Take Me Home by DelphinaCarter
Story Notes:
This story is something I've been working on for a while. I've been struggling with some self confidence when it comes to writing and trying to get back into it. So any feedback you guys can give me would be great. It took a lot of pushing to get me to post this as it's something I don't normally write. I hope you like it.

1. Wide Awake by DelphinaCarter

2. Dark Paradise by DelphinaCarter

3. Together Again by DelphinaCarter

4. Heart Without A Home by DelphinaCarter

5. The Power of One by DelphinaCarter

6. Resurfacing Memories by DelphinaCarter

7. Getaway by DelphinaCarter

8. Nightmares by DelphinaCarter

9. Down To Earth by DelphinaCarter

10. Fragile by DelphinaCarter

11. Infinity by DelphinaCarter

12. Secrets by DelphinaCarter

13. Broken by DelphinaCarter

14. Lean On Me by DelphinaCarter

15. Panic by DelphinaCarter

16. Kryptonite by DelphinaCarter

17. Unlikely Allies by DelphinaCarter

18. Half Alive by DelphinaCarter

19. Believe Me, I'm Lying by DelphinaCarter

20. True Colors by DelphinaCarter

21. Trust Me by DelphinaCarter

22. If I Knew Then by DelphinaCarter

23. Child’s Play by DelphinaCarter

24. Helpless by DelphinaCarter

25. A Sky Full Of Stars by DelphinaCarter

26. Born To Run by DelphinaCarter

27. Fix You by DelphinaCarter

28. Seperate Ways by DelphinaCarter

29. Monster by DelphinaCarter

30. Help Me by DelphinaCarter

31. A Link To The Past by DelphinaCarter

32. Nightfall by DelphinaCarter

33. Spaces Between by DelphinaCarter

34. Prisoner by DelphinaCarter

35. Taking Control by DelphinaCarter

36. Footprints by DelphinaCarter

Wide Awake by DelphinaCarter
Chapter One: Wide Awake




Crystal clear skies.
Deep blue ocean.
White sand beaches.


Nick was in heaven, pure bliss as he ran barefoot along the calm waters surrounding the island he made his home. The wind blowing gently through his hair, the sun warm on his face....it was paradise. He had lived happily on the island, fishing and doing whatever he wanted in peace.


Without a care in the world.

Until the day he woke up.

Until the day he discovered none of it was real.



His blue eyes opened slowly, as if he'd been in a deep slumber - but he didn't remember going to sleep at all.

"Well, his vitals seem to be normal. Looks like he's finally ready to wake up." a voice said above him. He could see a room with many machines, all of them blinking and beeping as people darted through his peripheral. His fearful eyes moved around the room in rapid motion.


Where did the beach go?

"Hello! Can anyone hear me?" he called, but nobody responded. Nobody seemed to hear him under the glass. He tapped with his hand and surprisingly it opened. Cold air rushed over his body and he shivered.

"It's so good to see you awake. You've been through a lot."

The woman had bright red hair, that fell to her shoulders in curls- and violet eyes. Nick had never seen anyone like her before. She smiled at him, her teeth were very white. He found himself staring at her, feeling uneasy...untrusting. He did not trust anyone in the room that examined him as if he were something fragile. None of this felt right.

"Where am I?"

"First thing is first, you need to clean up and put some fresh clothes on. Then we can talk some more. I have much to discuss." the woman explained. Nick opened his mouth to speak but felt it was better not to. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. He felt afraid. That beach was his sanctuary and it had been snatched away. Taken from him as if it never had existed. He resented waking up, even though he couldn't remember ever falling asleep. Last thing he remembered was fishing with Brian.


Brian....

He wasn't even sure where Brian was. Would he be worried?

Then it dawned on him- He didn't know who Brian was.

Nick was led down a hallway with no windows. He wished he could distinguish if it was night or morning, or anytime at all. Everything felt so wrong. He wondered if he'd ever get home....but where was home? How would he get there?

"I'm sure you feel confused, that is normal after what you went through." the woman said softly. She began to ask questions as they talked, Nick growing more and more frustrated as the seconds passed.

"Give me one good reason why I should tell you anything. I don't know you. I don't know what happened to me. I don't know if you're my friend or an enemy. How can I trust you?" he snapped. He felt bad afterwards but it was well deserved.

"My name is Sienna. We found you after your accident. You were in a crash. We were just trying to help you back on your feet."

"I'm Nick."

She smiled. She waved her hand, and a door in the wall opened. The room inside was a blinding white. White bed, with a end table holding a lamp. A dresser along the left wall. No windows or any other decorations. A door on the right led to a stocked bathroom.

"You should find everything you need, Nick. Just take a shower and rest. I will be by later."

He turned to speak to her, but the door closed behind her - shutting him in. He supposed a shower would not hurt. Undressing what little clothes he had, he tossed them to the floor and stepped in, turning on the chrome faucet. He let the water get hot and breathed in the steam, feeling a bit relaxed. As the water ran over his face he had many thoughts. How would he get home, and where was that exactly? He supposed the beach was home. That was the last place he felt safe. The last place he was happy. The last place...he didn't feel alone. Sienna was different, colder than he thought. He didn't trust her and had no idea why. She was kind but he felt uneasy. Something was off.

After Nick showered, he walked out of the bathroom, a towel draped around his waist. He spotted a pair of clothes on the bed, laid out neatly in a pile. He dressed in the plain grey pants and black shirt, brushing the wrinkles out. The floor gently shook, surprising him as he sat down on the bed, running a hand through his hair. He had a headache, thinking about everything that she had told him and wondering if he could get any more information.

"I brought you some food."

Sienna was standing near the door, smiling. She walked over and she set down a food tray, Nick throwing it a hesitant gaze.

"Nick I know you don't trust me but I am sure you're hungry. Please eat something. It's good, I promise."

"I want answers."

Sienna dropped her shoulders, sighing as if she had almost expected him to act this way.

"You will get them, but for now you need to trust me and eat something. You have been through a lot and need to get your strength back, Nick. Please. If I wanted to harm you, I already would have. I just want to help you." she said softly. Nick turned away from the tray of food even though he was hungry. He didn't trust her and he didn't care that she knew it. Sienna almost looked hurt.

"I'll leave this here. I know you're upset but you can't just push everyone away. This is your home now." she told him as she walked out. Nick grabbed his pillow and screamed into it. This place was not his home. He did not feel safe here. He'd never accept it. He knew he was going to get there no matter what it took, he didn't care who got in his way. He just wanted to be happy again.

Nick sat in silence for what seemed like forever, wondering if he would be trapped here for the rest of his days....alone.

He just knew one thing, that he was going to get out of here- by any means possible. Not without answers.

Not without a plan.
Dark Paradise by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Back with another update. It came a day later than promised but hope you enjoy. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!
Chapter Two: Dark Paradise



"Where have you been?"

Nick was surprised to smell the ocean, the waves providing a soft melody in his ears. He felt the sand beneath him as if he was sunbathing and had just simply fallen asleep there.

He opened his eyes slowly, a blurred figure extending a hand towards him.

"I was looking everywhere for you. I thought you'd gotten lost or something."

Nick smiled, the voice was calming and friendly.

"Brian?" he blinked at the blurriness in front of him and it focused. It was a man, shorter than him with sandy brown hair and blue eyes, eyes that reflected his own. He helped him up and Nick took a few moments to brush the sand off of his clothes.

"You act like you don't know who I am... Are you okay?" Brian asked, frowning at him.

"I don't know anything anymore." Nick whispered. None of this made any sense. Was it all a dream? Brian was right here in front of him. There was no way to explain any of this, but Nick felt safe here. He felt that nothing could harm him again.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Brian asked with a smile,nodding gently towards the water. Nick was met with a spectacular sunset, the colors blending in a palette of oranges, pinks and reds. He smiled, taking in the view and feeling at peace...but there was a hidden sense of dread eating away at his heart. Why did he feel so uneasy?

"Too bad none of this is real." Brian said suddenly. Nick frowned, looking at Brian as the world seemed to become silent. Gone were the ocean waves, gone were the seagulls. Total silence surrounded him, suffocating Nick to the point where he felt his heart begin to race.

"What?"

Everything began to fade, as if he were watching a TV that was not in focus.

"Wait....Brian! No... Brian!!!" he yelled. Brian was speaking but it sounded muffled.

"Come find me....... Help me... Take me home, Nick. Please...."

Nick cried out again but the world simply faded into darkness. He couldn't see anything, just heard Brian's voice whispering.


"Nick?"

He felt himself being shaken by a pair of trembling hands. As he opened his eyes he found Sienna looking at him with a panicked expression, desperately trying to wake him. He'd been asleep again. Nick silently cursed himself for this, he felt weak for even getting upset. It was only a dream, a dream he so desperately wanted to be real.

"Nick?" Sienna called more urgently. Nick struggled to get away from her embrace. She had been holding him, trying to calm him down. Nick shoved her off and she fell back onto the floor. He stared at her, his chest heaving with labored breaths.

"You were yelling in your sleep. Are you okay?" she asked timidly. Nick didn't answer but he ran a hand through his hair, letting it fall gently into his eyes. He closed them and tried to calm himself. Sienna was talking but he didn't listen to her....her voice was muffled by his own thoughts.

"Do you need to see a doctor? I can take you to one if you like." she offered. Nick kept his eyes closed and just nodded, shaking slightly. His chest was hurting from the anxiety attack he'd just had, but he really just wanted out of the room. He felt trapped and lonely. He wished he hadn't woken in the first place....the only time he was happy and safe was in his dreams. What worried Nick was the fact he didn't know if his dreams were memories or made up in his own head. The beach had to be real. There had to be a way to get there, but he didn't know how he was going to accomplish that when he didn't know where he was. There were just too many questions that he needed answered.


Nick allowed Sienna to take him to see the doctor, it felt good to get out of that room for a little while.

"All of your vitals seem normal. It's just a simple case of anxiety." the doctor told him.

"If I am so healthy, why do I have to stay here? Why can't I go home?" Nick asked. He saw the doctor and Sienna exchange glances as if they'd known he would question his health.

"Because, we want you under observation for the time being. While your physical health is normal, you have been through such an ordeal that mentally you're not stable."

Nick frowned, shaking his head in disbelief. He was being treated as if he were a mental patient.

"So you think I'm crazy or something? Is that it?" he spat, feeling his heartbeat increase again. His palms began to sweat.

"Nick, please..." Sienna begged. Nick just clenched his fists, trembling silently as the doctor continued to talk. He did not listen, all he could think about was figuring out whether the beach was real and how to get back to Brian.

"Just keep calm. You're only making it worse getting riled up. Sometimes our emotions can mess with us in ways we don't understand. I'm not versed in psychology but I can see you have been through a lot. You need to just relax and not stress yourself. We are taking very good care of you here."


After the doctor, Sienna walked with Nick back to the room in silence.

"Nick, you've been angry since you woke up. What can I do to make you happy? I want you to be comfortable here. I want you to trust me." she said, opening the door. Nick was so upset he could only laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You want ME to be comfortable and happy?"

"Yes,"

"You can start by telling me the truth. What am I doing here and how did I end up in that coma? Where the hell are we anyway?"

"Nick-" Sienna started, but he interrupted her.

"You know what? I don't know why I am even bothering. You're not my friend. You're just going to keep on lying to me. I get that. I just wish I knew what was going to happen to me." he told her as he sat down on the bed. All Sienna could do was stand and watch.... she didn't know what to say.

"I understand how you feel but this isn't going to help matters. I'll be back later. Just try and calm down."


Nick watched her leave and rolled his eyes at the door, thinking.


"Yeah, calm down. Easy for HER to say. She has no idea what this is like. None."

He hoped that sleep would come easy that night, and almost wished he would have another dream about the beach, because that was the only place that felt like home to him right now. He would be perfectly fine with never waking up again.

Nick closed his eyes, hoping that he wouldn't see that room again.
Together Again by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Thanks so much for the feedback so far on this story. I really appreciate it :)
Sienna walked down the hallway after she left Nick, her face expressionless. Nick was asking too many questions...he was suspicious and that was not good. She went into the control room, and the guard saluted her.

"Commander, he's still asking questions. You said he'd trust me after I fed him."

"He'll come around."


Somehow she didn't think he would. Nick was hard to gain trust with, and he was correct not to especially with everything they'd been through. She was relieved when Nick didn't remember anything that happened, it had worked out to her advantage. After leaving the control room, Sienna took the left hallway...going down a few passages before she reached her destination.

Pressing the door gently, it opened revealing a room similar to Nick's containing her other prize. They would be so useful if she could control them properly.

"You....I know he's here. Why are you keeping him from me?" the young man spoke, his temper rising. He'd been a problem since he'd awoken, at least Nick didn't try to fight back.

Sienna smiled at him, he was angrier than when she visited earlier.

"So much anger...it's a shame I don't associate with your kind." she said, her hand brushing against his cheek. He pulled his head back, his blue eyes burning with rage. If he wasn't human she might be attracted to him. Humans were disgusting creatures- but thankfully, it wouldn't be a problem much longer.

"Bring me to him... I know he's hurt. What have you done?"

She didn't answer, she simply left the room as he yelled after her.

Sienna was shocked by this, he could still use his ability even though they were not together. The commander would be very interested in hearing about this new development. Nick didn't seem to have awoken fully yet, but that was all part of Sienna's plan. As long as they were apart, neither were a threat to them....



Nick lay in the bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about his latest dream. He'd dreamt of Brian again but this time they were preparing to flee wherever they were. There was an explosion and Nick woke up sweating. What could all of this mean? The dreams were becoming more frequent and he felt sick. Maybe the nausea came from not accepting any food from Sienna, but he didn't trust her at all. Something was lurking behind her kindness.

"There has to be a way out." he said to himself. He got up and stretched before doing some small exercises, something he started to do just to pass the time. Nick was fit, and he found that the cardiovascular activity stimulated him. He knew if he just laid about it wouldn't benefit him at all.

As Nick jogged around the room, he tripped over a shoelace that had come undone. He fell, tumbling to the floor and hitting the door.



"Fuck..." he muttered, his head throbbing from the impact of his head against the metal door frame. He had a small cut but it didn't matter, no harm had been done. Nick looked up, his eyes wide.

To his surprise the door was open. Nick felt his heart beating fast, his pulse racing..did he dare?




Sienna had just entered the control room, sitting down at the desk in front of her. She sighed, feeling tired. The last few weeks had drained her but at least things were finally working out the way she wanted them to. They had both of the humans captive and apart...and she was close to achieving what her race had been trying to do for years. Trying to eliminate the remainder of humans in the galaxy. Humans had been infiltrating for too long and it was time they finally paid for it.



Nick walked quietly down the hallway, trying to see if there was a way out. Many of the doors required a password as they had keypads. He wondered why his room had opened so easily but attributed that to his head hitting. He almost laughed at the thought of Sienna allowing him to escape. Would she come looking for him?

He brushed those thoughts aside as his journey continued, peering around each corner and hoping he didn't encounter anyone along the way. So far he'd been lucky. As he rounded a corner a strange sensation washed over him. He stopped, seeing a door at the end of the hallway. His heart was racing again...beads of sweat forming at his temples.

"Hello?" Nick called out for no reason in particular. Who would answer?

He was shocked to hear a muffled voice calling out. There was someone in the room calling for help. Throwing his weight against the door...Nick fell into the doorway, knocking over whoever had been on the other side. He looked up and felt his breath catch in his throat.


"Nick?"


Nick did not answer him but he was met with another pair of blue eyes.


Eyes that held confusion and pain. Eyes that held relief.


"But how.... How is this possible? You're not real..." Nick whispered. He backed away, still on the ground. The man stood up and held out his hand. Nick felt his heart beat even faster, it had to be a dream. He'd hit his head too hard and was still in his room unconscious. There was no way it was possible.

Brian was looking at him, standing there as if he'd walked right out of his dreams and became real overnight. Nick trembled, waiting for himself to snap out of it... Waiting for the lie to become true. There was no way.

"I can't believe it's you..." Brian said as his eyes watered with happiness.

"You're not real,"

"Of course I am. I'm really here...I've been looking for you everywhere. I thought I'd never see you again, Nick. I thought you were dead until I found out that witch had you."

Brian continued holding out his hand to help Nick up, but Nick wouldn't take it. He was frozen in place, still not believing any of this was happening.


It couldn't be real, could it?
Heart Without A Home by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Hope you enjoy the update. Let me know what you think
"Nick?" Brian whispered, his hand still extended as he waited for Nick to take it from him. Nick backed away again, trembling. He closed his eyes and expected to wake up...but this time he didn't.

"What did they do to you?" Brian asked. He moved towards Nick once more and once more, Nick backed away. Nick was against the wall, his chest heaving with labored breaths.

"You're not real. This is a trick. Who are you? "



In a weird way, Brian half expected Nick to behave like this after what they'd been through. They'd escaped capture a few times, thanks to Brian's navigation skills. The two of them had been running for a long time.

"Nick, it's me. Okay? It's me. Don't be afraid of me, I won't hurt you." Brian whispered. He held his hand out, his palm shaking slightly. Nick stared at it for a long time...before he took a deep breath and reached for it. Their hands gravitated to one another before the fingertips touched gently. Nick felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Are you okay?"


Nick went rigid, his eyes frozen open as he felt the warmth spread through his body. Memories came flooding back. Memories of their narrow escape when the attack on Earth began.... Memories of them doubting they'd ever find their way back home. Memories of happy times together.


"We have to leave this place. They're coming for us." Brian said as Nick watched him packing their belongings.

"But where will we go? This is our home." Nick whispered, feeling uneasy. He never was one for change. Nick liked things to always be the same, he liked consistency.

"We will make a new home. Home is where you make it. Home is where you hang your heart." Brian smiled.


Nick opened his eyes and looked up at Brian, who was pale with sweat.

"It's you... It's really you..."

They were about to embrace when an alarm startled them. Red lights flashed from a corner of the room.

"They've figured out I am gone..."

"No, I can't lose you again!" Brian shouted. Nick felt so strange. He was happy but something deep down troubled him.


Home is where you hang your heart...

Nick could only look at the door and hope Sienna didn't find him with Brian. He wanted to take Brian away from here, and find home again. He wanted to go home.

Brian watched Nick, he knew he was still figuring things out in his head. He knew Nick was confused and afraid but didn't know how to comfort him.

"Where are you going?" Brian asked when Nick moved towards the door.

"I cannot let her see me with you. She wants us apart. I don't want her to hurt you, I have to leave." he explained. Brian looked disappointed but he nodded because he knew Nick was right.

"I'm going to find you again. Stay safe. I'll know if anything happens to you. Please don't do anything stupid."

"I.."

"Promise me, Nick." Brian said more urgently. Nick looked at him, his eyes full of worry. He nodded and let go of his hand, exiting the room as fast as he could. There were yellow lights flashing in the hallway as he ran, his heart racing. People were running around a few hallways down in a panic, talking of lost cargo aboard. Aboard where? Was he the cargo? Where exactly was he? Nick feared the worst. If they were at sea like he thought it would be harder to get away, especially if he didn't know where to go once he did. He knew only one thing... He was not going to leave Brian behind. Not again.

Not ever.

He sincerely hoped it would be the last time they'd be separated.




Sienna punched the wall angrily, how could this happen? They'd gone through a lot of measures to ensure both of them were secure. How could he just get away? More importantly, why did they allow it? Someone must have made a error in locking the door when she left Nick.

"Did you find anything yet? " she growled at one of the men in the control room.

"Nothing yet, but we have people all over the ship searching. He can't have gone very far."

The only comfort she had was the fact they were en route to Motrale. It would be some time but if she lost one of them before reaching the Eternal City...she knew the consequences would be dire. She grabbed the lieutenant by the throat and he reached for his neck, gasping for breath.

"I don't care if it takes spilt blood. You will bring him to me. Understand? If any of you fail your whole squadron dies. Spread the word."

Sienna had been searching for the two of them too long for either to escape her grasp. She'd come too far. Not when victory over the human race was so close.


The battle had begun long ago when the humans had made contact with Motrale, a foolish mistake. They'd been trying to contact another species for many years...but they didn't know just who they were dealing with. War was only the beginning. They had lost. The human race was about to die out.

Sienna would make sure it stayed that way.


Nick's heart was almost in his throat as he navigated around the passageways, some more complicated than others. So far nobody had discovered he was the escaped cargo.

He ducked into another room, hoping he could at least avoid recapture long enough to make an escape plan and find a way out.

Nick knew one thing for sure, he wasn't letting Sienna win.

Not by a long shot.
The Power of One by DelphinaCarter
Brian stared at the door for what seemed like forever, sighing. He had finally found Nick, the one reason he had allowed himself to be in this prison all this time.

He knew Nick didn't know their special connection, or even remember what brought them together in the first place, but he knew that they couldn't be kept apart forever. Their powers only strengthened when they were one. He had even tried to tell Nick when they fled Earth in the beginning, but the escape made it difficult to explain in such a short time. Their situation was getting more and more perilous the longer they stayed captive by Sienna's people on this ship. Brian just hoped it wasn't too late.


Nick stopped in the hall after leaving the room, wondering what the peculiar sensation that overcame him was. He felt cold, as if something had gone missing from inside himself. He turned, looking down from where he had come. When he was with Brian he felt warm....but now he seemed to be lost. It was like a fog had entered his brain, he felt the memories that just resurfaced fading already.

"Brian..."



He raced back, his heart beating with each step he took. He didn't know how but he found the room again and pounded on the door with urgency.

"You came back..." Brian smiled, looking relieved. Nick took his hand and felt the warmth come back, he felt whole again.

"I couldn't let that woman hurt you. She's done enough." Nick said. Brian felt the fear in Nick, the anxiety over getting out of this place.. the uncertainty of their situation. He wanted to tell Nick, but before he could do so Nick pulled him out of the room.

"Shh. I'll get us out of here." Nick assured him. Brian knew he actually had no idea what he was doing but allowed him to think otherwise. He was an empath, and he could feel everything Nick was feeling. He knew that he was tired and scared, running on pure adrenaline.

It was like when they fled Earth. Only this time Nick was leading and he was following.

They'd gotten word that Sienna was coming, and they had to act quickly. The army was on it's way to Earth and time was running out. People on the base were scrambling to prepare for battle.

"The two of you need to go. You need to go ahead of everyone else, your safety is the most important." Brian was told by his cousin who led the army. Kevin was his only family he had that was involved in the war against Sienna's planet. They'd been fighting for years over natural resources, but when one of Sienna's soldiers killed a soldier...it was war.

"But where will we go?" Brian asked, as they entered the room on the base where they stayed. Nick was packing the little belongings he had, Brian and Kevin whispering in the doorway. He looked up and smiled, Brian smiling back.

"You need to seclude yourselves where nobody will find you. Help him develop his powers. We will need the both of you....it's the only way we will win this war. I know how much he means to you, but he is our last hope of winning. If we lose this war it's up to the two of you." Kevin had told him. Brian had never told Nick... Not even when they found the island. They'd lived there happily, not worrying about the war or their loved ones, only having each other. Brian knew that was selfish but he'd rather have stayed there with Nick than come back. Coming back was a mistake....


"Brian?"

Nick's voice jarred him from his own thoughts, they'd stopped in another hallway lined with windows.

"Where exactly are we?" he asked in awe. Stars were as far as the eye could see, distant galaxies twinkling. Nick's eyes grew wide.

"I'm not sure, but I assume by now you figured out that escaping will not be easy." Brian chuckled. Nick rolled his eyes, still staring at the sky. He never felt more lost in his entire life.

"What are we going to do? How will we get home now...."

"Don't give up hope yet, Nick. We have each other. I'm sure we will think of something." Brian said. He knew they couldn't stay here much longer. Sienna was looking for them and it wouldn't take much time before she did.

"First of all, we need a ship."




Sienna paced the floor, she was getting more and more impatient as the minutes passed.

"Your highness, we have some news about the prisoner."

She turned around and gave the guard permission to speak further.

"The other one has also escaped, we have reason to believe they are together. However they have not left the ship yet so we are actively searching."

"What kind of news is this? I told you to FIND HIM!!!!!" Sienna screamed. She moved swiftly and broke the guard's neck, killing him instantly as the other two guards jumped back.

"Do NOT disappoint me again. I want you to find him and bring him to me. Alive, understand?! Now go!!!"

Sienna felt the rage taking over her and took a breath, calming herself. This was not going to help. She couldn't rely on the guards alone to find Nick.

"If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself."
Resurfacing Memories by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Back with a new chapter. Let me know what you think!
Brian hid behind Nick, waiting until the last of the line of guards had passed. It was kind of thrilling, being with him again. Almost like old times.

Almost.

Brian missed the island almost as much if not more than Nick did....he knew it existed and was a very real place. He knew getting back there wasn't an option but saw no need in telling Nick that. He wanted to get out of there as badly as Nick did. Brian sometimes hated being able to read Nick's feelings. He knew Nick was excited to get home, but he knew lying to him was also wrong.

Right now, he had no choice. He'd tell him eventually. When they escaped. If that ever happened. It seemed like a pipe dream at this point, at least to him it did. Nick had no idea what was really at stake in all of this mess. Brian preferred that because the less Nick knew, the better off they'd be. At least one of them could play dumb when they were caught.

