Ezra stretches his hands out and then claps them together. The rooms and walls in his home shrink back to their normal sizes. Sighing, he looks at his new friends.

  “Are you guys okay?” he asks everyone.

  “Yeah, man. Tired, but it could be worse.” Elijah replied.

  The few wounds that remained from his match with Borr were already healing.

  “Fine. But a long, hot bath is needed. I’ve been fighting for weeks.” Jupe shares.

  He then plops down on one of the sofas.

  Bragi nods before walking up to the twins. The one whose feet previously glowed was kneeling to check on his brother. Now awake, the twin whose hands were glowing was rubbing his head as he stood.

  “Are you boys well?” asks Bragi.

  “We are. Thank you.” they reply in unison.

  “Oh brother.” retorts Jupe.

  “Is anyone hungry?” asks Ezra.

  “I am.” Bragi, Jupe, Elijah, and the twins all say in unison.

  Ezra notices that the young men are only wearing shorts. He waves his hand as shirts and shorts appear on them both. They both have sneakers as well. They say “thanks.” It’s in unison, once again as everyone follows Ezra into the dining area.

  “Annoying already.” says Jupe.

  “You’d know.” Elijah says, laughing.

  Bragi and Ezra join in. They all sit at the table as Ezra waves his hands and the door to the kitchen opens. Out floats several large pots of chili. Bowls, spoons, water, and wine followed. They took their places on the table as the group dug in.

  “So... who are you?” Bragi asks the teenaged young men.

  They both just shrugged.

  “You... don’t know who you are?” Jupe asks.

  “Umm...” says Elijah.

  Ezra stands and walks over to them.

  “May I?” asks the man.

  He’s now holding out his hands.

  “Sure.” replies the one whose hands glow.

  Ezra touches their hands, closes his eyes, and whispers a chant. His magical tome appears before him, opened to the page that held the spell that awakened them. The words started to glow and then slowly disappear. The twins winced as images flashed in their minds.

  “Friend, something is happening.” Bragi noted.

  Ezra opened his eyes as the last word left the page. The spell was no more. There was no way to reference or research all the information held on those two pages.

  “What?!” Ezra exclaims. “How?”

  “My guess. The remnants of the spell that we cast.” said the young man whose hands usually glow.

  Bragi, Elijah, Jupe, and Ezra looked at him.

  “You mean to tell me that YOU boys cast THAT spell?” asks Jupe.

  He nods as his twin works on his third bowl of chili.

  “First, what was the spell? And how did you power something so colossal?” Bragi asks.

  “It’s all so fuzzy.” the one whose feet usually glow finally spoke again. “But something... extremely primordial and devoid of emotion was consuming the cosmos. Every realm. Every planet. And every dimension.”

  “We would know of something like that. Even if it were before our existence. If we hadn’t sensed it ourselves, one divine being or another would have.” Jupe scoffs.

  He gets uneasy. He finds it hard to believe the young men.

  “That’s the thing...” spoke the other twin. “This feels like our universe in lots of ways. But we know that our spell worked BECAUSE you don’t know anything about it.”

  Ezra sat down and took their news in. He’d thought that it was just his galaxy. But they were sitting here alluding that it was much larger than that.

  “So... are you saying that you...” starts Elijah.

  He’s barely keeping up. This is all still so new to him.

  “Destroyed the universe?” Jupiter finishes.

  He was now standing and glaring at the young men. There was absolutely no way that it was true. His uneasiness turned to anger. Were they tricked? Who were they? Lightning started to crackle and run through his body as these thoughts race through his mind. Bragi stood and grabbed his shoulder. Jupe looked back at him before sitting down.

  “They’re telling the truth.” Ezra says quietly.

  Everyone stopped and looked at him.

  “Come again?” Jupe asks.

  “When I cast that spell, I saw flashes. Sensing them over such a long distance for the first time. Being able to decipher that spell so easily. We’re from the same universe. My planet, Ishcar was destroyed by them.” Ezra explains.

  The twins' eyes lit up. How did he remember? That should have been impossible.

  “That spell reset the cosmos. The reaction from the new big bang was supposed to be enough to kill that thing. Or send it far, far away from the new universe that was created.” stated the young man whose hands usually glow.

  “But... why?” asked Bragi.

  “All of the pantheons were either at war with one another or had already been consumed. There was no unity. Only death.” the speedy twin answered.

