Last time, we saw that James received a visit from a mysterious stranger whom x Raya claims is Wesley's father. Is she right? I can't say for now, so we'll just let her roll with whatever she wants to think. Also, James found both his brothers and thought he could take Krasney one-on-one, but some vaguely familiar woman stepped in momentarily to change the outcome. Now, we rejoin the action…

"My patience is running out," Krasney said. "Choose the one you wish to save."

"I…" James began, looking at Matthew, then Wesley. "I can't…"

"Are you sure?" Krasney asked with a smirk. "I would have thought that the Complete would prove to be a little more challenging than what I'm seeing right now. I guess there's nothing special about any of you after all. The important thing, though, is that once I take all of your powers, I'll be invincible! Now, choose!"

Something clicked inside James' head at that moment. He had finally thought of an idea, although he was completely unsure of how it would turn out. He knew that he only had one chance and that he couldn't stop halfway through it, or else he would risk losing both of his brothers.

"Okay," he said with determination in his eyes.

"What?" Krasney asked.

"I said okay," James repeated. "I'll choose. In fact, I've already made a choice."

"Are you sure?" Krasney taunted. "You realize that you hold your brothers' fates in your hands? You know that whatever happens to them will be your fault, and yours alone?"

"Stop wasting my time," James said calmly. "I told you, I will choose."

"Interesting," Krasney said. "Perhaps you're more of a challenge than I thought."

"Perhaps," James said mockingly, "I want to get rid of your sorry ass."

"You tell him, Jimmy," Wesley shouted as the wire around his neck tightened slightly. "Ouch!"

"Jimmy," Matthew called out. "Jimmy, you can't choose! Don't do it! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Yes, I do," James said to him.

"So you're willing to sacrifice one of your brothers' lives just to kill me?" Krasney asked.

"That's the idea," James replied.

"Then you'll have to live knowing that his death was your fault," Krasney added.

"Same old story," James said.

"Fine," Krasney said. "Who do you choose?"

James' gaze focused on Matthew, then Wesley, then back at Krasney. He was beginning to second guess himself. What had he done? Why was he putting so much pressure on himself? Furthermore, why was he forcing both his brothers to endure such torture? He was making them think that one of them would die in a matter of moments.

"I guess," James said slowly, taking a deep breath, "I'll pick…Wesley."

Wesley felt as if his heart had just exploded in his chest. He was speechless; James had just condemned him to death. But then again, something inside him knew that James would pick him anyway. Besides, they never got along much anyway. Why would today be any different? He closed his eyes, his emotions all running together. Matthew looked at James with a confused expression on his face. He had no idea of what James was doing.

"Alright," Krasney said as the wire disappeared from Wesley's neck. "You have to live knowing that he died because of you."

Krasney conjured a fireball in his hand and prepared to throw it at Wesley, but stopped before he did.

"You know," he said, "I've been doing this for hundreds of years and no one has ever been able to make a choice. Oh well, the Complete is three witches and not two, so killing one ends the threat. I guess blood's not as thick as you thought, Wesley."

He threw the fireball at Wesley, who didn't even make a move to avoid it. Matthew turned his head in disgust at both Krasney and James, who to him had betrayed him. Before the fireball struck, though, it abruptly veered off course. It zoomed through the air and hit the wire holding Matthew in the air. The wire snapped and Matthew fell to the ground, clutching his throat. Krasney looked back at James with a great wrath and fury in his eyes. He reached out a hand to James and he fell to the ground, unconscious. He turned his attention back to Wesley, who had found the will to move again. He had taken the opportunity to freeze Krasney just before anything else happened. Afterwards, he just stood there, dumbfounded. Matthew ran to James, trying to shake him awake, but nothing worked.

"What do we do now?" Matthew asked.

"Hell if I know," Wesley replied. "What do I care? I've been condemned to death, remember?"

"Shut up," Matthew said. "You're still alive. Maybe he's got a spell or something in his pocket."

Matthew reached in James' jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with a spell scratched on it. James had copied the spell out of the Book of Light and was hoping that one of his brothers would find it. He had assumed that Krasney would use his power on him and he would be unable to do anything. He had left everything to Matthew and Wesley, whom he hoped would pull through.

"Got it!" Matthew said as he ran back to Wesley.

"You made me pick.
You made me choose.
I've won the fight;
Now you will lose!
I've made my choice
And it is this:
Your painful death
In Hell's abyss!"

"No!" Krasney screamed as he came out of Wesley's freeze. Green flames began to engulf his legs, then his arms, then his chest, and finally his head. Soon, the flames caused him to melt away into nothing. With Krasney vanquished, James began to awaken from his sleep, unaware that anything had happened.

"Y'all alright?" James asked.

"Fine," Matthew said.

"Yeah, yeah," Wesley added.

"How did you know to do that?" Matthew asked.

"It's a long story," James said, careful to keep John's secret. "Basically, I knew that the only way to vanquish him was if I made a choice, so I had to pick Wesley so that he could freeze him."

"Which would distract him long enough for someone to read the spell," Matthew said, finishing James' thought. "Nice plan, bro."

"Didn't take long to draw up," James said with an air of fake arrogance. "Wesley, sorry I had to make you think I'd pick you. It was all part of my plan and I couldn't…"

"I get it," Wesley quickly said, cutting him off. "It's okay. In fact, while we were sitting here, on the cold ground, waiting for anything to help us out of this dark, dark situation that…"

"Rambling," Matthew reminded Wesley.

"Right," Wesley said. "Anyway, Matt and I had a long talk and…I guess we're all cool again. I suppose it wasn't entirely y'all's faults…"

"Good to hear," James said.

"Well," Matthew said, "we're done with the latest demon. Actually, it seems like we're a little earlier than usual…"

"So?" Wesley asked. "I hope y'all aren't expecting some sappy group hug or anything to end the night?"

"Not to end the night," James said, pulling Wesley and Matthew into headlocks.

I was real tempted to stop right before Jimmy made a choice, but I thought about how I would feel if that happened to me… I hate having a conscience! Anyway, don't form any final thoughts on this story yet; it ain't done! There's still one last chapter left, so don't miss it!

And thanx to EE Diamond for likin' my stuff! Always a pleasure to know that all this writing and risk of Carpel Tunnel ain't in vain...!