The Gathering

CHAPTER 13

Rick hated when that happened. One minute he was blissfully unaware and the next he was awake and so full of pain. The fact he was tied down and unable to move only increased the feeling of Déjà vu. He was confused at first because he couldn’t remember how he got there and why he hurt so much but then it came back to him in a flash.

He remembered the fear through the pain of what would happen should Zimmer get a hold of him as an Idar, seeing Morbane shot trying to defend him and feeling the fury that had came from the act before his instincts had used a blast of telekinetic power from Sky to burst him free of the tractor beam.

When the power had cut the pain off he had almost blacked out but had known he was too high up to land safely. So he had opened his wings and glided down as far as his thin conscious link would allow, but even hitting the ground hard hadn’t awoken him.

However the hunger and the scent of human blood and sweat, soft murmurs and the inner warning of danger had brought him too enough to open his eyes. To find himself looking straight into a familiar face looking down at him, but not one of his fellow protectors or Idars.

Shocked he had opened his mouth slightly so he could croak out “Alex” to the obvious shock and surprise of the figure that then asked, “how do you know my name?”

“I know you” he moaned weakly “you are different to others and feel you do not belong anywhere. You are not mutant, not Idar like me but not entirely human-born this way. You only stay with this group because you are afraid to leave and still think they can…”

“SHHH!” she hissed, glancing nervously behind her “how do you know so much about me?”

“When I was fifteen I saw bits of the future, including you and your life, that you would leave this group after meeting me and join myself and my group.”

“You mean I’ll become a vampire like you?”

“No, that is not part of your future” of this Rick was certain even though he didn’t know ALL of his future and others. “And I am NOT a vampire, I am half mutant, half Idar. That means I can die like you, love like you AND have kids one day-I mean help someone conceive and I mean my love. The only difference between me being Idar and mutant is I am stronger and faster than humans and even mutants themselves, my appearance is different and more noticeable and my life and youth are extended somewhat. But I still age and can die. When I say my group I mean my family. They are mutants and humans who help and protect innocents from evil.”


“You didn’t save our sponsors wife and daughter. Some young American Indian with your kind of looks murdered them.” At this Rick looked upset “I am only seventeen and we only started last year. Besides-that sounds like Hawko.”

“Hawko? You know the murderer!”

“How do you think I got this way? He attacked a friend of mine and when I tried to stop him he turned on me! Then he tried to kill me a second time and then attacked my father!” the anger in his red eyes caused her to back away a little. “How did you escape? He should have killed you as well.”

“I know but I had help. The first time my family scared him off and the second I had help from another Idar called Sky. His love and fiancée was also murdered by Hawko so he sees me as the son they did not and could not have. Hawko wants me like his slaves but Sky protects me.”

“Where is this guy?”
“Who, Sky or Hawko?”
“Both.”

“Well Sky is….sleeping with his people and Hawko is…”
“Dr Times are you there?” came a male call “did you find it?”

“Look don’t move or speak and I may be able to save your life.” The woman said and rose, calling out “COMING!” before starting off, calling back to him from the corner of her mouth “if you want to stay alive and they find you do whatever you have to too escape, just don’t let them take you.”

“Thank you” he whispered but she replied softly “don’t thank me because if they do find you I’ll have to capture you and it WILL hurt.”

“I know” the boy\creature nodded slightly. Unfortunately despite the woman’s protests that she had already checked that area they headed for Rick’s position with eerie accuracy.

As soon as he was aware they had spotted him Rick was on his feet, ignoring the pain and protest of his body as the Idar side tried to heal him from the force and burn of Zimmer’s jet. He started to run, attempting to get away from them and staggering a little when he felt the bite of two tranquillizer darts in his left shoulder.

Fortunately he was already immune to whatever was in them even in this dose so he kept running.

That was until there was a cough-like noise and a female protest. Something ripped through his right wing, tearing off a chunk of flesh and the pain-so much stronger than what the burn of the tractor had left that his legs gave out, wing curved over to clamp his hand over the bleeding place.

He looked up as they approached him, growling at them “you bastards. You do not know what you are doing. I am the only one who can stop him from killing again and again.”

“Shut up vampire. We won’t listen to your lies, we know better.”


“Do you,” he said from gritted teeth “do you really? My people protect and not kill. You are just as bad as you claim to fight against, killing innocents.”

“Why you...!” the man raised his weapon but another knocked it aside and said “he’s trying to make you angry so you’ll slip up and eliminate him before he could be of any use to us. Don’t fall for his tricks.”

“Of course, you’re right” the man lowered his weapon slightly. “You think I want to die, how drool” Richard said sarcastically “I am mortal just like you and I want to die no more than any of you do.”

“SHUT UP!” the blow from the rifle butt to his temple was so strong that Richard was almost knocked out. However his Idar side threw off the pain and brought him too, knowing he was still in terrible danger.

However when he felt the arms around him he started to fight desperately for freedom, struggling violently despite the dizziness and pain in his head and the heaviness of his limbs, remembering what the woman had told him earlier, his fear of physical contact making it all that worse-especially since and Idar was a race of touchers-they required physical touch to survive with the blood thirst so strong because that in it’s self was a strong need for comfort and contact.

He fought but despite the fact she told him he had to kill to escape alive he couldn’t do it. He had killed once before while under the compulsion of the Guardian of the Sword and didn’t want to do it again. Hurting people would make him feel like Zimmer too much, even people as corrupted as these.

But these people had no such reservations as they hit and punched him with full force, causing him to come closer and closer to fully loosing consciousness. A sudden blow to his head on the same spot where he had been struck by the rifle butt had him go boneless and a hair-thin away from blackness so they could carry him away.

