Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2001 22:12:17 -0700 From: Dan Kirk <kirkjr2@home.com> Subject: Wreckers_Chapter7 This story contains some erotic and violent situations. The violence, and sexual material, for that matter, are not gratuitous. They are part of the story. If this is illegal where you reside, or you are not of legal age, read no further! Otherwise, enjoy. All work remains the property of the owner, and is printed on this web site, and its authorized mirrors/affiliates by permission of the author. Any other printing, distribution, etc. is prohibited. I'd like to thank Ed once more for his work in proofing this. As you may have noticed, these stories are getting longer with the last three installments. It ain't easy to pick them over, finding all the little mistakes I've made, but Ed does a great job at it! The Wreckers Chapter 7 -- We Walked that Road... As usual, Justin was awake before the other parts of himself roused from sleep. He lay on his back, in the oversized bed, sandwiched between his two lovers. Even in sleep, their identical faces bore similar smiles, both curled on their sides, facing towards him. Every morning for the past four years, he had woken in this wonderful bliss. He had let down his barriers for these two young men, and they had changed him as much as he changed them. At 18, they'd had precious few experiences in growing up. At 36, he'd forgotten the passion and joys of youth. When they merged, they'd grown up a lot, and he'd remembered how to enjoy himself. Altogether, it was a wonderful mixture. Now in his 40's, and they in their 20's, the difference in their physical ages didn't really matter, and there was no difference in their mental age. They were one. Their abilities allowed them to change their physical appearance, and so they all chose to look like they were in the their mid-20's. Justin's hair was a darker blond than the twins' platinum hair. His sea-blue eyes contrasted with the deep green of theirs. Slightly taller than them, he thought they all fit together pretty damn nice. Dammit, he didn't want this to end, but it was. This was the last time for a while that he'd get to wake up like this. He had a mission, and in a few hours, he'd be leaving, thank the gods only for a little while. They were staying here. That thought depressed him for a bit, but he realized that as long as they were joined together mentally, he'd never really be alone. After four years, the thousands of miles between Phoenix and this base wouldn't even be a problem. Their abilities had grown so much, with the realization of their true nature. It wasn't psionics that they had, but something else. Their will allowed them to shape reality around them. Their minds shaped what they wanted, and their will brought it into being. This secret they never shared with Command, but they did share it with some of their recruits. Those that they knew they could trust. He felt the twins stirring physically beside him, and mentally as well. As usual, they both came instantly awake, giving him a good morning kiss, and stretching out beside him. He smiled, wrapping each leg through theirs. They smiled, mentally letting him know they didn't want the morning to end either. They all decided to get out of bed at the same time, the twins heading for the small head to relieve their bladders, Justin for the wardrobe to get the uniforms ready for the day. He pulled out a pair of navy khakis, freshly pressed and cleaned. The gold oak leaves of a Lieutenant Commander on the collars, and four and half rows of ribbons on the left breast. He'd been promoted last year, as had the twins (to Captain, one rank below him - he was Navy, they were Army). He heard the shower running and decided to join them. As he entered the head, he was glad that Captain Kiles (he also had received a promotion, and had been given command of the Training Center, while Colonel Sells now commanded the Operations side of things) had consented to giving them larger quarters, with a larger head. The shower was truly luxuriant, and fit all three of them, if a little tightly. This morning they took their time, each washing the other, knowing that it would be the last day the three of them would be together for a while. The twins didn't have any classes to teach this morning, in recognition of the fact that Justin was departing. None of them had spoken a word to the others yet, mentally or out loud. They just enjoyed each other's company. As was usual when they were awake, their thoughts were joined as one, and they lost themselves in the sensations flooding them from three bodies. After a long shower, they all got out, and dried off. They looked at the three sets of uniforms Justin had pulled out of the wardrobe, a set of khakis surrounded on each side by standard cammies. They knew that when they put them on, they were one step closer to separation. Justin looked over at the clock, and they realized they couldn't put it off anymore. All three got dressed, putting on each piece of clothing like they were dressing for a funeral. When they were done, Jason reached down and grabbed a garment bag that had been packed the night before, and Curtis picked up another bag with more clothes and some personal items for Justin. Justin reached over to the desk they all shared, picking up the weapons belt that sat there. He pulled the 9mm out of its holster, and slammed a full magazine into it. Then he put it back in the holster and put the belt on. Now fully dressed, he looked handsome in the tailored uniform, and the twins couldn't help but laugh. "I love you," they said at the same time. "And I love you too," Justin answered, a smile lighting up his face. With that, they moved out the door, the twins leading. They made their way up one level and down some corridors to the main mess hall. They left the bags by the side entrance, and got in line for breakfast. Despite the late hour, the room was still fairly full, about 30 people seated at various tables. Most were trainees, but there were a few graduates around between missions, and the Center's command staff sat at a table together. Their trays full, the three made their way to the command table and joined the men there. As they sat down, Alan Mills (Lt. Colonel and now executive officer of the training center) smiled and said, "So nice of the Triplets to join us this morning." The others at the table laughed at the name they'd all used for the three over the past four years. David Baxter (Now a Major), let his deep bellied laughter continue for a bit before adding his two bits. "You know how it is before your loved one goes on a mission. I swear I never want to get out of bed when Henry's about to leave." "That's because you're always in bed when he's here, and you don't want to do any real work," Captain Kiles jibed at David (Navy ranking of Captain is equal to a Colonel). "So, Jaz, you nervous at your first mission in four years?" Alan asked. "Not really, Alan. It's in Phoenix, though, so I am worried about having to deal with the damn heat again. I've been in this nice, temperature controlled cave for four years. I don't think I'm ready for the heat again." "Awwww, come on," David drawled out. "Don't tell us wonder boy is worried about being affected by any little ole heat? Why, I heard it was only 108 yesterday in Phoenix." "And if you say 'But it's a Dry Heat' I'm going to strangle ya!" Justin retorted as everyone within hearing distance laughed aloud. "He's just jealous that we're still gonna be able to have sex with each other and he's gonna be all by his lonesome," Jason quipped, tired of not having anything to say. "Don't worry, baby," Curtis added, running his hands over Justin's short hair. "We'll take pictures and send them to ya." Again the the people around them laughed, long used to the teasing between the three. They finished the rest of the meal in relative silence as the men around them discussed the upcoming day's routines, and the expected arrival of another group of trainees in a few days. The Psionics Corps, as it was now known, had a total of 360 members. 