DISCLAIMER: The characters of John, Carol, Kenny, Stephen, Tim, Ginge and Chris Harding, Lefty, Harry Steen and Peter, the Time Guardian and the Galactic Federation are the sole property of Thames Entertainment and Nickelodeon. Although I have given names to certain relatives of the Tomorrow People, they are the property of Thames and Nickelodeon also. Warren Gray, Kim Sterling, Joe Atherton, Astra Utana, Morlan, Damian, ATP's (advanced telepaths) VP's (viopaths) and AVP's (advanced viopaths) are characters and concepts of my own and shouldn't be used without first contacting me.
Authors Notes: Welcome to the eighth installment of Advanced Warnings......again. Us authors are busy people in the real world which is why this revised version is so long in coming out. To explain in hasty detail, somehow a page or two got printed twice in the final version which made the scene of the TP's going back in time through their walking along the corridors of a castle come out quite confusing. And since time travel is confusing enough as it is, I have remedied the situation. Although since this will be on a certain 'Alternate Realities' site soon and if you haven't heard of Wendy's site, then just enjoy the story. You haven't missed anything.
And of course, this takes place in a period of time between the first and second seasons of the series.....The Vanishing Earth and the Blue and the Gray.
HISTORIANS NOTE: The events that are explained about the year 1096, the places of Worms and Swabia and the person called Count Emich and his subsequent actions against the jews in that particular village have all actually taken place in real life.
Special thanks as always to Wendy for letting me put my stories in her archives and Michele for letting my stories have another home as well.
Any criticisms, good or bad can be e-mailed to me at phdgarrett@worldnet.att.com. And now once again, on with the story.
STORY SO FAR: A childhood friend of John's named Warren Gray has become a Tomorrow Person. As Warren reluctantly accepts this turn of events, they are confronted with the kidnapping of Carol's sister. Helped by a Federation agent named Kim Sterling, they rescue her from the Frakth. The rescue brings them to the attention of the Frakths master who goes only by the name. of Damian. He immediately comes to Earth and realizing Warrens potential, sets in motion the building of a machine that will take him back to Earth's past. He also tests the extent of the Tomorrow Peoples abilities by manipulating events and the people closest to them. As Warrren shows increasingly hostile and violent traits, Tim also make the discovery that the young man is turning out to be another type of telepath altogether. Other personal events have included the choosing of an ambassador for the Federation, Kenny asking Stephen to go with him to the Trig and Warren and Carol's growing relationship as well as her estrangement from her family. Seeing how his friend is acting is making John over-protective of his friend, who is increasingly worried about his stronger than average powers. Meanwhile Kim and her mentor, Astra Utana, have knowledge of Warren's impending metamorphosis and sends Kim back to Earth. Damian captures John, Kenny and Stephen and confronts Warren, forcing him through his final metamorphosis. In the process, he destroys the lab. critically wounds Time and captures Warren. Using very advanced healing techniques to heal Tim and receiving some unexpected help from Ginge, Chris, Lefty and their motorcycle gang, Kim and Carol go to the place where Damian has the others hostage. As Kim distracts Damian, Carol and the others rescue their friends. During that time, Warren tells the others to leave while he takes out the AVP. As the others make a run for it, their fight causes the building to explode. A search is conducted but no trace of them is found and it is assumed that they are lost in the time stream. Before they can decide on a course of action, they are graced by the unexpected arrivals of Job Atherton (Warren's mentor from Chicago) and Peter, the Time Guardian.
October 7, 1973
8:00 p.m.
John materialized in the backyard of his home. He was a mixture of emotions as he slowly walked up to the steps. What would he tell his father? What would he tell Job? He had failed everybody. He turned around and sat on the top step, putting his head in his hands.
What could I have done differently? What?!
Anguished thoughts continued to surface as the young leader continued to go through all the 'what-ifs' and 'maybes'. But in the end, when it came down to it. He had done all he could. They all did, with what little information that they had. Even Tim hadn't known.
At least not enough.
He wondered, not for the first time, why the Federation would be so lax on information pertaining to VP's and ATP's. It would've saved everybody a lot of grief if they had known what they could've done for Warren. He found his frustration and anger suddenly focused on this mysterious group of different telepathic alien races, who were supposedly allied for the betterment of the galaxy.
The screen door creaked open and he turned to regard his father looking down at him, concern in his eyes.
"What are you doing just sitting out here, son? I was just telling Mr. Atherton about the time when you were looking for Warren after he received the bad news about his parents."
The elder Halloway quickly looked around the yard, "Where is he anyway?"
John looked away for a bit as he spoke, "There's been a problem dad."
Thomas Halloway looked down at the worried face of his son. It was almost as if the young leader of the Tomorrow People had aged a few years. That wasn't a good sign. He hadn't seen his son that way since the incident with Kenny's breakout almost two years ago. He put a hand to John's shoulder.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing your mother isn't here. Let's go inside and we'll talk about it with Job."
***
Astra Utana's suggestion that everybody relax and eat something had seemed appropriate, particularly since most of them hadn't eaten anything at all since yesterday. She looked around at the semi-damaged lab. Damian had almost succeeded in destroying the young telepaths safe haven. As the others were eating she had checked Tim's insides. They still weren't operating at the efficiency that the biotronic computer was used to, but she applied her advanced healing powers to help him retain certain parts of his memories. At least until a qualified expert in biotronics could be sent down to get him back in tip-top shape.
As she sat back down, she could sense the mood in the room was of one that no one knew where it would take them. Today was supposed to have been a grand day for the telepaths of Earth. They were to have made more direct contact with the Federation and to decide who would be leaving for a position as an ambassador for Earth. But Damian had changed all that.
The sudden arrival of the time guardian known as Peter had everybody on edge. It wasn't to often that a telepath would meet a time guardian, besides the time guardian ambassador who was stationed on the Trig itself. But he had been away on a mercy mission to a neighboring galaxy for awhile now.
Kim came up to her.
"Astra, have you checked the medical records that Tim sent to us?"
Astra looked across at her prodigy, "No, I actually haven't had time. Why?"
Kim had a puzzled expression on her face, "Well, when I first felt Warren, I was pretty sure he would turn out to be an ATP. And that's exactly what I felt. But Tims records of his neural passageways. It's like nothing I've ever seen."
Astra felt her stomach tighten for a bit. This had an all too familiar ring to it. She asked Kim to go on.
"Well, apparently he's an advanced viopath, but I could've sworn I felt the telepathic signatures of an advanced telepath as well."
Kim watched her mentor as her face betrayed no emotion. Which immediately worried her because it was obvious that Astra knew something about all this. It was something she noticed with her after all these years. Anything that was extremely important, she would do her best not to let it show on her face or leak anything out telepathically.
