Chapter V

**Chapter V**

In New Jersey, off the coast line, Lilith sits in her large study surrounded in shadows with a small fire going behind her in a fire place, staring out the large window past the large boat she owns on the coast into the night sky.

Lilith: “I wasn’t always like this. I was a mother… two boys… nine and three years old. My little one… he would have been four in two weeks before what happen…. Shit I was even a wife at one point but that…that doesn’t hold title to that of being a mother. No, it really doesn’t. Your children rely on your protection, your love… your trust. Do you read the bible?” She pauses and looks behind her into the shadows. “No?” Chuckles lightly, “I figured as much. Easy to quote the book when your PR people tell you what to say word for word to make you look good when you’re preaching the good word to spread it’s fear and hate to the public. Anyway…in the bible it says Adam’s first wife was not made from his own flesh but instead the land around to what was eventually called Eden. Of course she wasn’t submissive like his second so called wife, Eve. No, she was a free spirit. Embraced her feminine essence and power as a woman, she rebelled against Adam so-called superiority. Of course it lead to her expulsion from paradise all because some human bitched about her not kissing his ass. What came of her afterwards… no one truly knows. Lilith… she was the first rebel of a flawed system. Some say she became mother to Lucifer’s demonic children after his fall from heaven, others say she was simply cursed on some level after… who truly knows. But what is for certain… she didn’t bow to man… and neither will I or anyone of my kind Secretary.” She says as she walks over to a man tide up and gagged on opposite side of the fire place. “You all think I’m an extremist…a villain. But you’ll see you’re the real villains. You step on those less fortunate… disabled or because they’re poor or their race or culture or country whatever it is…is beneath your feet. And you do it with such ease. A stroke of your pen or even a click of a button. Nobody who gets in your way… monster…man…woman…children,” she pauses with a sadness to her face then back to a look of frustration and anger. “You treat us as we are the abominations against the world when we are the first! The superior, the rebels of your flawed and fragile system. It is you that it the mistake… the abominations! The men who step on women and children in third world countries bombing them from a far when they don’t submit to your government rule. Men who supply war and criminals with weapons to have reason for terrorism… man who takes money and gives it to shut up the less fortunate to cover up their wrongs of murder, child trafficking, modern slave labor… humans who… fuck the babysitter while the wife and kids are at grandma’s?” She says while standing over the beaten man who looks up at her whimpering. “Don’t worry Secretary, they’ll be just fine without you… better actually…I took care of it.” She then shows him a video surveillance footage, on a tablet she grabs from her desk, which shows an exact duplicate of the secretary and his family getting on a plane. The secretary of defense starts to whimper moan and groan angrily through his gags while trying to get up in his chair that he is tied. “You’d be surprised how useful changelings can be when motivated by vengeance,” she says as she places the tablet down and picks up sharp kitana blade displayed on her desk. “Especially when that vengeance was spawned from people like you who took their family away from them in the first place… a little compromising here and there and poof; they get their family back…plus their vengeance. And in exchange…I get eyes in the white house… or more eyes I should say. Doesn’t matter…you won’t be around to see.” She says as she quickly unsheathes the kitana and instantly cuts the man’s head off as blood splatters across the floor.

Siro: “Um, Mistress…” saying while Lilith cleans the blood off her sword using a handkerchief in the secretary’s pocket, “sorry to disturb you but we seem to have hit a wall searching for the technopath… the seers, mages… psychics can’t get a bead on him.”

Lilith: “So he’s either dead or someone is magically hiding him,” she says while cleaning the sword. “And no thefts of money or anything has been gone missing or turned up in the news or otherwise?”

Siro: “Not since before our encounter with him weeks ago.”

Lilith: “Keep someone on it, until a body turns up dead or alive. Until then I have pressing matters to attend to. Clean this up, please, I made it a bit easier this time.” She says with a sadden look as she hands the sheath sword to Siro, turns on the lights in the study which reveal the secretary’s head on the floor, lifeless body tied to the chair, several torturing devices on a table top near covered in blood, all on top of plastic that lines the floor.

Siro: “Yes, mistress.”

Siro, in a navy blue ensemble and short blue hair, grips the sword around the hilt, breathes deeply at which an energy surrounds the room. Siro, then places the sword back on the desk top, in the sheath casing, looks around to a spotless and clean room and shuts the light off before exiting; leaving only the fire going lightly.