63 were trainees, 8 were instructors. The rest were graduates, most deployed in the field. Of these, a little more than a hundred belonged to the private group recruited by Justin and the twins. The rest were totally unaware of the plans the three had. Of course, they didn't think about that when anyone was close enough to pick up the thoughts through casual or close contact. When all three were done eating, and had put away their used trays, the rest of the command staff joined them at the side door. Again picking up Justin's bags, the two followed their lover as he walked towards the main door of the mess hall, which led to the main entrance to this section of the base. When they reached the main entrance, the blast door was still closed. Justin walked to a large circle painted in red about 3 feet across. Justin stood in the middle of the circle, and the twins set the bags down beside him. When they straightened back up, he wrapped his arms around them, letting tears streak down his face in silence. They responded to his hug by grabbing him tightly in a long-familiar three way embrace. Tears streaked their faces too, and they held the hug for several minutes. Finally, Justin broke the embrace, kissing each of them in turn. "Goodbye, my loves, keep each other safe for me, please," he said. "Goodbye, love. Hurry home to us," Curtis said. "Goodbye, lover. Keep yourself safe," Jason added. Verbalizing it seemed to make it more real. Captain Kiles stepped forward, handing Justin a small packet. "These are your official orders, Commander. They will ensure the full cooperation of all US Forces in the area. When Lieutenant Strausser and Major Carlson meet you there, coordinate guarding of the installation of new solar power cells, and the hunt for the rogue. From the attacks we've seen so far, we're pretty sure it's Captain Cole who is in the area. You trained him in Elemental combat, and the twins taught him Mentalist regimes. You stand the best chance of finding him with that familiarity." "Understood, sir," Justin said as he took the packet in his left hand, and saluted. Kiles returned the salute, and stepped out of the circle. Kiles was a stickler for military protocal, and the entrance area was technically outside. When Kiles had taken command of the Training Center, he'd also ordered everyone to wear full uniforms, ending the fun of pants and t-shirts that had once been standard routine. Alan and David both stepped up to Justin, giving him firm handshakes, which turned into hugs. Alan commented for Justin to be safe since he wouldn't be around to pull his butt out this time, David promising to watch over the twins for him, with a wicked grin on his face. Justin just smiled and told them to take care. His goodbyes done, Justin focused his sight on his twin lovers, burning their faces and bodies into his memory forever. Then he closed his eyes, and remembered a building in Phoenix where he'd rested four and a half years ago, before flying out here. When he had the building firmly in mind, he focused his will on being there. Without opening his eyes, he knew he'd made it. The coolness of the training center was replaced by a heat that burned his lungs as he drew a breath in. His skin tingled as sweat burst from every pore and he let out a long sigh. He was back where he'd started this strange journey. He took a few minutes to let his body acclimate to this heat, and then opened his eyes. There was the airlock entrance just like he remembered it, the building looked pretty much the same at this viewpoint, but he could see that there were several additions to it on each side. He could still feel the twins in the back of his head, just as if he was still in the Center, now several thousand miles away. The only difference was that he couldn't hear the constant chatter that was normally there, and that brought a feeling of loss, which he quickly subdued. At least he could still feel them, and knew they were fine. Bending down and picking up the two bags he had brought with him, he moved towards the airlock. When he reached it, he put the shoulder strap of one of the bags across his shoulders, freeing his right hand. He punched in the access code he'd been given, watched the light turn green, and opened the outer door. When it was shut behind him, he turned and opened the inner door, knowing he'd be in a mess hall as he stepped through. The first thing he noticed was that the room was not as cool as it had been. It was still cool, but it was more like 85 degrees instead of the 75 he expected. There were more people than he expected too. The room was nearly full, with about 15 people, men and women both, seated, eating breakfast. With a start, he remembered the time difference, here it was three hours earlier, and these people were just getting their day started. As he stood there for a moment, confused by the room nearly full, remembering the last time when there were only four people here, he noticed a familiar form stand up and walk towards him. He recognized the marine, Thomas Gutten, but was pleased to find the insignia of a Warrant Officer on his lapels instead of the stripes and rocker of a Master Sergeant. "Welcome, sir!" the man said when he reached Justin, holding his hand out instead of saluting since they were indoors. "It's good to see you again, Gutten. Congratulation on your new rank. It's good to see a good man get ahead," Justin said, a slight smile on his face, remembering a shower with the man. Blushing slightly, the marine answered, "I'm not the only one to move up in the world, sir, congratulations on your own promotions. Going from Ensign to Lieutenant Commander in less than five years is no small accomplishment. Let me introduce you around." As the marine introduced him to the men and women filling the room, Justin was amazed that there were so many people. It definitely explained the add-ons he'd seen from the outside, but not the purpose. It became clearer after he'd gotten a cup of coffee and joined Gutten at a table. As the marine finished his meal, Jansen and Arduk continued conversation with Justin. They'd both also received commissions as Warrant Officers in the Air Force. Apparently, Paulsen hadn't been so lucky. He was killed the previous year during the construction of one of the additional buildings in a freak accident. Jansen still seemed depressed about it, and tears had filled his eyes when he mentioned it. "So, what's with all the people here?" Justin finally asked. All three men shifted their feet nervously before Arduk answered, "Well, sir. There's been a lot of kids born here on the base in the last couple of years. With the heat, and the problems lately, it was decided to add on to this facility since it was constantly air conditioned, and it wasn't being used much. You were the last one to come through, the last, um...you know. Brass wouldn't let the General shut the place down, and it's still used primarily as a field base for, um, your group of people, but we also use it for the kids until they are old enough for school." "What about their parents?" Justin asked. Again, all three looked somewhat nervous, and this time Jansen answered, "Most of 'em don't have but one parent, and most of the women here are them. We've lost a lot of people in the last year, and well, it's just safer this way. The kids are being brought up right, and everyone here loves 'em. Maybe you'll have a chance to meet him, I mean them, later." Curious. Justin knew they were hiding something, and considered probing their minds for it, but decided that he didn't want to risk stepping his foot into a mess right away. He listened as they explained that they would act as his liaisons to base facilities and personnel. They didn't have a clear picture of his orders, just that he was here to help work on the power and terrorist problems. The General would be by later today and they could meet him in the staff lounge (another new feature of the expanded building). They had also received word that his associates would be arriving sometime tomorrow. After they were finished eating, they took him on a tour of the facility. His bags they put into the same room he had stayed in before, which looked exactly the same. While he was putting his bags on the bed, he could feel the tension rise a little in the room, and he decided to make something clear, remembering a certain shower from that first