Through one-eye seconds before he lost it to the darkness he saw the woman tear off her ID badge and throw it aside when the others were occupied with him. She then gave him a look of ‘I hope you appreciate the risk I’m taking for you’ and kept walking behind them. Richard had just enough time to thank her with his mind-her jerking in surprise at the thought in her head not her own-telling her that using it his people could find and save him, before he was piled inside the back of a van and was out before he could stop it.

When he had finally opened his eyes his eyes his first sensation was pain, but he had been experiencing such pain all his life so with an effort he pushed it aside and took stock of his body, confused at first about where he was but then it all came back in a flash.


He felt something around his wrists and ankles that held him in the spread position and when he tried to move them just very slightly his arms and legs jerked in pain. With a cautious sniff of the air he realized they had soaked his bonds in garlic juice, meaning he couldn’t move without pain to try and rip his way free.

He was weak and it hurt to move or think, the hunger was on him just as powerful as when Hawko had first infected him but this time he knew what was going on around him and knew he couldn’t feed, if he did he’d be confirming their racist views. So he just lay there, full of pain and hunger and wishing for night when he KNEW Sky would come for him. There was no way he would allow his kindred soul and heir to be harmed by humans; Rick had only to hold on until then.

But then wasn’t this Hawko’s perfect opportunity as well? If he got here before Sky and the others he could do god knows what to him and he’d be helpless to defend himself as he had the first time. The thought was scarier than anything the humans could do to him-Hawko was like Zimmer-a master of torture and causing pain in others.

Rick kept getting nightmare images of Hawko and his slaves with bloody faces, phantom pain returned in his wrists and neck as he remembered his being helpless and the group draining him off blood, pain that grew worse as he twisted and turned in his bonds-trying to escape the memories and the remembered pain.

“Calm fledgling” a voice in his head said, soothing waves of calm and understanding, of deep love filled his mind. But whomever it was he could sense the others own pain and exhaustion as he fought sleep to comfort him. It was trying to drag him down into oblivion and nothingness but Rick knew his pain and horror had been enough to wake the other.

Guilt filled him, here he was thinking about himself, waking up Sky when he obviously needed his rest. Why should he bother him with his problems?

Comfort filled him as Sky said in a soothingly hypnotic voice “you are my heir, my child I could never have. Your problems are also mine now. I am fine and so you shall be, only believe in me and that we shall be there to get you back just as soon as the sun sets.” Of course he believed in the other, he was his salvation, his savior, just as the other was in his youth.

“Do not compare me to him, my heir. He was a pure selfless soul and all I care about is keeping what is mine. No one else-least of all Hawko-may have you, only me.” Rick sent him his denial, if that was true he would be trying to make him stay with him and his people, trying to keep him away from his own father and friends as well as his love.

“Do not defend me so quickly, my heir. I know if I kept you from those you love you would reject me without a second thought, I am treading on thin ground with you. Before you mention to reject me would make you a Renegade and you do not wish to be hunted as they are I have only this to say, do you think your people would not be able to protect you now they know our weaknesses?”

He had a point but still Rick couldn’t let him think of himself like that so with all the power he could muster he sent him his friendship and those true feelings he got from his memories when he had tasted his blood, how much of a good soul he truly was.

“Thank you my child.” He said softly and for the first time he wasn’t alarmed at another calling him his. When the pain in his wrists and ankles grew worse the other sensed it and before he could think or speak his thoughts were numbing and he was unable to think, slowly floating off to sleep with the other.


When he awoke a little later it was in time to feel a tugging at the skin of his inner right elbow and feel a slight draining. Opening his eyes slightly he found the woman frowning as she took a blood sample. Without moving he concentrated his thoughts into her head again “you have to find some way to hold them off from injecting me with the stuff they have until after sunset.”

Without changing expression or stopping moving she thought one word before she left him alone in the room, mutant.

After she had left it took him a few minutes to figure out what it meant. At first he thought she was talking about him but then he realized. What she had meant was there was a mutant in the building, probably telepathic who was monitoring their thoughts-obviously so the boss knew if any was considering leaving or becoming traitors. He therefore had to be careful, any further contact with Sky or any of the others would give them and the plan away.

Realizing his thoughts where probably giving him away he carefully blanked them, thinking of nothing and staring blankly at the roof.

When they came in a few hours later with an EEG and a needle and started to hook him up to it he was powerfully tempted to give it all up in order to save himself the pain and change the virus would cause. But he knew if he did they would set a trap for the others and he couldn’t risk that-he couldn’t risk the boy’s lives-or his fathers-or the girl he loved just because he wanted to spare himself a moment of pain.

So instead he bit his lips and stayed silent and blank while they did what they were there for.

After they left Rick closed his eyes and centered everything he was on tracing the viruses path through his veins and body. He didn’t know how he was able to do this but the first time it had happened he’d been nine in hospital after being a sexual prisoner of a criminal for two days and one night before Loel had rescued him and brought him back to the shopping center his parents worked at.

He had discovered then that day that even though the sedatives didn’t work on him by concentrating his thoughts and mind into a calm soothing blankness he could put himself into a deep healing sleep where he was half aware of his healing and unless disturbed by something big tended to sleep until all was done.

When a nurse had given him a sedative he was allergic too and he could feel the damage and pain he was able to numb it by using his thoughts alone and concentrating solely on it.

Consequently he had learnt to numb pain and sedate himself this way in the years to come and like now could monitor sickness or viruses inside him and so half the severity and length he had it. Sometimes he could even hold it off for a while-like he had done with the pain from Zimmer’s torture earlier.