"Okay...go, go, go!" Nick whispered. He pulled Brian by the hand and they ducked into another corridor.

"Do you even know where you're going!?"

"Brian, I'm trying not to be seen."

"I mean...this is a big ship. They're not exactly leaving the front door open for us. Surely you have a plan?" Brian whispered. Nick was silent for a few moments.

"Do you know where we can find a ship? That's our best bet to get out of here."

"Before you woke up, they did give me some freedom and I was allowed to wander the ship. Of course, I didn't know you were there because I thought you had died. Sienna lied to me and as long as I didn't try to escape she'd give me leeway. I just had to tell them when I left my room. There is a holding bay not far from here, I'm sure we would find a ship docked with a full fuel tank." Brian explained as Nick stared. He thought he had died? Nick wondered what else Sienna had lied about, she'd told him that Brian wasn't real...he was a figment of his imagination. Nick was relieved to find out otherwise, but now their lives were in danger. He had to get them home.

"Lead the way." he said. Brian smiled and they went down the corridor on their right. Nick didn't remember much of their past and he had so many questions, but that could wait. Once they'd gotten the ship, he could ask anything he wanted.

Their lives on Earth had been relatively normal. Well, until the attacks on Earth began. It all began in 1999....



"I can't believe it's New Year's already. I am so excited." Nick said as they watched the television patiently for the countdown.

Nick had come to stay with them after being abandoned by his family when he was a young child. The Richardsons took him in and he bonded with Brian almost instantly. They were the best of friends. Two peas in a pod.

"Happy New Year!" everyone cheered. Kisses and hugs were exchanged throughout the room until they heard an explosion on the television. Times Square was on fire. People were running, screaming in the streets. Buildings crumbled. Panic took over everyone's faces. Nick stared in disbelief, as an air raid siren began to ignite its warning. Brian almost wet himself when his cousin ran into him knocking him down. He grabbed him by the wrist, shoving him towards the door as others were desperate to find their loved ones.

"They're attacking. You have to go now!" Kevin shouted urgently. Brian took Nick by the hand and they raced to grab the little belongings they'd packed.

"What's going on, Brian? Who is it?" Nick asked. Brian threw the bags into a small cargo ship. He'd been packed for a few days, in case anything happened....but he didn't know they'd attack tonight.

"Nick, we don't have time. They're gonna be here any minute for us. We have to go, I'll explain when we get there. Please just trust me."

Nick nodded but felt unsure, felt sick to his stomach. Brian looked at him with concern.

"We will be all right....I am gonna take care of you..I promise."


Brian sighed and opened his eyes as the resurfacing memory came to an end. He had failed in his promise, and even though Nick didn't know, he was still paying for his mistake. He was supposed to guide Nick, supposed to teach him about his abilities to prepare him for what was coming. Yet here they were, captured by the very enemies they'd fled from so many years ago.


Brian looked at the cargo ship in the holding bay, shaking away his failure and taking another breath.

"Brian?"

Nick's eyes met his own and he felt somewhat calmer. He wondered if Nick could sense what he was thinking.

"It's clear. We should try for the ship before anyone else comes."

"Right. It's just over there. The one nearest the bay opening. It would be easiest to get because no other ships are in the way. Nobody would have time to stop us."

Nick nodded and the two of them quietly raced for the ship, hoping nobody had seen them.



"They're where?"


Sienna pushed the guard out of the way and looked at the monitor in front of her, seeing the infrared scanner. Two figures crept amongst the parked cargo ships.

"How did they get into the cargo bay?"

"Shall we dispatch them, your Majesty?"

Sienna went for the guard's throat.

"No, I have a better idea. Let them go. They might lead us to the location of the remainder of the human race, something we have been searching for. The ships have tracking on them, we won't lose them."

"Let them go?"

"Make sure they don't think their escape is an easy one, but do not kill them unless I command it."

Sienna smiled at the scanner, perhaps this would all be worth it in the end.



"Brian, do you know how to fly this thing?" Nick asked once they'd boarded.

"It's been a while....but yes." Brian told him with a smirk. Nick looked uneasy.

"That doesn't sound too reassuring. Do you even know where to go?"

"It's like riding a bike."

Nick sat down in the seat next to Brian and put on the seat belt, taking a nervous breath and closing his eyes, trembling slightly.

They were on their way home finally and it felt great, but Nick wondered what they would find once they got to Earth.

Something told him it wouldn't be anything good.
Getaway by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Back with a new chapter. Hope you all enjoy!
Nick felt like his stomach was doing backflips when Brian set the controls to launch from the cargo bay. He couldn't believe any of this was happening. He also felt strange, like something deep inside him was awakening and he was changing. He couldn't explain it but he smiled when he felt Brian's hand on his. Brian smiled at him and let him know without words he would be fine.

"Are you sure you can fly this?"

"Nick, I already told you- It's like riding a-"

The whole ship shook from impact. Someone was firing at them from behind and the color drained from their faces. Brian flipped some switches and pulled some knobs as the ship shook again.

"Get us out of here!" Nick screamed, starting to panic. The shots came in rapid succession as Brian frantically tried everything he knew. He knew how to fly, but this ship was different. Finally, as if if had taken forever the ship lifted and the engines roared. The two of them cheered as Brian pushed the controls forward, their escape in progress. It felt so good to finally be leaving but the big question remained. Where would they go?

"Brian, where are we going?" Nick asked once the ship was clear of the cargo bay and outside. They were still being chased by several other ships, that were continuously firing at them from behind.

"Do you know how to shoot? There's a gun in the back, we gotta hold them off so I can plot a course to jump to lightspeed. I don't know enough about where we are to formulate a plan." Brian said, trying to sound like he knew what he was doing. In reality he was practically pissing his own pants. He hadn't flown in a long time. Nick didn't know anything, not even how long they'd been held captive by Sienna. It had been two years since they'd left Earth and Brian wasn't even sure if it was still there. The war had been going on for a while, what if there was nothing to go back to?

"Fucking hell." Nick muttered when he saw the controls in front of him. He had no idea what to do. His heart beat faster and faster, sweat forming on his face as the ship was weaving in and out of laser fire. The ship chasing them was close on their tail and Nick finally grabbed the controls, pressing down hard on the button. The laser fired and he hit the ship, causing it to explode on impact. He let out a whoop of excitement and fired some more, not realizing he'd never handled a gun before or even shot anything. He never questioned how he was able to do it.

In the cockpit, Brian could feel Nick's uneasiness about shooting and it was messing with his own confidence. He tried to shake it off, hating the fact his powers were getting in the way. Being an Empath wasn't easy. He fed off of emotions, and when Nick was near his powers were in full swing. He could feel and hear everything Nick thought, it had always been that way.

“I'll get us out of here. Just hang on..” Brian whispered, pushing the controls forward and hoping the jump to light speed would happen.

Nick was on the adrenaline rush of a lifetime. He whooped when he saw the last ship explode into a bright fireball.

He raced back to the cockpit, feeling so happy as he jumped into the seat next to Brian, who was not smiling.

“Did you see how I totally creamed those guys?”

Brian pressed some buttons.

“What's wrong? We got away…”

“I'm trying to set a course.” Brian said, and Nick’s smile fell. The two of them were silent for a long time until Nick spoke up.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

Brian ignored him and read the screen in front of him. Something was definitely wrong. His destination had to be there. Unless….

“Nick, I promise I'm not.” he lied. He hated lying to him and he felt the disappointment Nick was feeling afterwards.

“So where are we going?” Nick asked, looking at the window and the sea of stars spread out in front of them. They'd made the jump and Brian seemed to feel a bit less tense now that they knew they were out of Sienna’s clutches.

“We are going home. “

Brian looked at the computer readout again and sighed. Nick was wondering the same thing he was, where exactly home was and how they would get home. They were going to find home, that much Brian knew for certain.

At least he thought they were. He just hoped it was still there. He punched in the coordinates and sighed, hoping for the best as the ship began to move toward their destination. The two of them sat there for a long time in silence, Brian reading Nick's emotions and feeling sick to his stomach.

“So how did we get here anyways?”

Brian looked up at him, seeing Nick watching him expectantly. Nick didn't trust him and it hurt. He felt nauseous because Kevin had trusted him to teach Nick about his powers. Yet he didn't. Brian had been selfish and he knew that he was the reason Kevin and the army could possibly be dead, that they were flying to a destination that he didn't know whether it still existed or not. There was so much he wanted to say but he didn't. He kept quiet and just smiled.

“It's a long story, Nick. I'm sure you're tired, why don't you go and get some rest? I'll keep watch.” he said finally. Nick looked skeptical.

“You're hiding something from me.”

“No, I am just looking out for your safety.”

“Brian-”

“Please get some rest.”

Nick sighed and stood up to walk away but turned in the doorway to face Brian.

“I'm only going because I'm tired, not because I believe you.”

Brian turned his chair around and looked at the blips on the control panel, ignoring him.

Nick felt angry as he searched for a place to rest on the cargo ship, wondering what Brian was hiding. He knew that there had been an explosion because of what he had dreamed when he woke up. There was an island and they were alone. But why? Nick found a small alcove with two beds, and he swiped at some dust.

“He's definitely hiding something.”

As he laid down and let himself get somewhat comfortable he couldn't help but wonder if it was really okay to let Brian lead the way, or if he could even trust him.
Nightmares by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Sorry it's been so long! Hope you enjoy the update. Let me know what you think!
Nick lay in the bunk on the cargo ship, feeling the soft vibration from the engine below. He closed his eyes and allowed his breath to steady into a deep slumber. As the sounds around him faded, he wondered what Brian was hiding from him. Why was he so hesitant to go to Earth? Wasn't it home?

Brian felt Nick worry and his chest tightened. He knew it would be a long night ahead staying awake, but as long as they were free it didn't matter. Sienna was behind them�they'd gotten away. It just seemed a little too easy. Brian didn't let this deter him. It was something else worrying him as he continued to plot their course. He wondered if anything was left, if his cousin was even alive. He and Nick had fled when the attack began, and he felt like a coward for doing so. It was his responsibility to teach Nick. He'd failed. Brian closed his eyes, feeling Nick fall asleep. Nick had no idea whatsoever about his powers, or his destiny. He was a pawn in all of this. Maybe he could change their course and they could find a new home�.

The thought left as quick as it had come. He knew he could not hide the truth from Nick for much longer, but he knew he had a little more time. Focusing on the control panel in front of him, he relaxed knowing the younger man was asleep.

�Just a little longer.� he whispered, hating himself.


Nick didn't sleep long, he felt a shudder and bolted upright, but he was put off by the smell of the ocean.

�Brian?� he called�.only hearing the distant cry of seagulls. He slowly got up, feeling the sand beneath his feet. His heart pounding, he walked down the beach calling Brian�s name only to receive no response in return.

�What the fuck is going on?� Nick said out loud. This beach seemed familiar to him, but something felt different this time around.
No, something was definitely wrong.

He happened upon a small hut, that looked to be handmade of bamboo and leaves. It was well crafted, as if someone had spent a lot of time building it. The hut felt comfortable to him so he walked towards it, his heart easing a little. It even smelled like someone was cooking. Smoke gently wafted out from the open door.

�Brian?�

When he went into the hut, he almost fell tripping over a body at the doorstep. Panicking, he turned it over and fell to his knees�.gasping for breath. Brian was motionless, his eyes open and still. The hut was on fire. At this point adrenaline seemed to take over Nick�s body and he picked up Brian, throwing him over his shoulder. He carried him outside and lay him on the grass, his chest heaving with sobs.

He was alone.

�Brian�.Brian!!!!!� Nick wailed, trying to wake him up. Tears rushed down his cheek as the hut burned in the distance, their home destroyed. All because he wasn't there.

�Nick!�

He felt himself being shooken awake and the beach faded, the fire drifting into darkness.




�Nick, speak to me�.are you okay?�

Nick's eyes opened, blinking through tears at Brian's face. Brian looked worried. Nick felt his chest loosen up, and he blinked again. Brian stopped shaking him and they looked at one another for a moment before Nick clung to him, sobbing.

�I thought you were dead!�

Brian let go of him and sat down, letting Nick sob into his shoulder.

�Why would you think that, Nick? I'm right here. I'm not leaving you.�

Nick told him everything and Brian looked away as if he were hesitating on some information.

�Brian?�

�It's nothing Nick. Just a nightmare. See? I'm fine. No worries. I heard you crying and came to check on you. We are almost to our destination.� Brian smiled. Nick wiped his eyes and nodded. He didn't think he'd be able to sleep now. No way in hell.

Nick followed Brian to the cockpit and sat down, trying not to think of his stomach rumbling.

�Do we have any food?� he asked, and Brian smiled at him. They poked around and managed to find some supplies, food and water. They ate and Nick looked out at the stars, still thinking about the dream.

�Brian, can I ask you something?�

Brian felt his stomach sink. He hated Nick asking too many questions.

�Sure.�

�Why do I keep dreaming of that beach? Did we live there?�

�Yes. At one point we did.�

�Well, why did we leave?� Nick asked.
Brian was really not ready to answer that question right now. Luckily, he didn't have to. He opened his mouth to speak, but the console began to make noise.

Incoming Transmission.



Brian flipped it off. He was practically pissing his pants. Had Sienna followed them here? This was the last thing he needed right as they were about to land, he didn't need any more problems than the ones they already had. What were they going to do when the food ran out? He didn't know how many supplies they had or how long it would last. He knew that they had to find food and shelter and it was a mystery whether or not this planet was still safe if at all. Nick looked on at him, watching for a while before be spoke.

�Why didn't you answer it?�

�Not now, Nick. We are here anyway, I don't want to chance us being followed.� Brian said softly, flipping switches on the control panel... his eyes stern. Nick didn't back off, he kept going. Brian had forgotten how inquisitive Nick was and secretly hated it. One word answers would not pacify him. He had to think quickly, because he knew Nick could not handle the truth right now. Brian was worried. Worried they'd die soon if they didn't get help.

�Where is here?�

The blue planet in front of them loomed ahead, the ship shaking slightly.

�Earth.�
Down To Earth by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Back with a new chapter. Hope you enjoy!!!
Sienna stared at the monitor in front of her, a broad smile across her face. They went to Earth just like she knew they would. Brian couldn't resist going back. He had no idea what was waiting for him, the fool….she thought, still grinning as she pressed the tips of her gloved fingers together. They were both fools. Especially Brian, who had defied her the minute he was captured. He'd spit on her, punched the guards and screamed as they took Nick away.

Nick had no idea just how valuable he was. When they found him, he had put up a fight too…but a swift blow to the head rendered him unconscious for several days. They'd tried to brainwash him but he resisted even though he was in a coma, a coma they'd put him into to turn him to their side. His mind was very strong. Stronger than even Sienna wanted to admit. It was then that she knew she had to keep the two of them apart. Together they were dangerous.

“Your highness?” a voice called from the doorway.

“I told you never to disturb me here! What is it?” Sienna shouted at the guard, who looked startled.

“Shall we follow them down to the planet?”

She smiled again, watching the ship land on the monitor. Of course they'd chosen this place to go. So predictable.

“Not yet. Let's wait. I'll give the command. I have them right where I want them.”




“Where are we, exactly?” Nick asked as the ship shook slightly, entering the atmosphere. Brian took a breath, he hoped that he didn't make a mistake. He hoped that what he was looking for was still there. Hoped that it wasn't too late.

“You don't remember this place, do you?”

Nick squinted. It looked like a space port. There were other ships around, from cargo ships to destroyers.

“Should I?”

Brian was relieved. Nick didn't remember anything before the accident. He was glad for it. The space port, upon further inspection was pretty deserted. They'd walked for a whole hour or so without meeting any other people. Brian seemed uneasy and he kept stealing glances at Nick.

“Where is everyone? If this is a port you'd think there would be more people around.” Nick commented. Brian knew Nick was feeling just as nervous as he was if not more. Taking a short breath, Brian spotted a person lying on the ground near a fighter jet.

“Hello?” Nick called. He'd noticed the man too and was now running over. He let out a small scream when he turned the body over. It was black, burnt to a crisp. Nick jumped and started screaming, clinging to Brian’s leg.

“This is not good. I think we should get out of here…..but we need supplies and fuel. I don't think we have enough to get anywhere if we don't stock up. Come on…” Brian said softly, helping him up. Nick was quiet the whole way into the port until they found more bodies. Everyone was dead. Dozens of corpses littered the ground. Men, women of differing ages, all dead. Nick was horrified. Brian could feel his panic rush through his own body and hated himself for it. He hated feeling everything Nick felt. Hated knowing Nick had no idea what had happened. Brian urged him to follow, taking great care not to tread on the corpses.

“I don't like this, Brian.”

Brian privately agreed. He wondered if they could get any supplies here because everyone they came across was dead. He knew that Sienna’s army had done this. They'd killed all of these innocent people. Brian fought off tears as they walked. This was his fault…

“Hey.. I think I found something.”

Brian had been so deep in thought he hadn't realized that Nick had wandered away. He was pointing at some crates on an abandoned delivery vehicle. It had been sitting there lopsided due to the wheels being blown out. Brian called out to Nick as he stood up from checking one of the bodies nearest him. The body had been ice cold, dead for some time. He only wondered how all of this happened, but he had a pretty good idea they shouldn't stay. It was already risky just being here.

“Be careful. Let me make sure it's not explosives.”

“I am pretty sure it's food, help me open it.” Nick said, pulling on the lid of the crate nearest them and grunting.

Brian was amazed. The crate was full of food rations… and all looked okay to eat. Nothing was spoiled. Rations were designed to last a long time, so it was incredibly lucky. Brian supposed that this was one of Nick's powers showing itself, but he said nothing. Nick stood there grinning at him as if to say “I told you so”. The two of them grabbed as much as they could carry and headed back to the ship.

“What are the odds I'd find one in the first place we looked? I mean that has to be some kind of cosmic fate or something, right?” Nick said, his mouth full of food. They'd made a good meal out of the rations, saving the rest for later. His stomach was very content and he let out a burp, patting his stomach. Brian felt his happiness wash over him and smiled.

“That was very lucky. But onto more pressing matters, we should really find somewhere to stay for the night. It's getting dark and I don't think we should stay in the space port. It doesn't feel safe here. We have fuel now, we can go somewhere else.”

“What exactly happened to all of these people, Brian? How did we end up leaving?” Nick asked. Brian set down his fork, trying to think of an excuse or a reason to change the conversation.

“You really don't remember, do you?”

“No. I mean…I only know things from when I came out of the coma.”

Nick watched Brian carefully as he lowered his fork and set it on the table before taking a drink of water.

“How much did you see when we first found each other? You said you keep dreaming of a beach.” Brian said as he set the glass down and licked his lips contentedly.

“Yes. But I also saw us fleeing. We were running away from something that was attacking us. You grabbed my hand and pulled me to the ship. That's all I remember. I remember seeing our house on the beach and every time I saw you in my dream you asked me to find you and bring you home. I just want to go home, Brian. I don't want to run anymore.” Nick said softly.

“Nick, I hate to tell you this…but..I'm not sure that home is even there anymore.”

Nick's eyes widened and all Brian could do was sit there in silence. He'd been lying since Nick woke up and he had to stop. He had to tell him the truth.

He just didn't know where to begin.
Fragile by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Hey I hope you guys are still with me.. Hope you enjoy the update. Feedback would be awesome. I'd really appreciate it!
Nick stared at Brian across the table and watched him squirm, wondering what he was hiding from him. He knew it was some kind of information that was important, but why would he keep it to himself?

"Please tell me, Brian. I have a right to know why I ended up unconscious and why we left here. What's happening?" he asked. Setting down his cup, Brian looked down at the table and was thankful Nick did not know telepathy and couldn't read his thoughts because he had a big secret that he was hiding.

"It's a long story."

Nick got even more anxious.

"Just tell me."

"Well, a long time ago my cousin Kevin adopted you. I don't know how that happened, but you and I were basically thrown together. He said they found you or you found them. I'm not sure, but for some reason you did. He says it was fate." Brian said, folding his hands together. Nick looked even more anxious and Brian could feel his confusion.

"Fate?"

"Well, for some reason when you and I are together, things happen." Brian whispered as if he didn't want anyone to hear. He looked around nervously. Nick sat back in his chair, thinking. Now that he thought about it, he did think it was odd when he met Brian on the ship and their hands touched. What was that sensation that went through their fingertips? It wasn't natural. It was like a feeling of some sort, a feeling of connection to him that went beyond friendship. Something powerful.

"What kind of things?"

"I don't really know how to explain this, but there is a reason we were kept apart from each other on Sienna's ship, Nick. Every minute we are together we are in mortal peril."

"Why, though? There has to be a reason." Nick demanded, his eyes turning a dark blue. Brian looked thoughtful.

"I failed you, Nick." he said softly. He knew he couldn't lie or keep lying any longer and it felt good to have the weight lifted off of his shoulders. Nick stared and Brian could feel the tension rise rapidly.

"Failed?"

"I was supposed to teach you about your power-"

"My power?" Nick interrupted, and Brian ignored his question, talking over him. The whole time Brian could feel Nick's resentment.


Nick made a face, now getting angry. It was almost scary to see the amount of anger he was hiding. Brian didn't like that at all. He couldn't push it away. Nick's anger flowed through him.

"-So lying to me was how you were teaching me? You lied about everything. Everything you've told me since I've laid eyes on you in that room has been a lie, hasn't it?" he shouted, interrupting him again. Brian felt his head hurt. There were too many emotions happening at once and it was clogging his thought process. He knew he had to get Nick to calm down so his own brain could function. The anger was just too much, it was deafening.

�Nick. Just listen to me. I did it for your safety. Sienna wants you...dead, alive, I don't know, but she's been after us for several years. When Earth was attacked we fled. I took you somewhere safe. That beach was our sanctuary. The island was far away from the war. I was supposed to teach you, guide you and help you find your powers, to use them. I have powers too. But they only work when we are together...this is what makes us so dangerous to her. She wants us apart. So every day I'm with you your life is in danger."

Nick's brow furrowed, thinking. Brian could see everything that was going through his mind. Flashbacks.. Flashes of light. Visions of their home..their happy days together on the island. He longed to be there but Brian knew it wasn't possible. The same visions flashed in front of his eyes. He blinked, his breath catching in his throat as if he were dunked into cold water. His body shook and Nick's emotions quickly turned to fear. Fear surrounded Brian and paralyzed him.

"Brian, are you okay?" Nick asked suddenly. He was calm, the rest of the room stopped spinning. Brian blinked again, feeling dizzy. He had no idea how much time had passed. This worried him. He was about to speak, but the monitor from the control room was beeping.

Incoming transmission

Nick followed Brian and stood in the doorway, watching carefully.

"What is it?"

Brian frowned. There was no way his cousin could still be alive.

"Brian?"

Brian ignored him and hesitated over the transmission. It was trying to reach them, but how did Kevin know that he was there? This wasn't the same ship he left Earth in. Something was wrong.

"It's a trap. We have to get out of here."

Brian punched in some coordinates as Nick took the seat next to him at the control panel, watching the monitors. He didn't understand any of it, never having flown a ship before. Brian obviously had a lot of experience with it. Nick was still lost in thought after their conversation, but he was curious anyway.

"Where are we going?" he asked. He didn't care where they ended up as long as they were going home. Home was something he longed for more than anything, the word seeming strange and unfamiliar. Nick didn't know how he would find it but knew it was out there. He knew it in his heart.

"I don't know, but we can't stay here."

Brian put the ship in stealth mode, hoping it would throw off whoever was tracking them. He cursed Sienna in the back of his mind, how had she followed them all the way here? He knew it had been too easy of an escape. He also knew that something was very, very wrong. Being around Nick was consuming his mind. He just wished it would stop, but shook it away, burying it deep inside to stay strong for him. He knew this was key to their survival. If Nick was to stay happy and comfortable, he couldn't show fear.

The ship traveled for what seemed like hours, the two men sitting in silence.



Incoming Transmission...

"Brian?"

Oh, how he hoped Nick would just leave it alone. But the computer's steady beep said otherwise. Flipping a switch, the transmission stopped.

"Who would be trying to reach us?"

"Nobody you remember."Brian said softly. Nick rolled his eyes and turned away as Brian tried to figure out where to land. Hoping that he didn't have to find out the answer to Nick's questions.
Infinity by DelphinaCarter

Every moment we are together we are in mortal peril.


She wants us apart, Nick. She wants to keep us apart as long as she can.


Nick could hear what Brian said over and over. None of it made sense.

He sat thinking as he watched Brian at the controls, his brow furrowed. He knew Brian was lying to him about a lot of things. Rather, hiding information from him. There was so many questions he had but all Brian did was tiptoe around them and avoid answering.


We are in danger.


The words echoed once more and left as fast as they came, making his head throb each time they appeared. In danger from what? Nick knew he and Brian had powers but didn't understand them at all. Brian was supposed to teach him but all they'd done since he woke up was run away. All he wanted to do was go home and it made him anxious. Would they ever get home?


Where was home? What did Sienna want with him?