"Ms. Utana, I think you should tell the others what you know about Warren," said Peter.
Astra noticed everybody had an expected look on their face. Whatever Peter had said while she was thinking about what Kim had talked about had them waiting in concerned anticipation. She let out a long breath as she took a seat.
"Shouldn't we wait for John and Stephen? I'm sure they'll want to hear this."
"Time is a luxury we don't have right now Carol. Besides, you can update them later," said Peter.
All eyes rested on Astra.
"As you'll understand later on, this is very hard to talk about. But I believe it does have relevance to what has happened. About one hundred of your Earth years, I became an ATP for my world. I had a very close friend who brokeout a couple years after I did. When Tria, my friend, became an ATP we couldn't have been more happy. We had done everything together as children and now we would be doing work together as young adults. But within months, she began exhibiting signs of viopathic signatures. It was finally revealed that not only did she have the genes for ATP activity, but also AVP."
Kenny interrupted, "You mean she was both?"
Astra nodded, "For months, we kept her on a planet, searching for a way to rid her of the viopathic gene. But during that time, it was slowly and purposely eroding her inhibitions, her trust in me and finally she escaped. Since I was one of the few people who knew her, I was able to track her down. She had went to our homeworld of Menakara. When I found her, it was at our childhood place that we found when we were children. She told me she wanted to come here one last time. It was the last time I talked to her."
"What happened?" Carol asked, softly.
Astra shook her head slowly. She didn't like having to talk about this. It still pained her.
"We fought. I could tell she was trying to hold back but the viopathic side of her wouldn't allow it. I had an untried weapon that would've theoretically erased it out of her, but she instead flung herself over a cliff. Making sure that she didn't use any of her powers to save herself."
"Astra, are you saying that Warren has both sides in him?" asked Carol.
"Yes he does. And unfortunately, I have to say that he is as good as gone as well. The person that you used to know, no longer exists."
"But what about that weapon that you had? Surely you can use it on him to 'erase' his viopathic programming. Can't you?" asked Kenny.
She looked at Peter again, who nodded at her to continue. She let out another sigh.
The innocence of youth, she thought.
"The lobotomizer, as its called has been used on normal viopaths when we're able to catch them."
Kenny jumped up excitedly, "Well then. That's all we have to do! We can help him!"
Kim said something to Kenny but Astra interrupted her. She got up and walked towards him. She very much dreaded what she would have to say next.
"You don't understand Kenny. The Federation doesn't have too much information on the viopathic mind. Attempts of capturing and testing a live viopath have resulted in many deaths. Including the captured viopath. Although the lobotomizer erases their abilities completely, something in the viopathic brain causes them to commit suicide because of the lack of their powers. It's why we have such little documented information on how the viopathic brain works.
It was very quiet in the room after Astra completed her speech.
"That's quite extreme isn't it?" asked Carol.
"Yes it is. And I'm not proud to admit that I came up with it. It was designed to temporarily keep a viopaths abilities in check until we had a way to capture the viopath in a way as to not harm him. Or her. Until we were able to purge the aggressive tendencies out. But the side-effect was quite unexpected. Thankfully, even normal viopaths are even rarer than ATP's. It's only been used three times since."
She exhaled a harsh breath, "Three times too many, I'm afraid."
Peter spoke up, "I'm sorry about that Astra. I know it was painful for you to talk about your friend. But they needed to be made to understand, because now I have to be the bearer of even more bad news. I have been authorized to have all of you go back in time to where they are and to capture them."
"Well, we figured as much," Carol replied calmly.
Peter looked at his friends, "I'm afraid you don't understand. When I said all of you, I meant mostly everybody in this room. Except of course the emissaries and Mr. Steen."
Steen immediately got to his feet, "You can't mean the earthers. We're going up against two AVP's. The only ones who even stand a chance at bringing them down are Astra, Kim and the other ATP's, who are being called even as we speak."
Astra calmed him down. She rightly thought that Harry would be upset at not being included in this particular campaign. Especially when he was one of the few telepaths in the galaxy to actually capture a viopath on his own.
"There isn't enough time," Peter replied, "where Damian and Warren are in Earth's past is at a very crucial junction in time that could have disastrous effects on the whole galaxy."
"But we should be able to go back to a time just before they arrive and save Warren. Right Peter?" Carol asked, hopefully.
Peter thought carefully about his next words, "I wish it were that simple. Remember when I told you that people kept plunging back in time and causing chaos throughout history?"
Carol involuntarily shuddered at the memory of their time aboard Rabowski's ship, at the hands of Jedikiah and that Medusa creature. She had the feeling that what he was about to say wouldn't be any better.
"Because of the very delicate intricacies of time travel, we have to go by what would be best for the whole tapestry. We have to go with the flow as best we can without disturbing the timestream or at worse, destroying massive amounts of history that was supposed to have happened in the original timestream. It's the reason why we don't just go back in time a couple weeks before all this happened. It's not feasible, or safe."
Kenny spoke, "So what period of time would we have to be where Warren and Damian are? A couple hours? A couple days?"
The silent Oriental spoke out, "I have traced him back to a time approximately a thousand of your Earth years ago. Because of the nature and severity of the time tapestry back then, the best I could give is to arrive a year after they have."
"A full year?" Carol blurted out, "He'll be long gone by then. There'll be no way we can get him back. Who knows what Damian could've done to him in that time!"
Astra told Carol to settle down. She rightly thought that this Peter had valuable information and it wouldn't help if everybody vocally didn't want to comprehend the laws of space and time. She eyed time guardian's silent companion.
"So where are they......um....?
"I'm sorry. My name is Morlan. From what I was able to detect while we were coming here, I felt that he was in a time just before what was called the Crusades. In the year 1096, somewhere in Bavaria."
'Back during those days, Bavaria was called Swabia, which is located in the southwestern part of Germany,' Tim pointed out.
"That is correct," said Morlan.
"If its that far back, we'll have to somehow get some type of clothes like they wore back then so we don't catch undue attention from the locals."
The no nonsense way that Carol responded made it clear that she was quite eager to get this trip started.
"We'll have to get our AE suits and use our chameleon shifts so we won't stand out with whatever crowd is out there," suggested Kenny.
Carol nodded in agreement as she directed her attention to Astra and Kim.
"We don't have extra AE suits for you two, how will you blend in?"
"We'll just project a holographic image for people to see," Kim said confidentially.
"Show offs," Kenny muttered.
Peter interrupted, "There is one more person you need to take. I believe John is seeing him right now as we speak."
A shocked expression registered across Carol's face, "Why do we need Mr. Atherton? He'll be in constant danger if he comes with us. And why aren't you coming?"