He watched for a while, seeing how it worked then when he was able to isolate a part he did so and tried to stop or destroy it. As if it was an intelligent being the virus sensed it and acted instantly, surging forward and attacking full force. Rick barely heard his own scream before everything went black.

* * *


The group ran down the hallway, Johnathon’s eyes glowing as he shielded their minds and thoughts from others while Sky hid them from sight and sense. Any plan they had made about reason or tricking their way in had been scraped after Sky had arrived at the Head Quarters that night and told them about the events of the day and the uncontrollable agony he was now experiencing along with the hunger.

“They must have injected him already” Payton said to them “Sky is right, we have to get to him now before anything happens we can’t stop.”

“Why is he hungry?” Lance had to ask.

“The damage his body received from the fight. You said yourself that you found a part of his wing. His body would have healed by now but it needs to replace the energy it used to do so. If we do not get to him as soon as possible the hunger will drive him to feed. If he does he will be unable to stop and then all is lost. He will become like me with any chance at a life close to normal with those he loves gone” and when he glanced at Cathy they could guess his meaning.

They immediately scrambled to get armed and dressed in the suits with hoods up and then followed Sky-using his link to Rick’s mind and body-to a huge warehouse Cathrine recognized but couldn’t think of where.

Sky immediately sensed the presence of a telepathic mutant inside and while Johnathon shielded their minds with a spell Sky hid their physical presence for him. They couldn’t have been very far inside when Sky hissed one word “wait!” in their minds and an unseen force pulled them all into the nearest closet.

“What are you doing?!” Lance hissed back and the Idar King waited until they were safely inside before he answered them. “The mutant walked past us and sensed something of us-what I do not know yet. Besides your friend is starting to tire” he motioned at Johnathon, his forehead beaded with sweat, before going on “I shall continue your part as well now.”

Before the sorcerer could open his mouth to protest the mutated mutant had already done so. The Idar King then frowned and said softly “wait here” and dashed off, back seconds later with a struggling figure in his grip, trapped, one hand over her mouth.

Cathy could only nod, not surprised in the least but the others gasped in shock-the woman who owned the ID badge they had found. “We will not harm you” Sky assured her as she struggled fearfully in his iron grip “I know you through my fledglings blood and memories and I can sense the echo of his thoughts in your mind-he had been in communication with you.”

The woman didn’t speak after Sky cautiously removed his hand from her mouth so Cathy did “Sky is protecting you so the mutant can’t read your or our thoughts and He’s even making it seem that you are off somewhere else working heavily with others.” The woman paused, suspiciously looking at Cathrine “how does he know about biology and neurology?”


“He knows through us” Payton and Anna stepped forward into her sight “it’s our line of work. We once applied here in the early days but they rejected us.” The woman said suspiciously “ because you are vampires and you would have tried to stop them.”

“For a start we are Idars and not vampires Miss Times” Payton said thickly “and secondly we only just became this, like the kid you have captive, Rick.” Anna continued for her fiancée “Rick and I were attacked two days ago and changed by a guy called Hawko and my fiancée has been one barely a day.”

The woman looked at Payton “what do you mean you’re not vampires? You look just like the guy our sponsor described as being, the same differences.”

“We are NOT vampires,” Sky said and Anna made an alarmed motion to try and stop his next words. They knew telling the woman they came from him, as a mutated version of vampires wouldn’t make any difference to her.

Johnathon said something softly and Sky looked at him “then do so. We have no time to be polite and convince her by words, every minute we waste here is another piece of his control and closer to him loosing it. We have no time to be cautious and hesitant here and now, do it.”

“Do what?” the woman asked suspiciously as she looked back and forth from the sorcerer to the mutated mutant man. “Do it” the Idar King said one last time and the sorcerer nodded and raised his staff, saying gently “hold her tightly, this will be a shock to her mind.”

“I do not doubt” Sky said sarcastically “do not worry about her getting away or anyone hearing her should it get too much.” The thin man nodded again and closed his eyes, lips starting to move in a spell and the crystal top glowing in the second layer only which they knew meant the spell was to do with the mind or thoughts.

The woman gave a chocked scream and collapsed into Sky’s supporting arms, eyes going slowly clouded, Johnathon’s head dropping to his chest as he went deep into the spell and they wondered what he was doing to her. For at least thirty long seconds she stayed that way, seeing something they couldn’t until slowly the thin man’s head raised and his eyes slowly opened, clouded and vacant just as the woman’s was.

They were about to begin to worry when his eyes stopped glowing slowly and came back into focus, leaning slightly for a few minutes on the concerned shoulder of Gwin before standing up straight and tall again and saying softly to Sky “help her up straight, she will be coming out any second now.”

“What did you do Chel?” Steven asked him softly in concern, noticing his paleness and the way he swayed a little before catching himself and standing solid. “The only thing I could think off to convince her of Richard’s noble soul and good heart, I let her see him through my memories and senses.”

“Why did she react like she did?” Paul motioned at the still distant woman’s eyes. “She is still experiencing them and besides she tried to fight, thinking I was attacking her” The thin man said and Cathy added for the sorcerer “It would be disorientating seeing through someone else’s eyes and feeling their feelings.”

“And now?” they asked as she started to blink and slowly come too. Johnathon just shook his head and said “if she truly is the good soul I sense on her she will do all she can to help us free and get Richard back safely.”

“And if not?” The teenaged warrior asked and he shrugged, saying nothing. The woman came back fully as he did, looking up at him silently and to their surprise she starting crying softly. Sky crouched by her side where she had collapsed and drew her into his arms, wrapping her warmly.

