Chibiyu: Are you really surprised that I put Nick on the Villain side?

Nick: Yes. Normally I'm an angsty good-two-shoes.

Chibiyu: Well you're still angsty…

Don't own Jonas but the plot and OC's are mine.

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"Hello, Nicholas." Her eyes twinkled as she stood, her black dress unfolding and dusting the ground. "I'm so glad you're on our side."

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My blood ran cold at her words. Yes, I had known that I wasn't a Hero and yes I was a friend with a Villain, but I never considered myself to be one. Like Paragon, I had chosen to remain on my own side, not supporting the actions of anyone unless justified in my mind. But because I was sitting across from the lady who once held me hostage, I knew it to be true. And it brought a sadistic little smile to my face.

"And you're happy about this?" Lilith shouted out in glee, flicking the lights and returning to her seat as a teenager. "I bet you prefer this version of me like most people before you."

I shrugged, blinking away the tears from the sudden onslaught of brightness. "I think no one should wear a mask to be accepted; you should be loved for who you are."

The woman blushed lightly, smiling at my words. "My, you are a gentleman. Pity I missed that fact when we first met. Now Nicholas, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Why would you help me?"

She rolled her eyes and tapped her fingers lightly on the book cover in front of her. "You're on my side and therefore against the one, your brother, who brutally left my sister to die."

"Shouldn't you want my life in exchange for hers?"

She sighed heavily, tracing the impurities on the leather skinned novel. "At first I did, but then I realized that Kevin or Franklin would be a better target, considering that you aren't expected to live another year anyway." She looked at me oddly before speaking again. "Perhaps the fact that you are one of us will keep you alive."

"I doubt it." I really didn't care any other way, but I did lean forward and allow a glare of warning to come into my eyes. "If you lay a finger on any of my family, I will gut you until everyone sees the real you, not the masks displayed by the light and dark."

Her lips pursed into a thin and straight line. She was obviously displeased by this threat, but the gleam in her eyes told me that she hadn't expected anything less. I let out a slow breath, one I hadn't realized that I had been holding when she smiled.

"Love is deeper than any sort of wound," she breathed before tapping her fingers together, her young face which was stiff with intent. "If you do not have a question, I suggest you leave as Villains prefer to do their business in isolation."

I turned my head and stared through the window, the fog on the street was as muddled as my own thoughts. "What if I'm not a full Villain?"

Lilly laughed gently and turned as well so we were both watching shadows of unseen silhouettes passed beneath the street lamps. "You fight for what you think is right; that is the status of all Villains. Heroes fight what they think is wrong, not standing up for their own beliefs, but rather for others."

"And no one knows which side is the better option," I commented with a breathy voice, swearing that I just saw Kevin walking down the road and I swore that his eyes had been fixed on mine.

"He cannot see you or sense you while you're within these walls," Lilly reminded me, a sneer in her voice as she too watched my oldest brother peruse along the sidewalk. She suddenly turned to me, her hair whapping my cheek. "You haven't smiled in a while with one of them, have you?"

"Of course I have." I had been smiling earlier, hadn't I been?

Lilly shook her head, her nails dragging down her exposed arm. "I am really smiled. Not a smirk or mocking, but an actual smile caused by your elders."

I let my head drop, finally tearing my gaze from the long since vanished form of my brother. "No." I sighed lightly, not remembering the last time when I had truly been happy. Everything nowadays was filled with anger or humiliation; never glee. "Why do you ask?"

I watched her stand and bend over the previously unseen counter that sported an old-fashioned copper cash register. "Because I could see the anger in your eyes when you looked towards your brother," she revealed, not sounding her physique at all. "And your loneliness."

I didn't answer, simply having nothing to say. She was right; I did miss it when times were simpler than this. When Joe and Kevin didn't have their Hero status yet and were stuck in training. When they actually knew that they weren't the best people in the world. When I was their brother to them instead of a weak Normal. But those times are gone. I have to move on from them.

"It doesn't matter." Lilly pursed her lips at my answer, but let me retain my feelings. "Why are all of the Villains out tonight?"

A small shadow of a smile grew on her defined cheek bones, making her face glow with deceitful delight. "You're a smart boy; guess."

My fingers tapped on the polished wood, my mind getting casted back to 'Technotron's' words. "Some sort of stone?"

Lilly nodded, pulling her chair over to a book shelf and standing on it so she could reach the highest shelf. She pulled down a thick volume; scratches decorated the aged brown leather and its pages were yellowed and crackled at the touch. I was afraid that one turn of paper would send the entire thing crumbling into dust. She set it on the table, flinging it open, her fingers skimming down the index. Dust swirled into the air when she turned to the appropriate page and she turned it to me, pointing.

"Kumori's Four?" I read the name, it feeling foreign on my tongue.

Lilly nodded. "Legend tells that the first four Villains put their souls into a single stone." She pointed to the page again, her finger tapping lightly on the first word. "Read."

