Waiting to trap you. We go, we fight! Spring trap and devour soul!"_

Without realizing what she doing, Sienna began to use the same idioms and short, sharp sentences of the spirit itself, _"Focus Amon. Fight soon but answer now! Connected to earlier power? Dragon working alone? What?"_

"Chance. Fate. All connected. Dragon free, Niko not. Early power used to escape. Fight Now!"

Sienna paused briefly to think. Whenever she had questioned the spirit in the past it had always been ambiguous and never given a straight forward answer to any of her questions. She went over his comments this time but failed to see how the answers could be interpreted in any other way. Amon _was scared,_ it was the only solution that made any sense. He feared his own demise would come if she wasn't ready to handle what was coming. That he was still pushing for her to fight was a good sign as far as she could tell. If there wasn't a good chance she would win the spirit would have tried to stop her from plunging head first into the spirit world. _"Amon. Focus. Catch Dragon again?"_

"No catch. Kill. Or Die."

' _Of course we can't catch it',_ she thought to herself, ' _that would be asking too much.'_ Sending her thoughts back to the spirit she added, " _Amon. I bind Dragon. You fight!"_

"Yes Sienna. I fight!"

Pulling back her awareness Sienna concentrated. She would materialize in an instant within the spirit plane but _not_ where the Dragon expected her to be and hurl a spell of binding on it at the same time as throwing her sword. Amon would have just enough freedom to be present on the spirit plane to attack the Dragon from behind. A fleeting moment only before he would once again be sucked back into his confined prison. If they failed they were doomed as no second chances would be coming. _"Ready Amon. Fight Now!"_

With that final thought she moved her spirit with a blast onto the next realm, far behind where she pictured the Dragon to be waiting. She'd guessed correctly as the green eeriness of the spirit world come into focus. Less than fifty meters from where she had materialized stood the human form of the Dragon crouching over the inert figure of Niko on the floor. Wasting no time, Sienna set the binding spell into action at the same time as she drew back her arm and sent the sword spinning towards the Dragon's unprotected back. Some sixth sense must have made the Dragon turn around at the same time. In a glance he had taken in what was occurring and quickly moved a couple of steps to the side. Enough clearance so that only the edge of the binding spell actually touched him. That small touch was enough to slow him down and give Amon the chance to modify his angle of attack. The sword came down at a sharp angle and sliced into the Dragon's shoulder. Enough pain for him to let out a blood-curdling scream and vanish from the area, obviously wounded. The mist that made up the spirit of Amon faded quickly as Sienna ran across the intervening space to check on Niko, her katana flying back through the air of its own accord into her waiting palm. Faintly she heard the whispered voice of the spirit within, " _Not trapped. Not Die. I fail."_

Ignoring the words of the spirit, she knelt down and gave Niko a quick once-over to ensure he was still alive before placing her hand over his heart and willing them back to the safety of their home. The Dragon may be freed upon the spirit plane but he would have no power to move across onto the physical one. They'd be safe there for the time being. Enough time for her to nurse Niko back from whatever damage had been done.

The green haze dissipated from view as the overwhelming senses of the physical world once more flowed through her body. Before it had completely cleared she was kneeling over Niko's body searching for wounds of any sort. Physically he appeared untouched but Sienna knew better than to leave it at that. Wounds and spiritually crafted artifacts could cause the body to wither and die without showing any physical symptoms whatsoever. Moving her inner eyesight into a slightly higher vibration, she searched over his body once more. Her eyes widening as her third eye brought things into focus. The manacles which had previously held the dragon in check were now clasped firmly around each of Niko's wrists, the chain links between the two glowing a deep red. Her eyes followed the links further as they trailed up towards the brass colored collar around his neck. A new addition.

Studying it a little closer, she realized it was pulsing at the same rate as her own heartbeat, albeit completely out of sync. Sitting back on her heels she brought her vibrations back to their normal level to think. Somehow the Dragon had managed to not only escape the confines of the shackles they had placed him in but to turn the entire thing around and trap Niko in the same manacles, the intrinsic power held within the links enough to completely incapacitate him. The addition of the collar baffled her. There was absolutely no way that the Dragon could have crafted any type of magical device while he was chained. All his energy should have been spent on just keeping himself alive; exactly what Niko was going through at this very moment plus whatever other torture the neck brace was designed to bring him.

Gently lifting his head, she grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and made him as comfortable as she could. Tracing one of her index fingers down the side of his face, knowing he would be in agony. Hoping in her heart that the simple touch may bring about some small measure of comfort, knowing full well that it wouldn't. She could count on one hand the number of times something like this had occurred in almost ten thousand years of living by Niko's side and not one of those had ever taken him out of action to this extent, not even Lafayette. _"Lafayette,"_ she thought to herself, " _We haven't spoken or even thought about the damn place in over two hundred years and today everything keeps bringing up its dark shadow and forcing the memory forwards."_

Having been a practitioner of mystic arts for such a long time she knew that coincidences _did_ exist but _fate_ trumped it every single time. The thoughts of that damn period in their lives had now been brought forth more times than she was comfortable with in such a short period. Her instincts screaming to get her attention, this was not coincidence. Something else was at play. Leaning down over Niko she placed a gentle kiss on his lips before getting up and walking back into the kitchen. Chamomile tea with a couple of extra herbs thrown in would bring calm back to her core, a calm she was going to need if she was to come up with a plan to move ahead and get Niko back from whatever hellish prison he currently resided in.

Placing her sword at rest on the dining table she moved into the kitchen proper and filled a kettle with water. The ordinary movements of making a simple pot of tea bringing her mind into focus. Lighting the stove she turned back to look at the katana. For the first time ever, the spirit Amon had not balked at having to do as she asked. Thinking back on the events carefully she realized that it had actually behaved as an ally on finding the Dragon loose in the spirit world. A willing warrior wishing to be let loose upon her enemy. Finishing the thought as she shook her head, " _Willing ally until the very moment it would turn and take her out of the picture."_

The moment the thought materialized in her conscious her sword glowed a light shade of red, Amon's thoughts coming to her easily even though she wasn't touching the sword, " _Not now. Dragon enemy. Dragon boss hard to kill. Others come."_

Sienna stood dumb-struck staring at her sword across the kitchen. The only way she had ever been able to communicate with Amon in the past had been by holding the katana in her hands and concentrating all her efforts into her thoughts. Now it appeared she'd been played for the last hundred years by the spirit. Physical contact didn't seem to matter a damn. She pushed the thought further, speaking out loud this time, "Dragon Boss? What do you mean by Dragon Boss, Amon? Did you know something I don't? Who controls the Dragon?"

"Dragon not strong in jail, Sienna. Another come to free Dragon. Trap Man. Revenge! Hunger! Hate! Boss Trinity."

Sienna took a moment to assess Amon's words. If she understood correctly it appeared that someone else had helped the Dragon to his freedom and then set a trap specifically for Niko. Someone whose name was _Trinity?_ Or perhaps the spirit had just meant trinity to take in the revenge, hunger and hate part. Turning back to the boiling kettle she went back to making her chamomile tea. Dealing with the spirit was exhausting. She would come back to it again when her head stopped spinning.

