Authors Notes:

This is a work of fiction – a bit of science fiction and fantasy mixed together in fact.  None of the characters, names or personalities, are based on real people.  Any resemblance to a real person is entirely coincidental and not intentional.  I do live in the Atlanta area and use a lot of places I’ve been in the story. 

If you are offended by sex between adult men don’t read any further. 

If you are not of legal age don’t read any further. 

If this type of story is illegal where you live, for whatever reason, don’t read any further.

This story is copyrighted to me and cannot be reproduced without my express written consent.

There are some songs I listen to that inspired parts of this story.  Some of those songs make it into the story.  The following song shows up at the end of this chapter and I really really really hope you will take the time to listen to it.  In the story the character Lane Weaver writes the  music and the words as a part of the process of his awakening abilities.  I wish  in no way shape or form to take anything away from the actual, real life songwriter/singer. It's an amazing song, and if you are a fan of the Transformer movies you might have heard it before.    Here's a link if you want to listen to it:

The Humbling River (duet mix) by Puscifer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3KfpkAwTMY

There are a few more songs that will be showing up soon.  Here's a link to one in case you want to listen to it:

I truly hope you enjoy the story!

 
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The Order - Chapter 5

            Brad knew where he was right away.  In this place, out of his body and inside of his mind, he was healthy and whole.   He heard the river flowing, and felt the cool evening breeze off the water.  He expected to see Ken beside him when he opened his eyes, but was shocked to find him gone.   

No!  He was on the wrong side! 

          He went numb with fear, as he looked across and saw Ken on the far side of the river, in the cove that lead to the tree fort, beside a large bonfire.  He tried to rush forward but was stopped by an invisible barrier at the edge of the water. 

          He desperately started slamming his fists against it and yelling “Ken, you stupid idiot, get out of there!  You don’t understand!  It’s to strong!  Kennnnnnnnn!”  He kept yelling, terrified by what he knew was about to happen and helpless to do anything about it. 

          A horrific scream cut through the woods behind him, sending a chill down his spine.  He knew it was the creature.  Even as the creature could sense his presence, he could feel it as well.  It was at the edge of his awareness but he could feel it; he could feel its need and desire to return home. 

          Ken cupped his hands in front of his mouth and yelled as loud as he could, “Alright you bastard, come and find me!”  The creature, recognizing his voice and sensing him near, screamed in rage and hunger.  Ken heard a loud crash, and the sound of wood splintering, and he knew the creature had finally broken free of whatever prison Brad had it trapped in.  Fuck, B I wish you were beside me.  I know together we could kick this things ass.

          Ken stooped over and pulled a large log out of the bonfire; the end was glowing bright orange and flames were running off the tip at least a foot high.  He swung it a few times like a bat to make sure it was sturdy, and then he moved back to the water’s edge facing the woods.  He knelt down to wait, wanting to draw it into the clearing and away from the cover of the trees.  

          He heard it crashing through the underbrush, coming closer.  Suddenly it emerged from the woods and stopped, sensing his presence.  Their eyes met and Ken felt like he was staring into his own green eyes, but that’s where the resemblance ended.  The creature’s muscles gleamed in the firelight, covered in slick, wet blood.  Its arms and legs were broken, with splinters of bone sticking out through the skin at various points.  It had burn marks all over, and large patches of skin missing, showing exposed muscles and tendons.  Its face was swollen and bruised… but it had his eyes.  As damaged as the creature appeared to be, it moved blindingly fast.  There was nothing but rage and madness in its face and eyes.

          Ken was stunned by its appearance.  Fuck, is that how I looked when they found me?

          Even though he was prepared Ken was still surprised by the creatures speed.  It lunged for him, moving across the cove from the edge of the woods with blinding speed.  Ken dodged to the side and barely managed to avoid getting hit by a blood covered fist.  He twisted around and with both arms swung the log as hard as he could and heard it crack across the creatures back.  The log split in two from the strength of his blow, sparks flying from the end that was still on fire, causing the creature to stumble forward.  It let out another blood curdling scream, but Ken wasn’t sure if it was from pain or if was just annoyed.  It whirled around and was on him again before he could react.  Ken never saw the blow that backhanded him and sent him reeling back through the air.  His landing was softened by the sand of the beach but the blow was so hard it stunned him for a few seconds; long enough for the creature to jump on him while he was on the ground trying to shake the cobwebs out of his head.  Ken had never been hit so hard.  Fuck!  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

He rolled and tried to scramble away as the creature took another swipe at him.  Its fingers scraped across his back, ripping his shirt and scoring long deep cuts into his flesh.  Ken yelled in pain, arching his back in agony as he scrambled away.  The creature was on him again immediately, not giving him any time to recover, relentless in its aggression and hatred.  It straddled his waste and struck back to back blows across his face.  Ken’s head snapped back and forth and he saw stars, unable to focus.

It paused for a brief second, watching Ken’s eyes glaze over.  It reached down and grabbed the front of Ken’s t-shirt, ripping it off and throwing it aside.  Ken’s chest was heaving and he was sweating; his muscles standing out in the sharp shadows cast by the bonfire.

The creature put one hand high up Ken’s chest above his collar bone and stretched its bloody fingers out until they wrapped around the base of his neck.  It pressed down hard enough to cut off his oxygen supply.  The creature looked at its other hand, and with an almost beatific smile on its face licked some of the blood off, and then slowly brought its hand down, fingers splayed out stiffly, onto the center of Ken’s chest.

As soon as its hand touched his chest, Ken’s eyes went wide and his mouth flew open in a silent scream.  Pain tore through his entire body; every muscle, vein, and cord standing out from the strain.  His combat instincts took over in a gut reaction to the pain and, coupled with the adrenaline that flooded into his system, he struck the creature so hard it flew ten feet into the air and landed in the fire, sending sparks flying high up into the night sky.

As soon as its hand touched his chest, memories of the torture and suffering he had gone through started flooding back into his mind.  Ken knew he had to keep the creature from touching him like that again or he would be done for.

Shit that hurt!

Brad could see the fight across the water as he beat his fists against the invisible barrier that was holding him back.  He knew that no matter how strong Ken was the creature would be stronger.  It wasn’t just driven by rage and insanity – it was rage and insanity.  The only intelligence it had was the drive to find a way back to Ken and devour his mind. It was a creature of thought and malice, given physical form in this constructed place within Brad’s mind, but its strength came from all the pain and torture that had destroyed Ken’s mind the first time.

          In that instant, Brad knew that he and Ken were both going to die.  But damn if he was going to let Ken die alone!  At least he could lessen Ken’s pain.  With no thought towards what it would do to his own body or mind, Brad opened the place in himself he had been so desperately holding shut to protect Ken.

          The pain hit him hard, and he fell to the ground, clutching his head as Ken’s torment and suffering ripped through his mind.  You son of a bitch, give me all you got!  The more you give me the less you have for him!

          Ken felt the connection as soon as Brad reached out with it.  No, B!  No! Fuck! He knew that Brad was trying to save him, but he also knew the creature was to strong, and now that it was free they were both going to die.  He didn’t understand how the creature could be so strong.  How had Brad held it trapped?  The memory of his conversation with Brad came back to him,

“What the fuck are you talkin about bro?  You are the strongest person I know!  Oh my God man how can you say that?  You have no idea do you?  For someone so smart you can sure be a dumbass sometimes!”

The creature screamed in rage again, sensing that someone else, the one who had kept it prisoner all this time, was still interfering.   It spun and clotheslined Ken, knocking him back down onto the sand.  It moved so fast there was no stopping it.  As strong and as fast as Ken was, with all his combat training and skills, he was like a little boy fighting a grown man.  He had no chance.

Its hand plunged into Ken’s chest.  There was no blood; its hand simply disappeared into Ken’s body and it howled in pleasure as it fulfilled its purpose.

As Ken felt his sanity slipping away, through the blinding fire of pain and agony, he had two unrelated thoughts.  The first was how much he loved Brad; he wanted nothing more than to be in his arms right now.  The second was an epiphany about the Project, the doctor, and his work. The Vitruvian Man - the man in a circle and square by Leonardo da Vinci that the doctor used as a symbol for the Project; it was also referred to as the Proportions of Man - The Body, Mind, and Spirit.  The pairing of Ken and Brad and the others; it all made sense now.   Ken was the Body, Brad was the Mind, and their Spirits were one – two souls transcended into one by Love. How could science do that?  There was more to the doc than they ever realized.  You clever, clever, man, doc.  The thought somehow gave him strength to face his end with grace.  He stopped fighting and let the part of him that was missing come back home.

