by SK Benton
"I am staying with Pandy to assist in her training anyway," said Jessica, "and I'm sure Vera could use a break. I'm still totally surprised that they haven't picked up any of our seismic registers."
"Father has been seeing to that, Jessica," said Gabriel, who then walked over and kissed her on the forehead before sitting down and receiving his own plate of food.
Pandy giggled and lightly elbowed her best friend in the ribcage, still unaware of the depth of Jessica's relationship with Gabriel.
"Ok, I'm off to meet Mom and Janice," said Max.
"I want to see her too. Where are you guys gonna be?" asked Jennie.
"Mom has pretty much regenerated, but she was never the athletic type. She's basically teaching her body to be more agile, so it's more of a customized gymnastics/martial arts program."
"Oh, where is it? I'll meet up with you?"
"Secondary training field. Ohiro is her trainer."
"No way! I totally love him!"
Max gave his wife an odd look, as she tried to retract her comment.
"Well, as a trainer, you know…"
Max winked at his gorgeous wife and stood to go to his mother's chambers, first giving Jennie a kiss before departing.
"Jennie, I would like to receive training under your command, now that I have gone through all of the basics here. Would that be possible?" Jessica asked hopefully.
"Jess, that's on the list. Don't worry about that. From what I hear we have a great training center on Vera too, isn't that right?"
"Yeah. It's huge and Lord Draagh has totally set it up with the best equipment."
Santiago, Luna
"Oh my god, Kyle, what are you doing here?" exclaimed Lt. Commander Alicia Vasquez, squinting to see her nephew hiding in an alleyway, the sun shining directly into her eyes. She had received a call on her personal console that was reserved for family emergencies, but it was extremely cryptic. It had only instructed her to go to certain coordinates on Luna. Part of her official duties was the transfer of sensitive materials, so she regularly travelled to the moons, Luna the most out of the three.
"Alicia, they're all dead. Dad, Mom, the girls. Johnson had them deleted. They think I was in the house too."
"How is this possible? What happened?"
"Here, look them up on my personal console. Don't use yours, or they'll trace your search and get you too."
Alicia took the small device from her nephew, knowing he had unparalleled computer skills and that if he was using a console it was most definitely untraceable. Performing random searches, she found no evidence of the existence of her sister, her brother-in-law, her nieces or her nephew - who was standing in front of her. He was right. They had been deleted. She held back tears, knowing that there was nothing she could have done.
"I don't know what to do. I'll be caught eventually. And then they'll kill me too. Help," he managed to squeak out. He was only fourteen years old - just a child, and quite bright. Thinking momentarily, she knew exactly what to do. Touching the comm device on her lapel, she thought out to Bagatelle.
"G - are you out there? Can you hear me on this thing?"
"Ali - yes. How are you? Is all well?"
"Well, for me yes, but for my nephew no. His entire family was deleted by Johnson and the boy needs asylum."
"What were they deleted for, may I ask?"
"His father, my brother-in-law, was working on the barges. He was feeding me intel whenever he could. Perhaps he was discovered. Kyle is cold, hungry and needs shelter. Can you come get him? You met him once when you gave me a ride to my sister's house a few years back."
"I can't. I don't have the capabilities, but let me get one of our resident gods here to make it happen. Give me twenty. I'll be right back."
Alicia looked at her obviously frightened nephew and said, "Don't worry Kyle. Help is on the way. Just stay here out of sight. I'll hover nearby and let you know."
"Huh? Did you just have a conversation?"
"Oh yeah. You have no idea the cool things I've recently seen. Just wait."
Roughly ten minutes later, and without warning, Kyle watched as his aunt was apparently having a conversation with thin air, but after she nodded her head in his direction he suddenly saw a fairly large, older man, dressed in archaic-looking leathers, with a medium length gray ponytail and a long beard, his mustache braided into it. Looking at the boy, the man smiled, his blue eyes twinkling in Luna's strong sunlight.