brief visit. "Um, gentlemen, I don't mean to be rude, but I think you should know that I'm spoken for now." The three men smiled, and Jansen said, "Damn, and I thought I was going to get my turn now." "You can try," Justin said, "but I'm gonna warn ya that you might not like what happens when the twins find out. They're a little on the jealous side." "Damn," Arduk said, slapping Jansen on the back. "If ya gotta lose out, at least it's to twins!" Gutten cleared his throat, and said, "Don't worry, sir. We understand. And don't worry about the showers, with all the people here, the facilities have been expanded, and there's now a men's and women's facility." Nodding, Justin motioned for them to continue their tour. There were now six more rooms off the gymnasium where the original rooms were located. Three were now quarters for the rest of the staff. The remaining three were a large nursery, as big as the gymnasium, a medical ward, and the last was a conference room. Justin looked into the nursery through a large window that took up most of a wall. There was a door next to it that was closed. Inside the nursery itself, the room had been separated into several different areas. There was a play area, a sleep area, and what looked like an eating area. There were about 20 kids in there, ranging from some newborns in a crib, to toddlers around three. As he watched the kids, and the three attendants in the room, tears came to Justin's eyes. Grief rolled over him as he thought of his sister's family, now dead for four years. After a few moments, he felt something missing, and realized that the love and support of the twins wasn't flowing into him like it always did when the grief hit him. Hearing him sob, the other three men looked at him strangely until he spoke up. "Sorry. My sister and her family were killed by some terrorists a few years ago. The kids only reminded me of them." He was shocked when he picked up a strong thought of 'Maybe we should tell him' from Gutten, but his attention was distracted by a feeling of love and closeness welling up inside of him. The twins were reaching out to him, across the distance, and although weaker than when he was close to them, the contact assuaged his grief. Pulling himself back together, he motioned for the men to lead him out. As they made their way back to the mess hall, Justin noticed a monitor which showed a familiar APC had pulled up outside the airlock. Deciding to meet the General outside, Justin went into the airlock, and cycled the doors open in order, with the three men following him. As he got outside, he pulled the cover (hat) from his belt and put it on. As the General got out of the APC and walked over to him, he snapped to attention and saluted (mirrored by the three men behind him). The General returned his salute and reached his hand out to shake. "Good to see you again, son!" the General said as Justin shook his hand briskly. "I'm glad to see ya here. You boys in that, um, special unit have been doing a lot of good, and it's good that some of you came from here." Allowing himself to smile, Justin thanked the General and led the way back in. The five of them made their way through the facility to the conference room, making small conversation about the heat, and Justin groaned when the General used the classic line, "At least it's a DRY HEAT." When they reached the conference room, the General sat at the head of the table, and invited Justin to sit next to him. After they had served both men some more coffee, and set a pitcher of water on the table, the three junior men left, closing the door securely. "This room is secure, and all monitoring devices are turned off, Commander," the General began. "I've been given a basic briefing on the Psionics Corps, and have read some of the various mission debriefs. I've also seen your file, and the reports of the one mission you've been sent on. Good job on that one, and I'm sorry about your family." Biting back the surge of grief at the mention of his family, Justin answered, "Thank you, sir. It's good to be back in Phoenix. I just wish it was under better circumstances." "Agreed on that, son. We've been having problems for about the past two years with some militia groups. Arizona has always been home to a lot of independent minded folks, and it's been getting worse. Fullspread militia groups have been springing up all over the place, and they've been making damn fine nuisances of themselves. However, last year, we got word that there was a new guy in town that was working on uniting them. Apparently, he's even managed to get the racial purity groups willing to work with hispanic groups, etc. Quite an accomplishment, and not one in our favor." "True, sir. Has there been any intel on where he might be operating from?" Justin asked, pretty sure now that it was indeed Kelly Cole in the area. "None. He seems to move pretty well, and seems to have some familiarity with the area." "Yes, command suspected that it was Captain Kelly Cole in the area. He lived here a few years before the event, and might have some contacts in the area. Which is why I'm in command of the group sent here to find him. Once Strausser and Carlson get here, we'll start to work in the community. I assume that Paul Ganter is still in charge of security for the Power Corp?" Smiling, the General said, "Yes, Commander, he is. I almost forgot you used to work under him." Ignoring the dirty interpretation fo that last sentence, Justin smiled and said, "Yes, sir. I'm going to assign Major Carlson to work with the work crews. He's good at sensing danger, and has some ability at the, uh, combat arena with his abilities. He should be able to forestall any attack made during the construction of the replacement solar panels. Captain Strausser and I will circulate in town in civilian clothes. I'll want to check with the local police to see if they have some addresses on people I know. I've got a few ideas on who might know some things that will lead me to the right groups." "Have you thought a cover story up for yourself and your cohort?" the General asked. "Yes, sir. I've been in jail on this base for four years for the incident at the bar, and I've just been released, along with my friend." "That might work. The only people we've released have all been re-arrested and are back on base. That means that they're incommunicado and no one will be able to confirm or deny your incarceration. The local police have no record at all of you, so we can fake something there easily. I'll see to it." As he finished, the General got up to leave, then stopped by the door as Justin had stood up and started to follow. "One more thing. You look different, son. You're a lot younger looking than you were last time those people saw you." "Easy enough to fix, sir," Justin said as his features shimmered, aging. His hair thinned a little, and there was now gray showing through it. "This satisfactory?" The general just stood there for a moment, finally shaking his head. "Reading about it and seeing it in action are two different things. Good luck, and good hunting!" With that, he turned and left, while Justin sat back down in his chair, lost in thought about what was to come. *** The rest of the day seemed to pass in agonizing slowness for Justin. Halfway through the day, Justin left the conference room and joined the staff of the facility in the mess hall. Again, it was full, nearly 30 people overall. The food here was decent, but not as good as what he'd gotten used to at the Center. After filling his tray, he sat down in a seat next to Warrant Officer Arduk. After a nod at the man, and the other two he knew, he ate in near silence, listening to the idle chatter that filled the room. It seemed the topics of the day ranged from the power shortage, the previous attacks, speculation of future attacks, and the antics of some of the children in the nursery. The sound of female voices seemed odd to his ears, after four years on not hearing them (except when training someone able to shape shift). After a while, he realized that Jansen had asked him a question. He felt a little guilty about it, but had to ask the man to repeat his question. "How was the East Coast, sir? How are things out there?" "Not bad. Things get bad during