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When Frank looked out the window next morning, he could see that the rains had finally left, leaving the back yard very muddy. The clouds were starting to move out. It would be nice to finally see the sun. His nightstand clock was still not running. An indication the power had not been restored. He looked at his brother who was still sleeping. For once Joe wasn’t sweating or tossing in his sleep. He blinked open his eyes.
“Hey, good morning baby brother,” Frank asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Joe moved a little bit and looked around. “Good morning.” He looked around the room. “I guess it stopped raining.”
Frank nodded. “It did. We still don’t have electricity, but I can cook something on the stove. Are you hungry?”
Joe nodded then sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe just a little bit.”
“Did you get any sleep?” Frank asked as he helped his brother sit up.
“I think so. The wall is still holding. I just hope that now that the storm has passed, Dan will be able to come home sooner. I have a feeling he might know more than we all do about what’s going on.” Joe admitted, “Has anyone called the house?”
“Not yet. I have a feeling they will either today or tomorrow. Come on downstairs, let’s get something in you in case you get too sick to eat,” Frank said.
Joe followed his brother downstairs. On most mornings, the sunlight streaming through the window would have been a welcoming sight. For some reason he felt more vulnerable, the blue sky seemed foreboding. He watched as Frank moved about the kitchen making hot chocolate and toast.
Fenton looked up the sky and took a deep breath. He was grateful that the weather had cleared. The TV had already announced that the mountain roads had been opened and were now passable. Dan hadn’t slept well. Even thought he wouldn’t say it, it was clear something was bothering him. Since they could get home, he could ask all his questions there.
As they drove along, the sunny sky seemed to be a welcome relief to both of them. Dan wanted to get home just as badly as he did. Now it was just them and the open road.
Cliff woke from his bed more exhausted then what he was before he went to sleep. Looking down at the pictures he had drawn, he couldn’t even believe it was his by his own hand. The Phoenix was so beautiful and looked like she was going to leap from the paper. He went through the other sketches. Looking at the fiery wings he could see that she was transporting people in them, who they were he couldn’t tell yet. He sighed at got out of bed. Tired or not, he had a full day’s worth of extra class work, his band, and the late-shift at Shooting Star.
The man known as Angel was already up and standing on the roof of his apartment building. His broad shoulders and wavy dark-brown hair could have led him to be easily mistaken for an older Hardy brother. His eyes looked around at the scene and tried to soak it all in. He knew what was coming soon. The Phoenix had come to him first and assured him that it was time for him to take charge as it was meant to be. Now he understood why he preferred the night, or why he didn’t need to ever look at a clock. The Phoenix would lead him that night towards the others. His mission was just about to start. Heading back inside he packed a bag and said a small prayer he would be able to return to the rooftop he enjoyed.
Staci was practicing her martial arts in the backyard as Boomer ran around chasing squirrels and the occasional chipmunk. She had a relatively peaceful sleep and found most of the pain from the recent migraine had vanished. She stopped to take a drink of water. A soft breeze drew her attention the clouds. She had to blink as in a brief moment of time, she thought she saw the feint outline of the Phoenix in the sky. She blinked and the image was gone. She looked down to see Boomer sitting next to her.
“Well boy I think the Phoenix is back in town.” She told the dog, “Maybe now I’ll get the answers as to what’s happening. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
The dog barked and wagged his tail. She stooped down and scratched his ears.
“Yeah, maybe now Joe will be able to sleep,” she said.
The dog nodded and retrieved his tennis ball. Staci laughed and tossed the ball for him.
Frank breathed a sigh of relief when he hung up the phone. It was his father saying that they would be home in a few hours now that the roads had been opened. Frank looked over at Joe who was flipping through the channels on the TV and knew that Dan would be able to help.
“That was Dad.” Frank announced as he sat down on the couch, “They’ll be back in a few hours now that the mountain roads are open.”
Joe sighed. “You know we totally forgot about that welcome home party we were planning.”
Frank leaned into the couch. “Oh yeah. I totally forgot about that as well. Maybe we can just pick up the cake and have a special dinner waiting for them. After a week of camping I’m sure even Dad wouldn’t mind something home-cooked.”
“At least it’s something to do. Maybe cooking might take my mind off of things here. Have any idea what you want to make?” Joe said as he settled on the all-cartoon channel.
“Well, mom was going to do the grocery shopping but with last night’s storm she had stay at the shelter to handle the blackout victims, so I guess we’ll decide at the market,” Frank replied.
Joe nodded. Laura often worked a lot at the shelter when there was severe weather. During the summer she was called away a lot from the house, so they picked up the grocery shopping duty when she would be too busy to go herself. Frank thought that the sunny weather was the perfect time to do the shopping incase it rained again. It was already very hot, and the weatherman had said that they could have more rain that night.
“How about lasagna?” Frank suggested.
Joe sighed. “Why not? I can even make those chicken appetizers you like so much.”
Frank smiled. “Sounds good. We better get going to beat the crowds.”
Joe felt the hot humid air was refreshing compared to the air inside his house. He felt some comfort in being some place surrounded by a lot of people. Putting the items into the cart, he hoped that somehow the nightmares would end that night when Dan came home.
Coming back home they put the groceries away and set about to start making the dinner. True to the weatherman’s word, storm clouds were already starting to gather. Joe began sautéing the chicken for the appetizers while Frank began making the cheese filling for the lasagna. Fenton had called to say that the might not make it before the storm but had passed the mountain roads. Frank was layering the lasagna just as Joe pulled his appetizers from the oven.
“Do you think they’ll make it before the storm?” Joe asked, putting the pan on a rack to cool.
Frank sighed. “I don’t think so. Hopefully they’ll make it before the storm gets too bad.”
Joe looked out the kitchen window at the growing storm clouds. Already the temperature outside had dropped, and it was noticeably cooler inside. The sky was growing dark.
“Think we’ll lose the electricity again?” he asked, turning back.
“Probably… better set out the taplights and get the larger flashlight out of the hall closet,” Frank replied, putting the pan in the oven.
Joe set out the taplights in their usual spots and put the flashlight on the counter. He helped his brother make a salad and set the table. Frank set out candles for the table as the lights started to flicker. He could tell that his brother was starting to grow nervous. He could only hope that Dan would come home soon.
Fenton tried his best to drive through the rain. At first it started out with a shower, now it was a downpour. The rain was coming so fast he could barely see the road ahead of him.
“What do you normally do if you’re in a car with the weather like this?” Dan asked.
“Normally, I’d pull over and wait out the downpour but something tells me that Joe really needs us at home. I’m going to keep going until I have no choice but to pull over,” Fenton replied.
Dan nodded and looked around. He thought about Joe. The wall he had left was still holding but would fail soon. He knew what was hurting Joe. He had seen them during their visits to his home planet, but they had never been this violent towards someone else. Usually they were more curious than anything else. He knew what he would have to do, and he was going to need Frank’s help.
Frank tried playing a game of chess with his brother to try and calm his nerves. The electricity had gone out again so he resorted to using a flash light to keep a track of their dinner. Joe wasn’t shaking as much but he was clearly nervous as night began to fall.