Brian was acting funny. Someone was obviously trying to find them. That night, Brian landed the ship in a forest away from the spaceport. He said they'd continue in the morning but Nick couldn't get himself to sleep for some reason. Something bothered him. There were two things he knew.. Earth had been attacked and Brian had taken him away, but was Brian safe? Nick didn't know who to believe.


He wanted to go home and would do anything to make this happen. Even if it meant on his own.


******



Brian woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed but uneasy. Uneasy because he knew something was off.. He felt no connection to Nick which was his first clue.


“Nick?” he called out to an empty ship, wandering to the sleeping quarters. He couldn't believe it but Nick was nowhere to be found.


Goddamn him… he couldn't leave well enough alone.


Well, it's your fault he left. You shouldn't have held information from him.


Brian silently cursed at himself, wondering how Nick could be so stupid and careless knowing that they were in danger. Not as much danger as he had told him, but danger nonetheless. Nick was out there on his own with no idea how much trouble he was currently in. He had to find him.


Time was running out.


*********


Nick wandered through the dense forest, wiping sweat off his face and sighing. He'd been walking for what seemed like hours and the sun was beginning to come up. He knew they were on Earth, but exactly where he hadn't a clue. Everything was so strange to him. After another half hour of walking, he was surprised to see concrete under his feet. It was as if they hadn't been in a forest, just an abandoned area that was overgrown.

Taking a few steps, he was met with a few buildings that were either knocked over or crumbling, had been overtaken by plants over time. The place was deserted with the exception of some animal sounds. It was eerily quiet.


“What is this place?”


Nick hadn't meant to speak out loud but as he walked there was more evidence of human life that had at one time lived here. Broken toys, empty food containers littered the ground. Papers covered in dirt and plants growing from under them.



The further he walked, the more disconnected and alone he felt, he hadn't been alone since the coma. It was a odd feeling and he wasn't sure he liked it because he had no memories of Earth at all, the last thing he remembered was running away and Brian grabbing him to pull him into the ship to escape. What were they running from? It looked like the war certainly had left its mark on this place, wherever it was. Decrepit buildings surrounded him, and Nick wasn't sure how some of them were still standing. Uneasiness washed over him as he trudged forward, hoping to God that he wasn't the only human being around.



“Nick!!!” Brian screamed, at the door of the ship. A bird call answered him in reply and he growled, heading back inside. The first morning light was reaching where he had landed the ship in the forest clearing. Now that it was a bit lighter he could begin his search. Nick was definitely gone and not coming back….and Brian felt a complete disconnect. For the first time in two days, he did not feel sick. He hadn't noticed until he was alone what it felt like to be himself again. He could think clearly. Stepping out of the ship, he began to walk east towards the rising sun.


“He is a fucking idiot.” he whispered, annoyed when Nick didn't answer his voice. Brian knew where they were and wondered how long Nick had been walking. He hoped that Kevin gave up trying to communicate with the ship and he would find Nick before his cousin did….because that situation would not be good.






Brian hurriedly threw things into a bag as he prepared for leaving the base where he and Nick were currently. Everyone was running around because there had been rumors of an attack coming any time and Brian knew he had to get out. Sienna would stop at nothing, they'd already been in hiding for a while since the war started. This base was no longer safe.


“Will you be okay where you're going?” Kevin asked in the doorway. Nick was in another room gathering what little belongings he had.


“I know exactly where I'm taking him. We will be fine.”


Kevin stared in surprise.


“You have to keep him safe, it doesn't matter about anything else. But Nick is in the most danger. You have to teach him about his powers…I really don't think running is the best solution.”


“Kevin, I said that we will be fine. I will protect him!” Brian shouted.


“I worry about you. Please look after yourself. Your mind is dangerous when you are like this….if you could just control it-”


“I don't need you to lecture me.”


Brian took the bag and threw it against the wall, growling. His head hurt and he couldn't hear his own thoughts at all. He was feeling everything Kevin felt. The fear of everyone nearby, Nick’s fear….he just wanted to go somewhere he and Nick could be happy. A place where there was not a war. A place that was peaceful and carefree. Where they could live together. Brian hated being an empath. It was physically draining him to the point it was making him sick. Anger was the worst thing for him. Fear and anxiety paralyzed him.


“Brian, please listen to me….”


“I don't need this. We are going away. Far, far away….where nobody can find us.”





Brian just wanted to keep running. Running was better than facing the truth - the truth that their home was gone. Destroyed. The truth was...things would never be the way they were again as long as Sienna looked for them. They'd never be safe. He had to find Nick before the others did.




Nick took a few more steps into the abandoned street, in awe of what laid out before him. Some sort of civilization used to live here….he could tell because it looked like they'd just left in a hurry and abandoned their belongings.


“Nick?”


Nick’s breath caught in his throat when he heard his name.


“Why did you follow me when you-” he started to say angrily, but when he turned around it wasn't Brian at all. A pair of green eyes stared back. Nick didn't recognize him, but it couldn't mean anything good. The man began walking towards him, smiling warmly. He turned and ran.


He just hoped he could get out of this.

Secrets by DelphinaCarter
Sienna sat in her ship, smiling at the monitor in front of her. She knew exactly where Nick and Brian were and had them in her grasp, she just needed the right moment to strike. This had to be handled delicately, not like the last time. Last time was a mistake. Brian was the problem, they just needed to get Nick on his own again and persuade him to come willingly.

Nick was someone who trusted easily and she needed to use that to her advantage. Now that he was alone, it was perfect.

“Should I send down the command to our contact on Earth, Commander?”

Sienna pressed her hands together against her red lips and grinned, her eyes shining with delight.

“Yes. Tell him to go ahead with what we discussed. I will not accept failure this time.”

It was almost too easy but she knew she had to do it to get what she wanted before Brian could ruin everything they'd started.

It was time to put her plan into action.


*****************

Nick didn't even turn back to see if he was being followed.. He ran down the debris covered street in a panic, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Nick ran and ran without purpose or direction, taking care not to trip on debris. Darting around a crumbled building he ducked inside and immediately regretted his decision. A rotting corpse lay on the floor in front of him, the smell was overbearing. Part of the corpse’s skull was visible, as if it had been torn open. Nick immediately emptied the contents of his stomach, feeling sick. The bile rose and fell in his throat, and he went back outside. Whoever it was hadn't followed him, or so he thought.

“Nick?”

His head shot up at the sound of his name again, eyes wide. Breathing heavily he kept walking, edging around what was left of the wall next to him.

“Nick, I am not here to hurt you. It's not safe for you to be out here. Please come out and let me help you.” the voice said. Nick stopped to listen but did not move. The voice sounded familiar and friendly but he couldn't place it. Peering around the wall, he saw a tall man with dark hair. His voice was soft yet stern and he didn't seem to have a weapon. Nick stood in silence for a moment before reasoning that it could not hurt to find out what he wanted.

“Thank goodness you're alright. I've been trying to reach your ship, but something kept disrupting the signal and dropping my messages. I knew by the way the ship flew it was you two-” the man said, but Nick raised his weapon.

“Who are you?” he demanded, his heart beating rapidly.

“You don't remember me? I'm Kevin…”

Nick did not back down, still holding the blaster gun up. Kevin held his hands up, stepping forward cautiously.

“Brian told me he didn't know who was contacting us. How do I know you're not lying?”

Kevin smiled and nodded. He had a feeling that Brian had lied. He didn't blame him in all honesty after last time they'd crossed paths. It was lucky Nick didn't know what had happened.

“He obviously hasn't told you anything. It's not safe here. Come with me, we are better equipped to protect you. It's not wise to wander out in the open when she's looking for you. I will explain everything.” Kevin said. Nick slowly lowered the gun and stowed it in the holster at his waist…uneasy about trusting him but curious. What wasn't Brian telling him?

Stepping closed to Kevin, he hoped he would find the answers he was looking for.

*************

Brian trekked through the forest, stopping to wipe away beads of sweat that formed on his forehead. It was definitely getting humid out, something that Brian had anticipated but not prepared for. The whole while he walked he thought of Nick, but the feeling seemed to be fading. He felt healthy for the first time in a long time and briefly thought about going back to the ship without him. He knew he couldn't. Their connection was just too strong, the fate of the human race rested on them being together. Brian knew deep down that he had to stop being selfish.

Even if it meant risking his own life in the process.

He thought back to the days before he had taken Nick and fled. Back when nothing made sense. Not even the war.






“Brian, there's gotta be an explanation for you being sick all the time. The doctors have tried everything. I don't know what else to have them test on you.”

“I don't understand it either.”

Brian sat up in the hospital ward, running a hand through his hair. Kevin stared at him with concern. He'd felt like he was dying moments ago and now he was fine. It didn't make any sense. He and Nick had been training and then had an argument. Nick was upset. Suddenly everything changed….

“Kevin…what if this has to do with my…”

“Your powers? That's a possibility we haven't thought of.” his cousin said thoughtfully. Brian hated to think Nick was causing his illness. This couldn't be the reason. It had to be something else….

“Maybe we should separate you from Nick for a while.”

Brian listened to Kevin talking but only half way. He didn't want to be separated from his best friend….he liked being connected to his thoughts but at the same time it brought him so much discomfort. Nick's fears paralyzed him. Anger consumed him, but when he was happy….when they were happy and safe it was a state of euphoria that he couldn't explain. He had never felt pure bliss before. Without Nick he was nothing. He felt cold and empty. He hated it and never wanted to feel like that again. So he had taken Nick and run away. Run far away from the war where they could be happy together and not worry about any more testing.

He loved Nick and with that love came his strength. Their home on that island was built with their love for one another. Now it was destroyed. Torched to the ground. Gone.






Brian never told Nick any of this, he'd hoped that Nick would remember but he didn't. He didn't want to tell Nick that the reason he was weak also made him stronger. He didn't want Nick to know he was in control when they were together. He hated being an empath. Nobody knew what his powers were. Sienna knew. Brian thought bitterly of when they were captured, how his own cousin had betrayed them both by giving away all their secrets. It was Kevin's fault their home was gone. It was Kevin's fault that they were being hunted.

He had no time to waste. The human race hung in the balance and he hated to think what would happen if Nick fell into the wrong hands once again. Brian failed once before, he wasn't about to fail a second time.
Broken by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
You might need the tissues for this chapter. It's a doozy. Hope you enjoy!
Kevin and Nick walked for what seemed like more than an hour. Through empty streets littered with garbage and abandoned buildings.

“What happened here? Where is everyone?” Nick asked. He knew he didn't need his weapon but he kept a close eye on it in his holster at his waist as they walked.

“A lot of things happened, Nick. Things I cannot explain to you in detail until we get to our destination. We are almost there.” Kevin replied softly. There were no animals here except for the occasional rat scurrying along. It was also eerily quiet. Nick was feeling uncomfortable and for the first time since he woke up, lost. This place didn't feel right…like the ship. He wondered if Brian was out looking for him or had noticed that he was missing by now. Wondered if he did the right thing by leaving. It didn't matter, as long as Brian was safe and he could get home.

As long as we are together, we are in mortal peril. They want us apart. Together we are a threat to them...

Nick shook Brian's words away as fast as they had appeared. He couldn't help feel guilty for leaving. Kevin noticed as Nick kept looking behind him for something, but something that wasn't there.

“Brian won't follow you. He knows what's out here.. He wouldn't tell you because he thinks he's protecting you. I told him to tell you the truth. I warned him about leaving. Leaving was the worst thing he could have done.” Kevin said suddenly. Nick stopped walking and stared.

“He followed me to Sienna’s ship.”

“Yes because it was his fault you ended up with her in the first place.” Kevin replied. Nick stayed quiet and they walked some more until they reached a large gray building with a plain looking door. The door looked old but had a keypad. Kevin punched in a number and it slid open automatically, revealing a black doorway.

“In here.”

Nick hesitated but followed him through. The hallway was dark and quiet, no sound at all. The only noise present was their footsteps echoing on the floor underneath

“Where are we?” Nick whispered. He wanted to reach for his blaster but he wouldn't have been able to see to use it. It was so dark he couldn't see his hands in front of his face. After a few moments a light appeared at the end of the hallway over another door.

“This is where we've been hiding. It isn't much, but…”

The door opened and Nick gasped. It was a whole village….built mostly underground. The doorway led to a large set of metal stairs, but from their viewpoint you could see a vast space of handmade homes.

“-it's home.”

“This is amazing.”

Kevin smiled and they moved toward the stairs. Nick followed him, taking everything in.

He didn't know that he was making a huge mistake.


*******************


Brian cursed to himself. He should have told Nick everything from the beginning but he was selfish. He knew it too and he was pretty sure that he had an idea where Nick had gone. Kevin was not to be trusted. Brian thought back to the day they were captured. The day they tried to run after their home was destroyed. The day that he failed Nick completely, it was still fresh in his memory even though it had happened a long time ago...






“Brian, we can't just keep running from our problems…. We have to go back-”

Nick was interrupted by the ship shaking violently. They were under attack.


“Fucking hell….” Brian thought as he ran to the control panel. Explosions were happening outside, they were under fire. A large ship was behind them. He knew it belonged to Sienna, but how did she find them?

“Brian-” Nick said, but he was ignored by the ship shaking again. He was flung against the wall and Brian to the floor. It was hard to get up or even stand but alarms were going off and it was deafening. They are about to crash.

“Get down. We are making a emergency landing…” Brian instructed. Nick nodded and crouched close to the floor. What happened next was nearly indescribable. Everything turned upside down, their bodies were tossed around like rag dolls. Brian closed his eyes and could only hear Nick's screaming. He felt his fear and it was making him sick again. No matter what he did he could not brush this away.

Everything finally rested and Brian was able to open his eyes. The ship had crashed on Earth after falling out of the atmosphere. It was a desert, sand on all sides. Luckily it was nightfall because otherwise it would have been very hot but it was surprisingly cool.

“Nick?”

Brian willed himself to finally move when he discovered he didn't feel Nick's mind connected with his own.

Nick did not answer, it was silent. The silence was making him uncomfortable.

“Nick… “

His voice became more and more panic stricken each time he called his name. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked for him, but it was dark and hard to see.

Brian finally willed himself to stand but it was hard, his legs felt like jelly. The ship was broken in pieces and smoking, the smell of spilled fuel perfumed the air surrounding the crash site. He didn't feel a connection with Nick at all. It was the first time since they'd met that he didn't and he felt empty. Sick to his stomach. His eyes filled with tears as he called out for Nick until his voice nearly gave out.

Finally after some time passed, he found his body lying among the debris. He still did not feel a connection with his emotions. Cradling his body in his lap, Brian took Nick in his arms and gently kissed his forehead. Nick did not stir. Tears spilled down his ash covered cheeks. This was his fault.

Suddenly everything began to vibrate, the sand retreating away from his feet. The ground shook and a gust of wind surrounded him. A ship appeared overhead, the lights blinding him. Brian blinked up in surprise but held onto Nick, as if he were still trying to protect him. After a while it landed and the wind stopped, but a figure approached them.

“Finally I have you right where I want you..”

Sienna stood there, smiling at them with triumph.

“Are you satisfied, you monster?!” Brian screamed, his eyes shining. He could feel how happy she was and he felt sick to his stomach with guilt. He could feel everything around him and that meant Nick was still alive somehow. Their powers only worked when they were together.

“Oh, don't fret. The battle may be won but…but I have yet to claim my prize.” she said, stepping closer to inspect Nick. Brian clutched onto him, not letting her anywhere near.

“Is he alive?” she demanded. Brian buried his face into Nick's hair and cried softly, taking in his scent and ignoring her. He felt something, something weak. It meant he was hanging on by a thread.

“I…I don't know…” he sobbed. Nick’s skin felt cold in his arms, he could barely feel his breath on his skin. It was faint.

“You're lying! SEIZE HIM!!!” Sienna shouted. Her army surrounded them and pried Nick away from Brian as he protested, kicked and screamed…cried….it took several men to hold him back. He threw punches and tried any way he could to get away but their hold on him was too strong.

“Nick!!!!” he screamed in anguish. He was dragged onto the ship, and thrown into a room by himself. Plain walls. Plain furniture with no windows. Just a room where he was left alone with his guilt, left to wonder if Nick was alive or dead. He couldn't feel their connection anymore, or anything at all. Just silence. The first few days without Nick were the worst ones. Any time someone came to bring food, they were attacked by Brian as he tried to escape. Eventually the men stopped coming. His meals were pushed through a small hole in the door. Brian ate, but each time he demanded information.

“I want to talk to her. Bring her to me, you cowards!!!” he screamed, pounding on the door. Nobody answered him. After some time he stopped fighting. Giving up seemed like a better option. He tried to get his power to work on its own, tried to feel Nick out but with no results.

Without Nick he was lost.






Brian continued his search, and prayed that this wasn't going to end like before. He had to find him. If it even took his last breath.

Giving up wasn't an option this time.
Lean On Me by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Once they finally stopped at a small door again, Kevin let Nick inside. It was a small room with a kitchen on one side and a living area. In one other corner was a computer panel.

“Is this where you live now?” Nick asked.

“Yes. We have a safe place here. We don't worry about being attacked. See, we moved underground so we are not vulnerable.” Kevin explained calmly. He watched Nick with narrowed eyes, observing him.

“It's amazing. I thought everyone was dead.”

“Anyone above ground was killed in the last attacks on our planet. The ones who didn't get out in time died. You and Brian were one of the few who tried to get away but Sienna attacked as you fled the atmosphere. You don't remember?”

Nick was silent for a moment, his brain fuzzy. Everything he tried to remember didn't come to him at all. The only thing he could remember was the island and the time he and Brian spent there, happy and peaceful. There was no war. It was just the two of them. He suddenly missed Brian very much.

“We could be happy again…if we went home.”

Nick shook the voice away. It sounded strange and foreign.

“No, I just remember us leaving after the attack on New Year's Eve.”

Kevin nodded. He sat down in a chair, thinking. This was working out better than he anticipated.

“He was supposed to teach you about your powers but he chose to run. That's when you were attacked.”

Nick looked at the floor, remembering the argument about his powers.

“Everything you've said to me since I woke up is a lie, isn't it?”

He felt himself get angry all over again and Kevin noticed his ears turning a little pink. Anger was great. Anger was welcome. He wanted Nick to trust him and making him distrust Brian was the first thing on his agenda.

“Are you alright? Perhaps you're hungry.”

Nick agreed silently, he had not eaten since they'd found the food rations at the spaceport so a meal sounded wonderful. He followed Kevin, the whole time feeling a sense of dread and not knowing why.

You know in your heart you made a mistake by leaving, don't you?

The nagging voice wouldn't leave Nick alone as Kevin gave him a little tour of the village. It seemed like a nice set up, everyone looked friendly but there was something off about it that kept bugging him.


“Kevin, if Sienna waged war on Earth like you said, how hasn't she found you here yet?”

Kevin stopped and Nick didn't notice his face go pale for a moment before he turned around. He quickly came up with a lie. Well, not a whole lie…but something he hoped would stall Nick from asking any more questions.

You need to get out of here. Find me….bring me home, Nick. I just want to go home…far away where they can't hurt us anymore. Take me home…

Blinking, Nick was surprised at the new voice in his head. It was Brian, faint but urgently pleading him to get away. Nick shook it off. It had to be his imagination. Besides, Brian had said home didn't exist and it was destroyed, wasn't it? How could he even hear him, Brian said their powers only worked when they were together. Unless he had figured out how to use his without Brian….but if he could read minds wouldn't he be able to read what Kevin was thinking? Staring at the dark haired man in front of him, he tried to concentrate but nothing happened. Maybe his power wasn't telepathy. He wished he knew more.

“Sienna can't find us because we have the best technology available here. We have made this place unplottable and heavily guarded. There's no way she would ever find it unless someone told her.”

Nick nodded but before he could say anything else the door burst open.

“Kevin, I need to speak with you. Something has happened.”

**********************
Brian ran as the lasers came at him, he ducked and ran as fast as he could. His heart was pounding and he tried to clear his thoughts, empty his mind so he could think clearly…but the sudden excitement and danger prevented that. A mixture of fear and dread washed over him. He'd found the abandoned city but as soon as he neared the large building he'd been fired at. He couldn't see his attackers although he tried to sense them. His powers just were not working. The stress he was under, and the fact he didn't have Nick prevented it.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered, ducking behind a wall that looked like it was on the verge of crumbling.

“He's over here!” someone shouted. Brian ran again but was getting tired, too tired to keep running. Now that he had an idea about where Nick was, he had to figure out how to get to him. He actually was pretty fast and not having trouble outrunning the men chasing him until he tripped, his laser gun flying from his grip. He skidded on the pavement and felt his face get cut. It stung against the gravel.

“Please don't kill me…” Brian begged, on his back and looking up at them.

“You don't have to worry about that. You're coming with us, someone is eager to see you.” the man sneered as Brian felt himself being lifted up by his arms. They restrained him and he went without much struggle, knowing he would be hurt further if he tried. There had to be a way to get away from them.

“I don't care how badly Sienna wants me, leave Nick alone.” Brian said to the group of men surrounding him as they walked.

“Sienna doesn't want you. She has what she wants.”

Brian's heart almost skipped a beat in fear, that meant Nick was in danger. There was nothing he could do but put his head down and keep walking. Praying silently that they would get through this as blood trickled from the open wound on his face.

He was led into a building, where identification was needed through a thumbprint and keypad, down a long dark hallway and through another door. His heart sank. This is where the humans were hiding. Sienna must have found them, but how could she when they were hidden so well?

“Where are you taking me?” Brian asked as they walked through the village. People looked at him but nobody acknowledged the guards or him at all. It was like they weren't there. He was led to a house, with another plain door.

Suddenly Brian felt sick, fear was crippling him. Darkness surrounding his body, he felt his knees give. He heard faint screaming, an echo of Nick's cries before he fell. He felt his heart beating faster and faster as if he were dunked into cold water, then the world went black.

“Someone help him!”

He hoped he didn't wake up to find out what had happened.
Panic by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Took a break for a bit but I'm back! Enjoy the update!
Nick watched Kevin squirm in his seat across from him when the other man came and he felt slightly uncomfortable.

“I'll just be a moment, if you'll excuse me.”

He stepped outside and he could just barely hear them talking but didn't care to listen.

Take me home, Nick….I want to go home…

His head shot up at the sound of Brian's voice and his heart began pounding faster. Taking slow shaky breaths, he held his head as he started trembling. Memories were trying to surface and he pushed them away, pushed them back to the corner of his mind where they'd been locked up.

“Are you sure it's him?”

Kevin’s voice sounded distressed. Nick moved closer to the door to get a better listen, his ear pressed near the door jam.

“It's your cousin. We have him down in the infirmary. Something is happening to him. He passed out in front of us and hasn't woken.”

Nick felt his own breath catch in his throat. Brian was in danger. He was out looking for him and it was all his fault. He suddenly felt the door move and was knocked to the floor, Kevin looking down at him in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

Nick got up and tackled Kevin to the ground. Kevin was strong but he didn't really fight back.

“Stop him!” he shouted. Nick managed to get away and ran, ran as fast as he could. He had to find him before something terrible happened. Brian was sick and it was his fault. He could hear people shouting behind him but did not stop. He ran and ran.

I'm coming to get you, just hold on…

He hoped Brian could hear him wherever he was.

***********************

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU LOST HIM?!”

Kevin flinched at the sound of Sienna’s voice. She slammed her hand down on the table and threw her chair aside, causing it to crash angrily into the wall and splinter. Kevin cowered in front of her.

“Your Highness-”

Her expression suddenly changed, and she smiled sweetly, pressing her hands together and tapping her fingertips against one another. The only sound in the room was her boots clicking on the floor as she paced, thinking.

“I'm sure it was a mistake, right? I mean-you wouldn't…purposely let him escape, would you? Because that would be most unfortunate after the deal we made. It would be simply terrible if something happened to everything you've built here for these survivors.” she said sweetly, her voice dropping low. Kevin was trembling. He didn't dare stand, he stayed in his spot near the table as if she were a bomb set to explode any moment. He knew what he was dealing with. He'd seen it before. The destruction she caused.

“N-never, your Majesty. I have my best men looking for him. We have Brian hidden, there's no way he will find him.”

He looked at the floor, feeling bad about the situation because all of this was his fault. Everything that had happened, the war…..all of this was his fault. Nick and Brian didn't realize just how big all of this was. It was bigger than the both of them, and they had gotten caught in it because of his mistake. He'd been in charge of keeping Nick safe. He'd failed.


There were explosions happening all around the base and Kevin ran, looking for his father who was in charge of the American division of Earth’s army. They were being attacked.

“Hurry, son! Come on…we have to go!”

“Dad….wait!!!”

He couldn't keep up, he felt himself getting out of breath but he couldn't lose his Dad. There were people running in every direction. Finally they came to stop in front of the infirmary.

“Take your cousin….” his father begged. His cousin was crying, his blue eyes big with tears as he coughed. He was trembling, burying his face into his cousin’s shoulder.

“Come on, Brian. It's going to be okay.”

Brian kept crying, as things crumbled around them. He was so pale, so thin and frail but they could never figure out why he was always sick.