"Mr. Atherton will be of immense help with trying to revert Warren back and Morlan has some unique talents which will be of more help to you in defeating Damian than I do."
The group of people he was talking to sounded unconvinced.
Peter eyed Carol as he spoke, "I am no strategist, but the reason why all of you have to go is simple. You're Warren's friends. You and the rest will have to do your very best to show him that. Show him that he does have people who care for him. You'll have to reach out from within and make him face his fears, and your own. It's how viopaths usually control their kind, and I'm sure Damian is no exception. All of you will have to be strong. To face your own inner demons. Because when you do confront him, they will both do their best to break you down. Your best defense is your combined strengths and your friendship. You must work together."
The time doorway came up behind him.
Peter turned around, "There is one more thing I must tell all of you. There are certain events that you must not involve yourselves in. You must not disturb anything or anybody in that time period. Your location in that time period will be quite chaotic and you will see things that you know could not have possibly been made or invented during then."
This immediately piqued Kenny's interest, "Why? What happened?"
Peter imagined his present student back in the 'Halls of Time' asking him how he would tell them. A 'certain point of view' was his favorite choice of words when talking about revealing certain truths about history and time travel.
"Something that the elder time guardians are still trying to sort out and explain. All I know is that there are certain periods of your Earth's history that are off limits to all but a few of us."
Carol was impatient, "So how much time do we really have in getting Warren out of there?"
"By your standard Earth time, about two hours."
"You've got to be kidding, right?" asked a disbelieving Kenny.
Peter had a sympathetic look on his face, "I'm afraid not. The longer you are in that time period, the more likely that whatever time distortion is out there will eventually come to effect all of you as well. Changing your history once more. I'm afraid that's all I have been allowed to tell you. I'm sorry."
Peter stepped into the brilliant arch of the time doorway.
"I shall see all of you soon. Farewell for now, my friends."
A loud 'humph' caused Carol and Kenny to turn their heads to Kim.
"Some friend. His scientists develop time travel and screw up histories and we have to fix it."
Astra decided to take control.
"Okay people. Listen up. We've been given the go ahead and from the way he was talking, we obviously don't have much time. Mr. Morlan, go ahead and set up the time discs. Kim, I need you to grab John, Stephen and this Job Atherton and bring them here."
"We can do that," interjected Kenny.
"I'm sure you can, but since we seem to be a bit rushed, both of you need to get your AE suits ready."
The senior ATP looked at her long-time associate and friend as she smiled.
"Sorry you can't come along."
"Oh, I'm sure you're not," Steen said knowingly, "When your team gets here, I'll get Marhk to work on Tim. In the meantime, I'll take the emissaries to the ship where we'll await word of your return. Hopefully with everybody."
[[Yes. Hopefully.]]
As soon as Steen jaunted the still speechless emissaries to the ship and Carol and Kenny went to round up the AE suits, Kim took Astra by arm.
"I can understand that Morlan has to come, but I don't understand about Job."
"There's more to all this then Peter is letting on," Astra said.
"You sensed that too?" asked Kim.
Astra nodded, "I can understand that those two might not want to tell us everything. Damian is very good at reading minds and could counterstrike any strategy we might come up with. But I don't purposely try to put innocent civilians in the line of fire."
Astra contemplated Peter's words as she put a firm hand on Kim's shoulder as she eyed the preoccupied Job.
"We're going to have to look out for him. Without any type of powers whatsoever, he will be vulnerable."
Kim nodded, "I understand."
Astra watched as Kim stepped on the jaunting platform and disappeared.
***
The next hour passed like a blur. John had explained to Job and his father what happened with Warren. All the events of the past 36 hours. Later on Kim had stopped by to explain what Peter had told them and what was required of Job's presence. Afterwards they went to the hospital to check on how Ginge was doing. Stephen had managed to quell most of the dizziness and haze that the poor biker was going through after going one on one with Damian. Chris and Lefty were constantly at his side making fun of his bandaged head.
Once they got back to the lab, Astra hastily taught them how they might be able to take out Warren. If they were going to try and revert him, they would have to do it from within which meant going inside his mind and confronting whatever fears and turmoils were in there. Just like Peter said they should.
John had asked how they were going to keep Job from attracting attention from the locals. Kim had said that both her and Astra would take turns to holographically keep his clothes pre-Crusades-correct.
It was sometime after 9:00 p.m.. Kenny commented on Stephens keen sense of fashion while Astra and John were going over the final strategies, causing Kim to become slightly concerned about her telling John what they would be doing. Damian would surely know what they were about to do just by reading their thoughts, so it didn't make sense that Astra would be letting as many people know what they were going to do. She just had to trust her mentor.
John looked at his friends, "Are we set?"
They nodded in unison.
"Aren't your parents going to be worried when you don't come home for awhile?" asked Job.
"Whether we bring Warren here or not, when we return it will be about 5:00 in the morning. Peter and I figured it out just before we came and its the best time to arrive so as not to damage anymore of the time stream," replied Morlan.
"Oh. Of course," he said sardonically as he looked at the young time guardian.
Carol couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Job's sense of humor. It reminded her a lot of Warren's.
Astra made final preparations, "Okay. It looks like everybody has what they need. Any last questions?"
There were of course, none. They all knew how high the stakes were. Galaxy-wise and personally.
"I only have one thing to add," Job said.
Telepaths, ATP's and a lone time guardian turned to regard what the only 'sap' of the group had to say.
"I'm mostly talking to you five youngsters. I have no idea what your limits are when it pertains to your physical and psi-abilities. But you all have pretty much been strung out in some form or another, particularly the past 15 hours. Just stay loose."
"We'll be fine Mr. Atherton," John said.
"Don't dismiss this so quickly John," Astra replied, "remember that you, Stephen and Kenny were in those machines for well over 20 of your Earth hours. Kim and Carol have either fought with Damian or healed Tim with their powers for practically a continuous 12 hours. Whatever defenses you usually have as a norm will be severely weakened. Take nothing for granted."
"But Astra, I've..."
It was all Kim could get out as her leader sternly interrupted her.
"You have the added stress of using you powers to their utmost fixing your hyperdrive before you even arrived here. If I could, I would either be taking Steen or one of the other ATP's. But since those two ideas are a big no-go with Peter, I don't have a choice. As Mr. Atherton has said before, 'stay loose.'
Kim muttered in agreement as the others shook their heads in acknowledgment as well.
'I wish you all safe journey and a return safely to home,' Tim said.
"Thank you Tim. All of us will be back," John said determinedly.
Astra motioned to Morlan.
"Morlan, if you would do the honors?"
