~~

He heard the rise of excited noises from outside the changing room. He felt a matchless thrill sweep through his body as reasons of their visit to the town came to his mind: assistance in rebuilding their town and lives, to let them know that Backstreet was coming back, and his own personal reasons of closure and forgiveness. After today, all those reasons would be achieved and they would leave to prepare for the big comeback.

"Can this day get any better?" he wondered aloud.

"Anything is possible in this business," AJ replied.

Brian could only grin and continue changing. The thrill could be felt by all within that room. It felt good to be going back to this. Someone knocked on the door and a head popped in.

"Finish up, gentlemen. You'll be starting in about five minutes."

A thrill of anticipation shot through all five men.

"Well, guys, this is it," Howie said with a grin.

"Feels good," Nick said, his blue eyes lit with excitement.

"A whole new beginning," Brian added, nodding his head.

"The first concert of many more to come," Kevin said as he crossed his fingers.

"Enough jawing, let's get going!" AJ said, waving his arm towards the door. "Our fans are waiting!"

They said a prayer of thanks together, then headed out to the stage. Any initial misgivings were swept away by the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd as the five took the stage. As if they had never stopped performing, they hit the first note in perfect harmony. With power and feeling, they launched the first song. The crowd's response only increased their energy, and their impassioned performance continued. It felt right, it felt natural. Every one of them relaxed and they reveled in the positive feelings around them.

Before they knew it, they received the signal from the stage director that it was time for the mid-concert break and clothing change. Finishing 'Everybody', they moved to leave the stage when Brian caught something out of the corner of his eye. He paused, nearly causing AJ to run into him. He only caught a glimpse before he was rushed off, but it was enough to make him curious.

“What was that about?" AJ asked as they raced to change clothes.

"I thought I saw someone..." Brian answered.

“Yeah, about five hundred someones,” Nick interrupted.

"No, I know that," Brian retorted. "I mean I saw someone familiar. It looked like…”

"Like?" Kevin pressed when Brian trailed off.

Brian shook his head. "Never mind. They wouldn't be here."

“Who wouldn't be here?" Howie asked, slipping a new shirt on.

Brian hesitated. "Never mind. I had to have been mistaken."

“On what?”

"Forget it," he said, waving a hand.

"You feeling okay, Bri?" Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Brian tossed his crumpled-up shirt at his older cousin. "Sheesh, let it rest, will ya?" he said, trying to scowl. "I'm fine, don't worry. Let's get back and finish the show." He downed a quick gulp of water and started for the door.

Despite what he said to his friends, Brian couldn't get that flash of familiarity out of his mind. He decided that he'd try to spot whoever it was and see if he was right. As they came back onstage, Brian scanned the crowd. At first, he saw nothing but a sea of applauding fans. He took his spot and got ready to begin.

Nick glanced over at his best friend, wondering about the conversation in the dressing room. He was watching his friend's face when he saw recognition hit. Quickly, Nick followed Brian's line of sight. He did a double take as he saw what had startled him so much.

"Zanell?" Nick exclaimed, shocked.

At the word, AJ, who was nearest to Nick, looked over.

"What are they doing here?" AJ said out loud.

Although the noise of the crowd was considerable, both Kevin and Howie heard AJ's comment and looked over. Zanell and Serafina. No one had a chance to act further when the music started a split second later.

Throughout the next few songs, Brian wondered what had brought Zanell and Serafina back to Earth. He glanced over at them every few minutes, but they were just singing along and dancing with the crowd. The concert continued, and the finally the notes to the next-to-the-last song sounded. The entire crowd began singing along with 'I Want It That Way', and every one of the five smiled.

This is the way it should be, Brian thought as he listened to Nick singing. This is more than I ever hoped for...

Suddenly, a scream sounded over the general noise of the singing. It was so out of place, AJ faltered his line. No one noticed, however, as more voices joined in the alarming sound. Chaos erupted everywhere.

With horror, Brian spied an all too familiar sight. Black uniforms, crimson flames on the chests. Dark, angry eyes met his. A gun!

“Down!” he shouted as he hit the floor of the stage. The laser bolt sailed right over his head to strike the wall behind him.

“What was that?” Howie shouted.

