Brodi was meditating silently in his room. He felt at peace. He felt calm.
He felt someone watching him. Opening his eyes, he looked up at Raven,
standing there quiet as death. The young man knealt in front of him,
lowering into a deep bow of respect. Brodi looked at him curiously.
"I need your advice, Zen master," Raven said softly.
"And why should I help you?" Brodi asked calmly. The boy looked up at him, pale blue eye not hidden, for once, by his sunglasses.
"You..." the boy hesitated, then sighed. "You've helped me in the past."
"We've not met before," Brodi answered.
"Not in this lifetime, Broderick, but we do know each other," Raven said. Brodi had no idea what this boy's game was, but was intrigued all the same.
"Are we speaking in reincarnation, Raven?" Brodi asked. The boy had his head down again.
"No," he said softly.
Raven looked up at the calm man before him. He had always come to him for help before, but that was his other life, wasn't it? The one he had before being sent here. He knew he was risking himself and the mission by talking to Brodi, but he needed help. He knew he was in far too deep this time.
"I've known you since I was a child," Raven said, his voice barely a whisper. He knew he was taking a gamble on this man being able to understand what he was being told. "Brodi, listen very carefully to what I'm telling you. I am what will be."
"How can we know each other? We've never met," Brodi replied. Raven nodded.
"It's hard to explain, but me past was your future," he explained. Brodi blinked. Raven saw the inkling of thought forming. "I know you won't believe me, and that's okay, but I need your help."
"Who are you, Raven?" Brodi asked. Raven set a folder down in front of him. Brodi picked it up and leafed through it under Raven's watchful eyes. He looked up. "Your last name is Stark? Are you related to Psymon?"
"He and Zoe both," the young man answered. "I know you have the results of the paternity test. I need to know them. I need to know if I exist."
"No way, Rae, I promised Zoe she and Psy would be the first to....what do you mean exist?" Brodi asked. Raven swallowed hard.
"Look at me, Brodi. Look," he said, leaning closer to the older man. "Look at me eyes. I never knew me parents. Me da' was killed in a league championship before I was born and me mum died shortly after I was born. She was killed by someone in the league. Do you know who I am now, Brodi?"
"It can't be," Brodi breathed. He reached out a shaking hand, tocuhing the boy's cheek. "How?"
"It's temporary, but I came back. Me parents are needed where I'm from. The whole league is. With the treachary and deciet that is about to play out over the next few months of Zoe's pregnancy, the world governments will deem anything extreme to be dangerous. A new world order will ome about, one that crushes the human spirit. I was raised by league members, entrusted into their care upon me mum's death. I took a chance telling you this, Brodi, but I need your help," Raven said. "I don't know what to do. The races tomorrow will be the end of the events here. Psymon will be competing in the events at the Elysium Alps, and one of you will turn on him."
"Why would any of us do that? And we're not going to the Elysium Alps. We're headed for Aloha Ice Jam in Hawaii," Brodi said. Raven shook his head.
"It'll be under severe weather watch, so the league will go to the next destination and then double back to it," Raven said. He saw doubt in Brodi's eyes. There was a knock on the bedroom door and Eddie poked his head in.
"Hey, the officials...um, hi Raven," Eddie said, looking at the young man. He cleared his throat, then looked at Brodi. "The officials said we're going to Elysium Alps and we'll double back to Hawaii later. Something about a storm."
Brodi looked at Raven as Eddie ducked back out, shutting the door. He got up and walked to his closet, retrieved an envelope, then walked back. He held the envelope out to Raven. The younger man just looked at the envelope, then hesitantly reached up with a shakey hand and took it. He broke the seal and turned it, letting the papers inside slide out into his hand. Licking his lips, he looked the papers over. He read down the lines, frowning more and more deeply with each line.
"This...this can't be," he breathed. Brodi looked at him.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly. Raven looked at him with wide eyes.
"Hiro's daughter," was all he could say.
Psymon was sitting in a lawnchair outside his winnebago. He had a Pall Mall in one hand, a Molson in the other, a cat purring happily on his lap, and Sparky perched contentedly on his shoulder. This was bliss. He could hear Zoe puttering around in the winnebago's kitchen behind him through the door he'd propped open earlier. He set the bottle down on the wooden crate beside him, and ruffled the cat's fur. He looked up at the approaching figure.
"Hello, Lonestar," Moby said, plunking down in the lawnchair next to him.
"Well, if it ain't my arch-nemesis, Dark Helmet," Psymon said, lips twitching into a smile. Moby shot him a look, the hit him hard on the back of the head. "Ow! Sweet Frankfurter's solo, Moby, what was that for?"
"Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb," Moby quoted. He winked at Psymon. "How's the happy home life, mate?"
"A lot better before my next-door neighbor came over and hit me. You ever met the guy? He's a real bastard," Psymon said, looking out at the encampment. He glanced at Moby out the corner of his eyes. "Heard he likes to dress up like a woman, too."
"Psy, one of these days, your humor is going to catch up to you," Moby said, laughing. He reached over and pet Mackerel, who purred happily at having yet more attention placed upon his being.
"You know, I don't let just anyone play with my pussy, Moby, but since you're such a good friend," Psymon laughed. Moby just shook his head.
"You are just wrong, Psy, just wrong," the British man laughed. He looked at Psymon. "Mac's been weird lately."
"Haven't noticed," Psymon said. He figured the boy wasn't leaping out of the closet just yet and he saw no reason to forcibly drag him out. In a way he felt sorry for the kid, but he still felt that odd sensation when he thought about the kiss they'd shared. He quickly dashed that thought down deep into the darker recesses of his mind to be swallowed by the voices. He sighed and looked at Moby. "What?"
"You alright, mate?" the Brit asked.
"Yeah, just my voices commanding me to go out and streak bare-assed down the main avenue of this little town," Psymon answered.
"I'd pay money to see your honky ass running down the street," Moby laughed. "I would."
"Well, thanks for that image. I'll just file it under 'could have lived with out it' and forget you ever said that," the Canadian replied.
"Cheers, mate," Moby said, lifting the bottle of beer he'd brought over with him and clinked it against Psymon's Molson. The two men sat quietly for a long time, until Moby finally got up. "I'll see you around, Psy."
"Sure," Psymon replied, watching his friend walk off. He finally got up as well, and walked inside, carrying Mackerel. Zoe looked up and smiled at him. He passed the cat to her and walked on back to the bedroom, then let Sparky down on his perch. He stroked the bird's feathers for a moment, then laid down on the bed. After awhile, Zoe came in and laid down behind him. He felt the cat flop over his shoulder and sighed. He lay there, Zoe's arm around him, and drifted off. He didn't sleep for long, though, as a tapping woke him up. He looked back at Zoe, but she was sleeping peacefully. He gently moved the cat off his shoulder and got out of bed, then pulled on some pants. He made his way quietly to the front of the winnebago and opened the door, looking down at Mac. "Now what?"
"I need your advice, Zen master," Raven said softly.
"And why should I help you?" Brodi asked calmly. The boy looked up at him, pale blue eye not hidden, for once, by his sunglasses.
"You..." the boy hesitated, then sighed. "You've helped me in the past."
"We've not met before," Brodi answered.
"Not in this lifetime, Broderick, but we do know each other," Raven said. Brodi had no idea what this boy's game was, but was intrigued all the same.
"Are we speaking in reincarnation, Raven?" Brodi asked. The boy had his head down again.
"No," he said softly.
Raven looked up at the calm man before him. He had always come to him for help before, but that was his other life, wasn't it? The one he had before being sent here. He knew he was risking himself and the mission by talking to Brodi, but he needed help. He knew he was in far too deep this time.
"I've known you since I was a child," Raven said, his voice barely a whisper. He knew he was taking a gamble on this man being able to understand what he was being told. "Brodi, listen very carefully to what I'm telling you. I am what will be."
"How can we know each other? We've never met," Brodi replied. Raven nodded.
"It's hard to explain, but me past was your future," he explained. Brodi blinked. Raven saw the inkling of thought forming. "I know you won't believe me, and that's okay, but I need your help."
"Who are you, Raven?" Brodi asked. Raven set a folder down in front of him. Brodi picked it up and leafed through it under Raven's watchful eyes. He looked up. "Your last name is Stark? Are you related to Psymon?"
"He and Zoe both," the young man answered. "I know you have the results of the paternity test. I need to know them. I need to know if I exist."
"No way, Rae, I promised Zoe she and Psy would be the first to....what do you mean exist?" Brodi asked. Raven swallowed hard.
"Look at me, Brodi. Look," he said, leaning closer to the older man. "Look at me eyes. I never knew me parents. Me da' was killed in a league championship before I was born and me mum died shortly after I was born. She was killed by someone in the league. Do you know who I am now, Brodi?"
"It can't be," Brodi breathed. He reached out a shaking hand, tocuhing the boy's cheek. "How?"