“Something wrong?” he asked as Joe studied the board.
Joe sighed. Frank saw a sudden weariness pass over his brother’s eyes. “I really don’t know. I know the wall is already starting to crumble in places and those feelings are coming back.”
Frank saw Joe’s hands were visibly starting to shake. Frank took them. He was shocked at how cold the skin felt. He went into the kitchen to put a kettle of water to boil. His brother needed something hot inside and to calm his nerves. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
Fenton was grateful to see the familiar roads and landmarks that showed they were nearing home. The rains didn’t want to let up and now he was worried that he would have no choice but to pull over. Dan hadn’t said much but assured him that Joe was still doing alright but probably couldn’t wait until tomorrow for them to come home. Looking around the highway he could see most people were creeping along like they were. As the sky grew darker, it became more difficult to see anything.
Dan used a napkin to wipe the condensation off the windshield. He kept looking down the road when suddenly the whole road cleared for him. He could see through the rain!
“I can see through the rain,” Dan announced, sitting back against the seat.
“You what?” Fenton asked, barely able to keep control.
Dan could hardly believe it himself. His powers were coming back!
“I can see through the rain.” he repeated, “Keep driving straight the road is pretty much clear for about a mile down.”
Fenton swallowed. If Dan’s powers were coming back that meant that something more serious was going on than what he was telling. Resolving to find out what it was, he leaned forward to see better and listened carefully to Dan’s instructions as they slowly pushed through the rain.
Joe slowly sipped at his hot chocolate. He was snuggled under a blanket on the couch. When the storm settled in, he couldn’t concentrate on the chess game. Frank encouraged him to relax on the couch and try to drink the chocolate to calm his nerves. Frank settled next to him, reading a book. Although he didn’t want to admit it, he could feel a little bit of his brother’s unease. He sighed when he heard his father’s keys in the front door knob. Joe put the mug on the coffee table and stood up, stretching his back. They both could see the relief in their father’s eyes when he came into the living room.
“Thank goodness.” he said, hugging his sons, “Joe, what happened?”
Joe felt the comforting warmth of both his father’s and brother’s arms around him. “Just a lot of nightmares, dad. I think I’m OK now.”
“Have you eaten dinner yet?” Fenton said, walking into the kitchen.
He was pleasantly surprised to see a pan of lasagna cooling on top of the stove.
“I just took it out five minutes ago. Everything else is set. We just don’t have any electricity so we made everything before it went.” Frank explained, “We can eat now if you want.”
Fenton looked at the storm outside. “Might as well since it’s hot. Dan, are you hungry?”
Dan looked at the delicious lasagna. “Starved. This smells good.”
Frank smiled. “Well, you two settle down and Joe and I will dish it up.”
Joe, grateful to be doing something, helped his brother set out the dinner they had made. Fenton was grateful that his sons had prepared dinner. It would be one less thing he had to worry about. In the glow of the candle light he couldn’t see the weariness that was on Joe’s face.
“This is delicious,” Dan commented as they continued with dinner.
“Thanks.” Frank replied, “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to cook it all the way through before the electricity went out. It’s hard to watch lasagna without light.”
“Not to mention these chicken rolls. You’ll have to make these more often Joe,” Fenton added.
Joe smiled a little bit. “I will.”
They continued eating. Dan happily talked about everything he and Fenton had done during their trip, from their attempts to fish to their canoe ride. He talked about seeing a brown bear during their hike on one of the trails, and the coyote he heard late at night.
“Maybe I can take you three on a camping trip during the winter break. We can go skiing,” Fenton said.
Joe nodded. “That would be nice. Dan, if you’ve never been skiing we can teach you. I can even show you how to ride my snowboard.”
Dan smiled back. “Sounds great.”
Since the power had not come back after dinner, Fenton volunteered to wash the dishes while his sons played a game of Monopoly in the dining room. The game went a little slower as Frank explained how to play to Dan. It wasn’t easy considering what the object was of the game, to own everything or bankrupt everyone else. Fenton watched as they tried to play in the dim light of the candles. He wished the electricity hadn’t gone out. At least they could watch a DVD together. When Joe was nervous watching a movie always seemed to calm him down. He wondered what was bothering Joe so much that it would affect both Frank and Dan. He learned a while back never to ignore when his youngest son was nervous about something.
It was long after his sons had gone to sleep that Fenton lay awake in his own bed. He had wanted to talk to Joe, but Frank suggested they wait until morning when it was light outside. Joe probably already felt better now that there were more people inside of the house. He knew from experience that he should allow Joe some room to deal with his emotions on his own before helping. Before he knew it, he was asleep.
Frank didn’t know how much time had passed. Only that he had only gone to sleep after both Dan and Joe were asleep themselves. Joe stayed with him in his bed, unable to sleep in his own. Even in his sleep he worried about his brother. But it was on this particular night that something bothered him even more. Something that told him Joe was going to die that night…
“Joe!” he shouted…
Looking around…running down the long pathway…into the darkness…
Down into the field he saw someone. Running closer he could see what it was… Joe!
Running closer he could see Joe was trapped in a bubble! He was banging at the edges trying to get it to break!
Frank ran as fast as he could.
“Joe!”
He tried his best to break the bubble. It refused to even budge.
“Joe!” Frank screamed.
Joe started to reach for his throat as if he were gasping for air. He couldn’t breathe!
“Joe!” Frank screamed again but nothing he did broke the bubble that was now killing his brother!
Joe’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed…
Frank flew up from his pillow, gasping for air.
Turning his saw that Joe was grabbing at his throat… he was choking!
“Joe!” Frank whispered.
He tried shaking Joe, but he nothing would wake him up.
“What’s going on?” Dan sleepily asked.
“Joe’s choking!” Frank cried.
Dan came to Joe’s other side. He put a hand on Joe’s forehead and closed his eyes. “It’s fear. Something’s scaring him to death.”
Frank grabbed Joe and shook him harder. “Joe!”
“Wait Frank, I can help him but I need your help,” Dan said, grabbing Frank’s wrist.
“What? He’s choking!” he cried again going back to try and wake Joe.
Dan grabbed his wrist. “Trust me. Take my hand, then take Joe’s, then close your eyes.”
Frank did as he was told. By now Joe’s face was starting to turn blue. He closed his eyes. Nearly instantaneously he found himself standing next to Dan in a dark void.
“Where are we?” he asked, looking around.
Everything seemed so familiar yet he didn’t recognize the fear that seemed to be oozing from everywhere.
“Inside of Joe’s mind. Something is terrorizing him. If we don’t stop whatever it is, it will kill him.” Dan replied, looking around.
Frank felt his heart nearly stop. Looking around he knew what to do.
“Joe!” He shouted to the void. “Joe, I’m here. I’ll protect you.”
The void seemed to quiver a little bit.
“Talk again Frank,” Dan said.
“Joe…I’m here baby brother…I’m here,” Frank shouted.
“F—Frank,” a scared voice cried out.
“I’m here,” Frank shouted.
