I am...so sorry. This took me a lot longer than it was supposed to. See, the goal was to combine chapter's 2 & 3 because both of them are pretty short, but a bunch of stuff happened and...yeah. Took awhile.

By the way, no matter how many times you ask or how long it takes for me to update, the answer to whether I've dropped this story is always the same: No. I have not. I'm just a slow updater. The plan is to continue. And that goes for my other stories as well, especially JoCM. As long as Malphas lives, that one will definitely be continued.

The problem is I'm going to a no-Internet-cell-reception zone where I won't be able to update/edit for around four months, or talk to you wonderful people who drop reviews and geek out with me over Mrs. Kenyon's latest releases. All those times I've had a long break from updating was prepping for the no-internet zone. The fact I managed to post at all this summer kinda surprises me; I've been out of it. (By the way, have you read DragonMark yet? Do it. Do it now. Find the sentence that will blow your mind and compare it to DragonBane. *Shoves you in the general direction of nearest bookstore.*)

Also, I apologize in advance for editing errors. I will go back and edit...and be horrified you saw any of the mistakes...but it will be done. Hopefully before I leave. -RS

P.S I love you, Bro! See, I posted! (Albeit weeks after I had promised it...but I did update!)

P.S.S To answer a Guest's question about whether or not I'll be doing all the CON books: I don't think so. I know for a fact I will finish the first book Infinity because I want to finish what I start, but I had no idea how much work it took to make this kind of fic going in. If possible, I will, but It would take awhile. Oh! And because I forgot to mention it:

SPOILERS FOR INVISION IN CHAPTER! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE LATEST CON BOOK, DO NOT READ! CRAP! I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT! IF I RUINED SOMETHING FOR YOU, I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY!

Mrs. Kenyon owns All of this! Aaaaall ooooof iiiiit. Capisce?

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"Say you prayers, Gautier. You're about to become a statistic."

Nick's head throbbed, as if someone decided it'd be a fantastic idea to hit him over the head with a lead pipe. Something about Alan's words...an image floated in his head, but was quickly lost to remembering the hard ground he had lain on as a kid about to die, Alan's crew of laughing voices intermingled with hellish pain…

Yeah, not mentioning that there's something about staring down the muzzle of a gun that never seems to leave you...

Nick wanted to lash out so badly he could taste it. I won't die like this. Not beaten in a gutter by people who're supposed to be my friends. Guys I've known and played with my whole life. I won't.

Yet here he lay.

Helpless. Weak.

Defeated.

In other words, really damn embarrassing. Nick wondered how many times he'd be using that word over the next few days. 100? 200?

Not only were his taste buds drenched with blood, he felt like he was suffocating on it. His mind ached to fight until they were begging him for mercy-it wanted him to get up and make them eat their teeth, but his body refused to cooperate. Nothing was listening to him. Heck, he couldn't even keep them from hitting him.

Everyone present grimaced.

"Yeah...not one of my better days." Nick murmured, feeling ghost pains all over again.

Sin shook his head; Nick being beaten wasn't the only problem: Even with Nick on the ground, his animalistic thought process smacked of Malachai tendencies. Most kids-most adults- would be begging for Alan to stop, and mentally panicking and trying to figure out how to escape. To end the misery.

But this kid? 'Let's see whether I have enough mobile movement to beat them within an inch of their lives.' Vengence- that was his number one focus above the pain.

Although, in his defense, Sin would be the same way. So maybe it was more of a 'contentious bastard' thing than a demon thing.

Unable to do anything at all, he glared his hatred at Alan and hoped that the look alone would haunt the rat for the rest of eternity.

Urian tilted his head. Pretty sure that's not gonna work.

Alan laughed as he squeezed the trigger.

Holding his breath, Nick waited for the sound that would end his life.

Out of the darkness, a blur rushed in at the same instant Alan fired the gun.

Marissa smiled, recognizing her father, even as a blur of trained speed. She tugged on his sleeve, smiling proudly. She pointed at the screen. "Back when you were cool."

Kyrian's jaw dropped, offended. "Excuse me? I'm still cool!" He looked to his wife. "Right?"

Amanda giggled. "Sure, sweetheart."

Kyrian scowled. "Traitors. I should go sit with Nick."

One moment, Tyree, Alan, and Mike were laughing at his pain while they insulted him. In the next, they were flying through the air hitting the ground near him hard enough to break bones.

Tabitha clenched her fist. "Yeeesss." she hissed. Pay back! Get PWNED!

Nick froze as he tried to figure out where he'd been shot, but his body hurt so much that he couldn't tell. Maybe it missed me…

Yeah, no. Boy, when you gonna learn your luck ain't that good? Nick rubbed at his shoulder subconsciously, watching the screen in interest. Sure, he had already gone through this stuff, but... it was nice to see what had happened from a different perspective. Without, you know, the constant pain, blood in the eyes, and slight concussion.

Lying on the street, he caught a flash of blonde hair and black clothes as someone attacked his ex-friends.

Urian scowled. 'Ex-friends? Is that even a thing?"

Jo shrugged. "Yep."

Alan cried out and the gun landed on the ground beside him.

The blonde man tsked. "Shame you're too young to kill. But in two years, I catch you doing this crap again, you won't live long enough to rethink it." With one hand, he threw Alan into the street like a rag doll.

Daaamn. Amanda gave her husband on screen an appreciative look-over. It'd been years since she'd seen DH Kyrian, but...she glanced over at her husband, who threw her a charming smile. Yup; still hot, even without the intimidating walk and coat. I scored.

In a swirl of black and a flash of silver, the man turned to face Nick. He didn't know why, but the guy reminded him more of a rich stockbroker than someone able to take down street-hardened gangbangers.

Amanda threw her hands up into the air. "I am not the only!"

Tabitha concurred. "I know right? First time I stabbed him, I was like, 'Seriously? Going for the whole 'vampiric lawyer' thing?"

Valerius scowled. "Isn't that what you thought of me?"

"Well, yeah. You guys dress similar." The men gave her an offended look.

"We do not!" Valerius declared, scandalized.

"And could everyone please stop insulting my fashion sense? There's nothing wrong with it!" Kyrian defended.

Styxx, more worried about the whole stabbing-deal, mouthed out Tabitha's words. " 'The first time'...you tried again?'

"Duh. 'Course, that's 'cause I found out he had a thing with Mandy."

Kyrian ignored them all.

And he wasn't all the old either. Maybe his late twenties.

Maybe.

"Yeah...is there any set reason why immortals have to be young and hot?" Asked Jo, confused on how it just works out so nicely. Cadegan raised a brow.

"...Would you rather me be an old, crotchety man?" Jo scrunched her nose.

"No, but...you know what I mean!"

Nick could barely draw his breath as the man came forward with the walk of a vicious predator. He was dressed all in black. An expensive leather coat draped around a body that was lethal.

Kyrian's eyebrows shot north in mirth at the description. Now this is interesting.

Having Nick's perspective...he didn't have to envy Nick's position to be incredibly curious of what the boy thought of him. So maybe Kyrian was a little vain. What? He had gone from not ageing a second in two thousand years to looking three years older once he had his soul returned to going back to being immortal thanks to Ash. Immortality whiplash takes it's own toll.

Nick groaned and debated hitting his head against the wall. Who knows? Maybe he could get out of remembering the next couple of hours of his life.

But it was the flash of silver on a pair of black boots that caught his attention.

One of them had a knife protruding from the toe. A knife that retracted as he came closer. The man knelt down, his brow furrowed, into a deep frown. "They made a mess of you, kid. Can you stand?"

It was weird to hear his voice and see himself on-screen; Kyrian should have known he'd would've been present, as he'd been a major part of Nick's life (If he was allowed to claim such). But...actually seeing himself was odd. Like he was an actor for a movie he remembered seeing once. (Called 'reality'.) Except it wasn't a movie, and Kyrian hadn't been acting.

Nick slapped at his hand as the man reached out to touch him. He didn't need help from anyone. Especially not a stranger.

He tried to push himself to his feet, then everything went black.

"What were you thinking, kid?" Lydia whispered. The poor boy had been pulverized. He shouldn't have been trying to stand in that situation, let alone breath. And Seth had been injured far worse than that…

She gripped Seth's hand, disturbed by how far someone could be beaten and still stand. Or, at least try to.

Kyrian Hunter barely caught the skinny kid dressed in a foully orange Hawaiian shirt before he hit the street. That hideous thing had saved his life. So bright it practically glowed, it'd called out to him as he'd been walking by and had alerted him to the fight.

