More Meteor Showers Bring Even Stranger Powers. (O/A)

[BeaMichelle]

Theresa squeezed Theonis' hand and nodded quickly. The sense of warmth that came from his concern made her want to smile, but it was still hard for her to do anything more than blush a little bit at that point.

"Better." she confirmed.  

[Nova Blancke]

Legio prepared himself for her next move but...nothing came. Was this it? The orange aura faded. Then..she started letting it all out. What happened to the strong woman that fought him before?

"You forced my hand. You with your strength and prowess had managed to wear me out. You made a mistake and died for it. I have given you a second chance with this. With your death their daughter....YOUR daughter and her family would have to finish it. And Trinity isn't as strong as you are. You do not want that burden to fall upon them even if fate is forcing it. You'd break Fate's knees if you had to. Letting you die would have been...a waste."

"I will not pity you. You do not deserve such disrespect. You wished for a fight, I granted that request."

"If you claim you soul is stained then I will devour that stain. I will devour the monster that you fear of becoming. I will take it all! I will devour it all!" Legio stated before extending a hand to help her get back up.

"Now get up. Or is self-pity your new standard?"

"Sorry you had to see that Tom." Crystalion responded

"Maybe I should go alone if that's the safest. I'd rather not endanger Dawn or Leo."  

[Nova Blancke]

"Okay." Theo responded. He had his doubts that his father had any information that was useful to them. Maybe there was....ha yeah he could do that.

"Did you know you have two grandchildren?"

"Wonder Woman...ah that's from one of those Marvel comics right? I suppose if she is as strong and durable as me then it's accurate." She replied thinking about this Wonder Woman.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

The wolf went silent as she listened to Legio...compliment her? Try to cheer her up? Empower her mentally? Whatever you wanted to call it, it was something she didn't think he was capable of.

Then he mentioned self pity. She wished it was that easy. It brought up a moment from Freya's youth. She was thirteen, and it was just a few months before her father had died.

____________________________________________________________

Freya took several jabs and strikes to her torso and legs. Just as she collected her senses, she was smashed in the forehead with the handle of a bokuto. She stumbled backward, tripped on her own heels, and hit the ground hard with her palms and rear. She glared up at the culprit, her twin brother, and growled. The fire in her eyes was wild and furious.

Teshoumaru raised his chin and looked down at her. He slid the bokuto back into it's sheath and widened his stance in preparation to meet her inevitable animalistic retaliation with a horizontal Iai strike.

Freya hated that look. She could feel her muscles tense with anger, and the welts that started to form where she was struck. She pushed back with her heels and flipped backward on one hand. She swiftly dropped to all fours and pounced toward Teshoumaru.

But then her fist and his sword were stopped before they could make contact. Between the siblings was their father, Kotetsumaru. "Enough!" he barked. "I have warned you both about the line between training and assault. Once again, that line has been crossed. Freya, take a knee and wait for me to speak with you."

Freya grimaced at her father and snatched her wrist back from his grip. Despite her harsh gaze, she could feel tears start to build in spite of herself. She huffed loudly and walked to the closest corner of the sparing ground.

Kotetsumaru shook his head. He looked down at his only son and spoke in a hushed tone. "Teshoumaru, I don't think I need to tell you where you went wrong. Do I?"

"...No Father."

The grand master studied his son for a moment. He then sighed, and placed a hand on Teshoumaru's shoulder. "I need to have a word alone with your sister. Please go to your room and meditate on your actions. I will be there to speak with you once I'm done."

Teshoumaru shifted his gaze toward his twin sister for just a few seconds. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He looked back up to his father and said in a tone that could be taken a few ways, "Of course, Father."

Kotetsumaru turned away from his son and listened to him walk away. Once he was sure they were alone, he strode up to his youngest daughter and ordered, "Stand Freya, unless self-pity is your new standard. Then you may feel free to remain on the ground."

Freya ground her teeth and rose quickly to face her father defiantly.

The father raised a brow and said, "So, not self-pity then. Then what is it that caused your cheeks to be stained by tears, daughter?"