Morlan nodded and concentrated on the task at hand. He required that they all accept a picture in his mind that he telepathically sent to them. Insuring that they would appear in the same vicinity. Carol wasn't sure if it was her precognitive gifts or the seriousness of the mission. But she could've sworn that Morlan had let loose a stray thought after John had spoken to Tim. And it wasn't a pleasant one.
Two of them will not come back.
***
As soon as they reappeared in an open field, they were caught in a most devastating wind storm. Kenny and Stephen jumped a bit as the loudest thunder they ever heard literally shattered their eardrums.
[[There's shelter towards the east! Let's move!]] Astra pathed.
Kim quickly grabbed Job and teleported with him. As they reappeared at the entrance to the cave, they hastily entered. The noise outside was so loud that John had to yell out a couple times before finally giving up and started to path instead.
[Kim, how were you able to jaunt Job without some kind of a matter transporter?]
[[It's a trick us ATP's can do. Believe me, it's not fun.]]
They remained quiet for ten minutes as the loudness outside finally tempered down to a deep, low rumble.
Job was in awe of the company he was with. Except for Astra, they all looked like they could only barely be out of their teens. As they talked about what they would be doing next, he went near to the edge of the cave.
How could children have such power? Are they even tempted to use it for less-desirable purposes?
As he was thinking it over, a sight unlike anything he had ever seen before appeared in the rumbling skies. And it was indeed, quite scary. He yelled over to the others to take a look at what was hanging in the sky.
As the others came to the entrance, they stared in awe at what was twisting and turning in up in the horizon. What looked like a monstrous cyclone of immense proportions, lightning striking at it from outside and within. It must've been a good two miles in diameter. As it moved, it seemed to make reality warp a bit. It reminded Stephen of seeing exhaust coming from cars during a very hot day. And it all seemed to be centered around a castle in the distance.
"A space-time warp," Astra announced.
"That must've been what Peter was talking about earlier," said John.
"If this is what we've been worried about coming from Damian, then we've already lost," Kim replied.
"Possibly, but why here?" John brought up. "He could've just as easily done it back in our time. What was so special about trying to go back 10,000 years in Earth's past? He didn't make it but he's still trying to connect with.....what? Any ideas Morlan?"
They all looked at the oriental time guardian, waiting for some kind of explanation. All Morlan could do was shake his head.
"I'm sorry my friends. I know about as much as you do. But by the looks of it, Damian did not have anything to do with this."
Morlan pointed towards the sky where apparently the warped space was coming from.
"Whatever the point of origin, it's coming from outside of Earth's atmosphere. It is possible that Damian might have built a device to bring the effects down to where that castle is. Which could possibly be done, in theory."
Kim noticed a slight look that crossed the young man's face. She deducted that John was also a little on edge around Morlan as well. Like he could sense the time guardian knew more than he was letting on.
Astra interrupted, "Well, we should be getting down there. If that's where Damian is, then we need to be there as well."
"We'll have to appear at least 200 meters away from the displaced air from the warp," said Morlan.
"Why is that Morlan?" asked Stephen.
Morlan turned to face the thirteen year old, "If you were to jaunt too close to the warp itself, you could find yourself anywhere and anywhen. It would take so much energy from your body that you would most likely wind up dead at whatever destination you land at."
All Stephen could do was to mouth a silent 'Oh' at Morlan's answer.
As they were getting ready, Astra forcibly put a weapon of some kind in Jobs hands.
"Damian will be expecting either Kim or myself to fire it at him. We'll catch him off guard for a bit if you have it."
"That won't be for too long though."
"Trust me Mr. Atherton. In this type of battle, every millisecond counts."
After they jaunted, the group of eight cautiously made their way down to the embankment and onto flatter ground. It took them about thirty minutes to cross the two hundred meters to the castle entrance. In front of them, a shimmering of displaced air beckoned them at the gigantic doorway.
[It's not so loud this close to it.] pathed Kenny.
[We're going to be within the eye itself. Remember, you cannot jaunt here.] Morlan reminded them.
They all eased through the warped air and proceeded inside.
Job had all of his senses heightened to a degree that he wasn't used to since his tours in Vietnam. As they walked, he was taking in everything. Possible places of ambush. Possible escape routes. Listening for anything out of the ordinary.
Which is near blasted impossible!
He literally screamed it out in his mind. This was unlike any situation he had ever been in or faced. So he did the one thing that would make his mind accept this. He reverted back to the combat soldier he once was. As he was about to make an observation about everybody's distance from each other, Carol let out a startled cry.
John went back to where she was and looked at what had caused her distress. It was the body of a fallen soldier.
Morlan went toward the old corpse. His immediate observation of it was that it had been here for at least a few weeks. He took a ring that was lying mere inches away from the severed hand and held it up to John who instantly recognized it.
"My god. That's a ring that belongs to the kingdom of Swabia. Under the leadership of Count Emich. This soldier was one of the Count's personal guard."
The others looked at John in slight confusion except for Morlan and oddly enough, Kim.
"Please, continue," urged Morlan.
"Well, back in 1096 Count Emich went into the village of Worms and slaughtered 800 Jews. He believed that he had a cross branded on his skin of some Divine origins and that he alone should inflict this holy crusade against them."
"That's horrible," Carol whispered.
"It gets worse," replied Kim.
All eyes turned toward ATP.
"Count Emich started at his home in.....April, I believe. A month before he went to Worms. He gave them a choice of either conversion to Christianity or death. Kinda hard to give a right answer when you have a supposed Holy Sword under your throat."
John couldn't help but be impressed by Kims knowledge of European history.
Kim shrugged, "History always was my favorite subject."
"Was it ever found out what made him do that?" a curious Kenny asked.
"It was never found out. All of a sudden he just started on this campaign. History may not know what the catalyst was for him just murdering innocent people, but his actions did start the Crusades," she said.
{{Call it a baptism of fire.}}
At the sound of his voice both Astra and Kim immediately put up a strong telekinetic shield around everybody. They looked up to see Damian levitating himself a good eight feet in the air. Moving menacingly toward them. A shadow from behind him came to his side revealing himself to be Warren. A very changed Warren.
Damian turned and looked at his partner.
{{Remember what you have to do. You will not be complete until you've destroyed your former friends. Go!}}
{{As you say.}} Warren replied.
With a burst of speed, he flew down a darkened hallway and turned into an adjoining one.
Damian turned to has antagonists.
{{Don't worry. This battle is just between you two and me. We have some unfinished business between us.}}
Astra told the others to leave and go after Warren. As they left with Job following after him, Astra told Morlan to leave as well.
"I have abilities that you'll need. I must stay."
[[We can't help you if you do. Go with the others. They'll need you more than we.]] Kim said.
Suddenly Damian launched a devastating telekinetic and telepathic assault on the female agents.