Instead of being frightened or cautious of him as she was before she snugged deeper into his arms and body, as if seeking comfort and when they felt the warmth and acceptance coming from Sky in waves they could understand why. Finally she was able to draw back and say from a clogged throat thickly “I’m sorry.” They asked her softly why and Payton spoke to her “I know you betrayed you people and wanted us to find Rick and this place.”

“How do you know?” she asked him without suspicion, only confusion.

“The ID badge you left us Miss Times. The guys you work with are excellent at leaving no trace yet they for some reason missed your ID badge. You tore it off so it would look like it was lost during the struggle and hid it so we would find it but they wouldn’t. You wanted us to find and rescue Rick even if you can’t admit it for fear of being discovered” he handed her the badge and she took it slowly, putting it in the back pocket of her slacks with a murmured thank you.

She spoke after whipping her eyes on her sleeve “I have had to learn to hide things I want or don’t want to do from even myself or else be discovered. I know it’s wrong what we are doing but it was always they or I. Now they’re hurting a boy! Our sponsor is crazy, if we even have a second of doubt in what he and our group are doing we become experiments ourselves. You don’t know what it’s like living in such constant fear and paranoia, that anyone you get close too here will stab you in the back and betray you should you have a second of doubt or consciousness. I’ve been here since the place first opened and I’ve seen those I know and respected even cared for in the start used and die in such hideous ways you wouldn’t believe-from bleeding to death from the inside out to their entire bodies just becoming nothing but a massive puddle of liquid.”

“Truly? You’re one of the original ones who helped cure AIDS and Hepatitis?” This shocked Payton, what they had reduced those he had once idolized too. “I’m the only one left” she sniffed “the rest are gone, dead from the experiments.” Payton shook his head sadly at this and spoke “we’ll make you a deal. Get us to Rick and help us get him out safely and you can join US. We’ll protect you from anything these guys try and you can leave whenever you like and we’d still make sure they don’t hurt you. In fact we’re gonna stop this guy for good and make sure he never hurts another person again.”

“How are you going to do that? He’s a Billionaire and practically owns all the law enforcements and influential people. Money talks you know.”

“We’ll give him what he wants” Payton said simply “the name, location and how to destroy of the guy who killed his family.”

“This Hawko the Boy mentioned” she said and they nodded and asked what he had told her exactly and she answered, telling them everything.


When she had finished she said softly “I don’t think finding out about the one who killed his wife and child is going to stop him, he’s developed a taste for all those deaths and is using revenge as an excuse.”

“So we guessed” they nodded “we have other ways to stop him though.”

“How?” she frowned and Sky gently seized her face and made her look at him deep set in his red cat-like eyes “that you have no need to worry about child. Only get us to my fledgling before the hunger he feels makes him ruin the rest of his life and youth.”

“What do you mean?” she asked him and he told her what he had told the others, Cathrine looking at the woman and adding a “Please, please help us.”

“What are you going to do? How do I get you in without suspicion?”

“You know who can and can not see him, who can touch or move him. We need to look like them. Picture then inside you mind and I will see and know. We will take their thoughts and appearance using spells” he motioned at Johnathon and went on “we need two of importance-someone the others would be afraid to question-NOT the sponsor-no one too obvious. The others of lower importance, not very noticeable and enough to equal those others you see here.”

“Okay” she seemed still reluctant but willing to do what she had too to help them. “Once I have them what will you do?”

“I will take them and bring them here where we can trap them until we are done. The mutant shall not know about them or us I assure you-and that includes you.”

“You mean you will tie them up and gag them?” she asked and he said “sort of. Johnathon here will put them into a deep sleep with which they will only awake when they are found by others. They will remember only that we were here, not you.”

“All right” she said and was about to say she was ready with the people in her mind Sky stopped her and said softly, almost reluctantly “I will have to taste their blood as well.” She paused “What do you mean?”

Payton explained himself “when an Idar tastes blood they also taste a person’s mind and memories. In order to make our minds seem exactly the same as those you choose he’d have to taste it so he knows how they think.” She thought for a minute then asked softly “only a taste?” and when Sky nodded the woman said reluctantly “do what you have too.”

“You’d trust him not too kill them?” Paul asked curiously and she nodded solemnly “I don’t know why but I do.”


“Chel’s memories and senses” Steven said to his son “she knows she can because he can. No one can fool Chel” and the four words were said with complete conviction.

That sorted they waited and watched. Sky dashed out again and brought back a woman with a lab coat, negro like Anna. She struggled, eyes on the woman in helplessness and begging for her to help but the woman only turned away when Sky’s mouth went to a lesser vein in her shoulder.

It took only at least ten seconds before he raised his head slightly and licked the wound closed. Johnathon sending the woman to a deep sleep so Steven could carry her to a dark corner away from the door and the sight of anyone who looked inside. “Anna yours” Sky said thickly as his eyes glowed a few seconds. Johnathon’s spell changed her form and after taking all the important things from her pockets Anna\the woman left the room.

Next was a tall man who Payton became, another and another one at a time until only Lance, Johnathon, Sky, Tommas, Andrew and the woman was left in the room. “You have to do this Lance” Johnathon said, eyes glowing in his pale face as he continued to maintain the disguises “if you do not the plan shall fail. We would be unable to rescue Richard and the others would be in danger. Do you wish that?”

“What about you?” he asked the sorcerer who said “I must remain here until you have Richard in your possession. I cannot create a spell for myself and continue the one on you all as well; it is too much of an effort for me. Besides Peter is having no trouble with his disguise.”

“And why is Andrew staying here with you?”

“He has more power than myself and Gwin, I need his help with keeping the power for the spells up.” And standing next to his father, his own gold eyes glowing, Andrew nodded.

