They had been discussing the sorting of the newest squadron of trainees when someone knocked on the door of his office, he ignored it a moment, responding to what had been spoken from Titus's direction, and there was another knock with a tad more urgency in it.

Sighing deeply, Nisroc raised his hand to silence the conversation they had been having, and waved for Haniel to open the door so they may see what the matter was, settle it, and return to the direct matter at hand.

One of their young recruits stood there, red faced, as though they had run all the way there from the other side of the barrack and looked surprised to see them all in one place.

"Daniel?"

Nisroc called out to the young recruit when it seemed to explanation was forthcoming in regards to his interruption, they all knew they were welcome to the Captain's office, but when the door was shut they also knew that he was in the middle of something and not to be disturbed unless the situation as dire and required his immediate attention.

Bright violet eyes met his at the call of his name.

"What's the matter?"

The younger angel opened his mouth, huffing for breath, and pointed behind him. "Fire…. Armory…." they stood on edge, straightening in position, as the Powers turned to give him their attention as one.

Nisroc frowned lightly, "The armory is on fire?", worry lighting his own tone, asking once again to ensure he had heard correctly the first time.

Daniel nodded, "Armory… Fire…. Hasmal…"

They exchanged uneasy glances with one another, and Nisroc slowly stood from his chair, staring at the new recruit intensely.

"Hasmal set the armory on fire?"

When Daniel nodded, that was all that needed said, their captain had managed to make it to the front before they did. The young recruit stepped to the side in surprise at the sudden rush, watching as the Powers ran down the hall as a group, for the burning armory and their fellow comrade.

Someone came up behind him and he turned when they tapped his shoulder, an older recruit smiled down at him kindly, "What happened?"

"Hasmal set the armory on fire."

The older recruit frowned, looking in the direction the Powers had run in. "He hasn't done that in ages. I wonder what broke that streak."

"He's done it before?"

The elder nodded, looking down at him thoughtfully, with the Powers all distracted they'd be having a free day, so he wound his arm around the younger recruits shoulders and steered him in the other direction.

"What do you know of The Returned?"

…

It had been a common occurrence when he had first come home, any slight thing would bring him to combusting and burning everything around him, it had been touch and go for a while at first. Gentle words and gentle touches, not wanting to unintentionally incite the volatile explosive Returned Power, and they had often stayed with him in his room when he slept so when he woke suddenly, he knew that he was not alone again.

Things had progressed from there, and progress had been made, he could sleep on his own. He wasn't spontaneously combusting anymore. Michael had even cleared him for active duty, though a tad reluctantly, but clearance had been given by the Healer, with supervision of course.

But there was still moments, all of The Returned still had moments, when they were thrown back in the endless darkness and panic set in. When a coldness unfelt by those around them curled over them like a thick blanket. When nothing but the cruel laughter of Aunt echoed in their ears. And it was in those moments that they lost their grip on their power and destruction was wrought. The Returned wouldn't go to the Throne Room, Father came to them when the need arose for His being there, simply on the fact that Aunt would be in the Throne Room and they couldn't face Her even still.

The door to the armory was slightly ajar, most certainly from when Daniel had peeked inside, and the glow shined through the slight crack in the door. Nisroc slid to a stop in front of the door and threw it open, preparing himself for the worst, the others crowding around behind him.

Hasmal stood in the center of the burning armory, wooden swords for the first years eaten by the flames, steam rising from the metal armor and swords. Puriel's arrows had been eaten by the hungry flames, but he knew the medic of their legion wouldn't care, arrows could be remade.

He was hunched over, flames dancing over his skin, having lost control of his power in this state of sudden panic. The Returned Power clutched at his head tightly, fingers straining as though he would drown out whatever he heard from shear pressure alone, and every twitch he made, every movement, stoked the flames as if someone was blowing into them to feed their strength.

"Titus, Abraxos," he stared straight ahead at the panicking fire cored angel, "Go get Michael."

They didn't need to be told twice, turning and bolting down the hall for the Archangel, all the way out in the training field with the Morningstar, the two of them sparring together as the Grigori trained in place of the Powers that day.

They couldn't enter the room burning with Holy Fire until their Commander extinguished it, being the only other one that had the power of pulling the Holy Fire forth, and in the same instant, pull it back. Lest they be burned in the blazes themselves, no matter how much they were willing to take that risk, it wouldn't do anyone any good. Hasmal was immune to their burn but they were not.