Kyrian's face paled as he heard his thoughts loud and clear, like Nick's had been just a moments ago. His blushed, embarrassment and anger creeping up his neck. Oh, hell no. He turned all the way around to face Savitar. "If these are Nick's memories, why are MINE showing up?"

Savitar gave him an irritated look. "Oh, come on. Haven't you ever watched...what's it called? Jury and trials? Trial and Jury...something or other? 'The whole truth and nothing but the truth' deal? Mean's different POV's are needed….such as witnesses. Lucky you."

Suddenly, Kyrian didn't like this idea anymore. Nobody had mentioned he'd be apart of this ordeal. He covered his face with his hands and groaned, his wife and daughter laughing at his misery. But it wasn't funny. Not even remotely. What had he even been thinking back then? Hopefully nothing offensive...but then again, he could be a major asshole, so...he gave out a disgusted sigh.

Nick smirked sardonically. "Not as much fun as you thought, eh Boss?'

"Shut up, Nick."

From what he'd seen, the kid was a tough little scrapper. He'd give him that. And the boy could take a vicious beating without begging for mercy. There weren't many adults who could have gone through what he had without crying.

That alone made him respect the kid.

Nick's teasing of Kyrian stopped as he registered those words. He felt this intense need to start kicking grass and looking anywhere else except the screen. People had never paid him many compliments to begin with, but since his DH transition, they've been few and far in between. Oddly, hearing himself complimented was more embarrassing than having his memories shown on screen.

He glared at the other punks, who were running down the street as fast as they could. The ancient warrior and predator inside him wanted to hunt them down and kill them for what they'd done. But the man in him knew this one, the one who'd put his life on the line to save the elderly couple, wouldn't live if he did. The cowards could unfortunately wait for another butt-whipping.

Styxx had known from Acheron's memories that Kyrian was a good man, but seeing his actions like this made a good argument as to why his brother eventually befriended him.

Huh, Marissa thought. It was interesting seeing her father this way. Normally, she just got the weird adult who liked to sit outside in the sun all day, who complained regularly about his man-van. But here, her father seemed...younger. More relatable. Weird...

He tilted the kid's face so that he could see his features. The short brown hair was saturated with blood, and a huge cut would most likely leave a scar right above his left eyebrow. His nose was broken and by the looks of it, his jaw would be too. If not broken, they'd pounded it real good. Blood poured from his shoulder where he'd been shot.

Bethany's face pulled into a frown at the sight. The amount of damage had been undeserved, despite the mistakes made up to the moment.

Others in the room were twisting their faces in disgust, having a very close-up view of how mangled Nick had been. They just had to repeat the fact Nick obviously survived, or he wouldn't be standing behind him. Which was odd, since some of them didn't even have that strong of a bond with him. Other than Nick had been a child, why should they care if he'd been attacked?

Poor kid.

Picking him up, Kyrian carried him to his car so that he could get him to the hospital before he bled out and died.

"Because that would have sucked…?" Ah, crap. Nick hadn't meant for that to be a question. Which made him want to kick himself for the look Kyrian made. Even from behind, you could tell when someone was smiling or frowning, based on how their back moved and shoulder dropped. And he was pretty sure Kyrian made an immediate frown on his face.

Gah, that is not what he had meant…exactly.

You should probably shut up now.

Kyrian paced the waiting room, where several dozen other people sat in various states of agitation and illness. It's been almost two hours since he'd handed the teenager over to the staff and still no word about the kid he'd found.

Was he even still alive?

Checking his watch, he growled. He really didn't have the time to stay here, waiting…

He had important duties to attend to and, with luck, more lives to save before dawn.

"What are you doing here, General?"

He froze at the deep, thickly accented voice.

And so did everyone else in the hall, none of whom were expecting to see a certain Goth-Atlantean so soon.

Minus Ash: He'd already guessed this was how the cookie crumbled. He glared over at Savitar, who ignored him by way of shrugging. Again.

...He's going to be acting like this for awhile, isn't he…? Ash glanced at the ceiling for guidance.

Nick was simply confused.

"Wait...Ash was there at the hospital?"

Kyrian nodded. "How do you think I contacted your mother?" Nick scowled. Well, that be a fun tidbit he never needed to know. Although it did explain Kyrian somehow knowing how to get a hold of a woman without a phone...and it's not like Kyrian had gone to strip clubs to enjoy the view. More like he went there to stake ink blots.

Since Acheron was an eleven-thousand-year-old omnipotent immortal, he was the last person Kyrian had expected to find in a hospital. Not like the man could ever break a bone or get sick.

"I can break a bone...it just won't stay that way." Ash defended.

Oh, gods. It has begun. Kyrian rubbed his temple, waiting for the moment he pissed off his former-boss-now-friend.

He turned around slowly to find Acheron just inside the doorway. At six foot eight with dark green hair and dressed in black Goth gear complete with a spiked leather motorcycle jacket, he was an impressive sight that made everyone who saw him swallow in fear.

Well, then. Not that Ash hadn't known what his Dark-Hunters thought of him, but an ego boost was always nice. And seeing how Kyrian was shifting uncomfortably on his bean bag, waves of apprehension rolling off him...yup. Ash still had it. Twenty years later and still intimidating the crap out of people.

"Aww- lookatit, lookatit!" Tabitha cooed. Val titled his head in confusion.

"I don't see...what exactly am I looking at?"

"Oh, for the love of-" Tabitha gestured at the screen annoyed that he couldn't see it.

"It's the return of Long-Haired Ash! The rare Pokemon!"

Ash looked to the ceiling. "Is anyone ever going to let that go? ...Never mind. Stupid question."

But it wasn't just his height that gave people pause. It was the lethal aura of I'll-kick-your-butt-so-hard-your-ancestors'-ears-will-ring. Anyone who came near him could feel the unearthly power that bled from the pores of this particular…

Being.

"I'll take that as a compliment, General." Ash said, grinning.

Kyrian just let out another teenage-worthy groan. At least I haven't said anything stupid. Yet.

"What are you doing here?" Kyrian asked.

"Volunteering, right?" Tory guessed.

Ash put his finger to his lips. "Need to know basis."

His eyes completely shielded by a pair of opaque predator sunglasses even though it was almost midnight, Acheron cut loose with a lopsided grin that antagonized him. "I asked you first."

If it'd been anyone other than Acheron making that smart-aleck comment, Kyrian would give him a higher dose of attitude. But attitude didn't work on Acheron. It just pissed him off, which was never a good thing.

Urian scoffed. "Never stopped me."

"That's cause you're suicidal! And lacking in common sense!" yelled Alexion from the back room. The group had almost forgotten Danger and Alexion were in the kid's room listening.

"Quiet, Ias!" The door from the kids room was slammed shut.

"I found a kid getting a major ass-whipping on the street. I don't know who he is but I don't want to leave him here without an adult to watch over him. He was pretty badly mangled in the fight and not old enough to be left alone."

Acheron tilted his head as if he was listening to voices only he could hear. Kyrian hated it whenever he did that. It creeped him out to think what all the man knew about him that Kyrian had never told him…

"Name's Gautier. Nick Gautier.

"What is this? A James Bond introduction?" Sin muttered.

He's a fourteen-year-old student at St. Richard's High School on Chartres who lives in the Lower Ninth on Claiborne Ave."

Nick narrowed his eyes at the screen.

That is highly disturbing.

Kyrian was impressed. "You know him?"

There was no hint of emotion from Acheron.

"Never seen him before."

"Yet you know his name?"

Nick smirked. What can I say? I get around.

Savitar rolled his eyes at Nick's thought.

That cocky grin returned to irritate Kyrian. "I know lots of things, General." Acheron held his hand up and a piece of paper appeared out of nowhere between his fingers. He held it out to him. "His mother's an exotic dancer named Cherise Gautier. You can reach her here. But be warned. She has a sharp tongue where her son's concerned and if she thinks you've hurt him or caused him to be hurt...she's going for blood."

Hmm. Kind of ironic seeing as Ash would later fall into one of those categories, but Nick let it go. Not even he knew what his mother would have done to Ash had she survived and learned he had tossed Nick into a wall...and then cursed him to die. Not like he would have been able to explain the situation to her, anyway. For all Nick knew, she could have said he deserved it.

Kyrian took the paper from his hand. "I'd ask you about these Jedi mind tricks of yours, but I know you won't answer."

"Aaand you never did." Kyrian pointed out, pride lacing his tone. He hadn't known the finer details of their world until after he'd already regained his soul, but regardless, his guesswork had been spot on.