  “Do you two have names, by any chance?” interjects Elijah.

  “Heru.” states the teen whose hands usually glow.

  “Re.” replies his twin.

  “Heru and Re. Nice to meet you guys.” Elijah says.

  It makes the two young men and Bragi smile.

  “Back to the matter at hand.” states Jupe, looking at Elijah. He turns his attention back to the twins. “You never said how you powered such a spell, nor why you had to go to such extreme measures.”

  “Well...” starts Heru. “We were the first mortals in the universe to ascend to godhood. When the universe was still young. We petitioned the Orisha and they said that we’d need to first create a pact. We knew that none of the other gods would agree with our plan though.”

  Brynn walks into the room and sits in a chair near Bragi. She grabs a bowl of chili and a spoon. Scooping four large spoonfuls into her bowl, she silently devours the meal. The others watch for a few seconds before resuming their conversation. Elijah, Jupe, and Heru all let out a chuckle.

  “So, how’d you pull it off?” Elijah asks.

  “We merged. Into one being. And then ran across the universe and different dimensions. We had to consume what was left before the entity did. Forcing a pact on the gods of the newly created universes and realms.” Re says.

  “What was the pact?” asks Brynn.

  “No gods in the new iteration of the universe could visit the nexus planet for too long. And they’d have to stay away from each other until the universe had time to expand and create more gods. They wouldn’t know why or be able to fight it. They’d just have to adhere to it. That way, those that were reborn had no chance of knowing about the past or amassing too much power, too quickly.” Heru says.

  “Tell that to my father.” Bragi says, softly.

  “Nexus planet?” starts Elijah, before being cut off.

  “WAIT! You guys created THEE Pact?” Jupe shouts.

  Heru and Re are confused, yet again. What was he talking about? Bragi, Brynn, and Jupe shared shocked expressions as they all looked at one another.

  “What are the Orisha?” asks Elijah.

  Heru and Re quickly grabbed their heads. They both receive pounding migraines. They could see and feel the images and memories from their past life disappearing.

  Bragi and Brynn jump up and run to their sides. They console the teens for a few minutes. Their headaches stop and they regain their composure.

  “What just happened?” Ezra asks.

  “I’m not sure.” states Heru.

  “Are you boys okay?” Bragi asks.

  “Yes. It just felt like my mind was being ripped from my body. I’m fine.” Re replies.

  Heru just nod. He didn’t like that feeling.

  “So... who are the Orisha?” asks Ezra.

  Heru and Re share puzzled looks.

  “We have no idea.” Re says.

  “But you were just--” starts Elijah.

  The twins look at him, still confused. They had no idea of the conversation they’d just had.

  “I remember everything, just nothing that we told you.” Heru says.

  He doesn’t share with the group that he did a quick mental scan of Elijah, Bragi, Brynn, Jupe, and Ezra. He was able to remember what he and his brother shared with the group. Elijah shakes his head—as if he feels the intrusion somehow. He dismisses the weird feeling. Ezra squints.

  “I’ve heard stories from my father and other family members...” Jupe starts. “I’m still not sure what the Orisha are, but it IS said that they’re the one who created the Pact.”

  “I was told that they enforce it. Whatever that meant.” Bragi chimes in.

  “They’re THEE gods.” Brynn states.

  Everyone looks to her again as she eats another bowl of the chili.

  “Wow. She can eat.” Elijah states.

  The irony. He went through seven bowls of it. Re was right behind him with five.

  “Wait, you know of them, Brynhildr?” asks Bragi.

  She only nod as she washes the food down with a large glass of water. She belches loudly before resuming her meal. Re and Elijah giggle.

  “They’re who taught many of the elder gods some of their most powerful and divine abilities. They used to make contact, but not anymore. There’s no one in the universe more powerful than they are. If they’re even still around.” explains the Valkyrie with a mouth full of food.

  “Interesting.” shares Ezra.

  “So, there are like... tiers in the realms of gods?” Elijah asks.

  “Absolutely. We are of the new gods.” Jupe says, pointing at Bragi.

  “Our fathers are elders. Some of the oldest gods in existence.” adds Bragi.

  “And there are other beings that can be just as old. And just as powerful. Or more powerful.” says Brynn.

  “Aye. Indeed.” Bragi says.