the winter without a lot of the weather radars and other equipment to predict hurricanes and stuff. The bigger cities like New York, Washington, Boston, are a lot smaller now. But things are a lot closer together, so they are actually able to to distribute food and stuff easier. " "What about Europe? They shipped a bunch of people outta here last year and that's where they said they were going," Gutten asked. "Not so good," Justin replied, not wanting to reveal too much. "Britain and our government decided to forestall the invasion of the British Isles by doing an invasion of their own. Last I heard, things were at a standstill after they established a beachhead in France." "I heard the Navy got a lot of action out there," Arduk offered up. "Yeah, I saw some of the tapes," Justin said. "It's weird seeing nuclear powered steel and aluminum warships in a missile and gun battle with a mixture of similar vessels and wooden sailing ships. Too bad the Frenchies figured out how to put modern gun mounts on those wooden crates. The admiral in charge of our forces ignored the things until they opened up and sank a couple of ships." He didn't mention that it was a psionic on one of the US ships that saved the day, setting fire to all the wooden ships the moment they opened fire. Leaning forward, Gutten asked in a strangely quiet voice, "Sir, what about Major Hollis? How's he doing? The General had written a letter to Hollis' new CO, but received a reply that Major Hollis had never arrived." Suddenly remembering a flash of red next to a stalled humvee, Justin thought that there was one more thing for the people in charge to answer for, but only said, "Sorry, Mr. Gutten. Last I saw was the Major and his family driving off in the middle of a happy reunion. Maybe his orders were changed. I know a lot of people were being transferred around at the time." After that, the rest of lunch passed in quiet. All three men had duties which took them outside the facility, so Justin was left alone once again. Feeling bored, and desiring to be around other people, he decided to go back to the nursery. He stood at the viewing window for about an hour, watching the kids play, a feeling of loneliness and longing swooping over him. Finally, one of the attendants came out of the nursery and invited him in. All the kids playing in the area stopped when he walked in. He looked at the cute little faces and a broad smile filled his face. For the next few hours, he played all types of games with the oldest, ending up at last, sitting with his back to the wall, telling a story he remembered telling Tyler one Christmas. One precocious boy, about 3 years old, had climbed into his lap. While he told the story, he kept on being drawn back to the boy's face. What he saw shook him a little as he realized that the boy reminded him a lot of his sister. It made him a little sad, but also somewhat happy, almost like it meant something of his family would continue on in this little blond haired angel. As he finished his story, he realized most of the kids were now asleep in a late afternoon nap. This included the little boy sitting in his lap. The kid's head was lolling against his chest, and Justin didn't move, scared he'd wake him. Resting peacefully like that, Justin let his mind wander a bit, and on an impulse, stretched his mind out to touch the boy's. He recoiled in shock when he realized what he was feeling. The boy was psionic! The ability was dormant, but it was there. Some day in the future, it would be awakened, but for now the boy was just a normal child. Another thing, the boy felt familiar somehow. Like his nephews and nieces had felt familiar that one brief day he had seen them again. Even more curious now, he reached out with his mind to touch the rest of the kids. What he found surprised him even more. Almost 2/3 of the children had the ability. Even more shocking, three of those were girls! There was an echo of familiarity with two other children besides the one in his lap. Another boy and a girl. The other boy didn't have the ability, but the girl did, or would when she grew older. The boys were both around 3, and the girl was about 2. He had to ask some questions. Gently, he lifted the boy out of his lap and laid him down next to the girl that he had felt the tinge of familiarity from. Quietly, he motioned one of the female attendants to follow him outside. She was enlisted, and once outside said, "That was very nice of you, sir, they sure seemed to enjoy the stories." "No problem, miss. I enjoyed the time with them," Justin replied, trying to think of how to phrase the questions he needed to ask, and opening his mind to catch any surface thoughts from her. Deciding parentage was probably a safe introduction, he finally asked, "What can you tell me about the parents of those three kids?" he asked, pointing to the two boys and the girl that had felt familiar. He heard her thoughts shouting 'OH MY GOD! He picked his own kids right out of the group!' Her face had turned ashen white for a moment, and she stuttered before saying, "Them, sir? Their mother is stationed here in the medical ward. Their, uh, their, uh, uh, their father is stationed somewhere else. I, uh, I'm not sure where though. You can ask Colonel Perry if you need more info. He's the base doctor." Hiding his shock as well as he could, he told her, "No, I was just curious. No need to bother the doctor. You may go back to your duties now." As she returned to the nursery, Justin stared through the window, lost in thoughts. 'My kids. I have kids,' echoed in his mind over and over again. He didn't realize that he had stood there for an hour until the children started to rouse, waking from their naps. He was startled a moment when he saw the three he had been staring at get up and run over to the attendants. He turned, and was startled to see Arduk there, looking at him oddly. He decided that it was time for some answers. "Arduk, follow me," he ordered, his voice firm and not leaving any room for discussion. The man followed him as he walked across the gymnasium and into the conference room he had met with the General in. He motioned the man into a chair, and sat opposite him. For a moment he could do little more than stare, still shocked by what he had learned. Worried about the room being recorded, he decided that he would try a two pronged interrogation, verbal and mental. Opening his mind to catch anything on the surface of the man's thoughts, he started the verbal interrogation. "Last time I was here, Warrant Officer Arduk, there was a little incident in the shower between Gutten, you, and me. Do you remember?" "Yes, sir," the man replied, blushing a little. His thoughts indicated that it was a pleasant memory for the man, which made Justin feel good, and a little guilty for this. "Good, I must admit that it was nice. You two made me feel a lot more welcome than I expected, and I still appreciate it. I was worried about it after I left. I know you two said that nothing would happen to the two of you, but I was still worried. I just wanted to make sure that there weren't any, uh, outcomes that I should worry about?" As he spoke, he listened closely to the man's thoughts. What he saw shocked him. His semen from that experience, captured in vial. Then the birth of the children. Arduk had been there for that! For a moment, the man just sat there as the thoughts ran through his brain. After a moment, he said, "No sir, nothing unpleasant happened to either of us after that. I can assure you, everything was ok with us. If that's all, sir, can I go?" Thoughts running quickly through his head, Justin nodded at the man and watched him leave. Lost by himself at this news, he instinctively reached for the other two parts of himself. They felt him reaching and pulled them into their linkage as if they weren't separated by thousands of miles. It was tough, and a little difficult to share everything across this much difference. After a few tries, he gave up. He reached out with his mind and disabled the monitoring equipment in the room, and verified there wasn't anyone watching through a hidden peephole. There were none. Slipping back into the link, he sent an image of the room he was in and sent one word, 'HERE!'