Kumori's Four is the ancient artifact that is said to date back to the beginning of all Villains. Legend tells of our four fathers: Kumi, Benvolio,Tardis, and Micah. Kumi was blessed with the power of concealment, able to hide anything and anyone from sense for an indefinite period of time. Benvolio was given the power of telekinesis, able to move objects with a single though. Tardis was endowed with the control of fire and nothing could withstand his heat. Micah had the gift of darkness, able to animate the shadows to do his own bidding and slightly increase the darkness within a persons' heart.

Together, the four were unchallenged for many years, shaping the world as they saw fit. Kumi covered the existence of those threatened and made animals seem extinct until their numbers rose again. Benvolio built magnificent structures, his plans inspiring many of the wonders such as the pyramids. Tardis controlled forest fires which flared up often in the dry seasons. Micah made it dark enough for children to sleep soundly at night.

But the Heroes quickly came into existence and rose up to stop them and seize their power for themselves. Wars broke out and the fight began.

Towards the end of their lives, the four knew that they wouldn't have a much longer time here on earth. So they sealed their souls into a single ruby, giving all their powers to hide it away until a worthy enough soul would come to save the world from the Heroes.

I looked up to Lilly as she dropped another book on top of this one. "That is dated and heavily biased, but you get the idea. The four wanted their powers to help tip the balance back into the Villains favor." She paused, laughing to herself. "And I'll be damned if all they did was help. Villains have the urge to do bad things; it's who we are."

"Or who society told you to be." I bitterly added, dragging the other, newer, book over to me. One the page was just a single sketch. A black snake with no distinguishing features covered most of the page. A ruby, the size of a quarter, was held by ivory fangs; the serpent's mouth was wide open and its body encircled the stone, its tail hanging down. All in all, the thing couldn't have been bigger than three inches.

"It is noted that the pendant, the stone or the snake, had no depth. Paper thin they are. And this is the Four, as it was remembered last time seen."

"And when was that?" I questioned, looking up from the simple pendant.

"Necrophere," She was hesitant when speaking the name, her own fear shining through her seemingly fragile eyes. "He last found the stone about 70 years ago. He was a young lad, bight with good intentions. But he found the stone and his soul was muddled and overpowered by the four trapped within it. Kumori's Four gave him great power, but it also took his sanity and his life. No one knew what happened to the stone after it killed him. All we know is that his name, Necrophere, is a borrowed one." She paused again, tracing the swirl of the serpent's body. "It is tradition that the successor takes on the name of the Four's only son – Kumi had a son while the others had daughters – as the stone was supposed to have been passed onto him."

"He died, didn't he?" I guessed, eliciting a sharp nod.

"Heroes took his life."

"And the Four?" I asked, getting eager about this new bit of information. I finally knew something that Joe and Kevin didn't. And maybe, just maybe it could be used to turn the tables.

"Lost. No one knows where it is or who is concealing it. For 70 years we have searched and for 70 years, we have failed." Lilly told her, her voice also getting animated as she caught on to my plan. "We all roam on moonless nights in hopes the stone will reveal itself to one of us, but it has never happened."

I narrowed my eyes at this, noting how Lilly's own gaze was far off, as if lost in a fond memory. "You've seen it."

She snapped back into reality, her eyes sharp as she studied me. "You're too observant."

"And you didn't take it?" I stood, not believing that she would have the willpower to leave such a powerful thing behind. "I'm impressed."

She smiled kindly towards me before pressing her nose against the cool glass window, watching the stars move with the night. "I was only allowed to see it because I didn't want to take it. I didn't want to tell anyone about it. I just wanted to see it. I needed proof that all my years of collecting the history of our ancestors wouldn't go to waste. I am a knowledgeable being, Nicholas, and knowledge I was able to obtain."

"Can Normals see it?" She looked at me, crossing her eyes slightly to better focus. "It judges heart as well as power. You do not need to have a power to see. But to get to the stone, you must be chosen by it, and then chosen again."

I nodded, looking back to the picture, swearing that the pendants eyes, though an artist's rendition, were following us around the room. "And what if a Villain does get his or her hands on it?"

Her eyes dropped as well, a sinister look crossing her young features. "Then the Heroes will fall once and it will be our time again."

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Kevin's PoV

Mom was sitting by the window, not moving as she watched the sun slowly rise. We all knew she was searching for a flicker of Nick's thoughts, but it would be pointless. After years of living with a mind-reader, the younger knew how to elude her better than most. Sandy Lucas would be lucky to even detect her sons scorn. Joe was still pacing in front of the door. And I was standing behind Mom, finally getting her to stand up and go to bed. Nick had been gone all night. At first we were all pissed off that he had the audacity to change the security settings to our Lair and trash the place, but that all turned to worry when he never returned home. Joe and I spent hours wandering the streets while Dad and Frankie manned the computers for any kidnapping transmissions. Nothing came our way. Joe was glad that we didn't find him as he was ready to tear our brother to shreds for what he did and earlier said. I was just glad that we didn't find his body.

"He's coming," I whispered, watching him walk down the sidewalk with a slight strut in his step. I couldn't help but feel relieved when I noticed he was unharmed, minus a faint bruise on his cheek.

"Why does he look so proud of himself?" Joe scoffed, crossing his arms. "Making us stay up all night in worry shouldn't make him that happy. Doesn't he care that we just want him safe?"