“All right I’ll do it” Lance said reluctantly “but for Rick” and he left the room.

Next out was Tommas as the first important person followed by Sky as the second and with the woman in tow. “What are you going to do?” the woman asked him softly when they were a safe distance from the room. “I will get in, Tommas will dismiss those observing and I shall take him away. If anyone sees us leaving the room I will take their memories and once out of the room we all make our way to the door we came in-I will be masking our presence once we are out of the room. Not even your mutant will see us.”

“You do not need to worry about that,” a gentle voice said in their heads, gentle and familiar. “What do you mean by that sorcerer? What did you do?”

“I saw the mutant through her eyes. He does not wish anyone harm or any sort of pain. He came here because his abilities are too powerful for even him to control so he wanted to get rid of them and be human. When the sponsor realized he could use him he took control of his life.”

You mean that’s why Jeffery stays here? Because the sponsor convinced him he could cure him and now he’s blackmailing him with something?” the woman whispered.

“You know the mutant’s name?”


She nodded “I knew him in High School, we dated. When I started work here we said we would stay in contact but he suddenly stopped writing-that’s when his abilities came in he told me and his life became a living nightmare. When he started working here I tried rekindling our friendship, but he refused and started treating me like everyone else, with a cold shoulder. Now I know why.”

They reached the room to find a surprise outside the door and waiting for them, Jeffery the mutant, a man they recognized as Peter in disguise still and Rick unconscious on a gurney.

* * *

He could hear his name being called over and over again, but couldn’t find the strength or will to open the eyes, even when the voice pleaded for him too. Something was wrong, he knew, it hurt to breathe and think and his higher intelligence had deserted him, along with all body functions. He knew the voice and loved it, wanted to answer more than anything but just couldn’t-no matter how hard he tried nothing seemed to work.

That was until something tugged at his bonds and freed him, something filling his mouth, a little trickling out on either side-something that washed away the pain and made him a little stronger. Memories came, flooding his mind and heart with the taste, images of a life and youth and a past he shared. It wasn’t until he saw an image only one other knew of that he realized who it was and what was happening.

With a chocked yell he was able to close his mouth-despite the hunger that screamed at him to keep feeding-whispering it was the only way to stop the pain and change, telling him it would save him. But he knew it would be condemning himself also to do so. “Rie please, you’re weak and in pain. I want to help you,” the voice sounded close to tears.

Not having the energy or strength to explain he used his mind instead, using the path created by the blood sample to the others mind to show him his fears and what happen to him. “I understand, but you need it!” He sent the image of the Idar leader and overwhelming need for him, that he could cure all his pain and hunger. There was a long pause then a soft reluctant “all right Rie, I’ll get you to him.”

“And I’ll help you” came another voice. Thinking the other might be in danger he pushed the pain back as far as he could and struggled to sit up and clear his eyes enough to look and see whom it was. But his eyes refused to open and he couldn’t even raise his head.

However as he tried another’s thoughts filled his head, memories of another’s life with him through a spell and the overwhelming desire to help free him and learn from them how to do what he needed to protect himself and save his own life.

He couldn’t help but respect the other’s desire to rely only on himself –to want only to learn from them and not have them do it for him. Without hesitation he merged his mind with the other, seeing his memories and all those things he had been through, just as the other saw his-including Sky’s memories on how to control his abilities and the other’s training sessions.

“Thank you” he heard a soft awed voice and felt the other build a shield and wall around his powerful mind strong enough to keep himself from going mad because of it as he was before. He felt a hand touch his burning forehead and a concerned voice whisper his name but when there came soft footsteps to his side he didn’t have the strength to move.


More blood filled his mouth, giving more strength and healing and the promise of swift recovery but unlike the other he this time allowed himself to bury all in feeding for a while. He could feel the mutancy of the blood strengthen his own, helping him and the Idar side fight off the worse of the viruses affects. But before he could take more than a few mouthfuls everything went dark and he blacked out.

When he next came too it was to outside the room with two others. “Sky and Alex” a voice in his head said-but he was too weak and in too much pain to associate names with the faces. He heard a tense conversation between the woman and the mutant who had freed him but it was the sudden smell of fresh blood near his mouth that caught his attention-god, he was SO HUNGRY!

At the first taste he knew it was Sky who fed him, Sky who had come with the others to save him, except with the taste the virus seemed to hiss in triumph and surge forward and at that moment he knew he had a choice, let the virus use Sky’s blood to kill him or use that mutant part of him that was immune to certain drugs to merge with the Idar side and absorb it, mutate it, in which case he knew with certainty he would not only become something completely unknown, different to any other being-a entirely new and unique mutant\Idar but he’d loose any chance at becoming normal again-he would forever more be an Idar.

It was throw away his chance at being with Cathrine or die for it.
There was no choice, death or life.

He opened his mouth slightly to allow the blood to fill it, sliding down his throat and in through his teeth, feeling the affects the blood had on and inside his body. When he was able to open his eyes they locked on to the source of the liquid, not blinking once as he transferred the knowledge of what was going on inside him to the other, if the virus with Sky’s blood proved too powerful for his body to merge with, someone would need to know and go on in his place…

“Richard” Sky’s mouth barely moved as he said the word, shock in his eyes and voice at what he saw in them. Shock and horror grew as he suddenly wrenched his arm back, ignoring the other’s questions of what was wrong as his powerful mind moved through his body and memories, scanning him deeply.

He turned to the others and said urgently “there has to be a cure, some sort of anti-virus to kill it!”

“What is it, Sky?” The man\Peter’s eyes widened, affected by his horror as he asked it, knowing something was wrong. Not having time to explain he thrust the knowledge into their minds, reaching out then “SORCERER HEAR ME!”