. A few seconds later, the twins popped into the room and rushed to him, wrapping him in a hug he needed badly. Their minds melded totally, and he shared with them his discovery. For a moment, he felt their shock, and their joy, which mirrored his in a way he was now so totally familiar with. "We're DADDIES!" all three of them finally exclaimed aloud, in unison. They settled down at the table, in front of Justin, his own joy reflected in their own faces. He was almost as happy just to have them there with him. "We can't stay long," Jason said. "We have some evening students to deal with in the next hour," Curtis added. "But this adds a new wrinkle to our plans," Justin said. "They must have taken sperm samples from every single one of us when we were in the induction centers. That means that there could be up to 900 children out there, and expect at least 600 of them to have our gifts." "You realize what this means?" Curtis said. "They're breeding themselves a little army, which after a lifetime of indoctrination, will be willing to do their every whim," Jason said. "We're going to have to consider this in our planning. We have to find ways of getting these kids out, away from government control." "Okay, don't worry about it, we'll come up with something. Just figure a way to complete your mission without killing Kelly. We've got to get back," Curtis said as both of them leaned forward to kiss him. While their lips still rested on his, they disappeared, returning to the Center. For a while, Justin sat there lost in thought. Hours passed as he sat there, thinking about everything. Finally, making a decision, he reached out with his mind to the nursery. Even without being able to see them, he could sense the his three children as they slept, tired from a long day of playing. He knew he had to do something for them, had to acknowledge them in some way. It was also certain that those in charge right now would try to keep it from happening, and would react very badly if they ever found out he knew. Carefully, he extended himself deeper into their minds, and called up his memories of his own childhood, his family, and theirs. Then he also called up his memories of his sister and her family. Then he gave a message to them of his love, and his hopes for how they would grow up. Finally, he set and wrapped the memories deep in them, and triggered a time for them to emerge. For the two gifted with abilities, he triggered it for the night after their abilities manifested themselves. For the other boy, he set trigger to be reaching 16, and for them to emerge that night also. That done, he laid his head on the table, lost in more worry for the shape of the world they now lived in. Knowing he had children changed his outlook on life, and on the future. Time had passed without his really noticing, and he was shocked to see the clock telling him it was nearly 2300 hours, and even more surprised when Army Captain Strausser and Air Force Major Carlson walked into the room. Both men stepped into the room, snapped to attention, and said, "Reporting as ordered, sir!" Hoping they hadn't been able to eavesdrop on his thoughts, Justin recalled himself to the present and motioned for the two men to sit. As they were seated across from him, he started to give the orders on how they were going to handle the problems at hand, just not the problems he really cared about. *** The next morning dawned bright and early. Justin stretched himself out and felt two warm bodies next to him. Smiling gently, Justin reached into his mind and tweaked the twins awake. Except they were already awake. He could feel their laughter back in the Center, and his mind came fully awake, remembering that he wasn't in bed with the twins. Strausser and Carlson were sleeping next to him. As the twins turned their attention back to whatever they were doing, Justin nudged the two men next to him with his elbows. They both woke up and gave him a smile. "At least he didn't try kissing us," Strausser commented. "Yeah, but I'd still have preferred to see him nude," Carlson quipped. Justin pulled his t-shirt down self-conciously, and decided to ignore the verbal quips. It irked him that he had to pretend to like Carlson. The man was repulsive under his veneer of civility. He took far too much pleasure from using his abilities to kill for Justin to ever be comfortable around him. The three of them had talked until the early hours of the morning, sharing notes of their assignments in California, and of what their mission here was. Carlson was upset that he was no longer senior officer, but tried to hide it. By the time they were all ready for sleep, Justin realized that the two men had not been assigned quarters, so he'd invited them to share his. As the three men got ready for their day, Justin continued in near silence, grunting monosyllable responses whenever he had to. There was just too much going on now, and Justin was having trouble keeping his thoughts focused on any problem. He felt overloaded, and unsure of how to deal with everything. His kids, Carlson's dangerous love of killing, Strausser - an old friend, that friendship hidden and unknown to anyone but the twins, another old friend he wanted to save, but might have to kill. A government he could not support, but couldn't oppose openly. All this held behind a tight shield, lest the other two get some sense of it. They were up early, and had little trouble showering, or dressing in fresh uniforms. As they reached the mess hall, Justin saw Gutten sitting with Arduk, Jansen was the only one missing. Trays full, Justin led his two companions to join the two already eating. After brief introductions, he focused on eating his food. "So, the General assigned me to act as your escort at the power facility," he heard Gutten stating to Carlson. "I'm familiar with the area, and am fairly good at security, sir. I'll also be able to call in reinforcements if it's necessary." "No problem," Carlson answered, his voice almost booming. "It's always good to have a local around. Just understand I'm in charge." "Understood, Major." The rest of the meal passed in silence, with Arduk casting occasional glances at Justin. Finally, they finished their meals, just as two vehicles appeared on the monitor showing the entrance to the facility. Strausser, Carlson, and Gutten rose with Justin and followed him out the door. Once outside, Gutten led Carlson to an APC, while he watched, letting the early morning heat wash over him. As they entered the vehicle, Justin whispered "Good Luck" to Gutten, hoping the controls he had set would work, and sorry about the cost either way. Motioning for Strausser to follow, Justin led the way to the second vehicle. They climbed inside, and he was not surprised to see the General waiting inside the APC. As the two men sat down, the hatch was closed, and the vehicle took off. "I don't know why you wanted Gutten along with Carlson, but it was arranged, Commander," he said. "Thank you, General. I wanted some back up with the Major, and Gutten is very capable. I also think they'll get along fairly well. What about the other arrangements, sir?" Justin said, feeling remorse creeping in, but clamping down on it immediately. "All made, son. There'll be a police vehicle waiting at the gate. It'll transfer you to the civilian jail facility where you will be held for a few hours before release. Should be enough to establish your cover." "Thank you, sir," Justin said, deciding to try to calm the General. "All three of us are experienced at what we are doing. We are a lot safer than you can imagine, and we'll make sure the area is sanitized of hostiles." At that moment, the vehicle arrived at the main gate. Before getting out, Justin focused for a moment, and 'aged' himself to appear as he should have in his early 40's. Similarly, Strausser aged from his early 30's appearance to somewhere close to his late 40's. The general just shook his head, and gestured to a pile of orange jumpers lying next to the men. Quickly, they changed out of their fatigues, and got into the prison jumpers. "What about weapons?" the General asked as Strausser prepared to open the hatch. Justin's only reply was a quick blast of fire appearing around his hand. The General's eyes widened, and