Ken lay still; his breath shallow.  His eyes were blank; his mind gone.  The creature faded into nothingness as the very essence that gave it form went back into Ken where it belonged.

Brad lay still, across the river.  He was barely conscious; his breath coming in ragged gasps.  He wanted to let go and stop the pain.  If he let go it would all stop, but there was something tugging at his mind that wouldn’t let him rest.  It was getting louder.  It was a song and it sounded vaguely familiar.  It was beautiful… and powerful.  He knew as long as the music was playing he wouldn’t be able to let go and be at peace.  He wouldn’t be able to try to find Ken in Heaven.

Nature nurture heaven and home
Sum of all and by them driven
To conquer every mountain shown
But I've never crossed the river

Braved the forests, braved the stone
Braved the icy winds and fire
Braved and beat them on my own
Yet I'm helpless by the river

Angel, angel, what have I done?
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?

Angel, angel, what have I done?
I've faced the quakes, the wind, the fire
I've conquered country, crown, and throne
Why can't I cross this river?

Pay no mind to the battles you've won
It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle
Open your heart and hands, my son
Or you'll never make it over the river

It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river

It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river

(Nature, nurture heaven and home)
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
(Sum of all, and by them, driven)
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
(To conquer every mountain shown)
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river

(Braved the forests, braved the stone)
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
(Braved the icy winds and fire)
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
(Braved and beat them on my own)
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river

And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river

Nature, nurture heaven and home
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river

Nature, nurture heaven and home
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river

 The tempo of the song was slow, and it was a little over five minutes before Lane and Bryan brought it to a close.  Ken and Brad were both unconscious and their breathing shallow.  Ken’s arms were still wrapped tight around Brad.  Bill knelt down beside them and he gently held Ken’s wrist to feel his pulse.  It was slow and sporadic.

His voice was subdued as he said, “Guys this doesn’t look good.  Maybe we should call the doc.”

The silence was deafening.  Lane’s song was still resonating in their hearts, and they all felt something profound was happening.  Each of them felt that icy calm that always came over them just before a difficult mission. 

Ken’s arms fell down to his sides and his head fell back.  Brad’s body slumped further down, draped over Ken’s chest.  Their faces were relaxed and peaceful and they stopped breathing.

Bill’s throat tightened and he managed to choke out a sob and lowered his head, cupping his hand on Ken’s strong shoulder.  Everyone’s eyes were bright and tears started unabashedly flowing down everyone’s cheeks. 

Lane’s voice cut through the silence, “Fuck this shit!  This isn’t how it was supposed to go down!  I know it!  I can feel it!  We’re missin sumthin!  There’s no fuckin way they are dead!”

Bryan’s deep gravelly voice cut through the sadness that was beginning to overwhelm them, and he said, “Guys, we’re idiots.  The words were tellin us what to do all along.  It’s a riddle.  Lane, start playin Little Buddy, I don’t think we have much time!”

Lane started the song again, forcing himself to keep his hands steady, but his face gave away the desperation he and everyone else felt.  As soon as Lane started singing the lyrics again, the words starting falling into place in their minds.  Kneeling around Ken and Brad, they all formed a circle, and everyone gripped hands tightly together.  The hands of the many must join as one.  Bill was on one end of the circle and was touching Ken and Darren was on the other end touching Brad.  Lane had to play, so they put their hands on his shoulders; as the first cord on the guitar sung out, their eyes starting turning white.  They were all carried by the music to that place that was waking in all of them.  They all heard the sound of flowing water.  And together we'll cross the river. All of them focused as one on helping Ken and Brad, willing them to breathe and sending them strength to fight this battle that none of them really understood.

Even the slightest movement was causing him excruciating pain, but Brad knew he had something else to do before the music would let him go.  It was stirring something in him, and even through the pain, it gave him a strange sense of wellbeing and belonging; and something else he couldn’t quite figure out yet.  The pain didn’t lessen, but the music helped him to punch through it. 

He could hear Lane’s voice singing the song clearly now, and along with it he could feel the love and support of all his friends.  Their presence was overpowering, wrapping him up and bolstering his soul.  Whatever it was inside of him that was stirring, his friends were somehow taking part in it and making it stronger.

He opened his eyes and saw Ken lying not two feet from him.

His voice was barely a whisper, “Ken?”

How did I get over here?  Brad had felt no sense of movement, but he was now across the river, beside his lover.

He felt something inside of him opening up; not in his mind but in his heart. The words of the song were echoing in his mind “Open your heart and hands my Son…”

 Is this what it’s like to die?

Brad had just enough strength left to crawl over and lay beside Ken.  He rolled his body over, so he could lay his head on the chest of his best friend and lover.  The last thing he wanted to feel was Ken’s warm body and his heartbeat…

Something was different.  He felt warm and safe.  His brain finally registered that the pain was gone!  His senses starting asserting themselves and Brad realized he was naked.  He felt Ken’s arms wrapped around his stomach and chest, and he was leaning back against Ken’s torso.  Ken was naked and seemed to be asleep.  His chest was rising and falling with slow, deep breaths, and he could feel Ken’s warm body and strong heartbeat against his back.  Ken’s chin was lodged in its usual spot, in the crook of Brad’s neck and shoulder.  Ken’s thighs were spread wide to make room for Brad to recline against him, and his calves and feet wrapped around Brad’s lower body.  He could feel Ken’s warm soft dick against his lower back.

He couldn’t tell where they were.  He assumed they were dead, and that they were in some sort of transitionary stage to wherever it was they went after.  To Brad it was enough like Heaven to just be here in Ken’s arms, feeling their bodies against one another, neither one of them in pain and their bodies whole and healthy.  Yeah, I could spend eternity like this.

Brad put his hands over Ken’s and squeezed them.  He felt Ken’s arms tighten around him and his chin lifted up a little.

Ken’s voice sounded relaxed and sleepy, and his deep voice whispered in Brad’s ear, “About time you woke up, fucker.  I thought you were gonna sleep forever.”  Ken rubbed his cheek against Brad’s in the way he knew drove Brad crazy.  He moved one arm up and cupped Brad’s cheek bringing his face around so they could bring their lips together in a tender kiss.  Smiling, Ken kissed him like that a few more times and then pulled back slightly so they could stare into each other’s eyes.  Brad could not only see the love there for him, but he felt it inside of him.

He drew his face back a little in surprise.

“Yeah buddy, I can feel it too.  I always knew you were one hot fucker on the outside, but the inside is a thousand times better.”

“Ken? What’s happening?  Where are we?”

“You tell me bro.  I’m pretty sure you’re the one that brought us here.”

“I’m not sure where here is...  That song that Lane was singing… I think it was some kind of key.  Somehow I was able to get to your body, and I knew you were dying.  All I wanted was to die with you, but the music was holding me back.  And now we’re here.”

Ken eased his grip around Brad, pulling his arms back and he stood up.  Reaching down, he pulled Brad to his feet.  There seemed to be a floor, and they could see each other clearly, but everything else around them was blackness.

Brad’s forehead wrinkled in concentration as he looked around and he said “I remember this place.  I had a dream, or I thought it was a dream.  I saw you on that table, beaten and broken.  I couldn’t reach you at first.  There was some sort of wall that kept us apart.”

Ken’s eyes widened in surprise and he said, “Oh shit! I remember that!  I mean I didn’t until just now.  I was at the end of my rope and you told me to hang on; that you knew where I was or how to find me.  It gave me enough hope to keep going.”

There was a short pause and then he said, “But ya know B, I think by hanging on it only made things worse.”

Brad felt the truth of that and it cut him like a knife.  Ken could palpably see and feel the hurt Brad felt from his words and felt like a jerk.

Brad spun around to face Ken and asked, “What was I supposed to do?  Let you die?!”

“It was selfish man.  But you and I both know I would have done the same thing.  We can’t lie to each other about it.  Not here; in this place.”

Brad paused as Ken’s statement sunk in. 

“What do you mean?”

“Because I can’t lie to myself, and believe me B, I tried.  I lie to myself all the time in little ways; hell everybody does.  I think it’s a part of being human.  But something about this place rejects that, or doesn’t permit it.  I’m not sure which.”

“How did you figure that out?”

“Because while that creature was flaying my mind away a piece at a time, and the pain was more than I could take and I wanted so badly to just die and put an end to it all, I tried to blame you.  I tried to blame you for everything B.  For making me hang on beyond my strength, and creating this impossible situation because you were too selfish, or to weak, to let me go.”