  “The Orisha... on the other hand, are said to have helped shape all things in existence. From the first gods of creation, chaos, or enlightenment and more. Legend has it that they helped Gaea and Uranus. It was also said to have been them that created the primordial Aesir void, Ginnungagap—resulting in Ymir’s creation. Borr then killed him and created your realm, Bragi. They also created the nexus point for all realms. Ogun, himself, made the dimension that my sisters, mother, and I reside in.” she continues.

  It’s all so much to take in. Bragi had always thought his father was the first. Likewise, Jupe never thought that there could be beings more powerful or older than Gaea and Uranus.

  “How do you know so much about them?” ask Elijah.

  “The Library of the Valkyries is the oldest in existence. We covet knowledge as much as we love battle.” Brynn says with a smile.

  “Wow. A whole realm of women who love to fight and read!” Elijah exclaims with a large smile.

  Brynn just rolls her eyes and laughs. She doesn’t dare try and imagine what’s going through his head.

  “What are we to do with you two?” Bragi asks.

  “Yes. We’ll have to find a place that you can be safe from harm. Until we find out more and can guarantee your safety.” Brynn adds.

  “Somewhere no one could enter. Even if they tried.” Jupe says.

  The three of them look at Ezra. He’s still racking his brain, trying to remember the spell as well as process what was being said.

  “My guy. They’re hinting at you being the one to house them.” Elijah says to Ezra.

  Elijah nudges him, breaking his trance.

  “Oh.” Ezra says, hesitantly.

  He’s not sure he wants them around. Less than ten minutes ago, he discovered that they were the ones that caused the cataclysm that made him the last of his people. He looks at the twins, who are now looking at him as well. What was this emotion that he was feeling? It was new. He felt a pressure building in his chest and tears form in his eyes.

  “Sure. Just... pick a room.” Ezra finally replies.

  He stands and waves his hand. The dishes leave the table and fly into the kitchen. A few plates are broken from the impact. Next, he walks into the living room before flying into the air and at the door on the ceiling. It opens and slams as he enters the room.

  “Well... it’s a start.” says Elijah.

  “Give him some time, boys. I don’t sense malicious intent. He’s just... hurting. Tis a lot to take in. And in such a short time. I must return to my realm, but I will return as soon as I can.” Bragi says to Heru and Re.

  They nod. Bragi stands and Brynn does as well. She rubs Heru and Re on their heads.

  “It was nice to meet you, fellas.” she says.

  “Heimdall.” Bragi says.

  Brynn puts her hand on his shoulder. A bright, rainbow-colored light overtook the outlines of their bodies. Wind swirled around the room. All that could be seen was their silhouettes through the rainbow. They disappeared in an instant.

  “Flasy Aesir.” says Jupe.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  He stands and turns to Elijah.

  “Tell the alien that I’ll be back.”

  Lightning crackles.

  “And watch your new little brothers.” Jupe says through a laugh.

  Elijah laughs as he stands to go and hit Jupe. Lightning appears in Jupe’s place and he’s gone.

  “Remind me to punch him.” Elijah says to Heru and Re. “You guys wanna watch some tv?”

  He walks to the living room, Heru and Re right behind him.

  “Tv?” asks Re.

  They all sit on one of the couches as Elijah laughs and grabs the remote.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  2:03 AM

  The television is still on as Heru and Re are asleep on separate couches. Elijah is in his room, finishing up with a shower. Ezra hasn’t left his bedroom since their conversation from earlier in the day. None of the others have returned.

  “Ahhh. Nothing like a nice, long, hot, shower.” says Elijah, leaving his room.

  The steam from the shower escapes the room and out into the hall, as if it had been held hostage. He glances at the sleeping teens as he makes his way into the kitchen. He’s wearing a tank top, basketball shorts, and “slides” on his feet (from his favorite athletic brand). Heru stirs a bit as the man makes noise preparing something to eat.

  “This dude’s got everything.” Elijah says.

  He notices different kinds of vegetables, meats, and fruits. He walks to the door in the back of the kitchen and opens it. Peeping inside, there is a large farm area. It fascinates him. Some of the produce is familiar. Others, not so much. He also sees that they’re split into sections. The irrigation for them seems to be controlled by the glowing symbols in each section. Elijah turns around to finish preparing his late-night snack.

  Walking into the dining area, he glances through the door separating it from the living room. Heru’s now awake and looking around. Elijah watches as the young man as he eats. Heru sits up and leans forward, grabbing his head. He then holds out his hands and the runes on his hands start to glow. A purple orb forms between his hands. It gets larger as the magic swirls around. Elijah stands and walks to the living room, stopping in the doorway.