Freya wiped her face and eyes harshly. She replied sarcastically, "Oh I'm sorry, Dad. Maybe it has to do with the crap Teshou was spewing before he smashed my head with a wooden sword. Or God forbid I feel anything negative about what's coming, again, in a few hours. Y'know, that thing that we both suffer. Seriously, what kind of stupid question is that?"

Kotetsumaru had long ago resigned himself to the fact that Freya would occasionally lash out and more than occasionally lack any form of decorum. Nevertheless, he hoped to help her reign it in before he met his inevitable end.

"Your flagrant disrespect aside, Freya, I ask because I sense a turmoil within you beyond the coming lunar event." he said calmly.

He lowered himself to the ground and sat with his legs crossed. He held out his hand to the ground beneath Freya and silently ask that she sit as well.

Freya sighed and sat crossed legged. Previous encounters taught her that her father would sit in silence until she calmed herself. So she started the exercise of crossing her fingers in her lap, palms open and up. She took a serious of deep breaths with prolonged exhales. A minute later, she did actually feel a bit better.

"I have never seen you lose to your brother so easily. It was both expected and unsurprising."

Before his daughter could utter a word, Kotetsumaru held a hand up to ask that she let him complete his thought. "I have trained you both since before you could read. During that time, I have also seen the stark difference in your two fighting styles. Freya, tense the muscles in your body, if you please."

A practical lesson. Freya did as she was asked and consciously tensed her entire body. She was waited for her father to continue to speak, but he remained silent. After almost a minute, she could feel the frustration growing within her along with the fatigue in her muscles.

"Right about now, your mind has become frustrated and your body tired. Your mind starts to wander, and you most likely want to finish this as soon as possible. You may relax now."

She hated when he tricked her into one of his points. She exhaled and released the tension in her muscles.

"How do you think Teshoumaru beat you?"

"Obviously he's finally pulled ahead of me. He's faster and stronger than I'd ever seen him before."

"Is it obvious? Strange, because I witnessed something a bit different. While it is true that he has improved, it is not at a rate that is faster than you. Our curse, while just that, does bestow us with strength and speed beyond that of a normal human. He has had to fight an uphill battle just to keep up with you. But he overcame that today...by simply speaking to you."

Here it comes.

"His words struck a nerve in your mind and spirit. So you did what you always do, and you allowed your anger to take control. To be clear, I do not approve of his choice of words, and I will speak with him on that matter, but what he did was exploit your greatest weakness. While you're skill is astounding, you have all but ignored the mental aspect of combat."

"But Dad-!"

Kotetsumaru raised his hand again. His tone became less authoritative and more fatherly. "I have tried to help you channel your anger, Freya. Focusing it has given you great power. But like your tensed muscles, it is unsustainable. Your power comes in a burst, and your struggle to maintain that level of strength leads to frustration and mistakes. I know...all to well...the self loathing and rage that comes with our condition. But anger, turned inward, is a poison that will destroy you much faster than the curse will."

Freya tensed her fists and looked down and away from her father. Once again, he was right. She hated when he was right. Almost as much as she hated her own existence.

Kotetsumaru shuffled forward and placed his hand on her head gently. "I know it probably wont happen within what little time I have left, but I hope that you find peace one day, Freya. You rely on your anger to make you more powerful. But you could be so much stronger, so much faster, if you could just-"

_____________________________________________________________

...let go.

The wolf huffed and gently pushed Legio's hand back toward him. She pushed up on her knees and stood up by herself. She rubbed her eyes dry with her forearm, folded her arms, and scoffed, "Self-pity? Pft, like I'd ever feel sorry for myself. That lighting just screwed up my head for a sec. s**t hurts, y'know? Not that you'd know anything about physical pain. You wanna built up your knowledge, it's time for a lesson from...s**t, I don't actually have a name..um...Ffffenrrrrris? Yeah, Fenris' school of hurt."

Fenris shook the tension from her body and danced in place for a second to establish a rhythm. She took a few practice jabs and crosses, then flicked her nose with her thumb; mimicking Bruce Lee. She was actually grateful to Legio for talking her out of her funk, but there was no way she was going to let him know that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tom nodded and turned in his seat to face Ravan. He then removed the bandanna from his head to reveal the third eye. He pried one of Ravan's eyes open, but kept her pointed away for the time to keep himself from going blind.