he said, "Guess you don't really need one. Good luck, men, and good hunting." As Justin and Strausser approached the police cruiser waiting for them, he was greeted by a familiar sight. "It's good to see that you are still doing well, ah, Lieutenant," he told the officer waiting for them. "Yes, sir. Must say I was surprised to get the orders, Mr. Ackeman. I'm the only officer who has been fully briefed, so if you run into any trouble while you're out in town, make sure I get word. I'll handle anything on the police end you need. If you don't mind, I'll need to handcuff you two before putting you into the cruiser. Otherwise, people might ask questions." "No problem. By the way, thanks for being so nice to me last time. I really did appreciate it, ah, sorry, I didn't catch your name last time we met," Justin said, as he turned his back and placed his wrists ready to be handcuffed. "It's Terry Wilks, sir. I think I should thank you, too. For some reason I got promoted shortly after I dropped you off, and I can't help but think it was in part thanks to you," the man said as he quickly handcuffed both of them, then helped them into the vehicle. He started the electric police cruiser and drove away, heading back towards central Phoenix. As they turned a corner, they were joined by two more cruisers, which had been waiting out of sight of the base's main entrance. During the drive, Justin kept half of his mind on the constant chatter from Officer Wilks. As requested, he talked about events in the area over the past four years, changes to neighborhoods, bars (especially the gay oriented ones), crime areas, and any odd happenings, especially in the last few months. This information gave Justin a few ideas on where to start his search for his target, Kelly Cole. Meanwhile, certain now that Carlson was out of range, he decided it was time for a telepathic conversation with his friend. 'So, Mike. I'm sorry you got saddled with that asshole. I know it must have been tough. Did you at least get to see John?' A look of grief crossed his friend's face, making his dark eyes shine with unshed tears. His head drooped forward, and his broad shoulders shuddered with held back sobs. 'He's dead, Just. He died two years ago. A bunch of skinheads bombed a bar he was at. At least I found them, and made them pay for it!' 'I'm sorry, Mike. I had hoped you two would be reunited. Back before the Event, you two were good friends for me, and I missed ya when you stuck in California,' Justin sent. 'It's OK, Justin. You did your best for me when I got to the Center, and I appreciated you swinging that assignment to LA. It gave me hope, just too bad things didn't work out. Have you figured out how to take out the government yet?' 'I've had that figured out for a while now, Mike. What I haven't figured out is how to ensure a smooth transition back to a real democracy.' 'Justin, what's the big deal? The country is dead already. Why even bother re-establishing a defunct government? There's no way the U.S. can survive the way we were before. They need us now. You, me, your twins, and all the others. Together we can guide the people of this country, making sure nothing like the EVENT happens again. If we take charge, we can guarantee things will work right, and people will be happy.' To say that Justin was shocked was an understatement. Here was one of his oldest friends suggesting something that he found horrible. 'What do you mean, us take charge? What right do we have to force people to do what we want?' 'It wasn't us that CAUSED the event,' Mike Strausser nearly ranted. 'The NORMALS in charge of the government, those that these CATTLE elected to office caused it. Oh, we don't have to be in charge directly, but we can make sure with our abilities that those in charge listen to US. We can make sure that nothing like that happens again! But we need you, man. You're the strongest of us, the only one with the ability to pull things off.' Justin pretended to think about what Mike had sent to him. How many people were thinking like this? Was this what resulted from him sharing the knowledge gained from Corcoran? This sounded like replacing one puppet government with another, and he didn't want anything to do with it. 'Give me some time to think about it, Mike. For now, we need to find Kelly, and figure out a way to make Command think we've solved the problem, without us really hurting him.' 'Ok,' Mike sent back, "Is he the Kelly Cole I think he is?' This time, Justin was the one to lower his head, lost in memories for a moment. 'Yes, he is. My first boyfriend.' A silent chuckle wavered through their mental conversation. Finally, Mike sent, 'Man, how many relationships were you able to hide from them?' 'Kelly's and you are about it, Mike,' Justin answered, also chuckling now. 'If only I was as good at leading as I am at hiding.' The rest of the ride downtown was in silence. They arrived at the central police station, and officers from the escorting vehicles opened their doors and escorted them inside. Although not as hot as the last time he was here, Justin was still overcome by the stench of unwashed bodies that filled it. They were put into a holding cell with several other inmates, and the handcuffs were removed before their escorts hurried out of the cell just in front of the closing bars. The next few hours passed in near silence as they stood near the front of the cell, eyeing the other occupants. No one there matched their size, or build. Even though they were the only occupants with gray in their hair, their solid presence intimidated the other prisoners into silence. Their couple of hours passed in total silence, every sound in the cell drawing their immediate glare. Finally, an unfamiliar officer appeared at the front of the cell and called out "Ackeman! Strausser! Your releases are processed. Let's get going!" As the door opened, the two men stalked out of the room, not looking back at the men in the cell, all of whom would be released later that day. An hour later, the two men exited out of the main entrance of the police station, just happy to get away from the stink. Once they were down the steps, and staring into thee haze of a hot, summer afternoon, Mike broke the silence, "So, bud, where to now?" "How about a drink, man? I need to wash the stink of that place outta my mouth, and a drink after 4 years sure sounds mighty tasty." Laughing out loud, the two made their way across the street, towards a horse and carriage that was resting in the shadows of the buildings. It was barely noon, and the temperature was already over 110 degrees fahrenheit. Even in the shade the horse was sweating, as was the driver sitting on the carriage. "If y'all don't have money, don't even think about trying to get a ride," the driver yelled as he saw them approach. His hand had slid to a holstered weapon at his side. The hand relaxed as Justin waved some cash from his pocket. When the men got inside the carriage, Justin named a bar he'd heard Officer Wilks mention during the drive. A half hour later, the two men were inside a warm, dark building, sheltered from the mid-day heat. Two beers sat in front of them, barely cooler than the room around them. The place was nearly empty except for the bartender, who was someone they both had known years before. The hours passed, as did a few more beers, while they caught up on things, and the bartender got to hear their fabricated story about wrongful incarceration (ever hear a prisoner say he was guilty?!). Finally, Justin decided to get around to the purpose of being there. "I tell ya," he told the bartender, "there was this one guy in that base prison that just about gave me a heart attack!" "Oh yeah," Mike chimed in. "I know which one you're talkin' about. It was that bloke that that looked just like your ex. What was his name?" "Kelly," Justin said, a dreamy lilt to his voice, and stars in his eyes, "My first boyfriend. Short, stocky build. Not an ounce of fat on him. Dark hair and the most beautiful brown eyes any man had. As soon as I saw that guy's dick though, I knew it wasn't Kelly. Kelly never was that big." Both men were absolutely shocked when a voice sounded out, "Now that's a damn lie, Ackeman! My dick's bigger than yours and you know