Suddenly the void began to brighten. Dan looked around he saw the eyes retreating into the darkness, trying to stay hidden. He knew those eyes. They were the grey eyes. Then he saw the eyes behind theirs… he knew those all too well.
“Damn, I thought it was just a passing curiosity,” Dan said.
“What?” Frank demanded.
“Nothing, let’s just get through this to help your brother, I’ll explain later.” Dan answered, “Just get through to your brother. Let him know you’re here to protect him.”
Frank walked through the darkness. “I’m here Joe, I’m always here.”
“You promise?” he begged.
Frank nodded. “I promise. You don’t have to be afraid any more.”
In front of him he saw Joe lying on a table. He was naked and paralyzed. He looked over with his eyes.
“Make them go away,” he pleaded.
Frank came over and pulled his brother into his arms. “They won’t hurt you any more.”
Dan came over and pushed the eyes away. Frank held out his hand, and a beam of light vaporized those that couldn’t be moved. He could feel his brother holding onto him tightly.
“They won’t hurt you again,” Frank promised.
The area disappeared around him and Frank found himself hugging his brother not in the strange void but back in his bedroom. He looked down and saw that Joe’s face was no longer tinted with blue. He was warm and no longer shaking. Beside them on the floor, Dan was waking. Frank waited and Joe opened his eyes.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Frank hugged him again grateful that the killing fear was gone. Dan got up from the floor and sat on the bed.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, looking down at Joe.
“Better.” he whispered, “What happened?”
“I finally figured out what was tormenting you. But I think that can wait until morning, why don’t you get some sleep?” he suggested.
Joe nodded and closed his eyes. Frank was surprised that it took only a minute before there was deep breathing coming from his brother.
Frank looked over at Dan.
Dan nodded. “Trust me, they won’t be back tonight.”
Frank was relieved. For now his brother could sleep, and he could relax. Even though he knew that there was something much more going on than just nightmares, he was too tired to argue. Closing his eyes he found some peace in his sleep.
Dan waited until both his brothers were asleep before returning to his bed. He knew what was coming. The eyes behind the Greys were now clearly focused to him. The Greys were not in control of their own impressive minds. The alien presence was back, using the Greys as pawns. He knew that the Greys were curious creatures, exploring and trying to learn all they can. Why the alien presence was using them he didn’t know, but he did know that only one thing could answer that question… the Phoenix.
The Phoenix herself was in flying invisibly again across the night, awaking more of the Guardians. They would have to band together to protect the royal family. There would be people around the family, friends that would use their own powers to help in the fight. Nothing could compare to the powers the guardians would have on a united front. There was no time to waste as she continued on her quest.
As peace descended on the Hardy home, the crystal that Dan always kept within reach, glowed softly. It pulsated in time with the crystal that Cliff kept with him. For now the royal family would need to sleep. The only member that wasn’t with them would sleep soundly as well.
Fenton woke early the next morning. He felt refreshed and grateful that Joe had slept through the night. He had some cases to work on and needed to get to them. Going into his office after making a cup of coffee and some toast, he settled in for a long day of paperwork.
Frank woke up feeling more refreshed than he had in days. Looking down, he saw that Joe was still sleeping peacefully. Slowly going into the bathroom, he decided to take a shower before his brothers woke up.
Joe slowly woke up. Taking a deep breath he knew that the nightmares were over for the time being. He sniffed the air and smelled pancakes wafting into the room. Getting up he walked quietly out of the room, not wanting to wake Dan. Frank had four stacks of pancakes waiting when he came down. Joe thought he would have to wake Dan and turned to go back upstairs and stopped when he saw him coming down the steps.
“Hey, good morning, how did you sleep?” Dan asked.
Joe tiredly smiled. “A lot better thanks to the both of you. Did you figure out what was causing them?”
Dan nodded. “I did, but let’s have breakfast first. I think this might be a long day.”
“Joe, see if dad’s hungry,” Frank said.
Joe nodded and went down to his father’s office. A minute later he came up with his father in tow. They quietly ate breakfast, talking mostly about the pancakes and how nice it was to have the weather clear for the day.
“Dan, I know it’s going to come up sooner or later, but I have to know about what I saw in my nightmares,” Joe quietly said. He didn’t know of anyway else to bring up the question.
Dan nodded. “I know that this is a lot more than just nightmares. What you are seeing are real repressed memories.”
Joe paled over and couldn’t speak. Frank’s jaw dropped open. “What do you mean it’s real?”
Fenton looked at his newest son. He had hoped long and hard that the nightmare was over and that no one would challenge his place as his sons’ father. “Start explaining,” he growled.
“The aliens you see most, the Greys, are a curious lot. They’re like you’re scientists when you want to see if certain species are compatible with others or can live in other places. Although they have been visiting these planets for thousands of years, they’ve been taken over by the same alien presence that tried to destroy our home planet,” he explained, taking a drink of water.
“So that explains the eyes behind them,” Frank said, finally finding his voice.
Dan nodded. “I doubt this is a form of mind control. If that was it they would have taken control a long time ago. My guess is they’re looking to find some way to steal our powers from all of us. And I think they’ve failed because the dreams show repeated attempts.”
“When will they stop?” Joe quietly asked, the breakfast now feeling heavy in his stomach.
“I don’t know. What I do know is that we’ll have to see if we can get answers from the Phoenix. They will come again but you won’t be bothered by the nightmares. Now that we all know it’s real, we can fight them.” Dan said, “We’re going to have find the source if we ever want peace again.”
“Now what a minute.” Fenton said, causing all of them to look at him, “I thought this alien nonsense was over with.”
Dan could tell the man was getting angry at him. “I thought it was too. So did my father. But when I saw the crystal glowing when I got up, I knew it had started again. The alien presence was larger than we thought, or they’re trying to turn the tide. Frank and Joe are not in danger so long as the Phoenix is here.”
Fenton leaned back in his chair. “So I gather there’s nothing that I can do about any of this.”
The three of them didn’t say anything. Fenton left in frustration. Joe jumped slightly when they heard the door to his basement office slam shut. He knew it wasn’t right that their father wouldn’t be able to help. It’s all he wanted to do. Joe knew in his heart that when it came to dealing with these aliens it was better that he stayed home and out of the way.
“Joe, I know you didn’t want that to happen.” Frank said, “But he can’t help us right now. And I don’t want to see him get hurt not trying to protect us.”
Joe leaned back and knew Frank was right. Their father didn’t have special powers to protect himself. They would have a long day ahead of them, getting everyone together and possibly meeting some place far from the house.
He drove through to Bayport. When the firebird came to him and told him he had to help, he couldn’t say no. For years he had practice his powers in secret. When he was a preteen the Phoenix came to his dreams up until that very moment, he knew his power was a dangerous one if he didn’t learn to control it. His name was Angel. Sitting beside him in the passenger seat was Chad Greenhigh, his long time friend. Later they would pick up Derek and Randy other friends. All three of them knew what was coming. Their task was to protect the royal family hidden in their destination. Had it been any other time Angel would have flown there, but he needed all the help he could get. Angel also knew they’d be joined by two others; Noel and Rob. They too were guardians sworn to protect the royal family. Now they would have to unite once again.
