Chapter VIII

**Chapter VIII**

On a clear and sunny day, in Texas, Bren and Lacy teleport in miles away from a military base outside of El Paso; using Bren’s phoenix ability to teleport. As they arrive, Lacy coughs violently then after a couple minutes of choking and gagging.

Bren: “Sorry…forgot to warn you. First time teleporting can have tension on the nerves… it’ll pass. Here eat this it helps,” he says handing her trail mix with chocolate in it, and water canteen as they are both dressed in military fatigues.

Lacy: “So you just so happen to have trail mix and water with you on a mission?” She ask curiously as she eats the trail mix.

Bren: “Might not appear like it but my powers take a lot of me. If not physically then mentally or emotionally. If I over it do it or under stress I can’t use them as sufficiently…so consumption helps speed up the recovery process, like if you ran far distance without stopping”

Lacy: “How many powers have you… acquired and mastered sense you manifested?” She says while catching her breath, panting and drinking water.

Bren: “Not sure…before I stopped counting, I was around fifty but if I had to guess… seventy-four… give or take.” He says as Lacy’s eyes widen slightly as she drinks.

Lacy: “So how far is the base?” She asks while looking around the deserted plains confused.

Bren: “About ten or so miles that way…” responding as he points confidently in one direction.

Lacy: “Ten miles?! Why the hell didn’t you ‘port us closer? Like at least walking distance!” She exclaims.

Bren: “That base has WAN drones hovering near every corner of it, probably on it too. Techahn and I got that much before we were kicked out the system, by something or someone, trying to gain some sort of surveillance through the satellite feeds. Far as we know any ability detected from people like us and boom…. Mission failed. Besides, didn’t think a ten-mile run would hurt an Army vet… or are you just that out of practice?” Bren says mockingly. Lacy gazes at him and begins to jog toward the base with Bren right beside her.

Lacy: “What’d you tell Victoria about this little quest?” She asks.

Bren: “The truth…that you needed my help investigating a military base and once I was done I was going back on my break.” He answers.

Lacy: “I see. So where’d you get the military fatigues?” she says while panting and jogging.

Bren: “I kind of made them.” He replies.

Lacy: “I didn’t know being a tailor was one of your powers…” she says with a chuckle.

Bren: “It’s not…one of the last recruits, before my break, was this kid with…. Optic molecular manipulation I think Techahn called it…. In short I took clothing I had and manipulated them to look and appear like your fatigues. The uh…kid I found is only able to do it with food though.

Lacy: “How’s that work? I mean I don’t get it.”

Bren: “Basically whatever is in the food he can change it inside and out to another food. So food that’s mainly beef to chicken or chicken to fish. Something like that. I once saw him take a can of dog food and convert it to beef tips due to the beef that was in the food…. ironically he was put on food detail and kitchen duty at the school.” Bren with a chuckle.

Lacy: “Is that why everything taste like fucking chicken?!” The two continue.

Bren: “Pretty much. Kid hasn’t mastered his power. But the other parts work just fine.”

Lacy: “Other parts like what hotdogs?”

Bren: Chuckling, “No, he can manipulate the air molecules around his eyes creating heat beams, ice beams, or even electricity…he can also see in the dark and has microscopic vision… it’s how his power to manipulate food works so well, but…kids got a long way to go before he reaches his full potential.”

Lacy: “I don’t know what’s worse the fact you can use our abilities like your own personal vending machine or the fact you use them and have a better understanding about them than we do…” she says as Bren chuckles more. “So what…what happen with you and that vampire back there?” She ask, but Bren stays silent. “Don’t want to talk about it?” She ask as they continue to run. “Sorry, meant no offense.”

Bren: “None taken. Let’s just say I hope she’s okay…wherever she ends up at…” The two are cut off by a speeding RV. As it speeds by Bren gets a slow motion look at the driver, who looks him right in the face. “Strange…” “What,” Lacy responds as they stop running. “I’ve seen that guy somewhere before… come on, we should be close.”