  “Hey, kid. What are you doing?” he asked.

  Heru remains silent for a few seconds, concentrating on the task at hand.

  “I’m making a tome... like the one Ezra has.” Heru replied.

  “Like... a spellbook?” asks Elijah, still eating.

  “Yes. And no. It’s more than spells. Enchantments, elixirs, storing knowledge, and more.” replies Heru.

  “Interesting. And how do you know that you can do it?” asked Elijah.

  Heru keeps pouring his magic and knowledge into the orb as it grew. It was now the size of a dictionary. The book was purple with golden pages.

  “I didn’t.” Heru finally answers.

  “What made you try it?” Elijah asks.

  “I scanned your minds after what seemed like a mental attack on my brother and I for the information we had forgotten. And then I stored that information in a part of my mind that should be inaccessible to anyone other than myself.” Heru explains.

  “So that’s what I felt.” says Elijah.

  This catches Heru off guard. Another thing that shouldn’t have been possible. He’d barely touched their minds. And Elijah was human, with no magical or psychic abilities.

  “Somehow... it’s still being erased.” says Heru.

  Elijah is fascinated but also concerned.

  “You think that someone-” Elijah starts.

  “Or someTHING.” Heru interjects.

  “...is somehow erasing it, despite your contingency.” says Elijah.

  Heru looks at him and nods. He then looks at the book as it flashes open to a page near the back. Heru holds his hands up and interlocks his fingers into each other. He starts whispering something as his eyes glow dark purple. The words that form on the page are purple. Animated images also appear. Actual words, symbols, and runes start to leave his head and mouth. They are purple, like his magic. They swirl around the teen, before rushing toward the book as its pages violently flip back and forth. Elijah watches in amazement. Re wakes up to the scene before him. Heru finally finishes and spreads his hands apart and sitting them on his lap. The book closes, before disappearing completely.

  “What exactly did you do?” asks Elijah.

  “I made a spell that stores pertinent information in the back of that tome the moment that I forget it. Even if it isn’t of my own volition.” says Heru.

  “Will it work?” asks Re.

  “No idea.” Heru replies, airily.

  Elijah cocks his head to the side and Re just stares. Heru chuckles at their reactions.

  “It won’t restore what’s already been taken. And there’s no guarantee that it’s a safeguard against things like mind control or anything. But... ‘there are some things that only experience can teach.’” replies Heru.

  Elijah nods and smiles. He likes that the kid has already noticed the wisdom in Bragi’s words. He’d known the man only a few days and trusted him with his life. The same for Jupe, Brynn, and even Ezra. He had no idea what lie ahead, but something about meeting these people made him hopeful. Suddenly, Ezra’s door burst open and he falls from the door in the ceiling. Heru, Re, and Elijah’s heads all turn to him to see the commotion. Ezra catches himself a few feet from the floor and hovers. He hiccups before seeing the trio staring at him.

  “Sor-- sorry.” Ezra says.

  He turns upright and levitates into the kitchen.

  “Is he...” Heru starts, looking at Elijah.

  “Grumpy ET is now drunk ET.” says Elijah, laughing.

  “ET?” Re asks.

  “Literal newborns.” retorts Elijah.

  Heru frowns, goofily. Elijah bursts out in laughter once again. He then walks into the kitchen to clean the dishes he used. Ezra is now in the dining room, eating some of the chili from earlier.

  “Hey, man. Can I get a ride to Earth? I need to check in on my sister.” Elijah asks.

  “Hey, I wanna go!” Heru exclaims.

  “Me too!” Re says.

  Heru walks up to his brother and conjures long sleeved shirts, jackets, and pants for the pair. With the snap of his fingers, they’re now fully dressed. Heru is wearing a green shirt with a black jacket and blue jeans. His sneakers are black. There are runes running along the collars of his shirt, waist of his pants, and sides of his sneakers. Re has on a golden jacket with a white shirt and black pants. His sneakers are also gold. There are runes in the same places on his clothing as his twin’s.

  “How did you know how to dress?” Elijah asks.

  He then shakes his head as he remembers the mental scan that Heru mentioned earlier.

  ‘Never mind.” Elijah speaks again.

  “Where t- to?” asks Ezra.

