Hey, everybody! Today, my kids are graduating from junior high school. Yesterday I felt like some sort of celebrity because they were mobbing me asking to sign their yearbooks. It was never this crucial in America, but here in Japan, everything's cause for celebration! Anyway, I'm so proud and sad that I had to tell somebody! I've never been on the other side of a graduation!
Raya X: You see what I did there with the Miles/Selim thing? I figured you'd be able to see right thru me! He really is a weird one, though. Drawn from somebody I actually know, except the real guy isn't as strange.
chyp: I know how you get offended by profanity, but it wouldn't let me do stars instead of letters. Anyway, thanx for the review as usual!
Another day had gone by. It was a dull day in terms of supernatural activity; there was barely any. It was unnerving to the brothers, who, up to that point, had had their hands full vanquishing demons and warlocks left and right. This sudden halt of attacks was making them nervous, especially Wesley. In addition, all three of them had taken two final exams each that day. To ease their minds from everything, Matthew suggested that they all go out to eat in Atlanta.
They had gone to a local restaurant in Buckhead, a prominent area of the city. It was also the place where their home was located. After eating their fill, Wesley wanted to see a concert that was playing nearby, in Freedom Park. An Emory University a cappella group had been performing all week at the park to celebrate the end of the year, as well as to provide students with a study break. The three brothers walked to the park, which was close to the restaurant (but not too close; it was still a good walk).
After an hour of listening to "music with no music," as James called it, James was ready to go back to the school. He had another final to take the next morning, while Wesley and Matthew had finals the next afternoon. They walked back to Matthew's car and made the long drive back to Oxford College.
It was time. His attack was carefully planned. It was an ambush that could not fail. He had calculated everything down to the second. He had been following his victims all day, in secret. And he waited, just as he had been instructed to do. Finally, his moment had arrived. His targets were returning back to Oxford. It was dark outside. Everything was perfect. He could hear their footsteps growing louder as they approached Branham Hall. They came ever nearer and he could even hear their chatter and laughter. They didn't suspect a thing. With a wide grin, he snapped his fingers. A giant, circular board appeared behind Matthew. Suddenly, knives came from nowhere, aimed right at Matthew.
James yelled, "Get down!" He and Wesley dove to the ground as the knives continued their course. Matthew quickly tapped into his phasing power and the knives passed harmlessly through him. He joined his brothers on the ground.
"I guess it wasn't as perfect as I thought," Miles retorted, making himself visible.
"Not you again," Wesley said, standing up.
"No time for formalities," Miles said. "How about a gift?"
Miles opened his hands and conjured a deflated balloon. Quickly blowing it up, he twisted it here and there, finally creating a balloon lion. He threw it into the air, and with a snap of his fingers, the lion came to life. Wesley jumped and hid behind his brothers. The lion pounced, its teeth bared and its claws at the ready. With a violent wave of his hand, James sent the lion off course and it crashed into a nearby tree. It disappeared with a loud popping sound, much like the sound of a balloon popping.
Miles, not satisfied with the results thus far, quickly dashed away, leaving his enemies to follow. As he ran, he reached inside his pocket and threw a handful of marbles behind him, which all three brothers slipped on. They all fell on top of each other, more annoyed than upset.
"We've been against a lot worse demons than this," Wesley commented, "but I just straight hate this guy!"
"Let's go," James said, jumping up. "He's running into Branham. We can't let him get too far."
Miles had built up quite a lead, making it that much harder for the brothers to catch up to him. As they stormed through the lobby of the residence hall, they ignored all of the stares they were getting from the students who were watching television or playing pool or just hanging around. They stopped in the middle of the lobby, having no idea where Miles could have gone. Then Matthew heard a door slam.
"That way," he pointed to the entrance of the Branham residence halls.
"Let's go!" James called out as he and his brothers continued their chase.
Miles had made it to the first floor of the Branham residence halls, the same floor on which James, Matthew, and Wesley lived. He bolted down the long hall as the brothers made their way inside. They saw him just as he was about to take to the stairs. Once he was out of sight, he would be impossible to find. The stairs led upstairs as well as outside. It was practically a labyrinth. Just as Miles put his hand on the doorknob, Wesley quickly and frantically waved his hands while running. Miles froze instantly.
"That was close," Wesley said.
"Good job, little bro," James congratulated.
"Agreed," Matthew said, digging into his pocket to remove a slip of paper. "Now let's finish this."
"Abracadabra! Alakazam!
This Trickster's schemes are all a scam.
Hocus pocus, one two three,
We call upon the power of the Complete
To send this evil entity
To Hell for all eternity!"
As the brothers finished the spell, a breeze slowly formed and rushed through the hall. A vortex of energy surrounded the warlock, who was still frozen, swirling around him. The breeze grew stronger as the vortex became more and more powerful. Then, the force of the vortex tore Miles apart and he exploded in a shower of confetti.
"Now that's a vanquish," James said before Wesley had the chance.
"Um," Wesley said, with a grim expression on his face, "y'all might wanna turn around for a minute."
James and Matthew turned around and their once triumphant smiles immediately inverted themselves into defeated frowns. In their eagerness to get the job done, James, Matthew, and Wesley had inadvertently forgotten where they were. While they left the other students in the lobby, they had not thought of the quite possible possibility that they students would wonder why the three of them had run through the lobby the way they did. From the students' point of view, a man ran through the lobby first, catching their attention. Then, the brothers ran through the lobby afterwards, obviously in pursuit. Curious to find out what was going on, the students decided to follow them, but none of them were expecting to see what they saw.
A crowd had gathered behind them, their faces twisted into ones of shock, fright, and hysteria. They had wanted to see everything, but unfortunately, they had seen everything. James and his brothers were at a loss for words. They had been seen. The Complete had been exposed.
Ahhhhhhhhh! That can't be good! What's gonna happen next? What could possibly be any worse than this? I mean, last time somethin' like this happened, Prue died! However, this is not "Charmed," it's the 'Complete.'