Chad and Derek were quiet. They both knew of the risks they would have to take. Since childhood they always thought of themselves as oddballs. No matter what they just didn’t feel like they could ever fit in with the people around them. Then Angel came into their lives and changed everything. In secret he taught them the truth… that they had unique gifts that they had to learn to control. He promised that no one would find out because the Phoenix would protect them all from human interference. Now she was sending them to Bayport, to find and protect the royal family.
“When should we get everyone together?” Joe asked as they cleared the table.
Dan sighed. “Not now. We have to wait for the Phoenix to decide otherwise we could risk everyone’s safety.”
Frank looked at him. “How long will it be?”
“I don’t know. But she’ll appear to Cliff first then he’ll call us. We’ll just have to wait until that time. Until then I don’t know what to do,” Dan replied, trying to help with the dishes.
“Maybe we can go to the beach.” Joe suggested, “At least it will better than sitting around and waiting. I can’t stand just sitting around and waiting.”
“I know the feeling.” Frank admitted, “It might be better than watching dad get angrier than he already is.”
“I’m sorry about all of this.” Dan said, “I really am. Maybe if I had stayed behind none of this would have happened.”
Joe squeezed his shoulder. “It’s what our mom wanted. She wanted us to be together. Maybe she knew we’d need each other for things like this.”
Dan nodded. “Maybe. Or maybe they wouldn’t be here at all.”
“Dan, they would have come here anyway.” Frank said, looking him straight in the eye. “They needed to steal what we have one way or the other. If they couldn’t take it from the planet then they would have come here. Without you and the Phoenix they could have easily killed Joe like they almost did last night.”
Dan sighed but didn’t say anything. He only wanted to fulfill their mother’s wishes to reunite them as a family. He had no idea it would nearly get them killed. He quietly helped clean up while Joe phoned some of their friends to join them at the beach. The weather was warm and everyone was anxious to enjoy it before it rained again.
It was the usual Hardy group of friends that descended on the beach. The day was already hot and humid which made the cool ocean water refreshing. Joe felt as though he knew of each wave as it came in and left the shoreline. How he could use every piece of it if he needed to. He took a deep dive and realized he could breathe under water! His powers were back! When he came to the surface he swam over to his brother.
“I think my powers are back,” he whispered.
Frank looked over at him. “I thought it was just me.” he whispered back, “I realized something was up this morning when I was cooking breakfast. It felt like I could cook the pancakes on my own. Before I knew it one of the pancakes had cooked even before I could turn the heat up on the pan. The pancake almost burned before I realized what was happening.”
They swam for a little while longer before breaking for lunch. Frank could tell everyone was a little on edge despite being in the calm atmosphere of the beach. He didn’t help much that the clouds began to build up shortly after they finished their picnic. They chose to pack it up and head home before the storms came through. Staci could tell each one of them was hiding something. Something they were too scared to admit.
“Frank, what’s going on with Biff and everyone else?” Staci asked as he and Joe drove her home.
“What do you mean?” he asked, turning his head.
She shrugged. “It’s like everyone was hiding something they were too scared to say.”
He didn’t know what to say. Everything was happening so fast. He didn’t want to scare her.
“Does this have to do with all the nose bleeds I’ve been waking up with?” she admitted.
Dan was shocked. He hadn’t been prepared for anyone outside of those he knew to be affected by the alien race.
Dan was shocked. He had hoped that the aliens were only focusing their attack towards himself and his brothers. It would have been easier to protect just a small group. Now he knew that they were going after not only Staci but anyone else that had any powers like them. Thinking back to the lunch on the beach, he noticed that something was wrong. There was a reason why Frank and Joe had remained friends with Biff, Tony, Chet, Phil, and Vanessa all this time. A reason that kept them friends despite the arguments he saw them have.
“That’s why I’m starting to read into thoughts again.” Dan thought to himself, “I’ll have to see exactly what secrets their friends hold. If my hunch is right, we’re all more alike then we realize.”
Everyone was silent as they drove home after dropping Staci off at her house... a kind of silence that was needed to help everyone think about what was happening. Frank knew they had a lot to do over the next couple of days. First of which was to form some sort of battle plan. Looking at Joe, he knew his baby brother felt the same way. They were going to stop being scared at find some way to fight back.
Staci called Cliff to let him know what was going on. He felt he should have been surprised but wasn’t when she told him everyone was getting their powers back. She told him of Joe’s nightmares and of the aliens behind them. Suddenly all of his sketches made sense. Somehow he was drawing was going to happen. Taking a deep breath, he got ready for his night of work at the club. He had a feeling that after tonight everything would be different.
The afternoon storms came through. Fenton stayed in his office. Joe wondered if he was staying in his office more because there was nothing he could do to help them than filling out paperwork for his cases. Frank suspected that his father was trying his best to keep his temper in check, even if burying himself in a mountain of paperwork was the only way to do it.
“What are we going to do?” Joe finally asked, halfway through the movie they had picked to watch.
Frank paused the movie. “I’m not sure. I thought we could put together some sort of battle plan, but I’m not sure that will work.”
Dan sat up straight. “Any battle plan we form won’t work without the Phoenix. The enemy alien race can’t survive on this planet for long without taking much of the resources. Wherever they are, they aren’t on the surface. Most likely they have an interstellar base.”
“Can we get there from here if we were to combine the powers that we have?” Frank suggested, “Do you have any idea where they could be stationed?”
Dan shook his head. “Some place outside of the moon. Even if we knew the location, there’s no way we could get there. None of us could hold our powers long enough to make the trip.”
Joe thought a moment. “What if we trained? Practiced until we could keep them going for an hour or more.”
“Everyone would be too exhausted and have used up their energy stores just in the trip. We’d have to stop over and rest before any battle.” Dan explained, “By then we’d leave ourselves open to any attack. Our best chance is to wait it out until we can contact the Phoenix.”
Frank was relieved that Joe was able to sleep in his own bed for a change. It meant that they would both be able to get some sleep. A lot of questions were flowing through his mind. He wished he could talk to the Phoenix but until she appeared, they had to wait.
“At least we know now who we’re fighting. And we know we can fight back.” Frank thought, “I just hope that we have enough to end this battle once and for all.”
He didn’t have long to think. The rains that hit his window proved to be too much to resist, and they slowly lulled him to sleep. In the adjoining room, Joe was already sound asleep.
Dan stayed awake long after his brothers had gone to sleep. Next to him the crystal glowed softly. He picked it up and held it in his hands. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to slowly drift and let the power flow through his being. His mind moved through the void until he could see the thoughts of others. He had to find out what his brothers’ friends were hiding.
Cliff tossed in his bed. More images of the Phoenix appeared in his thoughts. The jewel that sat on his desk for a paperweight now glowed softly. Opening his eyes he could see the jewel glowing… a quiet voice…calling to him…telling him it’s time again. He picked up the jewel. The glowing turned to a deep red… and she appeared…the Phoenix!