it." Turning around, they were treated to the sight of their target standing behind them. The bartender nodded at the man and left the building, handing Kelly Cole a beer on his way out. As soon as the man left, Kelly leaped into the sitting Justin, giving him a big hug and kiss right on the lips. Mike was still staring, mouth hanging open, until he started muttering about Justin's damn luck! The kiss continued, a little longer than it should have, before Kelly pulled back and looked deeply into his former lover's eyes. After a moment, he stepped back and gave a little bow, like a performer on a stage. "Damn. If a kiss from your first love doesn't get you going, then you must really be in love with those two boys," he said. Shocked at the rapidity of finding Kelly, Justin took a moment, ignoring the mental questions from the twins, who'd sensed his surprise. Finally, he sent them reassurance and focused on the problem at hand. Without realizing it, his form had shifted back to his more youthful appearance, that was how he 'thought' of himself to be. "Captain Kelly Cole. I wish I could say that I was absolutely tickled pink to see you, but we've got some problems to discuss. Like WHAT THE HELL POSSESSED YOU TO BLOW THINGS UP WHEN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE LYING LOW?" Justin started softly, but ended up shouting. Taking his turn to be surprised, Kelly held up his hands as if to ward Justin off, and backed up until he ran against a wall. "Puh, puh, please, Justy baby. Don't get mad. I didn't have much choice. I , uh, I came to Phoenix to lie low, but I just couldn't stand by and do NOTHING!" "What do you mean?" Justin asked as he stood up, crossed his arms and glared down at the shorter man. He didn't notice Mike also standing up, but moving further away until he was exactly equal distance between the two men, but further back into the bar. Kelly had noticed, and decided to lay everything down. "What the damn GOVERNMENT is doing HERE!" he said, emphasizing words with hands waving in the air. "Did you know they've been quietly killing every gay man who hasn't shown signs of our abilities, and every damn lesbian in the city? Phoenix was not that diverse to begin with, but in the last year alone they've made it worse. All the hispanics are pretty much confined to the west end, South Phoenix is fenced off, and if you ain't white, you ain't leaving! That damn General at your precious base has been loaning his troops to the local government police units to help them 'rid themselves of a criminal element'! Do you mean to say that you'd just have sat back and let it happen?" "No, he wouldn't," Mike broke in, and both men stared at him. It was time, he'd received the confirmation signal, and a surprising message. "Justin, how many times did you lecture me on the meaning of justice? How many times did we sit over drinks and talk about doing what's right? How many times did you preach at me that anyone who supports an unjust government is as guilty as that government of the crimes committed?" "What side are you on, Mike?" Justin asked, suddenly nervous, conciously resisting the urge to call the twins. "The side of justice," Kelly said, moving towards Mike until they stood next to each other. "How can you still support these bastards? You of all people. I remember when you told your division officer to stick it up his ass because he gave you an order that was morally wrong. How can you be the same man I loved and support these murderers?" "I, I don't support them, and YOU dumped ME," Justin answered, his mind reeling at the bluntness of their arguments, and feeling decidedly outgunned. They, like him, knew the true nature of their abilities, and would not be easy to beat if it came to a fight. "It's just that right now, we need them in place to hold things together. If we acted against them, took them out nationally and at the local levels, we'd leave a vacuum that would eat this country apart like piranhas, except faster." "Not if we took charge," Mike said, resuming their earlier discussion. "After things settled down, we'd give power to people we knew we could trust, people limited by controls we set on them. We could even let people vote for different candidates if it'd make them feel better." "Another puppet government, except with us in charge?" Justin sneered. "If you want to put it that way," Kelly said. "But it's already worked overseas." "What do you mean?" Justin asked, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. "After that little invasion of Europe, the Shapers over there decided to take matters into their own hands," Kelly said. "Shapers?" Justin asked at the weird word. "Their word for us," Mike answered. "You didn't think you were the only person, or even the first to figure out the true nature of our abilities, did you? A man over there by the name of Bjorn figured it out about 3 months before you. They realized that they could shape events, people, anything around them with their mind. They took charge, and were in the middle of restoring order when our country and Britain struck last month." "Instead of killing millions of normals, like our side was going to do, they went to the camps and bases where our people were. They talked to those that were there, and showed them what they'd learned. Then they made a little proposal," Kelly continued. "Those of us that joined them readily, most of them people you'd already recruited, went and met others. Those that resisted were eliminated. Last month, they started reaching out to those of us on missions here in the States," Mike explained in a soft voice. "They stayed away from the Center, and from you, because the base was too well watched. That asshole Colonel Burns probably has the place rigged to blow at the first sign of trouble, and we didn't want to lose you or the others," Kelly said. "Why? Why the concern for me and the others there?" Justin asked, astounded at how quickly events had outpaced him. He could feel the twins reaching for him, and could feel their concern at what they sensed from him, but he held them off, knowing that their reaction would blow things wide open. "Your strength," a new voice said. Justin spun around to see Carlson standing in the room, the body of Gutten slung over his left shoulder. Walking to the bar, he slammed the body of the Marine down, and Justin could see the scorchmarks on the body's chest. "You shouldn't have tried that, boy. I sensed your controls in him before we'd reached the gate. I was nice enough to wait until he made his move, but the damn kid was too good. He almost had me and I didn't have a choice but to kill him. Waste of good meat." As a sob shuddered through him, Justin looked at the body of the marine, another failure in his life. Carlson's voice sent shudders through him as it continued to drone out, "You'd be surprised at what else the lad knew. Good thing I stripped his mind before he died. They've been making babies with our sperm. That nursery we saw yesterday, Mike. It's full of kids bred from our sperm and impregnated in women. Ackeman here has three in there." At the shocked looks of the other two men, Justin nodded, "I found out about it yesterday. As near as I can tell, there's nurseries like that at all the centers. I think they're trying to breed our gifts, then control the bearers of those gifts." He didn't tell them that those gifts bred true in most of the children since there was no way Gutten could have known about it. "AND YOU STILL DON'T WANT TO OPPOSE THEM?" Kelly shouted. "I'm not sure what I want," Justin said, knowing that it was true. "Well, you're out of time," Carlson sneered, cracking his knuckles as if he was preparing for a fight. "Choose now, boy, or your choice will be made for you." "There's one thing I know for sure," Justin whispered, as he swayed on his feet, convincing Carlson he was about to faint. "What's that, pussy boy?" was the sneering response of Carlson. "You're dead," Justin said firmly as his arm shot out 10 feet, wrapped around Carlson's neck, and snapped it. Glowing shields appeared around the other two as Justin let Carlson's body fall to the floor and he turned to face them, glowing as well. Fear was on their faces, as he stared at them from behind