Nisroc knelt slightly, curling his hands around his mouth, calling into the crackling of the fire. "Hasmal!" he watched the younger Power shake his head, clutching at it harder, muttering something to himself that they couldn't make out. "Hasmal! Over here!" he shook his head again, muttering to himself again, hunching tighter and the flames strengthened again. He could remember his younger brother screaming as the darkness cut into him, reaching out in vain for someone to help him as it swallowed him whole, his eyes boring into his own, shining with such terror and horror that it had haunted him even long after he had been returned to them.

"Hasmal! Look at me!"

It wasn't just a command as a captain, it was a command as an older brother, they had been raised together and he was three eons older then the younger Power. Hasmal's head whipped in his direction, eyes burning a bright orange as his grace exploded into flames around him, he nodded his head firmly.

"I'm right here! I'm..We're not going anywhere! You need to calm down!"

The fire starter shook his head manically.

I can't.

One couldn't control it when they had a panic attack. It was like they had been pulled from their very personal and became numb to everything around them, the only thing they could focus on was the pure panicked state of mind, and their actions coincided with that.

Nisroc shook his head firmly and rushed forward into the flames, a good captain took untold risks for their soldiers, and a good big brother took even more when it came to the wellbeing of their younger.

He distantly heard the others call out to him to stop.

Michael hadn't arrive yet.

"Nisroc!"

"Nisroc, no!"

But he ignored them, hoping over a burning wooden bench, ducking slightly to catch the younger angel around the middle. Forcing him to straighten out as he bent his arms up around his upper back and pulled him as close as he could. Biting his lip, the captain held onto the burning angel with all that he had, swallowing any scream of pain that might try and escape him as the flames burnt into his flesh.

Ignoring the pain in the action, he cradled the back of his baby brother's head and pressed him closely against his shoulder, whispering comfortingly in his ear, trying to calm him down until their Archangel could arrive to extinguish the flames.

"It's alright, you're alright, it's alright."

Burning fingers curled into the back of his tunic, flames scorching his back, he focused on comforting the brother that needed it the most.

"You're alright, it's alright, big brother's got you, you're alright."

The only coolness came from the tears that soaked his tunic where his baby brother curled himself in his shoulder, and he stroked his hand down the back of his head, "Shh, it's alright baby brother, I'm here, I'm right here."

Hasmal was just a bundle of tension, every muscle in his body constricted, "The darkness…..it's back…..it's back….I couldn't…..so cold….alone…."

It was the unfelt coldness that had caused this state of panic, the coldness had wrapped around the fire angel, and then the darkness had followed. He had tried to burn the cold away and illuminate the darkness with orange flames

"You're home, you're with me, look," he turned his head around, his hand curling around the left side of his face, "You're right here with me. Big brother's here now." He pressed their foreheads together, numb to the pain of his skin burning, "Big brother is right here."

"Nis…..Nis let go!" Hasmal looked panicked as he watched the skin of his older brother begin to blister, trying to shove away from him, but the older angel held him firmly in place. "I'm burning you!"

"I can't, I promised I'd never let you go again, I'm going to keep my promise." He gave the younger angel a strained smile, pulling him close again, "But I need you to calm down. This is starting to hurt."

Hasmal could quench the flames dancing over his form, and he did, with slight difficulty, but he could not extinguish the flames dancing all around them. From over his older brother's arm he saw the others standing in the door way.

"Nis…you need to let go!"

"Well, I'm not, so you need to stay calm."

A sudden chill overcame the room, overpowering the flames in their place, frost spreading over the once smoldering walls in delicate designs. Hasmal clutched at his older brother's shirt at the sudden cold that overcame the room, he whimpered again, clenching his eyes shut as he pulled himself closer to the older angel.

When his skin began to steam again, a cool hand curled around the back of his neck, and he huddled closer to the angel that refused to let him go.

"'Mal, look, it's just Lucifer."

He peeked out of one eye, looking into the familiar ice blue eyes of the Morningstar, concerned eyes looked back at him. The Archangel smiled at him gently, running a hand down the back of his head, cool fingers stroking at the base of his neck.

"Just me." He squeezed the back of his neck lightly, "Just Luci."