Brian climbed back to his feet and ripped off his headset. “Need you ask?” he demanded. “It’s Zator’s soldiers!”

Without another word, headsets and microphones were flung aside and amulets were activated.

Brian leaped off the stage into the crowd, then turned and shouted, "Howie, we need to get these people to safety! Think you can do it?"

While the crowd dispersed, Howie closed his eyes and concentrated. With the help of his special powers, he created an elaborate, far-reaching illusion. Suddenly, dozens of soldiers appeared in front of the attackers, all wearing the familiar black and red. Not wanting to fire on their own troops, the real soldiers ceased fire, trying to figure out what was going on.

Nice, Brian thought as he moved through the crowd toward the attackers. That should hold their attention for a while.

He motioned for AJ and Nick to follow him into the forest. As they went, he whispered his plan to sneak up and attack the soldiers from behind. AJ suddenly darted to the left, snatching something up off the ground. He held an abandoned laser gun aloft, a wide grin on his face.

Brian extended a hand. "Let me use it, Aje. I know how to use one of those better than you. Besides, you've got your own guns."

AJ tossed the gun and was surprised to see Brian's skillful catch and immediate gunslinger grip. He shook his head at Brian's "told ya" grin, then continued to follow his friends.

"Listen," Nick suddenly announced. He paused, and turned his head to the right, listening.

Brian and AJ stopped and looked where Nick was gazing.

"Someone's coming," Brian remarked.

Nick nodded and moved off. AJ started to follow, but Brian held him back.

“He's most quiet of the three of us. Let him go."

The two friends continued to watch and listen, waiting for Nick to return. The whine of a laser gun sliced the air, followed immediately by an angry yell in Zophacian. AJ felt his friend stiffen beside him, but said nothing. Half a minute later, Nick returned with a bloody sword in his hand. Brian took a step back, then shook his head and stopped.

"What'd he say?" AJ asked, eyes scanning ahead.

"Trust me," Brian said, "you don't want to know."

AJ grimaced. "That bad, huh?"

Brian nodded, then turned to Nick. "Can you please clean that off?"

Nick glanced down at his sword, nodded in understanding and wiped it off in the grass. Without another word, the friends continued on. AJ suddenly fired off a couple of shots, not even pausing his pace.

"Two down," he said flatly.

"Five hundred to go," Nick added.

Brian remained silent, his mind calculating where the troops should be.

"If they're doing a standard attack pattern, the biggest number should now be to our left," Brian said. "There will be a small contingent hanging behind, so we need to watch our backs as well."

AJ nodded, understanding that Brian was speaking with inside information. Nick frowned briefly; of course Brian would know troop movements, since it was just last year he was leading them on a very similar attack.

"I'll cover the rear," AJ said, raising a gun, "and you and Nick can hit the main body of them."

Brian nodded and the trio split. It wasn't long before Brian and Nick heard the sounds of AJ's sharpshooting; soon, they were in the thick of the fight.

~~~

He watched from a safe distance, coldly observing the battle. With a disapproving scowl, he saw his front line hesitate; belatedly, he realized they were reacting to some kind of illusionary diversion. Bothersome, but not important. They would figure it out soon enough, or perish. Only the strong survived. He turned his attention to another part of the fight; with interest, he leaned closer. Someone was taking out soldiers slowly but steadily along the left flank. He hit the zoom on his observation scope and studied the sector with care. Then, he saw it... a flash of blond, a skillful play that took down five soldiers in seconds.

His lips curved into a smile. Although Brian Littrell might deny it, Kael was still alive. Only someone trained in the battle arts could perform like that. Zator gave a short laugh. Whose side Kael fought on was of no consequence; he'd found his target, and his plan could now proceed.

"Soon, Kael," Zator said at last. "We have business left to finish."

He sat back, pleased. It was only a matter of time, now. All five amulets were obviously in use, and in such close proximity. How very fortunate, indeed.

~~~

Kevin swung his fist and connected with a satisfying blow. Another soldier down, unable to cause any more harm. He looked around at the large scattering of unconscious soldiers and once more shook his head in disbelief that he'd been able to take out so many in such a short time. He'd lost count long ago, but no matter how many he took out, there seemed to be a dozen to take their place.

He was about to move on when a small sound caught his ear. He heard it again two seconds later.