The two arrive at the base minutes later and look from a far on top of a hill just outside of the base. As Lacy drinks more water, Bren looks onward using a set of binoculars.

Bren: “Well the intel was right. WAN drones in the air and on the ground.” He says as he hands her the binoculars and she look for herself.

Lacy: “We have to get in there… I’m open for suggestions.”

Bren: “We could turn around and just go back…abort. But this is important to you… why?”

Lacy: With a hesitant pause Lacy tells him “You’re an empath… so you know all about how when you get a certain feeling you have to check it out right?” Bren nods in agreement as she continues, “well something is telling me Sonny is alive… I don’t know how but he is.” Bren nods, sits down then starts to rock back in forward in a trance. “What are you doing?” She asks as his eyes open seconds later. “What was that about?”

Bren: “Techahn and I came across some Shreveport’s blue prints some time ago and we discovered all the WAN drones and droids have a standby mode that shuts their capabilities down for one hour to recharge leaving them in a type of sentry mode. Basically, right now those drones are as good as surveillance camera’s but only a matter of time before that can change, come on,” he says before moving forward to the back entrance to an outside gate running up to an armed guard. “I don’t know military stuff so this next part all you.”

Armed Guard 1: “Hold on, this is a restricted area, state your business.”

Lacy: “Sergeant Lacy Steward with the 43’rd” she responds as she hands her false ID to the guard.

Armed Guard 2: “The 43’rd are on maneuvers.”

Lacy: “Right, I’m on leave from them. Was on the way back here for new orders and I was attacked by a couple of those freaks. Stole everything…”

Armed Guard 1: “Did ya manage to take some out?”

Lacy: “No, they came out of nowhere, were fast as flies on shit. But I’m eager to get out there and show’em.”

Armed Guard 2: “I hear that… what about him?”

Lacy: “Him? He helped me out…it’s why I’m alive.”

Bren: “I got separated from the 43’rd when I saw… the freaks.” He says with hesitation as he sees the surveillance camera over their shoulder.

Armed Guard 1: “ID dumbass…”

The two guards look over the ID’s but are soon stuck in place as if they have been frozen. Lacy then hears Bren’s voice using his telepathy, “Be calm, take the ID’s from them and walk through the gate casually as you would as if you were still enlisted,” and she does as he says. Once through the two walk fast to the entrance after Bren covertly takes their ID’s for access to the base, Lacy even subtly takes a side arm from one guard belt.

Lacy: “What the hell was that? What did you do? We were in the clear?! You didn’t have to do that…what was that?!” She says frantically under her voice as they walk past several workers, soldiers and various other military personnel.”

Bren: Speaking to her softly, “It did actually. I could read their mind’s they weren’t buying into the story. The one guy was about to call for clearance to check the ID’s to which you gave them your real name, don’t you think it would be suspicious if someone from your old base saw or heard your name come up after you were arrested and discharged?”

Lacy: “Yea…I suppose so…” but then what did you do to them? And the telepathy thing since when can you do that?” She asks as they continue to walk to an entrance to the main building.

Bren: “Little trick I picked up from Victoria. As for what I did to them… that’s up for debate but in short, I petrified them. Long story dealing with a Svartálfar…they’ll be ok in a few hours; come on.” He says as they enter the base but as they do, he can’t help but get a weird feeling from the same RV not far from the base main entrance.

As Lacy and Bren enter the building they walk by a few lab techs, scientist, and doctors but very few soldiers. Each who only pass them a small glance. They make their way into the security room, render the guards petrified. They sift through each camera location, to which Bren once again sees the RV at the front gate, this time, on a monitor in long line of vehicles outside; while Lacy finds the feed, she is looking for.

Lacy: “I checked the infirmary, and prison cell feeds, and he wasn’t in either… starting to think I was wrong.” She says in frustration.