“I hear” the medieval mutant’s thoughts came back to him “What is it that you would risk it to call me this way?” Again the mutant vampire didn’t explain; only thrust the knowledge to him. He felt the others horror and concern for his well being and said “I understand. Forget the plan or any disguise, I will summon the others and tell them to leave now. Meet us outside at the van.” The Idar Chief nodded to himself and felt the other withdraw from his mind.

Once they had his attention again Alex spoke “there isn’t a cure, the sponsor never wanted one, but there is a way to neutralize if for a time” and she told him how-the chemical compound needed. However both he and Peter shook their heads “he is immune to that and the virus would use that.”

“Then what are you going to do, it will kill him if you don’t find a way to stop it.”
“That would have too wait until we get to Head Quarters so he can be thoroughly examined, if he can hold on that long.”
“And if not?” Alex asked but the Idar king shrugged helplessly “I do not know.”


They moved quickly towards the front doors, Sky using his mind to shield them when suddenly a clawed weak hand grabbed his arm, stopping them with a sudden desperate thought. They stopped and Sky looked down into the boy’s eyes with a thought “What is it fledgling?”

He sensed the urgent thoughts, knowledge he had just picked up with his agonized mind, desperate and frightened, concern for the life of others. Sky frowned when he picked up images of others in pain and change in the center and the man responsible, Richard’s last wish for him to save them and destroy the man responsible, stop him hurting and killing others.

Whatever it was, it was too important for Sky to ignore and sighed deeply “I understand fledgling and will do so, just hold on” he looked up at Peter “you know where the others are. The three of you take Richard to them. I have more important matters.”

“No, wait! Where are you going?!” Alex exclaimed helplessly as he moved away “we can’t do this without your help!”
“There are other experiment victims here as well as the one you call ‘the sponsor’. Go, I will meet you there.”

The telepathic mutant locked eyes with him for a few seconds and then nodded slowly, turning to Alex and Peter “let’s go.” They reluctantly helped him push the gurney to the front doors and all seemed to he going fine until they got closer to the van. There was a sudden shout, gunfire and they started to run, Jeffery stopping only to pick up Peter and place him on the gurney behind him protectively.

They were almost at the van, barely a few meters away when there was a shot and Jeffery cried out, clutching his chest where a red stain suddenly blossomed. “Jeffery!” Alex cried out in horror but he looked at her firmly and said softly “Go! Leave me, save yourself and the boys!”

“I can’t leave you!” she protested in horror but he locked eyes with her and said painfully “yes you can and you WILL!” With a chocked sob and stiff movements-as if fighting herself-Alex continued to push the gurney towards the van.

Falling to his knees Jeffery gasped in pain, grinding out “one last chance to stop this and make up for my actions.” His eyes set on part of the building, deep with concentration as he thrust everything he had and was out at the same time. As he collapsed there was a bull boom and half the center went up in the roar of flames.

But Jeffery didn’t get to see his work.

Alex managed to get the gurney with Peter and Richard safely to the back of the parked but running van. The child climbed in first while Cathrine-eyes wide-and Payton pulled the boy\Idar, wrists and ankles bloody and burnt with pain and hunger shuddering through his pale and weak body, into the back.

Sky suddenly appeared behind them at the doors, his mouth bloody and they had no doubt the ‘sponsor’ was dead.


He had the mutant man over one shoulder, handing the almost dead telepath to Alex who sobbed once and pulled him in with her. Sky was then just stepping up into the back behind them when something occurred to Cathrine-a sense of Deja ^vu. Sudden horrified knowledge and memory came, Richard’s vision!

Hawko was on the roof of the burning building, firing an arrow at Richard’s heart right now!

Her eyes locked on Sky’s to see identical knowledge as he-in that split second-thrust Richard into the back and down while he spun with a snarl and top lip peeled back-baring his chest as he did. Cathrine knew what he was doing and was helpless to stop it as there was a soft ‘shoock’ noise and the arrow thudded into the man’s chest-a bulls eye in his heart.

Her soft cry of horror echoed the boys, Anna and another, Richard struggling to his knees so he and Payton could pull the Idar king into the back of the van with him, Anna closing the doors so Lance could speed them away. Hearing the cries and the boys horrified sobs Lance called back to them “what happened?”

“Hawko” Cathrine answered softly “he was on the roof watching us.” Followed by a lie “Sky sensed he was about to attack and moved between him and Rick. He’s been shot with an arrow, Lance it’s through the heart.”

“Bastard” and Lance didn’t mean Sky.

Payton and Richard propped the Idar against the side of the van and while Payton moved to encircle his fiancée in his arms as she sobbed. The Indian’s eyes were shut tightly in pain and his hands were feebly trying to pull the plain wooden arrow out but even his great strength was failing in his agony. His top lip was peeled back in a grimace-showing fangs clearly.

Alexandra moved to both their sides, tears staining her face but knowing she should help the one who might be saved “can I do anything?” Sky’s eyes opened and he seemed to relax slightly-or give up fighting “No” he said weakly “I am going. I have known it would happen ever since I made friends with you Richard. The only way I would ever be separated from you is my destruction. It can not be stopped and you must take all my blood.”

“I can not Sky, the change-the virus-will kill me with the power in your blood!”

“You do not see it young one, it will make you all that you are meant to be. With my blood you can go to Eagle, tell him you are the leader now-YOU are their leader.” Richard shook his head in denial, blood tears rolling down his cheeks, his own pain and hunger compared to Sky’s agony and failing life. He rasped weakly “no Sky, you are not going die!”