  “Trenton, New Jersey. About two blocks away from the state building. In an alleyway, if possible.” Elijah replies. “Let me go and change real quick.”

  Elijah runs into his room and throws on a t-shirt, a hoodie, some sweatpants, and some moderately worn running sneakers. He comes back into the room and nods. Ezra waves his hand and a portal opens.

  “Thanks, man!” shouts Elijah as he walks through the portal.

  Heru and Re follow.

  “They’re your responsibility!” shouts Ezra.

  Elijah gives the thumbs up as the portal closes behind the trio. Ezra hiccups again before falling face first onto one of the couches. Snoring is all that can be heard.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Trenton, NJ

  Alleyway two blocks from State building

  A portal opens sixty meters above the ground. It’s dark and vacant. Elijah, Heru, and Re fall from the portal as it closes behind them.

  “Hey man! What the hell?!” Elijah exclaims.

  He’d made a note to self; not to ask Ezra for anymore rides while he was under the influence. As the trio gets closer to the ground, Elijah grins.

  “Every man for himself.” says Elijah.

  Heru and Re both look at him and then each other. Re waves his hands in a circular motion at super speed. This pushed him away from the two and towards the far wall of a building. The teen immediately started running down the side of the building. He was now standing, watching Elijah and Heru continue to descend.

  “So, kid. What are you gonna do?” Elijah asks Heru.

  They are still falling. The ground is now thirty meters away.

  “Hmph.” Heru says.

  He then folds his arms as his hands touch each elbow. He vanishes in a cloud of purple smoke. As Elijah looks around, he flips just as his feet land on the ground. Heru is now standing next to Re with a smirk.

  “So, you can teleport?” asks Elijah.

  “Only to places that I’ve been to. And since the ground was only a few meters away, it wasn’t too hard.” explains Heru.

  “Could you do that before?” Re inquires.

  “I’m... not sure.” says Heru.

  Elijah scopes the alley out before speaking to them again.

  “You guys know why I told you to take care of yourselves?” Elijah asks.

  Heru and Re nod.

  “Just checking. If the only thing that you can do in any given moment is save yourself, do that. Leave the rest to the big guns. But always... ALWAYS make sure that you can take care of yourselves.” Elijah tells the twins.

  They nod again.

  “Cool. Let’s go.” Elijah says.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Domain of Anubis

  “SEHT!” a loud voice boomed.

  The elder god had been moving through the desert for what seemed like days. Time moved differently in the realms of gods. Seht had figured that his presence was sensed the moment that meddling alien banished him to this realm. There was a plethora of lost spirits, most human or other lowly beings. They couldn’t cause him harm, but they were extremely annoying. On top of that, there were also older and more malevolent beings there as well. Some had been invited or imprisoned. Others crept in. None were friend to him.

  “What the hell are they doing?” he thought to himself.

  He couldn’t use his powers here. They were severely diminished and would instantly give away his exact location. One of the only realms capable of such a feat—not many gods could counteract its effects. He’d committed many “crimes” (as the other gods called it) to both the living, as well as the dead. Gods, monsters, and humans alike. Whomever he deemed deserving of his wrath met it. And he didn’t plan on answering to his nephew for them anytime soon. Being in this place worried him.

  A sandstorm kicked up just as Seht took a moment to relax and catch his breath. Twelve men with the heads of dogs appeared. They wore what looked like skirts. No shirts were worn, showing off their perfectly chiseled six packs. Each of them had a spear in hand. There was one guard in the front who stood out. The tip of his spear was black. What seemed like black smoke or mist left its tip.

  “Seht.” the captain spoke.

  His voice was the same as the one he’d been hearing since being here.

  “Our master will have words with you. Come peacefully. Or be forcefully detained.” said the soldier.

  “Ah fuck it!” shouted Seht.

  Seht quickly held his hands up as red orbs formed in each of them. He flung them at the guards. Two of them were hit and immediately started fighting the others in their party. Their eyes glow red as they mercilessly attacked their own comrades. The old god then materialized a small, red flame. It floats in midair before him. He jerked and sent it flying towards the man in charge. It hit the man, but he simply waved the flames away.

  “I assume that would have killed me... had we been anywhere else.” replied the man.

  He held his spear in the air as twelve more guards appear behind him. The two guards that Seht control were now being restrained by four of their comrades. The remaining five men from the first group leapt at Seht. He threw both hands outward as they all fly back twenty feet.