Both Astra and Kim could feel their shields buckling under the savage assault. Morlan immediately ran behind the viopath but Damian quickly sent a telekinetic shove toward the time guardian. Morlan felt the air pushed out of him as he hit the concrete wall. Without a thought, as soon as he hit the floor, he rolled away just as an old knights shield embedded itself in the spot where he was a split second ago.
A fleeting moment of surprise formed on Damians face. The distraction was all Kim needed to levitate herself toward the AVP and launch a strong roundhouse kick toward his face. Just as she connected, she switched tactics and sweeped his feet from under him causing him to drop to the floor face first. Without missing a beat, Astra took over and kinetically threw him to the far side of the room. Morlan rushed up to her just as Kim was bringing herself down next to him.
[[Morlan, get out of here. There isn't much you can do.]] Kim insisted.
"I can distract him. Force him to lose his concentration on you two."
[[That won't work for too long. He'll be able to read into what you're doing as soon as you think it.]]
Morlan was still slightly breathless from his forced tackle of a wall.
[Only if we keep in his line of sight.]
[[It's no use arguing with him Kim. Keep your thoughts as low-key as you can. Even without line of sight he can still hear what you're thinking.]]
Damian grunted out in anger as he telekinetically threw off the last bit of wood that had landed on top of him.
[[Time for round two. We'll get on either side of him and catch him in the middle. That way he'll only be able to concentrate one at a time on any of us.]] Astra telepathically said.
Kim agreed as both she and Morlan got on either side of the AVP. As she was preparing for her next offense, she quickly hoped that John and the others would be able to turn Warren back. If not, it would be a good enough bet that none of them or very few of them would make it out of here alive.
It was hard keeping up with the levitating Warren. John knew that his one-time friend was leading them into a trap. But it was the only way to get into his friends mind within and release the good part of him.
[Warren, stop! We're only here to help you!] pathed John.
Warren slowed his speed until he found himself in a very spacious and empty room. There was no way out except from where he came. He twisted around to find his former friends gazing at him from under the archway entrance. He lowered himself down to the stoned-tiled floor.
"Well, the gangs all here. Even Job. I'm dully impressed."
John and the others stood their ground. Hesitant on what to do next.
Warren just hovered over the floor. Going back and forth as if in thought.
"Quite an interesting conversation you were having back there John. About this Count Emich. You know your history quite well. I've met him you know. A few words here. A few deeds there. Some well placed crosses on his skin. I think you get my drift. Although, I didn't do anything that he hadn't already thought of. I just pushed and prodded him along until he decided that he and he alone could do something about it."
"We're here to help you Warren," John repeated, hoping to get through to his one-time best friend."
"Please come back to us," Carol pleadingly said.
Warren suddenly seized upon the worse thing from Jobs memory and enhanced it toward the others. They were suddenly overcome with a terror so horrific. Warren chuckled as he watched them swatting and brushing off imaginary rats. He stopped as he realized that they were using meager telepathic blocks to ward off his attacks.
Better to let them think they have some kind of power, he thought as he backed off from his assault.
Stephen went to Job who was still trying to brush off the mental rats. Job was thinking he was going to have nightmares about this all over again when this was over. When he was in a POW camp during the war, he had been strapped to the ground while the guards had let loose some of those rats. It was the most intense and horrible pain he could ever remember.
John was livid at Warren.
"So what are you going to do now? You must realize that one way or another, you'll lose."
"Actually, John. I don't have to do anything. You lot will do all the tormenting. I'm just here to make it known and seen."
"Warren, you have to stop this!"
Kenny watched his friend's face, trying to see some flicker of recognition. Some peek at his former self.
"We're here to help you."
"I think all of you should help yourselves first."
Without any hint of emotion, he took hold of their minds. Twisting and turning them inside out. Job immediately took out the lobotomizer. Asking God to forgive him he fired it right at Warren, who barely had enough time to deflect the effects when Job did something so unexpected, it surprised even him. Leaping twice, he came up to his one time prodigy. Angrily getting in his face.
"What about me?! Huh? Got the guts to mind warp me again?"
"As you wish, you decreped old fool!"
As Warren was reaching into Job's mind, John and the others had realized that they had been neglected.
"Hurry. There isn't much time!"
As they rushed to hold hands with each other, they could feel Warren once again entering their minds.
"I hope this works," replied Stephen.
"Pray that it does Stephen," said Carol.
Remembering the technique that Astra had hastily taught them, they held out their hands. Fingertips barely touching one another. They struggled telepathically with Warren until finally they created a great surge of mental energy. Effectively causing everybody to go into unconsciousness, including Job.
Now the real battle would begin.
***
Astra and Kim were quite tired now. They had been mentally and kinetically fighting Damian for the past fifteen minutes but they were no where closer to defeating him than they were before. Seeing an opening in their defenses, Damian let loose a barrage of lethal telekinetic power, forcing Kim and Astra apart but leaving Morlan defenseless. Morlan could hear his ribs break as the full force of the telekinetic push slammed him against the castle wall. But before he could finish him off, Astra sent a quick telepathic scramble inside his brain, causing Damian to fall toward the ground. Kim lowered herself quickly to check on Morlan.
"Blast it!" Kim exclaimed as she inspected his injuries, who was coughing up his own blood.
"No. It's too late," he whispered.
Kim ignored him, "Hang on. Just relax."
Before she could start her healing abilities, Astra roughly took her arm.
"Stop that! We don't have time."
Kim took her arm back, "What are you talking about? I can bring him back but it has to be now."
"Not in the condition you're in Kimberly S. Sterling."
It wasn't often that she heard her full name used that way. And then, it was only when Astra insisted that she be listened to.
"Within the past 48 hours, you've been using your healing techniques for extraordinary and extreme circumstances. To repair your runner and to repair Tim. If it wasn't for the fact that Peter insisted that you come with us, I would've left you back in the 20th century. Whether you realize it or not, your body is breaking down. If you use your abilities, both of you may die."
Before she could protest, the young oriental time guardian grunted out a response.
"It's......too late for me...my friends. Go. You must stop.....him."
[[Let's go! We need to draw Damian away from the others.]]
Kim looked down helplessly as she heard the young Time Guardians final breath escape from the confines of his physical body. She cursed to herself as she realized the bitter truth. She hurriedly got up as she felt faint psi-waves coming from the fallen viopath.
***
Job slowly opened his eyes, half expecting to find himself back in the bamboo cage he had called home for two years back in 'Nam. But as everything came back into focus, he realized he was looking up at a white tiled ceiling. As he turned his head, he could make out the silver ledge of what looked to be a type of holding shelf. He could make out the blackness atop of it and realized that it was a classroom blackboard.