Brad felt cold fear creeping up his spine as Ken spoke.  It was overpowering, and his chest got so tight he could barely breathe.  He fell to his knees, his shoulders slumped and shaking with quiet sobs.

Ken moved over and sat down beside Brad, pulling his knees up to his chest.  He rested his chin on one of his big forearms and his other hand reached out to gently grip Brad’s shoulder.

“Do you want to hit me, B?  I know I sure would.  I’m not trying to be a bastard, man.  This place is harsh, but it’s also kind of beautiful.”

Ken had been awake in this place longer than Brad.  He wasn’t sure how time moved here, but he seemed to have been here hours before Brad woke up.  Ken’s senses were much more powerful than a normal human, but in this place it was like they were on steroids.  He felt Brad’s emotional pain so harshly that he could see it.  When he looked hard, and sifted through all the emotions running wild in his best friend, he saw anger right there with everything else.

“I know you are pissed at me bro, I can see it.”

It took Brad a few minutes to get himself under control.

“So tell me B, what are you so mad about?”

“What am I mad about!?”  As soon Brad allowed his anger to surface, it quickly boiled over; it had been building for over a month.  He stood up quickly and faced Ken.

“You stupid shit!  What am I mad about!?  Because all of this is your fuckin fault that’s why!  You are the one who had to switch jobs with Kevin that night.  You are the one who was lazy and let his guard down and got himself captured!   And then, you sit here and tell me this is all my fault!  God!  You are so fuckin conceited I can’t even begin to tell you how pissed that makes me!  I love you more than anything you fuck head, even my own life, and I was willing to sacrifice myself to save your sorry ass, and then you turn this around and say it’s my fault!?”  Brad was yelling so hard, spit was flying from his mouth.  His face and upper body were flushed, and the veins were sticking out on his neck, across his chest, his shoulders, and his arms.

Ken just stared at him, his eyes taking in Brad’s beautiful naked form.  “God B, you are one sexy fucker when you get fired up.”

Brad stopped abruptly, surprised by the sudden shift in the argument.  His anger came back quickly and he continued, “You always do that!  When things get too hot for you, you always crack a joke and try to change the subject!  You…”

Ken held up his hands in surrender and he started to chuckle, “Damn bro, chill out for a minute.”

Brad was breathing hard and he was starting to sweat from the tension, anger, and all the other emotions there were running wild in him.  He had a bad temper, and he usually kept it in check, rarely letting it loose. When he let it go, he always had a hard time putting a lid back on it.

“And to think that just a few minutes ago I was sittin there in your arms thinkin I could spend eternity with you?!  What the fuck was I thinking!  I’m an idiot!  I want to spend eternity with a total dick! How fuckin idiotic is that?!”

Ken couldn’t hold it in anymore and doubled over laughing.  Brad just glared at him.

“Oh man B, if you could see your face bud!”

It took Ken a few minutes to stop laughing.  Tears were running down his face from laughing so hard.  He finally got himself under control, and he moved over behind Brad and put his hands on his shoulders and started massaging them.

“Oh man, B.  I’m not laughin at you bro, I’m laughin at us.  You know I love you more than anythin in the world, even my own life.  How couldn’t I, after what you did for me?”  He turned Brad around by the shoulders to face him. 

Brad couldn’t help himself, even as pissed as he was; when Ken started rubbing his shoulders he got hard as a rock.  Ken turned him around and he felt Ken’s hard on poking him.   Ken whispered in his ear, “Come here B”, as Ken pulled him into that tight, full bodied hug that they both loved, they started kissing.  Their eyes flashed white.  They lost track of how long they stayed like that.  They were breathing hard, and slowly grinding into each other, their dicks slick with precum.  At some point Ken lowered them both to the ground.  Their bodies were still pressed together, their arms wrapped around each other, holding tight.  They continued to grind themselves against one another until they both came.  The orgasm was hard, almost painful. All the pent up emotion of the last month, everything leading up to this point in time, seemed to shoot out of them, leaving them both feeling content and peaceful.

Ken was on top, loving the feel of Brad’s warm breath on his neck.  He lifted his head up and looked into Brad’s eyes and said with a cocky grin on his face, “Now are you sure you wouldn’t want to spend eternity with this dick?”

Brad couldn’t help but smile.  Ken was too cute when he had that look on his face.  Brad replied with, “You are such a fuckin douche”, and let loose with a heartfelt laugh, and hugged his lover tighter against him.

After a short time of just holding each other, Brad said, “Well it looks like I might not have a choice, unless we can figure out where we are and how to get out of here.”

Ken let himself slide over and he propped his head up on one hand.  Brad did the same, so they could face one another.  Both of them loved to get in this position after making out, so they could continue to touch each other, and talk about whatever came to mind.  It was always a very intimate time emotionally, to go with the physical intimacy they shared moments before.

They were both quiet for a few minutes, their hands roaming over each other’s bodies, caressing each other tenderly.

Ken finally broke the silence, “About that.”

Brad chuckled and said, “You shit.  I knew you were holding out on me.”

“Well, B, I’m really not sure, but I think I figured something out about us, and it might help us get out of here, or at least explain some things.”

“Well I’m not goin anywhere, so you better start talkin, or I’m gonna take matters into my own hands.”  Brad reached down and started fondling Ken’s dick playfully when he said that.

“Have you ever wondered how the doc knows so much?  How he knows so much more than anyone else on the planet about genetics, and computers, and almost every other field of science out there?”

“I think we all have at one time or another.”

“Well he said something today that doesn’t make any sense.  When I told him about what I had planned, he told me he couldn’t be with us tonight.  When I questioned him about it he said he wasn’t permitted to be there.”

Brad’s eyebrows rose in surprise and he said, “Holy shit!”

“Yeah, as far as any of us know he doesn’t work for anyone.  So there’s obviously more to him than meets the eye; I mean even more than we thought.  That and a lot of other things clicked into place in my brain as I was dying.  I had an epiphany.”

“Whoa big fella, don’t use words you don’t understand.”

“Shut the fuck up and listen, you douche. I’m about to enlighten your sorry ass.”

“So anyways, as I was sayin… you know the symbol that the doc used for the Project?  The Vitruvian Man drawing by da Vinci?  It’s also called the Proportions of Man.  It represents the three parts of man that make him whole; the Body, Mind, and Spirit.”

“I could be crazy, but I think the doc fashioned the Project with da Vinci’s idea as the driving concept.  When he enhanced us, I think it was for a higher purpose, and he hasn’t gotten around to telling us what that is just yet.  I think he somehow linked our Souls together, knowing that we would love one another.”

“How could he have possibly done that?”

“I don’t know man; I’m still thinkin this through.  It just all makes sense.  I know I’m physically stronger than you, but you are so much stronger than I am in every other way.  You are smarter for sure, and more compassionate, and you are much more emotionally mature than I am.  And take that creature...  as strong as I am that fucker kicked my ass like I was a baby, and you kept it trapped for weeks.  You even created that place to trap it in.”

“I don’t like what you’re sayin Ken.  You are physically stronger than me, yes, but don’t make me out to be more than I am.  You make me a better person.  I want to be a better person because of you.  You deserve as much credit for those characteristics in me as I do.”

“Ok, B, maybe that’s true, or maybe not.  But don’t you see buddy, I still think it’s all by design.  We complement each other like two sides of a coin.  And we’re bound together because we share our Spirit.”

“Alright.  I’m not saying I agree with you, but I can see where you are going with this.”

“Well, for one thing I don’t think we are dead.  I think you brought us here, wherever here is, maybe somewhere in your mind.  I think time is moving very slowly because all of this is in our heads.  It’s like we’re in a dream inside the dream world where the creature was.  I think our bodies are dying in the back yard.”

“The problem is I’m not sure what will happen if we do get out of here.  My mind was shredded by that creature, and you, you dumbshit, probably don’t have much of a noodle left either after you tried to help save me... again!  I think what you and I are, here in this place, are our souls.  When our bodies finally do stop breathing, I’m not sure what will happen to us here.  I think though, that if we are gonna have any chance of gettin out of here, it lies with you, B.”

Brad had to laugh a little at that and said, “Yeah, no pressure though.”

Ken stopped talking, giving Brad some time to think.  They were both quiet for a long while.  Ken was calm, almost serene, having every confidence in his lover.  Brad got up and started pacing, and Ken let him have his space, but he could tell that after a while Brad was getting frustrated.