Greetings Guardian Cliff…I can sense your distress…
Cliff nodded. “Who are these people? Why are they doing this to all of us? Joe can’t sleep any more.”
The people are of the same race that attack the royal family’s home planet. They are not the ones that have already been visiting this planet.
Cliff was shocked. “What is the difference?”
Those that were here in the past were here due to curiosity then in a race to protect the human species. They are not careful of the precious gift they have been given called Earth. Those aliens are trying to find a sustainable home should the worse happen. Those that have been tormenting you, your friends and the royal family are not in the same quest. They seek only to create guardian beings of their own in order to take the planet by force. They are losing the war and have now resorted to tormenting all of you.
“Why do they keep trying?” Cliff asked. “They’re hurting everyone.”
Those that are here to preserve the human species know of human pain and do their best to alleviate that. The evil ones do not care about that. They keep trying because all of your DNA has a self-destruct code. If someone in any form, in anyway attempts to clone the DNA it destroys itself. They keep trying because their desire for a guardian clone is very great. They will keep trying and trying until they succeed. They have to be stopped.
“How?” Cliff asked.
An all out battle is coming. You and your friends from all across must band together to train… to learn to defeat the alien race once and for all. With your combined powers you can defeat them…
Cliff stood up from his bed. “Why now? The royal family is very happy now. They have each other like their mother wanted it to be.”
I understand your emotions. It’s hard to forget where they can come from. But this planet is now their home. Yet they are the ones that have the powers needed to defeat the alien race. No weapon on Earth will do that nor will any government admit to what is going on.
“Will this end the nightmares… the missing time… all of it?” He asked.
There may be others in the future. In a boundless universe anything is possible. For now defeat of the alien race will guarantee lasting peace at least for the royal family. The wish that her royal highness made will come true.
“So that’s the reason why Callie was never right for Frank,” Cliff asked.
Yes, he and Staci were destined to be together long ago. Not by force or by the choice of another but because they loved each other in their former lives. And now they have found their way back to each other. That’s why she can get along so well with his brother…she loved both of them when they were united as one. They both reflect that which she loved. But now they are two. Joseph will find the love that which he is destined for. For now you must get the group together. There is not much time left. I have already sent word to others who will be on their way to help.
The Phoenix retreated into the crystal. Cliff took a deep breath and picked up the phone.
Dan felt his mind flow through to that of his newest friends; Tony Prito, Chet Morton, Biff Hooper, Phil Cohen, and Vanessa Bender. Each of them had unique gifts. Now he knew why they were so apprehensive at the beach. They were all having dreams of using those powers and sometimes, unconsciously they would realize those powers in the waking world. Only happening in the last week, he knew they would have to learn just like Frank and Joe, how to control them and use them to help in the battle against the alien race.
Coming back into his own body, Dan opened his eyes. After checking in on Joe in his room, much to his relief, both Frank and Joe were sound asleep in their beds. He put the jewel aside and rubbed his hands. Leaning back in his bed, he closed his eyes, trying to recoup some of the energy he had spent.
Frank awoke a couple of hours later. Looking over at his desk he could see the light on his cell-phone blinking. Not wanting to disturb Dan, he took his phone into the bathroom to listen to the message. To his surprise it was Cliff.
[Frank, I know this is going to sound strange, but the Phoenix appeared to me. She wants everyone to get together to form a battle plan. So I guess we should all find a time and place we can meet. My guess is the best place we can all meet is that place that Ray took us to last time. Staci said she’d take care of the people on the Kane campus and tell me when I should be there. I suggest you and Joe and Dan figure out what you’re going to say to your parents. I have a feeling we’re going to be gone for awhile.]
Frank walked into his brother’s room to find Joe sleeping soundly on his own bed. It was a welcomed change as his brother had not had a good night’s sleep for a while. He sighed and knew that sleepless nights would be coming for all of them. Looking down at his hands he could see the different kinds of heat coming from his hands. Shaking the thought from his head, he walked downstairs for breakfast. He couldn’t afford any mistakes.
As he was making breakfast for both his brothers, he found it unusual that his father wasn’t in the kitchen already. Going downstairs he saw the office was empty. Looking around he saw that his father’s briefcase and small traveling suitcase was gone, an indication he had left on a case. He sighed and closed the door. He had wanted to explain to his father why they wouldn’t let him help, but there was no chance now.
“Probably for the better,” he reasoned as he returned to the kitchen to retrieve the muffin tray from the oven.
It didn’t take long for Joe to come downstairs. He looked better but still worried.
“Did Cliff call yet?” he asked.
Frank was surprised. “How did you know?”
“I figured if he was the one connected the closest to the Phoenix, he’d be the one to give the word when we have to get together with the rest of the gang,” Joe replied. He sniffed the air. “Mmm, banana muffins.”
Frank smiled slightly. “Yeah, I figured we’d have something nice to eat if we have to leave today.”
“Do you think we’re going to have to leave?” Joe asked as he retrieved the butter from the refrigerator.
“Definitely. We’re going to have to face this alien presence once and for all. Which means we have to train further than what we did last time.” He replied, “You better go wake up Dan. We have to be ready when Cliff calls again.”
Joe nodded and walked back to Frank’s room. Inwardly he wished they could stay here and train. He hated lying to his parents. At least they wouldn’t have to lie to their father. He swallowed when he thought of his mother. She would be back soon from her volunteer work with the Red Cross.
“Looks like we’re going camping again,” Joe thought.
Whenever they needed to get away on a case for an extended period of time they always went camping. The only problem they would have is that most of their friends would be with them. There’d be no one to help run interference.
As he came back into the kitchen, Dan walked in.
“You got the phone call from Cliff?” he asked.
Frank was surprised. “How did you know?”
Dan sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. “I did a mind search tonight. I figured out why everyone was so apprehensive at the beach.”
Frank brought the muffins to the table. He sat down and waited while Joe poured orange juice for everyone.
“Everyone of your friends has a special power just like you do,” Dan admitted.
Joe’s mouth dropped open. “You mean… Tony… Chet…”
“All of them.” Dan finished, “They all probably figured it out over the past week or so. They’re going to have to learn how to control them just like you did.”
“You mean they can control fire and stuff like we can?” Joe asked as he took a muffin from the plate.
“They each have a unique power. You two, me, Ray, and Cliff are the ones that have more than one power. The only others are the guardians. I haven’t figured out what they each have yet, but I get the feeling we’ll find out soon enough. I just don’t want anyone getting hurt or someone like that nut from last time finding out.” Dan explained. He took a drink from his glass of juice. “We have to leave and find a secure place so they can train.”
Joe sighed and leaned back in his chair. He had hoped that after their last encounter with the alien presence it would be their last one.
Frank put an arm on his brother’s shoulder. “I know the feeling baby brother.”
Dan nodded. “I’m sorry I got you two involved in this, and I’m going to do my best to figure out how to stop all of this from happening again.”
“No Dan. We’re going to find a way. We’re all brothers.” Frank reminded him, “That means we stick together no matter what happens.”
Dan sighed and nodded. They ate the muffins as Joe offered up the idea of using a camping trip to cover for their absence.