I'm in a classroom?
"You're awake."
Job quickly turned his head around to the sound of the strangely high-pitched voice. Apparently he was at the front of the room sense he could barely make out a human shape from where he was laying. The silver and wooden legs of chairs and desks made it hard for him to see the person clearly.
"Are you okay?"
The high-pitched voice sounded familiar to Job. But for the life of him he couldn't place where. He slowly rose to his feet, on the ever-present alert that this could be some type of trick. But he could never have imagined the figure he would encounter would be somebody very close to his heart.
***
John slowly opened his eyes and waited for everything to come into focus. He half-expected to be locked up in some kind of cell someplace, but the scene that greeted him was entirely something he hadn't expected. He let out a breath and rubbed his eyes again. When he opened them, it was the same as before. He was in a regular school room. He studied the room as he slowly raised himself to his feet.
Did we go through time again? he wondered.
John slowly turned, inspecting his surroundings. Although it was a classroom of sorts, it wasn't the type he was familiar with. He noticed a hazy mist all around him. Red-tinged. To John, it seemed that if he looked at it just right, it would change colors ever so subtlety. A sudden loud noise made him almost jump from the floor. He looked for the origin of it and found a door in the corner of the room.
[Carol? Stephen?]
Another noise sounded from the direction of the door. John was actually wishing he had a stun weapon with him. Quite suddenly a louder noise, like the sound of a firecracker being set off erupted from next door. A choked cry that sounded like Stephen made him forget being cautious as he raced toward it. He turned the knob but it wouldn't budge. Another yell had him literally throwing his whole body against it. The third try yielded results as he pushed his way through with such force that he tumbled onto what felt like a sack of potatoes.
[John.]
It was Carol!
[Carol. Where are you?]
A soft whisper in his ear, "I'm right here John."
John leapt up in surprise and was about to apologize for landing on her earlier but the sight he received had him backing up in disbelief. They all were here. Stephen and Kenny had fixed stares at the ceiling.
"You failed us John," Carol whispered.
John was as wide-eyed as a deer caught between the headlights of a vehicle. There were more bodies, of kids no more older than he was. He seemed to have a harder time seeing them and finally realized that the mist was becoming more thicker. More redder making the bodies look like they were covered in blood. He couldn't believe this was happening.
"You weren't there for us."
John stared down at her battered and bruised body.
"You were supposed to protect us. To lead us. You've destroyed our race John."
In a panicked rush, he went to her.
"Carol, what happened? What is this place?"
Her face turned to his, looking right into his eyes as if trying to see into his soul. It felt like the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees, making him shiver. Carol suddenly put her battered hands to his face causing him to jump back and fall flatly on the floor. He propped himself onto his arms and looked at his friend who was literally dying before his eyes. He watched as those intense blue eyes took on a fixed stare.
I failed them.
John could only back up to the other end of the room. His eyes never leaving Carol's as he bumped into the wall and realized he could go no further.
I failed them all.
***
The child looked very young. Possibly nine or ten years old from the looks of it. But what drove Job slowly toward the youngster was the familiar way the child was standing. Sure, he saw the fear in his eyes but it was the defiance of the childs stand. He saw the same thing in the eyes of a former student he had. The student he was now risking his shortened life to save.
"Warren," he whispered.
Job could see the slight confusion clouding the young boy's eyes. Then, just as suddenly he had the look of determination again.
"What's your name?"
Job put on the best 'good teacher' voice he could muster.
"My name is Job and -"
Before he could say anything more, the eight year old named Warren rushed by him. Job watched as he quickly opened the classroom door.
"We have to hurry. We have to save the others."
Job could see the urgency in the child's eyes. Knowing that they all didn't have much time to save Warren, he quickly made the evaluation that the child could be trusted. He quickly ran toward him and together they took off down the hall to find the others.
***
Kenny felt like he had been cooped up in this room for days now. He had tried again and again to open the door but it simply would not budge. And whatever kind of misty haze it was that clung around him was driving him a little crazy. He could've sworn that it actually changed with his emotions.
He went back toward the windows and saw the same thing he had been seeing since he became trapped. It was John and the others and they were all going to the Trig. Without him.
Without me again!
He watched as they waved to him. Heard as they explained that he was too young and irresponsible to go to the Trig. It hadn't mattered that he almost gave his life to save John and Stephen from Rabowski's weapon. It hadn't mattered that he saved them all from the Frakths.
A loud sound from the door caused him to jump in surprise. He looked at it for a bit before finally getting the nerve to actually advance toward it. As he got mere inches from it, he heard a soft giggling. The kind that a mischievous little boy would do in anticipation of a good joke.
Kenny slowly turned the knob and eased the door open. He was wide-eyed in anticipation of the supposed payoff he would be receiving from his mysterious rescuer. But all he saw was a fleeting glimpse of a small boy, running down the hallway and turning a corner. Before he could chase after him, he was startled by the firm grasp of a hand on his shoulder. Kenny yelped in surprise and was about ready to run when he heard the calm voice.
"Relax Kenny. It's just me."
Relief quickly filled Kenny's features. He was so glad to see a friendly face that he barely acknowledged the shifting of the colorful haze around them.
"How do you feel?" Job hastily asked.
"Fine now. Where are the others?"
Job bade Kenny into a brisk jog.
"I don't know. But it looks like Warren does."
Kenny felt the hope swell inside of him.
"He's okay? Where is he?"
Before Job could answer him, a muffled scream from behind made them turn around. It sounded like Carol. Storing the child away for future reference, he took off running down the locker infested hallway toward the sound of his friend. Job right behind him.
Carol couldn't believe she was seeing this. She was back aboard Rabowski's ship, trapped in the cage that he held her prisoner in. But instead of Peter being in the other cage, it was her sister Jennifer. Who now had a terrified look on her face. The object of her terror was the Medusa.
But the alien wasn't what had made Carol scream a minute ago. It was who was in front of her. Her father. He was all metal and shaped like Jedikiah. Urging the Medusa towards her sister.
Carol yelled out to her father to stop that horrible creature. But he would just stare and nod his head in approval.
No! No! This can't be happening!
Carol shook her head back and forth furiously, trying to rid herself of that horrific vision. She opened her eyes and quickly realized that she was trapped inside the airlock, waiting in terror for the dreaded suction of oxygen to dissipate and to feel the all-to-familiar sensation of being in a room that was depressurizing. She heard the sound of the switch being turned on. But instead of leaving her breathless, she felt her powers being drained from her. She tried to jaunt but she couldn't.
No! I don't want to lose my powers!
She turned towards the small glass as the gray metallic face of her father laughed triumphantly.
[Carol! Quick! Take my hand!]
[Kenny? Where are you?]