  The second group of Anubis’s soldiers started marching in Seht’s direction. The god turned around and tried flying away. Only one of his wings emerged from his back as he jumped. He could only get about twenty feet away; so, he kept at it. The soldiers tucked their spears into the holsters on their backs and get on all fours. They started to chase the man like search dogs.

  Turning around as he fled, Seht shot red fire from his hands again. This time, it met some of the lower soldiers. They were turned to ash in seconds. Twelve more guards appeared from a sandstorm as they joined the pursuit. They were closing in on the man. Just as the guard in charge reached him, a large black vortex formed. Black balls the size of basketballs shot from the vortex and destroyed some of Anubis’s men. As more materialized, Seht was sucked into the vortex as it closed and sent a shockwave outward. Seht closed his eyes, for he had no idea what this was.

  “Seht.” a deep voice calmly stated.

  It was Pluto. The man opened his eyes to a dark cave. There were fires in pyres lighting the inside dimly. Screams could be heard in the distance. He could feel the essence of the place that they were in. It was cold. And dark.

  “Great. MORE death.” Seht spat.

  “I just invaded another’s death god’s realm. Would you like it if I were to return to sender? I’m sure that Anubis would appreciate it.” Pluto plainly replied.

  He turned and walked away as Seht hesitated, before following.

  “N-no!” Seht almost shouted.

  “Right then. The others should be here soon.”

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Trenton, NJ

  5:15 AM

  Abandoned Train Lot

  “Where the hell could she be?!” Elijah roared into the empty yard.

  His fist slammed into the side of a rusted train car. Metal shrieked, the whole car shuddering from the blow.

  He, along with Heru and Re, had been searching for hours. Erica wasn’t at home. She wasn’t anywhere. Instead, her face stared back at him from weathered posters plastered across the city—Missing. She wasn’t the only one. Children of every age. A handful of adults. Vanished.

  Elijah’s chest heaved. He’d lived here his whole life. Erica was loved by everyone. She wasn’t the kind of girl who just disappeared.

  Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.

  He pressed his forehead against the cold steel of the train car, eyes burning.

  “And how long…” his voice cracked, “…how long has she even been gone?”

  The silence of the lot answered him. Only the wind moved, rattling loose sheets of metal and carrying the faint smell of rust and oil.

  Elijah was trying his hardest to keep his composure. Since he was technically dead, he couldn’t just walk up to his father or old neighbors asking questions. These thoughts only made him angrier. He balled up his right fist to strike the train again but faintly heard footsteps.

  “Who’s there?” Elijah yelled into the empty lot.

  Nothing. Heru and Re looked at one another, before glancing back at Elijah. They hadn’t heard anything.

  “Nanites. Super hearing.” Elijah explained, noticing their confusion.

  Elijah went silent and focused on the sound, pinpointing the direction of the footsteps. They were now retreating. Hearing the mysterious person’s heart start to pound faster, Elijah started to walk towards them. Heru did a quick mental scan of the area, before pointing. Re disappeared. The person was now running away. Elijah quickly jumped over a train car and closed the distance. Re appeared in front of the individual, scaring him Instinctively, the young man swung and almost punched Re in the face.

  “Hey, what’s your problem” asked Re as he dodged.

  Elijah was now directly behind the young man. He reached out and grabbed his arm. As he squeezes, the young man yelled “ow!” and turned to face him.

  “Eliaj--” the young man started.

  Elijah reached forward and plucked him in his forehead. The young man fell, but Elijah caught him.

  “You guys know each other?” Heru asks, appearing behind them.

  “Long story.” said Elijah, carrying the young man off.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Meanwhile at HQ...

  Ezra had finally sobered up... for the most part. The alcoholic candy he’d acquired from a sketchy vendor in the Andromeda galaxy was quite potent.

  “I’ll have to remember to get more of that.” Ezra thought to himself.

  He rose from the couch with a deep sigh. Holding his hands out and chanting in his native language, the lair started to shake. Ezra had decided to connect the different rooms to one another. He was so used to portaling throughout but decided that it was best—since there was no telling how long Elijah and the twins would be staying. Symbols had appeared on some of the doors down the hall. He’d given Heru and Re their own rooms as well. There was a large training area that he connected to the other side of the dining room.