“We could camp out of state…somewhere in the Adirondacks,” Joe suggested. “Let’s just hope we can convince mom this is legit. The last thing we need is for her to panic.”
Angel continued the drive towards Bayport. He along with Derek and Chad had just stopped to pick up Noel, Rob, and Randy. The six of them didn’t talk much during the ride. They knew the battle that was coming and the importance of why they had to protect the royal family. They didn’t know what the royal family looked like now. All they could do was follow the Phoenix’s instructions and head for Bayport. She would send Cliff to meet them.
Chad looked into the horizon. The sun was still rising in the east. It was going to be another long day of driving before they met up with Cliff and possibly the others. He was anxious to meet with the royal family. Like the others they had become friends with the children of the king and queen. He wondered why he had been reborn so young on this planet instead of his true age. The Phoenix assured him that it was necessary not only to assure that there were people to protect the royal family but also provide a cover from those who would use their powers for evil. He leaned back in his seat and tried to relax.
Frank started pulling out all of the camping equipment from the basement. Joe moved it into the kitchen to check it out and repack everything. They had to really make it look like they were going camping or else their mother would get suspicious. He and Dan carefully refolded the tent and put the poles in with it.
Just as they had expected, their mother came home just as they were rolling up and tying the sleeping bags. She smiled and seemed to be a bit surprised.
“Another camping trip?” Laura asked, coming into the kitchen.
Joe put on his best smile. “Yeah, we figured since it’s only a few weeks before school starts, Dan might as well get in all the fun he can.”
She nodded. “That’s a good idea. With all the time I’ve been spending with the Red Cross, it’s good that you’re planning these trips. Do you want me to pack some lunch for along the way?”
“I think we got it covered.” Frank said as he was coming up from the basement, camping back on his back. “If anything we can stop along the way.”
“Are you sure? It wouldn’t be too much trouble,” she said, going towards the refrigerator to see the supplies she had.
“I think that’d be nice. It would save time,” Dan said.
She smiled and went to work making food for them to take with them. “I can’t stay long. With this cold everyone’s been getting we’re severely short-handed. Not to mention all the troubles the storms have been leaving behind.”
“Lots of work, huh?” Joe said as he rolled up his sleeping bag.
“You’re not kidding.” She said as she put the sandwich materials on the counter, “The storms also started a couple of house fires that displaced several families, not to mention we still have to restock because it’s still hurricane season.”
“Has there been any hurricane activity?” Dan asked as he stacked some of the equipment.
She nodded. “Very much so. We’re watching a hurricane right now in the Atlantic. We think it could go to Category three by the end of the day. So Frank, take your weather radio with you. If this thing heads up the coast, you might have to evacuate and come home.”
Dan nodded but didn’t say anything else. Laura continued until she had a full stack of sandwiches made and other snacks to go with it.
“Joe, you better get that cooler cleaned and dried out so you can fill it when you leave. I’ve got to head to the market to stock up just in case something happens.” She said, putting three bunches of grapes into a sealable bag. “Do you guys need anything while I’m there?”
Frank shook his head. “We’re taking stock of our supplies now. If anything we can pick up what we need along the way.”
“Are you leaving tonight?” she asked, as she finished putting some cut vegetables into bags.
“Probably. If you say this hurricane is brewing we should get in some camping before we can’t because of school.” Frank replied, “You’re leaving when you get back?”
“I’m going to have to. So it’s up to you guys if you want clean laundry to take with you. They really need me to start setting up a shelter if there are more storms tonight.” She turned and smiled at them. “You boys be careful while you’re out there.”
Dan swallowed. He hated lying to his new mother, especially since she genuinely cared about all of them. He thought back to his real mother, and the wounds she got from fighting in the war. He vowed at her grave that no one he loved was going to die in war.
He smiled back at her. “We will. I’ll make sure of that.”
She left before she had a chance to forget anything she needed to pick up.
“Is it always that hard not to tell the truth?” Dan asked as he helped them get the equipment together.
Joe sighed. “No, you just get more creative, but it’s never easy.”
It would take another hour before they got everything together and had it packed in the van. Laura showed up a few minutes later. After helping her with the groceries and saying goodbye, she left them with her usual words of staying safe. Frank and Dan packed the van while Joe packed up the cooler. They had to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long. They had just finished packing everything when Staci called them. They were going to get together with the normal group at the place that Ray had taken them too before. They would have to stop by the can campus and pick up Ray and her along the way.
“I guess this is it,” Joe said.
“Let’s lock up and leave before something else happens,” Frank replied.
Joe nodded and they walked through the house. Dan brought in the folding lawn furniture and secured the gate to the backyard. Frank went into his father’s office and locked down everything before securing the alarm to the door. They secured the garage, all the windows before setting the alarm. When Frank closed the front door and tested the lock he looked at the house one last time. He could only hope they’d be able to return.
As they drove along the road, everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Frank knew that no matter what happened from here on out, he’d protect his baby brother at all costs. As Joe leaned back in his seat, he felt the same way. He knew that he’d be willing to give up everything he had to protect his big brother. Dan sat in the backseat thinking about the past. During that time he had only himself to worry about when it came to the fighting. Now he worried how he was going to protect not two but three younger brothers.
It was a long and quiet ride as they finally entered the Kane campus. There they met up with Cliff, Sunray, and Staci, who were packed and ready to go. Behind them the rest of the friends from their campus were also packed and getting into several cars for the carpool. Staci had Boomer with her. She didn’t know why, but the dog insisted that he come with her. Ray looked at the dog and found that there was something more to Boomer then they all knew about and would soon find out. Cliff was carrying a small wrapped bundle close to him. Dan knew it was the crystal as his own began ‘singing’ quietly as it indicated the presence of the Phoenix.
Frank took the lead with the van and drove off the campus, making sure the line of cars was following him. It didn’t take long before they were on the main highway heading towards the abandoned field.
Angel and his friends finally arrived at the abandoned field. Except for stopping to eat and to refuel their cars, they had driven straight through Bayport towards the field that the Phoenix had told them to be waiting for the royal family and their friends. They looked around, making sure to note all of the security risks.
Chad stretched his aching muscles. “This is where we’re supposed to meet?”
Angel nodded as he looked down the road. “Everything fits. The road, the tree line, the small lake, even the birds that are flying around. All we have to do now is wait.”
Noel came over to them. “Everything checks out. Just the normal risks because some of the fencing is down, but there’s only that one road that comes through here.”
Angel nodded and adjusted his long black coat. He was never one to come out in the daytime, preferring the night, and the peace that came with the quiet. Looking up the road he could see a set of headlights coming down the road. It was followed by several more pairs of headlights.
“They’re here,” Rob announced.
They stood and waited as one by one the cars parked themselves next to the van.
Joe had nearly fallen asleep by the time they came to the road that would lead them to the field. As his brother drove his van closer he could see there was a group of cars already waiting there.
“Guardians,” Cliff whispered.
Joe felt his heart begin to race. It was as if something he had waited for all his life was about to be revealed to him. Frank pulled the van into the parking lot. He took a deep breath before opening the door.