Carol was starting to lose consciousness as she searched for the disembodied voice.
[Over here Carol. At the window!]
She turned her head toward the window that had led out into space and saw Kenny's face. She watched in awe as he stuck his arm through it, trying in vain to reach her.
[Hurry!]
Risking a last quick look at the Jedikiah/father figure, she reached out and grabbed Kenny's hand and felt herself being literally pulled through the wall. She tumbled and found herself flat on her back gasping hungrily for air.
"Are you alright?" he anxiously asked her.
Carol held up her hand, trying to get some breathing room. She slowly got up and immediately leaned up against a locker.
"Thank you Kenny," she said breathlessly, "that was the most horrible fright I've ever had. My worse nightmare come to life."
"Wherever we are, its feeding off of our fears."
Kenny looked long and hard at his breathless friend.
"I never realized that you needed your powers so badly."
Carol looked away in embarrassment. It wasn't something that she actually said. Mostly she hid it behind responsibilities and her caring nature. But the truth of the matter was that she dreaded not having her abilities. Ever since she had come into them, it gave her a new purpose in life. To be able to do things that no one else in the whole world could do, well except for a select few. She loved being unique.
"This doesn't seem to be the time to talk about this," she tersely replied.
"I think it is. How else are we going to get out of here?"
She looked around. A confused expression coming immediately to her face as she saw the rows of lockers on either side of the hallway. Doors that apparently led to classrooms.
"We went through time again and winded up in some kind of school?"
Job came up with a theory, "Not through time but we are in a school. And I suspect its a school mostly from Warren's memory."
She glanced at Job as realization hit her.
"We're in his mind."
Kenny corrected, "No. I think we're in everybody's mind. It's just more Warren's because he's the more stronger of us. The classroom I was in, is the same one that's at my school."
Carol looked around at the strangely clinging haze that surrounded them. She could swear that it was constantly changing colors. The only constant was that it had a slight red tinge in it.
"You have a blue aura around you Carol," Kenny observed.
"So do you. But you also have a bunch of other colors within it. I wonder if these colors are a reflection of our emotions?"
"Hmmm, you might have a point. But we can't worry about that now. We have to find the others."
"What we need to do is find Warren. He should know where the others are," said Job.
"Warren's here?" a hopeful Carol asked.
"Sort of," Job cryptically said.
Kenny looked up at the adult.
"What do you mean? I thought you were with him when you got me out of that room."
Kenny thought back to the child he saw just before Job arrived. The realization of the answer to his question slowly and deliberately dawned on him.
"That was him?"
Job nodded in acknowledgment as Carol asked for some answers. The combat veteran turned to her.
"We're seeing Warren as an eight year old."
A quick shock registered on her face, immediately followed by a knowing nod.
"What Carol? What is it?" Kenny asked.
She looked at the twelve year old as she spoke, "Do you remember when you broke out?"
"Do I? It was the most horrible experience I've ever gone through."
"Exactly. And because you were too young, your mind shut down. John and I had to go inside and retrieve you before you were lost."
It started to make sense to him now. With a strikingly crystal clarity.
"Can anybody please clue me in on what you two are talking about?"
"I'm sorry Mr. Atherton. We were talking about when Kenny first came into his powers. We call it breaking out. When John and I forced him into manifesting his abilities, the strain on his very young mind was too much for him. When we went inside his mind, we found him, but as a six year old. It was the only way for him to be able to deal with the terrible trauma that had happened."
"And you think Warren has done the same thing," Job asked.
Carol nodded, "Exactly, and it would make sense. With all that has happened to him, he went back to an age that was much simpler, one in which he could have some control over himself."
"That means he can still be saved," Kenny said.
"I hope so."
"Well, it's not going to happen if we're just standing here flapping our mouths. Let's find him and the others and get out of here."
***
John was getting a terrible headache from the trembling his body was doing sense the 'death' of his friends. Images of his past mistakes continued to haunt him. Kenny's breakout. Stephens capture by Jedikiah. Getting both him and Stephen killed by Rabowski's weapon.
I have to stop this!
Not knowing enough about the Frakth. Not asking Kim enough questions about the ATP's and their deadly counterparts called viopaths. They were all swirling around him now with him in the center.
John.
"I can't do this. I'm not good enough."
John.
"Leave me alone!"
John, listen to me.
The young leader looked around again. Whoever was calling him had a real voice. It wasn't coming from his mind. Depending on how one might look at it. He noticed a slight shimmering light appearing before him. A figure stepped out from it to reveal his friend.
"Warren. Is it really you?"
[[John, I haven't much time. You have to get to the basement. Do you hear me?]]
John studied his friend, puzzlement clouding his brain.
"Why? What's in the basement?"
He watched as a pained look swept across his features.
[[I don't have much time John. Go the basement.]]
Before he disappeared, John called out to him.
"Are you okay?"
He realized quickly that it was the most stupid question he could've asked considering the circumstances. But he also realized that a part of him wanted his friend to be well in some areas. A reassurance.
[[I'm scared John. Mostly for all of you. But quite a bit for myself. Hurry. Remember, Don't believe everything you see. Trust yourself.]]
John thought about his words as he watched him disappear. Before he could dwell on what Warren had said, the door had suddenly swung open revealing a small child with Carol and Kenny behind him. He immediately stood up and quickly sweeped them up in a most uncharacteristic hug.
"John, what are you doing?" a muffled Kenny asked.
Oh no! They mustn't see the bodies!
"Don't look inside!"
"Why John?" Carol asked, "there's nothing in here."
Agitation flooded within him, "What do you mean?"
He realized then and quickly looked around. There was nothing but a classroom of empty chairs and desks. It was then that he realized the child that was standing next to him. Before he could speak, Job came inside.
"Warren. You found him. Good job."
"What? This is Warren?"
Carol quickly brought John up to speed with the latest turn of events and also told him her theory of why they were seeing their friend as an eight year old.
Suspicion immediately seeped into him.
"But I just saw Warren as our age,"
Concern quickly entered Carol's voice, "How's he doing?"
"Not too well. We have to move quickly."
"What about Stephen? We still have to find him," Kenny said.
"I have the feeling that we're going to meet with Stephen before we get down to the basement."
For the first time, John noticed the appearance of Job. A questioning look brought about a quick answer from the teacher.
"I don't know what or how I got here. I'm certainly not a telepath, as you call it."
John immediately came up with an answer, "Probably your closeness to Warren."
A noise resounded from the opposite side of the room making everybody jump. Little Warren was tossing a ball against the blackboard.
"Come on child. We have to go find your other friend."
The child suddenly spun around to Job's voice.
"Catch!"