Bren: “Our instinct is our natural alert system to the things around us” He says as he circle back to the main monitor, holds his hands up over it and closes his eyes as the monitor responds on its own, control it using his technopathy, “there…what’s that?” He says pointing at the screen with a camera footage showing a classified and hazard room.

Lacy: “I don’t know but it’s not in the system as anything…”

Bren: “And yet a crap load of power is being routed there…I can feel it.” “Can you tell the camera’s inside to feed what’s in there, here?” Lacy responds. “No, cause there aren’t any but there is a lot of power and tech behind that door….and…something else,” he says in reply. “Then that’s where we are going, come on we’re running out of time,” Lacy responds.

The two make their way to the door, passing very few scientists in lab coats along the way. As they enter one set of doors the room is revealed to be a large laboratory. Some slabs and instruments are being cleaned from blood and sterilized by technicians scattered about in the lab. One scientist addresses them curiously after he finds them looking around as if they are lost.

Scientist: “You’re not authorized to be in here,” he says as Bren looks at him with a curiously reading his mind.

Bren: “Follow my lead,” he says telepathically to Lacy; “Yes I am, sir. We were sent here by General Johnson to assist in the aid of…. Project U.S, he said. Didn’t give us any information outside that, sir.” He responds after reading the scientist mind for information.

Scientist: “Well… you’re a little early but that’s ok. I’m heading to get a cup of coffee. Hazmat suits are in the back if you… both want to get ready.” He says looking at Lacy.

Bren: “Thank you, sir.” He responds after the scientist walks away. The two put on hazmat suits, and the scientist returns minutes later. “Damn machine is busted, let’s get this over with so I can go home, I need a nice stiff drink after this day,” The scientist says as he puts on a hazardous suit himself and walks with Lacy and Bren to the hazardous door. He has Lacy take a small cart with a syringe and vial on it and she carts it behind Bren and the scientist as the door is opened with the scientist badge.

The room is basked in blue neon light as the three walk down a long corridor of white walls and glass doors. Behind the doors are various SPECS. They see a humanoid spider like creature, with dreaded hair that pulse like tentacles, shredded clothing around tusk and horns coming from its fair skin, and drooling slime through his fanged mouth as it sizzles when it hits the ground; they look to see an outside LED tag that says “The Kreap,” an Arachne.  Another creature seems like an innocent young woman wearing gothic like attire of fishnet stockings, dark skirt, black hair with green highlights, a metal band t-shirt, buckled boots and dark make up but her eyes are jet black as she smirks seductively with a serpent tongue and glowing red eyes at Bren as he notices her LED tag says “Coma,” a succubus.

Scientist: “Don’t worry… they are entrapped in state-of-the-art Shreveport detention cells. The glass and lining of their cells can withstand an atomic blast and the blue lights out here render their abilities inert to the point they can’t use them, protects us from them in case of a cage malfunction. Soon Shreveport industries will have this tech in every human prison on the planet. Follow me.” He says as they proceed down the corridor.

They see other SPECS such as a man who can willing transform himself into a Bear. He shifts various parts of his anatomy in and out as they pass. Moving forward they see a vampire, a mer-person, a scruffy like homeless man creating atomic blast in his hands, and a gorgon as they come up to a door that reads “Project United Soldier” on the LED tag. As the scientist enters using his ID badge; Bren and Lacy follow behind him and Lacy, particularly, is shocked to see a wavy brown haired, and physically fit, Sonny, in scrubs. He sits up right, strapped to a gurney, unconscious but with his hands and feet bound. He has several machines monitoring his vitals as the scientist administers the vial to the syringe, on Lacy’s cart, to his neck.

Scientist: “That should do it… no harm. Few days rest and you should be ready to help us take back this country…” suddenly alarms blare throughout the facility as red lights are accompanied with them and a loud speak shouts “ALL PERSONELL REPORT TO YOUR SAFE HATCHES THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” As the scientist heads to the door he is knocked out cold by Lacy. She then proceeds to unlatch Sonny and assist Bren’s help in doing so as Sonny falls from the gurney and is caught by them both.

