The early evening sun cast dismal shadows through the window of Backstreet Headquarters, casting a glow on the five remaining amulet holders who sat in a circle in the main room. Baylee was occupied with his playpen while his daddy looked on in worry.

"We've got to do something, Zanell," Kevin remarked.

”I know,” she sighed, running fingers through her hair. “I know.”

“Is there any way to break this mind control?” Howie asked.

Zanell shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen my father do this sort of thing. Even so, I’m not surprised that he’d resort to it.”

“Well, there’s got to be some way,” Brian declared, turning to her. “I am not leaving my wife under control of that monster. Baylee needs her as much as I do.” He turned back to his son. After a moment, he murmured, “She didn’t even acknowledge him when she woke up. She just… acted like he didn’t exist.”

“She what?” AJ demanded.

Brian nodded, then tried to smile as Baylee looked up at him. The tot smiled back and opened and closed his fist in a little wave. A loud crackle turned his attention to the energy cell that Zanell had created to hold Leighanne until they could conclude what to do. The diminutive blonde glared out at them, her eyes still deep violet.

“You have no right to keep me here,” she snapped. “I demand you release me at once!”

Brian stood, fighting the desire to let her go, but not wanting the love of his life to be penned up. “We can’t do that, Leighanne,” he reasoned.

Sparkling violet eyes glared at him. “Then return the amulets! That’s the only way you’ll get the others back.”

Zanell moved to Brian’s side. “Leighanne, my father cannot get the amulets! He'll destroy everything.”

“You should have thought of that before stealing them from him!”

“I had to take them away,” Zanell objected. “He was using their power for evil, for murder!”

Leighanne was silent for a moment. She shook her head. “Well, whether that's true or not, I don't care. You should have stayed away from my husband!”

Brian groaned quietly and looked away as she continued. Here we go.

“If he hadn't taken the amulet, none of this would have happened!”

“Maybe not here on Earth,” Kevin acknowledged, “but it would have happened somewhere else, had we denied the amulets. Even so, they chose us.”

“You-“

An alarm interrupted Leighanne’s next argument. Howie studied the information, stopping the siren. “It’s him again,” he informed them. “His troops are… attacking the town in random groups. What the-?”

“Let’s go!” Kevin commanded, leading the others to the garage. He held the door open for the others, then glanced back upon realizing that Brian wasn’t with them. His cousin had stalled and looked back at his wife.

“Brian, come on. We need to go.”

“Kev… shouldn’t someone stay with them?”

Kevin shook his head. “We can’t afford it, Bri. I’m sorry.”

Brian bit his cheek, but said nothing. Kevin sighed.

“Look, I’m sure the twins can handle it. They’re 16, and capable sitters. Trust me, ok?”

Brian pointed to him, threatening, “If you’re wrong-“

“I’m not. Let’s go.” The cousins joined the others and raced off to town. Ten minutes later, they arrived at the spot where the tracker had pointed them. To their shock, they recognized Nick and Kristin leading the attack.

“No…”

“Well, we can't just stand here watching!” AJ declared as he became Ordnance. “Let's go stop them!”

~~

“What do they think they're going to accomplish by trying to stop Zator?” Leighanne demanded of the twins.

Aaron looked up at her and pretended to think. “Uh... that they're going to save the world from one of the most evil beings that ever lived?”

Angel spoke from her place on the floor with Baylee. “And they'll break whatever mind-control spell he's got over you, Nick and Kristin, and bring them back safe.”

Leighanne scoffed. “Ha! Those five are going to be severely outnumbered. I seriously doubt they'll get away with it. Then Zator can claim his rightful ownership of the amulets and let us be.”

“You're wrong, Leigh!” Aaron argued. “He'll get beaten, just you wait.”

~~

Zanell leaned against a light post trying to catch her breath. The battle had been tough, but she and the others had made a considerable dent in the army of soldiers. Many of the soldiers had fled in fear, and now they were left with only a few soldiers, along with Nick and Kristin. She glanced down the street and, in surprise, spotted AJ trying to climb to his feet. Even from this distance, she saw that his amulet had been taken away. Then she spotted the two figures just a little farther away. Or rather, one figure and a blur that was undoubtedly Brian.

“Zanell…”

The princess turned in surprise at the tired voice. Kevin stood behind her, leaning against the wall of a building. He was breathing heavy, and trying to stay on his feet.

“We can’t take much more of this,” he murmured.

“You have to, Kevin,” Zanell urged. “We need to find a way to break the spell that my father has over Nick and your wives.”

Kevin studied the ground in silence. Finally, he spoke. “I think… Leighanne already gave us that way.”

Zanell stepped closer. “What are you talking about?”

“Remember when Leighanne said that if we hadn’t taken the amulets, none of this would have happened?” Zanell nodded. “Well, she’s right. And now that this has happened, I want to make sure that nothing like it ever happens again.”

Zanell paused. “Kevin… what are you talking about?”

Kevin took his amulet from around his neck and placed it in her hands. “Zanell, I want you to take my amulet and find someone else to be its guardian.”

Her eyes widened in shock. He can’t! “But Kevin—“

“Zanell, listen to me!” His eyes were hard and tired. “I reject the amulet. I no longer wish to be its guardian. Take it back and find someone else.”