Back in the Michigan, Bren looks over a tablet that has been given to him by Techahn in orders of Victoria, who sits idly by gazing at several televisions that play tons of stations.

Bren: “May I ask why you just sit there looking at those things?”

Victoria: “In this….form I am unable to use my orbs how I am accustomed to…. So these ‘things’ as you call them, they able me to see current and previous events which allow me to see what leads up to this war through precise calculations… not exactly like my orbs but….close enough.”

Bren: “Right…so are you going to tell me about this new mission to find a ‘goddess’ or what?”

Victoria: “It’s all right there in the tablet…you should be on your way.” She says demandingly as she teleports Bren away with a flip of her hand.

Bren: “Great… she could have at least let me prep a few snacks or something. Where am I?” he says as he looks at his phone, “England?! Damn it… well I guess it’s not too bad one of the points of interest are close, let’s get this over with.” He finishes as he super speeds to the nearest country side to the first mark on the tablet’s map. “Great… an endless freaking field… hello needle in a hay stack. Going to need some supplies before I start this shovel... bottle of water… food at least, saw a pub back through that town…maybe I can find something there.”

Bren makes his way to the English pub in the small town our side London. The rules for people like him weren’t as strict as they were in the states so S.P.E.C.S are easily allowed to do what they like similar to other citizens as long as they do not use their abilities. Anything that looks non-human only came out at night; however drones and subhuman policed every area around the clock, making sure the rules were followed. As Bren makes his way into the pub he sits down at the bar quietly as it is practically empty.

Bartender: “Whatya have mate?”

Bren: “Just um… a cup of coffee if ya have it, for now.” He answers as he pulls money out of his pocket and uses his powers of matter manipulation to convert the dollars into Euros without the bar tender seeing.

Bartender: “Not from around here are ya?” He says with a thick English accent, “we don’t get many American tourists here anymore.”

Bren: “Just in town on some business, thought I’d stop in for coffee… not looking for trouble and not looking to start any.

Bartender: “Sounds alright to me mate but if you’re going to sit here, I hope it’s more than coffee ya plan on ordering.”

Bren: “Yea…Yea… can uh..see a menu, I am a bit hungry.”

The bartender hands a menu to Bren, and he is soon joined by a young Irishman, with dark reddish brown curly hair, fair skin, skinny. He wears brown jeans, a denim jacket with a plaid shirt underneath and sneakers and looks to be between the ages of 18 and 22 years old.

Irish young man: “I recommend the corn beef and cabbage soup,” he says with an Irish accent. “And no I’m not saying that because I’m Irish, but because it’s really good, lad. Not sure what he does to the potatoes but…”

Bartender: “Whatya have Nathan?”

Nathan: “Oh just the usual bar keep and I’ll be on my way.”

Bartender: “Little early for Irish coffee.”

Nathan: “We go through this every time, I come in. I sit down, you ask me what do you have, I tell you the usual, you lecture me about it being too early and STILL give me the coffee. Can’t we once just skip the dialogue and get straight to my morning pick me, please?” To which the bartender looks at him and does exactly that. Nathan, smiles and takes a sip of his coffee.

Bren can’t help to sense something is different about the young man, so he keeps staring at him out the corner of his eye, even as he eats the corn beef and cabbage soup.

Nathan: “Good huh? And Filling too right? I can barely finish a regular size bowl me self… but you… big lad like you should have no problem.” Bren continues to eat and gazes at Nathan from a distance out the corner of his eye. “Not from around here I can tell, cause if ya were you’d know ignoring someone talking to ya is quite rude.”

Bartender: “You know what’s actually rude? Not paying your tab.” He says as he stands in front of Nathan with his arms crossed.

Nathan: “Tab? I paid that last month mate!”

Bartender: “That was another month ago, and ya were short then. So now its interest, or do I have to get me brothers in on this.”

A look of fear passes over Nathan’s face, but then he starts to smile and grin after and says, “Go ahead… break something. I’m immortal.” Which catches Bren’s attention, as if something clicked. Bren looks harder at Nathan and almost as if his vision changes as the Bartender grabs him out the chair but his shirt with one hand and a knife in the other. The bartenders has the normal body temperature of a human being whereas Nathan’s is higher than normal, a signature seen in most who are SPECS, really high temperatures or really low ones, Bren notices using his enhanced sight.

