UNEXPECTED REUNION
The Commander found Levi in his usual spot, high atop Mitras' tallest skyscraper. "Hello, Levi," he greeted.
"What do you want, Eyebrows?" Levi asked dryly. How the fuck did he find out my name?!
"Not interested in how I know your name?"
Deciding there was no point in denying it was his name, he responded, "Am I supposed to care? So, you know my name. Yippy fucking skippy."
The blond chuckled. "Guess I was expecting a response like that. The Prophet wants to speak with you. She asked me to bring you to Tinninvale Sanctuary."
"Number one; why would The Prophet want to see someone like me, and, number two; what makes you think I'd go with you to see her?"
"Obviously I can't force you to, but I was hoping you would come with me. She doesn't ask to see someone unless it's very important. I suppose I should ask if you even know who The Prophet is."
Levi glared at the blond over his shoulder. "I'm not stupid. Everyone knows of The Prophet. She can see future, or rather, possible futures. She keeps herself hidden in Tinninvale; a place no one can locate unless she wills it so. Villains would love to get ahold of her, and heroes respect her. I am neither hero nor villain, so I just don't care."
The Commander sighed and changed tactics. "I know you don't trust me, Levi, but I do trust you. I'll prove it to you now. My real name is Erwin Smith. I know your name, so it's only fair you know mine."
"Huh," was Levi's only response as he glanced curiously over his shoulder at Erwin.
"It's a long flight to Tinninvale. I'd rather travel there under the cover of dark. Will you come with me?"
"What does she want to see us about?"
"You. She wants to see you. I am just to lead you there and then leave. And I don't know what she wants."
Levi frowned as he looked out over the city. Curiosity got the better of him. "Fine. Lead the way."
Erwin was right. It was along flight. They flew low to the ground, barely above the treetops, so as to stay off radar. It was a moonless night, but Levi's faintly glowing silver eyes were well adapted to low light. It seemed that Erwin could see just fine in the dark as well. It was about two hours before dawn when they turned into a steep, narrow valley between mountains. Erwin led them up a fast-moving river.
Levi felt the barrier when they passed through it. Lights that had been invisible before, near the end of the ravine, were now clearly visible, golden, warm and inviting. They belonged to a massive white building with several smaller outlying structures. It was ornate and looked like something out of a J.R.R. Tolkein novel. Waterfalls spilled over the ledges in multiple places along both sides of the ravine, including one from right under the main building.
"Can I expect to be greeted by an elven king?" Levi asked as they landed on the massive veranda overlooking the entire vale.
Erwin chuckled. "Wouldn't surprise me. It is a beautiful place, though."
A short woman with light reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes came out to greet them. "Good morning, gentlemen. The prophet thanks you for bringing Levi to visit us, Commander. Would you like some food or drink before you return to Mitras?"
"No, thank you, Petra. I'll be starting back now. I'd rather be far from here when the sun rises," Erwin replied. "I'll see you back in Mitras, Levi." The blond took to the air and flew opposite to the way they'd flown in by.
"Please follow me," Petra requested. She led him into the building, which was bright, open and airy.
A woman, with long black hair in a loose braid was back to them, arranging something at a table at the far end of the room. "Thank you, Petra. That'll be all for now."
"Yes, Prophet." Petra bowed, though the woman didn't see her, and left the room.
That voice, Levi thought. It sounds so familiar . . . but where have I heard it before?
The woman paused for a moment, before finally turning to face him. A warm smile filled with joy formed and her silvery-blue eyes shimmered with tears. "Levi."
Levi's eyes widened in shock. He swore his heart skipped a beat. "Mama?"
A tear slipped down her face as she opened her arms to him. He reacted without even thinking, rushing into her arms and hugging her like he was afraid she'd disappear. "Are you real?" he asked.
"Yes, Levi. I'm real. And I'm here." There were a few moments of silence before she continued. "I'm so sorry for not being there, Levi. There is so much I need to tell you."
"I don't care," Levi replied, not letting go. "I'm just glad you're alive."
They held each other in their embrace for several more minutes before finally pulling back. Levi hadn't even realized he was crying until his mother placed her hands on either side of his face and wiped the tears away with her thumbs. "Come. Let us sit and talk," she told him. "I have tea and sandwiches in the sitting room. You must be famished after your long flight."
Levi nodded as his mother lead him into a small room with massive windows on either side; one looking out over the still dark valley with the other looking back to the even darker forested slope. A fire crackled in the fireplace and the room was lit in a soft, golden light. At the center of the room, five plush, light-grey chairs surrounded a round coffee table. On the table was an ornate silver tray with a steaming pot of tea and two cups along with two small plates and there were several platters with a variety of sandwiches cut into triangular quarters.