"One last thing, for the time being, I'm going to make your projection hazy to her. You'll appear familiar, but unidentifiable. That way you can navigate easily, but avoid any sort of...drama that might ignite between you and her. Sorry, but I did glean a bit of a divide between you two. No details, but her perception of you is...tumultuous to say the least. Since she's unconscious, you should start at a location familiar to the both of you. Place your hand on my back once you're ready. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leonard craned his neck to look to his son. His expression was much like the many perplexed and exasperated fathers before him. "Son, either you're playing a highly ill-timed prank on me, or you were doing a lot more than studying in school before the accident."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damien smiled and shook his head at his mother's attempt to be cool. "Mom, it's DC not...*sigh* not important. But yea, the kids see you as a superhero. And I think it's time for the hero to make her triumphant return."

He walked up to Cassandra and hugged her tightly. "Thanks for looking out for me, Mom."

Damien let go of her and took a few steps away. There was work to be done. He closed his eyes and concentrated just as he did before. His body disintegrated and dispersed into the microcosm. He then reassembled himself just outside of the room Theonis, Leonard, and Theresa were in. He took a deep breath to steel himself, and rapped on the open door gently to let them know they had a visitor.

"Um...hello everyone. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."  

[PixelMuse]

Nova Blancke

"But are you serious Trinity. You wanna protect this thing? Something that happily torments others for fun and was part of a very recent genocide? The one that left our princess here without any people to rule?"

Trinity narrowed her eyes and made a fist. But knowing that was not going to get anywhere. She pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled and folded her arms. “Look. I know she may not be an ideal candidate to get information from but she’s what we got. I’m hoping with what information we do get we are able to prevent another genocide. Now, she’s willing to help us and as long as that holds true then she’s under my protection.”

“Besides it wasn’t long ago you and Casandra were attacking Valhalla and on top of that people tend to question your sanity too, Alexavier.”

“Despite that I know you are fully capable and already have seen what this looks like. However… I trust Rydia more with keeping Chariot alive and ensure that she can speak with us.”

“What does your eye say to you about working together with Alexavier?” she needed to know for certain that this could work before putting Chariot to such a risk.  

[Nova Blancke]

"I'm actually quite serious. Sure I was ...active during college, this is not about that. What do you know about alternate timelines?" Theo asked with a small playful grin. This was going to be fun.

But then there was a knock on the door and Damian entered. Though he looked...older? Theo wrote it off to Damian's origin. Before he answered he looked at his father who, for all he knew, was looking at Shane. He was the splitting image of him after all.

"It's not Shane by the way. In case you didn't know."

Turning his attention back to Damian he responded to him.

"Damian. Decided to grow up?"

Legio noticed her change in demeanor after having his hand pushed back. But a lot more gentler than he expected.

"Fenris....the name Amarok came to mind but Fenris...suits you more."

"I do not feel pain Fenris. So class would be dismissed." He took a combat stance." But I assume it would be detention instead?"

Crystalion took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I think we are both right in that particular matter..."She said." But I'll talk to her about it if she'll let me....I'm ready." She said and placed her hand on his back.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Rydia looked from Alexavier, to Chariot, and then back to Trinity. She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It's doable, so long as he's able to take directions and work with me. My power can render the foreign body inert, but I would have to rip it through her head and cause unimaginable pain. He can open the head, but the thing would fight the whole way and cause brain damage. But together, I can pacify and remove while he opens then closes a way through her head with minimal pain."

Chariot squirmed against her restraints. None of what was being said sounded good to her.

The Princess looked to Alexavier and asked, "So, can you put your hubris aside to work in tandem with me?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leonard was indeed taken aback by the appearance of a teenage Shane Morris standing at the doorway. He wanted to press Theonis on the details, but the boy that looked like Shane apparently had business to attend to.

Damien scratched at his cheekbone apprehensively in regards to Theonis' question. "Not exactly. It, um, happened because I...it's a side effect of having consumed one of the soldiers." he muttered.

Leonard piped, "It certainly sounds like something Shane could do."

Damien grimaced at the doctor and took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "I'm here because I can feel the best recipient for Earth's boon in this room."