“I am already dead-I died the day my Dove did-only my body never joined my heart. Promise me Richard that you’ll do as I asked.” Again Richard shook his head “I do not know how to lead, Sky, especially YOUR people.”

“You CAN lead Richard, I see the proof in your friends here. You MUST complete your destiny-the prophecy MUST come to pass. Promise me you will do this before I go Richard. “ Sky’s blood covered hand rose to clutch at the boy\Idars black suit sleeve, eyes dull with agony and his failing life. Rick didn’t speak for a long minute than nodded, lips pressed together “I promise Sky. My word is my bond.”

“I know” the dying Indian’s hand dropped back to the arrow, again trying to weakly pull the arrow out. “Good” he said as his other hand reached up to touch Rick’s bloody cheek and the blood there. Raising the bloody finger to his mouth he licked the liquid slowly off. “BLOOD!” Richard suddenly burst out “you need blood to heal! If I…” he faded off with a hand raised to his neck for Sky grabbed his arm tightly, sudden strength gained by stubbornness.

“Do not dare, young one, I go now willingly.” He suddenly paused with eyes wide in awe at something across from them they couldn’t see. Then-with his voice almost gone-he spoke “I can see Dove now, she is more beautiful than I remember. She is calling me and I will go to her but first, Richard…” He made a motion and still crying he put his ear close to Sky’s mouth.

Sky whispered something and he drew back “are you sure?” Sky nodded and continued out loud “you must destroy Hawko to become mortal again. But first you must fill the prophecy. Do it-take my blood.” Rick nodded and with his last breath Sky whispered “goodbye Richard, Rick.”

Rick leaned forward and fastened his mouth to his friend’s throat, crying still as he drank his friends’ blood as he died. Alex gasped and the others watched as slowly starting from his legs and up-Sky’s body slowly turned to dust. By the time Rick drew back he was sobbing uncontrollably and nothing was left but the suit full of dust. With lips, teeth and tongue bloody he threw himself into Cathrine’s surprised arms and she and Gwin held him while he mourned.

“Poor Rick” Anna murmured as she watched him, holding Peter as Johnathon did Andrew- the two boys sympathetically crying with the boy they saw as an older brother as well as horror of what had just happened. Alex, accessing the memories Johnathon shared with her, finished for the Negro woman “poor Rick-you’ve lost another close friend haven’t you.”


Hours later they returned to HQ. Richard had withdrawn silently from them all and locked himself in his room. The only words he spoke to them before was a strange request for then to bring as much soil as they could carry, enough to fill his bath tub before he closed the door to them all. He refused to open it to any of them-locked against them-including Lance; Cathrine; Anna or even Alex. Lance sat outside the room, sitting against the wall with head back-listening to his son sobbing inside-wishing more than anything he could go in there and comfort him. He was painfully aware that each death was driving him further and further away from him.

Johnathon started past and saw him. Sitting beside his friend he spoke softly “he is changing in there.”

“I know” Lance sighed heavily “I want to go in and be with him, I can’t stand the thought of him drifting from me. We’ve always been close, especially after Dale…” Lance couldn’t continue, suddenly chocked up.

“Easy” Johnathon put a comforting hand on his friends shoulder “he does not know what he is doing to you, does he.” Lance didn’t like the implication that his son was so absorbed in his own pain he couldn’t see his father’s own. However he knew Johnathon didn’t mean it that way so he sighed again “I don’t know. All he knows is he’s loosing those he cares for.”


“He still has you, he will realize that soon.” Johnathon said, trying to comfort him. “I don’t know” Lance repeated with a third sigh “I don’t think he will. He’s trying to distance himself from us so if he looses anyone else it doesn’t matter.” There was a long pause and then Johnathon continued, “I sense that his mental change is not all that is happening to him.”

Lance looked at him “what do you mean?”

“Taking all the blood from Sky mixing with the poison is drastically changing him. That is the reason he asked for the earth, he seems to be developing a connection to it, a kind of affinity with it. That is the main reason he wants you to stay away. He is frightened of what is happening to him and he is afraid of loosing his friends for fear of his change.”

“But he won’t” Lance protested but Johnathon shrugged “HE thinks he will. I could teleport you in, but I would need to build you a shield around your mind.”

“Why?”

“He seems to have developed mental abilities among others. He is broadcasting his pain and agony so strongly he is giving Gwin and I a headache-Anna and Payton are probably getting it worse.”

“All right” Lance nodded his consent as they both stood up, the sorcerer leaning on his staff heavily so that the other man frowned at him in concern “Johnathon?”

“I am fine” the sorcerer insisted but Lance wasn’t so positive “You sure? You used up a lot of energy today and…”
The thin man sighed at this “honestly sometimes you are as bad as Steven. I know my limits and what I can or not do. I need only one sitter.” As if realizing what he said Johnathon apologized “I did not mean to be curt with you my friend. I am sorry.”

Lance was surprised at this, he hadn’t realized he was being curt until AFTER the apology, the sorcerers voice had remained it’s usual calm and musical all the time. Come to think of it he had never seen him angry before either. He had always been the calm conscious of the group. It seemed what was happening to Rick wasn’t just affecting Lance.

When the thin man reached up with one hand to massage his forehead, wincing in pain, Lance remembered and said “all right, do it, shield my mind.” The sorcerer touched his forehead with fingertips and murmured arcane words for a few seconds. For a brief minute Lance’s head felt heavy and his thoughts cloudy, but then it lifted and he felt normal again.

The sorcerer drew back with “it is done. I will send you in now, Ready?”

The blond man nodded, allowing the thin man to touch his forehead again. There was a flash of light and when his eyes cleared he was in the dark locked room filled with the smell of sweat and tears and the oppressive feel of grief and pain.