“Dad?” Kevin called. He didn't see his dad anymore through the smoke. He tried his best to shush the small child in his arms, tried to keep calm for him. His shoulder was soaked with tears.

He almost didn't see the other boy in front of him, nearly tripped on him in the smoke.

“Where's your parents?” he asked. The boy was different than any other child he had seen on the base. He had a mop of blonde hair, and big blue eyes. He wasn't crying, just standing there as if he were waiting to be found. The base shook, walls around them crumbling. Miraculously, nothing fell anywhere near them. It was as if a unknown force was keeping them safe.

“Kevin!!!”

He heard his dad finally, and took the boy’s hand as part of the wall gave way. The boy didn't protest at all, he just seemed to know to go with him. Brian suddenly grew quiet and still. It was then Kevin knew that he had discovered something special. Something he'd never encountered before.

“Where did you find-” his father shouted, but another explosion silenced him.

“Never mind. Take them and run! Keep them away from them. Whatever you do, don't let them have those kids!”

Kevin nodded and took the boys, running. He managed to get away, but his father didn't make it. His father was killed in the attack that night, leaving Brian and Nick in his care...


Kevin knew he had been stupid and he hated himself for it every day. Every day he worried about them when Brian had left. He wished he had told them the truth.

Every day he lived was filled with regret.

He hoped one day things would change.

***********************

“FIND HIM!!!” Sienna screamed at her soldiers, watching them scramble to follow her orders. She sometimes wondered why she just didn't do it herself but why get her hands dirty when the soldiers would answer everything she told them? They were pathetic anyway. As long as she could get Nick, she didn't care who she killed along the way or how much blood was spilled in the process. Nick was a valuable piece to her conquering Earth once and for all, to destroy the Human race.

Soon everyone would know not to go back on a deal with her planet.
Kryptonite by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
Hope you all enjoy the update. Feedback is always appreciated. Thank you!
Brian lay in the dark in the infirmary for the longest time with his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slowly. He could feel his chest being tight and the sweat on his face. He was in a lot of pain and just wanted it to stop. This was the first time in a long time that he felt sick on his own without Nick being there.

Nick…

He thought that maybe if he tried hard enough, Nick would be able to hear him.

“Brian?”

Kevin's voice sounded almost strange to him because it had been so long since they'd seen each other. It had been a while, since Brian had taken Nick and fled. Since they'd lived together happily on the island in peace. Opening his eyes slowly, he groaned and looked up at his cousin. Kevin almost crumpled when he woke, falling to his knees at his side. He buried his head in Brian's chest, sobbing.

“I'm so sorry…I-I'm sorry…”

“I'm sorry too.”

Kevin looked up, smiling though the tears running down his face. They sat in silence for a long time.

“I shouldn't have left when you told me not to…I was selfish and stupid-”

“Brian, I don't blame you for leaving. You had every right to go when you wanted- but me, now me…well, I really have a right to be sorry for what I've done. This is all my fault..”

“Where is Nick? What have you done?”

Kevin buried his head in his hands and sighed, his throat shaking.

“Kevin…”

“He's gone, Brian. Sienna wants him and I let him go…he hit me and he ran. She's got everyone looking for him and she threatened to kill us all if she doesn't find him.”

Nick, please….

Brian kept trying to reach him, but the connection was gone. He worried that it was too late to try anymore. He felt so weak that he couldn't even get his own powers to work let alone communicate with Nick. He wished he'd just told him the truth. He closed his eyes, trying to steady his own breathing but his body hurt too much.

“What did the nurses say when you were brought down here?” Kevin asked, taking his hand in his own.

“That they'd never seen anything like this before and had to find out what was wrong with me in order to cure me. What is happening to me, Kevin? I haven't been sick like this before. I feel so weak…”

“Brian, I should have told you but you have been sick like this before. Right before we found Nick. You were sick all the time and we didn't know about your powers then. We couldn't find anything to cure you. You spent a lot of time in the infirmary. My dad and I were living on the base and we were attacked. He told me to take you. As we were fleeing, I found a little boy.”

Brian looked at him in surprise. He'd never heard the story about how Nick came to stay with their family, but he'd had his suspicions.

“You…found him?”

“I was holding you, you kept crying and when we found him, you stopped. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. You just stopped crying like nothing happened and looked at him. He looked at you. I took him and ran. My dad said to keep both of you safe and I did. He didn't make it.”

Brian nodded, allowing him to keep telling his story. Kevin's voice shook again.

“Then something weird happened. You stopped being sick.”

“Stopped? How?”

“It was like you were never sick at all, Brian. Doctors couldn't explain it.” Kevin said, his voice dropping to a whisper. Everything seemed to get quiet and Brian just stared at his cousin, trying to process this information. This explained so much but so little all at the same time. The second Nick had left, he had started to feel ill and it was only getting worse as time went by. He felt as if his energy was being sucked dry through a vacuum.

“Do you think….do you think Nick somehow healed me? That he kept us safe from harm? Maybe that's what his power is…”

“Yes, I do…Brian, if we don't find him you could die.”

*******************

I'm coming to get you, Brian. I'm coming….


Nick ran, checking any room he saw for the infirmary. He had no idea where he was but he was being hunted. He wondered where all the people he'd seen earlier had gone.

“This way!” someone shouted at him softly, causing him to trip in surprise. Getting up, Nick dusted himself off and hesitantly went towards the voice. He had a bad feeling, something didn't seem right at all.

“Hello?”

“Nick, this way. Come this way!”

“Kevin?”

“Yes, come this way…”

Nick stopped, closing his eyes. He didn't sense Brian anywhere nearby, remembering how back on the ship he seemed to just find him. This was a trap.

He turned around and ran.

Nick… Please… Help me...

Suddenly his head hurt and he stopped, the pain too much to even hear himself think.

“Nick, we have to hurry. Get your things!” Brian yelled as he ran into the room cursing and startling him out of a dead sleep. It was late and although they'd started packing a day or two ago, there was no reason to leave right away. Brian always told him they'd be prepared to flee on a moment's notice.

“But why?”

“Just trust me!!! We have to go.”

Nick never questioned him again, they'd gone to the island and lived there for a long time, so long that they had lost track of time because they didn't have calendars or clocks. Nothing to worry about and nothing to do but keep each other company. Brian wasn't sick then. How had he gotten ill so quickly? Nothing made any sense.

“Nick…please just follow the sound of my voice.”

Something didn't feel right. Nick turned around and ran again, but he ran right into the one person he didn't want to see.

“It's been awhile, Nick.”

Nick looked up at her from the ground where he'd fallen. All he could think about was getting to Brian before it was too late.

“What do you want, Sienna? I don't trust you. I am never…never going to trust you.” he said through gritted teeth.

Sienna laughed.

“I don't expect you to.” she said, picking up his head and holding it up by his chin. He pulled away, falling backwards and grunting.

“What do you want, then? Where is Brian?!”

Please come find me, I need you…

“You don't need Brian.”

“He needs me.” Nick reasoned. That was what he assumed, anyway.

“Don't you see? You're the reason he's so sick in the first place. He's better off without you. That's what he didn't want to tell you. He didn't want to tell you that you're killing him.”

“No….”

Sienna smiled and laughed again. Laughed like nothing was wrong. Nick just blinked up at her in disbelief. He had to find out from Brian, had to see the truth. He didn't believe it. How could he be killing him?

As long as we are together our lives are in peril.

Nick thought about when Brian had said this back on the ship. Is that what he meant? That being together was making everything worse?

Maybe he'd have to do what was right on his own.

Getting up, he ran….blinking away tears. He ran even though Sienna was yelling for him to come back…threatening to kill him. At this point, he didn't care if he died or not.

He had to know the truth.
Unlikely Allies by DelphinaCarter
Author's Notes:
I apologize fo the delay in updating. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Nick ran, almost tripping over himself as he tried to sense Brian in the underground city. He didn't see anyone, but he could feel Brian and knew he had to hurry.

All he wanted was to go home, to be happy again on that island. It had to be out there somewhere. He didn't care about a war. Nick was determined to bring Brian home. The island was peaceful and he missed it.

“Brian, I'm glad you brought me here.”

They sat on the beach, watching the sunset as they ate their fish. They had spent most of that morning catching it and cleaning it, and it always tasted good after working hard to get it. The fire roasted them nicely.

Brian finished chewing and smiled.

“I'm glad we came here too.”

“Do you think we'll ever have to go back?”

Brian set down his plate, staring up into the darkening sky. The stars were starting to come out just above the remnants of the sunset. Nick always loved this time of night, sitting there and listening to the waves crash with the fire crackling nearby.

“Back where, Nick?”

“Home.”

Brian looked at Nick, the firelight flickering in his eyes. The light made his eyes appear darker. Like something was hiding deep down inside, something he was supposed to show him.

“This is our home. You don't like it here?” he whispered.

Nick shrugged, his hair gently falling in his face. He pushed it aside and licked his lips, thinking.

“Of course I do. I love spending time with you….”

Did he dare to feel his heart flutter when Nick spoke the word love? He shook it away. No, he didn't love him like that. They were very close but not that close. Brian could feel something inside Nick awakening but he couldn't place it. Something new and strange that he didn't feel before. Usually he could read Nick like a book, but somehow tonight was different. He thought about telling him about their powers but decided not to. Nick was better off not knowing. They were happy. No reason to spoil it.

“You don't remember much of your actual home, do you?”

“No…”





The silence was deafening, flashes of memories running in front of him as his heart slowed down. He could feel how tight his chest was, his breathing labored.

“Kevin…”

“Yes? Do you need something?” his cousin asked, jumping to attention at once. He looked at him with concern. Brian definitely didn't look like he was well at all. He was dying and Kevin knew that he'd made such a mistake in trying to keep them apart. He knew that Nick was the reason Brian was still alive. Sienna had to have killed him by now.

“Find Nick…please….” Brian whispered shakily.

“I don't know how.” Kevin said, panic in his eyes. Brian pleaded again, taking his hand and squeezing it. Kevin nodded at his cousin and went outside of the infirmary, his head spinning. How was he supposed to find Nick? He didn't have powers like Brian did. He couldn't just sense the boy.

This was going to be a challenge.

********************************************

“BRIAN?” Nick yelled, continuing his search. He was tired and hungry, his body exhausted from running for so long but he knew he couldn't stop to rest.

“There he is!!”

Nick’s eyes grew wide and he almost tripped over his own feet when he saw the guard spot him. He ducked around a corner and stopped, chest heaving. A hand suddenly appeared next to hun, clamped over his mouth and he was dragged into a alley as he struggled.

“Shh…quiet I'm on your side. Do you want them to find you?!” someone whispered when Nick began to fight back. The hand retracted.

“What?”

“I'm on your side. Come with me.”

Nick looked skeptically at the man who spoke to him in a hushed tone, unsure if he should trust him. Sienna had people everywhere looking for him and all he wanted was to find Brian.

“Kevin asked me to help him look for you.”

“How do I know that? You could be anybody. You could be lying to me.” Nick said, crossing his arms. The man laughed, smiling so that wrinkles appeared at the corners of his brown eyes.

“I'm Howie. I promise you can trust me. Here. I'll even arm you.” the man said, tossing him a gun. Nick looked at him and made a face but accepted the gun anyway. He supposed that an enemy wouldn't give him a weapon.

“Okay, do you know where the infirmary is then?” Nick asked. Howie motioned for him to move closer and checked to make sure that nobody was coming their way.

“Look, we can't talk here. Too many ears that could run back to her. Sienna has a lot of spies, but yes. I can take you there if you want.” he whispered. Nick nodded and followed, the two of them moving quickly. The infirmary wasn't far but Nick managed to find it just the same. It was two levels built into a large bunker converted from a warehouse building. The walls were reinforced and sturdy.

He could definitely sense Brian.

“He's in there.”

Nick felt his breath catch as he walked into the room. He'd never been able to feel Brian out before…anything else was just pure luck. This time….

This time was different.

He could feel Brian losing energy. Actually feel it leaving his body and drifting away, into nothing. It made his heart race with anxiety but he tried to calm himself as he walked towards the bed. Kevin looked up expectantly at him. They didn't exchange words.

“Nick?”

Nick felt tears at his eyes. There was still time.

He grabbed Brian’s hand, holding it to his face and crying. It was cold. Not warm like before. Nick felt responsible. It was his fault because he left. He shouldn't have left. He should have trusted him. Brian was dying and it was his fault….

“I'm so sorry….I was stupid-”

“You didn't know. It's my fault. I didn't tell you.” Brian whispered.

“Tell me what?”

“I was selfish. I just wanted us to be happy. I wanted to be with you and I didn't care about anything else. You were happy and that's all that….that mattered.”

Brian felt Nick's energy as he reached up to brush his thumb under Nick's chin…tears spilled over, running down his wrist. He was sad, his heart breaking.

“Brian…we….w-we can go back…to the island. We can g-go back and everything will be okay again…c-come on…” Nick sobbed, clutching onto Brian’s hand.

“As much as I want that to happen…”

Brian never got to finish what he was saying.

“Shit!!” Kevin screamed.

The door blasted open and Nick was knocked away…and as his lungs filled with smoke he drifted off into unconsciousness.
Half Alive by DelphinaCarter
Sienna was angrier than she had been in a long time….so much that she would have killed the remaining humans in the village and then blame Kevin for the whole thing. She had to stop herself because the village was where they were hidden. Nick and Brian were here. She could sense them. Nick didn't know enough to control his powers so she could sense him from far away.

She also knew that Brian was dying and it was because Nick couldn't control his emotions long enough for him to recover his energy. He was panicking. Sienna was also an empath. She didn't need tracking devices to find them. She knew they'd expose themselves.


Ever since the war began….when her son was shot down on a routine mission to Earth, she had vowed to end the human race. She didn't care if it meant a million lives or even one. She'd tried to replace her son with a human child. Tried so many things. None of them worked. Humans would never accept her kind.

They all had to pay the price.





“Brian….” Nick coughed once the smoke cleared after the wall blew in. People were screaming in the halls, shots were being fired everywhere. He knew they couldn't stay in the infirmary. Brian was still alive but hanging on barely.

“Nick, you have to calm down.” Kevin said urgently. Nick nodded but with how much he was panicking he found it hard to. Calm wasn't something he could just do at the drop of a hat. He managed to get near Brian and closed his eyes despite the shouting growing louder in the nearby corridor. Thinking of the beach he'd been dreaming about, imagining their sanctuary…Nick tried to focus his energy on making Brian better. He'd never used his healing powers consciously before. This all was new and strange. A warm feeling left his body and surrounded him and Brian in a blanket of positive energy, almost like a force field. He could almost hear the waves crashing and smell the ocean water.

Kevin watched this in awe…smoke billowing into the room the whole time. He knew they had to move, but where? Time was running out and Sienna was looking for them.

“Nick…”

He didn't listen to Kevin because he was so focused. Nick just kept concentrating his energy, ignoring everything else around them. He could feel Brian getting stronger. Suddenly, he heard Brian take a deep breath as if he were dunked into cold water. Coughing as Nick finally opened his eyes. A smile appeared on his face as he watched Brian stir.

“What happened?” Brian stammered.

“We have to go….we have to leave this place now. There's not time to explain.” Kevin said urgently, helping his cousin stand. Brian and Nick followed him down the corridor with Howie trailing behind. More lasers echoed behind them as the village was being attacked.

“Nick - Where's Nick?” Brian whispered.

“Right here.” Nick answered.

“We need to get back to the ship.”

“Brian, you're not strong enough to fly that thing. Your energy is still not back yet.” Kevin pointed out. Brian nodded, he didn't feel up to flying right now. So what was their plan going to be? They had nowhere to go, Sienna had her army looking for them. Things definitely looked grim.

“He’s right, what are our other options?” Nick asked softly. He was suddenly feeling tired but figured he could continue on if they had to hurry. The ship was a good distance from where they were currently and there was no way they’d get back without being spotted by Sienna’s army.

Kevin led them down the corridor and stayed out of sight….ducking into dark corners so that they wouldn’t be seen. Brian grew worried about Nick as they went, he could feel how tired he was but didn’t draw attention to it because he knew he was trying to be strong for the two of them. Nick was always so stubborn and never liked attention placed on him. He always acted like everything was fine but Brian could feel him out.

Even when they were on the island Nick was the same.


“Did you get hurt getting the fish?”

‘It’s nothing. Just a scrape.”

Looking at the deep cut in his hand, Brian could see that Nick had cut himself with the fishing hook and it had begun to clot already.

Brian chuckled softly, taking Nick’s hand in his own and looking it over.

“It doesn’t hurt that bad...OW!!!”

“Well, you’re a terrible liar.”

“Brian…” Nick pleaded through tears. After some gentle coaxing he finally admitted that he was hurt and needed help. Brian knew that Nick didn’t know enough about his own powers to heal himself. He felt partially responsible for this and knew he owed his friend the truth.

“How do you always know when I’m lying?” Nick whispered that night as the campfire provided their only light under a moonless sky. It was so dark due to the new moon that they could see stars as far as the horizon. Often they’d sit out for hours just looking up at them. Brian looked at him and smiled, allowing the crackling of the fire to answer for him.

“I just do.”

Nick stoked the fire again with the stick in front of him and didn’t say any more. He just smiled.





“Brian, are you okay? Do you want to stop and rest for a minute?” Nick asked suddenly, jarring him out of his thoughts.

“Is that your way of asking me to rest? Because you look tired.”

Nick smiled at him just like he'd done that night on the island and his ears turned pink.

“Kevin, we need to rest.” Brian called out. Kevin raised a finger to his lips to signal to be quiet and they did so. Looking around the corner they'd reached a point where it was wide open. A line of spacecraft of varying sizes were spread out in front of them in a large hangar. They could see some of Sienna’s army capturing any humans they saw near the ships.

“They're everywhere. Damn it. I was hoping they hadn't gotten to out holding bay yet. We have to get out of here.” Kevin whispered. He led them out of sight once more, trying to think of somewhere else they could go. Nick was growing more tired by the minute and they were being hunted. He even felt winded, his energy was not fully recovered. He needed to sleep….

“Brian?”

Brian jumped, stopping himself from zoning out.

“You're gonna have to help me find your ship. It's no longer safe in the underground village. We cannot stay here. I can fly it but we have to go.”

“I can do it.” Brian promised, hoping he really could follow through.
Believe Me, I'm Lying by DelphinaCarter
Kevin smiled as they boarded the ship, they were escaping. He felt bad leaving his people in the state they were currently in...with Sienna’s army rounding anyone up that still resisted her. Thankfully he wasn’t dealing with that. He watched Nick help Brian into the ship they managed to get to, happy that the worst was over. Now it was up to him to get to the next destination...wherever that was.

“Brian, are you feeling okay?” Nick asked tentatively as he helped him into the ship. Brian did not look good after his ordeal in the infirmary, his face pale and sweaty.

“Don’t worry about me. We need to get out of here before she finds out we are leaving.”

The truth was, Brian felt very far from okay but he didn’t want to worry Nick because it would only make things worse than they already were. He looked at his cousin and wanted to call him out so badly for what he was about to do. Kevin was definitely not on their side and he knew it, but if it helped them escape Sienna he was willing to deal with the repercussions. Maybe there would be time to change his mind…..


“Okay, I think we are all set. Everyone strapped in?” Kevin asked once they were safely on the ship and ready to go. Brian wasn't sure if he felt up to flying but he was going to try.

“Ready.” he said softly, flicking the switches in front of him to initiate takeoff.

Taking off was the easy part but once the ship had lifted off the ground they were being shot at from behind.

“They're right on us… I don't know how we are gonna get out of here!!!” Brian shouted, trying to avoid taking a hit. The ship shook violently and rocked as Nick was trying so hard not to panic. It was hard to keep his own emotions in check for Brian's sake.

“I’ll go up and start shooting, just concentrate on getting the fuck away!” Kevin yelled. He disappeared from the cockpit and up the stairs, leaving Brian and Nick alone. Brian could Nick’s uneasiness the whole time. His own anxiety was not mixing well with Nick’s feelings and it was making him feel nauseous.

“Brian, where are you taking us?” Nick asked. He knew there wasn’t really anywhere on Earth for them to go and noticed that Brian was steadily trying to break free of the atmosphere.

“Anywhere but here.”


The ship rocked from another impact and dust fell from the ceiling above them.


“I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. I just want to go home….” Nick said softly. He sighed and sat down across the cockpit from Brian, folding his arms. It had just occurred to him that they’d probably be on the run for the rest of their lives and would never be able to go home. As long as Sienna wanted them they could never truly be safe. This made him very upset and Brian could sense it. He sensed Nick’s disappointment and the cold washed over him, making him shudder. He hated that he was so in tune with him sometimes, and this was one of them.

“Nick, I don’t think that’s possible…” Brian shouted through gritted teeth, pulling on the steering mechanism in front of him. He was having difficulty flying with all the crossfire and shaking, not to mention Nick and his emotions screwing with his own. He sometimes wished that he’d never met Nick at all.

“Brian…”

Brian did not answer, he continued to try and steer, the ship shaking again.

The shaking got more intense and violent as the ship moved up and up through the Earth’s atmosphere. Looking through the clouds, they finally broke and the starry sky was in front of them. They’d done it. Brian punched some more buttons and they saw Earth below, spinning as if they’d never spent any time on it. Being on Earth felt like an eternity but Brian was secretly glad they left. The question now was, where would they go? His only family that was stil alive was Kevin and he couldn’t trust him at all.

“Brian, where are we going?”

“I don’t know.”

Nick scoffed so loud it made Brian turn around.

“Why do you keep asking me that?”

“Because, I keep not knowing.” Nick reasoned. They heard footsteps coming down the stairs and knew Kevin was returning. Brian really wanted to be alone with his cousin to find out exactly what his plans were without upsetting Nick any further. He could feel himself getting sick already.

“Well, we can’t stay in space forever. What will happen when our fuel runs out, and we have no more supplies?” Nick asked as Kevin came back downstairs. The gunfire had stopped and they were safe...at least for now. Brian left Nick’s question unanswered and Nick was getting more irritated by the second.

“That was a close one, huh guys?” Kevin laughed, sitting down in the spare chair in the corner. He could see the tension between his cousin and Nick and he loved it. The further they were driven apart, the better. Sienna would be pleased.

The ship rocked from another impact and dust fell from the ceiling above them in reply.

“Well, where to?” Kevin asked casually. This was something Brian had not planned on, because he did not know of any place they could go that Sienna’s planet had not invaded. Her army was everywhere in the inner solar system. Since most of the outer planets were not inhabited, they would likely have to travel to another galaxy if they truly wanted to get away and feel safe. With Kevin along, he knew chances of that were slim to none.

“Any suggestions, cousin?” Brian said, although he knew he would regret asking his cousin for advice on directions. He knew for a fact something was wrong but couldn’t place his finger on it just yet. Only time would tell.

“It’s a long shot but when I was in the underground village, acting as leader...I did hear of a secret base on the Moon. I don’t know how true that is. One of my friends was running it as a way to preserve any of the human race that we could. They’re hiding in the old Moon settlement in the Sea of Tranquility. We could try there before we make any decision to leave the system entirely. Finding another human settlement outside of our system would be extremely rare..” Kevin said.

Brian looked at him with narrowed eyes, how was it possible that Sienna had no idea of the Moon settlement? He also thought about the underground settlement and how she had supposedly not known about that either. None of this made any sense and it sent up a bunch of red flags. He could sense Nick thought the same but he did not want to go against his cousin, his only family he had left.

“So why can’t we go back to Earth or something? Why the Moon? I just want to go home. Come on, Brian. We could find our old place, I’m sure of it.” Nick protested.

“Nick...even if we tried doing that, we would be shot down as soon as we enter the atmosphere again. It’s way too risky. No, I think going to the Moon is going to help us. We can see my friend who lives there, he’s definitely going to help.” Kevin smiled.

Nick pleaded with his eyes but Brian shook his head.

“Sorry, I think Kevin might be onto something.”

Nick looked angry and the cold from him being depressed was now replaced with fire. Hot anger surged freely, better than when Nick was calm. Brian felt a headache immediately.

‘I can’t fucking believe you. You’re really falling for this shit?” Nick whispered through gritted teeth. Brian dropped his voice as well.

“Nick, in case you haven’t noticed we have no other options. It’s either go back to Earth and be killed or-“

“Or stay out here and die? Brian, I don’t give a shit where we go. This doesn’t feel right to me and you know it. So why pretend?” Nick said.

“He’s family. You wouldn’t understand…”

“Are you saying that because I’m an orphan? Fuck you, Brian. Fuck you both. Go to the Moon then. Go and get us fucking killed because I honestly don’t give a shit anymore. I wish I’d never woken up. At least I was not lied to all the time and I was still happy!!” Nick shouted before storming out of the cockpit.

“That’s not what I meant….” Brian called after him, but Nick was already gone.

“What’s wrong with him?” Kevin muttered, moving to Nick’s now vacant chair and watching the monitor in front of him. Brian punched in some coordinates and sighed, he hated feeling NIck be upset.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, but I hope it’s worth it.” Brian said to his cousin before turning away. Kevin sat there in silence, looking out the window at the starry sky and smiled.

