*'Virgil – don't! Please!'

Virgil ignored his father, reaching out and grabbing the stone, turning his back on Gaat and holding it up so all gathered in the room could see it.'

'I wish…'*

Gaat couldn't hide the wide grin on his face. To see his old friend, his second most hated enemy ground down, not only with the knowledge of what he himself had done but how that had affected his brats, and now one of them was going to make it oh so much worse…

He sat at that massive desk, hands steepled before him and fairly vibrated with delight.

'Please, Virgil, please don't.'

'No, please do, Virgil. For once in your life put yourself before your father and his own dreams. What do you dream of? The Dreamstone will fulfil your every desire!'

Virgil paused as his father and the Hood battled over him. He looked over his shoulder at the Hood as he spoke, his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed thin in anger. He turned back to his family.

'The Hood is right, Dad. All my life I have followed your dream. And look what it has cost us, cost me! No more. I will not lose anyone else.'

He raised the stone again.

Gaat sat forward, expectant. Oh, this was going to be so good!

'I wish…Dad!'

And before the Hood could blink Virgil had tossed the stone to Jeff. He shot out of his chair, it tumbled behind him with a clatter, and cried out:

'NO!'

But it was too little too late.

Jeff caught it and immediately spoke the words.

'I wish it undone!'

There was a pause but nothing happened. Jeff wasn't surprised – nothing had happened immediately last time – but his work was not finished. He threw the stone to the ground where it bounced once. They were aware of the Hood scrabbling around the table.

'Alan, now!'

Alan, already prepared for this moment, hit the crystal with his 'tin can opener'. The red laser caused it to glow an ominous orange. It seemed to pull at them all, tugging at something from deep inside, before it shattered into tiny pieces. Those pieces then disappeared in a cloud of citrine yellow smoke.

No! No, no, no, no! This could not be happening! Enraged, the Hood's eyes blazed yellow – and then returned to normal.

They had all frozen when the Hood's eyes had turned yellow, knowing from bitter experience what it meant, but as his eyes returned to normal so quickly – coupled with the surprise on his face – Jeff was quick to stride over, pulling his fist back for the punch.

The click stopped him faster than the Hood's powers would have.

'What have you done? What have you done!?'

The gun was rock steady, but the voice held an ever-so slight waver alongside the snarl. Jeff stood tall, trying to cover his family, but painfully aware that he couldn't.

A mad light entered the Hood's eyes. He gestured with the gun and Jeff backed up, as did everyone else.

'You have forgotten something, Jeff. You might have taken back your wish, but I still have time. Time enough to get my revenge and hurt you.'

'Gaat – what is the point of this.'

'You need to suffer!'

'Haven't I suffered enough? I've lost my eldest son, I've welcomed the love of my life and my father back into my life only to realise I will lose them again tomorrow. What more could you possibly want from me?'

'I want you to be alone, to have lost everything. Like I was when you tossed me aside in favour of Lucy and your ever-expanding brood.'

'I didn't toss you aside. I gave you the choice. Stop and clean up your ways and we would be partners. But you chose to go down the other path.'

'I wasn't a villain. You made me one.'

'I did not. No-one could make that choice but yourself. I set out the paths – the one I would have liked us to travel together and the one you were already on – but you chose.'

With a snarl the Hood swung the gun from pointing at Jeff to pointing at Virgil. Jeff started forward only for the gun to swing to the other side, to Alan.

'Well, this time it is your turn to choose. Oldest son or youngest?'

'No – Gaat! I refuse!'

'Refuse and I will shoot them both.'

Jeff held his hands up, slightly stepping forward to shield his children as much as possible. He stepped forward again, aware that the Hood was aware he was and allowing Jeff to do so. Jeff stepped forward once more.

Several things happened almost simultaneously.

Gaat, with a look of sickening glee, pulled the trigger. Jeff paused, but it wasn't himself that had been hit.

'Ayah?'

Kyrano was there, holding his daughter as red blossomed across her chest. Virgil scrambled up from the floor where Kayo had violently shoved him and helped Kyrano lower her to the ground.

Gaat, for all of his evilness, had stepped forward when he realised who he had hit. He still loved his niece. But Jeff, finally seeing red and having the ability to act, punched the Hood hard, knocking him to the ground and grabbing the gun.

Gordon, unwatched by the Hood and his father, had sidled backwards until he was against the wall. As events unfolded he used the laser he had to cut through the wiring, triggering the fire alarm.

As the sprinklers came online Gordon and Alan began to assist them all to get out. Jeff scooped up Kayo and held her tight. Virgil grabbed Kyrano and they used the distraction to get out of the room and the building.

Virgil shucked his coat off and laid it over Kayo, hiding the wound. They had no money for a hotel so they headed back to the coffee shop, hoping that they could bide the time there until the universe hopefully righted itself.

They huddled into a booth in the back corner. Jeff and Vigil left to speak to whoever was in charge of the night shift. The woman had taken some persuading, and in another life Virgil would have enjoyed seeing his father at work. She had taken one look at Kyrano cradling Kayo and her face had softened.

Quickly she led them to the staffroom. Kyrano lay Kayo out onto the table and Virgil set to work with a kitchen knife, boiling water and clean towels. Eventually he packed and wrapped the wound. He bent down and kissed his sister so very gently.

'Virgil?'

'I'm so sorry, Kyrano. The bullet is too near her heart. I've done all I can.'

They all sat there in shock.

Kayo, already holding her father's hand, reached for Jeff's hand.

'Papa, it is not your fault. Ayah - love you. '

And her eyes slide shut.

Kyrano kissed his daughter tenderly as the tears fell.

'Sleep, my precious Tanusha. I will see you in the morning.'