Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2001 13:46:41 -0000
From: Tim <shiningstar@oceanfree.net>
Subject: Powers That Be 3

Well well, you've come back for another dose, have you? Glad to hear
it! Thanks to all for the support you've shown for my writing. I love
doing it and it makes it even better that I know that there are people who
are enjoying it! Tim - thank you. You can be in the next chapter of
Shining Star. I'm going to remember that threat that I made! Sher, I got
the package, thank you. I'll write you a mail later.

	Speaking of mail, I love to hear from people who've read my
stories, so please e-mail me! shiningstar@oceanfree.net . I don't care if
you've got good or bad things to say. I want to hear them! Suggestions
are also very welcome. If you like my writing then maybe you'd like my
other story - Shining Star. Try it!

	This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call fiction. That means
that I made it up. I don't spend my spare time battling evil wizards and I
suspect that Nsync don't either. Justin, Lance, JC, Chris and Joey are
based on real people but what happens in this story is *not* real. (See
the definition of fiction above.) If you're too young then don't let your
parents catch you!

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

"Towel Boy." I muttered shaking my head. Justin hadn't shown himself
since he slipped up more then an hour ago. The others assured me that
he was around somewhere, probably invisible so that we couldn't mock
him. It was a shame, because I definitely wanted to see him again.

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

	"Joey." Whispered Lance. "Are you still awake?"

	"You know I am."

	"True. But manners dictate that I ask you anyway." Joey rolled
over to face Lance.

	"What is it?"

	"I'm worried about Justin."

	"James." Sighed Joey. "You've always been worried about
Justin.

	"Well, I haven't seen him since he said that thing about the
towel earlier."

	"So? You know what he's like. He'll say something like that
and then he'll disappear for a while."

	"But it's been 4 hours." Insisted Lance

	"What do you expect? Him to come in here and announce that
he's back? He's knows better then to do that after he saw us the last
time." Lance could feel the smile on Joey's face.

	"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Asked Lance.

	"Well, you have to admit that it was easier then telling them
that we were together!"

	"But I'd know that he was back anyway, remember?" Said
Lance, tapping his head.

	"Ok Ok, I get your point. It's odd. But he can look after
himself."

	"I'm not so sure. He's confused, Joey. He doesn't know what to
think or what to do." Snapping his fingers, Joey turned on the lights. He
sat up in bed and looked steadily into Lance's eyes.

	"Stop talking in circles. Tell me what's getting at you know!"

	"I think that Justin's. well. I think Justin's gay."

	"Is that all? Why wouldn't he know what to do? He should
know that we'd be there for him." Joey was confused now. Justin was all
right with his relationship Lance and he knew that none of them would
care that Justin was gay.

	"It's not that that I think he's confused about. I think he's got
feelings for Tom and he doesn't know what to do about them." Said
Lance, finally getting out what he wanted to say.

	"Oh." Answered Joey.

	"Exactly."

	"Can you tell how Tom feels?"

	"Hell yeah! Before we showed him his power he was as easy to
read as a book. He's gay alright, but since we showed him his power his
mental defences have been getting more powerful and, although I
probably could get through them I don't want to probe the mind of
someone who I consider to be a friend. It's not right and I'm not going
to do it."

	Joey was surprised by the strength of the conviction in Lance's
voice and said so.

	"I know, I just feel really protective of him. Like I really want
to make sure that nothing happens to him." Said Lance.

	"I feel the same way. I'm going to ask Josh in the morning if it
could be part of the protection spell that's on Tom. Until then, try to get
some sleep James!"

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

	Justin was wandering the streets, thinking about what had
passed through his mind earlier, and the slip that he had made. The guys
wouldn't mind, of that he was sure. Look at their reaction to the news
that Lance and Joey were together! But he didn't know Tom, didn't
know what he was like and didn't want to lose him as a friend. Better to
never say anything at all and keep him as a friend then to lose him by
saying something stupid, he decided. But what if said something like
before? And what if it was more obvious this time? He desperately
wanted to talk to someone about it, but his only really good friends, the
ones that he could trust, were too close to him. Lance probably already
knew, thought Justin, but that wouldn't make it any easier to talk to him.
Tears pricked his eyes and he sat down and put his face in his hands.
After a couple of minutes of sobbing quietly to himself he resolved what
he was going to do. He was going to talk to Lance about it, ask him what
he thought he should do, and then maybe try to get closer to Tom.