Then again, Acheron is still a cryptic douche at times. So same old.

Ash glared at him."I heard that…"

Acheron tucked his hands into the pockets of his scuffed jacket that had two chains wrapped around the shoulder of it. "No comment, but I will say this." He paused before he spoke again. "Nick isn't Jason. It's a different time and place, General. Don't let the past ruin your future."

Who? Nick tilted his head. Jason…? He knew that name, didn't he? Was that the name of a previous squire? Nick sorted through his memories, trying to remember and ignoring the pain in his skull.

Marissa looked between her parent's faces in curiosity as well.

"Meaning what, oh great Yoda?"

Acheron didn't elaborate. "You take care of the kid. I'll take care of your patrol tonight. I could use the target practice."

"Thanks for understanding." After all, Acheron was his boss and could have easily reamed him for not doing his duties.

"Technically, you were doing your duties." Acheron clarified, despite not needing to. Really, what had Kyrian thought he was going to do? Kick his ass because the man weighed taking care of a kid more important than patrolling for a couple of hours?

….Ash was suddenly grateful his Dark Hunters knew him a little better now. As awesome as it is being a BA, it really sucks when everyone has these seriously misconstrued ideas about what he deemed important.

Acheron inclined his head before he made his way out of the room and through the double doors that led to the parking lot. And with him went that powerful charge in the air.

Yeah, Acheron was one scary SOB. But Kyrian wasn't exactly comforting himself. Acheron had trained him and he'd been a master pupil, especially when it came to killing things that shouldn't be living in the first place.

" 'Master pupil'?" Tabitha questioned, smirking. "Arrogance, anyone?"

"...Look, I really don't remember half of what I was thinking back then!"

"Suure…" Amanda muttered.

Glancing at the number in his hand, he pulled his phone out and called Nick's mother.

"...Why do you sound like you're about to be executed?" Zakar questioned. Honestly, he never met the woman nor remembered much of his own mother, so he wouldn't know whether or not it was that terrifying.

Nick scoffed. "Because you don't ever want to bring bad news to a mother, especially when you've just been informed 'she goes for blood'. Ever. Don't be that guy."

Kyrian sighed. I was that guy... More than he cared to remember, no thanks to Nick.

Nick groaned as he blinked open his…

Eye.

Uh, gah, what happened?

"Everything and nothing, if you want to keep it simple." Nick retorted, recalling how many times Ambrose would say something really cryptic and sarcastic, just to piss him off. He'd always wanted to try it. Ambrose got the chance to call him out as moron, so why couldn't he have his moment as well? Except, technically, he is Ambrose. But technically not. Yet.

...I should stop thinking. Nick rubbed his forehead, his head aching.

His head was throbbing and one eye had something over it that prevented him from opening it. Please don't tell me I've put out an eye. His mom would flip sideways. It was her biggest fear.

Don't play with that fill-in-the-blank, Nick. You could lose an eye. It was her favorite rant no matter what object he touched, and she'd kill him if he was now a cyclops.

Urian snorted. "You're sitting in the hospital after being shot and that's your biggest worry?"

"Uh, yeah, No shit. Losing 50% of my eye sight and depth perception is a pretty notable concern. Especially with the all the things out to eat me. Can you imagine trying to fight zombies with one eye and limited ability to aim?"

Jo crossed her arms. "Zombies again? Seriously? What do they have to do with anything?"

Nick scratched his face. "Ah...oops. Forget I said that."

Jo raised a brow.

God, I'll never get a girlfriend now. Women don't date freaks.

Sin rolled his eyes. Tell that to Artie, kid.

"Careful, kid."

Nick paused as he realized he was in a hospital room. He tried to sit up, but someone stopped him. His panic increased as he recognized the blond man from the fight. "Where am I?"

"Hospital."

"Really? No kidding? And here I thought I was at McDonald's." Nick glared at the stupid answer. "I can't be here. We can't afford it."

Ash and Tory frowned at something that bugged the both of them. Ash, having volunteered at various hospitals over the years, was well-versed in Hospital bureaucracy; and since one of Tory's best friend's happened to be a nurse, she was graced with all the horror stories.

The man ignored his rampant sarcasm, keeping his features completely impassive. "Don't worry about the price. It's on me."

Yeah, right. "We don't take charity." Nick winced as pain tore through his skull and he realized his arm was in a sling. Don't you dare break a bone, Nicky. I can't afford no doctor bill like that. Whatever you do, don't get hurt.

Nick felt ill over everything that'd happened. "My mom's going to kill me."

"I doubt it."

Kyrian snorted at himself. Sure, Cherise might not kill Nick, but the boy had been reamed on various occasions for being stupid.

If the stranger only knew…"Yeah, well, I don't and I happen to have known the woman since the day I was born and she's going to beat me until I bleed." He looked up at the stranger who'd saved his life.

He was huge. Probably around six-four with short blond hair, he was dressed in all black. High-end black. Nice pants, Ferragamo boots and, unless Nick missed his guess, the button down shirt was silk with leather cuffs and collar- not that fake stuff they sold at the Dollar Store where he and his mother bought clothes. As for his coat, the leather was so soft, it didn't even make that crackling sound.

This guy was definitely loaded.

Kyrian gave a stupidly triumphant smile.

For no damn reason, according to Nick. So what if he held a considerable amount of awe for Kyrian as a 14 year-old? Not his damn fault. Old man didn't have to look so proud himself.

"Why can't I move my arm?" Nick was starting to panic.

"You were shot."

"Where?"

"Your shoulder."

Before Nick could say another word, he heard his mother's distressed cry. From the side where his vision was blocked, she appeared and wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh my God, baby. Are you all right?" She bawled as she saw the bandage on his head and over his eye. "What did they do to you? Why weren't you at home like I told you? Dammit, Nicky, why don't you ever listen to me? Just once in your life!"

"It wasn't his fault."

His mother released him instantly. She turned toward the stranger, who was still in the far corner of the room."Who are you and why are you here?"

"Well, dang. That's some serious suspicion." Amanda blinked. "And here I thought I was the only one."

Kyrian sighed. "At least Cherise never saw my fangs. That wouldn't have gone over well."

He held his hand out to her. "Kyrian Hunter. I'm the one who called you."

She shook his hand. There was a stark contrast between her tan secondhand frayed wool coat, cheap white vinyl boots, and the red sequined polyester skirt Nick knew belonged to one of her dancing outfits. His tiny mom was a beautiful woman, but the heavy, overdone stage makeup made her look a lot older than her twenty-eight years and he hated when she teased her blonde hair out for shows. It made her look cheap and his mom was anything but.

Tabitha tilted her head to the side. If Nick hated the club get up so much as a kid, why on earth did he frequent clubs so much as an adult? Maybe he figured if it wasn't his mother, then it didn't bother him? It was a peculiar kind of hypocrisy, but she didn't think that's what it was. Even now as Nick stood in the back of the room, discomfort was rolling off the man in spades.

"Thank you for that, Mr. Hunter. Where did you find him again?"

Nick panicked. If Kyrian told her where he was when he'd been shot, she'd shoot him again just for good measure.

"He was in the Quarter, trying to protect an old couple from being mugged. They got away and the scum who'd held them up was beating on him when I saw them and stopped it."

Tears glistened in her eyes. "You saved my baby?"

Kyrian nodded.

She sobbed even harder.

Nick felt like total crap. It was a good thing his dad wasn't here. He'd cut his throat for upsetting her like this.

...They really couldn't wrap their heads around that. Ash, Bathymaas, Styxx, Sin, Zakar, Set, Seth. The mere idea that Adarian, the accumulation of Hatred, Anger, and downright Viciousness, would even hint at any kind of protective instinct was...absurd. Absurd and disorienting.

"Don't cry, Mom. I'm so sorry I got shot. I should have done what you said and gone home...I'm just so sorry."

She wiped at her cheeks where her makeup was now streaked by the tears. "You didn't do nothing wrong, baby. You're a hero. A wonderful hero and I couldn't be prouder of you."

Nick winced at the lie. He wasn't a hero. I'm a hoodlum...just like my scum-sucking father.

Seth's jaw ticked in annoyance. Nick really needed to stop comparing himself to his father. Seriously, take it from the man who lived in the prison cell next to him. Give or take a few literal meanings.

He met Kyrian's gaze and something in his eyes made him think that Kyrian might actually know the truth. If he did, he didn't bust him for it, which only made Nick feel all the worse.

"Sorry?" Kyrian scratched the back of his head.