As Joe stood outside of the van to stretch his muscles, another van pulled into the small parking lot. To his surprise, Chet, Tony, Phil, Biff, and Vanessa all got out of it. He couldn’t understand. They were very careful not to be followed. Then again nothing about this day was as he had expected it to be. Slowly everyone gathered into a group in the field. Angel gathered up the guardians and stood in front of all of them.
“Greetings all of you,” he said.
Staci couldn’t help but notice how cute Angel looked. He looked so much like Angel from the show on the TV. “No… no it couldn’t be him…” She thought.
“All of you are here for a reason. You were not of this planet but of a different one, as are we, the Guardians.” He explained, “The reason why you’ve been summoned by the Phoenix to come here is because now there’s not much time left. We have to leave so that all of us can train and become strong.”
Cliff took over the conversation. “That’s why all of you were given the idea to go away on a two week camping trip. That’s how long it will take for all of us to train for a battle against an alien race. This alien race seeks to take our powers by force to further their take over of our planet.”
That’s when Chad came forward. “This alien race is guilty of so many crimes against the planets it would take a lifetime to list them all. They are evil and will not stop. Only by facing them in battle can they totally be defeated.”
Derek spoke next. He could feel that they were all filled with questions. “I know you’re all confused believe me I would be too. All of you have known you were somehow different even as a little kid, yet some how you’ve managed to find each other. It’s also why you’ve always managed to stay together through all the arguments.”
Joe inwardly smiled. Now he knew why he and his friends could have the worst of arguments yet always find a way to forgive each other.
Now it was Rob’s turn to speak. “All of you were friends of the royal family which explains why you each have unique gifts. I’m sorry to say that right now none of us can return to our home planet until the war is over.” He looked at some of them, who were now looking at them like they were crazy. “I know it’s hard to believe what’s going on. I know because I found it hard to believe to. But I do know that unless all of you learn to control your gifts you might accidentally hurt someone or destroy something without meaning to. For now I suggest we break out the camping gear and get settled in for the night. The Phoenix probably will not appear until tomorrow.”
Joe couldn’t agree more. It looked like rain, and the last thing he wanted to do was set up a tent in the rain.
“Ray, are you sure no one comes here?” he asked as Ray started to set up the poles.
“Positive.” He replied, “The conservation group camps here all the time. No body hassles us, and you’re lucky if you see a car come by once every other day.”
Carl came over to them. “Guys I’m going to be firing up a grill in a few minutes. Got anything you want me to cook?”
Frank nodded and pointed him to the cooler Staci had lent them. “We got some hotdogs and some hamburgers. There should be plenty there.
Carl nodded and opened the cooler taking the meat out. He set it on top to defrost before going back to check on his fire. Staci put up her tent and set out a blanket for Boomer to lay on. Brian started to toss a Frisbee around and before she knew it Boomer was trying to chase it around. Staci gave Carl an extra piece of meat to cook for her dog as she was going to save the dog food for later. He began cooking and soon had had a companion as Boomer constantly watched the grill.
Dan looked around at all his new friends. For so long he didn’t have anyone to relate to, and he found it almost overwhelming. Everything changed when Carl suggested they set up a volleyball net to play a game after dinner. Frank gave him a brief explanation on how to play as they ate the food Carl had grilled. Joe passed out the sandwiches and other things their mother had packed that morning.
By the time everyone had finished eating, twilight had set in. Cliff set up some lamps for the games. Dan found in interesting that so many people were together in once place to play games. He wondered if it was right to take them away from all of it. He thought about all the destruction that the war had brought. Was it right to take them away from it? He looked at Frank as he tackled his brother to the ground, after he had caught a football. Frank roughhoused with his brother as he pulled him to the ground. They both got up laughing and trying to brush the dirt off their clothes.
“Dan, come on we need more people,” Joe shouted to him.
Dan snapped out of his thoughts and went over and caught the football. Tossing it back he tried to enjoy what was left of the few remaining minutes of calm.
It wasn’t long before twilight became the dark of night. Angel insisted that everyone get some sleep. Most likely they’d have to leave by dawn, and they needed all their strength in case they had to leave again. Cliff looked at his crystal. It was know pulsating more rapidly, and the song had changed. He could feel her presence growing stronger. Soon one by one they were asleep until finally it was only Frank and Joe standing with Angel.
“Shouldn’t we start the training here? No one has been by all day,” Joe suggested.
Angel sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. “We can’t. It would be way too dangerous. Some of your friends have powers that are very dangerous and need a much larger area to train so no one will find out we’re here.”
“I really don’t want to leave here. Everything I know is here,” Joe said, trying not to cry.
Frank came over and put an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “Everything’s going to be ok baby brother. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“But why now? Why us?” he said in a small voice.
Angel knew how the prince would react but didn’t know how to comfort him. The queen wanted only for her sons to be happy and enjoy a peaceful life. It didn’t seem right to allow that to be taken away from them. Looking up at the stars, he knew that hidden among them was the alien presence. An alien presence that would try to destroy them all if they didn’t fight back.
“Joe, do you believe in fighting to protect your brother?” he asked.
“Yes.” Joe immediately answered, “I’d give my life for him.”
“And my brother knows I feel the same way,” Frank added.
“Then listen to my words.” He said looking straight at him, “That alien presence will never give up unless they are stopped. They will kill us all if they have to take our powers by force.”
“You mean they’d kill Frank?” Joe asked.
Angel nodded. “If that meant a last ditch attempt to steal his powers, yes they will. For some reason they keep failing. I suspect it as something to do with a self-destruct mechanism our cells have. If we don’t fight back they will kill him, you… all of us here.”
Joe nodded but didn’t say anything. Frank tightened his grip.
“I think my brother just needs some sleep,” Frank said.
Angel nodded and walked to his tent to sleep for the night. Joe looked up at the stars. He sighed, knowing that there was no choice but to fight.
“Come on little brother, let’s get some sleep,” Frank insisted.
Joe nodded and let Frank lead him to their tent. Getting into his sleeping bag, Joe still felt uneasy about everything that was happening. Closing his eyes he snuggled closer to Frank, trying to take in the last few moments of peace that he could get.
A little before two in the morning, Cliff was awakened by his crystal singing very loudly. Looking over at it, he could see it pulsating in a bright red color, almost like a heartbeat. Sitting up he took the crystal into his hand. It was warm to the touch and seemed to react to his presence. Climbing out of his tent he walked towards the middle of the field.
Joe woke up to the sound of something singing near by. Opening the door to his tent his could see Cliff in the middle of the field. He was holding the crystal that was now casting off a glow that seemed to be getting brighter.
“Frank…Frank wake up,” Joe said to his brother, shaking his shoulder.
Joe put on his sneakers as Frank sat up in his sleeping bag.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” He said opening the door again to their tent, “But something tells me the Phoenix will be here in a few minutes.”
Frank followed his brother’s pace. He followed him out into the field to where Cliff was standing. Soon they were surrounded by everyone else. In one large gust of wind the Phoenix flew from the crystal. Everyone stood in awe as the fire bird hovered above them.