	"Aww. the pretty boy's been crying." Jeered a tall black man
who was standing nearby. For the first time Justin looked around to see
where he was, and even though he didn't know the city, he knew a slum
when he saw one.

	"That's so sad." Said another man, just as tall, who seemed to
have resolved himself from the shadows to stand beside the first.

	"What do ya reckon boys, - another two men joined the two
standing there already - do we give him something to really cry about?
Such a pretty boy can't have any serious problems to worry about. Yet."
Asked the original, fondling himself whilst speaking.

	"Just leave me alone guys." Said Justin tiredly, looking up at
them. "I really can't deal with this right now." He knew that he could
beat them in his sleep, but he had other things on his mind at the time.

	"Sure thing pretty boy." Sneered one of them. "Anything you
say."

	"Do I recognise that face?. I'm sure I do. Oh, I'm gonna
enjoy this." Justin was instantly alerted. He always used a spell to
disguise his appearance when he went out (except when he wanted to be
recognised.) and no one without magical abilities should be able to
recognise him. He looked at the men with the aid of his power and saw
that two of them had something. It was black (obviously) but not very
strong. He could still take them, but it was going to be harder.

	"Listen. I don't want to hurt anyone so just fuck off, ok?"
Asked Justin, who really didn't want to have to get into anything.

	"Your concern is touching. But I don't think that you could do
any damage to me somehow." The person who spoke this time had a
polished voice, and didn't sound as if he belonged on the street. He was
also one of the two mages. Justin saw the lightening quick flick of a
wrist and a spell flying towards him. He slowed down time to think
things through. He decided to absorb the power, that way he could find
out what it was, and because he doubted that it would effect him, it
should be alright. Also, he didn't want to have any sort of a fight out on
the street where it would attract attention. He brought time back to
normal and when he realised that the objective was for him to become
unconscious, he slumped forward and let the men carry him off. There
was some power behind that spell, and he wanted to find out whose it
was. Justin was sure that the mage that threw it at him had not been
powerful enough to use something like that.

	During the trip he kept his eyes closed but roamed around with
his magical senses. Finally he saw them approaching a door and,
scraping a key into the lock, opening it. He couldn't see past it with his
power. His eyes shot open with alarm. They were taking him into a room
with magic nullifiers! His power would be useless. He frantically tried to
break free from them, but it was too late. They had him in the room and
were busy tying him down.

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

	At the same time, back at the hotel, all the other members of
Nsync were asleep, most not having worried about Justin before going to
bed. But JC had. And now he was sitting up in bed, wide-awake and in a
cold sweat. He knew that something was wrong. But the second that
Justin had had to transmit any sort of message had not been enough and
all JC knew was that Justin was in trouble, somewhere. He rushed out
into the hall, only to bump into me.

	We both started talking at the same time. "Justin's in trouble!"
Then - "I know that." Josh followed that with - "But how do you
know?"

	I paused for a moment, to gather my thoughts but before I could
speak again JC had run up the hallway to tell the others that something
was up with Justin. They all came out into the hall, rubbing their eyes,
but other then that they seemed to be waking up quickly. They all asked
what was wrong, in their own ways.

	"There's something wrong with Justin, he's in danger,
somewhere. But I can't tell where!" JC was pacing the hallway, almost
sick with worry.

	"He's in a nullifying room." I said, then frowned. "What's a
nullifying room?" Where had *that* come from? I wondered. JC seized
me by the shoulders.

	"How do you know that? Do you know where he is? Tell me!"
Lance pulled him away, into his arms and calmed him down.

	"I don't know how I know. All I know is that I know." I felt a
bit blurry for a minute after saying that sentence, and the others took a
minute to work it though their heads. Lance was the first to speak.