"S'alright. If you'd actually said the truth…" Nick shuddered. "I'd probably still be grounded. No drinking at Sanctuary. No driving my Jag. No more fun times at Sav's house. Misery..."

"Oh, yes, we certainly can't have that. No one trashing my home and disturbing my peace? The horror." said Savitar, in tone of voice drier than the Sahara in a drought.

His mother drew a ragged breath. "The doctor told me you'd have to stay here for a few days, maybe a week or more. I don't know how we're going to afford-"

"Don't worry about it. I'm taking care of the bill."

She narrowed her eyes at Kyrian. "I can't let you do that."

"It's all right. Least I can do for him. There aren't many kids his age who'd take a bullet to keep a stranger safe."

That's true. Tory thought. Through her years of teaching college, she hadn't really seen that kind of altruism present in any of her students. Maybe a few, here or there. But outside of her family and friends? Exceedingly rare. And of all people, it was the Malachai. Now she might not have been in this world as long as some of the other folks present, but…

She was certain that protecting someone, no matter who the person is or what point in time it happened, was important. Always.

Still, she looked doubtful.

Kyrian offered her a kind, tight lipped smile. I have the money, Mrs. Gautier." Wow, unlike Peters, he didn't sneer her name. He actually said it like he respected her.

Kyrian exhaled, Nick's shock at what should be a common courtesy making him feel as if weights were being added to his shoulders. This was...difficult. It wasn't- well, okay, so Kyrian's life is apart of it- but this is Nick's story. What happened and why it happened. And yet, watching it brought up Kyrian's own part in Nick's life, what he didn't do or should have done, and even made him remember a whole slew of things that had nothing to do with the kid.

And it was hard.

"And no one to spend it on. Trust me. You're not taking a dime from me or my family that'll be missed."

She bit her lip. "That's mighty kind of you. Especially after everything you've done getting him here and all." She took Nick's uninjured hand into hers and squeezed it. "I can't thank you enough for saving my baby, Mr. Hunter. Nicky's all I got in this world. I'd die if anything ever happened to him."

Ash's jaw clenched at that statement; in a way, that's exactly what happened.

Something dark flitted through Kyrian's eyes that reminded Nick of a ghost tormenting him. Some past pain that his words conjured up.

"That kid is way too perceptive." Kyrian muttered. Had he really been that obvious to others? And here he thought he had an excellent poker face.

Amanda was surprised; how had Nick picked up on that, without being an empath? He really was perceptive...case in point, Amanda hadn't known that in the beginning. At all.

Kyrian pulled out his wallet and opened it. "This is my number." He gave his mother a small business card.

"If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call me. Any time, day or night. I don't sleep much so don't worry about disturbing me."

She tried to give it back but Kyrian wouldn't allow it.

"Look," he said firmly. "I know you don't know me or trust me at all. I don't blame you. But there are people in the world who can give without asking for anything back. I'm one of them."

She shook her head. "And I know how much stuff like this costs. I can't take that kind of money from you or anyone else. Ever."

Amanda lifted her eye brow. Now that she thought about it, Cherise would have only been in her late twenties when she met Kyrian. And she was quite beautiful…

Amanda gave her husband an arch stare. And stared. And staared. And staaared-

"Um. Sweetheart? Did I do something wrong?"

"Not yet."

Kyrian's dark brown gaze went to Nick. "Then let him work it off."

"Beginning of the end, folks." Savitar scowled at his own statement. "You'd think people would see this train wreck coming."

Nick growled. "Gee, thanks. Let me just go down to the corner store and by an alarm for all things that will ultimately change my life. Right next to the 'You're about to fudge up' clock and 'life do-over button'. I'll give you a review of which one works the best...but honestly? Working for Kyrian wasn't the train wreck- it's what came after."

Kyrian glared at Nick.

"What? What's with the look?" Seriously, what'd he do wrong this time? It wasn't even an insult.

"Twenty years. It took you twenty years to stop complaining about me being a slave driver?"

"Oh no, you were definitely a slave driver. It just wasn't a wreck."

Nick sputtered indignantly. "Excuse me?"

They ignored him.

"Don't be ridiculous," his mom said. "It'd take him forever to earn this kind of money back."

Uh, yeah...last thing Nick wanted was to be indentured over a doctor bill.

"Except, you know..." Katra narrowed her eyes. "That's kinda what happened?" she tilted her head back to look at Nick. "Right?"

"...Basically."

Kyrian returned his wallet to his pocket. "Then what do you want to do? Have the hospital turn him out into the street before he's fully healed? Wounds like that, he could get gangrene and lose a limb or die." Hopeless despair glistened in her her blue eyes and the sight kicked Nick straight in the gut.

"Mrs. Gautier…" A tic worked in Kyrian's jaw. "I know you can't tell it by looking at me, but I've had a hard life. I've lost everyone who was ever important to me and I know what it's like to be kicked hard when you're down. You've got a great kid there. He deserves a chance. Let him work for me, part time, after school for a year, and we'll call it even."

Amanda threaded her fingers with Kyrian's, proud of him. There weren't that many people in the world who'd give a kid like Nick a chance and a break. There was already volumes of proof lined up that Nick had been kicked to the curb by so many adults he expected nothing more. And every douche in Nick's life made Kyrian appear even better by comparison.

She glanced at Nick, who wasn't so sold on this idea. "Doing what?"

"Washing my car. Running errands."

His mom scowled. "What kind of errands?"

"Yeah," Nick interjected, "I ain't no babysitter or dog walker."

Kyrian rolled his eyes. "I don't have kids or a dog."

"Oh, how times have changed…" Kyrian smiled, rolling his eyes at his foolish past self. Just you wait…

Tabitha tched. "And you stole my dog!"

Kyrian wrinkled his nose. "I did not steal the dog. He just likes me more. I play fetch with him."

"I played fetch!"

Kyrian gave her a bland look. "With shurikan?"

"Voo-doo dolls. I had some anger issues that needed sorting."

"'Had'?" Val questioned in disbelief.

He returned his gaze to Nick's mom. "He'd pick up groceries. Some dry cleaning. He can work with my groundskeeper trimming hedges or help my housekeeper clean the outside windows. Nothing dangerous or illegal."

That didn't sound too bad, but Nick already had a job that he liked most days. "What about Ms. Liza, Mom? Who'll help her in her store?"

Kyrian frowned at him. "Liza Dunnigan?"

"You know her?" Nick asked in surprise.

Another tight-lipped grin broke over his face. "Yeah. We go way back. And I think she'd understand if you worked for me for a while."

Urian tapped his finger on his knee. "Is it just me, or does everyone in New Orleans know every one? I've been hanging out in this town for decades, and I am still running into people who have magically known other acquaintances of mine. For. Years. It's a conspiracy isn't it? Someone's planning everything, just shoving us into pre-determined boxes on a chessboard!"

Ash and Styxx rubbed their temples before glancing at each other.

"No more T.V?"

"Not for Uri. The government conspiracy theories are rotting his brain."

"Oh, come on!"

Nick rubbed his jaw, thinking over Urian's statement. With Ambrose's meddling, and Laguerre's past machinations..."Well...you're not wrong, per say…"

Urain straightened his back. "Gautier? That is not what I wanted to hear."

"Sucks to be you then."

His mother's hand tightened on his. "I don't know...what do you think, Nicky?"

Nick looked at the sling in his arm. There really was no way they could afford this bill. If Kyrian could pay and his mom wouldn't have to suffer…

"As long as he's not a pervert and Liza doesn't mind, I can work for him, I guess."

Sin snorted. "Yeah...you need to work on your interview skills, kid."

Nick seethed. "I was fourteen. So sue me."

Kyrian laughed. "I'm not a pervert."

"You better not be 'cause I'll quit if you are."

Kyrain shook his head. "So it's settled?"

Indecision played in his mom's gaze before she nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now if you two don't mind, I have an appointment I need to keep."

Nick frowned.

"This late?" his mom asked suspiciously.

Kyrian nodded. "I do a lot of international business that requires me to work late at night. Like I said, I don't sleep much." And with that, he was gone.

"Knowing what I do now…" Jo narrowed her eyes on the screen. "I am seriously impressed. International business? Night hours? Who comes up with these lies."

Valerius, Kyrain, Chi and Sin answered her question in tandem. "Ash."

Ash coughed. "Cleverly stated truths, thank you."

Now that they were alone, his mom gave him her full attention. "What do you really think?"

"I think I'm really glad I'm not dead and you're not killing me over getting shot and being in the hospital, running up bills we can't afford."

"Once a sarcastic brat, always a sarcastic brat…" Kyrian muttered.