His mother poured them both some tea. "Kenny kept his promise to me. I knew he would."
Levi took a sip of his tea and sighed in pleasure at the flavor. "He did. He's like a father to me. He even let's me use his last name; Ackerman. Mom, what happened that night? All I really remember is you telling me to never forget that you love me."
She gave a sad smile. "Your father betrayed us. But then, you found that out a few years ago. I am so sorry about that, Levi. It was a horrible way to learn."
"He's dead. Kenny killed him before he could put a bullet in my head. He was working with Harbinger." Levi's voice was devoid of emotion.
"I know, sweetheart. I found out about his betrayal a few days before those men came for us." The woman sighed, wondering how to tell her tale. "I knew what Jerome was. I knew what he really did for a living. I can see the future, but not always just one future. With Jerome, I saw a couple of futures that we remained happy together. I took a chance, because in every future I saw with him, happy or sad, you were in it. You are very important to the future of this world, Levi. I had to take a chance with Jerome."
"At first, our life was indeed very happy. However, I had a vision of your father being approached by someone from a group called Titan. They told him what we really are and told him they needed our DNA for their experiments. You see, Levi, we are not human. You are half human, because of your father, but I am a T'varian. I know this is going to be hard to believe, but T'varians are not native to this world. I was but a baby when my family was stranded here."
Levi shifted his wings behind them. "So that's why I have these wings, the claws, the enhanced vision and hearing . . . because I'm an alien? Well isn't that just the most cliché Superhero stereotype!" He shook his head in disbelief and facepalmed. "So where are your wings?"
Deeper sadness filled her eyes. "I lost them that night."
Levi's eyes widened again. "What?!" It came out as an incredulous whisper.
"As I'd mentioned, I'd had a vision of Jerome talking with the man from Titan. They gave him a huge sum of money to disappear and change his identity if he'd let them take us," she continued. "He even told them about the safe-room behind the closet. Luckily, I also had a vision of Kenny. I knew he would raise you right, in my stead. I couldn't let Titan get ahold of you or me. I sent the message to Kenny about the disk that Jerome had on Opecorp's shady business practices. I knew he would come to get it. I even told him about our safe-room, knowing he would use it when Titan broke into the house."
"After Kenny took you, they broke into the safe-room. A couple of the men were Supers, and it was a hard fight. For a moment I thought I was going to lose and they would take me alive. They cut off my wings, so I couldn't fly away. In my anguish and blind rage, I killed every last one of them using only my claws to rip them apart." Tears ran down her lovely face as she spoke, but the last part was spoken with the rage she still felt toward those men. "I set the house on fire. I needed to make sure none of the bodies could be identified. I have many, very resourceful friends that covered up what really happened, so that according to the world, you and I never existed. It was the only way I could guarantee your safety."
"A very kind doctor and his wife saved my life that night. Once I recovered, I retreated to this valley, refurbished the lodge, with help from my friends, and created a magic barrier that protects this place from view, be it from technology such as satellites, or the human eye. You met one of my friends already; Petra. Her husband, Oluo, her sister Amanda along with Ilse, Nifa, Ness, Gaelan, and most recently, Carla all helped erase you and I from all records as well as helped me to rebuild this lodge, protect Tinninvale and perform general day to day tasks. I don't know what I'd do without them."
"Fortunately, Jerome never knew I was The Prophet, so I have been able to continue to work as such. I work with Super heroes to help them in their fight as well as alerting them to impending trouble. That is how I know your friend, Erwin."
"He's not my friend," Levi said quickly. "Sure, I work with him and his Scouts from time to time, but that doesn't make us friends."
His mother smiled sadly. Her smile is always so sad, he thought.
"I can see that this is your father and Harbinger's doing. You lost the two people dearest to your heart. You were also betrayed by the one person you had once loved and trusted with all your heart – the one person who should have protected you. I know it's hard for you to trust again, or risk that kind of heartbreak again, but you cannot close your heart off like this. If you do, it will ruin your ability to save this world when you are needed most. Though you don't consider him a friend in your mind, your heart still does. And, more importantly, Erwin considers you a friend. He trusts you, cares about you and worries about you. I'm sure you can sense it in his thoughts."
"I don't use my telepathy like that," Levi told her. "It's too intrusive; an invasion of privacy. I wouldn't want someone reading my mind, so I don't use it on others unless it's absolutely necessary. Even then, I usually only read surface emotions, not actual thoughts."
"I see. That is good. You have far more restraint than even I do. You've grown into such a fine young man. Kenny did well in raising you. I'm very proud of you."
Levi's brow furrowed in confusion. "How? I've become a monster. It's to slay the monsters that torment this world, but I'm a monster none the less."
