Previously:

"Nonsense," Izanami argues again. "There's no such thing as aliens."

Pizoku looks at his mother in disbelief. "Mother, you just traveled from Japan to Egypt via a fireball directed by a little girl," He points out. "You're really gonna doubt aliens?"

--

Izanami is looking at the ground in shock. "What is that?"

Pizoku stands up and walks towards it. "An alien device," He says with a smile at her. "Still in doubt mother?"

Izanami watches in shock as her son jumps in.

Episode Ninety-Two

"Roanoke"

It isn't just a simple light breeze. It is a gust of freezing cold air. A gale force blast that shifts the ever falling snow and rearranges the silent landscape of the antarctic world.

The buildings that make up the scientific outpost stand noiseless and abandoned. No human movement is left within the complex or anywhere within the surrounding area. It is as if all of the hundred plus people who had been working there have simply managed to magically disappear from the face of the chilled white land.

Warden of Nine surveys the encompassing area and smiles to his Walrus self. It is true that the human infidels proved to be resistant to the blessed assurance of the Ancient Ones, but it matters not. For there are other uses for such people.

He smiles at the herd of Woolly Mammoths that amble over the ice. Yes, there are many other uses.

Meanwhile, in the Portal Hub

It is bright. Warm bright. Like a bright marble hall, only it can't be because marble just doesn't glow like this. Everything glows. Everyone glows. Izanami is mystified. She is Somewhere Else. "What is this place?"

"The Hub," Pizoku replies. He watches as Reese and Ashlee stand up and dust off the sand that fell through the portal with them.

Izanami is beyond stunned by this. She jumps when suddenly a voice speaks. "Welcome back." The group turns to see Hosha once again walking towards them. "We've been expecting you."

Taylor looks confused. "We?" He watches as a two boys walk up behind Hosha to stand next to her.

"Kha'lei," Neah says as she is stunned to see her brother. "What are you doing here?"

"Joining you it would seem," Kha'lei Wonakowa replies. "Both of us." He places a hand on the boy beside him and pushes him forward.

"Raul!" Pizoku rushes forwards to stand in front of his pen pal. He hesitates a second. "It is actually you, right?"

Raul smiles and nods. "Yes, the spell over me has been broken. I am free."

"See?" Reese says as he walks up to stand by the boys. "I told you she'd fix it." He shakes Raul's hand as Pizoku beams. Izanami comes to join them and they have a private little moment.

Hosha turns to Taylor and the others. "Now, do you have a destination for me?"

"Yes, we do," Taylor replies. "Heliopolis."

Hosha looks hesitant. "Are you sure that is where you wish to go?" She seems to be implying something with her words.

"We're looking for the one called Bennu," Taylor explains. "We were told he could be found at Heliopolis. So yeah, that's where we wish to go."

Hosha nods. "Very well." She looks upwards to the light above.

"You could stay here," Jilan says as she leads Ma'at to a place to sit while they wait for the Portal. "Rest for a bit. Recover."

Ma'at shook her head. "I wish to see my father." Jilan nods in understanding and stays to watch over the goddess. She turns to watch Reese walk over to Ashlee.

Reese stands by the red haired girl and pokes her. "You've been quiet."

Ashlee doesn't look at him. Instead she is looking up at the still ticking countdown. "10 days, 4 hours, 8 minutes, 9 seconds," She reads and watches as the seconds continue to descend. "That's just over a week."

Reese looks up at the red digital numbers. "Until what though?"

At about that time,

The dimly lit halls of Duluth East High School are quite inactive. The new school year has not yet started. It will be another five days before the halls will fill with young semi-eager teenagers. So there is currently emptiness and peacefulness. Nothing that will even remotely explain the sudden flash of light from under the door of the Custodian's Closet and the immediate rumble of thunder that follows.

The door to the broom closet creaks open and out peeks a young man. He glances to the left and to the right. "The coast is clear," He informs those in the closet behind him as he opens the door further. "We're good." He spots the lockers that line the hallway. "And in a high school."

"But of course we are." A Girl with long auburn hair follows him out. Strange mottled spots run down the side of her face along the hairline and seem to extend down her neck and even further. "We never seem to leave them."

"Excuse me," Another voice from the closet speaks. "But could I maybe get a little help here?" Josh turns around and takes hold of large piece of pink luggage. A blond girl walks out of the closet pulling two more suitcases to match the other. "Thank you, Josh."

Josh looks slightly taken aback by the sight. "How much did you bring, Amanda?"

"Well He was other than specific about the amount of time we'd be gone," Amanda replies slightly defensively. "I just want to be prepared for anything."

A fourth girl walks out of the closet and closes the door behind her. "Remind me again why You volunteered for this?" She looks pointedly at Amanda.

"I care about things, TJ!" Amanda huffs slightly. Then looks at the girl, TJ, with a sly grin. "And this gets me away from those yappy little demon dogs."

TJ grins and laughs quietly. "What do we do now, Marissa?"

Marissa looks down towards the main entrance. "We set up a base of operations," She replies as she walks towards it.

TJ exchanges looks with Amanda. "Where?"

"Not to worry, it's all been prepared for us," Marissa assures them as she smiles over her shoulder. "This way."

To Be Continued...