	"Do you know where he is?" He asked.

	"Kinda." I replied. "It's like. I could take you there, but I
don't know an address. Do you know what I mean?"

	"Sure. It happens all the time when one of the guys tells me
where he is from somewhere." JC interrupted Lance.

	"You're saying that he's got Justin's thoughts up there?"

	"No. I don't know. JC, do feel up to taking a look? Do you
mind Tom?" I hesitated before replying but said yes. JC put a trembling
hand to my face and closed his eyes. This time I could feel him probing
around in my mind. When he found what he was looking for he gasped.

	"You've got all of Justin's thoughts and emotions for that
second that he was trying to tell someone what was happening, they're
all in your mind." JC straightened up with a new strength and pulled
himself away from Lance, who still had a comforting hand on his
shoulder. "We can talk about this later. I know where Justin is. Let's
go." He extended his arms, for someone to take his hands for a
teleportation spell but instead Lance grasped his shoulder.

	"If we're going to rescue him from a magic nullifying room
we're going to need more then our underwear." I looked around the hall,
no one was wearing more then boxer shorts, neither was I. I blushed and
ducked back into my room to get dressed. Two minutes later we all met
back in the hall, JC armed with a mean looking sword and the others
with an assortment of knives and martial equipment. We quickly
teleported to the corridor just outside the room which contained Justin
and his captors.

	"There are four of them. Two have magical powers, but they'll
be in the dampening room too, so that won't make a difference, they're
all over six foot and they're strong. I'll go in first and give them a
chance to leave. Be careful everyone. With that, JC strode over to the
door and flung it open. From my vantage point I could see what was
happening inside. Justin was naked, with his arms and legs tied to the
four corners. Two of the men were naked and wanking over Justin, one
had his dick out and looked as if he was about to penetrate Justin in a
minute or two, and the fourth was sitting on the bed, and had been
talking to Justin until JC flung the door open.

	I heard JC say - "To hell with giving them a chance." And then
he attacked the man who was about to fuck Justin. I don't think I've ever
seen such a rage before in my life. The others quickly followed and beat
the other two out of the room. But the one who had been sitting on the
bed stood up slowly, unperturbed.

	"I was hoping that you'd come." He looked down at the man
who lay on the floor, dying. "Pity about that, he had been so looking
forward to Mr. Timberlake. but then, it got your attention, which was
the main reason for this whole charade." He flicked a small fireball at
the dying man, putting him out of his misery. "Don't look so surprised
Mr. Chasez. You didn't think that this room cancelled all magic do you?
Just your distasteful variety." With a glance he slammed the door shut.
"Unfortunately I wouldn't prove powerful enough to get you all if you
had your powers, but - he shrugged his shoulders - without them you're
nothing more then human, are you?"

	I decided that this was not going in a direction that I wished to
pursue. Well, actually, I was very scared. I was stuck in a room with a
maniac who seemed intent on killing some of the greatest people that I
had ever met. I shivered, which brought the attention of the maniac to
me.

	"Who are you? I don't recall there being 6 members to this
group. Oh well, I'm sure that one more death won't make a difference."

	"He's only a fan who found us when we were teleporting here.
It's a mistake that he's here at all, please, don't kill him." Pleaded
Lance.

	"Very touching, but I don't think that I could leave an eye-
witness hanging around. After all this planning? I don't think so." He
raised an arm in the classic wizard style and a fireball developed there.
"You can be the first to die, so that the others can see what awaits them."

	I cringed and closed my eyes. I finally had time to pay attention
to that nagging thought in the back of my head - if we had all lost our
magic then why was I able to feel the others in my mind? What had he
said? Just your distasteful variety of magic. As in white magic? But JC
said that I didn't have white magic, that I had a choice. Could it mean.I
quickly retreated into my power centre and saw that everything was as
normal. Suddenly, the pinprick of thought that was JC in my mind
became stronger, brighter.

	I opened my eyes and saw him staring straight at me while the
man who was going to try to kill me was preparing a spell. In an instant I
knew that I was right.