Ash slowly turned to look at him, brow raised. "Takes one to know one, huh?"

Instead of getting irritated, Kyrian laughed. "With my past? I'm surprised he wasn't worse than I was at that age."

Her lips trembled. "Baby, how could I be mad at you for something like this? I just wish I made enough money that you didn't have to work too. If you'd been at home-"

"Don't, Mom, please." The guilt of it was killing him.

She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his bruised knuckles. "All right sweetie. You just rest. Don't you worry or think about nothing except getting better." She pulled one of her black hair bands from her pocket and slicked her hair back into a sedate ponytail.

Nick smiled, knowing she did that for him so he wouldn't be embarrassed by her over-teased hair. Then she went to the sink to wash off her makeup and pull off the fake glitter eyelashes. She was so much prettier without all that goop on her face that he didn't understand why they made her wear it.

The woman in the room gave small smiles at Nick's blunt honesty. Truly, he had been a precious child.

Once she looked like his mom again, she slid into the bed beside him and held him close.

Normally, he'd be pushing her away 'cause it felt like she was stifling him. But tonight, while he ached and hurt, he was glad to have her hold him close.

Nick would have been embarrassed if he wasn't imagining what would have happened had he gotton home in time to stop her death. All the powers he supposedly held, all those high-faultin' genetics that technically made him the King of Demons and he couldn't save the one person who mattered.

Ironic. Story of his stupid, damned life.

It'd always been just the two of them in this world. Team Fabulous. That's what she'd called them as far back as he could remember. Together they could make it through anything.

She brushed his hair back from his temple and gave him a light kiss there. "You are my little man, Nickyboo. And I'm so grateful I have you. You're the only thing I've ever done right in my entire life and if anything happened to you, they'd have to dig two graves 'cause I couldn't live a single day without my baby beside me."

Nick swallowed thickly, hearing the words he didn't even know he had needed to hear.

It hurts.

It hurts, It hurts, it hurts.

It was like someone had chosen to use his chest for target practice. How many times had she said that to him growing up? Enough that he'd lost count. Damnit, Mom! Why did you want to die? For someone who proclaimed she loved him with everything she had, she had no qualms about letting herself-*

Nick cut off that train of thought and mentally slapped himself.

He. Would not. Allow the Malachai in him to taint the relationship he had with his mother.

That was off-limits, to everyone, including himself. Nick knew how much his mother had sacrificed to raise him; life had never been easy for her. It had nothing to do with whether or not his mother wanted to leave him. Nothing.

Or at least, that's what he says to convince himself. Ash could have brought her back-

Nope. Not going there.

Nick brushed his hair away from his face, keenly aware of people sneaking sympathetic looks at him. He didn't need their pity.

And he sure as heck didn't want it.

Her words almost succeeded in making his eyes tear up, but he was too tough for that. Nothing could make him cry. Nothing. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, baby. Now go to sleep. You need to get better so I can beat your butt for getting hurt."

Smiling at her empty threat, Nick closed his eyes, but couldn't sleep. His mind kept replaying the look on Alan's face as he'd pulled the trigger. The creep had tried to kill him…

And if it was the last thing he did, he was going to get even. As his dad would say, Our blood don't run. Sometimes we want to. Sometimes we ought to. But we don't ever run from anyone or anything.

Set snorted. That sounds like him. As little as he cared about the demon, you couldn't deny the fact all of their ilk were stubborn to their core. It was actually one of the only things he could respect about the demon...except when it was in his way.

Then they had problems.

00000000

Styxx bit his lip, eyes narrowed on the screen. As far as he knew from Acheron's memories, Nick's Dad had nothing to do with raising the boy.

Apparently, they were wrong. He exchanged a glance with his wife, knowing she thought the same thing.

Adarian had influenced Nick, with more than just his crappy genetics. The extent of which no one had actually known...or knows. Even if it was something that was considered normal- such as protecting his mother, not running from a fight-

Nick was obeying his father without hesitation, something the 14 year-old Cajun didn't seem to realize. Or was he merely doing what his father requested because their interests aligned?

Styxx hoped so, or they were in for a world of hurt.

Next time he met up with Alan's "crew" they were going to feel the full wrath of Nick Gautier…

Nick flinched as pain tore through his skull at the words.

What the hell just happened?

His small headache was getting a lot worse...Nick clenched his jaw. Oh, for the days when I could OD on Tylenol and not worry about supernatural crap...

Thankfully, the pain wasn't enough to make him collapse. Savitar glanced over at him- not concerned, but certainly suspicious. Mennie was the one who straightened her back and started to turn around.

Don't. I'm fine. Keep watching.

Nick sent the thoughts, even though he cursed the effort he had used. Something was seriously wrong, but with Savitar watching his every move, he couldn't use his full powers to figure out what.

Damnit!

And here they were, wasting time that everyone was running out of, whether they knew it or not.

-Chapter 3- -

Nick learned a new lesson in misery as he lay in bed, alone, in the hospital for days on end, bored out of his mind.

"Really. Because that's the worst thing in the world." Zakar rolled his eyes, wishing things had been that damn easy…

"I was 14. Naive. And terminally stupid." Nick reminded him, as if that explained everything. Which it did, though Zakar had never had the courtesy of being that innocent.

Tory blinked at their conversation, eyeing Nick's teenage self.

Naive, maybe. But his naivete is what the bare-toes considered 'realistic'. And terminally stupid? Hardly. More like impulsive.

His mom stayed with him as much as she could, as did Menyara, but they couldn't be here constantly. Kyrian would stop in and visit at night and some of the dancers from his mom's club in the daytime. Still, he spent most of the time by himself.

Scariest part?

School was starting to look good. He shivered in revulsion of that awful thought.

"Oh, God. We're watching a horror movie." Nick growled at Tabitha's comment. His head was not helping matters.

"My life is not a movie."

"Is now, with it's genre being horror. School looking good? Even with Jock rock Stone?" Tabitha demanded popcorn from Val before anyone could tell her to be quiet and sit down. She had a tradition to uphold, which included throwing popcorn at film characters doing stupid things.

"Hi...um, Nick, wasn't it?"

He opened his eye to find Nekoda of all people standing in the doorway. With her hair pulled back into a thick ponytail and dressed in a volunteer's uniform, she came deeper into room.

Heat stung his cheeks as she looked at his ragged state of ick. Nick cleared his throat. "Yeah, it's me, but I'd like to think I looked better when we met. 'Cause right now, I'm pretty much hogging all the ugly."

She laughed. "No offense, but yeah, you did look a bit better. But I have to say you really rock the crazy headgear you have going now. Hard to make that look good." She winked at him.

Styxx's nose wrinkled, before his features smoothed out. She wasn't Bethany, and it was irrational to be jealous over something no one had any control over. This all happened...how many years ago? And they were kids. He refused to make the mistake of being an irrational, jealous husband...It was just a little irritating.

And confusing. It couldn't be a coincidence that this woman looked like his wife. It couldn't be.

He could only imagine how foul he appeared. His head was still wrapped up, his exposed eye bruised and swollen. One shoulder was in a sling to keep it still and the other arm attached to monitors and an IV. He had a faded-out hospital gown that was freckled with the oh-so-manly-looking flower things all over it. Gah, at this point, he'd rather be back in his orange Hawaiian T-shirt.

Urian whistled. "The mark of a very desperate man." He glanced over at Nick. "Hawaiian T-Shirts."

"If that's all you can deal, I have some unfortunate news for you...others have said worse, in far more convincing tones."

"Hawaiian T-shirts, kid."

Savitar glowered. "Find a new tone, or 'Hawaiian T-shirts' will your new wardrobe for the next week." Urian raised his hands in surrender.

All he needed to look like a bigger goober was to drool on himself. Which he might do if she kept talking to him.

She stopped next to his bed and glanced over all the monitors that beeped and hummed. "So what happened to you?"

"I got shot."

Marissa chuckled. "How many kids get to say that? 'I got shot', and not because they went to the doctor? It's not really funny, but...kinda amazing."

Tabitha shrugged. "Well, I've gotten shot at by friendly fire. Does that count?"

Her brows arched high. "In the eye? Is that why it's covered?"

"No. I got hit there with a board, a fist, a foot, and probably a few other things. There's a bunch of stitches above my eye. Doc says the bandage for that can come off tomorrow. I'm sure I'll look even better then." His voice was thick with sarcasm.

Aeron gave Nick a once over. "Nay. Still a bit of a donkey's ass, even without the damage."