Ken motioned for Brad to come over to him, “Hey B, come here.”

“We don’t have time to cuddle man.  I need to figure this shit out.”

“B shut yer trap and get your ass over here.”

Brad moved over and stood looking down at Ken.

“Turn around and sit down,” Ken patted the space between his thighs.

Brad sat down with a heavy sigh of impatience.

“What you need, Mister Wilson is to relax.  That’s one thing I learned in sniper school back in the day.  You need to relax, so you can focus on your mission.”  Ken started rubbing Brad’s shoulders and upper back.  It took a minute but Brad finally leaned his head forward and let Ken’s big warm, strong hands work their magic.  Brad had a thought that made him laugh, “You know, for someone who doesn’t have a body you sure give a good backrub.”

“Yeah, B, well for someone who doesn’t have a body, you sure have nice big hard muscles that I can’t keep my hands off of.”

Ken knew Brad was hard.  He expanded the range of his hands and wrapped them around the solid core of Brad’s abs and torso and started rubbing his hands through the hair on Brad’s chest and accross his nipples.  Ken kept it up, knowing from all their years together how far he could go before he pushed his lover over the edge.

Ken moved one hand down and cupped Brad’s balls, and rolled them in his fingers for a minute before moving up to grab his solid throbbing shaft.  When he did that, Brad moaned and leaned back.  He kept his hands down on the floor with his arms and chest flexed from holding himself up.  With his right hand, Ken started jacking Brad with long, firm, steady strokes, twisting his grip slightly when he got to the head.  With his other hand he palmed Brad’s right pec with his fingers spread out so his middle finger could rub over his nipple.  Brad loved this position, being wrapped up by his lover.  He always felt safe and protected when Ken had his big powerful arms wrapped around him.  Ken kept stroking, steady and relentless.  Brad was starting to sweat, giving Ken a good indication of how close he was to shooting.

Ken leaned his face down so Brad could feel his hot breath on the back of his neck and said, “Dude you are so fucking hot.  I love it when you get all sweaty for me.  Don’t hold back, B.  I want to feel your dick shooting in my hand.  Work it up man.”  Ken kept whispering loving, encouraging words in Brad’s ear, knowing that would excite him and push him over the edge.

Brad started moving his hips, pushing his slicked up dick in and out Ken’s hand.  Ken started rubbing his finger harder over Brad’s nipple and squeezing and rubbing his pec.  In less than a minute, Ken felt Brad’s shaft get even harder, and he started squirting cum all over his abs and Ken’s arm that was wrapped around him.   He arched his back, pushing his dick out as far as he could as he shot.  He shot a good six or seven volleys, his whole body taut in pleasure.  When he finished he lay back against Ken, breathing heavily, and relaxed. 

“Fuck yeah bro that was hot as hell.”  Ken moved his hands back up to Brad’s upper chest and shoulders, gently rubbing and stroking, and occasionally circling his nipples.  He let Brad ride out the pleasure as long as he wanted to, wanting him to relax.

Brad lay in Ken’s arms, the place he never wanted to leave.  He felt Ken’s hard chest against his back and the feel of his big strong hands rubbing his chest and shoulders.  Brad lay there in the afterglow of his orgasm totally relaxed.

He knew what Ken did and why; aside from the pleasure, it achieved his goal because Brad was more at ease now.  He starting going over everything in his mind that he could remember.  Everything that they said, everything they did… Body, Mind, and Spirit.  Ken was the Body, Brad was the Mind, and they shared the same Spirit.  If I’m the Mind, I need to stop thinking in physical terms.

The words from Lane’s song came back to his mind… Open your heart and hands my son…

Brad closed his hand into a fist and held it up in front of his face.  He took a deep breath, and as he exhaled he slowly opened his hand, and envisioned his mind and heart opening with it, like a flower in bloom.  He felt a slight sensation of falling outside of himself.   Son of a bitch!  I can feel it!

He could feel himself opening up and expanding outside of his body.  He stopped to let himself get acclimated for a minute.   He could still sense Ken, and if he concentrated he could feel their skin touching.

He had to concentrate to move his body, but he was quickly getting the hang of it.  He reached for Ken’s hands, and felt their fingers intertwine.  He pulled Ken’s arms down so they were wrapped around his waist and he squeezed his hands over Ken’s.

The paradox of this entire place being some kind of mental or spiritual construct, and yet he and Ken having bodies here, was not lost on Brad.  He had to assume that his mind was translating their interaction into terms that they could both grasp and understand. 

Ok, here goes nothing.

The part of Brad that was outside of himself dove down through his own body and into Ken.  It was the strangest sensation, like swimming in thick air.  He not only felt Ken’s surprise, he felt it like it was his own.

Brad?

Yeah man… this is amazing!

What the hell did you do?

I’m inside you man!  Hold on to your hat.  I know what I want to do but I’m not sure how to do it.  I don’t know how this will feel.

Brad brought them together.  This was new to him and he was acting on instinct; the merging was not gentle.  It was more like a head on collision at 60MPH.  It wasn’t painful, just startling and highly uncomfortable emotionally.   Neither one of them was prepared for it; the honesty between them, or lack of deception, was overwhelming and frightening. 

From birth humans are deceitful; they learn to lie to get what they want. Children manipulate their parents; kids are cruel and lash out because they are insecure, and those habits become ingrained into them as adults.  Even what appear to be good, honest men like Ken and Brad are full of self-deceptions, petty jealousies, and lies.  Now all those buffers, the lies and self-protection mechanisms, were stripped away, and they were truly naked with each other for the first time in their lives.

It was brutal.  The awareness both men had of each other caused a flood of emotions; fear, resentment, embarrassment, anxiety, and shame.  They were so immersed in each other they could barely form coherent thoughts.  Brad was shocked at how insecure Ken was about some things in their relationship.  He could see all the things that Ken wanted to say to him but never found the courage, all the things he wanted to try in bed but was afraid to ask; how afraid Ken was the first time they made love. Ken was discovering all the same types of things about Brad.  Ken was just as shocked by the fact that Brad always felt inferior to him and deep down felt like he didn’t deserve Ken’s love. 

The reality of these discoveries was traumatic; causing them both sorrow and grief.  But at the same time, the underlying love they felt for one other was like a huge cushion that softened the harshness.  They thought they were in love, and they were, but only as much as they were able to love one another in their bodies with their minds and hearts closed off from one another. 

With everything about each other laid bare, they realized that to a certain extent they were total strangers.  They began to connect with each other on a level they could never have imagined before, delighting in all the discoveries and realizations about each other. They found themselves both forgiving and asking for forgiveness for trespasses and transgressions neither realized they had ever made.  They apologized for all the hurt they had ever caused one another, and any inconsiderate actions, usually made unaware but sometimes made out of jealousy or in anger.

The longer they were together, and the deeper they went into each other, the more their love built.  The connection they were feeling now was far beyond anything they ever felt in their lives.

All of this happened literally at the speed of thought.  What seemed to them hours or even days happened in the blink of an eye.

With no secrets between them, Ken knew what Brad now planned to try and do.  It would never have been possible without the connection they now shared and the knowledge they gleaned and put together from the doctors intent.

Brad had to force them apart.  As painful as the connection was at first, the thought of being apart was now even more painful.

They both opened their eyes at the same time.  They were still lying down together, with Brad reclining against Ken’s body, holding hands.  They both had tears in their eyes.

They were silent for a second and then they both blurted out a “Fuck me!” at the same time, which caused them both to laugh.  Ken’s arms tightened around him.

“Oh my god, Brad, you are so fuckin beautiful man.  I always thought you were amazing on the outside, but damn bro, what the hell did I ever do to deserve such an amazing man in my life.”

“We deserve each other Ken, and now you know, beyond any doubt, that I feel the same way about you.  There can’t be anymore secrets between us ever again after this.  Assuming we live, we can be together like that as often and as long as we want.”

Ken laughed and said, “I’m getting a mental hard on, just thinking about that.”

“Well technically, everything up to now has been mental, which leads us to the next part of getting out of here.”

“Yeah.  I understand what you’re gonna try.  I hope it works bro.  I can’t imagine us comin this far along and then crappin out at the last second.”

“I’m still not sure what I’m gonna do.  I’ll have to improvise when I get back to the River. All these different levels are confusing.  Whatever we are here, I’m pretty sure our minds are at the next level up, where you fought the creature, and our bodies are still in the backyard with the guys.  Who knows how much time has passed since all this started.”