He peek around Theonis and saw the withdrawn Theresa holding her brother's hand. He smiled kindly and said, "Hello. I'm Damien. What's your name?"

The doctor looked nervously between Damien and Theresa. "Just a moment. What do you mean Earth's boon? Why are you looking at her? Theo, do you know what he's taking about?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fenris grinned as she thought to herself, "Detention is right, a*****e. I'm gonna punish the ever living s**t out of you." Followed by that thought was an unconscious reaction from her tail. It began to wag in delight at the idea of dominating Legio. The grin quickly faded, and she looked behind at her treacherous limb.

"The ********? No no no! Cut that s**t out!" she demanded of her own body while she grabbed her appendage to keep it from moving. If her blush were visible through her fur, her face would be a deep crimson.

Once she'd calmed her lower half, she cleared her throat and faced Legio again. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just excited at the idea of surpassing my limits and becoming stronger than I was five minutes ago."

"Okay. I can do this. I just have to let go of decades of Freya and Okami's fear, anger, and self-loathing. No problem...yup."

The more she thought about it, the much more difficult it seemed. She couldn't believe it, but she was actually thinking back on Legio's words regarding her perseverance. She was going to break the knees of her past. She wasn't Freya or Okami. She was her own being given life by their sacrifice. She would do what they couldn't accomplish separately.

She look a deep breath and let it out slowly. She repeated her breaths as she switched her stance and style to that of her least favorite style, Tai Chi Chuan. She closed her eyes and focused on the ebb and flow of the air and environment around her. She concentrated on purging her thoughts of negativity. She also did not attempt to ignite her aura as most of them were dependent on aggression.

Despite that, and unknown to her, the environment around her began to respond to her breathing. Like a spreading wave, the flora and particles in the air moved in and away from her along with her breaths. Quick flashes of color licked around her in an iridescent dance.

She exhaled one last time and opened her eyes. The golden orbs were no longer tired, and they lacked the fury that usually burned brightly through them. They were as focused and determined as her spirit. The aura that she'd started to generate, while incomplete, gave her an heir of tranquility.

"Let's do this." she breathed.

The ground between them shifted before she did. In the blink of an eye, she was within striking distance with an open stance palm strike to his solar plexus. While it was only one strike from her hand, the imperfect aura compounded on it by repeating the motion with her in a blur of repeated lustrous blows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tom took a deep breath and turned Ravan's head until her beacons were aligned with his third eye. There was a sense of falling followed by an expansive darkness. A moment later, a world began to compile itself from the darkness. It would be familiar to any who'd been there before. A Hellscape of fire, shattered ruins of a civilization years dead, and slithering creatures in search of the last remnants of that civilization. Above it was the great eye that always looked down from above from it's setting in a mass of flesh, small eyes, and many mouths that blocked the sky over every horizon. What was different, however, was the swirling column of darkness that spun beneath the great eye.

The world slid upward as the subterranean refuge constructed itself. It was the home that they'd inhabited the longest after Ravan had been taken into their fold; cleared out and adapted from the basement of an abandoned military outpost. Foil blankets, MRE wrappers, and empty cans littered the odd corner where people made their little bits of private space.

In a secluded corner away from the rubbish was a child no older than six or seven. She hugged herself while rocking gently as small whimpers escaped her chapped, pale lips. Her long platinum blonde hair was matted and dingy from years of neglect. Her pale skin showed bruises and lacerations at various stages of healing. The gaps in the rags she wore revealed her emaciated, filthy form as her ribs vibrated with each spasm of breath. She was wrapped in her own little world at that moment and hadn't noticed anything yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alec smiled and reassured her, "The only things I'm offering are knowledge and memories. That way you don't feel like you've missed anything. In flash you'll see what I've seen and know what I've learned. The only thing that should happen is you feel like you were there with me through it all...good and bad."

"I should warn you, though. Crosis shared a lot with me. Some of it might freak you out the way it freaked me out. It's pretty heavy stuff like where our powers come from and what the original plan of the Ancients was."  

[BeaMichelle]

Theresa carefully watched the new boy as he talked to everyone. Theonis and the doctor seemed to recognize him, but there was something about Damien that she didn't like. He mentioned something about a boon. She'd heard some of the others adults mention that word. She still didn't understand what it meant.