The red lights and alarms grow louder as they make their escape back to the corridor outside the door of Sonny’s room, but as they exit, the door closing behind them; leaving the unconscious scientist, the glass cages in the corridor unlock one by one to release the creatures behind them.

Bren: “It’s ok…they are just as defenseless as we are…” Bren says as he is shot at with acidic slime that misses him by inches. As the creatures makes their way to Lacy, Sonny and Bren while others make their way toward the only exit, out of the lab and corridor, as the alarms grow louder. Suddenly multiple gun shots are fired at the blue light in the ceiling and are replaced with only the bright red alarming lights as Bren looks back at Lacy who is lowering down a smoking barrel of a gun after shooting out the blue lights. “You couldn’t have done that sooner?” he says, “just do your thing,” she replies while holding up Sonny. Bren’s eyes glow a fiery yellow and red as he shoots a stream of fire down the corridor forcing most of the creatures back into their cells but killing others who charge them. Once a path is cleared Bren picks Lacy and Sonny both up, in either arms, and super speeds them both through the exit back through the lab, to which slowed down the lab has been turned over with people trying to get out, humans and nonhumans; scientist and techs flee for their lives while soldiers fight. Bren bypasses them all and keeps running until he stops to see the man in the RV outside from earlier, blocking the door outside of security area. He stands bulky over seven-foot-tall with wide muscles to his intimidating dark gray skin and faded haircut with shaved down horns. He wears jeans, and has a thick tail coming out his back side, black and white gym shoes, half zipped sleeveless hoodie with a white tank top underneath. A long silver chain dangles around his neck that reads “The Brute” in bold letters as he smiles sinisterly walking out of the security office, covered in blood.

Brute: “How sweet… more meat!” He says with a drooling grin.

Bren: “You…you’re the one who was after Techahn that night… But you look… different…less human.” Bren says as he finally puts a face with his memory.

Brute: “We have met little man?!” he says with a distorted voice “and you actually lived to tell the tale?” He says with no response to from Bren. “It won’t happen again,” he continues as he charges Bren like a large behemoth.

Bren charges in return and is knocked back past and over Lacy into a wall- cracking it. Lacy immediately opens fire on the Brute, but the bullets bounce off its flesh as they meet his skin. Lacy drops the gun and readies her psionic blade with her free hand, holding Sonny with the other, but as soon as the Brute gets close he is met by Bren who’s pushing him back with his telekinesis, inch by inch. The Brute pushes forward with force, slowly, like an unstoppable hulk, growling as Bren’s nose begins to bleed from the tension. He gets closer and grabs Bren by the throat choking him with a smile as he picks Bren up. Bren grins back and spits acid spit into the Brutes face, blinding and causing him to scream in agony holding his face dropping to the ground. Bren, who falls to his knees and begins healing immediately. Using the Brute’s same physical strength, Bren begins to pummel the large behemoth like monster as he falters to the floor out cold. As he does so he is hit with a telekinetic blast from another figure blocking the exit past the security room, knocking him to Lacy’s feet.

Lilith: “Is this the little pissant you and Brute had trouble with the night I sent you after that kid?” She says walking in behind 8-Ball who is holding a glowing hand towards Bren, showing a pair of fairy wings sprouting from her back, something she did not have the night she met Bren and Techahn, which Bren notices.

8-Ball: “Yes mistress. He’s the one who got in our way of retrieving the kid.” She responds as Bren, gets up in front of Lacy, facing 8-ball and Lilith.

Lilith: “He doesn’t looks so tough…. But I have never seen someone take down my Brute… what did you do to him?!” She exclaims after looking at Brute.

Bren: “Gave him a taste of his own medicine, should be a nice lesson to him… never judge a book by its…” he stops as he is picked up off the ground by dark telekinetic energy from 8-ball.

8-ball: “You dare challenge the First?!” She yells pinning Bren to the ceiling as he struggles to get free and Lilith walks to him slowly with a whip in her hand. “Do you want me to finish him Mistress?” She ask.