Brad wasn’t sure if his plan would work.  He was certain there was still some kind of connection with the part of him that was with Ken on the beach.  He took a deep breath, leaned back against Ken to relax, and imagined his mind and heart opening like a fist.  He rose up and out of his body and hovered there for a few moments so see if he could sense anything.

He focused on getting back to the beach.  If he was going to have any chance of saving Ken, he had to get back there.  He could see the beach and the night sky in his Mind’s Eye, and he imagined he could feel the heat from the bonfire and hear the cracks and pops of the burning wood. 

 Ken felt Brad’s body go slack.  He lay there for a few minutes, just enjoying the feeling of being together.  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and suddenly he didn’t feel Brad anymore.  He opened his eyes and Brad was gone.  He hoped that was a good sign.  He looked up into the darkness and said, “Good luck B.  If anyone can do this it’s you buddy. ” Ken sat down and crossed his legs to wait, already missing the other half of his Soul. 

Brad had no idea if he was even moving.  He had no sense of physical motion, but he did feel a connection to his body and could feel it getting stronger.  Suddenly he was back on the beach with their bodies.

He could sense the hurt and brokenness in both of them; it was palpable to his senses. 

He dove down into his body, and had to fight briefly to maintain control and keep from merging back where this part of him belonged.  Brad knew he wasn’t as bad off as Ken, but he was still pretty bad.  The creature had done quite a job on both of them.  

Alright, I got here by visualizing where I wanted to be.  Maybe that will work to fix what’s wrong too.  He spent a few minutes looking and studying the damage, so he could create a visual image to work with. 

Satisfied that he had at least a basic understanding of what he needed to do, Brad started knitting the tatters of his mind back together, starting with the less damaged areas first.  It seemed to be working, but it was slow and difficult.  He still wasn’t sure how time worked in this place; he just kept at it, seemingly for hours.  He had to stop periodically, to rest and refocus his efforts.  If he had been in his body his chest would be heaving with effort, and he would be drenched in sweat.  Finally there was nothing left to fix and exhausted, he let himself merge back into the body before him. 

His perceptions changed immediately.  Even though he knew this place was a mental construct, it seemed to operate as though it was a physical place.  He felt his body again, partially lying on top of Ken.  He opened his eyes, rolled off Ken, and sat up.  He looked down at Ken’s face.  His eyes were open and staring at nothing and his face was totally slack and void of expression.

Healing himself had taken its toll on him and he was exhausted, and he realized the worst part was yet to come.  It took quite an effort because of how tired he was and how heavy Ken’s body was, but Brad managed to lift Ken’s head and shoulders so they were in his lap.  He just sat there for a few minutes staring at Ken’s face, gently caressing his forehead and pushing his hair back lovingly, drawing strength from touching his lover.

He already missed the newfound bond he and Ken had shared.  Brad felt like half of him was missing. 

“Well buddy, let’s get this show on the road.”  With those words Brad put his hands on either side of Ken’s head, holding him firmly.  He took a deep breath, focused, and gently merged his mind into Kens.

He immediately recoiled in horror and bounced back in to himself. He never imagined it could be so bad… Oh Fuck, Ken! How could it be so much worse?  The damage wasn’t anything like what he had healed in his own mind. 

Fear took ahold of him; fear that there was no way he could fix the devastation he just witnessed.  He started to cry, holding Ken’s head in his lap and rocking slowly, his tears falling on Ken’s forehead.  The only thing he could think of is that he should have taken more.  If he had only taken more… but then they would both be gone.  Which might have been better after all.  Fuck!  How is this possible!?

Brad steeled himself, and plunged back into the desolation of what remained of Ken’s mind.

The connections in Ken’s brain were so shattered and disconnected it was like finding ten thousand needles in a thousand haystacks.  He was having to hunt and sift through every shred, and hold onto it when he found a match, and keep looking until he found another piece, until there was enough to fix.  Brad was about to pass out from the effort and he had barely scratched the surface.

As the song came to an end, the backyard fell silent again.

Kevin broke the silence and asked, “Now what?”

Lane replied, “Now we wait.  Whatever we did helped, I just hope it was enough.”

Bill checked both Brad and Ken, “They are breathing again, and their pulses are weak but steady.  Let’s give them some time.  If they get worse we’ll call the doc.”

About five minutes went by and Bill felt Brad’s pulse start racing.

“Guys, something’s happening.”

Brad broke out into a heavy sweat and started breathing in harsh, rasping gasps, like he was exerting himself.  His face was flushed, and the veins in his forehead, temples, and neck were standing out and tears started flowing down his cheeks.

Ken’s pulse was getting weaker and he was barely breathing.

Brad was getting desperate.  He was so exhausted he was barely making any progress, and he had a sense of urgency like he was running out of time.

He had to stop and rest again. 

Ok, Brad.  This isn’t working.  Think, you dumbass!  Think!

Something was digging at the back of his mind but whatever it was seemed to be eluding him.  His thoughts were racing out of control and his desperation was causing him to panic.  Just a little while ago, Ken had helped him to relax.  Ken forced him to stop and slow down, and even jacked him off, to get him to relax. 

Ken always seems to know what’s best for me. 

Brad starting using that thought as a mantra, repeating it over and over, using it as his focus to slow down and relax.  As soon as his mind slowed and he started feeling calmer, he heard it; the haunting, beautiful song that Lane sang, the one from his dream.  The one he wrote while he was at the River!  Fuck!  Lane has been to this place!  Lane can help!

After a short rest, and encouraged by thought of help, he focused and tried to make contact with Lane.  He visualized Lane in the backyard with everyone.  He formed the picture, holding it firmly in his Mind’s Eye and mentally shouted as loud as he could.

Lane and Bill were both huddled down on either side of Ken and Brad.  After finishing his song Lane set down his guitar down and moved over so he could be close.  He was holding one of Brad’s hands and his other hand was on Brad’s chest feeling his heartbeat.  Bryan was by his side and holding onto Lane by his shoulders.

Out of the blue, Lane heard Brad’s voice shout in his mind.  Lane!  Lane’s head snapped up in surprise and he would have fallen back if Bryan wasn’t holding onto him.  Lane’s eyes were wide open with surprise, and everyone looking saw his green eyes turn white.

Brad!?

Lane!  Thank God you can hear me.  Oh fuck bro; I need your help man.  I can’t do this by myself.

You and Ken are both lookin real bad bro.  We can tell somethins happenin but we don’t know what to do.  How the fuck are we talkin in our heads?

Lane I don’t have a lot of time to explain.  This might hurt a bit and I’m really sorry but…

Lane grabbed his head and let out a gasp of pain as Brad literally shoved the information into Lane’s mind to show him how to help.  It felt like a white hot spear and he was totally unprepared for it.

Brad felt the pain he caused his friend, and deeply regretted it.  Brad was trying to keep his communication with Lane as much on the surface level as possible.  He didn’t want to merge with Lane like he and Ken had done.  That would be too much too soon.

As Lane’s mind assimilated the information Brad gave him, the understanding hit him about the Project.  Lane let out a mental, Oh shit! , in realization of what Ken and Brad figured out about the doc and what he had done to them.

Damn, man that hurt like a son of a bitch!

I know and I’m sorry.  This is all new to me too and I’m learning as I go.  Do you think you can help?  Please bro, I don’t think Ken has much time.

Not only yes, but hell yes.  You know you don’t have to ask you dumbfuck.  Gimme a sec, I need to talk to these ladies before they pee in their pants.

Lane was so focused on talking with Brad that he didn’t hear Bryan shouting at him.

“Lane!  Talk to me! What’s wrong?”  Bryan was gently shaking Lane trying to get him to respond.

“I’m fine, Bry. Help me up.”  Bryan stood up and brought Lane up with him.

“Guy’s we don’t have much time.  I know it’s weird but Brad is talkin to me in my head, and he needs our help.  Ken’s in bad shape and Brad’s not much better.  Bill, Darren, and Loy come over here.  Bry, Kev, Ricky, and Pat - if they stop breathing again do whatever you need to do to keep them alive and give us as much time as you can.”

Turning back to Bill, Darren, and Loy, he continued “Guys we should all probably sit down for this.  I don’t want you knuckleheads falling down like sissies and breakin your skulls open.  Everybody face me and join hands.”

Their military training kicked in and everyone followed Lane’s commands.  The act of following orders gave them something to focus on that was normal in the middle of the chaos and uncertainty this night was bringing.

Brad? 

Yeah, I’m here.

I’m bringing company, buddy. Hold tight!