	I closed my eyes again and created shields around myself. Then
I developed a fireball in my hand and opened my eyes again. He hadn't
noticed! He was too absorbed in the spell that he was weaving and was
cocky. He thought that nothing could hurt him. I threw the ball at him
with all my strength, he looked up in shock and, forgetting the spell in
his hand he brought up his own shields. He hadn't gotten up quickly
enough and some of the fire hit him in the chest. JC tried to take
advantage of the situation to free Justin but the maniac was having none
of it. He stared straight at Josh and hurled him into a wall using his
mind, and then he looked back at me not knowing what to think. He
raised his hand again and lashed out with lightening. It glanced off my
shields and earthed itself in a wall. He looked at me with fear as I threw
another fireball. This one was more powerful then the last, I was getting
better at this.

	It took all his strength to block it. His mind was suddenly left
unguarded and I felt him. He was a sickening presence in the back of my
mind. I tried to push it away because it was disgusting and then saw the
effect that it had on him. He grunted in pain for a moment and then was
focused again. But he hadn't left my mind. I could still sense him. I
pushed harder and this time he fell to the floor, his shields cracking and
disintegrating underneath his weight. He had fainted! With him
unconscious the spells blocking magic died. As did the spells holding
the door closed. Fire seared across Justin's bonds and they burnt away,
leaving him free. JC knelt down beside they're would be murderer, he
placed his hand on him and with a shimmer he disappeared.

	"What did you do?" I asked.

	"Sent him in front of the Arch-Mage council. He'll find life
there. interesting." Replied JC.

	"Can we leave now?" Said Justin, shuddering.

	"Yeah, let's go get J some clothes!" Added Chris, trying to
relieve the mood.

	"Are you ok Justin?" Asked a concerned Lance.

	"I'll be fine. But a couple of minutes later and that guy would
have. would have." Said Justin, breaking into tears. JC drew him into
a hug, neither of them caring that Justin was naked. "I'm just glad that
you found me in time. I didn't think that I had enough time to tell you so
I just threw everything at you."

	JC interrupted him. "Shh, you're ok now. That's all that
matters. Lets go back to the hotel so that you can get some sleep, hmm?"

	"Yeah." Everybody gathered round the two of them as did I. JC
said the words and seconds later we were in Josh's room. He pushed
everyone out except Justin, who he then put to sleep in his room. We all
sat in silence in Lance and Joey's room, reflecting on what had just
happened.

	I spoke the first words. "What did happen guys? I'm still
confused."

	"Some guy tried to kill us and have Justin raped. I would have
thought that it was obvious!"

	"Leave him alone Joey. That's not what he's talking about."
Admonished Lance. The door opened and a weary looking JC entered
the room.

	"How's Justin?" I asked.

	"He's asleep, shaken up. But he'll be fine. What were you
talking about before I came in?"

	I shot a smile at Lance. "Thanks Lance. You're right, I meant -
Why did he try to kill you in the first place?"

	JC answered. "Because of the prestige it affords a person,
because he was hired to, because of the rewards offered, revenge. Take
your pick." I didn't understand, and I said so. JC just flopped down onto
a chair and let Joey answer.

	"We've told you that we're together as a group because of our
powers, but we didn't tell you what we do. There's more then simply
humans with magic. There are demons, vampires, and a host of things
that, given half a chance would kill of the entire human race. We've got
to try to stem the flow. That makes us unpopular with a lot of people and
things. Last time we heard, there was about five million on each of our
heads, just for the heads."

	"And now you've gotten me into this? This should be
interesting."

	Chris replied. "If you want to back out, just say so. We could
erase your memories."

	JC said - "The memories would grow back. We've shown you
your power, you've got to live with it now."

	"Don't worry guys! I wouldn't give this up for the world.
Besides, I think that you need me really. Look at the trouble you'd have
gotten into if I hadn't have been there tonight!"

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

	That's another chapter out. Let me know what you think -
shiningstar@oceanfree.net .

			Tim.