his shield. Its haze blocked them from seeing the tears in his eyes. "Leave me alone to think about this," he told them. "Don't make me kill you too, but if you try to follow me, I will." "We can't let you go back to the Center, or even tell the twins," Kelly said. "If they find out now, it could cause a heck of a lot of bloodshed," Mike said, trying to convince the man who'd once been his friend. "I swear. I won't go to the Center, and the twins won't know about our discussion," Justin said, unable to think of another way to leave without killing these two men. "Ok then. Two days, back here," Kelly said, knowing Justin from long years, and first love. With that, Justin disappeared from sight. He reappeared in San Francisco. His favorite spot, in Golden Gate Park, with a wonderful view of that famous bridge. He couldn't have timed it better as some low clouds partially obscured those great reddish spans. The cool temperature there felt so welcome to him, and he shivered lightly in the white t-shirt and khaki shorts he wore. Alone, his legs trembled and he collapsed in a heap, great sobs wracking his body. In his head, the twins were clamoring for him, trying to draw him into rapport. He held them off, but knew this was going to be tough. The air shimmered in front of him, and both of them appeared, wrapping themselves around him. At their touch, the walls he had attempted to hold up, crumbled and they joined together in that now familiar bond. Justin could see they had been talking to Henry, David, and Alan at the Center's briefing room. Contact lost with all operatives in England, a general alert and emergency recall being discussed. Anxious calls from the government leadership, then the twins standing up, yelling "Justin's in trouble" and jumping to him. They learned of his meeting with Kelly Cole and Mike Strausser. Joined together, their minds focused as one, working through the problems, and faced thoughts of what they would do, and tried to search for what was right. The youthful idealism of the twins running into Justin's words of experience, and pessimism. So focused were they, they didn't feel the air shimmer around them, or the lightning strike until it was too late. Justin screamed as he felt the blast hit, throwing him apart from his lovers. His scream was cut off as air left his lungs. His whole being shook as a hole was ripped into his brain. For the first time, he felt the icy grip of death as it claimed him. Or a part of him. A few feet from where Justin lay face down on the soft, loamy grass, Jason Parker shuddered as his blasted body exhaled its last breath. Smoke curled from the burnt flesh and rags that had been a uniform. The lightning had struck him directly, and shattered him. Near him, his brother Curtis screamed as he felt that part of himself die, and the shock stopped his own heart. Again, Justin felt another part of himself die, but this time, he found the breath to scream one word. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" The sound of it was inhuman. Grief raged through it, and it bounced off the surrounding hillsides, echoing over the water. Although not as numerous as a few years ago, several hundreds of thousands still called the area their home. They all looked up from whatever they were doing, as that great scream rolled over them. Looked up and clasped their ears as their eardrums ruptured, spilling blood down their hands. Windows that were still unbroken shattered, killing hundreds as deadly shards rained down all over. Justin's whole being shook. Two thirds of him was gone, ripped out of his being as if claws had dug into his head and ripped pieces of his brain out. He shook in uncontrollable spasms. Soon, the hillsides around him began to shake, but in his pain, he never noticed. As the tremors grew, so did one thought in his head. Revenge He reached out with what was left of his mind, tasting the air. Whoever had done this had disappeared at the sound of Justin's scream, but he could still sense something. A presence, a signature. Standing on his feet, unfazed by the ground rolling underneath him, Justin cast out, searching for that signature. He found it. As the ground began to disentegrate, collapsing in the long dreaded quake that would forever bury a great portion of land, and millions of people, Justin followed his target. It was a little surprising to him that he appeared in the briefing room of the Center. David stood next to Henry, worry showing through every fiber of their being. They stood facing Alan Mills, and Justin knew who it was who was responsible. All three turned facing him, surprise evident on their faces. Justin stood for a moment, facing them, before deciding on how the killer would die. But, before he could strike, Alan disappeared. Coldly, Justin reached out with his mind, and found the man. Another thought, and he was there, in the heart of London, England. The palace could only be one building, the home of the King, Buckingnham Palace. As he stared, he could see Alan's back disappear into a doorway. Startled guards were pointing towards him, weapons raised. He ignored the bullets as they bounced off him. They couldn't harm him. Another second passed as he gathered in his will, then released it and watched the entire Palace explode as if it had been hit by a thousand bombs. The shockwave and debris killed all the people around him, but he was still standing, untouched. Reaching out with his mind, he sensed his target had survived, and moved. He followed. The Eiffel tower stood before him. Jason had always wanted to see it, to climb it. Grief raged in his throat, and a firestorm sprang around him. Whirling around him like he was its vortex, the storm raged, destroying anything it touched, killing every living being as it grew to over a hundred miles wide. As the grief ebbed in him, Justin cast out, searching to make sure that damned target, that despicable murderer was dead. He wasn't. Justin felt the signature again, and leaped. St. Peter's Square in Rome, where the faithful gathered to hear the blandishments of a long series of men supposedly pious. Justin could feel his target had already moved on, but being in this place, a center of a religion that should have been about peace, but had brought war all too often, fed Justin's rage. As he disappeared to follow his target, He left behind a rotting hole in the ground, and another million corpses to a God he no longer believed in. Moscow, where he had longed to take his lovers to see the beautiful onion domes of the great churches. It was too beautiful, so he froze it forever, heedless of those few million people seeking to live out their lives, which were now over. Forever only to be remembered as statues of what used to be. Justin followed his target again. Sydney, where a great wave of water forever buried the City and all the surrounding towns. Mexico City where millions perished as lava pushed through the earth, hungrily seeking a man who tried to hide, then ran. Athens, a place Curtis had dreamed of walking, where the ground swallowed thousands of years of human history. Jerusalem, where Arabs and Jews screamed as fire rained from the sky, never reaching their target, but obliterating the birthplace of so many religions. Istanbul where the earth shook, and tremors reached out until not a building stood throughout a country as ancient as mankind. Berlin, shattered by the most recent war to sweep across it, died once and for all in a blaze like that which had killed Paris. As Justin appeared at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he stared up at the great statue of the man carved into a stone chair. He read the hallowed words etched there, above the great head, and he sobbed. All dead, he was alone again. His target was gone already, and this time something was different. He couldn't find the target! The location was blurred. As a great wave of weariness hit him, Justin collapsed at the foot of those steps, his body wracked by sobs. He was so tired, so alone. A black wave rolled over him and he began to lose conciousness, drained by all that had happened. His last thoughts were of what he'd done. 'How many? How many have died because of that man, that traitor?' he thought as the blackness took him.