Lane didn’t have time to be gentle either, and he pretty much yanked Bill, Darren, and Loy out of their bodies.  He figured they were wired for this, just as he and Brad were.  He didn’t want to give them time to overthink the situation, so he figured he’d let their instincts kick in.  The doc told him to have faith in himself and go with his gut so…

Lane grinned and couldn’t help but think to himself, Fuck yeah!  I can get used to this shit.

Bill, Darren, and Loy all felt like they just got hit with a two by four on the back of their head.  It hit them fast and hard, as they felt themselves being jerked out of their bodies. 

Alright guys take a breath and settle down.

They were standing on a beach, under a clear night sky, beside a huge roaring bonfire.  Brad was crouched over Ken, holding his head in his lap seemingly unaware of them.  Ken’s bare chest was covered in blood.

Alright Brad, I’m here with Bill, Dar, and Loy.  We’re with you and Ken on the beach.  Guys I know this is all new and sudden but you’re gonna have to learn how to do this on the fly if Ken has a chance of makin it out of this.  Ken’s mind has been shredded and Brad’s tryin to piece it back together before their bodies give out.  All this Professor X bullshit is takin its toll and we need to give Brad whatever he needs to finish the job.

  Shit bro you brought the cavalry.  Thanks guys.  I don’t know if this is going to hurt or not.  I’m not even sure it won’t kill some of us.  If anyone wants to back out, now’s your chance and no hard feelings if you do.

Through the mental link they could all feel the raw emotions behind Brad’s thoughts;  his desperation for Ken, his gratitude that they were here, and his sincerity about giving them a chance to back out.

Brad could hear their voices loud and clear in his mind, solid and supportive.

Loy thought, I’m in.

Bill thought, Take whatever you need man.

Darren thought, No way these pussies are gonna out do me bro.  You know I’m all in.

Lane moved behind Brad and put his hands on Brad’s head.  He wasn’t sure if that really mattered but it sure couldn’t hurt.

Guys, get behind me and put your hands on my shoulders.

Bill thought; Take your shirt off Lane.  The doc is always talking about the importance of skin contact.  Your hands are touching Brad and his are touching Ken.  It might not matter but why take a chance.

Lane quickly stripped off his t-shirt and grinned.  I’m sure you just want to cop a feel bro but whatever. 

Even with the seriousness of the situation, Lane always had the ability to lighten the mood.  Brad could feel the camaraderie between them all and loved them for it.

Lane felt their warm hands on his back and he put his hands back on Brad’s head. 

Alright guys, I’ll be the conduit.  I’m gonna channel all of us together and Brad you just pull what you need bro.

Brad reached out and felt them immediately.  To his Mind’s Eye they were all bright white lights, standing with him, feeding him their light and warmth and strength.  He was unprepared for the flood of energy that hit him and it almost overwhelmed him.

He heard Lane’s thought, Sorry bro! I’ll dial it back a little.

No!  It just was more than I expected. You guys are badass!  I’ll need it all before we’re finished.

With that he dove back into Ken.  He was able to move much faster now, but there was just so much damage.  At about the halfway point the guys started to falter.  They were all breathing hard and sweat was pouring off them.

Guys how are you doing? 

Brad could hear the mental equivalent of them gritting their teeth but they all said they were fine.

Lane, can you manage to talk to Bryan and see how Ken is doing topside?

Lane was silent for a few minutes and when his voice came back Brad could feel and hear the worry in his voice.

They just started CPR on both you and Ken.  Your hearts have stopped.  Kevin is calling the doc.

Fuck! Ok guys don’t panic just yet.  There’s a big time differential so we’re still ok for a bit.  I know you’re all getting tired but if we can hold out just a little longer.

Brad felt the surge, but he had no idea how long they could keep it up.  Brad was working as quickly as he could; he was getting better at finding and repairing connections.  There was less damage now, and he was also learning how Ken’s mind worked and he was starting to see patterns where Ken’s subconscious tried to protect itself and minimize the damage.  Brad had a feeling in the back of his mind that something was wrong, even with all that he and the others have done so far, but he didn’t have any idea what to do about it, so he just moved forward as best he could, hoping and praying it would be enough.

Brad realized that he wasn’t going to finish in time, so he worked on making as many of the basic connections as he could find and left them incomplete.  At least if there was a connection there might be a chance of Ken’s mind healing itself and building off those connections. 

One by one he felt the guys drop out.  Darren passed out first, then Loy, and then Bill.  Lane was still with him, but he hardly had anything left to give.  Brad was holding on by a thread.

Lane, I still need to get Ken back into his body.  I have to save what strength I have left for that, or all this won’t mean anything. 

What do you mean you need to get him?  Where the fuck is he?

It’s too hard to explain now.  We were together, somewhere, and I came back here to do this.

Can I help?

No Lane, you’ve done more than enough.  You’ve all done more than Ken and I have a right to ask.

That’s bullshit and you know it.  Alright man, I’mma bounce.  I think I’m gonna go sleep for a week!

See you topside.

Brad steeled himself and plunged back down to Ken.   The blackness seemed colder and longer getting back, as if Ken was much further away.

As he appeared, Brad barely squeaked out a, “Hey man” before he started to collapse.

Ken moved fast enough to catch him before he hit the ground.

“Brad!”

Brad felt Ken’s strong arms catch him, gently cradling him against his chest.  He didn’t have the strength to form words, so he merged with Ken.

Ken saw and felt everything that Brad and the others had done up until now.  He was stunned at how much danger they put themselves in for him.  He was angry at Brad for asking them, and allowing them to do what they did, but at the same time he realized their love and intent, which turned his anger into acceptance, and even pride at their efforts.  He was humbled by what they were willing to sacrifice for his sake. 

So what now, B?

Ken I’m not sure if what we did was enough.  I tried so hard man, we all did, but it was so much worse that I imagined.

Ken wrapped his presence around Brad in the equivalent of a tight mental hug.  I know you all did your best man.  How could I ever ask for more than you’ve already done?

Being with Ken even this short time was making him feel better, but he was still near the end of his endurance.

B, you gotta promise me, if we make it back and it didn’t work… well I don’t wanna live broken.  Promise me you won’t try to keep me around if I’m too far gone. 

It tore Brad’s heart out, but Ken felt his promise and knew he was telling the truth.

First things first.  We need to make it back to the beach first.  And then I need to get us back to our bodies.  Let’s go.

Brad was expecting it to be hard, but it wasn’t.  He never felt any strain.  It took longer than he expected and just before he panicked and thought they would be lost in the darkness between that place and the River forever they arrived back on the beach. 

Brad gently pushed Ken down into his body, and then went back into his own.

He opened his eyes and looked down at Ken’s face.  He felt Ken go back into himself, but he didn’t wake up.  His eyes were closed and his face lost that vacant expression.  Now he looked like he was sleeping normally.  Fuck I hope it was enough Ken.  You have to be alright.

“Alright, bro.  Step one completed.  I don’t know what to expect when we get back to our bodies.  No matter what, I love you.”  He leaned over and kissed Ken’s forehead, putting all his love into the gesture.

Closing his eyes, Brad gathered the last of his strength and willed them both out of this place and into their physical bodies in the back yard.  The river was a construct in Brad’s Mind, a place he needed to hold the creature prisoner.  Now that it was no longer needed it shattered into non-existence as he and Ken left it for the final time.

Bryan and Rick were monitoring Ken, and Kevin and Patrick were monitoring Brad, keeping tabs on their vital signs.  All of them kept making nervous glances over to their partners, to make sure they were ok.

Bryan’s deep voice was tense as he said, “Ricky!  He stopped breathin!”  They immediately started CPR, with Bryan blowing air into Ken’s mouth, while Rick put his hands together and started pumping Ken’s chest to try and keep his heart beating.

Seconds later Brad stopped breathing and Kevin and Patrick started doing the same to Brad.  Rick put his phone down and hit the doctor’s number on speed dial and put it on speaker.  The call went straight to voice mail.   Rick hit the pound key to bypass the doctor’s greeting message and yelled towards the phone, “Doc!  We have multiple 911’s here!  We need you now!”

Rick kept shifting his eyes over to Lane and the others, watching for some sign of what was happening.  He had no way to signal them and let them know what was happening with Ken and Brad.

It wasn’t long before they noticed that Lane and the others were breathing hard and showing the strain of whatever it was they were doing.  They were all sweating heavily.  After a minute Darren fell over unconscious, followed by Loy, and then Bill, and finally Lane.  