Then he looked to her and smiled. Theresa's eyes widened like a surprised cat. She pulled on Theonis' hand and pulled herself toward him while the wheels of her office chair squeaked. She wasn't afraid of Damien, not really, but she was apprehensive enough to want to shoot him in the head. The only thing that kept her from doing it was that Theonis was friendly with the boy. In the brief time she'd been at Valhalla she'd learned that anyone Theonis was friendly with were mostly safe people.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec took a deep breath and concentrated on his past two years while opening his mind and heart to Kerana. A warm blue glow emanates from where their hands made contact.

There is a flash that is only visible to Kerana. A vision of Crosis approaching a balled up and crying Alec appeared before her.

"Stand, boy. Though you have no recollection, this is not the first time you've come to my domain."

"Kerana..." Alec whimpered

"Is alive and well. What you saw was a product of my sister's dead dream dust. You gave into your fear and died."

Alec looked up at the hooded figure and swallowed hard. "So, that means you're-"

"Welcoming you for the third time. A rarity to be certain, but one that can be of use to me. It so happens that I need the assistance of one who is attuned to death in a matter of great importance. Though time runs much slower hear, we still have little to spare."

*FLASH*

It is a few hours later and Alec is witnessing a projection of the last memories of Crosis' home.

"What the Hell?!" Alec wheezed as he shook his head in disbelief.

"The Decaelum, that which covers the sky. It could also be called the Hellstar, since it comes from deep in the cosmos. It shouldn't be that unfamiliar to you. The Legion creature you were a part of is a harbinger of it's arrival. And the meteors? Those are it's eggs."

Crosis proceeds to explain how their parents created the barrier, and the ancients disseminated their essence to the ancestors of all living creatures which resulted in a partial immunity to the meteors that granted metahuman abilities drawn from the source and mutations instead of immediate death or corruption.

"The source...seriously?"

"Do not conflate the spring of our power with the fictional force from your Sky War."

"It's actually Star Wa-"

"That is not important! Now come, I will show you the source."

*Flash*

Crosis has brought Alec to the Well of Souls. He explained that Metahumans are empowered by the fallen of the empowered dead, and they from the empowered of the ancient's home, and they from souls past time and time again in a chain with no perceivable beginning. He does not know how the meteors bring about a connection to it.

"So hicce, humans, are the last chance of stopping the Hellstar before it destroys Earth and continues the cycle anew on another planet. The eight are brought to the Lunar Spire at a time when the barrier is week so that they can finally destroy it."

"Wait...the moon? We've been there. We would have seen a spire."

"Not if it's in the shadow realm, and not if it's on the side of the moon that always faces the Earth. But that plan may no longer work. There is another way, but you must be stronger if it will work."

*FLASH*

Alec's soul, no longer in need of sleep or food, underwent conditioning and training at all times (except when Crosis felt like talking or Alec had a question) to properly control his boon and use all aspects of it. He is taught how to enter the Terminal state, given his own weapon, granted the ability to harvest souls, informed on the limits and balance of life and death, and helped to use his future sight to a greater degree. All the while, he pined for the girl he left behind.

*FLASH*

Alec is sat in a chair. His eyes are dark as he looked to the future. His head slowly raised, and he looked in the direction of Kerana's POV in his memory. His mouth went agape as he saw of vision of her looking into his memories. "Kerana?" he asked with a lilt of hope and confusion.

*FLASH*

Alec is being taught to assist Crosis in the mass harvest and transferal of souls to make Death's plan work. Slowly, a calm glow envelopes Alec. The suddenly becomes a blinding light that he shields his eyes from. When his eyes open again, he is laying on his back and looking at Kerana.

There is one last flash and the Valhalla cafeteria is back in view.

Alec gasped softly and withdrew his hand. He took a sip of his water and waited a moment to collect himself before he attempted to speak."You okay Kerana? I know it's a lot to take in."  

[Nova Blancke]

Theo did NOT like where this was going. He had just received Wind's Boon...by hosting Chinook. It meant he had a big part to play in the upcoming battle for the survival of the freaking planet. He had accepted that and felt sort of obligated. But Theresa? Hell no.