"So you are Kyle. I am sorry for your loss, young man. But all will be well. Come and stand next to me," said Draagh in his slightly accented, deep voice.
As Kyle looked at his aunt nervously, she smiled and said, "Go with him. You will be safer than you could be anywhere else in the galaxy. Trust me, sobrino."
Alicia Vasquez found herself looking at a concrete wall before she finished her last syllable, the two having disappeared so quickly.
Kyle Reynolds gazed around, slightly disoriented, but found himself in what appeared to be an ancient office. Looking at his travelling companion who had just taken him away from everything he ever knew, he sat in a chair at the man's side.
"Um, thanks. So. I'm Kyle. Who are you?"
"I have been called many things during my eons of existence, but you may call me Draagh. I am a mage and have been alive since the creation of the Universe."
"Oh yeah, cool. I played a holo game that had a similar concept. So really, where are we and who are you?" the boy responded unbelievingly.
"As I told you, I am Draagh, and I am a mage."
Kyle gave Draagh an incredulous look, which caused the Primulus to be slightly disconcerted. Not wanting to waste any time on the youth, he conjured a dinosaur in his office. The beast, a modified, smaller version of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, was of course unable to actually harm the lad, but it let out a roar loud enough to unbutton the youth's shirt and cause him to slightly wet himself out of fear. Draagh then waved his hand and caused the creature to disappear.
"Thaaaaa…tha…that wasn't a a a holo g-g-g-game!"
"No, it was not my dear boy. Now will you stop with your disbelieving ways and allow me to bring you up to speed with your current situation?"
Kyle nodded his head enthusiastically, although he was still scared nearly to death.
"Again - my name is Draagh, and you are in my office. We are in… my office. People here live a simple life. No technology, and there are lycans and vampires that -"
"Lycans and vampires? Like in fantasy novels? They're for real?"
"Yes, for real. In fact, there are many on your world, but their genes are recessive. You are a bright lad, so I am sure you understand the concept of recessive genes."
Kyle nodded his head as he looked around the room, which did indeed resemble a warlock's study; he started to believe what he was being told.
"So, I think we need to get you changed first, and then we'll get some food into your stomach."
"That sounds great, sir. But if there is no technology here what will I do to help? All I know is technology"
"My boy, then I believe it is time to learn something new!"
Draagh flicked his hand at the boy and his clothing automatically cleaned up. He then stood and followed the old mage out of the office and into a castle hallway, where they travelled down numerous corridors, finally arriving at the main dining hall.
Kyle was eating a venison and tomato sandwich while listening to Draagh, as the ancient Primulus attempted to cram as much information into the boy's brain in as little time as possible. Bagatelle then arrived for lunch and sat down next to the pair.
"Kyle, I believe we met before a couple of years ago. I am - "
"Rear Admiral Bagatelle, well-known traitor to the Johnson regime. Yes, I remember you, sir. We met briefly, but you were holding the rank of captain at the time. And you didn't have a beard, either."
Bagatelle gave the boy a quizzical look, unable to tell if the lad meant that he believed him to be a traitor or if he was being facetious.
/> "Oh, I know you aren't a traitor, sir. Chairman Johnson is an evil piece of sharga."
"Ahem, right. Very good. Well, I am truly sorry for your loss, young man. But we will provide a home for you, and perhaps some ways for you to help us."
"Help you? In what way?"
"We are going to start a revolution," said Bagatelle, wearing a wide grin.
"Oh cool! I wanna help!"
A few minutes later, Max, Jennie, Liliana, Clarisa and Janice entered the dining hall, sitting at their table with Bagatelle, Draagh and Kyle. Liliana had been informed that Lt. Commander Vasquez' nephew was in the Rhönen, so she immediately went over and looked at the youth with a piercing glare, as if she were taking him apart. As soon as he noticed her looking at him he broke out into a blush, trying to avoid eye contact with the cute lycan girl.