When Patrick saw Darren collapse he gave a frustrated, “FUCK!”, and rushed over to check on him, but it was quickly apparent that Darren and the others were ok and breathing normally. 

He quickly said, “I think they just passed out.  They seem fine, just exhausted.”  He leaped back over and resumed performing CPR on Brad.

Kevin was about ready to call it when Brad’s eyes popped open.  His body jerked upright and he inhaled deeply.  He looked around briefly with a confused look on his face, and promptly passed out.

A split second later, Ken’s body gave a small jerk and then went still, but he seemed to be breathing again. 

Darren’s phone dinged and he looked down to see a text message from the doctor. “The doc says get everybody to the Lab a.s.a.p.”

It took a few trips to get everyone loaded into their Explorers without the neighbors seeing anything, and then they took off for the lab.  The doctor was waiting for them at the door, looking more serious than usual, and agitated.  Kevin, Bryan, Rick, and Patrick got everyone inside and into a bed, and started helping the doctor get everyone hooked up to the monitors.

Bryan seemed to have the best grasp of what was going on, and didn’t seem overly concerned.  Kevin noticed and asked him about it and he replied, “It’s hard to describe Kev, but I just know Lane is ok.  We’ve been using that trick that Ken and Brad discovered, and ever since that first night we’ve been more in tune with one another than ever before.  And then Lane started having these dreams, which was all a part of this.  I’m not sure what’s happenin to us, and I know it looks like a disaster tonight, but I can’t help feelin that everything is fine.  I just wish the doc would tell us more.”

Kevin looked thoughtful, but didn’t reply. 

Not long after, the doctor came in and told them, “William, Loy, Darren, and Lane are all stable.  They are simply exhausted.  None of them are used to exerting themselves in this new manner.  The Mind can be thought of as a muscle, and they will need to exercise their new abilities over time to get stronger.  What they did was remarkable.   You should all be very proud of them.”

Bryan asked, “What about Brad and Ken?”

“I am still not sure.  I believe Bradford will be fine, but we will have to wait until Kenneth wakes up to assess his condition.  We will simply have to wait and see.”

Much later that night, Dr. Thomas stood between the two beds where Brad and Ken lay.  He gave a heavy sigh and lowered his head in a brief prayer for both his young charges.  How could events have gotten so out of control so quickly?  The timing of Ken’s abduction just as he and Brad experienced one of their first Awakenings… he felt another hand at play in these events, but whose?

Ken had no outward sign of any injuries, but the Doctor wasn’t sure about what state his mind would be in when he woke up.  The temptation to find out himself was almost unbearable, but after all this time he had not broken his promise, and for the sake of the other young men in his care, he could not now. 

Brad and the others were heroic in their efforts to save Ken, at great risk to themselves.  All of them would recover with rest, but the doctor had an uneasy feeling about Ken.

As he went back to his office it dawned on him how quiet it was.  Looking around, he noticed that Bryan, Richard, Patrick, and Kevin were all fast asleep.  He thought that odd, but with the stress of the evening they were probably just exhausted.  The only sounds in the Lab were occasional small chirps and beeps from the equipment.

The doctor was monitoring Ken’s brain activity from his office when there was a sudden huge spike in activity.  He rushed in to Ken’s room but there was no outward sign of what he just witnessed on the monitors.  Brad and Ken were fast asleep.  He turned on the small reading lamp on the nightstand beside Ken’s bed so he could see better.  He was reaching for Ken’s hand to check his pulse, when he noticed a rolled up piece of parchment sitting on the nightstand with a wax seal on it.

His heart almost stopped when he saw the seal.  With trembling hands he picked it up and looked more closely… yes!   He hadn’t seen that symbol in nearly a century, but he would recognize it anywhere; two quills crossed, each with a drop of ink on its tip.

He looked around the lab, almost frantically, for some sign of the man he knew left the note. 

Disappointing, but not unexpected.  He let out a deep sigh and went back to his office.

When he got back to his desk, his hands shaking with nerves, he broke the seal and unrolled the parchment.  It was written in a handsome flowing script, in an alphabet few in the world could now read.

               Aaron, my beloved,

How I yearn to see you again after all the long years that have separated us.  I begged to be the one to bring this message so I could at least be near you, even for the briefest of seconds.

It seems that you are doing well.  I have had news of your mission and those higher in The Order are pleased.  Pleased enough to want to right a grievous wrong, one that you are most likely unaware of.  It seems that one of our brethren has betrayed The Order and gone over to the Enemy.  He is the one ultimately responsible for the deception and kidnapping of Kenneth Habersham - he orchestrated the entire affair with a former colleague of yours, General Burgess.

I am sure you found it curious that two of your charges, and now possibly others, have had their first Awakening.  This is no coincidence. The Nephelem have shown themselves recently, but we are unsure of what that means; their presence is causing ripples everywhere.

Because of the direct interference of the Enemy, we are allowed to act.  I have been sent to restore Kenneth Habersham.  As brave and heroic an effort as Bradford Wilson and the others made, their efforts were not enough.  The damage to young Habersham’s mind was not natural, and even with full training and at the height of their abilities it might not have been possible.  Fortunately for us, the zeal of our Enemy was their undoing.  Their transgression has allowed us an opening to right this wrong.  With the Blessings of The Order, I have finished what Bradford Wilson and the others started. 

In the morning Kenneth Habersham will awake healed and whole, and he can continue on his new path of discovering his Awakened Talents along with your other charges.

Aaron, after Reading Kenneth and the others, I believe we were right all along!  The others must see it, even if they are too stubborn to admit it. These young men will be our salvation!

It is my fervent prayer that you and I will be united once again before too many more years come to pass.  Until then, my beloved, I wish you well and safe journey and continued success on your mission.

With all my love,

Albrecht

Knowing that Albrecht had been here, but unable to communicate with him in person, was heartbreaking.  He and Albrecht were paying a price from a transgression a long, long time ago.   Even in the joy and relief of knowing that Ken would fully recover, in an extremely rare show of vulnerability, the doctor wept silently in the quiet of the lab, holding the scroll in his hands, trying to envision the face of the man who wrote it.

The doctor decided that he would not tell any of the men what happened yet.  It might be some years before he brought it up.  They needed time to recover, and to grow into themselves.  He was so proud of all of them, each and every one.  He found, over the last nineteen years, that if he gives them enough room, they grow better and stronger without being pushed. 

It was late, so the doctor checked on his charges one more time, and then went to his own bed, to dream about Albrecht; the love of his life and the other half of his Soul.

Early the next morning, everyone except Ken was up and moving by 6am.  No one was in the mood to do PT, so a few of the guys went out to get breakfast for everyone and brought it back to the lab.  The doctor, not an early riser, didn’t come out of his room until nearly 9:30am.

When he finally emerged from the room he slept in, he found nine impatient young men waiting for him.  He shuffled over to get some coffee, which they politely left for him, and then sat down to work on his breakfast.  He made a show of being deliberately slow, which was causing the men to fidget.  He had a hard time not smiling at their impatience.

When he was done, he turned to them and said, “So I take it you are all feeling better?”

Everyone nodded their confirmation.  “And you Bradford, are you sure you feel well?”

“Just a little tired, doc.  But other than that I feel better than I have in over a month. With that thing out of me I feel as good as new. ”

“I am so glad to hear that, however I wish to run some tests to be sure.  We must be sure that your organs suffered no lasting damage.”

Brad asked impatiently, “Doc, Ken’s still asleep.  Do you know if he is going to be ok yet?”

“Well, I have some good news and some bad news, as far as Kenneth is concerned.  Which would you like to hear first?”

Brad was about to burst, and he needed to hear something good, so he blurted out, “Good first!”

“Well, my boy, the good news is that Kenneth is going to make a full recovery.”  He didn’t get any further as Brad let out a “WHOOOP” and literally jumped into the air.  Everyone else let out cries of ‘alright!’ and ‘I knew it’, and there were hugs and high fives all around.  Every one of his friends felt the need to give Brad a big hug and a backslap at the good news.   It took a minute for everyone to settle down and even then none of them could wipe the grins off their handsome faces.

Brad’s eyes were bright, and the relief was clearly visible on his smiling face. “Ok, doc.  Let’s get the bad news out of the way.”

“The bad news, my boy, is that you will have to contain yourself for a few more days.  I had to induce a coma to give Kenneth’s mind time to recover more quickly.  I am assisting his recovery as much as I am safely able to do, but it will still take a few days.  The mind is very complex and the damage was severe.  But you all did an excellent job, and you should be extremely proud of yourselves.”

