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“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….