"It's temporary, but I came back. Me parents are needed where I'm from. The whole league is. With the treachary and deciet that is about to play out over the next few months of Zoe's pregnancy, the world governments will deem anything extreme to be dangerous. A new world order will ome about, one that crushes the human spirit. I was raised by league members, entrusted into their care upon me mum's death. I took a chance telling you this, Brodi, but I need your help," Raven said. "I don't know what to do. The races tomorrow will be the end of the events here. Psymon will be competing in the events at the Elysium Alps, and one of you will turn on him."
"Why would any of us do that? And we're not going to the Elysium Alps. We're headed for Aloha Ice Jam in Hawaii," Brodi said. Raven shook his head.
"It'll be under severe weather watch, so the league will go to the next destination and then double back to it," Raven said. He saw doubt in Brodi's eyes. There was a knock on the bedroom door and Eddie poked his head in.
"Hey, the officials...um, hi Raven," Eddie said, looking at the young man. He cleared his throat, then looked at Brodi. "The officials said we're going to Elysium Alps and we'll double back to Hawaii later. Something about a storm."
Brodi looked at Raven as Eddie ducked back out, shutting the door. He got up and walked to his closet, retrieved an envelope, then walked back. He held the envelope out to Raven. The younger man just looked at the envelope, then hesitantly reached up with a shakey hand and took it. He broke the seal and turned it, letting the papers inside slide out into his hand. Licking his lips, he looked the papers over. He read down the lines, frowning more and more deeply with each line.
"This...this can't be," he breathed. Brodi looked at him.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly. Raven looked at him with wide eyes.
"Hiro's daughter," was all he could say.
Psymon was sitting in a lawnchair outside his winnebago. He had a Pall Mall in one hand, a Molson in the other, a cat purring happily on his lap, and Sparky perched contentedly on his shoulder. This was bliss. He could hear Zoe puttering around in the winnebago's kitchen behind him through the door he'd propped open earlier. He set the bottle down on the wooden crate beside him, and ruffled the cat's fur. He looked up at the approaching figure.
"Hello, Lonestar," Moby said, plunking down in the lawnchair next to him.
"Well, if it ain't my arch-nemesis, Dark Helmet," Psymon said, lips twitching into a smile. Moby shot him a look, the hit him hard on the back of the head. "Ow! Sweet Frankfurter's solo, Moby, what was that for?"
"Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb," Moby quoted. He winked at Psymon. "How's the happy home life, mate?"
"A lot better before my next-door neighbor came over and hit me. You ever met the guy? He's a real bastard," Psymon said, looking out at the encampment. He glanced at Moby out the corner of his eyes. "Heard he likes to dress up like a woman, too."
"Psy, one of these days, your humor is going to catch up to you," Moby said, laughing. He reached over and pet Mackerel, who purred happily at having yet more attention placed upon his being.
"You know, I don't let just anyone play with my pussy, Moby, but since you're such a good friend," Psymon laughed. Moby just shook his head.
"You are just wrong, Psy, just wrong," the British man laughed. He looked at Psymon. "Mac's been weird lately."
"Haven't noticed," Psymon said. He figured the boy wasn't leaping out of the closet just yet and he saw no reason to forcibly drag him out. In a way he felt sorry for the kid, but he still felt that odd sensation when he thought about the kiss they'd shared. He quickly dashed that thought down deep into the darker recesses of his mind to be swallowed by the voices. He sighed and looked at Moby. "What?"
"You alright, mate?" the Brit asked.
"Yeah, just my voices commanding me to go out and streak bare-assed down the main avenue of this little town," Psymon answered.
"I'd pay money to see your honky ass running down the street," Moby laughed. "I would."
"Well, thanks for that image. I'll just file it under 'could have lived with out it' and forget you ever said that," the Canadian replied.
"Cheers, mate," Moby said, lifting the bottle of beer he'd brought over with him and clinked it against Psymon's Molson. The two men sat quietly for a long time, until Moby finally got up. "I'll see you around, Psy."
"Sure," Psymon replied, watching his friend walk off. He finally got up as well, and walked inside, carrying Mackerel. Zoe looked up and smiled at him. He passed the cat to her and walked on back to the bedroom, then let Sparky down on his perch. He stroked the bird's feathers for a moment, then laid down on the bed. After awhile, Zoe came in and laid down behind him. He felt the cat flop over his shoulder and sighed. He lay there, Zoe's arm around him, and drifted off. He didn't sleep for long, though, as a tapping woke him up. He looked back at Zoe, but she was sleeping peacefully. He gently moved the cat off his shoulder and got out of bed, then pulled on some pants. He made his way quietly to the front of the winnebago and opened the door, looking down at Mac. "Now what?"