“Daddy!”

It was such an odd sound in the midst of a battle, but he hurried to find the source. He traced the tiny voice to a cluster of upturned crates and stage equipment; peering into the crevices, he finally saw two wide, frightened eyes.

"Hey," he called, holding out his hand, "it's okay. Let me help you."

But instead of the reaction he was expecting, the child cried out in terror and backed up further.

"Go away!" the child shrieked.

"It's okay, I'm a friend," he began again. He crouched down to the boy's level. The child screamed again. Fearing that the noise would draw unwanted attention, Kevin tried to calm the boy.

"Listen, I'm on your side," he said in as soothing a voice as he could manage. "I want to get you out of there and back to where it's safe."

But the child only wailed louder. Frustrated, Kevin tried to understand. He didn't look like one of the attackers, he was-

Then it struck him. The child, already scared of the violence erupting around him, only saw his unusual uniform, the garb of Powerlord. No wonder the boy was upset. To him, Kevin was just another terrifying stranger. He ducked a round of laser fire, realizing that someone had heard the screams. Acting quickly, he did the only thing he could think of. The crates and debris were too much for even Powerlord to move quickly; the child was in danger of the makeshift hideaway collapsing with any such movement. Instead, Kevin simply reached up and deactivated his Amulet. Powerlord vanished, and Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys appeared.

"Hey, buddy," Kevin said, bending down again. "You know who I am, right?"

The child quieted, regarding him with wide eyes.

"You were here for the concert," Kevin continued.

"Y-yeah," sniffed the boy.

"Then you know me. I'm Kevin," he said.

The boy looked a bit uncertain but edged closer nevertheless.

"Why don't you come on out so I can get you to where it's safe?"

"I want my Daddy," the boy said, sniffing again.

"We'll find him," Kevin promised. "I'm sure he's looking for you right now. Take my hand and come on out of there, okay?"

Much to Kevin's relief, the boy finally did as asked. He quickly scooped up the trembling body and ran for safe cover. The child twisted in his arms when he heard a familiar voice.

"Daddy!" he cried, trying to wrench out of Kevin's grasp.

"Christopher, thank goodness," a worried looking man said as he rushed up to the pair.

"He's okay, I think, but check him out once you both get to safer grounds," Kevin said.

"Thank you," the young father said, holding his son tightly. The two quickly left, and Kevin turned back to the battle. He had covered half the distance and was just reaching for his amulet when a sharp sound came from the right. Then came a blinding burst of pain in his side as he was thrown backwards with violent force. He felt a sharp snap as his head struck something; a split second later everything faded into black.

~~

Brian stumbled and leaned against a tree, panting hard. It shouldn't be that taxing... the soldiers weren't well disciplined in the field, and taking them out was easy. Why, then, was he so exhausted? His ribs sent up a pulse of pain as if in answer. Brian licked his lips... the adrenaline was wearing off, and his body had been through a lot only days before. No wonder he was feeling so out of it.

Just then, a lone soldier came into view. His attention was elsewhere, and he seemed to be slightly confused. Brian reacted quickly, ignoring the protest from his body. He sent a warning blast just in front of the soldier, causing the man to stop instantly. He stepped close, aiming his pistol directly at the enemy's chest. He wanted information that would end the fight as soon as possible. From the look of fear on the soldier's face, it looked promising.

"Why are you attacking these people?" Brian demanded in flawless Zophacian. "They have nothing you need!"

"We are not here for the people," the soldier replied, his voice trembling with fear. Brian felt a small thrill at knowing someone else was at his mercy, but the feeling was quickly banished.

"What are you here for?" Brian then demanded.

A moment's pause, then, to Brian's surprise, the soldier smiled. "You, Commander."

Brian's blood turned to ice at the simple statement. His grip tightened on the pistol. "I'm not your commander."

"Zator wants you back where you belong," the soldier continued.

"I belong here on Earth," Brian interrupted.

"Maybe at one time," came the reply. "But now you have no choice. Zator has demanded your… return to his side."

Brian shook his head. "I won't go. I can't be forced. Earth is my home, and I will not serve that monster. He lied to me."

"Commander Kael should know where the priorities lie," the man countered.