"So this is Kyle! Hello, Kyle I'm Commander Max Gunnarsson. I'm sure you've heard of me - traitor, technology thief, destroyer of unicorn dreams, teddy bear murderer and whatever else Len Johnson could make up."
The boy found Max's comments to be so funny he nearly snorted his milk out of his nose.
"Yes sir. I am aware of who you are, but I would like to one day hear the real story of your adventures. I believe nothing that comes from the filthy government spokesholes."
"You are lycan. I can smell it," Liliana stated blankly, as she stared at the boy.
"Um, no, I'm not. I'm just a kid."
"Well, I am a kid too, so what does that make you?"
"Huh?"
"Do you even know mathematics?"
"Of course I do - I'm a computer programmer!"
Liliana seemed to be thinking hard about something, and giving Kyle a one-eyed stare, she decided to confound him with a word problem.
"Ok, so, if I have an isosceles triangle, and I throw it out of the castle window, and gravity is a thing that exists, how many souls can you buy with a single vampire's decapitated skull?"
"Oh my god… what the hell are you talking about?"
Draagh attempted to intervene before Liliana did something rash, saying, "Now now, children. Let us not argue. First of all, Kyle, you are a lycan - you are just not active at this time. Second of all, Liliana has an incredible crush on you, and she should-"
Liliana jumped up and darted out of the room before Draagh could finish his sentence, her signature tornado trailing after her, accompanied by the characteristic screams and crashes that nearly always ensued.
"Oh, where are you going my dear?" Draagh called out, having used his own unique mannerisms to safely put a muzzle on his great-granddaughter.
"Wow, what… was that?" asked Kyle.
"Our daughter, Liliana. Our daughter who apparently is now going to present us with a whole new range of things to worry about," said Jennie. "Oh, and I'm Jennie Gunnarsson, formerly Lieutenant Jennifer Escalante of Azul Military. I know your aunt - she was one of my superior officers."
"Aunt Alicia is the best. I mean… she got me here. I thought I was going to be killed like my … parents and… and - "
Kyle nearly started to cry and everyone felt badly for him, but Max's mother was the one who immediately sat next to the boy and put her arm around his shoulder in an effort to console him. A few minutes later, after the boy had wiped his tears away and regained his composure, they all went about eating their lunches, except for Jennie, who brought Liliana's lunch to her in their chambers. In most situations she would have forced the girl back down into the dining hall so she could apologize, but this was a special case, as Jennie had never seen the girl react that way. She would soon come of age, and Jennie wanted to be sure that it was a smooth transition in more ways than one.
"So, I'm a lycan? Is it like a disease or something? Is it like in the holo games and old books?"
"I'm a lycan," said Max.
"So am I," added Bagatelle.
"Me too. No disease here, sweetie," said Clarisa
"Guilty as charged," muttered Janice, while raising her hand with a mouth half-full of food.
"Kyle, my boy, you are, as I told you earlier, in the Rhönen Dominion, home of the lycan king Krynos, who you will most probably meet before day's end. Near everyone in this massive structure is a lycan, with the exception of my two sons and myself. However, as you have not yet claimed to have experienced any enhanced senses I am going to assume that you suffer the same condition as your aunt. You simply need a booster shot," said Draagh. He then turned and addressed the others at the table. "Why don't we finish with our meals and afterwards I will take care of young Kyle here. Then we will figure out where we shall place him in this brave, new world."
Max excused himself and went to his quarters to check up on Liliana and Jennie, finding the two sitting and quietly eating their sandwiches. Jennie gave him a hidden look that seemed to say Don't say anything yet, so he just sat down with them and silently ate a sandwich that he had brought along. It was a few minutes before anyone said anything, with Liliana speaking out first.
"I most certainly do not have a crush on anyone, especially that beastly boy. I believe that Grandfather is quite mistaken."
"Hmm, what's that sweetie? I didn't even notice anything of the sort. But just so you know, if you ever did have a crush on a boy - any boy, it wouldn't be a horrible thing. It is perfectly acceptable, but I do realize that you have no such crush," responded Jennie as she ran her fingers through her daughter's black hair.