Nick gave Aeron the look of 'Why am I friends with you again?' "Right. Because my cute and fluffy exterior could ever be mistaken for a donkey's ass. Just because you forgot to put on your glasses, doesn't mean you get to insult everything you see. Leave your envy at the door, Legolas."

So much for drawing attention away form Aeron.

"Well...I mean, at least you have a sense of humor about it." Jo stated, trying to see a good side to this...which wasn't much. Seriously, high doses of optimism just didn't seem to be following Nick around.

Nick snorted, eyeing the screen. "Yeah. Just what I'm gonna do. Cry in front of my girl? Because that is just impressive."

"She's not your girl yet." Cadegan pointed out.

Nick smirked.

"And," Jo added smiling. "Your girl wouldn't care if you cried, now would she?"

True, but that's not the point.

"I was clipped in the shoulder."

"Oh." She said, calming down as she scowled at his sling. "Did it hurt?"
He wanted to say no, duh, but his common sense caught his tongue before he insulted her. Even though it still hurt, he straightened up into his tough posture.

"Nah. I took it like a man."

Kyrian chuckled. "Atta boy!"

Amanda hit his arm.

"What?"

"If this Kody girl is going to like him, it's not because he can suffer stupid amounts of pain."

"Actually, she loves my sense of humor!" Nick called from the back. Ash pressed his lips together; Nick hadn't even noticed himself speaking in present tense.

Artemis is so not going to like this...

She shook her head at him and didn't comment on his bravado. "So why did you get shot? One of your witticisms gone awry?"

"Say yes. Please say yes." Urian muttered. Come on. Do it. Do it!

I wanna see what happens!

Nick wasn't sure how to answer that.

"Annd you take the high road." Urian grumbled under his breath, feeling cheated.

He didn't want to take credit for something he hadn't really done- like saving people he'd help put in harm's way. So he settled on a lesser truth. "Wrong place. Real wrong time."

Cadegan nodded, impressed. The kids honesty was...surprising. And quite the example; it was something he could respect about the kid.

"Did you see who shot you?"

"No," he lied. He hadn't even told the police who it was even though they'd bugged him several times. Rule one on the street: Narcs don't live long. Besides, he intended to settle this score on his own and the last thing he wanted was for Alan and group to be protected by prison walls when he went for them.

This was going to be between "friends".

Ash shook his head. Yeah...worse was the little smirk that played out in the edge of the kid's mouth at the word 'friends'. From day one, Nick had plotted revenge.

Bathymaas sighed. So many get sidetracked on this path, trying to number them all was virtually useless. Even the people who didn't actively seek to harm others, but kept the memory of what they did alive in their hearts- it slowly broke them down and destroyed them over time. They focus on that one moment of betrayal or heartache so much, nothing else shines brighter.

It's a poor existence to live.

"Like they say in the movies and shows, it all happened so fast…"

She fretted over him. "Well, I'm sorry you got shot. It explains why I haven't seen you in school."

His ears perked up at that. She'd been looking for him? Man, for that news, I'd take a bullet any day. It was all he could do not to give her a goofy grin.

"Dude...you are so whipped."

Nick groaned. "Shut up, Urian."

"Look I'm just saying- I've heard that line before, but you weren't the one saying it."

She leaned closer. "But I'm happy you lived and that you're okay."

"Yeah, me too. It would have really cramped up my future plans had I died…"

You have no idea kid. No one said anything, but the irony wasn't lost on anyone. And Nick knew they knew, which made things a little uncomfortable.

He flashed what he hoped was a charming smile at her then changed the topic. "So you work here?"

"Volunteer. Twice a week," she corrected. "I'm told things like this look good on a college application."

Wow, she was worried about that already? It made him feel like a slacker. "We're only in ninth grade."

She shrugged. "Yeah, but every year from now until graduation matters and everything we do affects if and where we get in. So I'm trying to make a difference."

"Gah, you sound like my mom."

Nick groaned. 'Sound like my Mom?' why did he even say that? Stupid, stupid…

Unnecessary. Completely unnecessary!

Tory looked over her shoulder to peek at Nick- who was busying ruffling his hair in the universal I-Am-So-Damn-Stupid move.

She giggled. It was actually kind of nice to see the boy act his age.

"Sorry." She wrinkled her nose up in the most adorable way. He didn't know why, but it made his stomach tighten and heat flood his cheeks-if he kept that up, he'd be able to rent himself out as a light-house at night.

"So can I get you something to drink?" she asked. "Some ice? I have magazines and books on my cart if you want something to read."

"I'd kill for Nintendo."

She laughed. "No Nintendo on the cart. Sorry."

"You got any manga?"

"Manga?" She scowled. "What's that?"

Crap. It was too much to hope she'd share some of his more unusual interests. "Japanese comic books. I'm addicted to them."

"Manga fan?" Urian blinked. "Seriously? Dude...you are such a nerd."

"HEY!" Nick and Ash responded in tandem, before giving raising their brow at the other. Tabitha hijacked the conversation before a fight could start, explaining that manga was, indeed, cool.

Nerd material or not.

"And I happen to like Hellsing." Ash added.**

Urian screwed up his face. "...Okay then. Hellsing. Blood, gore, and heavily inaccurate vampires. Got it." He tilted his head. "Actually, I could get behind that."

"No, sorry again. I do have some Batman and Spider-Man if you're interested?"

"That'd be great." They were a lot shorter than the manga, but at least it'd eat up a couple of minutes while he read through them. "You got any science fiction or fantasy?"

"We have a couple of Dune books."

"Now that I could definitely go for."

Kyrian looked over his shoulder.

And drilled holes into Nick's forehead.

Nick rolled his eyes, insulted. "Bibliophobia doesn't count when I want to read. Or desperate. And bored. Or both. Normally I start reading when it's both, or about to die..." Well, he has been doing a crap load of research lately, so...he reads. On occasion.

When convenient.

She smiled. "I'll be right back."

Nick watched as she walked out of the room with a shake to her hips that ought to

be illegal and in some states probably was. She really was beautiful. He didn't know what it was about her hair, but it really made him want to touch it. It just looked so soft and smooth. It probably smelled good too.

Just like her skin.

Bethany's jaw dropped, followed closely by Amanda and Tabitha. Never let it be forgotten that a boy's 14 year old mind is a treacherous place to enter. Nick blushed, and growled low (Oddly, to a sharp listener, it would have sounded like the strangled whine of a puppy caught doing something wrong) trying to fight off the smirks and chuckles from the men in the room who had been there, done that…

...and refused to spare Nick his dignity.

Effin' bastards.

What are you thinking? She's so far out of your league…

Girls like her don't date loser dorks who mugged tourists. She was the kind who went on to date jocks and marry lawyers and surgeons and stuff.

He could just imagine the type of childhood she'd had with maids and tutors and birthday parties with presents wrapped in something other than hand-decorated grocery sacks. Her parents would probably flip out and die if they knew she was even talking to filth like him.

That burned. More than that, Ash felt like a moron as he realized one of the small, obvious reasons Nick was so damn pissed at him. It wasn't just that he didn't bring Cherise back, or had thrown him into a wall.

Ash really had gone nuclear on Nick when he discovered what he'd done with Simi. Something that was his right as her father, and something he would have done to anyone because of his own issues.

But it wouldn't have looked like that to Nick. After everything was said and done, even with their friendship, Ash had treated Nick the same way everyone else used to when he was a kid.

Like trash.

"Here you go." She returned and handed him a stack of books and comic books.

Nick smiled. "Bless you."

"Any time." She stepped back from the bed. "Well, I better get going. I still have to make my rounds and visit other patients. I promised Mrs. O'Malley that I'd play rummy with her today."

Wow, that was really sweet of her. "Okay. Thanks so much for stopping in and for the books."

She inclined her head to him. "Take care."

"You too."

Then she was gone. Nick sighed as depression set in. He hated that he was stuck here, but most of all he hated that he'd never be worthy of a girlfriend like Nekoda. He could bluster and pretend all he wanted to. It wouldn't change anything. She'd still go home to her nice house and he'd have to crawl back to the gutter where he'd been born.

Trying not to dwell on things he couldn't change, he opened a book and started reading.

Marissa frowned, her heart hurting at Nick's depressing beliefs. She never really knew guys thought like that. Maybe she knew, but it never really made an impression. Of course they had those thoughts, why wouldn't they? But it was hard to see the other end sometimes. It made her wonder if her daddy and Uncle Ash were the same- or if Nick's pessimism was strictly his own.