Lilith: “He is interesting…. Part of me wants to take him home and play with him…but I simply don’t have the time… teleport him into the sun for me please.” She says standing under Bren, as Lacy covers her ears after being told telepathically to do so by Bren, as he releases a loud sonic screech that puts Lilith and 8-ball to the floor. Once on his feet Bren uses his telekinesis to push 8-ball to the back wall, behind her, knocking her out but before he can turn his sight on Lilith, she grabs him and throws him toward 8-balls direction with impressive strength. She then shape shifts into a bull and charges Bren before he can get back to his feet. She shape shifts back to her human form, pulls a knife from her boot and attempts to stab Bren, but suddenly the knife is gone before it hits him. Lilith turns around to see Victoria, her sister, standing right behind her.

Victoria: “That’s enough of that, Lily.” She says with a strong and powerful voice. “Bren, get Lacy and her friend out of here and get home now!” Bren uses his phoenix teleportation to appear by Lacy and Sonny, grabs them both and disappears leaving Victoria in the hallway with an unconscious Brute and 8-ball.

Lilith: “Vicky, Vicky, Vicky… you don’t write, text… you don’t call, not even a whisper.” She says.

Victoria: “I’ve called plenty and there have been more than whispers, sis.” She says calmly.

Lilith: “Oh right, I blocked your calls. Still trying to borrow a few bucks? For what this time, alcohol? Medicine? Or is it party supplies this time, as you like to call your habit.” She mockingly states.

Victoria: “I’ve not done that for years but that is not what this is about.” She states, “This is about you and what you are doing. You are not helping our people by continuing down this route and if you keep at it, we will all die!”

Lilith: “I’m doing this so people like my son’s, your nephew’s, aren’t just another statistic to be bought off with a buck!” She exclaims. “This world must change! Starting with the government and the corporate assholes who sponsor them!

Victoria: “And if it kills us all will it be worth it?! Lily, we shared the same womb! Grew up together. You were there for me when I came out as trans. I was there for you when the boys were born… is this something they would really want? Please sister… don’t do this.” She humbly says as the expression on Lilith’s face changes from gloomy to sinister in seconds.

Lilith: “The boys don’t want anything… they’re dead!!!” She screams as her eyes glow yellow and she shifts into a flock of raven’s and attacks Victoria. Victoria’s eyes glow white and she shines a bright beam of light from around her, blinding Lilith who shifts back into her human form holding her eyes. “You bitch!” She screams while opening her eyes to see, “looks like you’ve been a busy girl. Learned a few moves reading those books at your fancy occult store,” she states mockingly.

Victoria: “I’ve upgraded from that, sis” She says as she telekinetically pushes her to the floor. “I am a few minutes older than you so it’s only right I give you a spanking, trust me this isn’t fun for me.” She says sarcastically as Lilith tries to stand up to thrust her whip at her, striking Victoria in the face. Lilith, shifts again into a wild bull and charges Victoria. Victoria telekinetically stops her then thrust her up, down, back and forward between the walls until she shifts back into her human form again. “Stay down!” She yells, “I don’t want to kill you, but I will keep kicking your ass!”

Lilith: “And do what then? Leave me here to be a Guinea pig to the government?” She says as Victoria’s look changes from confidence to concern. “Oh you didn’t know? That’s what they are doing here. Using us to make super soldiers for a war against us! If you want to save our people you’ll let me through to stop it! To stop it all!” She continues as she stands up wiping the blood from her mouth. Victoria uses her tentacle like hair to subdue Lilith by her legs and throat.

Victoria: “There wouldn’t be a war coming if you would just stop! If you won’t then I will have to make you. We are family… it’s only right stopping you is done by me.” She says as her eyes glow a fierce white.

Lilith: “What happen to not killing me, Vicky?” She says choking on her words.

Victoria: “Lily, Lily, Lily… who said anything about killing you?” She says as Lilith closes her eyes and whispers “Siro…I need you.”

