A.N.: It feels good to have written three chapters. We're getting near the end of this book and slowly coming up on Book 6. I want to thank everyone who has been keeping up with the story. Thanks go out especially to thewisestman for following the story for years now. Enjoy your reading experience. Remember to leave a review and share with your friends.

Ch. 20 The Price of Power

"I'm not mad Brave," Adam explained, "I just want to know why?" Adam had finally confronted Brave about letting Kristen and Jinx go.

"It was the right thing to do. If our enemies can be made into allies, or less bad, we need to take advantage of that." Adam looked at the body count from Port Regal's prisoners.

"So many dead and here I am trying to understand why an enemy would risk everything to help us."

"Because they're like you and me." Adam looked up from his papers. Brave was leaning on the edge of the table. "They may be dark pirates, but they're still people. They still want a life after this war."

"What exactly happened in the cave?" The question momentarily stunned Brave. "Riley and Lenora told me how you stayed behind, but came back. What happened in the cave?" There was no malice in Adam's voice; only genuine curiosity.

"That day, I killed dozens of dark pirates and destroyed dozens more clockworks. Jillian and Kristen were the only ones left." The sniper flexed his clockwork arm. "I was ready to kill Kristen when Jillian 'disarmed' me." Adam chuckled at the joke. "Anyway, I saw something in that attack. It wasn't anger, hate, or blind rage; it was fear. Jinx was afraid of me hurting her wife. They would do anything to protect eachother." Brave got up from his leaning position. "It got me thinking. What would I do to protect my loved ones? What am I willing to give up to protect them?"

"Brave, I feel like you're about to tell me something I don't want to hear, so do us both a favor and make it quick." Brave opened the door to check if anyone else was listening in.

No one's there. He closed the door and went back to Adam. "Do you know where Admiral Nelson is right now?" Adam thought.

"No. I haven't seen him since the meeting with the Spiral Council."

"Well, I do. He's in prison. They arrested him for aiding us." Brave pulled out a letter from his back pocket. "Just before we attacked Port Regal, I got this from a captain in the Marleybone Navy." Adam opened the letter and read its contents.

Dear Brave Alaric Bellamy,

One of our admirals has recently been relieved of duty. Due to your outstanding record in the war against the Armada, we would like to offer you his position. Your duties would include supervision of Marleybonian Naval supplies and representation on the Spiral Council when needed. However, we would request that you not have your powers as others would see it as a power play on Marleybone's part. We hope you accept this generous offer.

Cordially,

Mycroft Bones

Adam folded the letter. "You can't be serious about this." Brave pulled out another letter.

"I was going to the post office when you asked to talk with me. I'm accepting the offer." Adam got up and punched the wall, his metal arm denting the wood.

"You can't do this. It's not worth giving up your powers."

"Yes, it is," Brave stipulated. "As much as you hate it, Nelson couldn't get the job done. I can. With me on the council, Skull Island has more influence. You call a meeting with the council and I get them on our side. After that, I'll get Nelson reinstated and resign. I'll take my powers back then." Adam sighed.

"Damn it, I hate it when you're right." Adam sat back down. "So, who's going to take care of your powers while you're out of play?"

"Riley," Brave stated.

"Okay, I agree with everything else, but that's just stupid! She's a kid." Brave crossed his arms.

"I made the mistake of saying that too. It's hard for me to admit, but she's not a kid anymore. I wasn't there for three years of her life and in that timespan, she grew up. She's killed and is tough as nails. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my powers than my own flesh and blood."

"So, when do I get my powers!?" The two pirates stared at the trunk that sat in the corner of Adam's apartment. Adam clicked it open and released Riley from her hiding spot.

"One: no body is supposed to be in my apartment without my permission. Two: How did you lock yourself in my trunk?" Riley stepped out of the trunk.

"That's actually a funny story. Do you know how easy it actually is to win a game of hide and seek when you have awesome lock picking skills?" Riley stretched her limbs. "So, when do I get them?" Adam turned to face Brave.

"You still sure you want to give her your powers?" Brave's right eye twitched.

"Look, I'm going to do this before I change my mind." The sniper took her daughter's hands in his own and charged up his aura. The lightning blue energy made its way from Brave's body to Riley's. The younger musketeer cried out in pain as the energy coursed through her veins.