His mother reached across the table and took a hold of his hand. "That's not true, Levi. You are a slayer of monsters, true, but you are far from being one yourself. I've watched you very closely over the years. I know that you cannot kill without being sick after. I know that every life you take rips out a piece of your own soul and breaks another piece from your already shattered heart. Even killing Harbinger, who destroyed thousands, killed your friends and hurt you so terribly, left you riddled with guilt. A monster, Levi? A monster would feel no remorse for killing. A monster feels no guilt when they bring pain or suffering to another. I know the tears you've shed when no one is around to see. I know how heavily the blood on your hands weighs you down. Human life means so much to you."
"I should have hated him. I should have hated Harbinger for what he did. I should have hated Dad for being so heartless . . . but . . ."
"But you're not capable of hate, Levi. It's an unspeakably rare but precious trait," his mother explained. "Even I do not possess such a gift."
"I'm sure that I'm more than capable of hate. The rage I feel when I hunt down those who torture, rape and kill is so overwhelming."
"There is a big difference between rage and hate. You feel anger and righteous rage towards those who commit crimes against humanity, but never hate," his mother countered. "This is why it tears you apart to take another's life. I think you will also find that your capacity to forgive those who've wronged you is far above average. You are so much stronger than you know."
"I guess," was all Levi could think of to reply with. He wasn't at all sure as to what he should be feeling at the moment. He quietly sipped his tea for a few moments, trying to think what he wanted to ask his mother first. "What do you know about Titan?" he finally asked.
Her silver-blue eyes widened, and she burst out laughing. It was such a lovely, free sound. "I'm sorry, Levi. Of all the questions I expected you to ask, that was the last one I thought you'd ask first!" She calmed down a moment later. "I'm afraid I know too little about them. Unfortunately, my power does not always work on demand. I often get many possible futures. Every time I try to look into Titan, all I get are blurry, unreadable images. All I know is that they are incredibly dangerous and are doing or planning something that will do great harm to all people. Whatever it is they are doing, they truly believe they are doing good. This is how they have been conditioned to think. I cannot see who the leader is or what his or her true intentions are, but that person pulling Titan's strings definitely does not have humanity's best interests at heart. It's entirely possible that whoever it is pulling the strings has the ability to block all psychic abilities."
"I suppose old Eyebrows already asked you that anyway, though, didn't he?"
"He did."
"Can you see the past as well?"
"Sometimes. But I've tried that already. Titan's leader is very determined to keep their secrets. There may be magic involved."
Levi's brow furrowed, thinking back to his fight with Bombastic. "Is that a normal T'varian trait . . . magic?"
"No, Levi. Magic is something that is linked to the soul, not the body."
"Okay, but doesn't using it require training? I used it in a fight a couple of weeks ago. I created an energy barrier to shield myself, but I don't know how I knew how to do it, or even how I thought to do it in the first place."
"Your soul remembers. One thing I knew the first time I held you in my arms was that you are a very old soul. You have lived so many lifetimes on many worlds. Many of the traits you have in each life are linked to your soul; magic, kindness, inability to hate, your wings even. In your soul, you've always known how to use magic. It is this memory you draw upon when you need it most."
Levi thought about that for a moment before another random question popped into his head. "I don't even know your name."
The woman cracked up laughing again. "That's right. You were so young. You only knew me as Mama back then. My name is Kuchel. It means midnight in the T'varian language."
"So, what does my name mean in T'varian?"
"Your name is not T'varian. Levi is a Hebrew word for joined or pledged. You see, Levi, you are a warrior of God. You are a one of a kind soul pledged to fight the evils in this universe. You and your soul mate incarnate where ever and when ever you are needed most to protect the innocent."
Levi wasn't sure how to respond to this revelation. "That's . . . a lot to take in."
Kuchel giggled. "Try not to over think it."
Levi sighed. "So why now? Why wait until now to let me know you're still alive?"
"Because soon you will need this place. Soon you will need my guidance. It is better that you learn about me now while we have time."
"I see . . . I guess. Honestly, right now I'm just glad you're alive."
The sun was high in the sky before they finally retired for a bit of sleep. They spent the next week getting reacquainted with each other. He explored the valley with his mother. He realized that Tinninvale was a prison for her; a beautiful prison, but a prison no the less. She could not leave the safety of the barrier without risking detection. Too many enemies, especially Titan, would like to get their hands on her.
For Kuchel's part, she was grateful that her son was not angry with her for not being there as he grew up and for waiting so long to tell him she was even alive. He was just grateful to have her in his life now, and after what had happened with his father, he refused to waste precious time with anger or resentment. Levi understood that she had her reasons and that her actions protected not only herself, but him as well.