The doctor hated to bend the truth, but the time wasn’t right to reveal what really happened.  He made his decision to induce a coma in Ken to help make the cover story more convincing.

Brad rushed over and literally picked the doctor up and gave him a big bear hug.    Brad whispered in the doctor’s ear, “Thank you so much, doc.  I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost him.”

The doctor gave Brad one of his rare smiles and patted him on the back saying, “Me too, my boy, me too.”

Everyone else let out another round of exuberant hoots and hollers, and everyone was smiling and a few even shed tears of happiness.

With the assurance that Ken was going to be ok, everyone but Brad left the lab.  The only rule the doctor still kept in place was that no one was to go anywhere alone.  They still had to travel in pairs to the security office, or shopping, or wherever.  It would make life a little more difficult but everyone could cope with that.

The doctor used the last of the syringes on Brad, to ensure his body’s full recovery.  His organs did show signs of distress, but by the next morning, with the increased potency of the serum his body completely regenerated. 

Brad stayed in the lab as before, with the doctor going home at night to his own house.  Brad put two beds together so he could sleep beside Ken, and even though he knew Ken was going to be alright he hardly ever left his side.  He would sit and hold Ken’s hand while he watched TV, or while he slept.

The doctor didn’t tell Brad that he scheduled the induced coma to stop the morning of the third day. 

Brad felt like someone was looking at him and it woke him up.  He opened his eyes, and Ken was on his side with his head propped up on one hand, his body stretched out on display for Brad.

Ken looked at him, smiled and said, “Hey handsome.  What’s a fella gotta do around here to get some food?  I’m starving!”

Even knowing that Ken was going to be fine, when Brad saw him awake and talking, he was overwhelmed with emotions.  He threw himself on top of Ken, wrapping his arms around him and pressing his face against his big warm chest him and started bawling like a baby.  He was sobbing so hard his throat closed up and he couldn’t talk.  Ken started crying too, and he held Brad and let him cry, one hand cupping the back of his head and the other rubbing his back in comfort.

Brad finally managed to get out a, “Oh fuck, Ken, I love you so much man.  I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t made it.”

“Shhhh B, its ok man.   I love you too buddy!   I’m right here and I’m not goin anywhere.” Ken started laughing and he hugged Brad even tighter.  “I was about to say more than you will ever know, but that’s not true anymore is it?”

Brad pulled back so he could look into Ken’s eyes.  Ken was right; now that he was awake, they were both aware of the connection between them. All they had to do was concentrate a little and they could bring it up to the surface.  Ken reached up and gently wiped the tears off of Brad’s face with his thumbs.

Brad sniffed and said, “Shit, this is gonna take some getting used too.  We won’t even have to talk if we don’t want too.”

Brad put that thought into action, and spoke in his mind, Ok you hot fucker.  I know you were posing for me when I woke up, and now it’s time to pay the consequences.

Ken mentally laughed, You know me too well buddy.  Guess I’m busted.  If you know so much bro, you know what I need from you right now.  I need to feel you inside of me, B.  NOW.  Get those clothes off fucker before I rip them off.

Brad lifted his t-shirt up and slowly off, causing his wide lats to flare.  When he brought his arms down, his heavy chest settled back down into huge slabs of tight muscle.  Brad unbuckled his jeans, kicked off his shoes, and pulled his pants off one leg at a time.

He could feel Ken’s eyes on him, and feel the lust stirring as he got turned on by Brad’s physique.   Brad was as turned on by Ken as he ever had been.  They both needed this; to feel each other physically as well as mentally and emotionally.  Body, Mind, and Spirit.

Ken rolled over onto his stomach, knowing that when Brad topped him that was his favorite position.  He loved to lay down on top of Ken’s broad back so as much of his body could be in skin contact as possible.  And Ken loved to feel Brad’s hard furry chest and abs pressing down against him.

Ken had somehow managed to produce a small tube of lube and he handed it to Brad.

Brad covered his hard dick liberally with the lube and crawled over on top of Ken.  Ken had his back arched slightly, and his butt lifted, ready to take Brad.

Brad guided his hard dick to the opening of Ken’s waiting hole and pressed forward firmly.  Ken opened up for him and his rock hard six inches went to the hilt in one smooth thrust.

Both of them thought, Oh fuck that’s amazing, at the same time, which caused them both to laugh.  Brad started stroking in and out, slow and steady, aiming for Ken’s prostrate.  Ken had to be careful not to squeeze his ass muscles too tightly or he could hurt Brad, but he clenched and squeezed, and rotated his ass.  Ken’s ass felt like a strong, hot, moist, hand jerking him off.

They both shot a huge load within a few minutes; neither one of them had gotten off for weeks, at least in the physical world, and they needed to get the quick one out of the way.  Brad never lost his erection, and pressed his full muscled body down against Ken’s, nibbling and kissing Ken’s shoulders, back, and neck, while he gently rode his best friend and lover for almost another hour.  Brad worked up quite a sweat, and Ken loved to feel the hard, sweaty muscles of his partner pressing down against him.

Ken kept muttering his love and encouragement to Brad through their act of lovemaking.  Brad wasn’t as vocal, but Ken felt his love through their connection.   Ken wanted to get on his back before he shot again, so he flipped over.  They wanted to see each other’s faces and be able to look into each other’s eyes.  Brad placed his hands on Ken’s chest for support and squeezed tight, rubbing Ken’s nipples with his fingertips while Ken let his hands roam up and over Brad’s tight corded arms, shoulders, and chest while he was slowly thrusting in and out.

Brad left one hand on Ken’s hard chest, and with his other hand he reached down and started stroking Ken’s eight inch member.  Ken couldn’t help it and started pushing his hard dick in and out of Brad’s tight fist.  With their connection, Brad knew what felt best to Ken; how tight to squeeze, when to slightly twist his grip, when to speed up or slow down; it was the perfect hand job and coupled with feeling Brad inside him he was soon ready to shoot.  In an amazing display of agility for such a large man, Brad bent over and took the head of Ken’s dick into his mouth, sending Ken over the edge.  With the onset of his orgasm, Ken’s ass started to spasm and gripping Brad’s erection, milking his dick and causing him to shoot off with his lover. 

After they were both done shooting, Brad pulled out and lowered himself on to Ken, their bodies pressed tightly against one another, with both their semi hard cocks trapped between their sweaty stomachs.  They were both breathing heavily.   Ken reached around Brad’s thick, heavy shoulders and pulled his head down so they could kiss.  It started as a few tender kisses, while they looked into each other’s eyes; but it soon built into a long passionate kiss that neither one wanted to break.  Brad held Ken’s head in both his hands, running his fingers through Ken’s short hair with one hand, while tenderly brushing the hair back and gently rubbing Ken’s forehead with his other hand.  Occasionally they would break their kiss to catch their breath and smile at one another, and Ken would rub his stubbly cheeks against Brad’s.

All of the sudden Ken’s stomach let out the biggest rumble of hunger that Brad had ever heard.  They both laughed and Brad put his hands back on Ken’s chest to push himself up, getting in a last squeeze of Ken’s rock solid body.  Brad said, “Ok stud, let’s get you something to eat.  I need to start taking care of you.”

Ken sat up on the edge of the bed, and wrapped his arms around Brad before he could move away.  He pulled Brad back against him for one last hug and kissed his back, and said, “Yeah, B, seriously dude, I can’t believe you put your own selfish need to get off before my well-being.  I’m gonna have to talk to the doc about the hired help.”

Brad just laughed and replied, “Ok mister, get your ass up off that bed.  We need to throw the sheets into the washing machine, and grab a quick shower.  I want to take you someplace nice, and while I have the utmost appreciation for how you smell right now I’m not sure the general public does.”

Neither one of them said the obvious, because now they could both feel it, but they were relieved to have all the nastiness behind them and to be back to normal.  Well, mostly normal.  The fact that they could hear and feel each other’s thoughts wasn’t exactly normal, and would take some getting used to.  It was so nice to be able to just relax with each other and be themselves.  Now there were no barriers between them; they thought they were perfect together before all of this, but now that they were living with their minds and souls laid bare to one another it was… both liberating and frightening, but in a beautiful way and neither one of them would change it for all the world. 

They knew the doctor wanted to talk to them, but for now he was giving them space so they could have some time to themselves.  There were some enormous adjustments they were going to have to go through.  And Brad had a lot to learn on how to control his new abilities.

Ok that’s it for Chapter 5… I hope you enjoyed it! 

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