  Feeling like he accomplished something productive, he decided to do some studying and research. Specifically, about the Heru and Re.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Back to Elijah, Heru, and Re

  “Hey, he’s waking up.” Heru told Elijah. “And he’s kind of cute.”

  Elijah suddenly snapped out of his trance as he turned to face Heru and the young man. Re was running the perimeter... again. The young man that they had captured blinked several times as his consciousness returned. He looked at Heru, then Re. Lastly, Elijah, before staring.

  “Hey, Sean.” Elijah muttered.

  The young man stood, keeping his gaze on Elijah. He was five foot eleven and had a sandy complexion with short curly, black hair. He had already formed a mustache and small beard at the age of seventeen. He was mixed with African American and Cuban, although he’d spent all his life in New Jersey. He wore expensive glasses with thick lenses. His eyes were wide and he’d barely blinked—afraid that the person before him would disappear if he did. Finally speaking, his voice was deep, but boyish.

  “Lij... man. How?” Sean asked in utter disbelief.

  “Captured. Experimented on. Experiment backfired and I escaped. Where’s Erica?” Elijah quickly summarized.

  “Uhhh...” replied Sean, trying to keep up.

  Heru chuckled.

  “I think that something happened during her investigation in McClellan Industries.” explained Sean.

  Elijah punched the train car closest to him. It fell over. Sean jumped as Heru and Re remain unfazed.

  “MAN, HOW?!” Sean exclaimed.

  “Nanites. Keep going.” Elijah replied.

  He walked on the other side of the train car and kneeled. Grabbing the bottom with both hands, he lifted the vehicle with ease. Elijah pushed the car back upright and walked back to Sean. The teen was visibly amazed.

  “So, there have been rumors going around about Vanessa McClellan--” starts Sean before Elijah cuts them off.

  “Entering the weapons business. Apparently, she has a new energy prototype that the government and big city police forces have been trying to buy.”

  “Yeah. Also, human experiments.” Sean finished.

  “Say what now?” Elijah asked.

  “I hacked one of their vehicle computers for shits and giggles. They’re into some shady stuff.” says Sean.

  “And you told Erica....” Elijah surmised.

  Elijah had known about Vanessa McClellan and her extracurricular activities for some time. Just not all of them, obviously. She ran the largest clean energy business in the world. Supplying most of the large cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta with particle accelerators for advanced power, her pockets and connections ran deep. She ventured into the weapons business once she performed a hostile takeover, usurping the company from her father. Evidence of any wrongdoings usually vanished. As did the witnesses. She had government contracts as well as dealings that weren’t on paper.

  “Erica’s been interning at Dennison Tech. They’re an up-and-coming technology firm that’s been branching out with certain endeavors. They’re offering scholarships—one being for journalism. She was adamant on getting an interview or evidence about what McClellan is doing. Most people don’t know about it and blindly support her, thinking that she means to do what’s best for the country.” says Sean.

  “And Erica wanted to blow the lid on it.” Elijah added.

  “She’d already had her doubts about Vanessa, but when I showed her what I found, nothing could change her mind. There have been children going missing for months. And not just from Jersey, or even the country. I don’t know what’s happening, but this isn’t an isolated incident.”

  Heru and Re continue to listen. Neither said a thing as the two caught up and shared what intel they had with the other.

  “Let me guess, she was going to use this story and scholarship to get into any school that she wanted.” Elijah said.

  Sean nodded. “Yep. Even though she’s been noticed by a few well-paying papers and sites.”

  “Always the overachiever.” Elijah adds.

  He and Sean both laugh as Elijah puts his hand on Sean’s shoulder.

  “Sean and Erica have been tight since preschool. He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met.” Elijah explains, now looking at Heru and Re.

  “Nice to meet you. Sorry for swinging on you.” says Sean.

  He nervously chuckles and rubs the back of his head as Sean brings him into a one-armed embrace.

  “It’s cool. You would have never landed the hit.” says Re.

  “Hey.” Heru adds.

  He and Sean lock eyes for seconds. There’s a spark between them. Elijah notices and speaks.

  “I have to find my sister.”

  “I think I can help with that.” Heru speaks, walking over to Elijah and Sean. “Do you have anything personal to her?”

  Sean reaches into his pocket and pulls out military dog tags. “E. Foster.” is etched into them. Tears form in Elijah’s eyes. He wipes them away quickly. Heru holds out his hands as his tome appears before him and his eyes glow purple.

  “A locator spell.”