I didn't have a chance to answer as Nick chose that moment to reach the door and slink quietly inside. His tired eyes instantly fell on us and he waited for the harsh words that he knew we had for him. He shrugged after a few seconds of silence, climbing the stairs, aware that Joe and I were hot on his heels.

"Where have you been?" I hissed in a hushed voice, walking forward as to tell him I meant business.

"Figuring out why the Villains were out tonight," he answered evenly, causing Joe to blink in surprise and me to take a step back.

"That was stupid!" Joe exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "You could have gotten hurt!" He pointed to Nick's cheek, "You're lucky that's all that happened!" He walked forward and touched the bruise lightly. "You're lucky." He repeated, stepping back and letting the worry drain from his face.

"I know." I almost had to do a double take at the sincerity in Nick's voice. "I'm sorry I worried you. I should have texted you or something."

Joe nodded, speechless at this statement so I took the reins. "Nick, we know you're 19 and we know that you are capable of handling yourself in most occasions, but you really should have listened to us." His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked towards me, not liking the direction of this conversation, but I had to get the message through. "You may be able to fend off a Villain, but Nick, you're not like us. You're a Normal and you know better than anyone that Normals are targeted. You're in danger every time you go outside and it was reckless for you to do tonight!"

Joe took over, his voice more heated than mine was, but it lacked the tone of disappointment. "Normals can't handle what Kevin and I can, Nick. You need to trust us and listen to us. We just want you to be safe."

"I'll be fine," Nick stressed, drawing out the last word ever so slightly. "I'm not alone out there."

I cut Joe off before he severed another tie between him and Nick. "Nick, we don't trust Paragon like you do. We are the only ones who can properly protect you. You need to listen to us." I glanced over, seeing Dad peek his head around the corner. "We're afraid that she will corrupt you. You're a Hero in your own means, Nick. We don't want her changing you, so we can't trust her to be by you."

"Don't be stupid, Nicholas. Listen to you brothers," Dad added, moving to stand in full view. Nick's eyes narrowed further in warning before he turned his back towards us. A warning Joe did not heed.

"Without us, you're vulnerable. If you would just follow our orders then – "

Nick turned on his heel, his shoes screeching against the wood floor and his glare enough to have Dad slinking back into his room. "You don't control me," He hissed and all the awhile, his eyes were flashing in a way Joe and I had never seen on his face. "No one controls me," he informed us, taking one step forward, us taking one step back. "I'm not a Hero." He stressed, his frame so riddled with the heat of hatred never once faltered, "I'm not a Villain," his steps paused, his fists clenching slightly.

"I am not and will never be useless or weak," his voice never raised in volume, but the tone behind it was enough for Joe and I to hang our heads, unable to take the disappointment, shame, and rage; all of it directed towards his brothers, towards us. "Just because I'm not like you doesn't mean that I'm not capable of surviving. Yes, I'm a Normal, but that is not who I am."

He paused, his eyes flicking to all of our records; our covers, masks of gold framed in glass, eternal disguises that put our names right under the public's nose. "I'm not a rock star." Both of our heads flew up at this: Nick's passion was music – it's the only thing he beat us at. And then it hit me: this isn't about winning to him. "I'm Nick Lucas, but I'm not your brother. A name is a name; that of which we call a rose would smell just as sweet."

Joe scoffed and rolled his eyes, not buying into any of this. "First you say that you're not controlled, then you basically disown music, and now you're losing us with quotes from a dude that may not have even existed? Yeah, that's believable." Skepticism ruled his perusing and the effect was enhanced when our middle brother crossed his arms. "You're controlled by the ones who save your life. You love music because you feel special when you're playing." Nick's eyes flashed again, growing darker with each syllable that passed through Joe's sauntered lips. "And you will always be a Nick Lucas, the Normal. That's who you are."

Joe stepped over a line and too close to a raised cobra. Next thing he knew, he was on his back, Nick's foot on his chest and our little brother towering over him, in control for the first time we have ever witnessed.

"One," Nick raised a finger, his voice trembling as badly as his hands, "I save myself. I control me." Joe's mouth gaped, heavily for air that seemed poisoned. "Two," another finger in the air, "I don't care about feeling 'special' as you call it, because I know that I will always be special, more so than you." I took a step, Nick's eyes flying over to me, daring me to interrupt. I held up my hands, letting his rampage continue. "And three," his fingers were put down now, all but one. Joe's mouth flew open in a gasp as Nick got off of him and walked away, not looking back.

"He just…he just!" Joe tried to speak but shock had his tongue stilled.

"Gave you the finger?" I finished, shaking my head at the scene. "You deserved it." I too turned and walked away from my downed brother. But I didn't go after Nick; I was just as bad as Joe. My amends to him were not ready to be heard and I wasn't ready to give them. Nick needed to something more than mere words to prove to him that we could change. And Joe and I needed to do it together.

It's the only way.

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Chibiyu: So, I'm hoping that next chapter I will be able to fit in an excerpt of Joe, explaining his actions in the previous chapters. Would you guys like that? And see? Joe does care…just a little too much as you will see next chapter. Until Next Update!

Written on 10/7/11
Happy Christmas!