"What happened?"

Hasmal knew that voice, it was his commanders, the one who had raised him. Michael stood on his other side, a warm hand pressing between his shoulder blades tenderly, though he knew the question to be directed to the others.

Nisroc's voice rumbled under his ear, "I think he had a panic attack." His arms around his back hadn't loosened in the slightest. "He said there was a coldness, he felt the coldness again, and then the darkness swallowed him."

"You should let him go. You're burnt pretty badly."

"I'm not letting him go."

He knew that the two were staring at each other, he knew Michael would be displeased but understanding, and that there would be a quick jerk of his chin.

"Michael," the Morningstar stood up straight, leaving him staring at his light blue tunic, "Let him be. You remember how it had been for us when Azrael was Returned. It is the same for them."

Michael sighed, knowing he would be fighting a losing battle, he nodded in defeat.

"At least let us help you get to the Infirmary."

He felt Nisroc nod, and they turned, he felt his older brother bend slightly and then he was lifted up in a cradle. The others stepped away as they walked out of the burnt armory, following behind in a caravan of Powers as they made their way down the hall towards the steps to the training field, the Grigori watched them pass in silence.

It was a sad moment for them all when one of the Returned broke down.

Michael sent Puriel and Abraxos ahead to alert the Healer and his healers of their impending arrival, and him and Rahael stood waiting on the edge for them to arrive, the Healer opened his mouth at the sight the burnt arms carrying the Returned Power, and was cut off by a quick wave of the Viceroy's hand.

"Not worth the fight, little brother, just let this one be."

He looked against it, and as though it was against his better judgement, but nodded as he ushered them in. A bed of sterile sheets had already been made up for the Power captain, another just next to it for the Returned, supplies gathered for the both of them at the notice of the situation and their impending arrival.

Raphael gestured to the bed that had been made up for the other, "Set him here, please." They all looked just a bit broken at the whimper the Returned let out at the thought of being let go, it was a whimper of raw fear and utter hopelessness, and it touched them all in the saddest of ways. The Healer stepped forward, curling his hand over his forehead. "We are here, little one, do you feel my hand?" he scratched lightly at his temple, and Hasmal nodded slightly. "Can you feel the shaking of Nisroc's arms?" he nodded again. "He is very hurt, and I need him to set you down, we are not leaving you little one. The others would be more then happy to stay with you."

He looked up to the other Powers, where they crowded around at Michael's left shoulder, and they nodded quickly, stepping around their archangel with agility and ease. Hasmal nodded silently, understanding, though his eyes still darted around as if in search for the darkness to consume him again, and it pained the Healer beyond belief at the suffering they would all continue to live through because of their Aunt's violent temper tantrum all that time ago.

The Healer stopped them all for a moment as Nisroc bent to set the younger angel in the bed, "Touch him, physical assurance that you are there," he looked over his shoulder a moment and pursed his lips in deep thought, just minutely, as light as a mist, he could see the steam raising from his fingers and he turned back to the others. "He is still very much on the cusp of combusting again, of another episode of panic, and I do not need that in my Infirmary, no matter how unintentional it may be. So, touch him. Make sure he knows you are physically there. Make sure he can feel you. Your weight and your temperature."

The four Powers nodded quickly in understanding, and he let them pass, watching closely for a moment as they crowded around their volatile brother. Haniel and Abraxos slid in behind him, pulling him down to physically lay against them, Puriel and Titus took to his side, clutching his hands tightly despite the slight heat he knew they must have felt when they did so.

Lucifer and Michael helped ease Nisroc down in the bed beside him, Rahael touched a hand to his shoulder as he passed him to sit next to Hasmal, to speak to him on the matter of what had happened.

Raphael motioned for the other healers to begin undressing the captain, mindful of any parts that may have stuck to the burnt skin, taking in the severity of the burns as they did so. Lucifer stepped behind the captain, drawing his long hair up into a bun on the top of his head, after taking in a female fledgling and raising Kokabiel, he had become quite knowledgeable when it came to handling long hair and putting it up to keep it out of the way.

Michael sat at his captains left side, as to not block his view of his brothers beside him and grimaced at the dark blisters that swelled from his burnt skin.