'Cause it'd be really sad if that was true. All of them were really nice to her, and were really great people. For them to think they weren't worthy of something, even if it was small...she didn't care for the idea. And from what she's seen and heard from her parents, Uncle Nick deserves a lot more than just a little bit of happiness.

Nick sighed and shifted, then jerked awake as he felt like he was falling out of bed.He blinked open his eye to find himself still in the hospital, alone.

Gah, this sucked. Wishing he'd slept longer than two hours, he reached for his tray to get another book and froze. There was a small box that hadn't been there before.

He frowned, reaching for it, then opened it up. Inside was a pink Nintendo and a small note.

Sorry about the color. Pink's my thing. But I hope this'll keep you from going crazy so that you won't have to kill anyone. I figure I can do without it for a few days if it'll spare your sanity.

Get better soon,

Kody.

Ash 'hmmed' at the note, reading in-between the lines to see what Kody was actually saying...which was shorthand for 'To keep you from going Malachai, here is a gaming console to distract you'...or maybe that was just Ash overthinking things.

He stared at the note as a wave of emotion overwhelmed him. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for him. The box was filled with games for it, from classics to strategy to shooters.

What an incredibly nice thing for her to do. It really touched him.

He was right. It really was a nice thing to do- which made Bathymaas suspicious. She may not have been awake for very long, but her son and husband had schooled her on the entertainment of virtual games, and how conquering Atlantis in the virtual realm was a consistent go-to therapy method for her husband.

She had not been entirely pleased with that discovery, but given what the Atlanteans had done to him...sometimes she watched over his shoulder and suggested battle strategies.

Bottom line being something was off with handing a stranger this kind of device, decked out with various games.

Picking it up, he held the system in his hand. For some reason, it made him feel weirdly close to her. Systems were personal. They were an extension of yourself. From the color to the stickers...it all came from within and it was something that you kept close to you. Something you guarded and protected.

And she'd loaned him hers.

Not many people would do that. Especially not someone as hot as Kody. The girl was crazy.

Maybe she likes you.

"Aww. How cute."

Amanda smiled at Urian's statement, although she felt bad with everyone constantly poking fun at Nick. It really was cute- and adorable. But if Nick had liked this girl Kody so much, why hadn't she ever heard of her?

And what happened to her?

That thought made his blood race like fire through his veins. Could it be possible?

She's dangerous to you. Avoid her.

The room stilled at Ambrose's voice, as the implications of what he just said swept through the room.

Ambrose had gone back in time.

The screen paused as Set stood from his position of loafing on a couch.

"Well, that's game, folks. We all know that's Ambrose. No need to-"

"Papas."

Set looked over at his daughter, who hadn't moved an inch from her spot on the floor.

"Oh, for the love of Ra…" He cursed in a few choice languages, bolstering his argument for why he did not play well with others.

She shook her head, before glancing at her aunt. "Ma'at wants to show us something. And I don't believe we've seen it yet. Ambrose is under suspicion because we believe there to be evidence. We've seen some of it. But it's only one line. It doesn't show us anything other than someone who sounds exactly like Ambrose has been influencing Ambrose's past self. Damning, I agree, but I refuse to end judgement until I hold all the facts." She'd made that mistake before with her own husband, and she refused to do it to another. And her aunt had been so adamant...no, there was more to this.

But why would her doppelganger be dangerous to Nick?

Menyara sighed at her brother. Impulsive as always.

He scowled at the deep, scary voice in his head. It sounded almost demonic.

WTH?

Sin shook his head. "Anyone else still laughing at the irony?" Urian, Ash, Zakar, Set, and Cadegan raised their hands, Seth and Thorn just snorted.

Ambrose? Demonic voice? Noooo.

"Well, at least he isn't stupid." Katra pointed out.

"I am going crazy from boredom." Only a lunatic would want to avoid a girl as nice and pretty as Kody.

"Gee, thanks…" Nick growled, his bad mood thickening the already tense atmosphere. Not that he needed to be offended; he wasn't fully Ambrose. But seriously, he had dissed his future self for basically trying to steer him away from his future assassin. Ambrose had failed miserably, but hey. A for effort.

"Did he take it?"

Nekoda tensed as she felt the air around her stirring. The power was palpable and it was one she was intimately familiar with.

Sraosha. Her guide and mentor.

Nekoda locked the door of the storeroom to keep anyone else in the hospital from innocently coming in and seeing Sraosha's form. Tall and graceful, he was so beautiful that it was hard to look straight at him. His powers were so great that they manifested as an ever-moving aura that illuminated her skin with a bright yellow glow. His long blond hair flowed around his shoulders as he narrowed his gaze on her…a gaze that held no eyes. Only a smoky black cavity that was as frightening as it was peculiar.

"Of course." Thorn grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Cadegan furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Thorn gestured at the Sraosha on-screen. "See him? Asshole. Not exactly fond of us demonic types, you know. Which is fine by me, seeing as I wouldn't mind dumping him in the nearest vat of oil. Prick. Basically, one of the counselors at Camp psycho-heaven. They keep the peace, time, and order. All that fun stuff- except when they don't and get themselves embroiled in civil war." Thorn muttered that last bit under his breath, before raising his voice back up. "Just watch. Trouble's his middle name."

"Aye." Aeron agreed, with a really sour look on his face. Jo and Cadegan glanced at each other and shrugged.

"I left it for him." she whispered. Nick had no idea that her Nintendo allowed her to keep an eye on him so long as he was around it.

"Wait, what?" Nick gaped at the screen, realizing Kody had definitely forgotton to mention a couple of pertinent details.

The group looked over at him. "You...didn't know that?" Lydia asked, hesitantly.

Nick's face flushed red as he remembered where, exactly, he had left that Game Boy whenever he changed clothes in the morning and evening.

"No. No, I did not. She failed to mention it." Tabitha narrowed her eyes on him, grin slowly spreading across her face.

"You totally left that out in the open when you changed, didn't you?"

Nick glared at her.

"You did! Oh, my God! Your girlfriend definitely-"

"Shut up, Tabby! No one asked you! And how do you know that's what she'd use it for? She seems like a good kid." Amanda hit her sister in the stomach in a valiant attempt to save Nick from anymore embarrassment. Not that it was doing much.

"'Cause that's what I would do-"

"Not everyone's like you, Tabby-"

Val looked at the ceiling, being forced to contemplate his wife's new product idea for her shop...because that's exactly where this would lead; she's terribly pragmatic that way. If she wasn't already selling something similar. Wait, this was his wife. Of course she was.

"Oi. Children!" Savitar reprimanded from the back. They stopped their bickering.

Sraosha nodded. "What do you think of this one?"

He was younger than the other Malachai's she'd fought. More innocent. Sweet even.

Wait. Other Malachai's? That she had fought? Ash grimaced as a very ugly picture started to form in his mind.

"Um...Sweet? Innocent? Are we talking about the same Gautier?" Urian raised a brow. "'Cause. I don't think we're on the same page."

Don't let him seduce you.

That was the last thing she could afford to have happen.

"Wow. And she's worried about Nick seducing her? He hasn't even done anything." Urian commented, waving at the screen. Sin growled.

"Do you just have this need to speak up about every little thing? Why can't you just...oh, be quiet?"

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me you would pass up-"

Sav cut in. "How about we all shut up and talk less?"

"He seems…" She had to choose her word carefully. "Different."

"Do you think he's the one?"

"I don't know." Since the dawn of time, they'd hunted for the right Malachai. The one who could turn against the dark forces that had sired it and fight with them against the Source so that she could free her brothers.

Ash frowned. He'd thought that was a myth- a legend. If it was actually true, and Nick really was that Malachai- which would explain….a lot, then either they were in luck or seriously damned.

And with the way things were shaping up, Ash would lay money on screwed blue and tattooed. Mildly speaking.

But to date, they had lost every Malachai they'd tried to save. The darkness within each one was more than they could resist. And who could blame them?

All of their bloodline was born to cause pain. Born to wield the darkest powers imaginable. Just as Nekoda had been born to the light.

Sin held up his hand as if to stop the proceedings. "Alright. So. Save the Malachai? I know that's the plan now, but I don't remember this being a consistent thing." Sin looked at Ash.

"Did you?"

No, he hadn't, but Ash was hard pressed to admit it. "Nope. But I'm starting to think I should have." Also, as one of the Arelim, it would make sense that Kody was born from one of the light. But who exactly? Now that Ash could see the blatant resemblance between Bethany and Kody-

Ash's train of thought was derailed by an errant, ludicrous thought.

No. No way. Nick's luck couldn't be that freakin' terrible.