It would always be worth it.
True Colors by DelphinaCarter
Nick walked down the hallway of the ship, coming to rest in the sleeping quarters. They were not far from the Moon and he would not have time to rest but he did not want to be near Brian right now, especially after the blow up he just had. Sitting down on the bed attached to the wall, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Nothing that had happened in the last week had made any sense at all. He did not remember anything and all it did was make things worse. All he wanted to do was sleep. Maybe he would wake up from this nightmare…..




“Nick?”

Nick did not realize he’d even closed his eyes when he heard Kevin’s voice in the doorway. He sat up and stretched, surprised to see him there.

“What do you want?” Nick snapped. It was like when he’d woken on Sienna’s ship. Who could he trust, he had no memories of his life before. Only bits and pieces and he wasn’t even sure if they were real or not. For all he knew everyone could be lying, even Brian. Brian had spent so much of their time so far lying and hiding...the possibility of that seemed highly likely to Nick.

“I wanted to check on you. Brian didn’t know where you went but he was worried when he couldn’t...er….when he…”

“When he what?”

“Brian couldn’t feel you out. He sensed that you were still angry.” Kevin said. He immediately regretted saying anything once Nick’s expression changed.

“Feel me out? Sense my anger? What does that even mean? What is he hiding from me, is it about our powers? You’re his cousin. I just want everyone to stop hiding shit and be fucking honest.” Nick said, resting his feet on the floor in front of him.

“He hasn’t told you?” Kevin asked. He felt angry because of all the times he’d told Brian to teach Nick about his powers...Brian had not done it at all. No wonder Nick was acting the way he was. Now it all made sense.

“Told me what?”

“Do you remember living on that island with Brian? When you and him fled the war and went there after the initial attack on our base….he was given specific instructions to teach you how to use your powers. All he kept saying was that you’d be happier not knowing and that the two of you could finally live a normal and peaceful life. That you and him could just be together without worrying about anything. He has no idea what he’s done by not teaching you like I asked him.” Kevin explained. Nick rubbed his head again, feeling a throbbing pain there. Memories of them happy on the beach, going fishing and just having a great time on that island….was it all a distraction? Brian had lied to him for longer than he’d thought.

“Does Brian have powers too?” Nick asked although he had his suspicions. Brian always seemed to know what he was thinking or was about to do and he never gave him a straight answer when asked why.

“Yes, he does. He’s an empath.” Kevin sighed. He was hoping by exposing Brian for lying would make Nick distrust him and as a result, drive them further apart.

“Empath? So is that how he always knows what I am thinking? There was this time I do remember...on the island. I’d hurt myself and I tried to hide it from him because I didn’t want him to worry about me. He knew right away what had happened without me even telling him and I never understood how he knew. Why didn’t he just tell me?”

“Because he did not want you to live with the burden of knowing that was why he got sick all the time. Your emotions affect his. When you’re scared or hurt, he hurts but more intensely. When you’re angry he can feel hot like a fire burning and it brings headaches. But when you and him are happy and at peace he feels fine. I think that is why he wanted so badly to take you away from the war. When you were both on the base, he was sick all the time. He often fought me because we wanted to teach you to use your healing abilities and he felt that we were using you somehow. The day you left, we had a huge argument and I asked him to please teach you..at least tell you everything but he refused.” Kevin explained. Nick nodded but still did not understand how he could make Brian so sick to the point where he almost died. Maybe it was better if they separated after all. He wouldn’t hurt him anymore or be a burden on anyone.

“I wish he would have told me. I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting. It’s been a crazy couple of days for me and I don’t remember anything at all. Nobody understands.”

“I know, Nick. Brian was being selfish and it’s not your fault. He should have been honest with you.” Kevin said, hiding how happy he felt that his plan was working. Nick was easy to manipulate with his memories gone. He was very fortunate not to remember all the tests they’d done on him or the amount of times he slept in the science lab while they tried to figure out his powers. Brian fought them many times on this because he wanted Nick to be free. Kevin always got his way because he was Nick’s guardian.

“There you two are. We are almost at the Moon. We should prepare for landing…” Brian called from the doorway.

Nick rolled his eyes and brushed past him, hitting him with his shoulder as he went by. Brian was taken aback by his sudden coldness, feeling it wash over him like he had just been dunked in ice water. He tried his best to shake the feeling away but it made his anxiety flare up.

“What did you tell him?” Brian demanded, blocking the doorway so Kevin couldn’t get through.

“The truth. You should try doing that sometime.” Kevin said, dropping his voice to a whisper. Brian watched the two of them walk away and could already feel a change in the way Nick looked at him...what exactly did his cousin tell him and why was it affecting their emotions so rapidly?

Brian returned to the cockpit of the ship and strapped himself in, adjusting the controls and preparing for landing. Nick sat next to him and Kevin behind the two of them. Nick was not trying to catch his eye and Brian couldn’t even read his thoughts, something that had never happened before. It was then that he knew what Kevin had told him.

Kevin was trying to drive them apart, for what he did not know...but it was working.

He just hope he could fix it again before it was too late.
Trust Me by DelphinaCarter
Incoming Transmission…

Incoming Transmission…

“Well, are you going to answer it?” Kevin asked, noticing Brian in kind of a daze. The tension in the air was very thick and nobody was speaking.

“Who would be trying to contact us? I don’t know anyone that would be on the moon.”

He flipped on the communicator and answered the message.

“This is Alex, from the Serenity Base. Identify yourself.”

“I am Brian, from Earth...with two passengers. Looking to refuel.”

“Alex, it’s Kevin. I’m with them.” Kevin interrupted. Brian looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

The com went silent for a few moments and Alex came back on.

“Sorry, about that. Should have said it was you. We thought it was one of her ships. I’ll give you clearance right away to land. Come on down.”

The com crackled with static and was now silent once more.

Brian hit the buttons necessary for landing and he turned to his cousin, crossing his arms.

“Who is Alex and how do you know him?” Brian demanded.

“He’s an old friend.”

Brian’s eyes narrowed, not believing this for a moment. He tried to read his cousin’s mind but he could not. Kevin had gotten very good at hiding what he was thinking after learning Brian was an Empath. The only thing his cousin could feel was his joy and that was very worrisome. Very worrisome indeed.


“Can we leave this damn ship already? I’m hungry.” Nick whined while they waited for the fuel tank to hook up to theirs. The Moon base was well hidden, tucked away in between mountains and craters. It was not visible unless you were really looking for it. Nestled underneath an oxygen dome for protection against the airless space outside, the humans that lived here were well equipped for survival. At least that was how things apppeared at first.

Nick was the first one off the ship, but Kevin made sure to brush past him so he could greet Alex first.

“Kevin!! So good to see you after all this time. I was worried that you’d been killed in the war.” Alex greeted them warmly, holding his arms open to pat Kevin on the back. They hugged and Brian looked at Alex carefully, trying to feel him out. The only energy he could feel at the moment was Nick’s coldness towards him and it kind of put a damper on his own powers. Their powers seemed to flourish when they were truly happy and content with each other and Brian was worried that they’d never get things back to the way they were.

“Who are your friends?” Alex asked.

“This is my cousin Brian and his friend. We were fleeing Sienna and I was hoping you’d allow us to stay here for a little while.” Kevin explained. Nick looked uneasy, he knew that this was a horrible idea and he could feel it. He wished that the others had listened to him, but Alex was not their friend.

“I’m Nick.”

Alex took his hand and shook it gently, then put an arm around him to lead him into the main base.

“Welcome to the Serentiy Base, my friends. You are most welcome here. Make yourselves at home.”

“Have you been here before?” Brian asked, once they were inside and shown where they could shower and sleep if needed. Nick took advantage of the shower right away because he had not since he woke up and knew he needed one. He left the cousins to talk while he soaked under the hot water.

“No, what makes you think that? Alex...or AJ..he isn’t picky about which- was in the army with me and was one of the ships that fled in the initial attack. He took some supplies and people with him and they made this base. Why are you questioning me about everything anyway? You’re the one lying to Nick.”

“Do not give me that bullshit, Kevin. I did not tell you to tell him about my powers.” Brian snapped, making sure that Nick could not hear them. The bathroom door was closed and the water was running so that meant he couldn’t.

“You should have told him when I instructed you to. Not when you felt it was convenient. This is your fault.” Kevin replied.

“I just never got around to it, I meant to tell him but we were so happy there. If he knew the truth…”

Brian stopped mid sentence because Nick was in the doorway. He could feel how angry he was across the room and his head began to hurt. His chest tightened from the oncoming anxiety attack and he felt his heart race. Nick was angry, angrier than he’d ever seen him and it was making everything foggy. Brian almost preferred him not speaking to him.

“The truth….funny how you both keep saying tell Nick the truth but I know you’re both lying to me. When someone can finally be honest with me and tell me what the fuck is going on..you will know where to find me. Well, Brian will anyway.” Nick spat at them before walking out. The door closed shut behind him and Brian felt horrible but Kevin was happy. Nick’s anger was going to be very useful if this feud continued.

“Brian, are you okay?” Kevin asked, noticing that he was suddenly very pale.

“I don’t...I don’t feel well. Something’s wrong.” Brian replied, feeling nauseous and dizzy.

“Brian?”

He didn’t answer, he slumped over, his eyes rolling back as he dropped to the floor. Kevin ran to him and started calling for help. Something was definitely wrong.




Nick walked down the hallway angrily, not knowing where he was going but wanting to be anywhere but in that room with Kevin and Brian. His head throbbed, from memories that were trying to surface. Memories of the beach, of their home. Nick wanted desperately to go back to Earth and try to find it. He’d do anything to get back there.


“Hey.”

He turned around to see Alex standing there, watching him.

“What do you want?” Nick asked. Alex came closer to him, smiling.

“I want to help you. You want to go home, is that right?”

“Yes….”

He studied Alex carefully but the feeling of distrust was not there this time. Had he been wrong? What if Brian was now in trouble?

“How can you help me? Sienna will capture me if I go back there but I don’t want to run forever. How do I know I can trust you? Everyone’s lied to me so far.” Nick said softly.

“Well, that’s for you to figure out I suppose. It’s up to you.”

Nick looked at him and nodded, it couldn’t hurt to see what he was planning to do to help him. If it meant that he could get home again he didn’t care what he had to go through.

“I guess you’re right. What do you have in mind?” Nick asked.

Alex led him back down the hall they way he’d come and smiled, putting an arm around his shoulder.

“Have you ever flown before?”

Nick did not know what he was getting himself into this time, but he knew that this was the way home, he could feel it.

With or without Brian.
If I Knew Then by DelphinaCarter
Alex...or AJ as he asked Nick to call him rather- led Nick down to the back end of the Moon base, where they held their fleet of starships.

“Where are you taking me? You never said whether I can trust you or not. Why even help me?” Nick asked.


“I know more about you than you think, kid.” AJ smirked, looking back at him.

“How?”

They stopped in front of a door and AJ put in some numbers to a keypad on the wall. The doors slid open and they walked inside, Nick marveled at the number of ships here. The one they’d arrived on was one of them, sitting closest to the opening of the main hangar.

“I know you want to fly.” AJ remarked when he saw the expression on Nick’s face.

Perhaps this trip to the Moon would be beneficial after all.




“Brian, are you okay?”

Kevin hovered over Brian, who was starting to come to after collapsing moments ago. He sat up and rubbed his head, looking around the room and that was when the panic set in. He could not feel Nick’s presence.

“Where is NIck?”

“That’s not important. You passed out, what is wrong?” Kevin demanded, ignoring his cousin’s question. This seemed to agitate Brian further.

“You’re not listening to me. Where did he go? I can’t sense him and you know it. What are you up to?”

“You need to calm down, you’re going to make yourself worse if you get anxious….you and I both know that. Why did you pass out?” Kevin asked.

He looked at Brian, who was pale and sweaty and wondered if separating the two of them was the best thing to do. He knew that Brian literally could not live without Nick even though neither of them knew that. His own father had told him the day that they were attacked, the day that he died.


The base was shaking and things were falling all around them, Brian crying in his arms because he was still very sick. The blonde boy he’d found in the hallway trailed behind him as he looked for his father, who had told him to take the kids and run.


“Dad!!! Dad!!!”

“Son, you have to go. I’m serious...if you don’t go, they’ll kill you. Take that boy with you, and keep them both safe. Please. I’m counting on you to do this. Don’t let anything happen to them….” his father said urgently. He was throwing things into a bag to get ready to flee to one of the escape ships waiting for them. He gestured towards the blonde boy they’d found in the corridor, that had just appeared out of nowhere.

“I don’t understand, who is he? Where are his parents?”

“That boy is the key to everything. His name is Nick. He will keep you safe...will keep Brian safe. Without him Brian can die. He’s a Healer. They are tied by their emotions.”

Brian had stopped crying once Nick came close and he was calm once more although everything around them was pure chaos.

“Tied together? I don’t understand….”

“We found the boy some time before all this, before everything. They kept him in the lab most of the time. Our best scientists did so many tests. Nobody knew where he had come from and he did not remember. All we knew was that once he showed up the attacks on us seemed to stop. Brian was sick all the time and nobody could figure out why. The boy escaped one night and in the morning the scientists found him with Brian.”

Kevin turned to look at Nick, who was whispering to Brian. The two boys were calm and quiet despite the impending danger.

“What was he doing?”

“Brian suddenly wasn’t sick anymore as if nothing had ever happened….nobody could figure out why until we realized his powers. You need to help both of them. Tell them about their powers and guide them.” his father said, as a large blast made the room shake.

“-but Dad…”

“Take the boys and get out of here!!!”

“Dad!!!”

“Just go!!!”

Kevin took Nick by the hand, holding Brian in the other and ran down the hallway as some soldiers began to march into the room they just left.

He never saw his father again after that night.

Kevin ducked into the first ship he could find with the two boys and strapped them in.


It was the three of them for themselves until he found another base that they could stay in and be safe from everything. At least for the moment. Nick’s power was keeping them safe although he himself had no idea about it.

Sienna knew about the power and wanted it for herself, wanted someone like her to replace her own son that Kevin had killed. So when she came for Nick, Kevin made a deal with her and it was the beginning of everything….



“Kevin, what’s wrong?” Brian asked, eyeing him curiously.

“Just thinking about how we ended up here.”

“You can’t blame yourself for how your dad died. You did a great job taking care of us both. I just didn’t agree with all the testing you put Nick through. Luckily he doesn’t remember all of that.”



Nodding at his cousin, Kevin agreed privately with him because he had no idea just how he’d betrayed them or was continuing to betray them. He was supposed to keep them safe and he’d failed, all to keep the last of the human race from being exterminated completely. Losing his family was a small price to pay to help his cause.

Even if it meant helping the wrong side.



“You have to get Nick to come back so we can fix whatever he feels is wrong between us, because you and I both know that he can’t survive on his own and neither can I.” Brian said, and with that Kevin left the room...hoping that he could repair things before it was too late.
Child’s Play by DelphinaCarter
Sienna looked at the monitor on her ship and smiled. Her plan was going exactly as she wanted it to, and neither Nick or Brian knew that she was coming. Especially Nick, who normally had a instinct about this kind of thing.

Yes, Sienna knew about Nick’s power...and she knew about Brian’s as well. Considering her own powers and her history with the two of them. She knew exactly what they were doing and where they were. Letting them find one another was just the beginning. She knew that was the key to awakening Nick’s power again once he was out of the coma induced by the accident. She was very pleased that Nick did not retain any memory of the accident or the kidnapping, although Brian knew everything,

Brian retaining the knowledge that he had failed Kevin’s request to teach NIck was a key part of things too. Sienna could have erased his memories as well, they had the ability to...but she liked to see Brian struggling. She relished the look he gave her when she carried Nick’s lifeless away from their wreck on the Moon all those months ago. Months that Brian spent agonizing over how he could have avoided the whole incident completely and months knowing that when Nick woke up and remembered he would not trust him. When Nick woke up, Sienna tried to win Nick over with friendship. having Nick as an ally would have been perfect. This had started to work until Nick found Brian. Brian was the one stopping everything. He had to be destroyed.

“Commander?”

“I told you not to disturb me.” Sienna snapped.

“We have brought the human you asked for.”

Sienna smiled, oh how delicious this conversation was about to be….

The sudden voices in the doorway startled Sienna from her thinking and she turned her chair around to see two of her guards in the doorway holding a struggling man.

“I’ve done nothing...let me go!!!” Howie screamed as he tried to pull away, but the guards gripped his arms tighter.

“Ah, yes. I’ve been waiting to see you. You helped those Earthlings I was looking for escape. I do happen to wonder what an appropriate punishment would be…”

“You’re vile. I hope they make it wherever they were going!!! You killed my whole family….”

“Now, now. there isn’t need for such language. I knew where you Earthlings were hiding the whole time. You can blame your fearless leader...Kevin for betraying our deal and abandoning your people. That is what happens when you go against my planet. Pathetic, nobody respects a bargain anymore.” Sienna smiled icily, holding Howie’s head up by his chin. He spit in her face and she threw him to the ground, the guards grabbing him so he couldn’t run away.

“You will pay for that.” she snarled.

“I’d gladly die if it meant protecting the innocent.” Howie hissed softly.

“Take him away and execute him like the others.” Sienna smiled. She laughed as she could hear Howie fighting in the hallway, being dragged away to his death. Still smiling, Sienna thought of the other Earthlings she had executed from the underground village. There were plenty more in the galaxy left and she only knew of a couple of places they were hiding. The Moon was next on her list. Pretty soon the human race would be extinct, just like she had promised.

Kevin would surely regret going back on his promise once she was done with all of them. His father had definitely regretted lying to her. She’d make all of them pay.


“Our people are dying. We need a healer.” Sienna said to Jerald Richardson before it all began. She had traveled many many miles through the galaxy to seek out Earth, where she knew the last Healers in the galaxy were.

“I wish I could help you, but unfortunately there are none left.” Jerald said coldly over the transmission hologram in front of him. Sienna looked angrily at the monitor in front of her, she knew he was lying.

“Alright then, if what you say is true. I only came all this way to seek assistance.”

“Let us know if you need anything else.”

Jerald smiled at her, “Of course.”


Of course...he’d lied to her. There were indeed Healers left. Nick’s parents were among them. When he found out that Sienna’s army was launching an attack, he’d gone to warn the Healers that were still in hiding. Upon reaching their village...there were bodies littering the ground. Bodies of men, women and children. Houses reduced to rubble. Smoke pouring out of broken windows and fires burning with nobody to put them out. Jerald was horrified but in the last house he checked there was a crying baby hidden under a broken screen door. A baby with a tuft of blonde hair and deep blue eyes….a baby that looked untouched from the chaos that surrounded it.

When he picked the baby up, he could feel a warmth radiating, a safe warmth that he could not explain to anyone and still sound sane. It was something he’d never felt before.

Jerald Richardson picked up the baby and carried it back to the ship wrapped in the blanket he found it in, holding it close as if he were waiting for someone to appear and snatch it from him. He brought it back to the base, hoping that the baby had retained the healing powers from its parents. Or at least he hoped the baby would grow up to be a Healer. Sometimes a baby born to Healers would not be a Healer itself. They’d have to do tests to be sure.

There would be time for that later.


As the boy grew, his powers began to show more and more. He was well hidden inside the laboratory on the base, hidden in secret from Sienna. The last Healer of the human race.

Healers were once a sprawling group of humans in the galaxy until Sienna’s planet needed them. She’d kidnapped them, used them until they begged to be released and exterminated. She had yet to find a Healer with powers strong enough to heal her people. They had a mysterious illness that was killing off their whole race, on the planet Motrale. People were dying and desperate, their natural resources exhausted. Sienna had tried to find refuge on Earth several times but was denied. That was when the war began. She felt that if she couldn’t co exist with the Earthlings, then they were not allowed to exist at all.



Sienna looked at the monitor in front of her, at the screen showing her the location of the secret base that the Earthlings thought she did not know about.

She smiled to herself again, oh how wrong they were about to be.
Helpless by DelphinaCarter
Flying was one of the easier things that Nick tried to learn, or at least he thought so. He did not remember much of his life before the accident, just bits and pieces. Even then he wasn't sure if they were real or not, because nothing made sense and it was frustrating. Learning to fly was a great distraction. He wondered how he caught on so fast, although it seemed like he picked up new skills quite easily. Back when they were first escaping Sienna’s ship, he’d never used the guns on the ship but it seemed to come easily to him then too. Perhaps this was another one of his powers shining through, although he wasn’t sure what exactly his power was or how to use it. Things were such a jumble right now. All he wanted was to go home, back to that island and be at peace. Go home and not have to worry about any of this, even if it meant stealing a ship and going back on his own without telling anyone.

“You’re doing great, kid.” AJ said, patting him on the back as he came out of the flight simulation chamber.

“I am sure flying a real ship is more complicated.” Nick laughed, following him out into the hallway towards the mess hall. The two of them got some food rations and sat down to eat, talking amongst themselves when Kevin walked over.

“Hey, Kevin...I was wondering when I’d see you in here. Come and sit down with us. We were just about to have something to eat, Nick was saying it’s been a while since you’ve all eaten or slept.” AJ said. Kevin looked at AJ with narrowed eyes, he knew that he was friendly but it was odd for him to be so welcoming to someone he did not know, especially knowing who Nick and Brian were. AJ was putting on quite the show for someone who Kevin had warned ahead of time of their need for sanctuary.

“Can I talk to you?” Kevin asked. AJ told Nick he’d be right back and the two of them went off to the side, well out of Nick’s hearing range.


“What’s wrong?” AJ asked, dropping his voice to a whisper.

“What exactly are you up to with Nick?” Kevin whispered, glancing over at him. Nick eyed them suspiciously, continuing to eat his food.

“I’m not up to anything. I’m teaching the kid to fly. He could help us.”

“Alex, I thought I told you before we left to come here that we were not participating in the war. I explained that already to you. Nick is not to fight...he’s a Healer and we can’t afford to lose him.” Kevin hissed. Alex’s eyes grew big and he seemed excited to find out this bit of information.

“A Healer...are you sure? I thought that race died out. Does she know he’s a Healer? What if she comes here?” he said in a panicked whisper. The last thing he wanted was for Sienna’s army to come and destroy this base he had created on the Moon, one of the few colonies of Earthlings left in the Inner solar system. Sure there were others hiding, but they all looked to his base for hope, a place to come if they should ever be in danger. Without the Moon base they were likely finished.

“You’re not to tell anyone about this, but yes...we are sure. Brian was supposed to keep him safe and teach him until he could use his powers, but he failed. So right now he is a bit useless to us. He can heal but not by his own will and it only works when he and Brian are together. We have to make sure that they are not separated. Nick leaving this base will ruin everything that my father put into place.” Kevin said just above a whisper.

“How are you absolutely sure he is a Healer, then?” Alex asked, dropping his voice even lower.

“Because, Alex….I’ve seen him do it. He was put under many tests as a child and we kept him hidden from her. It’s the real thing this time. He’s the last of his kind. He also does not remember anything and I’d like to keep it that way. He’s better off being completely oblivious.” Kevin explained.

“I don’t think you have any idea what this could mean. We could finally beat her now that we have a Healer again….I’m so sorry I doubted you all those months ago when you told me you’d found one. When he finds out about this, he will not like it. You need to talk to him before he does something stupid. You do know he’s planning on leaving? You know what that means if he leaves, don’t you?”

“Oh, I know exactly what it means, and I’m not letting you continue these flying lessons for that reason. You’re telling him you changed your mind.” Kevin said softly.

“Changed your mind about what?” Nick asked, suddenly appearing in front of them. Kevin and AJ nearly jumped out of their skins when they saw Nick standing there, crossing his arms and looking angry.

“Shit...uh…” Alex blurted.

“Nick…” Kevin started, as he brushed by them and pushed them aside.

“I am not as stupid as you all think! Why is everyone fucking lying to me? I just want to go home, why can’t anyone understand that? I was happy there, at least nobody lied to me!!!” he shouted loud enough for other people to stop and stare at the three of them. Alex shrugged as he shook his head at Kevin for starting the whole thing.

“I told you he wouldn’t like it if he found out…” he said, his face in Kevin’s as he went down the hall after Nick, calling his name. Nick ignored him.



Brian sat alone in the room by himself, laying with his head facing the ceiling as a dizzy spell washed over him. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he tried to calm himself down, fighting off an anxiety attack. He didn’t know what was going on and all he knew was that he did not like it.

“Nick…” he breathed softly as Nick stormed into the room, slamming the door behind him. He paced back and forth, tears streaming down his face….clearly upset. Brian tried to read his thoughts but they were clouded, a jumble of emotions. Anger, confusion and fear...emotions that Brian did not like to see. Emotions he had not felt from Nick in some time..not since they first met again after the accident. He could feel the nausea starting already and fought that off as well, sitting up to look at Nick pacing.

“I...I didn’t know you were here.” Nick stammered through sobs when he realized someone was watching him.

“Nick, please talk to me.” Brian pleaded.

“You...all...lied..”

“Nick...it’s not what you think. Please listen to me…”

Nick was full on crying now and the tears spilled down his face, his blue eyes swimming. Brian walked over, reaching out to embrace him but he pulled away.