In her hands, the glowing jewel of the amulet began to flicker, then finally went out. Kevin’s guardianship was over.

“Kevin…”

Kevin moved past her into the street without a word.

~~

Howie swallowed against Ninja Man’s sword at his throat. How he had gotten in this position was still a blur. He glanced up to Nick, who wore a smirk, and there was a glint in his eyes as though he was enjoying what he was doing.

“Time to die, Illusioneer,” Nick gloated, raising his blade.

Howie squeezed his eyes shut, turning away. This wasn’t how he had planned on dying. Suddenly he heard a gasp followed by a clatter of metal on concrete.

What the? He opened his eyes to see Nick stumble backward. The blond closed his eyes and shook his head.

Bracing himself, Howie stepped closer. “Nick?”

“H-Howie?”

Blue eyes looked back at Howie. The spell was broken! But how? He rested his hand on Nick’s arm. “Yeah. It’s me, bud. You okay?”

“W-what happened?”

“You were brainwashed by Zator,” Howie explained. “He was using you, Kristin and Leighanne to get the rest of the amulets.”

Nick looked around, eyes widening in surprise at the damage that had been done. “Did it work?”

“I don’t believe so, but we’ll have to find the others to be positive. We fought pretty hard, and we’re all tired. Come on, let’s go.”

The reunited friends traveled through the streets in search of their companions. Nick cringed as he saw what he, Kristin and the soldiers had done. Shattered windows, fires, people running around in fear. He swallowed and quickened his step to keep up with Howie. A voice called out to them, and Nick spotted AJ and Brian coming toward them.

“Where are Kevin and Kristin?” Howie asked as they joined their friends.

I don’t know,” Brian replied. “Kristin had me ready to give up when she suddenly stumbled and dropped to her knees. Then she looked around and…” He paused, spotting Nick. “Wait a second, why is Nick with you and not trying to kill you?”

Howie glanced at Nick. “Well… I believe that whatever spell Zator held over them is now broken.”

“That would explain Kristin’s actions,” AJ remarked. “But where’s Zanell? Brian, where are you going?”

Brian had taken off toward his motorcycle. “If the spell is broken, then I need to get back to headquarters. Leigh’s still in that cell and I have to get her out.”

“But wait!” Nick shouted. “What about—“

“It will all be explained later, just follow him.”

“Zanell!”

The princess shook her head. “Not now. Just go!”

They climbed onto their motorcycles and followed Brian back to HQ. The full moon was shining on the building when they returned. The door opened and Leighanne stepped out. Brian stilled, gazing on his wife. She looked back. Her eyes… Tears fell from her eyes as she rushed down the steps to him. Brian met her and held her tightly in his arms as she cried.

“Brian, I’m so sorry,” she sobbed.

“Shh,” Brian soothed. “It’s all over, baby. You’re back and I’ll never let this happen to you again.”

Aaron and Angel came out then with Baylee. Nick hurried to them and threw his arms around them.

“What happened, Nick?” Angel wondered.

“Zator wanted… wait, did they tell you about Zator?” Aaron nodded and Nick continued. “Okay. Well, he wanted the amulets, so he kidnapped all of you with the plan that you’d be ransomed for the amulets. But when I saw that he’d taken the two of you, I got so mad that I went looking for you. But I ran into some of his goons and lost the battle. Then he tossed Leigh, Kris and I into a room and gassed us with some kind of mind-controlling gas. We were under his power. I see the others were able to get you two and Baylee out with no problem.”

“Not true,” Brian replied. “Leigh gave AJ and I quite a fight. AJ had to stun her so we could get out of there.”

“But how did the spell get broken?” AJ demanded.

Someone had to give up or reject his amulet,” Leighanne quietly remarked.

Brian stared at her. “How did you know that?”

She chewed her lip. “I… I overheard him telling someone that giving up the amulets was the only way to get us back.”

Howie shook his head in wonder. “But who could have… Wait a minute. Where’s Kevin?”

“He and Kristin left here just a few minutes ago,” Aaron explained. “He left a note, too. I’ll go get it.”

“He gave me his amulet,” Zanell said as Aaron rushed back inside.

“What?!”

Zanell pulled out the darkened amulet. “He said that Leighanne had given us the way to break the spell when she said that if you five hadn’t accepted the amulets, none of this would have happened. He gave me the amulet and rejected it, saying he no longer wished to be its guardian and that I had to find someone else.”

Leighanne closed her eyes and leaned into her husband’s arms. Aaron returned with a piece of paper and handed it to Brian.

Brian read, “I can’t allow all this to happen again. Zator almost destroyed us by doing this, but we’ve won the battle for now. I’ve rejected the amulet and given it back to Zanell with instructions to find a new guardian for it. Whoever she finds, I expect the rest of you to work well with them. See you back in the studio. Kevin” He looked up at the others. “Looks like he beat me to it. I was planning the same thing.”

But you need to keep your amulet,” Zanell remarked. “All of you do. With only five of us having amulets, my father will try harder to get them all. We cannot allow him to do that. Until I can find someone else, we’ll have to work with just the four of you.”

“But Zanell—“ Nick protested.

“Nick, as much as I want to stay, I can’t. I love you, but my place is with my people. They need me. Like Kevin said in that note, we’ve won the battle, but the war is far from over.”