Nick was still a kid who had no idea who and what he was. But she knew exactly the kind of violence he'd been bred for.

And he terrified her.

Seth's face crumpled in discomfort, sobering as- although not entirely bad- memories rose to the surface. He couldn't claim that any day with his wife was bad- even when it could be frustrating, irritating, or just downright obnoxious- but never bad. No, the 'bad' memories had their own little storage space in his mind where he kept them under lock and key in it's own little cordoned off section in his head.

But knowing that Lydia, the only woman he loves, had once feared him with good reason...even now, it leaves a taste of bile in his mouth. Being feared by the only person you've ever loved was no small matter. Ever. And if you deserved it, there's really no saving you. He didn't envy Nick for that, and it was clear with the vibes the cajun sent all over the room whenever Kody appeared that although he was tied up with Artemis…

Only one woman had ever held his heart.

"Menyara swears we can save him."

Sraosha scoffed. "She's to close to this one. She's blind to what he really is."

Menyara raised a brow. "Excuse me? I find myself insulted."

That aside, Bethany was worried about something else. "Auntie does he mean by 'this one'...?" Menyara smiled and patted her arm.

"We'll get to that, child."

Perhaps that was true, but Nekoda had no such attachment to him. "Have no fear. I'm not blind to him. His glamour doesn't charm me."

Tabitha snorted. "Oh, honey, you are so charmed by him, you passed up Caleb. Caleb." Val frowned. "Caleb? Should I know…?"

Tabitha shook her head. "You wouldn't know him- and don't worry, he's not an ex. Just a high school buddy of Nick's."

Aeron and Thorn snorted from the back.

Kyrian looked at the two of them, piecing things together.

"So...he wasn't a highschool student."

Nick cleared his throat. "Actually, he was. Got his diploma and everything" - Far as I can tell- "including suffering math and english classes with me. And detention. And don't get me started on his rendition of Moby Dick. So yeah, maybe not human, and older than the general populous, but he does get the 'I survived High School' badge."

"Good to know."

"Make sure you don't fall victim to it. Remember that's only one of the many powers he'll possess. Powers that will work on all mortals and immortals alike. As you've seen, evil is already beginning to tempt him and that will only worsen as he matures."

Jo tilted her head as that sank in. With the other's bickering, it was hard to pay attention to but…

"So, Glamour means you can charm people right?" Sensing the question was directed at him, Nick nodded.

"So you can charm anyone you want? How does that work?"

Nick couldn't see where this was going.

"I...don't know? It's not really a power I use...or used. Actually, it was kind of a hindrance as a kid 'cause I couldn't control it." And for all his attempts to tone down the jealous-boyfriend vibe, Kody could go from 'Why am I dating you again?' to 'He's mine, back off bitch!' in two seconds flat. That power was definitely the root cause of some stellar Casey vs Kody cat fights.

Nekoda swallowed as she saw in her mind the events that led up to his getting shot. "He pulled back before hurting them."

"This time. But that single act of drifting toward violence against another has unleashed his Cimmerian Magus. The dark powers are uniting now to train him. Can't you feel it?"

How the hell…? Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing. As far as he knew, Nick's transition into his Malachai powers took place as an adult. But if his powers came in when he was still a child...then it would explain the funky powers he had sensed from Nick as a kid. It also proved one more thing-

Acheron, apparently, didn't know a thing about the Cajun. If he didn't know this one basic fact, which was supposedly broadcasted to the entire world- exactly what information did he have about Nick that was accurate? Obviously the time sequence was a part of these issues, but this was ridiculous.

Yes. It permeated everything here and it sent a feral chill down her spine. There were ten lessons that had to be taught to every Malachai. Every one of them would make him stronger.

More corrupt.

It would shape him into a tool of evil that would come for her and her people and wreak absolute misery on everyone who came into contact with him.

The first lesson was necromancy. But not just communication with the dead. Reanimation and control.

Kyrian and Tabitha looked at each other as that information sunk in.

"The zombies were your fault?"

Nick gave a mockingly hurt expression at Tabitha's accusation.

"What? You mean all that work I did to send them back into oblivion was just practice for world domination? NO! Of course they weren't my fault! How many times have we teased Maduag over this?"

"No offense? That was before I learned about this." Tabitha waved up to the screen. "It may not be your fault, but you definitely have a part to do with it."

"That, I never denied."

Jo let out a frustrated breath. "Can someone explain to me the deal with the zombies?!"

Nick and Tabitha responded in tandem."You'll see."

No matter how hard Nekoda tried, she couldn't see Nick becoming like the others. Surely he wouldn't embrace such a cold power.

You made the mistake of that thought before.

She winced as she remembered his father and how wrong she'd been then. Had she struck when she'd been told to, she would have saved countless lives.

It's the light inside you that wants to believe in the goodness of other people. Even the Malachais. She'd shown the elder Malachai mercy and he'd spat in her face and embraced his own brand of evil.

Nick curled his lip.

Asshole.

His father, a piece of work that should have been chucked back into the Source's face.

No matter what, she wouldn't be so stupid again.

"Have no fear, Sraosha. I've learned from my mistake. This time, I won't fail. If we can't turn him, I will kill him."

"You better remember that. Because this one is even stronger than his father and now he's being embraced and trained by the Dark-Hunters. If we don't turn him, he will be the one who finally destroys us all."

And she would be the one to blame for the death of humanity.

One moment Nick was tolerating his throbbing headache even without the Tylenol, and the next he was on the floor, writhing in pain. As if someone split his skull open with a mallet…and then decided to tase him in the same spot. Not fun, and seriously detrimental to his health. He had felt his headache worsening, but hoped it was a migraine, as bad as those could be. Not this.

Again.

"Boyo?" Aeron was at his side in an instant, gripping his shoulder to keep him semi-upright. Nick didn't acknowledge it- images were flashing in his head, spiraling faster and faster. His old memories being replaced- he couldn't even remember what had been there seconds before- with the new ones taking their place in his mind.

"Boyo? Nick? Are you here? Do you ken?"

Nick breathed heavily, trying to focus his blurry sight on some spot on the marble floor. He needed to get a grip. To stand. He was a causing a scene-

Something's draining the Malachai out of him.

I warned you! This time, I will rip out your worthless-

Aeron never made it to the room-

Like what? You're scaring me.

I'm not Simi. I'm her daughter-

It doesn't show the future-

Cyprian.

Nick barely registered Aeron and Kyrian helping him up, or the crowd of people that hovered around him, with Ash asking him if he was alright. He just stared at the far wall, blinking.

I have a son.

A daughter.

A daughter that apparently resembles Caleb.

And a son who wants him dead. That had been one of Nick's small fears growing up, but had tossed it to the wind once he became a Dark-Hunter. He couldn't impregnate, so why worry about it? Unless being a Malachai with a cursed line somehow exempted him from that DH Universal Law. Nick met Menyara's eyes as she listened to the ether, her face betraying her horror. No one else had noticed. Yet. They didn't know how damned screwed they all were. Nick felt his insanity bubble up, breaking to the surface.

He laughed. Hysterically.

Ash, Styxx, Urian, Chi, Sin, and Zakar took a step back, while they rest of them looked at him with surprised looks and agape jaws.

They had no fucking clue.

Except Aeron, who had been there, but wouldn't notice the timeline changing. Wouldn't even realize his memories were now different than five seconds prior. Thorn would know, maybe. About his son and his own memories suddenly being rewritten. Then again, maybe not.

"O...Kay. Nick? Kid? Back to reality. We don't really have time for you to be snapping a bracket and taking off." Savitar clapped him on the shoulder before jerking his hand back as if burned.

Nick saw his stony expression and started up another round of 'let's go insane' laughter joint. "You saw it, right? How damned dead we all are? Oh, man, I can't wait until they figure it out-"

Nick crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Kyrian caught him. "Who the hell-" The Greek looked around to find Set with an outstretched arm.

The egyptian god shrugged.

"What? No rule against knocking him out."

0000000000000

* In Time Untime, Nick mentions that his mother wanted to die, or at least wanted death to claim her. So even though that sentence might be harsh, it's part of how Nick views things. In case any of y'all were wondering.

**No, seriously, I think in an interview Hellsing was listed as one of Ash's preferred Manga's. Or maybe it was 's Mrs. Kenyon's preferred list. Eh. I think it works.

I hope you guys weren't disappointed. And I repeat: I am not dropping any of my fics.

I hope you have an awesome day! -RS

P.S

I know there were tons of spelling/editing mistakes I missed. I'M SORRY!

P.S.S Please review!