Suddenly a fury erupted inside Brian, and he spun his gun around, hitting the soldier in the stomach. When his enemy was doubled over, he rendered him unconscious with a quick blow to the head. Now that he knew the reason behind the attack, he was more determined than ever to end it. Brian regarded the inert form; without warning, a memory flashed in his mind.

Kevin, refusing to cooperate... he dealt a blow to his middle, doubling him over; he had to set an example...

It had been the same move he'd just done to the soldier. He swallowed against the tightness in his throat, pushing the memory back into the darkness. With a combination of anger and resolve, he moved to find his two companions once again. Nick and AJ were fairly easy to locate; Brian simply followed the trail of unconscious soldiers. Grimly, he told them what he'd discovered.

"They... all this is because they want you?" Nick said incredulously.

"I'm afraid so," Brian returned. "I think Zator will keep sending troops until they get me."

"We are holding our own here, but if he has an endless supply of soldiers..." AJ shook his head. "We need a plan."

"Well, let's find Howie and Kevin first," Brian suggested. "We'll go from there."

~~

Zator scowled at the viewer. He'd waited long enough; collecting Kael should have been much easier. Impatiently, he pounded his fist on the console.

"Those incompetents," he muttered. Then, oddly, he laughed. "At least I could have counted on Kael to do the job." He hit the communication button and spoke to the leaders of the troops on the ground. "Concentrate all efforts in capturing Kael, and any of the amulet holders. I want him, now. The one who delivers him gets to live."

~~

Howie was watching the soldiers from his above-stage perch when he saw the sudden shift. The men were no longer going in the same direction; clearly, a command had been given. He stopped his illusions, trying to guess what was happening now. He knew that Brian, Nick and AJ were along the south, he'd spotted them earlier. He wasn't sure what kind of illusion to project; carefully, he climbed down the scaffolding and started to search for Kevin.

He rounded a corner, on the alert, and was surprised by a familiar face.

“Zanell?"

"Howie!" the woman said, her eyes wide. "Thank goodness, I wasn't sure where you were. We've been looking for one of you since this whole horrible thing began!"

"What... what are you doing here?"

"We came to see the concert, and to surprise you afterwards. What's going on?"

"The town is being attacked," he said, "but I don't know why. The five of us split up once it all started; I was just going to try and find the others. Something's changed out there."

Zanell nodded. "I could see that. Sera wanted to check it out, but I suggested we find you and the others first."

"Let's go, then," Howie said. "Kevin was the closest, although I think he moved away sometime earlier. But I think we should start in that direction."

"Let's go," Zanell said.

~~

Two soldiers quietly moved in a right-handed arc, listening to commands from their squadron leader through their implants. Carefully listening, they finally detected the sounds they'd been seeking. They held their position, knowing that four more of their team was flanking the enemy from the other side. They waited for the command to move in. Suddenly, with a barked order, they were told to go; they lunged forward, guns aimed high. A series of overhead shots, to confuse their quarry... Shouts, a play of gunfire, then their enemy came into view. It was over in a matter of seconds. Outnumbered and outflanked, the two men they'd been seeking stood frozen, surrounded by at least twenty soldiers.

A report of victory was gladly sent; Zator would be pleased. Two amulets recovered. There'd be no punishment for the squadron that day. The squadron leader stepped up to the captives, and with great care, removed each one's amulet. Without their enhanced power, and with their hands bound, the two now-ordinary men would not be a problem.

~~

Brian was nearly to the spot he'd estimated Nick and AJ were when he heard it: a volley of gunfire, a mix of lasers and ammunition. The spurt was short, but struck a chord of dread within him. Instantly, he envisioned what had happened. The enemy had used a double flanking maneuver, surrounding the two with superior numbers and catching them in a crossfire. It was a perfect strategy, one he himself would have chosen if-

He stopped the very thought. No, he wasn't Kael! Kael was gone. It was a move Kael would have made, and Brian realized the truth of it. But he had no time for internal debate. Knowing that the capturing soldiers would be taking their prisoners away, he estimated the direction they'd go. Silently, he moved forward.

"Impressively well done," said a cold voice behind him. "Wouldn't you agree, Kael?"

Brian froze. No! He whirled around and raised his arm to form an energy ball. A hand whipped forward and grabbed him.