“Please..” he begged softly, reaching again. Nick closed his eyes shut, trembling as he continued to cry. He felt so angry, angry that he was the last one to know everything and had no control whatsoever. He wished that he had never woken up.

“Nick, let me help you. Please trust me. I’ll tell you everything…” Brian said suddenly. He knew Nick would be angry with him, but he knew that it was the only way Nick would trust him again. Things were such a jumble right now, it had to work.

“Everything?”

“Everything.” Brian promised, his arms wrapped tightly around Nick. They parted and Brian gave him a few moments to cry. Nick felt safe and warm, something he had not felt at all since waking from his coma. It was then he knew he could trust Brian.

Nick opened his eyes, wiped them and looked at Brian, their eyes reflecting in one another’s like the day they found each other again. He gave a small nod and Brian put his arms around him again, rubbing his back as Nick cried into his shoulder.

It was time for Nick to know the truth.
A Sky Full Of Stars by DelphinaCarter
Sitting together in the room, Brian’s head was swimming as he looked at Nick. He was scared but at the same time he knew that Nick deserved to know everything….everything from the very beginning. When they lived on the island many times he wondered how this conversation was going to happen. He’d thought about telling him so many times over dinner around the campfire. Nick had no idea who he was or where he came from, but Kevin had told Brian the story. How his dad had found Nick and about his power, his parents being murdered, about him being the last Healer and how hiding him was the right thing to do. Brian was all for this, as he wanted to be away from the war and alone with Nick where they’d be happy. He hated being an Empath more than anything and wished he never could read emotions at all. His emotions constantly got in the way of doing the right thing.

“So….” Nick said, wiping his eyes and staring at Brian.

Brian sighed. “It all started when we were attacked the first time, I suppose. I was very young. I don’t remember because of how little I was, but I remember Kevin carrying me and a lot of smoke. I was sick a lot. Nobody seemed to know why but I spent a lot of time in the infirmary.”

“Why were you so sick?”

“Nobody knew. They were doing tests on me all the time and one day they found you in there with me, I was better like nothing had ever happened. You just showed up next to me.”

“I showed up?”

“I don’t know else how to describe it. All of a sudden you were just with me all the time, and Kevin would be nervous about Sienna finding us. She wanted you because of your power. We grew up together. We moved a few times, to different bases and Kevin always had bags packed in case we had to leave. The military hid us until Kevin told me to take you away from where we were. He said the further away we were from other people the safer we would be.”

Nick sat in silence, nodding as he listened to Brian.

“She wanted me? Why does Sienna want me, Brian? Why does she want to take me away? Is that why she had me on her ship, because of my powers?”

“I’m afraid that’s exactly why she wants you, Nick.”

“Kevin told me you’re an Empath. Is that how you always know what I’m thinking before I say it? Like that time I cut myself and tried to hide it from you?”

Brian gave him a curious look, it was the first time Nick had tried to remember anything and he remembered the night at the campfire when Brian had fixed his wounds from fishing. He smiled.

“Yes...it is. I meant to tell you so many times, but I didn’t know if you’d understand. I wanted you to be happy and that’s what we were. Happy and away from the war, away from anything that could hurt you. I protected you...kept you safe like Kevin wanted me to do.”

“How did we end up on Sienna’s ship? She said we had an accident?” Nick asked.

Brian looked at his feet, sighing as his eyes teared thinking about the next part of the story.

“On New Year’s Eve...we were attacked….well, Earth was attacked. It was on TV. Kevin told me to take you and run….to hide and teach you about your powers. He told me that you were important and we couldn’t afford to lose you….I didn’t have time to ask a lot about it. I just know you’re a Healer.”

“A Healer?”

“Yes. You’re the last of your kind, Nick. All the others were killed because they were in hiding from Sienna. Kevin’s dad found you after they were attacked and brought you back with him. They didn’t know if you were like your parents but they did all kinds of tests on you and your powers didn’t show right away so Kevin told me to help teach you. I wasn’t ready for that responsibility so I just never told you and I’m sorry for that. . I fought them so many times on all the testing they were doing. You deserved to live a peaceful life like we did on that island, before it was taken from us…” Brian said softly, his eyes swimming now.




A sky filled with stars and a crackling campfire….the two of them laying near the fire just listening to the sound of the waves as they looked up at the night sky. It was so peaceful that night. The last night in their home so they would find out the next day. However in this moment, things were perfect. Completely perfect.

“Brian?”

“Yes?”

“Are we ever going to be able to go back home?” Nick asked suddenly. The two of them sat up then, brushing errant grains of sand off their arms that was stuck from laying in the sand for so long.

“Don’t you like it here?” Brian asked tentatively.

“Oh, I do. I love it here…..but…”

Nick was silent for a few moments, looking out at the moonlight shining on the water glittering like a pile of diamonds. He could feel uneasy and he wasn’t sure why but something did not feel right at all. Something was about to happen.

“I just have this feeling that something is coming.” he said finally as the waves crashed again in front of them. Brian stared into the campfire, he wanted so badly to tell Nick then and he couldn’t bring himself to. Nick was happy and better off not knowing about his powers now.

The two of them went to sleep that night, as the ocean crashed in the distance, without a care in the world. Until the next morning.

“Nick….Nick...we have to go. Get up.”

Nick opened one eye, moaning softly. It was barely dawn and Brian was shaking him urgently to wake up.

“What’s going on?”

Brian ran to the window of their little hut, peering out as if he were looking for something. He ran back over and helped Nick out of bed, grabbing a bag they always had packed in case they had to flee. The bag contained some clothes and emergency food and they never had to use it until now. Nick slipped on his shoes and followed Brian, who pulled him by the hand forcefully into the nearby jungle.

“Brian…” Nick asked, trying to yank his hand away. He was barely awake and Brian had not yet explained anything except that they were going to their ship. The ship was hidden in the jungle, heavily camouflaged in a grove of trees. It was always ready in case they had to leave suddenly.

“Nick, I do not have time to explain right now. We have to go. We are not safe here.”

All of a sudden they heard shots firing in the distance and it became real.

They were being hunted.

Nick looked fearfully behind him and hurried onto the ship after Brian, his heart beating fast as they prepared to take off.



“So we left the island to escape what exactly?” Nick asked after listening to Brian speak for a while. He didn’t remember any of this or even leaving the island, let alone leaving Earth.

“Sienna had found out where we were. We had to leave because she was looking for you and it was my responsibility to protect you. I had to make sure you got out of there….so we left.”

“I see.”

Brian could sense that Nick felt uneasy because he was trying to remember. He was frustrated and upset. His own heart ached knowing how upset Nick was. Sometimes he wished that he didn’t remember anything because knowing what happened while Nick didn’t was a huge burden.

“NIck, I…”

Brian did not get to finish his sentence because AJ and Kevin ran into the room looking panicked.

“We have to hide you both. She’s coming…..”
Born To Run by DelphinaCarter
AJ and Kevin grabbed Nick first, looking extremely worried.

“Come on, we don’t have time to waste. She’s on her way here now.” AJ said, starting to take him to the doorway.

“What the fuck is going on? Who’s coming?” Nick demanded, pulling away from them.

Brian did not look at anyone, he just looked at the floor again. Now Nick knew why they were so protective over him, it was because he was a Healer. He felt upset because nobody seemed to care for his well being, they were only concerned for the fact he was the last Healer left. Brian felt Nick’s anger and confusion and it was like a flame burning out of control. His chest began to hurt but he tried to shake the pain off.

“Nick, please calm down…” Kevin pleaded, looking at his cousin. He and Brian knew that Nick’s anger would start to make Brian sick again if he kept carrying on like this. Brian was already looking pale.

“No! For once I want to have a say. Brian told me everything….you don’t care about my safety. You only want to use my powers.” Nick scoffed, pushing him away. Kevin glared at Brian.

“It’s not what you think-” AJ started, but Nick turned to Brian.

“You said they were keeping me safe because Sienna wants me, right? That I’m the last Healer and that was why we were hiding on that island?”

“I did say that.”

“How do I know they’re doing it to protect me and not just because they need me to heal people?”

Nick looked back at Kevin and AJ, his hand waving as if to say “Well?”

Brian stared at the floor, feeling dizzy but shook it off. The nausea in his stomach came and went as fast as he had felt it.

“Why can’t anyone fucking be honest around here-“

“God damn it, Nick….we have to get you both out of here! Her fucking ship is coming...HERE. If she finds us we are all going to be killed….she doesn’t care who gets her in the way, she wants you.” Kevin said urgently. He remembered the day his father died and he did not want to repeat it. He knew that AJ was in trouble for hiding them there on the Moon base. He and AJ exchanged looks, wondering how they’d convince Nick that this was legitimate and not a ploy to get him to listen to them.

They had to act fast because there was not much time. It was now or never.




“Commander, we are within reach of the Moon’s orbit. We are awaiting for your instructions.”

Sienna sat in the chair before the control panel, smiling with her hands folded in her lap.

“Proceed,”


When she had heard word of the Healer, initially her reaction was pure confusion. She thought that she had wiped out the last of them with her last attack on Earth all those years ago.

She also knew that the human had lied to her, the one called Jerald. He had told her the Healers were all dead when she had come to ask for help for her people. Her son was very ill, as were many of the citizens of her planet Motrale. They needed a miracle and the Healers were their only hope. So when she was told that there were no Healers, and found out that she was lied to...she launched an attack. If she couldn’t get help, nobody else could. She murdered all of them. Wiped their village clean. So she thought. Apparently one of them survived and was waiting for her as if he’d been put on a silver platter. Her source of information was very helpful on the Moon. However, even their usefulness was about to come to an end. The humans needed to be punished for hiding the Healer a second time.

Smiling still, Siennna looked out the window above the controls at the Moon looming ahead of them. It was time to take what was rightfully hers. Either that, or make them pay if they did not give her what she wanted.


“We aren’t going to be safe from her at all here, Kevin. There’s literally nowhere we could hide them.” AJ said after a few moments of thinking of a place on the Moon that was safe from Sienna. The awful truth was that none of them were safe as long kas she knew where they were.

“Alex…” someone called from the doorway. They talked for a few moments before AJ’s face paled.

“Are you sure, can’t someone else do the talking? I am in the middle of something here.” AJ said, dropping his voice to a whisper but the others could barely hear him.

“You’re the one that has to speak.”

AJ appeared to look very uncomfortable all of a sudden as everyone turned in his direction, staring at him. He coughed and nodded at the other man that had come into the room. Nick looked at Brian and Brian knew what Nick knew. Something was very off with AJ and they had to get away from him as fast as they could. Brian could feel the uneasiness that Nick felt and it was gnawing at his stomach.

“I’ll be right there.”


Kevin and Brian eyed AJ suspiciously, and he seemed nervous. As if he were hiding something.

“I got a bad feeling. We need to get out of here…” Nick said urgently to Brian.

“AJ, what’s going on? Who needs to speak to you?” Kevin asked, ignoring Nick.

“Nothing that I can’t handle. You go ahead and take them where we discussed, I need to take care of something. I’ll meet up with you.” AJ said, before rushing away.

“He’s hiding something.” Nick said, his eyes narrowed as he watched AJ leave the room. Kevin thought for a moment and suddenly realized….they were in danger. They were never safe here.

“We have to go.”

“But where are we going to go, Nick? AJ has our ship in the holding bay. Even if we could get out without him noticing, there’s no way.” Brian protested. Nick was starting to get anxious and so was he.

“Brian? Please just trust me for once. Let me get us out of here. I promise if you let me try, I can do this.” Nick whispered, looking him right in the eyes.

“We do not have time for this…”

“No, Kevin. he’s right..we have to let him try. He’s been right about everything so far. He’s been right about the food rations we found, about the moon and about AJ...we should probably trust his judgement.” Brian smiled. Nick smiled back and for the first time in many days he was happy. The happiness and calm washed away the anxiety and doubt.

Kevin opened his mouth to say something, but the whole room suddenly shook as if it were under attack. His heart sank because deep down he knew. Sienna was here. She was here and he’d gone back on their deal, he had lied to her like his father.


He didn’t want to find out what was going to happen next.
Fix You by DelphinaCarter

“Brian, are we ever going back home?”

Brian looked over the campfire at Nick, who’d set his plate down after the fish dinner they just got done eating. This question often came up, but Brian could never give him a clear answer. He didn’t know exactly where home was. He’d lived in and out of infirmary walls until Nick came along. He’d never really truly had a home of his own until he was with Nick on this island. Was this what home felt like?

“Home as in back on the base with Kevin?”

Nick nodded but made a face.

“I dunno. I don’t really like it on the base. People treat me funny. Is it home for you?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had one.” Brian said finally, staring off into the crackling flames in front of him and watching the embers float into the star dotted sky.

“Well, I guess then neither have I. What is a real home like?”

Brian smiled at him, folding his knees into his chest and sighing. The two of them had been in hiding on the island for so long that he did not remember much from living on the base with Kevin aside from all the time he spent in and out of the infirmary being sick. He blocked most of it out so he did not worry Nick, but their situation was dire if they were found. Nick was the last Healer and his life was in danger even more so when the two of them were together.

“Remember when you asked me this back on the base right before we left to come here? What did I tell you then?” he said, hoping Nick would remember.

“You said that home was where you hang your heart.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand what that means, though.”

Brian picked up the stick next to him and stoked the fire some more, making the flames grow brighter.

“It means that home is wherever you feel comfortable. Home is where your heart is, where your loved ones are. It can be wherever you want.”

Nick nodded and moved closer to him, smiling.

“This feels like a home to me. Can it be our home? I like it here...I like being here with you, Brian.” he whispered as he put his arm around Brian’s shoulder and squeezed him gently. Brian felt the sudden warmth flow through him. It was a new sensation that he’d not felt before, a calming sensation that felt like drinking a hot cup of tea. He liked feeling that peace with Nick and for the first time in his life...Brian felt loved. For the first time in a long time, he hadn’t been sick. They didn’t have to worry about the war. Nobody bothered them.

It was then that he decided not to teach Nick about his powers and just live their lives on this island together….where nobody could take Nick away from him. Where they could be happy. Who cared about the war? They didn’t have to go back because Nick was the last Healer and in danger...so what was the rush? Staying here meant they were both safe.


“Brian, we have to go...come on!!!”

Nick was shouting as Brian snapped out of his thoughts, before grabbing his hand and pulled him down the hallway as it began shaking from explosions happening around the base.

“Where are we going to go?” Brian asked breathlessly as they ran. His heart was racing, he did not like war or fighting because it would make him sick again. That was why he and Nick went into hiding the way they did, far away from the war. Brian was healthy and they were both happy. Just like Nick, he wanted to go back there and not be in the middle of this at all. He’d give anything to go back home.

“Make your way to the holding bay where our ship is. Even if we can’t get to ours, we can try something else.” Kevin shouted behind them. Nick assumed that this meant they were going to try to find a ship to get away in, but he knew deep down this would not be possible. This wasn’t like back on Sienna’s ship when he and Brian got away, it was different somehow. Nick had a feeling that they were not going to escape that easily.

They raced down the corridor towards the holding bay where they came into the base. Things shook as another explosion went off, they were definitely under attack. People were scrambling to various ships, trying to prepare to flee or fight if they had to.

“Where the fuck is AJ?” Kevin asked, catching up to them. They saw their ship not far away, facing the holding bay doors. Alarms were sounding and a voice came over the speaker to warn they were under attack.

“He said he’d meet us, didn’t he?” Brian asked worriedly.

“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think AJ is coming.” Nick pointed out, rolling his eyes.



“What do you mean, Nick? I’m right here.”

They all turned around to see AJ standing behind them, his arms folded and a smile on his face. Several guards were on either side of him holding lasers. Nick instinctively backed away and Brian moved in front of him, his arms outstretched to protect him. They knew that something was very wrong.

“What is going on here? I thought you were helping us.” Brian asked.

AJ laughed softly, stepping towards them.

“See, you’re right about one thing. I am helping.”

“Brian...I got a bad feeling about this.” Nick whispered into Brian’s ear. Brian could feel Nick’s fear creep into himself and felt cold.


They all took a breath when they saw Sienna appear from behind the row of guards. More guards followed, moving in around them and surrounding them.

“...I’m just not helping you.” AJ finished.

“Give me the Healer.” Sienna demanded.

“My name is Nick….and I am not going anywhere. You lied to me.” Nick shouted as one of the guards made to grab him. Brian moved closer, pushing a barrier between the guards and Nick and putting a wall between them.

“All I was trying to do was help you. I did not lie. Now, come with me to Motrale. Or I will have to use force if you do not go willingly.”

“Bullshit.” Nick snapped. Brian glared at Sienna, stretching his arms more to protect Nick. Sienna glared right back.

“Move aside.”

“NEVER.” Brian spat at her.

Kevin stood there frozen in fear as he watched all of this, his green eyes moving from Sienna to his cousin and back to Nick. Wondering what was going to happen. Hoping that this did not end like the night his father was murdered for protecting Nick. All he knew was that he did not want Brian to end up like him. If anyone deserved that it was him, for giving Sienna Nick and Brian’s location on the island they were hiding on. He deserved it for leading her right to them and then lying to Brian. He deserved it all.

“You will move or be killed-“

“NO!!!” Nick screamed, as he was immediately restrained by Brian. He struggled against Brian’s weight, his face red. Brian felt dizzy, letting Nick’s anger slowly consume him.

Kevin moved in front of the two of them, surprising everyone. Nick stopped struggling to look at him in concern.

“Kevin, what are you doing? Are you insane?” Brian demanded.

Sienna laughed and so did AJ until she put up her hand, then he stopped. The guards gripped their laser guns, getting ready to fire if needed.


“You are not taking them anywhere, and you are not killing anyone. You’ve killed enough members of my family. When are you going to be satisfied?” Kevin shouted.

Sienna walked towards him, her face in front of Kevin’s so close he could feel her breath.

“Say hello to your father for me.” she whispered, curving her lips into a smile. She signaled and the guards fired, the blasts echoing in the hallway. Nick had to hold Brian back, who was crying as he struggled to get to his cousin, but he managed to lead Brian away. Brian fell to the ground, wailing as the lasers finally stopped, everything going silent once more.

Brian felt as if his heart broke into a thousand pieces, the last member of his family was gone. Angry tears fell down his cheeks as NIck held him, the two of them crying.

This was war.
Seperate Ways by DelphinaCarter
Nick held onto Brian as he fell to his knees, sobbing at the sight of Kevin’s body sprawled across the floor.

“Brian, you have to calm down.” Nick said, pressing his hand onto Brian’s heaving chest. He knew that if Brian became agitated enough he would make himself sick again. That was the last thing he wanted. He’d just gotten Brian back, he couldn’t lose him again.

“K-Kevin….” Brian whispered through sobs into Nick’s chest. He felt as if he’d been dunked into cold water, his body was numb with grief and everything seemed to spin. He wanted to throw up.

Sienna held up her hand and the guards lowered their lasers, standing at attention.

“Take the Healer. I have no use for the Empath, but the Healer is now mine.” she instructed. Nick immediately latched onto Brian, shaking as the guards began to try to pry him off. Brian sat still, crying as Nick screamed.

“NO…..please….please don’t….” Nick protested, holding onto Brian tighter still. Brian didn’t react, he was still crying. All he saw was his cousin…laying there as if he were simply asleep, but no matter how Brian tried he no longer felt his presence. He didn’t even hear Nick panicking, didn’t hear Sienna threaten to kill him if Nick didn’t let him go...he heard nothing. All he heard was his own heart thumping inside his chest. He couldn’t feel anything. He was broken.

“Brian!!! Snap out of it!!!” Nick yelled, as he was finally pulled away. He kicked and grunted as he tried to break free of the guards but it did not work.

Sienna turned to AJ, who was standing next to her and watching everything unfold in front of him.

“You are to watch the Empath and make sure he does not leave the Moon. He is not to follow us.” she instructed.

AJ nodded, as the guards holding Nick dragged him away into the holding bay...Nick’s screams echoing through the halls.

“Where are you taking the Healer? Don’t I get anything for finding him for you?” he asked. When he had agreed to let Sienna come get the Healer he had been promised a reward.

Sienna’s lips curved and she made a face as if she’d smelled something rotten.

“You and the people on your base get to keep living here. I have no further use for you.”

“But-“

“Or, you can keep pushing my patience and you will meet the same fate as this pathetic liar that would not listen to my instructions.” Sienna said icily, kicking Kevin’s body gently with her foot before turning away and walking after the guards, the heels of her shoes tapping on the floor as she went. The remaining guards stayed with AJ, who dismissed them as he debated on how to approach Brian. He felt bad because Kevin was a longtime friend and he had betrayed all of them just to save the people hiding on the base.

“Come on, Brian. You can’t stay here. We have to go.” AJ said, reaching for him. Brian shocked him by standing up and slamming him into the wall behind him, the nearby guards running over to help.

“No, no….he has a right to be angry with me.” he said, raising his hand to keep them from shooting.

“I have a right to be angry?! I should fucking think so, you piece of shit. Kevin is dead thanks to you!! Sienna has Nick. Do you have any idea what this means? It means that I’m going to die if I don’t get reunited with him!!” Brian screamed, his face red. He tried to feel Nick out again, but he only felt his own anger get the best of him. Things seemed so cloudy and unclear.

“Look, I only did it because she threatened to kill all of us if I didn’t tell her where the Healer was. I had no idea he was a Healer until Kevin told me, and I’m sorry for doing it because she went back on our deal. She attacked us even though she promised not to.” AJ said. Brian withdrew his fist and let go of AJ, thinking about all of this. Maybe AJ wasn’t so bad after all, or he didn’t seem to be. Brian found out through reading his thoughts.

“Serves you right for betraying Kevin like that.”

“Look, Kevin was betraying you as well. He was talking to her long before she contacted me...she knew exactly where you were this whole time you’ve been running from her. He told me you were being followed. So it’s not really my fault she found you.” AJ frowned. Brian felt sick to his stomach at what Kevin did...so much now that he was not that upset over his death anymore. He felt disgusted and disappointed that his own family was willing to sell him and Nick out like that. Now everything seemed to make sense and he really couldn’t blame AJ for what he did.

“I’m sorry. Not to sound cynical or anything...but she said she’d kill you if I leave the base, how the hell are you going to help me?”

“How did you know I was….oh, right. You can read minds or something.” AJ muttered when he was surprised that Brian knew what he was thinking. The sickness had not yet returned even though Nick was gone and Brian was truly grateful, he just hoped they’d find him again before it got bad like the last time.

“Something like that. I can read minds but also emotions. Feelings. Nick and I are connected through our emotions. Whatever he is feeling when we are together, I feel as well. His powers were healing me. Without him, I’ll die.” Brian whispered as he looked down the hallway in the direction Nick had been taken. They could hear his screams echoing in the distance. Brian just hoped that their situation wasn’t as desperate as it looked right now.



“LET ME GO!!!” Nick screamed as he struggled against the guards pushing him towards the awaiting ship in the holding bay. His hair flew in his face as he pulled and shoved, but their grip on him was too strong. Nick’s screams echoed in the holding bay but nobody came to help him. They came to the ship and a guard saluted at Sienna, waiting for instructions.

“Throw him into the first holding cell you find. Then set our coordinates for Motrale.” Sienna instructed.

“We need to go back for Brian, he’s going to die without me to help him….” Nick said, half screaming still as he fought to break free. Sienna held his chin in her hand, putting her face near Nick’s and smiling as tears ran down his face.

“I have no use for the Empath. I have exactly what I want, and you’re mine now.” Sienna sneered coldly. She let go of him and he grunted, being pulled onto the ship.

She was on her way back to Motrale with the very thing she’d been searching for and nothing was going to take him away.

Not even the Empath.
Monster by DelphinaCarter
“Throw him in a room and make sure it’s secure, I don’t need him to escape like last time.” Sienna said once they were on their ship, watching Nick continue to struggle against the guards that pulled him along.


“This would go a lot easier if you didn’t fight us. She doesn’t want to hurt you.” one of them said in a low whisper. Nick looked at him strangely but continued to try and get free, grunting through gritted teeth.


“I...will...never…..go...with..her.”



“Suit yourself.” the guard shrugged as they tossed him inside a open doorway and locked it behind him. Nick screamed, pounding the door with his fists and crying. This couldn’t be happening, he was once again separated from Brian and he had no idea how to get back to him or where they were headed. He had a feeling that escaping this time would not be as easy as before because they knew it was possible.


The room was just like it was before, plain white walls, plain white floor and no windows with plain sheets and blankets on the small bed. it was very plain, no furniture at all but a chair and a bed. A bathroom was in the next doorway, with a shower, sink and toilet. Nick did not remember the room being so silent, the silence was almost deafening. He felt angry tears on his face as he threw himself on the bed, punching the pillow and cursing silently at the fact that he was taken away from Brian.



What was he going to do now?





“SON OF A FUCKING BITCH!!!” AJ shouted as he punched the wall once they got into the holding bay. Brian followed behind him and he was stunned to see nearly everything in the holding bay destroyed.


“She probably knew that we would try to follow her ship so she made sure we couldn’t get a chance.” Brian said dejectedly, sighing. He could feel the cold breath of anxiety wash over him as he looked up and saw Sienna’s ship exiting the holding bay.