Bren: “There’s no need for that,” Bren says capturing the bartender’s attention. “I’ll pay his tab…in exchange for some information.” The bartender puts Nathan down.

Bartender: “What’s this little maggot have any interest of you anyway? You just met him.”

Bren: “Well let’s just say he just became a person of my own interest…going to take the deal or not?” “This guy was annoying but there was no way I’m going to let some human hurt one of my own,” Bren thinks to himself.

Bartender: “80 pounds.”

Bren: “How about 100 euro? That ok?” he says as the bartender takes the money abruptly. “uh ok… so I just need to know where I can purchase a shovel around here?”

Bartender: “Shove off ya wanker, and Nathan… better not see ya in here anymore. Fuck off, the both of ya!” He says as Nathan starts to put his jacket on and clumsily trips on the way out the door.

Bren: “Good soup by the way…thanks.” He says as he exits behind the Nathan and starts to walk down the street as Nathan catches up.

Nathan: “Hey mate! Thanks’ for the save back there… I mean…I’m immortal and all but dying hurts.”

Bren: “You keep saying that… you’re immortal, what’s that some sort of catch phrase?”

Nathan: “Look... all these powers and monsters running around a lad like me can barely find work. I mean look at me… no muscle to speak of and I can barely tie me shoes. SO when I got these powers most I could do is become a side show freak on a street corner… let people set me on fire, shoot me, stab me whatever… business is kind of slow since the shit that happen in America or election day and now we lads with the small pickings can barely do anything short of prostitution.  It’s like the early days back when the English were pushing us… anyway…there’s a hardware store on the corner from here… you should be able to find a shovel there mate.” He finishes as he lights cigarette and starts to walk the opposite direction.

Bren: “I didn’t get to finish my soup,” Bren yells back.

Nathan: “What’s that ya say mate?!” He responds.

Bren: “I didn’t get to finish my soup… know where I can get some food, I’m starving.”

Nathan: “Sure man.” He smiles as he walks back to Bren and they walk down the street together.

The two spend hours into the night talking, drinking and eating at the bar. Nathan even explains how he acquired his powers during a crazy storm; which was not uncommon in this time period because due to the climate changes of the planet various anomalies would appear in the weather across the globe ranging from hail and lightning storms in the desert to meteor showered fire storms in the artic. Bren spent a great deal of time researching the anomalies in his spare time before his own powers manifested. Nathan soon passes out from drinking, but beforehand Bren tells him how to find him if he ever needs anything before leaving his new friend passed out on the bar top and with a few euros in his pocket. Upon leaving he discovers a woman had left her purse and runs to give it back to her. Upon doing so, she attacks him with an earth bending like ability. Bren defends himself but before he can calm her down they are stopped by nearby patrols coming close to which they barely escape capture.

Bren: “You left this at your table… I was just returning it” He whispers to the lady as they sit invisible. She smiles and whispers thank you to him before the patrols leave. Before Bren can respond she is gone, but not before Bren copied her ability. “Geokinesis…. Easier than a shovel” He says to himself, “Heh that should be on a shirt” He continues as he super speeds down the street.

Meanwhile back in New Jersey, Lilith stands over 2 grave plots of both her children, talking to herself as if she was talking to them directly.

Lilith: “I know mommy has been gone for some time…but I promise it is for good reason. I know that’s not an excuse, there is none really and I am sorry for that. Sorry I couldn’t protect you both…save you. But everything I am doing is for you two… so no one will have to be bought out or stepped on again because the rich and powerful can get away with it. I am the power now…and on some level…I have you two to thank for that. You always made me a better person.” She says while looking at the graves and a text message comes in on her phone saying ‘We have news. Best not to share it in a text.’ “I’ve got to go… I love you both,” She says as she wipes tears away, “Jimmy, look after your brother make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble before I see you guys again. David baby…. You listen to your brother…. I know you like to get on his nerves but…just be good… better than mom ok? I love you guys, I will try to visit again soon.” She says as she morphs into a crow and flies away.

Later that night Bren heads back to the open field, with only the light of the moon as his light. With no patrols in sight Bren hovers up into the sky and begins to X-ray the area. After a few minutes he discovers a set of arms inside a casket buried several feet below surface. He lands, and uses his Geokinesis ability to push the casket to the surface, opens it and finds the arms of a young woman that seem to have not aged. He calls Techahn to inform him to tell Victoria the first of the package was arriving, before him teleports it. Bren does the same in Australia with a torso that’s part of a statue, Greece with a head that was buried at the bottom of a creek, and Egypt with a pair of legs to where he had to phase through a pyramid to find it.