Siro hears Lilith’s call from the other side of the country, on Lilith’s boat in New Jersey, and teleports to her immediately. Appearing in front of her, burning Victoria’s tentacles releasing their grip on Lilith and having her scream in pain as she looks up.

Lilith: “Get us out… get us all out…. And… clean up this mess.” She says weakly.

Siro’s eye glow bright golden yellow looking at Victoria as she looks back and in a split second Siro, 8-ball, the Brute and all the other forces of Lilith, including the ones battling the soldiers on the base freed from their cells, are gone in a white light. Victoria looks around to only see and hear the alarms still going off and an empty hallway and teleports away herself, arriving at her abandoned school, with the other SPECS, in her room of televisions. She turns them off and summons a full body mirror revealing the Oracle inside of her own reflection.

Victoria: “What the hell was that?” Victoria’s reflection says in a disturbing voice. “I am not sure,” the entity inside her responds “But it was old… powerful… I’ve never seen or felt power like it. Your sister… she doesn’t seem to just surround herself with SPECS as we thought originally. But something… divine?” The oracle says nervously. “You’re nervous… or is that me… we’re shaking; why?” Victoria ask the entity in a small panic. “I fear there is something else entirely afoot here…. Something stronger and powerful enough to hide outside of time and space… making it difficult to see what’s orchestrating current events that lead to the future,” the Oracle says. “The future…has it changed at all?” Victoria ask, “No… it has not,” the Oracle responds as commotion outside grows. “Tend to your people… I must meditate on this,” the Oracle says.

Victoria leaves her room and quickly walks to the outside courtyard where a small crowd of the residential SPECS have gathered, surrounding Lacy, Bren and an unconscious Sonny who is shaking violently.

Lacy: “What’s wrong with him? He won’t stop shaking!”

Bren: “Could be a seizure…here put this under his head.” He says as he takes his jack off and places it under Sonny’s head and looks up at Victoria. “No, he wasn’t like this when we found him…they were doing something to him…experimentation maybe…. shot him up with vial.”

Techahn: “Damn that! You guy have to check this out!” He interrupts barging into the crowd pressing buttons on a makeshift mechanical watch on his arm. As he does a holographic image project from it. “What is that?” Bren ask. “Holo-watch… something I been tinkering with…” Techahn says before he is cut off.

Victoria: “Quiet!” She yells as the news report being viewed on the holo-watch plays and shows the site of a military base in ruins as various emergency vehicles attempt to extinguish flames and look for survivors; below saying BREAKING NEWS. NO SURVIVORS. U.S. MILITARY BASE. “Is this happening right now?” She asks as Techahn nods yes and looks back at the image.

Everyone stares at the image looking devastated at the destruction. Moments later the commotion starts up as fear and panic sets in. Some claim they have to flee from the country and over the Canadian border for fear SPECS will be blamed for it as Victoria looks over at Bren and Lacy, who gaze back nervously, but the tension is broken when Sonny begins to groan in pain. As he moans and groans in pain he wakes up startled, sending the others in retreat, as he grasp the ground, gasping for air and starts to glow lightly. He breathes deeply and calms down when Bren touches his forehead, wakes up and looks up to see, Lacy.

Sonny: “Lacy?” He says as she smiles back to him. “Where are we?”

Lacy: “Together, that’s all that matters.” She responds after kissing his forehead then lips blissfully. “I can’t feel my legs,” Sonny says in response.

Bren looks at Sonny’s body and gently taps Lacy’s shoulder to observe that Sonny had become like air from the waist down and that one of his hands had become stone like the rocks by his hands in the grass. “What’s happening? Who’s this?” Sonny ask as he looks at Bren, who responds “A friend, buddy…that’s it. Just rest up,” Bren says then walks over to Victoria and Techahn looking at the holographic image of the news.

Techahn: “I guess you guys mission was successful… you found and freed Lacy’s beau.” Techhan says with slight enthusiasm.