The figure in the tub was naked except for a pair of briefs, buried up to his chest and had his head buried in pillows to muffle his cries, his arms out and locked to the taps. His feet were buried deep with legs, his skin darkening slowly and slightly and his wings were stretching and growing painfully. As Lance watched the fully extended wings pushed upwards, cracking loudly as the bones grew further out of his back to allow them more length and as he watched what could only be described as knuckles became obvious not far down from the base of the actual membrane area, allowing the wings to-to his shock-turn sideways as well as up and down.

That would mean he could hover on one spot while flying-whether he was horizontal or vertical.

When there came another crack and Richard’s back arched-crying out in pain-Lance rushed to his side. Pulling one of his son’s hands from the tap he held it as he sat beside it, on the toilet with lid down for a seat, and said soothingly “I’m here Rick, I won’t leave you alone. Just relax for me and ride it out. If you fight it, it will only make it hurt more.”

“Unnn, father” the boy’s sweat-covered head turned towards him, his eyes vacant except for the pain, the red cat eyes swollen and glowing in and out as if fighting to focus. “Let go of the pain, Rick” Lance said soothingly to him “it won’t hurt as much if you relax and let it come.”

“Arh!” Rick cried out before managing “can not dad. Be full like-oh god-Sky” followed by a long agony filled moan. “But Sky said you wouldn’t-only if you died or was killed-it would only enhance you. Has he ever lied to you before?”

“No” he moaned, looking long and hard at his father and then with an effort relaxed as his body shuddered in pain. “That’s it” Lance smiled, soothingly patting his hand “try squeezing my hand when the pain comes.”

Rick did, moaning occasionally and squeezing his father’s hand when it got too strong to ignore. His body stretched longer and became more muscular, mouth widening and fanged teeth growing longer-curved like snake fangs. His skin darkened an American Indian’s copper brown color-brown streaks in the hair. Finally he lay still panting slightly. “That it?” Lance asked and he nodded, moaning slightly “I think so.”

Just as Lance was about to relax Richard gave a scream so strong it was chocked by pain and his back arched so high his father feared he’d snap his spine. His grip on his hand tightened so much Lance gasped in pain and felt the shield around
his mind bend dangerously under the force. But just as suddenly it was gone and strength and power flooded Richards mind and body-but also exhaustion from the change and pain and the effort to fight the worse of it off.

Seeing this Lance gently removed his son’s hand from his and rose, bending to kiss his sweat covered forehead “sleep Rick, let your body regain its strength and finish adapting. When you awoke I’ll be here with you.” While Lance moved to the sink to get a bowl of cool water and a cloth to bathe his burning forehead Rick whispered, “goodbye Sky, Celine, mother. Wherever you are I hope you take care of each other” then by sudden inspiration he murmured sleepily “take care of them for me Zealer.”

“What did you say Rick?” The boy only looked at his father-gratitude on his face and eyes. Lance didn’t need to hear the words, he understood “I know and understand son. Sleep safe.” Richard’s eyes drifted closed and he was almost instantly asleep.


The next night Rick was up and around. He told them only he was going to see Eagle and taking the half-dead form of the telepathic mutant with him before turning to go. Payton stopped him though with “Anna and I are coming with you.” He looked at them critically with a suspicious “why?”


“Your first encounter with them they locked you up and left you beaten and drained-not to mention mentally violated-in that cell. They may be Sky’s people but not any of them are worth your trust yet.” Rick’s eyes narrowed at the mutant\Idar “and you’re saying I can not take care of myself now.”

“No” Payton returned the look equally, locking eyes with him in a show of determination “but you mean more to us all here then you do to them. He may have been Sky’s childhood best friend but I don’t trust Eagle as far as I can throw him, even with Sky’s memories in me.”

“But I will be taking the dogs with me. I think they shall be so excited or shocked over them that even Eagle will forget to be angry. Besides, I tasted Eagle’s blood, I know he would not hurt me now.”

“What makes you so sure?” Lance asked him and he looked at him while he spoke “as we taste another’s blood we taste their life and soul. I know him now as he would if I ever let him taste mine.”

“You’re not going to, are you?” This horrified lance. “Not unless I do not have a choice, but I HAVE to go now, they have to know about Sky.” Payton sighed deeply “then we’re coming, I don’t care what you say. We’re half-Idar so we’re allowed and if they do try to hurt you we can help.”

Richard locked eyes with him briefly then sighed deeply and nodded “all right, as long as you say silent and in the back ground unless I ask.” Anna spoke before her fiancée could “we understand, and we’ll do it.”


They reached the Idar caves without incident from either Hawko or Zimmer, the dogs following and keeping pace easily over rough terrain, an eager look in their eyes as if they knew where they were being lead. Once they reached the caves the dogs used a thin path up the mountain and met them at the entrance where Rick turned to Payton and his love, handing the mutant\Idar the almost dead mutant as he said, “I will go first, the dogs next and then you both. We may be able to get one to turn Jeffrey to save his life. Hopefully seeing me alone will be a sign of peace, then the dogs will relax them and get them to open up so by the time you come through they essentially will care not if you are there.”

Before the engaged couple could speak to argue or protest he had changed form, followed by the dogs surprisingly who each shrank to the size of rats and followed him in, one after the other in a flood of miniature canines. At this Anna and Payton exchanged looks, was Rick doing this or was it the animals themselves?

Anna shrugged and they waited until the flood stopped, waiting until they felt the sudden urgent summons before changing and entering themselves, something was seriously wrong. What they found was the boy limp in Eagle’s embrace-the Idar obviously feeding from his neck.