"Now is that the way to treat your master?" Zator asked.

Brian tried to yank his arm free, but the emperor's grip was harder than steel. Still, he struggled. He wanted no part of this monster-

An unexpected move on Zator's part caught him completely off guard. There was a flash of something metallic, a slight sharp pain directly in his chest... Then an immense burst of pain swept through him, making every nerve in his body burn with fire. Darkness followed swiftly.

~~

As Howie and Zanell met Serafina, who was hiding a short distance away, he paused for a second.

"Are you two all right?"

"We're fine," Serafina said. "Shaken up and shocked, but physically we were lucky."

"I wonder what that burst of gunfire was about," Zanell said. "It's a little too quiet now."

The trio began moving again, trying to figure out what was happening. They passed a lot of rubble, but there was no movement in the area. Serafina spied something just a bit out of place, and stepped back to check it out.

"Wait! What's that?" She stepped closer and bent down. It was a shoe. Oh no… "Someone's buried here!"

The three quickly started removing rubble from the unmoving figure. When the person's face was finally uncovered, Howie cried out in shock.

"Kevin!"

Their friend was unconscious, his breathing ragged. Zanell looked him over for injuries and discovered a bad wound on his right side. Acting quickly, she activated her amulet, placed her hand over the wound and began the healing. The wound vanished less than a minute later and Kevin began to stir. He moaned and turned his head.

“Kev?” Howie called. “You okay?”

A groan. Kevin’s eyelids flickered, then opened.

Zanell leaned closer. "How are you feeling?"

He squinted. "Zanell?"

"It's me. You had a wound in your side that I was able to heal. Do you remember what happened?"

He lifted a hand to his head, wincing and closing his eyes. "Stop moving so much," he said roughly.

"I'm not moving... open your eyes again."

He reluctantly complied, and Zanell looked into his unfocused green gaze. "You must have hit your head," she said with compassion. "Are things blurry?"

"... a little," he admitted.

"What can you remember?" she asked again.

"Help me up," he said, struggling to move. A hand pressed his shoulder.

"Just hang there for a second," Howie said. "Give it a moment."

"But the battle-"

"We split up, and there hasn't been any gunfire for about ten minutes now. We just started searching for you."

"Why wasn't your amulet active?" Zanell asked.

Kevin blinked several times. "My amulet."

Serafina shook her head. "He's got a concussion," she said, worry tingeing her voice. "The injuries are healed, but I think he'll be a bit confused. We can't just sit around here, we're too exposed."

"Good point," Zanell said. "Let's find somewhere to think this all out."

"Kev, we've got to move. Think you can sit up?" Howie asked, gripping his arm.

"Wanted to... sit up a second ago," Kevin mumbled.

"Okay, well, now's your chance... whoa!"

Kevin listed heavily to one side, his balance seemingly gone. Howie managed to steady him after a moment.

"This is going to be interesting," Howie said in a low voice to Zanell, who moved to assist on Kevin's other side.

It took some pulling, some tugging, and a lot of quick moves, but the two got Kevin to his feet.

"I'm okay," Kevin said, blinking rapidly. "It's okay..."

"Let's see if we can find cover over there, I thought I saw some smaller buildings that were pretty untouched," Serafina said.

Kevin tried to keep his balance as the group made their way in the direction Sera had indicated. They had gone a third of the way towards their goal when it happened. A shout, echoed by several other voices, all in an alien language... suddenly a dozen soldiers surrounded the small group, guns aimed and primed.

Kevin couldn't seem to make out anything clearly... the figures were slightly blurred and kept going out of focus... but he knew with complete certainty that they were in major trouble. He didn't have any weapons, and he guessed his three companions were in the same fix. And while Howie might be able to create an illusion, he doubted the younger man would be able to reach his amulet before being shot. Hating the situation, but knowing he could do nothing, he simply held his silence and tried to keep on his feet.

Serafina stepped forward. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded in her native tongue. "We have done nothing to you and these are innocent people."

"The Emperor wants the amulets, princess," a soldier replied, not taking his finger from the trigger.

"And Kael," another added. "We have permission to go to any lengths to retrieve him."

"There is no Kael," Sera corrected. "There is only Brian Littrell of Earth."