"Is it too late for me to change my mind?" Riley dropped to her knees, the pain becoming unbearable.

"Just a little longer, sweetie." The aura completely disappeared from Brave's body and surrounded Riley. The pain slowly faded as Riley stood back up. "So, how do you feel?"

"Honestly," Riley chuckled, "It wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Can we do that again?"

"No." Brave wrapped his arm around Riley's shoulder. "Come on, I've got a trip to the post office to make and you're coming with me." The father-daughter pair left, leaving Adam in his apartment alone. Adam turned on his communicator.

"Hey, Lenora. It's Adam. Can you meet me on the ship in fifteen minutes?"

"Hey, you wanted to meet with me?" Lenora entered the lower decks of the Golden Archer.

"Yeah, I want to show you something." Adam grabbed Lenora's arms and dragged her to the table he'd set up on the far side of the deck. "I've been working on those personality matrixes and I think I've finally got two of them."

"Really?" Lenora saw two diamond-shaped chips on the table.

"I was sifting through the data and found that Flint designed two of them to boost combat abilities." Adam pulled up a hologram display of their appearances. The one on the right took the shape of a shining blue Pegasus while the one on the left took the shape of a crimson dragon. "I figured that since the blue one is literally a Pegasus, I'd name it that, but I'm naming the dragon one Draco." Lenora studied the matrixes in awe.

"This is amazing," she exclaimed. "Which one is the combat matrix?"

"Pegasus is the C.M. He seems to be able to give its user an agility boost. I don't know how he'll feel about it, but I was thinking about giving it to Ryan." Lenora studied Pegasus.

"I think it may take him some getting used to, but I feel like he'll come around to the idea of having some help in combat." Lenora looked at the dragon matrix. "So, if Sagittarius is memory and Tauros is rage, what is Draco?" Adam wrapped his arm around Lenora's waist.

"I don't know yet. A personality Matrix is supposed to embody the best trait of the original user, but I haven't decided who to give it to yet. A personality matrix is a big show of power." Adam turned off the holo display. "I'm just concerned about what the Spiral will think when they find out I made more matrixes." Adam stared at the wall for a second, forgetting that Lenora was there.

"What's wrong?" Lenora placed a hand on Adam's shoulder.

"I was just thinking about what Cole said," Adam admitted.

"What did he say? You've been pretty quiet about it." Adam rubbed his wrist with his mechanical hand.

"He told me that 'The father will fall with the fallen son. Only then will the dark days be done.' I've been racking that phrase around in my head for days now." Adam sat down in a chair. "Obviously, Flint is the father. I keep focusing on the son part. He said the 'fallen son.' Blaze is Flint's son and he fell from grace when he built the clockworks. Add the fact that he is not on good terms with Flint and there's more fuel to the fire." Adam rubbed his face with his hands. "Then there's me." The statement caught Lenora by surprise.

"You?"

"Yeah," Adam answered, "Me. I'm the son of Horace Avery Silver. I lost Skull Island. I was mutilated. That was my fall." Adam grabbed Lenora's hands and held them in his own. "I don't want Blaze to die because he just got his life back. I don't want to die myself because I don't want you to lose me."

"I'm not going to lose you, and you're not losing Blaze," Lenora reassured her boyfriend, "We don't believe in prophecies. We form our own path. Whatever happens, we won't fall, we will survive, we will win." Adam smiled. The two stood up and went to leave the Golden Archer. "Hey, I just realized something: Your birthday is tomorrow." Adam stopped.

"Huh, I guess you're right." I haven't thought about my birthday in ages. "I guess I sort of stopped celebrating it for a while."

"So," Lenora asked, "Any idea what you want?"

"I have a pretty good idea, but if I tell you it won't come true."

"Well, whatever it is, I'll make sure it happens."

"Damn it!" Gareth held his head as his guards dragged him back to his cell. Gareth limped to the bunk in his room. He held his hand over the wound, healing it with dark energy.

"How did you acquire such power?" The electronic voice drew the witchdoctor's interest.

"Through and immense amount of pain," he answered.

"We, too, have experience great pain. Could we also acquire this power?" Gareth turned to his converser. A huge man with an orange personality matrix stood in the cell across from him. Gareth grinned.

"That depends, what are you willing to do to acquire it?"