Victoria: “Successful isn’t the word I’d use… the arrival of my sister… I didn’t even see…yet alone…this shit,” she says motioning to the screen.

Techahn: “Wait is this you or…the Oracle thing?”

Bren: “It’s her… speech pattern is completely different. Where is she? I need to talk to her.” Bren responds.

Victoria: “She’s…away for now I guess.” Saying distantly as she looks at the screen.

Bren: “I know what’s on the screen is a little jarring right now, but one can assume SPECS will be blame for it. Tech, turn it off.” He says as Techahn does so. “So that was your sister…the first? The one who’s been causing all the trouble for SPECS breaking into government facilities and knocking over banks and trust?” He ask as Victoria nods. “What does she want? Do you know at all?” He continues to ask as Victoria shakes her head. “Well you have to know something, like why she is doing this? Who’s she got on her team that can blow up an entire military base? Is she trying to start some kind of war?!”

Victoria: “I don’t know!” Victoria answers in frustration. “I don’t know… I’m sorry.” She says as the commotion across the court yard grows again and attention is brought to Sonny who sits up, as everyone clears from his path, and shoots a yellow beam from his eyes similar to Lacy’s psionic blade, stunning everyone around him as he looks shocked and passes out in Lacy’s arms.

Bren: “Well know this… tell the Oracle she’s got herself a new weapon and she can shove her deal up her tentacle ass… I quit.” Bren says as he walks off leaving a stunning expression on Victoria and Techahn face.

Back in New Jersey Lilith is placed in bed, drifting in and out of conscious, by Siro who dabs a cold towel on her forward head after healing a couple of injuries. “Did you pull everyone out…” Lilith ask. “Yes Mistress,” Siro responds, “Every last SPECS in the facility. Even added a few to our ranks but I think we are going to need accommodations to welcome them if they decided to stay,” Siro finishes. “We will… handle that tomorrow.” Lilith says as she closes her eyes and curls up into fetal position, “for now… I need to sleep.” She continues as Siro places a hand over Lilith’s head helping her fall to sleep.

Siro stands from the bed, walks to the entrance of the room, turns the lights off and exits. As Siro closes the door, Siro vanishes into a secret room luminated only by candles in a circle with runes around the entire room, as part of a summoning ritual. Siro stands in the center, chants in an unknown ancient language and moments later is surrounded by multiple individuals; six who luminate a divine white glow and seven who luminate a dark glow energy. Each without gender or form seen but speak powerfully distorted.

Michael: “We were beginning to wonder if you had abandoned us.”

Gabriel: “Speak for thy self. My faith remains intact with you.”

Uriel: “As does mine.”

Lucifer: “Enough of this squabbling! What we need to know is if all we have put in place is on track?”

Mammon: “Yes. It is a millennium in the making…”

Satan: “And you be so close to failure would be unacceptable.”

Metatron: “The plan has not moved off course.”

Azazel: “It moves progressively as we speak.”

Leviathan: “But what of the great one, have they been confined?”

Belphegor: “If they haven’t then this will all be for nothing.”

Michael: “Confined to their human form they so often take. Which just leaves the final steps.”

Lucifer: “Kill the two-headed dragons.”

Azrael: “One will fall and the other will follow.”

Michael: “Which just leaves you to spark the flame to the fire, Raphael.”

Siro: “And I will Michael… as soon as the curtain falls. This world will be ours, after the fall of man.” Siro says as all the entities fade from sight in the room one at a time but one who stays behind. “You were quite quiet that entire time.” Siro says to the last remaining dark energy. “Come to me” Siro says as the figure takes a faded and corporeal form resembling dark hair, and soft feminine but also masculine features. “I’ve missed you, so.” Siro says as they touch the energies cheek, lightly passing through.

Asmodeus: “And I you, my love, my angel. But soon…we will be together on this world and the next.” The entity says touching Siro’s hand.

Siro: “Forever..” Siro responds with a hopeful grin.