The soldiers just laughed and stepped closer. Soon the prisoners' hands were bound and the soldiers began leading them away. Kevin kept stumbling despite his attempts to keep on his feet. It only earned him jeers and a few hard nudges from the captors. With growing dread and despair, they arrived at Zator's ship.

~~

Emperor Zator glared at Kael’s unconscious body inside the prison cell. The man was a formidable warrior, wherever he served. He had been indignant to discover this human serving once again alongside the other Earthlings. Those amulets belonged to him by right! For a time, Zator had Kael use his amulet while serving him; he had been surprised at the extra strength it had given the human. He did not want to dispose of such a valuable fighter, but if Kael refused to help retrieve the remaining amulets, then only torture awaited him.

His communicator beeped and he pulled it out to listen. A minute later, he grinned. So… all the amulet holders were now within his grasp, as well as his traitorous daughters. Kael had taken his remaining faithful child when he’d gone back to Earth, and that was unforgivable. Everything was going according to plan; now, the true fun could begin.

~~

AJ kicked at the wall, muttering a curse under his breath.

"Chill, Aje," Nick said tiredly. "We aren't going anywhere just yet."

"That's the problem," AJ said. "I mean... they took our amulets, easy as you please... why didn't they just kill us outright? Ever think of that?"

Nick frowned. "Well, I'm personally glad we're not dead..."

"Torture," AJ said flatly. "If they have what they want and still are keeping us alive, the only reason is for Zator to torture us."

Nick's face paled. "Right... Wonder what happened to Brian?" he continued after a moment. "Maybe he's still free-"

"I doubt it," AJ answered. "As easily as they took us, and we were a pair... Brian, even with Kael's inside knowledge, wouldn't have stood a chance."

"At least Howie can protect himself," Nick said hopefully. "I mean, he could make himself look like a tree or something and they'd never know it. I'm betting he's still free."

"I hope he is, because we sure as heck need someone on the outside to help us out of this fix."

Both men turned silent when noises erupted at the end of the corridor.

"I demand you release us at once," came an all-too-familiar voice.

"Zanell!" Nick said, eyes widening.

"Move."

"Hey, go easy on him, he's-"

"Silence!"

Both AJ and Nick were on their feet, watching the small group approach their cell.

"There goes that hope," AJ muttered.

Unhappily, the two prisoners watched as Howie, Zanell and Serafina came into view. Belatedly, they saw Kevin trailing behind, being prodded and pushed by a soldier.

"Step back or you will be shot," one of the soldiers said flatly to the two in the cell.

Knowing the man meant business, AJ and Nick moved back. A few seconds later, all four newcomers were shoved in the chamber, the cell bars snapping back into place. Nick caught Zanell as she stumbled, steadying her quickly. Kevin went straight down, no hope of balance; Howie came to his side instantly.

"What-"

Howie didn't spare a glance at AJ. "Concussion," he answered. "He lost a lot of blood before we found him, too. Zanell healed his injuries, but he's still woozy."

"Where's Brian?" Serafina asked after a moment.

"Don't know," Nick answered. "We're hoping he's still free."

AJ snorted, but didn't comment.

Zanell sighed. "They took our amulets," she said. "This doesn't look good at all..."

"Understatement of the year," Nick said, shaking his head.

Just then they felt a rumble beneath their feet. The ship was taking off, headed for a rendezvous no one wanted to make.

~~

It was dark, and he was alone. But it wasn’t just darkness; there were things all around him. Something propelled him forward, wandering through the dark. He could almost make out strange shapes.

Sounds… He paused, listening. Someone was speaking just beyond his hearing. It was getting clearer.

“…wake up.”

Wake up? He couldn’t be asleep.

“Brian, wake up.”

He was being tugged in the direction of the voice. It came again.

“Brian, wake up! We have to get out of here!”

“How can we get out of here?” A new voice… The tugging became more insistent.

“… before Zator kills us all!”

Zator… No!

He gasped as his eyes flew open. It all came back to him. The fight; Zator finding him and injecting him with something to knock him out. A small throbbing in his chest reminded him of his failure.

Brian finally focused on his surroundings. Dark brown pants… someone was kneeling at his side. He looked up into a silver-eyed gaze.

“Serafina.”

She smiled. “Hello, Brian.”