There were patches that had to be cut around because of their sticking to the burn they covered, and Raphael told them to soak the fabric in lukewarm water before gently peeling the patches off, turning his own attention to the Power's hands.

"You held him." He stated as he tenderly turned his hand over and saw the angry red of the raw skin that was his palm and fingers.

"He is my baby brother."

Raphael spared him a quick glance "I am not faulting you, Nisroc." He frowned at the light nearly silent groan the Power gave when he pulled the ring off his finger in the event that they swelled. "I understand more than you would think the necessity of comforting a younger brother when they are panicking." He glanced up again when Michael stood from his chair, stepping around to whisper with Hasmal, and the Healer returned to his work.

"Ion, cool water and rags."

The healer set them on the cart next to him, and he dampened one of the rags and curled it around the Power's palm, and then around each individual finger.

"Aloe."

The lar mason jar was passed to him and he set it next to the bowl and rags.

He glanced back up at the Power, knowing he would be watching him work, "You know She blinded Azrael, yes?"

Nisroc nodded, "We all heard his screams as She did it."

Raphael hummed. "Though I've restored his sight, he still has moments, especially through the dark of night, where he wakes screaming that he can't see." He pulled the rags off and turned the hand over to examine it again. "My room is closest to his. The terror that you hear makes it hard not to mourn for them. To let them go once you gather them close." He nodded in satisfaction and reached for the jar of Aloe. "I don't let him go, even after he's assured that the darkness that he is seeing is natural and that he will see the world again once the sun returns, I bring him to sleep with me because I can't bring myself to let him go again." He wrapped the hand he was finished with in sterile bandages and reached for the other one. "He is my baby brother." Raphael looked back up at the Power. "Just as Hasmal is yours."

"I couldn't let him go. Despite the damage that may have been caused."

"And." The Healer looked back up at him. "I'm not saying you should have. I would have been more surprised if you had. What I'm saying is that you are a good older brother, Hasmal needs that, and he could not ask for one better then you." He wrapped the hand he worked on in rags once more, just like he had the one previous, and waited for time to pass. "We made the same promise, to never let them go again, and I am not asking you to. I am not faulting you." He removed the rags and examined the appendage in similar fashion he had done with the last one. "I am commending you, on your heart, and your devotion. Not many would allow themselves to come to harm to comfort a younger brother or sister. But you do. Without fail." He nodded to himself and reached for the aloe once more. "And that is because you are an older brother before you are a captain." Raphael winked at him as he wrapped his hand in bandages. "Which is one of the reasons Michael chose you as his captain."

He pat his leg and made to stand, "Rest for a bit." They both turned to see the volatile Returned drifting into sleep between his four close brothers, under Rahael's surveillance and Michaels standing guard. "He is in good hands."

"I will join them."

"Not for a bit you won't." Raphael pointed a finger at him in warning as he stood. "I know you well, Nisroc, and you will rest there until I say you can move."

"And then I will join them."

"Yes, you will join them when I say."

That seemed to satisfy the captain, and he leaned back in his pillows, swathed in bandages, never taking his eyes off the younger angel laying between his four brothers.

Raphael tugged on his brothers sleeve, and Michael turned to look at him at the slight action, the Healer nodded his head slightly and they stepped away from them just a bit.

"I'm taking him from active duty effective as we speak."

Michael nodded, "I would have whether you said you would or not."

"For a while to come, Michael, I am not clearing him for active duty for a while to come."

The older archangel looked at him for a moment and nodded again.

"We do not know when this will come to pass again, and he would never forgive himself if he had an episode in battle and someone was harmed because of it." Raphael nodded at him, looking just beyond him to the slumbering Returned. "Just a few minutes ago, that was when the steam stopped raising from his hands, he is not well."

"He was still burning."

"On the cusp of it, yes, something has triggered this state, and while he is so volatile, I do not want him to be alone. We do not need another episode to occur and someone not witness it. Not only could it destroy wherever he may be, but it could burn him out as well."

Michael looked over his shoulder at him. "He hasn't had an episode as bad as this one since the first week he had been returned to us."

"It's not surprising that he had one though, all of the others still do sometimes; Domiel locks himself in Gabriel's office and he hides under his desk until Gabriel can coax him to come out. Bath Kol and Heman scream just to hear their own screams. And you know about Azrael. They are doing splendidly considering but are still going to have massive episodes."

