Raz drives slowly through the residential areas, knowing exactly where he's going. The radio plays throughout the car.
~AND THAT WAS THE NEW HIT SINGLE OBLONGATA BY FLOATING FLAME! WILL THEY EVER STOP THEIR CHART TOPPING SPREE?!~
Lili whistles appreciatively.
"Sounds like Phoebe and Quentin are doing pretty well."
Raz laughs, remembering how the two were back at camp.
"I'm just glad they finally settled on a name. Ah, there it is."
He pulls into the driveway of a rather large, nice house. The three approach the door and knocked lightly.
Sasha answers, pushing his sunglasses back up his nose.
"Razputin! What a pleasant surprise, come in."
The three enter, sitting on a long couch. Out of everyone Raz has known over the years, Sasha and Milla are very close to him.
Back at the Academy Raz had become Sasha's assistant on many of his projects, working with his team. The other team members used to tease him and call him "Little Nein" but he didn't really mind. In return, Sasha tutored him for free in classes he wasn't doing well in. Which were mostly classes that had nothing to do being a Psychonaut, like English. Well…really Milla did a majority of the tutoring, mostly because Sasha had the attention span of a flea when it came to anything other than his projects or work.
That was the reason Raz was so surprised when Sasha asked him to be his best man. He'd managed to get his nose out of work long enough to propose to Milla, back when Raz and Lili were sixteen. The two had a lot of problems to work through concerning their pasts but in the end they made it work. Raz always wondered if Sasha took Milla's last name because of what had happened to him or because Milla only had married female siblings and the name was dying. Either way they seemed really happy. Lili had been a bridesmaid, and he vividly remembered how beautiful he thought she looked when they danced together that night. The future had looked so bright then.
Right now Sasha is keeping up with his projects, but Milla is mostly just teaching at the Academy. Neither one of them are doing any fieldwork until the kids got older.
Milla enters the room with two young boys in tow, wiping her hands on her apron. Two little girls run across the ceiling above them and Raz catches them with his telekinesis, plopping them on his knees and hugging them. All four kids favor Milla mostly, but the boys have Sasha's personality.
"Raz! Lili and Kezia too, it's so good to see you all!"
Raz smiles brightly at her. The girls were giggling and trying to steal his goggles.
"Uncle Raz! Uncle Raz!"
"Are you staying for dinner?"
"Look! Kezia is here too!"
"Who is your other friend?"
"Is she staying too?!"
"Will you play with us again?"
"Yeah! We wanna levi-race again!"
"Nooooo this time we want to be psychic bears!"
"Aww we did that last time…"
Raz laughs, tickling them before setting them down. They continue beaming at him while awaiting a reply.
"Not today girls. I promise I'll be back soon though, and we'll play then. Right now I'm here to see your parents."
The boys, who are much mellower than their younger sisters, only give Raz quick hugs before they take the girls outside. Once all four Vodello children are safely outside playing, Milla joins her husband on the loveseat across from them.
"What do you guys need?"
"Well, we caught the assassin, but I'm not entirely sure what his nonsense is about. I figured Cruller would know, since I recall him spouting something like that when his personalities were split, but he passed away years ago."
Sasha scratches his chin, obviously intrigued.
"Alright, let's have it then."
"I am one of the five pillars that will liberate the world and bring power to the one true ruler."
Sasha and Milla glance at each other with a frown. He answers first.
"Yes, that's an old story. It's one of the old myths in the psychic world. To summarize, the story is about five psychics who each represent one of the traditional powers. They believe the world is corrupted, and want to put their king in power. In the end it describes the five pillars holding up the world for their ruler so he can make it anew."
"That means there are four of them left then…"
"Tell me, what does this assassin specialize in?"
"Confusion. He was powerful too."
"He hasn't shown any proficiency in anything else?"
"He didn't when we fought him, but since he's locked up in HQ we can't exactly test him and see."
"If he trained all his life in only one field then it would make him extremely powerful. I fear what the other four will be like…"
Sasha stands, muttering something to himself as he gathers his coat.
"Milla, darling, watch our children. I need to investigate this further. If I can get any information from him, it could prove beneficial."
Before anyone else can reply the door clicks shut as Sasha exits. Milla sighs and just places her hands on her hips with a laugh.
"I couldn't keep that man away from his research if I tried. He could have at least taken his dinner with him before he left."
Raz shakes his head and pats Milla's arm.
"That would be too easy. Then you wouldn't get the opportunity to worry about him when he passes out from not eating enough."
She groans and rolls her eyes.
"Nine months pregnant with my second set of twins and that idiot is hospitalized for blacking out and hitting his head. Nearly put me into labor right then."
"Do you need any help?"
"Oh, thank you, Raz, but I have it under control. I'll finish up dinner and when the kids are fed I'll leave the boys in charge and take something up for that crazy man of mine. You guys need to get out there and catch those weirdos."
She gives all three of them hugs as they stand and walk for the door. Raz hesitates in the doorframe, listening to the sounds of the children playing in the backyard. After a few seconds he hugs Milla a second time before following the girls to the car.