He noticed her face was in shadow. Where were they? He pushed himself up onto his elbow—How had he gotten there? —and looked around. Nick and Zanell were sitting together just beyond Sera. Kevin was leaning against Howie, and AJ was pacing back and forth in front of...

Cell bars.

"No!" He tried to stand, but pain flared at his hip and he fell to his knees.

AJ and Sera hurried to his side. "Are you all right?" AJ asked.

Brian waved a hand at them. "Just a bruise acting up. I'm fine."

"Just a bruise?"

"Look, you don't need to worry about me," Brian insisted.

"He's got a point," Howie said. "We need to figure out a way out of here."

Brian scoffed. "Another pointless move."

Confused gazes turned his way. "This place has more security than the other prison cells you were in last year, Fort Knox and the White House combined."

“How do you know that?” Nick asked.

He blinked. How did he know that? The reason came to him immediately. “Kael knew it, not me.”

He hesitated before meeting his cousin's gaze. Fear was the dominant emotion in Kevin’s eyes. Brian changed the subject quickly. "Suffice it to say there's really no way to get out until we're released."

A noise stopped the conversation; a second later, a tall figure stepped into view. Brian stiffened.

Serafina stood. "Father, why are you doing this?"

"Don't call me father," the man spat. "You have no claim on my honored name, Traitor." Zator turned to the others. "I seem to have collected quite a few prizes. It was ridiculously easy; I had hoped for more of a challenge."

Zanell clenched her fist. "You attacked an innocent town!"

"So I did," Zator said in a bored voice. "It didn't matter. I have the amulets, and I'm now in a position to move forward with my great plans."

"You have the amulets, can't you let them go?"

He sneered at his offspring. "They still have value. I need entertainment, you see. I have many things in mind to that purpose." He grinned. "Many delightful things."

More than one person in the cell shivered inwardly.

"We won't cooperate," Brian spat.

Zator laughed loudly. "Of course you will, Kael. You won't have a choice. Understand that I now hold the position of ultimate power, ultimate control over your very lives."

Brian's anger hitched up a degree. "I am not Kael."

"Of course you are," Zator said with complete confidence. "And don't worry, I'll be more than pleased to help you remember your proper place."

Brian forced himself to his feet. "My proper place?" he spat. "My place is not at your side. It never was!"

Zator scanned the seven faces before him. "I had hoped you would've realized by now that resistance will get you nowhere. Not only for you, Kael," he said, glaring at Brian, "but for the rest of you. But I know of ways to break the spirit, drain the fire from within." He grinned broadly. "It will make wonderful entertainment to see you hurting each other."

"We would never do that," AJ said, fists clenched. "You're insane!"

"Genius is often mistaken for insanity in a lesser being's mind," he said dismissively. "How I will relish the sight of first blood."

"Blood? Now we know you're crazy," Brian said.

“You didn’t seem so against it when you served me, Kael.” Zator crossed his arms. "Now, who to choose... I had entertained the thought of keeping the battle in the family." He fixed his eyes on Kevin. "You would have been my first choice, but you are pathetically weak and would provide no excitement whatsoever. A shame, really. But it just shows how sadly inferior you truly are."

He let his gaze linger over the others. "You lack the fighting spirit altogether," he said with contempt, looking directly at Howie. "It's appalling, your lack of will. And you," he said, turning to AJ, "I'm afraid you waste too much energy using your mouth. A war of words is not to my liking."

His mouth became a grim line when he regarded the two women. "You, I have other punishments for." Finally he turned to Nick. "And you... you lack discipline and intelligence. It saddens me that there are no real choices I can make."

"It doesn't matter, because we wouldn't fight for you anyway," Brian said coldly.

"Oh, but you will fight, Kael. If you want your friends," he spat the word, "to live, you'll fight. If you win the fight, you will all go free. If you lose," he sneered, "you die. I'll even give you the amulets as a reward if you do win. Which I doubt."

With an overconfident grin, the emperor turned and strode out the door. When the echo of the closed door had faded, Brian sighed and slumped his shoulders. A few seconds later, a hand rested on his arm.

“He wouldn’t really make you fight, would he?” Howie asked.

Brian turned to him. “If we want to live, I have to fight. He’ll kill all of us, otherwise.”