Warren threw the ball at Job but had misjudged the trajectory. John barely moved out of the way of it as the ball zoomed by and hit the opposing wall.
"Enough of this. We have to go. Now."
John's bewildering attitude when it came to the younger Warren left a curious Carol and Kenny in confusion.
"What's wrong with John?"
Carol sighed, "I don't know. But we've all been on edge, as Warren would say it, for quite some time now. Let's just take one thing at a time and find Stephen. We'll worry about the basement afterwards."
***
They traveled through the locker-filled hallways for quite awhile. Nobody really said anything as they took in the various colors that seemed to be manifesting themselves throughout their walk. Young Warren intermittently saying which way to go to find Stephen.
Job watched the interplay between the eight year old and John. It was apparent that he didn't trust the little one. He wasn't sure what the others were thinking, but if the auras around their bodies were any indication, they were troubled and confused as well. He watched as the youngster began skipping, bouncing his ball in front of him. A thought suddenly occurred to him.
"I'm curious John. Since we're inside this psi-world, anything physical can't really harm us since it doesn't exist, right?"
"Not really Mr. Atherton," John replied, "because we're so well entrenched within Warren's mind, anything that happens here will have consequences to our real bodies. If we don't do this right, our minds will be trapped here forever and our physical bodies will die."
Job thought about the younger man's words for a bit.
"You can use your mind in other ways to help you."
Job stopped to hear out his former student. The others, realizing that they left them behind stopped as well.
They watched as the child held out his hand and concentrated. A round, brightly blue ball appeared in front of him. It suddenly changed to a dove, which quite suddenly took to flight and soared away.
"We should stay together and restrict our communication. The viopathic Warren could be anywhere and it won't do us any good revealing our intentions," John brusquely said.
Carol took him aside, "What's wrong? Don't you trust us?"
"It's not a matter of trust Carol. It's a matter of not knowing where the viopath is and not knowing if he's baiting us or tapping into our minds for information. Have you noticed this haze that's clinging to us? For all we know it could be his way of eavesdropping on us."
Carol watched as the colors around John changed to a thick brownish black color. In keeping with his emotional state, she realized that he didn't trust Warren.
"I'm just saying that maybe we should be wary of him. Anything can and seems to be happening in this psi-world of Warren's. We have to remember that he's both telepath and viopath. For all we know, we could be following the child into a trap."
Carol gripped his arm firmly and held his eye with such intensity that John couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of what he just said. He figured that Carol would lay into him but once again she surprised him.
"I understand. I just hope we can do whatever it is to get our friend, and us, out of here intact and whole."
"John, I think we should materialize some stun guns. They might actually work better in here wouldn't you think?"
John suddenly became annoyed at the late twelve year old youngster.
"No. What makes you think they would have any different kind of affect here than out there. You're going to have to think much more clearly if you intend on becoming an ambassador for the Federation."
Kenny could only stand in shock at the intensity of John's words toward him. Before any of them could respond to his quipped reply, a scream was heard from around the corner.
"Stephen!"
All were surprised when the child ran past them all and headed to where Stephens voice was coming from.
"I guess we should get going leader-man," said an angry Kenny.
John watched as the boy walked quickly past him and went around the corner. A glance at Carol had told him that he apparently went too far to discount Kenny's suggestion.
Job watched the proceedings from a distance. He hadn't known them for too long but he could tell that there was some kind of undercurrent at work here. Something was subtlety making everybody reveal whatever doubts they had about themselves, and each other.
"Mr. Atherton. Let's go!"
He watched as John and Carol ran after their friend. Thinking back to what Warren had just said a few minutes ago, he concentrated on the one thing that he felt could help him. When it appeared, he went into a brisk jog to catch up with the others.
They all gathered to where Stephens terrified yells could be heard. They opened the doors to what looked like an auditorium and saw their friend on stage with what looked to be his parents. Each of them were tossing insults at each other like a ball in a tennis match. And poor Stephen was right in the middle. Looking frustrated, scared and tired all at once.
"Warren, you have to do something!"
The young child looked up at John, a sadness enveloping his features.
"I can't."
It was barely a whisper. Barely audible but one that John could clearly hear. He looked down incredulously at his young friend.
"Why? He's your friend. You can help him."
The young boy stamped his feet in a tantrum-like way. Tears forming on his round face.
"I can't! I'm too small!"
Young Warren looked up at the older kids, eventually resting his eyes on the one adult he thought he could trust.
"Job. I'm scared."
Job kneeled down as the eight year old walked briskly and found himself holding the young one. He could feel as Warren just let himself fall into his arms, as if trying to will away all of the bad things that had seemed to be happening all around him.
"I'll watch him," he said. As much as to settle down and refocus their thoughts as to keep the child safe.
No matter how much they wanted to believe that the little boy in front of them was Warren, there was a constant wariness that permeated throughout each of them. John was embarrassed to realize that it had shone through their auras as well. Changing their colors into a turmoiled mixture of anxiety and confusion. But what appeared before him next totally blew him away. It was a grown-up version of his friend.
"Don't listen to him. He's the viopath. Get away from him now!"
John watched in disbelief and he saw what looked to be the adult Warren powering up for an attack against his younger self. He watched as his friend sent out a powerful telekinetic burst to the child, who promptly fell to the floor.
Carol immediately went to the child.
"What have you done?"
Warren proceeded to walk toward them but was stopped by Job, who raised his weapon that he had materialized earlier. He watched it for a bit and then backed off. He was startled by a hesitant Stephen who had quietly come up from behind him. Eyeing him and making sure he wouldn't try anything.
"Relax people. I only put him to sleep with a mild telekinetic shock through his body. He'll be fine and will come to in a few minutes. He would've done a whole lot worse to the rest of you if you followed him more downward."
The others could only hold their ground and stare at what they perceived to be their friend. Stephen, who had been walking cautiously made his way toward his fellow TP's.
"John, what do we do? Which one is our Warren?"
All eyes were turned to him as he expected them to be. But all John could think of was back to when he was trapped in that classroom with his fallen friends. Dead because he had made the wrong choice. And now here he was, expected to make a choice that could either be their salvation, or their doom.
Job suddenly made their choice for them by striking savagely at John with the butt of his pistol that he had materialized earlier. He watched as the young man collapsed to the ground.
A wide-eyed Stephen quickly went to the fallen telepath.
"Why did you do that?"
Job glanced at the older Warren as he spoke, "He's right. But since none of you can kill, I'll have to do it."
"Mr. Atherton, wait!"
Job pointed the weapon at the knocked out child, who was even now starting to come around. The youngster eyes rested fearfully on Job's weapon.
"There's no more waiting Kenny. This has to be done now."
He flipped the safety off and put his finger on the trigger.
TO BE CONCLUDED