Axl and Mike were very similar that night in that they both were doing a lot of staring into space mulling over what the next day held in store for them all. Zeb had been rushing around getting all excited about them all getting their powers, and he even welcomed the earthquakes because he knew it meant a build-up to the greatest thing that would ever happen to Axl and his family.

But Zeb seemed to be the only one excited. Axl felt more like when he was a kid and he was happy about going to the zoo but he could sense that Mike was stressed (and it had turned out that they couldn't really afford to take Axl to the zoo for his birthday). All the other gods and goddesses around him weren't excited about this so-called ceremony (not even Mike, although he seemed to have given up being Odin and life in general since Michele had been killed).

Ingrid had been doing nothing but fretting throughout the house, worrying about all these things that Axl had not one clue about. She was taking Michele's death hard, and she kept asking "Boys, would you like some tea?" and then making tea and refusing to drink it. Zeb was comforting and reassuring to her, and he managed to keep up with Ingrid's fretting and taking it in his stride. In contrast, Axl was stationary. With each earthquake, he grew more and more worried.

Mike used to be the one who would comfort him in thunderstorms. But that bridge had burned, and Axl didn't want to face the humiliation of crawling back to his brother asking for help. He had to fight his own battles now. He was a man. No less of a man than Mike. Especially now, considering how lifeless Mike had been lately.

So, if Mike was no longer contesting for Odin, then that would mean it would fall to Axl. The responsibilities and the duties and the leadership would all be entrusted to him. He was the one who would become a man when Hanna made her choice.

Only, that night, Axl had never felt more like a child in his life.

He needed his brothers.

It was the most courageous move Axl had ever made, stepping into Mike's bar with the intention of asking him for guidance. The sight of his other brothers there instead threw him off guard.

"What are you doing here?"

"World's worst bachelor party in your honour. Along with a semi-engagement party for Ty and Dawn because this bugger couldn't wait to pop the question. Took you long enough," Anders replied. The hesitancy that Axl was feeling was overcome by the gratitude and relief he had from seeing his brothers. It was them he needed to see on this last night. He made his way over to Anders, who gave him a friendly shoulder grip in greeting.

"Better hurry up before Mike gets back – free reign on the booze." To demonstrate, Anders climbed over the bar to reach down into a small fridge on the ground where Mike had been storing his alcohol since the earthquakes had started.

"Where is he?" Axl asked, trying to sound casual, but the trepidation in his voice slipped out, and he knew that Ty had noticed by the way his brother's eyes darted in his direction.

"He's upstairs. We suspect crying or sleeping, or maybe both." Axl felt like doing the exact same things. He almost wanted to join Mike in doing so; anything would be better than this horrible sense of foreboding that churned his stomach constantly.

"Lucky for some," he muttered under his breath.

"Have the earthquakes been getting to you?" Ty asked sympathetically.

"Have the earthquakes been getting to you, Ty?" Anders retorted. "You were way more weepy than usual this evening."

"Fuck off, Anders," Ty replied automatically. Axl closed his eyes, feeling comforted by the sound of his brothers arguing.

It was strange. If you had asked Axl a year ago how he'd like to spend his last evening as a mortal, sitting in a dark bar while his two brothers fought over their dignity was not the answer he'd have given.

"You know what, Tyrone, in less than 24 hours I might just do that, would you be happy then?"

"Cut it out, the pair of you!" A voice from the stairs caught their attention. Mike walked down, his face looking worse for wear, but he was wearing half a smile.

"Just in time! Our prodigal baby of the family has just arrived!" Anders exclaimed. Ty frowned and leaned over to Anders.

"Wait, Mike or Axl?" Anders' grin widened, and he left that question unanswered.

"What are you doing here?" Mike asked his youngest brother, coming down the stairs. Axl stood to meet him.

"I'm here to tell you that I'm sorry for everything. And I'm scared." It was a few moments before anyone said anything. But Mike finally nodded.

"It takes a real man to admit that he's scared."

"Oh, thank FUCK for that!" Anders moaned in relief as Mike and Axl hugged it out.

"Can we drink 'til we die now?"