The older archangel nodded, he knew about Azrael rather well himself, "I would take him with me." He turned back to the Healer. "But I've already got Gadreel."

Raphael hummed, nodding towards the captain, continuing his silent watch of the younger angel even as he slept, even though he himself should be resting. "Give him to Nisroc."

"What of his two charges?"

"You and me both know that they sleep in their own bed."

Michael quirked an eyebrow. "We would not be able to fit another bed in there."

The Healer shook his head. "And I wouldn't want him to sleep on his own, the problem tonight was that he was 'cold' and 'alone', and 'darkness' overcame him, no, I want him to sleep in bed with another."

"You want him to sleep in bed with Nisroc?"

"Yes. Sleeping with him would negate all of those triggers. Though he is not a fire core, Nisroc burns warm like a burning ember, should he feel the 'cold' again, Nisroc's body heat would warm him. The 'darkness' and being 'alone' run hand in hand. Having someone close enough to physically touch him or for him to physically touch on his own would bring him back to the reality we live in now."

"I don't know, Raphael." Michael shook his head. "They are not fledglings anymore. I would have to ask Nisroc his opinion on that particular matter."

He looked up when his brother sighed in irritation and exasperation, following his gaze over shoulder, and smiled at them. The others had managed to push the two beds together and they curled together as one massive group, one family. Nisroc pulled Hasmal up to lay against him, not disturbing him from his sleep in the slightest. Rahael may or may not have seen the stream rising from his hands and given him something to knock him out. The others curled in around them, Haniel curling around Hasmal's other side, Puriel taking his free hand again, Abraxos and Titus settling at their feet.

"I don't think that will be a problem for him, brother."

Raphael heaved a sigh and shook his head. "I wish all my patients did as I told them."

Michael smiled, chuckling slightly, "I believe you told him he wasn't to move without your saying so, it doesn't appear he moved himself, he is still in the bed you'd placed him in."

"You know having the others pushing the beds together is cheating, Michael, don't even try that one on me!"

…

"So, he explodes?"

Paul yelped as he was snatched up mid jump on the bed, tucked under one of the Power's arms, Nisroc chuckled softly. "Something like that, yes." He turned quickly to snatch up the other young one before he could manage to poke the still mound curled up under the blanket against the wall, "Don't do that Sasha, you'll wake him."

His youngling pinched his hip, "Please, he's completely drugged out, I don't think an actual explosion would wake him up."

"If you don't calm down, I might just drug you out."

Sasha poked him in the cheek as he turned back towards their bed, "What if he explodes here?"

"He won't."

"How do you know he won't?"

Nisroc huffed as he lifted them up so he could drop them down on their bed. "Because I would stop him before he did." He dropped them in place and pulled the blanket's down for them to crawl under, Sasha looked up at him. "Like you stop me when I have bad dreams?" He nodded, "Exactly like that." And pointed a threatening finger at his other young charge. "If you want me to have a go at that little belly of yours, then be my guest, get out of bed." Paul giggled and climbed back under the blankets. "That's what I thought."

He held the blankets up for his youngest charge. "Under you get." Sasha giggled too, climbing under the blankets, curling up against his pillow. "Does he sleep with you 'cause he gets scared?"

Nisroc sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, stroking a curl back from his charge's eyes. "Hasmal went through something bad, just like you did, and he can't be on his own."

"That's why he stays with us?"

He nodded. "That's why he stays with us."

"What happened to him?"

The Power smiled. "What's with all these questions?" and poked the fledgling in the belly. "It's bedtime."

Sasha smiled and laid down against his pillow, "Love you, Nis."

Beside him, Paul yawned and curled up under the blanket, his eyes peeking out at them. "Yea, what he said, love you Nis."

"I love you two, too."

The captain dimmed the lamp above them and turned for his own bed, sliding in gently next to the younger angel curled up against the wall, he heard him stir, start slightly, and turned him over quickly. Though the mixture Raphael had sent them home with kept him mostly sedated, especially through the night, he was still on a hair trigger.

"It's alright, you're alright." He eased his younger brothers head down on his chest, "Big brother's here." And rubbed at his shoulders lightly until he felt the tension dissolve. "Go back to sleep."

He smiled when he felt him nod sluggishly against his chest.

"And, I love you too."