“Well, she’s not that smart….we still have your ship you flew here in.” AJ winked with a sly grin. Brian smiled back and followed him to another part of the base, a garage hangar of sorts where the ship sat in wait, completely untouched. AJ and Brian looked at each other, their eyes twinkling.


“How did she not find this? She destroyed everything in the holding bay, this isn’t possible.” Brian said as they got some supplies together and prepared to depart the base. They packed some food rations and checked over the ship to make sure it could make the trip to Motrale, which was far away from the solar system.


“Let’s just say that I told her we destroyed your ship when you arrived. That was one of the first things she asked me and I am guessing is why she attacked the holding bay. She didn’t want us to have a backup plan in case she succeeded in taking Nick with her. I really am sorry for that, by the way. I was just trying to protect my people here. We lived a peaceful life on the Moon. Nobody bothered us, but Sienna would message us from time to time asking if we found any Healers. When I informed her that Nick was here she left Earth and came here at top speed.” AJ explained.


Brian nodded as AJ explained, his brain racing. Without Nick there to connect his powers to, he was lost. He could control his ability without him, that much was certain...but he knew it was a matter of time before he would get sick like before. It happened soon after Sienna took him last time. When they’d crashed during their escape from the island, Sienna found them and took Nick but there was something wrong.



“Don’t take him….I need him...he needs me...please…” Brian begged, watching them take Nick away from the burning wreckage that was once their ship. He blinked back tears and could feel himself still at a complete disconnect from Nick, the realization that he may be dead settling in.


“We have no use for you.” Sienna said, turning away again before Brian managed to make his way over and pulled her back.


“You know when he wakes up that he will not trust you. When he finds out what you did, that you left me to die he will not ever forgive you for it.” he muttered.


Sienna laughed, straight cackling.


“I’ll see to it he doesn’t remember any of this. Including you….” she replied with a sneer. Brian shook his head in disbelief, the tears steadily falling down his face and onto the sand.


“You are a monster.”


“You are afraid of being alone.” Sienna said, leaning into his face. Brian tried to read her but his mind was so foggy with anxiety and worry that he couldn’t get his powers to work long enough to think. His stomach was churning and he wanted to vomit.


“How do you know that?” he asked, his eyes narrowed. How did she know what he was thinking, and where they were all the time? How did she find them? None of it made any sense at all. Only Kevin knew their location on the island, which was in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, far away from the mainland. Nobody else lived there.


She smiled and stood up straight, thinking. It was very obvious that she was up to something.


“Take the Empath onto the ship.”



The soldiers advanced on Brian, who struggled to get free.


“STOP…..LET ME GO!!! WHERE DID YOU TAKE NICK?”


Sienna did not answer him, she walked onto the ship after leaving instructions to keep the Empath as far away from Nick as possible. She did not want them together again, because she knew if they were...she would be in danger. Nick’s power was not strong right now but she did not want him to have any opportunity to get stronger. All she needed was his healing abilities and for him to trust her. However, this was going to be difficult if he had knowledge of the accident. So for the next few weeks….she ordered her medical staff to wipe his memory clean. With no memory, Nick would surely help her and trust her. He would help save her people and her planet….and she could mold him into her son. An Empath and a Healer destined to be together as the prophecy predicted. Being a Empath, she knew Brian had hid Nick not because he wanted to protect him, but because he did not want to be alone. Loneliness was torture for the Empath. It suffocated him. This was the perfect revenge on Kevin Richardson and his family for lying to her. Holding his cousin and torturing him was a perfect plan. So she locked him away and they observed him every day, watching him in agony. Eventually the Empath stopped fighting and trying to break free. He eventually accepted his loneliness. Never questioned why he did not get sick, even though the Healer was nearby.



“Your Highness, we are prepared to exit the Solar System….permission to proceed?”



Sienna sat in her chair in front of the monitors and smiled, folding her hands under her chin. It was all coming together again and they’d be in Motrale in no time at all. She would once again put Nick in the coma and make him forget the Empath so he would trust her. It would take time but the task would be done.


“Yes, proceed immediately.”



The Empath would not get in the way this time.
Help Me by DelphinaCarter
Please take me home….


Please...




Startled by the faint sound of Brian’s voice in his ears, Nick finally realized he had been asleep for some time. He did not know how long he’d been asleep in the room on Sienna’s ship, but he finally felt the most rested he had in many days since they’d escaped this place. He’d not slept since before Kevin found him, after he and Brian had gotten the food rations and fuel from the abandoned space port. He could definitely feel himself thinking much clearer than before when they were on the Moon.


Nick...


Brian’s voice echoed in his head, giving him a headache as his stomach growled. He was definitely hungry. He guessed he had not eaten since they first arrived on the Moon. Nobody had been by the room since he was thrown inside, left there alone to think about everything and how lonely he was without Brian.


“I should have never left the ship in the first place. Then none of this would have happened.” he muttered to himself, punching the side of his mattress with his fist in anger. Letting the anger flow, he then tried to calm himself enough to try and reach Brian telepathically like before. Nick had never fully tried to use his power other than healing Brian back on the base. It was the first time he had even tried on his own, without anyone to coach him. He was scared and shaking from nerves. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a breath, trying to reach Brian by thinking what he wanted to say instead of speaking. Maybe he wasn’t just a Healer...he could have other powers he didn’t know about. Concentrating hard, he tried one more time.


Brian….where are you?



The thought came and left, his head aching once more. He felt sick to his stomach because he still did not remember anything about the past...anything about what their life was like before he woke from the coma. Bits and pieces had come back but he could not piece them together. Sitting upright on the soft sheets, Nick spotted a fresh set of clothes waiting for him so he decided to clean himself and change. Maybe a shower would make him feel better. He remembered when he woke from the coma taking a shower as well, but this time was different. As the hot water and steam washed over him, Nick thought of Brian and AJ….and Kevin. How Kevin had betrayed them and AJ sold them out. Was Brian going to be okay? What did Sienna do with him?


He just hoped his answer would come sooner rather than later and he could finally leave this place for good.





“Come on, AJ. We have to hurry….I think they’ve left the solar system already! I can’t find them on the long range radar.” Brian shouted urgently from the control room. AJ was doing his best to steer while Brian navigated, but the task at hand was becoming more and more difficult once they passed the asteroid belt.


“I can’t fucking get around this shit without hitting it, man! We were lucky enough to escape the atmosphere of the Moon without getting shot at and you want me to swerve around asteroids?” AJ scoffed. He looked at Brian, wondering why he wasn’t falling ill just yet. Last time it had happened so quickly but this time was different somehow.


“How are you feeling?” he asked suddenly, flipping switches on the control panel in front of him.


Brian made a face and was silent for a few moments as if he was wondering the same thing.


“Okay, as okay as I can be. I just want to get to him...that’s all.” he muttered.


AJ nodded and tried putting the ship to go faster but they were already at top speed and still falling behind Sienna’s ship. They were using thermal tracing to follow the ship’s fuel trail through the solar system. He already knew where she was headed, to Motrale but hoped that they could head her off somehow.


“So you knew Nick was a….a Healer this whole time?” he asked, to try and break the tension they were both feeling from stress. He could tell how stressed Brian was just by looking at him.


“Yes. Kevin told me everything. I mean, Nick and I grew up together. I don’t remember when he came into our lives but Kevin told me that he found him and his father told him to watch over us. Somehow, I don’t think this story is all the way true….I mean, why would Sienna be after him so badly? Do you know anything about it? You talked to him. You were friends with him.” Brian replied, scoffing.


AJ turned away from the controls and faced Brian with a long, deep sigh as if something was weighing on him.


“He did tell me a few things because we were often in communication. Kevin knows me because he helped us escape during one of Sienna’s attacks on Earth. He gave us the means to create our home here. He saved us. So of course I was helping him. He said that Nick was going to save all of us, that the two of you would end the war. So he hid you and didn’t give me your location….but she knew where you were. Sienna, like you…can read minds.”


“She can- what?” Brian asked in disbelief, but the more he thought about this it made sense. He thought about when Sienna had taken Nick from him, and how she knew he was afraid to be alone. She could read his mind without help. That was very dangerous, more dangerous then the fact she had Nick and was on her way to Motrale.


“She is a Empath like you are. She read my mind and Kevin’s. I didn’t actually tell her anything but she could...she could read my thoughts.”


“So that’s how she knew where we were. We were never safe on that island. She was just waiting for the right time to come and take him...we have to-“


It started suddenly, as if a switch inside his body was turned on. He felt dizzy, weak...flushed. He was starting to get sick.


“Brian?” AJ asked, looking on in concern. His skin was starting to go pale.


“We have to hurry and get to Motrale as fast as possible. I’m going to die if we don’t get Nick back.” Brian coughed. AJ nodded and tried to urge the ship to go faster, feeling panic set in because of the urgency of their situation. Brian was still okay for now but it was only going to get worse.


They were running out of time.
A Link To The Past by DelphinaCarter
“Nick? Are you okay?”


“NICK?!”


“Come on, Nick. Answer me!!”


Nick opened his eyes to find himself in a large room with Brian. There was no furniture, but the walls and floor were all white like the one he had fallen asleep in. He had no idea where he was or if he was still on Sienna’s ship because this place did not feel or look familiar to him at all. Brian knelt down and reached out his hand to help him stand, but at first he was too dizzy. 


“What’s going on?” Nick asked.


Brian helped him off the floor and checked him over with a worried expression, as if something had happened to him before he woke up. He felt weak and drained like something had sapped the energy right from his body. Nick realized he was dreaming. 


“I’m so glad you are okay. Maybe we should stop training for today, you look so tired. I keep telling Kevin that it’s too much for you.” Brian said. He smiled at Nick and left the room, leaving him alone. It was then that Nick guessed he was dreaming or reliving a memory, because how could Kevin be alive? They watched him be murdered by Sienna’s army back on the Moon. What were they training for? The war? None of this made any sense, but Nick decided that he would go along with it. At least he knew he wasn’t on Sienna’s ship, but he was seeing a memory…perhaps from before he and Brian fled if Kevin was still alive. Nick blinked again, his head hurting. Brian obviously didn’t sense that his present self was inside his own mind.


“Yeah, I suppose I’m tired.”  Nick said softly, rubbing his head. He didn’t understand why he felt so sick and drained, as if the energy had been sucked dry from his body.


Brian led him out of the room and into another where Kevin stood in front of a row of control panels. He turned around, his arms crossed. 


“Why did you stop the simulation?” Kevin demanded angrily when they came out of the training room they were in.


“Nick doesn’t feel well, can’t you see that?” Brian hissed. Nick swayed a little bit on the spot and Brian caught him. He just wanted to lie down. He hated fighting. 


“He’s not finished.”  Kevin snapped.


Nick looked at how angry Brian was and was confused. What exactly had happened to make him pass out? What training was he doing and for what? Nick wished he could remember. All he wanted to do was remember. He felt sick to his stomach. 


“I told you that this is too much for him. You can’t keep pushing him like this through the simulation, it’s literally making him sick. What if he doesn’t even want to fight in the war? We can’t afford to lose him, and you know that.” 


“Brian, it’s not your place to decide just because you are being selfish and want to keep yourself alive because-“ Kevin said sternly. Brian’s face turned several shades of red, he was so angry with him. How could he be selfish for worrying about Nick’s welfare? Nick was obviously not ready for all of this. Sure, he’d been doing training for quite some time but he still hadn’t fully grasped his powers yet. 


“I’m selfish? You know goddamn well that if anything happens to him...I’m- I’m-“ Brian stammered. He didn’t want to think what would happen if something did happen to Nick. It would be the end of him too. 


“This war is not about YOU-“ Kevin said, but stopped when he saw Nick tugging on Brian’s arm and didn’t finish his sentence. 


“Brian please calm down, don’t fight over me. I’m fine.” Nick begged gently. Brian turned to him, and noticed how pale he was. He was most definitely NOT fine. Nick didn’t feel well at all. He was so tired, he just wanted to sleep. He wanted to sleep and not think about anything else and Brian could definitely sense that was what he wanted. It was making Brian sick just feeling how sick Nick felt. Kevin didn’t realize by pushing Nick he was also hurting Brian since they were tied to each other. 


“Are you sure? Because passing out doesn’t mean you are fine. You have been at this for hours. I think you need a break. You look exhausted.” Brian protested.


“I’ll be fine.” Nick lied, feeling weak. He never liked to make Brian worry, yet somehow Brian always knew he was lying to him. Nick never understood why or how. What were they training for and why did Brian not want him to fight? He was sure he could handle it. Nick wondered why Brian had taken them to that island in the first place. He’d said they were in hiding because of the war, but from the sound of it there was another reason. 


“Brian, if I’m meant to help...I want to help. I want to fight….” Nick protested as he followed Brian out of the control room to a hallway. 


“Nick, this is a lot bigger than the war, okay? I just care about you. All Kevin and those other scientists care about is if they can use you. That’s why Kevin is so keen on me training you.” 


“Use me for what?” Nick asked, his eyes narrowed. 


“I can’t explain right now. But one day it will all make sense. You just have to trust me. Please?” 


Nick stared at Brian and didn’t say anything, just nodded slowly. Brian could read what he was thinking and he hated lying to him but he knew that it was better that Nick didn’t know. The less Nick knew about what was going on, the better off they’d be. Brian wanted to take Nick away from all of this so they could be happy, so that he didn’t feel Nick’s anxiety anymore. Anxiety made him sick. Hurt made him hurt. Brian just wanted to be happy. Sure, it was a little bit selfish but he wanted no part in this war. There was so much of it that he didn’t understand himself.



Brian sat in his chair near AJ beside the control panel of the ship, clutching his chest and trying to steady his breathing. He felt himself getting worse with every moment that passed. 


“Brian, are you okay?” AJ asked even though he could see that he wasn’t. 


“I’m hanging in there, just please try to catch up with them before they leave the solar system. I have to get to Nick before….before…” Brian blinked and refocused his eyes.


“Brian- if you need me to-“


“Just…hurry!” Brian grunted, sighing. Sweat was forming on his forehead as AJ hurriedly punched buttons on the controls in front of them. Brian looked very pale and AJ thought he was a bit sicker than he let on, because he was trying to be strong. He knew he had to get to Sienna’s ship, even though he knew she’d kill him on sight when he arrived there. Brushing away the nausea in his own stomach, he was determined to help Brian in any way possible to make up for what had happened to Kevin. It had never been his intention for Kevin to die, or for Nick to be taken away. He was only trying to protect the Moon base and his people, who had been in hiding since the initial attacks on Earth all that time ago. AJ wondered if Brian and Nick knew the extent of the damage that Sienna’s planet had caused on the human race, because it wasn’t looking very good. There were very few humans still in the solar system that he knew of anyway.


AJ hoped that they would reach Sienna’s ship before they reached Motrale.





Nick laid on the bed in the room with its plain walls, plain white floor for what seemed like forever, feeling angry and upset over everything that was happening. Kevin had died trying to protect him even though he was at fault for him being in this situation in the first place. How many more were going to be murdered because of him? He felt sick to his stomach wondering if Brian was alive or dead. Without him, Nick knew Brian would possibly die. He felt sick to his stomach because he had so many emotions running through his head. Without Brian he felt as if a part of himself were missing. When they were together things made the most sense.


“Every moment we are together, you are in danger. Our lives are in peril.”


What did that mean? Nick wiped tears out of his eyes as he thought of what Brian had told him. He was confused and scared. Nothing made sense, except that portions of memories kept coming and going. He just wanted to remember. He thought about the memories that had returned to him and ignored the throbbing in his head, hopefully something would start to make sense again soon.



Sienna felt what Nick was thinking and smiled, this was a perfect opportunity to put her plan into motion, but she knew Nick would never listen to her willingly. She had to convince him somehow.  The question was how to do it….
Nightfall by DelphinaCarter
Nick was laying in the bed in the cell as he started calling it, listening to the growl of his stomach. He had no idea how long it had been since he was thrown in the room, but he was getting hungry. He hadn’t eaten since the Moon base, however long that was. As if someone had known he was hungry, Nick suddenly noticed a tray with food rations on it in front of the locked door. His stomach growled harder knowing the food was present, but he resisted, sitting up in the bed with his knees against his chest. 


“Go ahead, you know you want it. It probably tastes as good as it smells.” 


Nick shook his head in protest, folding his arms around his legs and burying his head in his knees to resist temptation to eat. He licked his lips and tried to distract himself by thinking about something else. Anything else. 


“You’re hungry. Just eat. You’ll feel better.” 


Nick looked up because he was sure that a woman’s voice spoke to him through his thoughts, but it didn’t make any sense. He was the only one in the room, there was no way. The smell of the food was calling him, he could smell warm bread. Something he hadn’t had in a long time, that triggered a memory from a long time ago. Brian had made bread when they lived on the island and Nick remembered how good it was. He kept thinking that warm food would taste really good so he inched himself off of the bed and walked over to the food tray, smelling it. His mouth watered as he picked the cover off of it and he discovered that it wasn’t just regular food rations but there was warm bread and soup. It reminded Nick of the island, the stew they’d made one time with the clams they’d dug up from the beach once. They didn’t have very many supplies but somehow Brian had made it taste delicious and it warmed their bellies when they ate it around the campfire, the stew simmering in the large pot over the open flame. It was then that Nick sat on the floor, his legs folded Indian style as he stared at the food. 


“Fucking hell.” Nick said finally, giving into temptation as he tore apart the warm, pillowy bread with his hands and dipped it into the soup, letting the warm liquid run down the back of his throat. It was delicious. He ate until the tray was picked clean, rubbing his stomach when he was finished. Nick wished that Brian had been there to enjoy the meal even though things seemed to taste better when they had to work together to get it. Nick always enjoyed Brian’s cooking and this came pretty close but something felt off. He should have known when he started to feel drowsy some time after eating. 


Surely laying down wouldn’t hurt….




“I have them in our radar, Brian.” AJ said, taking a breath when they cleared the asteroid belt of the solar system. Brian smiled and seemed a bit relieved, sitting down in his chair again. 


“Good. Just keep following them. Stay on this heading.”


“I don’t know if we can catch up to them but we are in pretty close range so we shouldn’t lose them. How are you feeling now? Any better?” 


“A little, yes. I think since Nick’s somewhat near me I can still be healed by him. The problem was that between when we fled Earth and going to your base on the Moon, my energy hadn’t recovered since I had passed out in the underground city. Nick had healed me but not fully. His own energy was not recovered either. So right now I’m very vulnerable and so is he. He has no idea how much danger he is in being with Sienna right now. I don’t know what her plan is with him and that scares me. He could die and as a result, I could die.” Brian explained with a sigh. He looked out at the stars and felt the nausea creep up inside himself as he worried about Nick and what was going to happen to them both, or if they’d be united once more. He felt guilty. All Nick wanted was to go home but it just wasn’t going to be possible. He started to remember nights from when they lived in peace on the island, nights where all they had was each other. 



“I hope you like this stew, I know we don’t have much in the way of vegetables or anything, but I did have some things. I just figured you’d want something different tonight. I never tried baking anything before either.” Brian said, watching Nick eat by the campfire. Nick smiled at him, the stew dribbling down his chin from when he’d scooped the bread into his mouth. 


“It’s delicious. How did you bake without an oven?” Nick asked curiously. Brian chuckled, sipping from the stone bowl and setting it back down next to him so he could stoke the fire some more. The flame grew bigger and crackled in the moonlight, the starry sky providing little other light. 


“I kind of made one out of some stones up on the cliff. It wasn’t hard to make the bread but I knew you’d like it. We haven’t had bread in a long time.” 


“You’re right about that. Well, it’s definitely good even though it isn’t like traditional bread. It’s more of a flatbread.” Nick smiled, dipping his into the stew again and eating noisily. Brian laughed and just looked at him, enjoying Nick’s company. He loved spending time with Nick and had grown to really love him. He felt a warm aura whenever Nick was near and they were both happy. He didn’t want to trade this feeling for anything else in the world. The war meant nothing as long as they had happiness. 



“We’ll see each other again soon, I promise.” Brian whispered, looking out at the stars in the window in front of him.






Sienna walked into the chamber on her ship, smiling as she laid eyes on Nick upon the table in the middle of the room under a glass box. He’d been undressed, electrodes attached to various points of his skin. He was unconscious, as a machine hovered over his head, emitting a green light. In the corner of the room stood a control panel where two crew members stood, and they saluted when they noticed Sienna was there. 


“At ease,” Sienna said calmly. Her violet eyes went back to watching Nick for any sign of movement, but it was as if he were in a coma just like before. 


“Your highness, we took him as soon as he ate the food and fell asleep as you instructed.” 


“Good. Proceed with the rest of my instructions and let me know when he is ready to be woken up.” Sienna told him, tucking her hair back behind her ear and smiling. 


The crew member pressed a button on the control panel in front of him and the machine whirred, moving over Nick’s body vertically. He did not stir at all, just laid motionless as the machine repeated the motion over and over again. Sienna smiled in satisfaction. She knew the food would make him sleep after she had added the sedatives to it, it had been part of her plan to take advantage of the fact she sensed the boy was hungry. She had also known that this particular food would make Nick comfortable enough to trust her, because it reminded him of Brian. Once he smelled the bread it was all over. It was all manipulation tactics and being an Empath had served her well. All that was left to do was erase any of the new memories that he’d gotten since the last time they tried the memory wipe, which would be easy to do now that Brian was out of the way. As long as the two of them were apart, neither would be a threat to her. Sienna only needed to turn Nick to her side. The rest would be easy, at least she was counting on it to be. 
Spaces Between by DelphinaCarter
AJ jumped when the ship shuddered, his breath becoming shaky. They'd gotten pretty close to Sienna's ship because to their surprise it had slowed down. 


"W-what's happening, AJ? Why did they stop?" Brian whispered. 


"Hell if I fucking know. Looks like gravity is pulling us in, though. This is not good."


Brian and AJ exchanged fearful glances and Brian knew all AJ was thinking about right now was the fact that Sienna would kill him on sight if she knew he left the Moon and disobeyed her orders. 


"You said she's an Empath like me, right? She probably already knows we are here." Brian guessed thoughtfully, watching as Sienna’s ship inched nearer and nearer to the window. He tried to connect with Nick’s mind and was a little alarmed when nothing happened. He couldn’t sense him at all. It was like when they were on Sienna’s ship the last time. It was as if Nick were….but he couldn’t be. Brian’s face paled at the thought of Nick being dead. The only reason that Brian supposed Nick was still alive was that he felt fine, but what other explanation could there be?


“What are you thinking? Are we gonna try to go after him? Rescue him?” AJ asked, interrupting Brian’s thoughts and startling him a little. 


“I-I don’t know. Something is wrong. Something is really wrong and I don’t like this. I can’t sense him.” 


“He’s not dead is he? I mean, I don’t fucking understand any of this. I thought you could just read minds or whatever.” AJ muttered. 


“Well, yes- in a way I can read minds, but I can also read feelings….emotions. My power is strongest when we are near each other. That’s how I can find him. Our emotions are connected. So whatever he is feeling, I feel at the same time. With everyone else, I can just get a sense of what they feel and I can read their thoughts, but Nick’s emotions can cause anything from happiness to extreme pain or illness. That’s what is worrying me, that I don’t feel anything. I don’t even feel a connection to him. The last time this happened was before he woke up from that coma. So either she’s done something to him, or preventing him from being connected to me. He still doesn’t have his full memory back and she’s screwing with him even more.” Brian explained in frustration as tears welled in his eyes. He tried to reach Nick through telepathy again, but nothing happened. 


“Here’s the thing though, Brian. In case you forgot, there are only two of us. She has a whole fucking army on this ship. So what are we going to do? You said you can’t use your telepathy or whatever to find him. How will we find him?” 


“I-I don’t know…I don’t know. I wish I did.” Brian replied tearfully, feeling sick to his stomach. 


Nick….Please answer me…


There was nothing. Usually when he tried reaching Nick through this way, he could get some sort of feeling or vibration back, even if Nick didn’t know how to respond back. However, right now…Brian felt nothing and that terrified him. 


He only hoped they would reach Nick in time. 




“Brian, when you look up at the stars….what do you think about?” Nick asked him suddenly when they were laying in the sand listening to their fire crackling nearby. The ocean waves crashed gently in reply. Brian sighed and smiled. He was still full from supper and he could fall asleep here on the beach, but knew they had to move into their hut or they could possibly be seen. Sleeping out here was not an option.


“That’s a deep question. I need a minute to think about it. What do you think about, Nick?” Brian asked. He didn’t really have a straight answer to give Nick right away. 


“I don’t know. Sometimes I think about my parents, if I had any. What life was like before all of this. How things would have ended up, who I would be if things were different and I still had them.” Nick replied thoughtfully, stoking the fire with the long stick in front of him.


“I wish I could tell you about them, but I didn’t know them. I didn't really know my parents either. Kevin pretty much raised me on the base just like you, I was on my own like you were.” Brian said as he looked out at the ocean, the moonlight reflecting off of the water. He shivered as he spoke about his parents and didn’t know why. It wasn’t like he knew anything about his family or even Nick’s family, because he was never told where Nick came from. He’d asked Kevin about their parents but he never got an answer. 