It was hard to not notice her own response. Theo got up and look Damian in the eyes and spoke very firm, commanding even.

"Find. Someone. Else. She will not be a part of this. She's been through enough."

"Hubris? My lady I can guaranty you, I am extraordinary humble! But yeah sure thing. I'm sure the bossman will want us to do the same to his dad in the other room. This is good practice."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Damien tilted his head slightly, maintained an level expression, and drawled, "With all due respect, Mister Richards, it isn't your choice to make."

The tone between Damien and Theonis created an almost palpable tension in the room. It made Leonard incredibly nervous. He licked his dry lips anxiously and asked, "What're the two of you talking about? Part of what?"

Damien didn't take his eyes off of Theonis as he addressed the doctor's concern. "Something is coming, sir. There is a power at work to hasten the arrival that something, and other powers that are trying to stop it from happening. The latter powers have tasked me with empowering a handful of metahumans to face off against he former power."

Leonard swallowed hard and asked, "These powers, are they called Ancients?"

Damien's curiosity was piqued. He turned to look at the doctor. His eyes narrowed when he noticed something. "You've been corrupted by one of them." he stated flatly. "So you know how dangerous the one working against us is."

He turned his attention back to Theonis and sighed, "Look...I wish there were another way. I don't like this anymore than you do. I can tell that the two of you are close, but that makes her candidacy even better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rydia sighed, uncrossed her arms, and pushed herself off the wall. "Good. Let's begin."

Chariot grit her teeth and pulled against the restraints.

"Stop that. You're going to open your wounds if you keep that up." Rydia chided.

"I don't care! I'm not going to let you dig around in my h-"

Rydia reared back and punched Chariot squarely between her eyes which knocked the blond sadist out cold. The princess shook her hand to wave away the pain from striking the girl. "Sorry Trinity, but it's better if she stays still. That and still I owe her for the part she played in the genocide of my people."

She glared down at Chariot while she tightened her restraints and whispered, "This is just a fraction of the pain you deserve."

She stood back up, pointed at where she struck Chariot, and looked to Alexavier. "Do you see where she's starting to bruise? Split her skull open there when I give you the word."

Rydia took a step back and put her hands out. A glowing, ghostly pair of hands emanated from hers and halted above and below Chariot's head. She gently waved her hands, which in turn worked her spirit hands, inside and through the girl's head. She could feel the corruption spread although out Chariot's brain. If she had to describe it, it felt like collecting dust into one pile.

Once she felt she had contained the foreign body, she started to work it toward the front of Chariot's head, where she could feel the thing just then start to squirm and become solid. Rydia closed her fingers to keep it from moving.

"Okay. On one, start to open her head. I'll pull it out on three. You'll have to close and seal her wound after it's out."

"One. Two...three!"  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec was amazed at how quickly Kerana was adapting to not only the situation but her own powers. But then again, she literally never ceased to amaze him.

"He was under the impression that after losing so many of his kind that there'd be no way to grant their boons. He was so focused on gathering souls for his plan that he paid no attention to what Damien was doing. Plus, I'm sure that hunk of meteor that was stuck in his chest wasn't making it any easier for him to think straight. I didn't think anything of it since I was also suffering from tunnel vision."

Alec mulled on her other line of questioning. His mother had told him time and again how lucky he was to have come home at all. Ironic considering she was right there and backed her Dad up on throwing him out of the house after he came into contact with a meteor that had fallen in the common area of his school.

"Well, there was yesterday. That was number three. Number two was when I was consumed by Shane last month. The first time I died was actually right after I was born. Mom told me that my heart was weak, and that the stress of being born was enough for it to just peter out. I was clinically dead for almost two minutes before the doctor's were able to get it going again."

"It's funny. I feel better today than I have in my entire life. All I had to do was die three times and become Death's apprentice. But then again, maybe I have you to thank for my vigor." He said with an awkward smile.

Something occurred to him right at that moment. The memories of his Mom made him remember one of Kerana's biggest worries.

"Hey! Trinity and the others freed the prisoners from Daedalus HQ, right? That means your parents would be free, right?" he blurted out with a shuddering excitement.