Looking at her adoptive mother, Liliana smiled and then took another bite of her sandwich.
"But he was not totally repugnant, was he, Mami?"
"No my dear. Actually, I think he was quite cute. However, I am sure that he will be placed with the other boys in training. He has nowhere else to go, now that he is an orphan."
"Oh my… he is an orphan like I was? How terrible. Then I believe we should do our utmost to make sure he finds a proper family, do you not agree?"
"That is a nice thought, sweetie. A very nice thought. Now finish your sandwich and get back to classes."
Max and Jennie leaned their heads back out of their daughter's peripheral view and did their best to withhold their laughter, with their eyes practically bulging out of their heads and lips locked tightly. Then Liliana suddenly stood up, looking at them momentarily, as if she were analyzing their expressions. However, she quickly regained her typical cute, little girl smile, and after kissing her parents on their cheeks, quickly bolted out the door to her afternoon classes.
Chapter 31 - Mischief
Michael and Gabriel soared over New Sydney, weaving in between the shining high-rises that seemed to almost touch the sky when one looked up from the ground. Fortunately, no one could see them, even with the advanced surveillance of Azul's government. They had a task - to find out what Chairman Len Johnson was up to, and then to analyze security at the New Exodus II base on Luna. If it was up to the brothers they would have simply decimated the entire base, leaving nothing but smoldering rubble, but they were informed that multiple families with children were living on the barges, eliminating their desired solution to what was looking to become a serious problem.
"Shall we go visit this so-called chairman now?" asked Gabriel.
"I do so enjoy watching megalomaniacs in action. It was really too bad we didn't take Hitler seriously. He did so much damage," replied Michael.
"That was when I wrote humans off for the last time. After so much progress they reverted to being genocidal maniacs."
"But now you have found them in your favor again? Especially… Jessica? She is quite cute."
Gabriel ignored Michael's comment and looked ahead, concentrating on his naturally occurring head's up display.
"Johnson's office is just ahead," said Gabriel.
The two archangels streaked down and stopped at a large picture window. Looking in, they saw Johnson working on a curious-looking device. It was their lucky day, as they didn't have to search around the system for him. Then, without delay, they slipped into Johnson's office, maintaining th
eir invisibility. It wasn't that they were transparent, but that they were surrounded by magic particles that perfectly bent light around them, giving the illusion of invisibility (there were actually multiple methods of achieving invisibility, this being one of them). They then stood in front of Johnson's desk, watching him intently.
"I would like to examine that device, Brother. It looks most sinister," Michael thought out to Gabriel.
"I agree. Perhaps we should simply kill the monkey and take it."
"No. We need to keep an eye on him and see what he is up to. It is entirely possible that he has created such a tangled mess that he will be needed in order to backtrack his works. Max would agree with that course of action."
"Very well. Oh, look - there is a wet bar and he has some good Scotch whisky. Would you like some?" asked Gabriel.
"But of course! I believe Max inherited his taste for Scotch from me."
Gabriel held out his unseen (to Johnson) hand and offered a glass of the amber liquid to his brother. He had easily and quietly ported some of the liquor out of its bottle, and into a glass he had conjured. After doing the same for his own glass, they sat down on a bench off to the side of the room, watching a display that showed them what Johnson was doing on his odd console-like device.
"Would you like to see something funny?" asked Michael.
"What do you mean by funny, Brother?"
"Watch this."
Michael got up and walked over to Johnson's desk. Bending over, he looked at the dictator's face, noting the man's overly large, angular nostrils. Michael conjured a pair of tweezers, and then delicately reached over and pulled one of Johnson's nostril hairs out, which caused the man to wince in pain and reach up to his nose. He was distracted to say the least. Michael did it again, causing Johnson to jump up from his desk and flail his arms in the air, as if some unseen insect was attacking him.
Gabriel had to stifle his audible laughter, but from his mind he was roaring.