“Well, you’re pretty much family to me.” Nick said softly. Brian sat up and they smiled at each other. Brian knew there was more to their feelings than that but neither of them ever addressed it, they did however feel a connection- at least Brian did. He had never felt anything like it with anyone else. It wasn’t like love, but something deeper than that. Brian didn’t know what true love was like to even compare to the way he felt when he and Nick were together. All he knew was that the two of them made sense somehow. 


“I feel the same about you.” Brian told him, feeling drowsy. Nick chuckled and picked up the bowl of water sitting next to him before throwing it over the fire, putting it out. He looked at Brian and just smiled at him, looking at him for a few moments. Brian thought that Nick was going to say something but it was hard to pinpoint what was on his mind at this moment. Brian tried to read Nick’s feelings but Nick wasn’t giving him any indication of what was on his mind. Nick must have noticed the awkwardness because he finally spoke up. 


“Shall we get to bed, then? It’s getting pretty late.” he said, standing and stretching. 


Brian stretched and got up, following Nick down the beach and back to the wooden hut where they slept. It wasn’t an extravagant place but it was enough for what they needed to shelter them. They’d built it together, and it had served them well. 


“Brian?” Nick said when they’d gotten comfortable inside the hut, laying beside one another. 


“Yes?” 


Nick didn’t speak for a few moments, and Brian knew he was trying to find the words for whatever it was he wanted to say earlier. 


"Nick, did you want to tell me something?" 


“Never mind. Good night.” Nick whispered. Brian smiled and closed his eyes, trying to probe Nick’s thoughts again. He could pick up on something but he didn’t know what to make of it so he didn’t say anything and let himself drift off to sleep, listening to the waves of the ocean nearby. There was plenty of time to figure things out later. 





“Brian, are you even listening? I was trying to come up with some kind of plan here. A little help would be good. You have beeen here before and you know her ship, I don’t.” AJ said, bringing Brian back to their current predicament. 


“I do know the ship, I am just worried about Nick. I can’t sense him at all.” Brian muttered exasperatedly. He tried to remember the ship, tried to think of where Nick could possibly be but nothing was happening and he was frustrated. It was as if his mind were simply blank. 


“Obviously something has gone wrong. We can’t just give up-“ 


“I haven’t given up! I just don’t know what the hell to do. What if he’s dead, and we are just wasting time here trying to board her ship? We are dead as soon as she catches us, you know that and I know that. So we have two options, assume that he’s dead and try to get out of here and get killed later…or try to rescue him and risk being killed now. We end up dead either way." Brian interrupted angrily. He felt sick to his stomach as soon as he spoke because it was becoming more and more dire. 


"If we are going to die anyway we might as well try," he added. AJ smiled at him and got up from his seat at the control panel. 


"That's the spirit." 


Brian followed AJ out of the control room, anxious to see Nick again. He just hoped that his fears were not about to become reality. 
Prisoner by DelphinaCarter
“Keep behind me, and don’t make any sudden noise- we don’t want to alert her guards. They patrol the hallways all over the ship.” Brian said, shushing AJ as they slowly got off their ship once they were aboard Sienna’s. Nobody seemed to be around, which didn’t sit well with Brian because he expected to be ambushed as soon as they got off their ship. Part of him wondered if this was a trap and they were walking right into it. Brian tried using his power to feel out the situation, but he only gave himself a headache because everything was so foggy. 


"Yeah, because I'm just totally gonna start calling attention to us for no reason." AJ scoffed. Brian rolled his eyes and shushed him again. They continued, stepping carefully and making sure they were not seen as they headed for the holding rooms where Brian remembered being when Sienna had taken him captive. It was not far from the holding bay. 






“Your Majesty?”


Sienna sat in her chamber with her eyes closed, breathing deeply in annoyance when she heard the guard enter. 


"Your Majesty?" 


"I told you not to disturb me here unless it was an emergency." Sienna said in a low voice. 


"Well, I thought-" 


"SILENCE!" Sienna shouted, causing the guard to jump back. She smiled at him because she sensed his fear. She enjoyed the fear she had put in her guards, they knew better than to disobey her. 


"Your-y-your Highness, s-someone has boarded our ship-" the guard continued, but Sienna swiftly fired at him without as much as a reply. He lay silent on the floor, his clothes singing slightly until two more guards appeared to take the body away. 


"No one is to disturb me." Sienna instructed, and the other two guards nodded apprehensively.  


Her attention went back to her thoughts. She knew the humans were aboard. She also knew that Alex had disobeyed orders and left the Moon, she'd deliberately slowed down the ship so they'd catch up to her. The fact that the Empath was aboard delighted her because he did not know what she had done with the Healer. Being an Empath herself, she was able to trick the Healer into a false sense of security where she could once again put him into a coma and do a memory wipe. The Healer would have no memory of the Empath. With the Healer having no memory, the two humans were not able to use their powers, and were not a threat to her. 






“Do you know where we are?” AJ whispered as they rounded yet another corner. 


“I still can’t sense anything.” Brian replied. 


“That doesn’t answer my question.” 


“AJ, this really worries me because I should be sick right now. If we were connected, like we were before- I would be really sick.” 


“Isn’t it good that you’re not sick?” AJ asked in confusion. 


“Well, in a way. This worries me because it means you were right, something is really wrong. Last time this happened, he had been in a coma. I didn’t know this until he told me later that they lied to him and told him he was in a coma due to an accident. He didn’t even know he’d left Earth until he saw a window on our way to escape this place.When we were in the hidden city, Nick regained some of his memories and I started to get sick again.” 


“Why were you sick in the first place?” AJ asked as he tried a locked door. There was a keypad but he didn’t know the combination so they left it alone and kept moving. 


“Nobody knows. It was a mysterious illness. They ran so many tests. I spent a lot of my childhood in the infirmary, until Nick came along. They had him locked up somewhere on the base and I had never seen him before. All I remember is that when he came to live with us, I stopped being sick.” Brian said. He didn’t have many memories of his childhood before Nick came into his life, and had never thought to question any of it. Kevin only said that he was ill and they were trying to find a cure. Nick healed him and it seemed that things would be okay. AJ and Brian were silent for some time as they continued their search for Nick on Sienna’s ship until AJ spoke again. 


“I was just thinking about something.” 


Brian turned to look back at him, still silent. 


“Do you know why Sienna wants Nick so badly, or why she killed all of the Healers in the first place? I am sure Kevin must have told you at some time what she was up to.” AJ asked. Brian tried another door, thinking about conversations he had with Kevin before he died. Nick was pretty young at the time, and had no idea of the outside world outside of the base where they lived. 





“Kevin, why do we have to stay here on the base? Why can’t Nick and I ever go outside? I know there is a war and all that but why can’t we help? Nick’s not happy being cooped up all the time. He wants to be free.” Brian begged after yet another training session where Nick had passed out. He had to be rushed to the infirmary and Kevin said he wanted him back to finish the training for the day after he was looked over, which made Brian very upset. Brian didn’t like how Nick was being treated. A lot of the time he wasn’t even referred to by his name. 


“The boy needs to learn how to use his powers, and he’s far too valuable to us to lose right now. You have no idea how much we would lose if something were to happen to him. He’s not even safe on this base. That’s why we have to move every so often, so he’s not found. The enemy is looking for him everywhere and if she discovered that we had him, the consequences would be dire.” Kevin explained as they walked down the hall towards the infirmary. Brian felt his temper rising. 


“His name is Nick, Kevin. He’s human just like you and I are. He deserves to see something other than these walls, to see the sky, an ocean. He’s never known anything but the military base. I want him to experience things. He’s just a teenager.” 


“Why is this so important to you?” Kevin asked, rolling his eyes. Brian looked down at his feet. Why was this so important to him that Nick was happy? It wasn’t like he loved him any more than a brother. Many times he listened to Nick cry because he didn’t understand what was going on.  All Nick wanted was to be happy and he made it clear that he wasn’t. 


“Nick is a child. You’re treating him like a prisoner.” 


“He’s not a prisoner. I care about him too, but unfortunately we cannot take any chances that she will find him here. We are going to continue with the training. In the event that you do have to flee, you will take over his training. You will show him how to use his powers. The two of you are connected. He won’t be able to do this without you.” Kevin instructed wearily. 


“Do you think it will come to that? We’ve been here a few years, I don’t see a reason that she would find us here. We’ve been lucky so far.” 


“Luck doesn’t mean anything, Brian. You don’t know how Sienna is. When she wants something she will stop at nothing to get it. Right now, she wants Nick. For what, I don’t know. The creatures that live on Motrale have a mysterious illness. My father told me that was why they needed Healers in the first place. They found the Healers but none have been strong enough to help them. So Sienna was looking for someone to fulfill the prophecy, which was that an Empath and a Healer coming together would in turn end the war and bring everyone together.” 


“An Empath and a Healer? Kevin, aren’t I an Empath? Is that why you have to hide me too, because you told me as long as Nick and I are together we are in mortal peril.” Brian said, his eyes wide. They entered the infirmary where Nick was laying in a bed being examined by one of the nurses. He was unconscious still, but stabilized according to the nurse they spoke with. 


“Yes, that is why you need to listen to what I tell you and not do anything rash. I know the situation is frustrating but if we are going to beat them we need the two of you.” Kevin said, dropping his voice to a whisper. Brian nodded as he looked upon Nick, watching his chest rise and fall as the lump appeared in his own throat. 






“AJ, Kevin did tell me some things. Supposedly, Sienna killed the Healers because Kevin’s father betrayed a deal he had made with her planet. The war started because she had come looking for help for her baby that was sick and he told her there were no Healers left. When Kevin’s father went to warn the Healers, he discovered that their village was destroyed and everyone was murdered. How they found Nick, I don’t know. Maybe she missed him when she killed them all.” Brian said after he had come to yet another locked door. He tried the keypad and couldn’t get it to open. 


“Sienna had a son?” AJ asked, adjusting the blaster gun in his belt. 


“Yes, he was very sick and that’s why she came to Earth in the first place, to look for someone to heal him. Something went wrong and that was what started this war in the first place. Something happened to her child. This is all for revenge. This is why she is trying to exterminate the human race, all because her son died at the hands of the humans.” Brian told him. AJ paused for a moment, thinking before he spoke again, something that had been on his mind for a little while now and hadn’t been brought up.


“Did you ever consider that you were the baby?” 
Taking Control by DelphinaCarter
Brian turned to AJ, his eyes wide. He’d never considered or even thought of the possibility that he could be Sienna’s son, because he always thought he was from Earth. Kevin had never told him otherwise, nor had he even thought to ask. Yet something about this made sense somehow. He’d never known his parents. He’d been raised by Kevin and his father on military bases his whole life. He was an Empath, like Sienna.

“Oh my God, AJ. This…I don’t know what to say. I never thought that I could be her son.” Brian whispered.

“It makes sense though, especially after you told me you didn’t know your parents and how you were sick all the time. What if you’re not from Earth at all, but you’re from Motrale?”

The two of them looked into the next room and saw Nick hooked up to various machines. Brian tried the keypad but it didn’t work. Brian peered into the room, there didn’t seem to be anyone else inside, and Nick was unconscious. Now it made some sense as to why he couldn’t reach Nick telepathically, he was definitely in a coma. Brian’s heart sank, but he was feeling hopeful now. The question was, how were they going to get him out of the room?

“He’s in here! We found him! Help me try to get this door open, AJ.”

AJ tried to open it for a minute or so before he decided to take out his gun, aiming for the door.

“No, not that way! Not that way!!!” Brian protested, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. AJ pushed Brian away from the door, ignoring him and fired his blaster at it, causing the handle to blow off as the electrical panel smoked. Brian began to cough.

“It’s open now.” AJ said, smirking.

“You are a fucking idiot. I told you not to draw attention to us, now hurry and let’s grab him before they figure out what you did!” Brian shouted, pushing into the door as it opened. Nick was unconscious but unguarded, so Brian tried to figure out how they would do this without triggering anything. His heart was practically pumping out of his chest from adrenaline but they managed to get Nick out of the room. AJ picked Nick up, carrying him over his shoulder as an alarm started going off over their heads in the hallway, red lights flashing. Out of nowhere, someone began to fire at them, Brian nearly dodging being hit by flattening himself against the wall.

“Oh, fuck.” AJ said, noticing guards at the other end of the hallway coming towards them. Nobody was blocking their way to the holding bay so they dodged fire and made a run for their ship.

“This is why I told you not to draw attention to us. We are dead meat! Hurry to the ship. We might still have a chance to get away.” Brian hissed.

“Not very likely.”

Brian turned to see Sienna walking towards them with a smile on her face.

“I guess you’re going to kill us now, might as well get it over with,” AJ said, tossing his gun on the floor. Brian rolled his eyes.

“Now, now. I never said that, Alex. You think so little of me after all this time. I’ve let you live this long, haven’t I? Just because you disobeyed me, there is no need for such violence.” Sienna said in a sickly sweet voice that made Brian and AJ both feel nauseous immediately. Neither of them spoke or made any moves, other than AJ to adjust Nick, who was still over his shoulder.

“What’s your angle, Sienna?” AJ asked. So many thoughts were going through Brian’s mind right at that moment, about Sienna possibly being his mother, questioning where he was from, and what Sienna’s motives were. He could have sworn he saw Sienna staring at him as if she were reading his thoughts right then.

“If you hand the Healer over, you are free to go.” Sienna said. AJ and Brian looked at each other and knew there had to be some sort of catch to this arrangement. Brian wasn’t about to give Nick up after they’d come all the way here to get him.

“What if we don’t?”

Sienna turned on her guards, fired at them and smiled. One of them dropped to the ground, his clothes smoking. Brian and AJ jumped back, their eyes wide.

“That’s what will happen to the two of you if you don’t put the Healer down and go back where you came from. He belongs to me.” Sienna said with another smile.

“He doesn’t belong to anyone. He’s a human being just like us. He has the right to be free, to live life. Not be cooped up in some kind of cage like an animal. I was prepared to fight for him before, and I will now.” Brian snapped. AJ paled, Brian knew that he was uneasy because he knew they were both going to be killed. It was just a matter of time. All of this conversation was just simply stalling the inevitable.

“Ah, but that’s the thing, Empath. You don’t know if you are actually human, do you?” Sienna laughed. Brian was caught off guard by this statement. Did she know?


“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

“I am also an Empath. I’m sure Alex has told you my secret by now, that like you…I can also read minds and read emotions. I know everything you are thinking right now. I know everything you both are feeling. There is literally no escape for either of you, even if you took the Healer- I’d be able to find you. My power is much more advanced than yours.” Sienna said.

“You didn’t tell us why you wanted him so badly. Why are you doing all of this? Can’t the people from your planet and Earth exist together peacefully?” Brian asked, tears forming in his eyes as he thought about having to hand Nick over to her again. He had to try and fight her, even if it was meant for him to perish. He wanted Nick to find his true home, to be free. For the two of them to live in peace together forever. He didn’t care about the prophecy, or about the war….anything else.

“Kevin didn’t tell you what his father and the rest of the humans did to me, did he? I would have thought that he did considering they were your family. It is because of humans that I don’t have my son. It’s the Richardsons fault that he is dead. I am at war with them because they killed him!” Sienna shouted, shaking with every breath.

“I t-think that they lied to you.” AJ said shakily.

“That’s impossible. He’s dead. He’s dead, and Earth is going to pay! Now that I have the Healer, victory is in my grasp. He will be my new son. He will obey me and only me. He will use his power at my command so nobody on Motrale has to lose a loved one again. The Healer is the key to everything.” Sienna cackled. She reached for her blaster gun and held it towards them, as if she were going to fire but then put it back down. AJ was muttering some sort of prayer under his breath.

“Don’t do this. Please. He deserves to be free, to live in peace.” Brian protested.

“My people are sick. They’re dying. We need the Healer! Give him to me!” Sienna said, stepping towards them. AJ tightened his grip on Nick and backed away further.


“He’s all I have left. You don’t understand what will happen to me if you take him from me.” Brian said, crying.

“You know nothing of my pain. Why do you need him so badly? It’s not like he loves you like you want him to love you. That’s what you wanted from the Healer, isn’t it? His love? Your family is the reason you and the Healer are in this in the first place. They lied to me and went back on our bargain. Surely they didn’t tell you any of this?”

Brian shook his head, tears running down his face as he broke down in front of her. He was shocked to see Sienna’s face soften. Brian knew that she wondered the same thing that he was wondering. Was she really his mother? His head throbbed, but he ignored that for now.

“They didn’t tell me anything. I-I don’t even think they were actually my family. I think…I think they were lying to me. You know, don’t you. You’re thinking the same thing, aren’t you. You don’t want to k-kill us, c-can’t we please talk about this? Then I will decide about leaving N-Nick with you.” Brian sobbed.

“Stand down. Leave us to talk.” Sienna started, waving her guards away. Brian was surprised by this sudden change of heart. Alex looked over at him cautiously as Brian nodded at him to reassure him, and they were led back into the room where they’d found Nick. AJ laid Nick’s body back on the bed and Sienna closed the door behind them. Nick still didn’t stir. Brian wiped his eyes, feeling foolish for crying in front of Sienna. He felt weak.

“You wanted to talk, so let’s talk.” Sienna said finally, startling him as she followed him across the room with her violet eyes. AJ kept his hand on his blaster gun the entire time, the other on Nick as he monitored the situation.

“What happened to your son?” Brian asked.

“My son was very sick, as were our people on Motrale. There’s a disease that’s been wiping out the children on our planet, nobody has been able to find a cure. My son was one of the few children remaining. I was promised help from the Healers and then denied that assistance from Earth. We had a small colony of Healers that lived on Motrale, when they left they grew in population on Earth. Since I was denied help, we would do routine missions to Earth to kidnap one or two to bring back to Motrale with us. We were discovered, and the Healers moved to another location. When I asked for help again, I was denied. They took my son from me, I presume to study him as part of our bargain. I was promised they’d find a cure for him, but I was informed that he perished.”

Brian’s mind was going wild with this information now because things suddenly made sense. It made sense why he was always kept on military bases growing up. Why he and Nick had to live their lives in secrecy. It made sense why they were on the run all the time from Sienna. It all made sense. He’d grown up being lied to. Brian wished Nick was awake to hear all of this. Nick would finally hear the truth, that Brian really didn’t know any of his past either.

“Sienna, I think I might be…I think I might be your son.” Brian said softly.

“Nonsense. My son died years ago. You cannot be him.” Sienna protested, turning away from him.

“You said it yourself, I’m an Empath like you are. I kept getting sick as a child. Nick was healing me. Nick and I are tied together by our emotions, that’s why I can’t be separated from him. When I was little they discovered his healing powers. They put him through training all the time, so many tests. We both had to do tests. My powers don’t work unless we are connected. Hasn’t it crossed your mind that there is a possibility that is the reason I was sick? That I am your son? Your son was sick-“ Brian said, but as he talked Sienna started to get more and more agitated, pacing nervously.

“LIES!!! I told you that this Healer belongs to me. You are interfering, I should have you both killed right now!” Sienna shouted suddenly, startling everyone. AJ left Nick’s side and ran towards her, Brian following. The two of them restrained her as she struggled.

“You are going to take us back to Earth, right now. You are going to wake Nick up. He is leaving with us. I don’t care if you threaten to kill the two of us, but these two are going home.” AJ demanded as he took Sienna’s weapon. She struggled again and AJ exchanged a smile with Brian. They were finally going to be on their way home.
Footprints by DelphinaCarter
As Brian watched Sienna struggle, he kept thinking about Nick being unconscious. Would he remember him when he woke up this time, and would he be the same Nick he was before he went into his slumber? Brian was scared to see what would happen. Sienna had wiped his memory before and he was just getting some of those memories back, what if they couldn’t be recovered ever again? Brian teared up as he thought of the first night on the island with Nick, when Nick had finally had a taste of freedom.





The ship shuddered slightly as it came to its landing spot in a jungle and Nick looked around as if he were expecting something to happen.

“Looks like we landed. Where exactly are we? You didn’t tell me when we left the base.”

“I was trying to keep this a secret, we don’t want anyone following us here. I turned off our location too. The only person that should know where we are is Kevin, and I trust him. Just wait until you see, I think this will be the perfect place. Water on all sides.” Brian said as he stood up, grabbing their bag of supplies he had taken with them. The two of them walked out of the ship and Nick followed Brian into the jungle, Brian leading him by pulling him by his hand. Nick had never been outside of the military base before, let alone outside before so this was completely new to him.

“Water on all sides? I don’t see any water here, Brian. Where are we?” Nick asked, taking in all of the new sights and smells. He kept stopping to smell things, hear the various sounds of the jungle and Brian just tugged his arm to pull him along.

“You’ll see. I thought you’d love it here. I saw this on one of the maps, in a computer back on base and I knew we had to come here. It’s beautiful here, and it’s worth the trip we took to get here. Come on.” Brian said excitedly. The two of them didn’t go very far, the small trail they took led out onto a sandy beach, crystal blue water spread out before them against the white sand. Nick’s breath caught in his throat when he gazed upon the view.

“Wow.” Nick gasped as his breath caught in his throat, leaving him completely speechless.

“I told you it was worth the wait.” Brian smiled, beaming from ear to ear. Nick closed his eyes and breathed in the salty air of the ocean in front of them, listening to the seagulls cry. It was unlike any place he’d seen before, even the ones he’d seen on the holofiles back at the base. He’d only ever seen beaches on holograms and computers, on discs of old movies he and Brian watched at night when nobody knew. The two of them had many discussions about visiting such places if they ever could. They never shared any of this with anyone, it was just their secret. Brian loved having someone to tell his innermost thoughts to. Nick always understood.

“You like it?” Brian asked, setting their supplies down and taking in the ocean breeze across his face. He’d never seen a beach either but it was the most beautiful place he had ever been. Nick walked along the sand, starting to take off his shoes. Brian had to laugh when he stopped to let his bare feet touch the sand on their own. The waves rolled over his feet and he jumped a little because it was a bit chilly.

“It’s wet!” Nick exclaimed in confusion. Brian laughed, taking his shoes off as well and walking over to him, leaving footprints in the sand behind him. He stopped to take in the scenery again and simply admired Nick standing at the waters edge, the sunlight glinting in his golden hair.

“Well, of course it’s wet. It’s water, it's the ocean…but this is not like the swimming pool back on the base. This is fresh salt water. There’s animals that live there too, so you can’t just go swimming by yourself or just run off whenever. This island is going to be our home. We are going to live here.” Brian explained. Nick bent down and touched the water as the waves rolled in again.

“Just the two of us?” Nick asked softly.

“Just you and me.” Brian said with a smile, putting a hand on Nick’s shoulder. Nick looked out at the ocean, the breeze ruffling his hair. Brian knew that he was supposed to teach Nick about his powers, guide him and show him things. The two of them spent the rest of their first day gathering supplies to build a house, or at least a place to sleep for the night. They chose a patch of the beach at the edge of the forest that was still somewhat covered by the trees, and close to the ship if they ever needed to flee. It was made of coconut trees and whatever else they could find and cut down, just enough to cover them from the wind and sun. That night they built a campfire and sat out on the beach, looking up at the stars as they ate the rations they brought from the ship.

“It’s very quiet here.” Nick commented, chewing on some kind of crackers that came in the ration pack. He brushed his hands on his clothes and adjusted his position on the log where he sat in the sand, sighing contentedly.

“You like it, don’t you? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Brian asked tentatively, trying to sense if Nick was about to lie or not. He noticed since they arrived on the island Nick seemed very unsure but now he was calm. Brian liked this calm feeling. He liked not feeling sick or lightheaded, or scared. For the first time in a long time he felt what it was like to feel normally.

“Yes.” Nick answered.

“What are you thinking about?”

“It’s just, my whole life I dreamt what it was like to live outside of those cement walls. I I dreamt to feel the sun, I dreamt to breathe in the fresh air. Now that I’m here…I don’t know what is next for me. I have everything, everything I’ve ever dreamed of. There’s just something missing. What am I going to dream about now?” Nick replied, the orange light from the fire flickering in the reflection of his eyes.

“That’s a lot to think about, but you said you’re missing something. Like what?” Brian asked. He couldn’t figure out what Nick meant, but Nick simply stoked the fire and smiled, not ever answering his question except with a short shrug of his shoulders. He never did find out what was missing from Nick’s life, it never came up again.





Brian looked upon Nick’s body in the bed as they restrained Sienna, who struggled against AJ’s weight.

“You’re going to order your ship back to Earth right now.” AJ grunted as he held her. Sienna nodded and he led her to the control room, Brian staying behind. He held Nick’s hand and rubbed his palm with his thumb, stroking it gently.

“Nick, I’m so sorry for all of this. I just wanted the both of us to be happy. I wanted us to be free. I never meant for you to come to any harm. I just wish you could hear me and remember…” Brian whispered, tears in his eyes. Tears splashed down his face and onto Nick’s hand as it remained still. Nick didn’t stir, and Brian couldn’t sense him even standing next to him. Brian took Nick’s hand to his face and kissed it gently, crying.



He stopped in stunned silence when he felt Nick’s hand squeezing his back.