When all the parts are together and in Victoria’s hands she has Bren put them together to which they come together like pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly as the mold back into one person. The girl rejuvenates and reanimates with a gasp as she opens her eyes. She has dark hair and olive toned skin with a curvy body and looks to be no more than 18 years old. Dazed and confused she runs off naked through the hideout in Michigan, alarming others as she does. Eventually Lacy and Bren catch up to her and explain to her what’s going on. Bren calms her down with his empathic power so she trust him. Victoria tells both, Bren and Lacy how she is the Goddess Gaia and is only powerless because of how long her body was dismembered and scattered, so her powers would return in time but was uncertain when and how long it will take, but until then she was vulnerable; to which she trust Bren to help her. Bren sees this as an opportunity to learn and possibly copy a god like power so that he can do the same with Victoria without her teaching him how to time travel.

As the days progress Gaia and Bren become friends. She tells Bren how the last time she took human form and came to Earth was because she once had a great love and how she felt he was ripped from her before she died. More so, she is interested in Bren because he reminded her of her lost love and less of the fact of his powers and how they worked like most who encountered him. She is fascinated of how he is able to fly because she was able to do so once and wished should could again.

Gaia: “There is a sense of freedom and bliss about it.

Bren: “What if you could fly…right now?” He says.

Gaia: “I am sure I will again but who knows when…”

Bren: “Let you in on a secret… I met someone once who could temporarily transfer their abilities to someone. They were one of the many people who were in the artic and… never mind the point is I can give you the ability fly…even if it’s a few minutes…

Gaia: “What happens after?

Bren: “It returns to me… trust me?”

Gaia: “I strangely do for some reason. Are you manipulating my emotions?”

Bren: “No…” he says as he holds his hands out. “The down side is once I do this, in the few minutes you have the power…I won’t be able to use it… however… I have a backup, so don’t worry.”

Gaia: Chuckling, “Why do you have two powers of flight?”

Bren: “Long story…”

The two hold hand and as they do a spark is shared between the two as Bren begins to float into the sky with Gaia in both hands,

Bren: “That spark was the power going to you...”

Gaia: “Yea… I feel it it’s kinda like a tingly sensation.” She says as she lets go and starts to fly on her own.

Bren hovers and watches her as she soars like a bird in the clouds, laughing and playing as a child, smiling at her.

Bren: “I’ve got you timed for 10 minutes before the power removes itself….of course you can’t hear me…” He says as she continues to fly wildly and he looks at his timer on his phone.

Victoria: “Mr. Turtle can you join me on the roof top please.” She says telekinetically to Bren. Bren slowly hovers down and collapses as he hits the roof, placing the phone on the ledge. “Rough landing? That’s a first.”

Bren: “It’s been a while since I used tactile telekinesis…works differently than aerial flight.”

Victoria: “Power sharing, I didn’t know you had that one.”

Bren: “A lot about me you don’t know Victoria…” He says while looking up at Gaia fly.

Victoria: “She seems to be getting along in this new world…. Any progress in her power development? She’s been here a few days…”

Bren: “I’m not pushing her if that’s what you mean…. Did that with Piper remember and she took off.”

Victoria: “That’s not why Piper took off. However perhaps you should reconsider… we will need her sooner than later… until her divine powers manifest she’s as weak as a human… vulnerable.”

Bren: “Then let her be weak and vulnerable… and enjoy herself. Girls been buried for thousands of years, give her a break.”

Victoria: “You don’t understand, this girl has the power to turn the tide coming in our favor, I am trusting YOU to make sure she is ready.”

Bren: “She’s not some weapon, she’s just a girl, let her live her life!”

Victoria: “A goddess is far from just some girl, she’s a weapon we can use in what’s coming!” She says as Bren begins to walk away. “Excuse me, I am talking, where are you going?”

Bren: “I’m done… I need a break from you… from this… I didn’t sign on to be some asshole who trains kids for war.”

Victoria: “No, you signed on to travel back in time to get your family back, to which we made a deal remember?” She says as Bren continues to walk then teleports in flames away. “Well this is disappointing… however…” She says as she looks at the phone Bren left behind on the ledge as the timer has ended but the Gaia continues to fly on her own in the sky, free and playful.