Greetings everyone. You are finally here. Do not be alarmed at my presence, no one will find out we are here. There is an ancient moon base located on the moon you call Titan. That is where you will all train to know your powers, to harness them and to learn how to fight in battle…
Joe swallowed. They were leaving.
Do not be alarmed. The time will pass slowly here. You will be returned two weeks from now back to this very spot…
Frank wondered what would happen if someone found their abandoned camp. As if sensing his question, the Phoenix continued speaking.
I will leave copies of all of you here. They will look and feel real but are not. They will act in your places to make sure no one will question where you have gone. For now all of you must make a journey across the stars to the moon base in the cover of night. A solar storm is coming that will provide the cover needed.
“But how will we get there?” Cliff asked, “Even I cannot hold onto the Phoenix long enough to survive.”
I will transport you there. Do not worry as the moon base is fully equipped to support human life.
With a wave of one of her fire wings a light wave passed through all of them. Turning around they all watched in shock as their doubles walked back to their tents.
The time has come…
The Phoenix stretched out both her wings. In that instant Frank held onto his brother as they were swept up in the fire bird’s energy. He couldn’t believe it. It was like being outside on a warm day. He could feel air going in and out of his lungs. Holding onto his brother a little tighter, the Phoenix lifted into the sky carrying all of them with her. Joe looked around as they left the surface and soon he could see nothing but clouds. Finally the clouds disappeared until all he could see was stars! Then the earth started getting smaller and smaller until finally he could no longer see it. Looking ahead he could see that Mars was fast approaching. The Phoenix continued onward carrying them further and further away from everything they knew to the giant ringed planet of Saturn.
The Phoenix continued on her journey. Frank could see Mars as it passed by. The details were better than any picture he could have seen on Earth. All the formations…the red dusty ground… the ice cap… all of it was so crisp and clear. He could feel his brother tightening his grip on him. He wanted to say something but for some reason he couldn’t get any words to come through.
It didn’t take long to pass by Mars. Frank was surprised at how fast they were literally going. Looking ahead he saw the asteroid belt. The Phoenix flew by the belt, successfully going over it to avoid any collisions. In the distance Joe had to strain to see, but the form was unmistakable. He had seen to many pictures of it. The gas giant called Jupiter!
As they came closer they all could see the swirls were actually moving! Frank watched and looked for the distinctive red spot. The swirls seemed to be moving faster as they grew closer. Finally the spot came into view. Just like he had pictured it, the closer they got to the planet, the larger the spot grew. Joe looked over and realized it was true. The spot seemed to go on for thousands of miles.
“Amazing.” Joe thought, “For the first time in my life…it’s real…not a computer picture.”
Even though Jupiter was massive, it wasn’t long before it began to fade and Saturn came into view. Every one was in awe of the massive rings. Joe was thinking how Saturn looked yellowish, unlike the multi-colored pictures he had seen in his textbooks. Then he remembered his brother explaining that Saturn pictures are usually given “false colors”. When he asked what that was, Frank explained that they assign colors to certain areas of similarity, such as heat or size, that way you can tell apart the areas of the planet.
The closer they got to the planet, the more the rings started to grow in size and appeared more like broken bits than solid rings. Going even closer they all could see that the rings were actually collections of ice and rock chunks in all sizes from icebergs to dust that gathered in the formation of rings.
Frank looked forward and saw the largest moon out of all the moons orbiting around Saturn.
“There it is…” He thought, “Titan.”
The Phoenix flew through to Titan and soon they could see that the moon was actually nearly bright orange in color. Flying through the atmosphere, she broke through to the huge dome that was on the surface. When Joe looked back up all he could see were orange clouds that completely blanketed the sky. Looking down he could see that the surface was not ground as he knew it but more of a liquid with rocks in it. From what he remembered from Frank’s many teachings, the surface was a little rocky but mostly of liquid methane and ammonia. It was so cold that methane a gas was actually turned into a liquid!
The Phoenix moved over the surface and slowly a huge dome came into view. It was a darkened dome and seemed to be floating on the surface. As they flew through the dome they could see that it was not just a single dome but several smaller domes with in the main one. As they Phoenix brought them down to the dome’s inner surface, the sky seemed to look like a normal sky on Earth. There were several buildings around them.
All of these buildings are for you to live in while you train. You will find them suitable for all your needs. The grounds will provide suitable training grounds for both day and night skills. Do not be alarmed. The alien race cannot get through the atmosphere to the surface. You must train long and hard to develop your powers to their fullest potential. Even then some of you might not discover all that you can do. Do not underestimate the amount of time you have. The alien race is coming again to strike. I will be with you all the time that you are here .
The Phoenix retreated into the crystal that Cliff was carrying. Everyone stood on the surface, stretching and moving around in this alien environment. It was like they were outside on a warm, breezy, summer day. Joe took a deep breath and found that the air was very clean and refreshing.
“I thought Titan would have an orange sky,” Joe said as he walked to his brother’s side.
Frank nodded. “Normally that’s what we would see, due to all the methane and stuff in the sky. This is obviously an artificial creation. We passed through at least six inner domes. That’s the first artificial sun I’ve ever seen.
Joe touched the ground. “The grass feels real, as does the dirt.”
“I think it is real. If that sun functions like a sun lamp only better, it could support plant life. It’s probably why the air is smells so fresh.” Frank explained, “The domes are probably also regulating the temperature inside to keep us from freezing.”
Joe looked around. “Might as well explore these buildings and see what they offer.”
The first building turned out to be a dormitory-type building with rooms for people to sleep in pairs, bathrooms, a large cafeteria-like room, a large kitchen-like room, what looked like a large conference room with pillows on the floor and a screen to one side. The next building looked to be like a large gym with a pool, running track, full weight room and aerobic machine room, plus several large empty rooms for freestyle workouts.
“Hmmm… looks like whoever planned this layout was really trying to get everything from home,” Joe said to Frank as they walked around.
Frank thought back to all the alien things he had heard about before. “They probably had this set up for awhile. Nothing’s dusty so they probably just set it up not to long ago.”
The next building turned out to be a recreation room with games that helped to build targeting skills, others were designed to build speed, while the last helped to build team work.
Joe tried out a targeting game. “This looks like it’s going to be fun.”
“Hopefully, everything else will be easy to operate. It looks like a lot of this equipment operates by motion sensors or touching a screen.” Frank said. “We still have two more buildings to explore.”
Just then Sunray came into the room. “The building next to this one I think is setup to be a hospital. The last two buildings are very unusual. One looks like it’s some sort of communal mediation room, while the other one looks like it’s some sort of observatory. I looked around outside. It looks like these are the only structures around. There is a very large lake near by and the rest seems to be all natural terrain. I even think they’re might be some mountains nearby.”
“Let’s go outside, I think Angel will be getting everyone together soon so we can figure out some sort of schedule.” Frank said, moving to walk outside. “We’re going to have to work together to speed up the training.”
They walked outside. Frank was right. Angel and the other guardians were gathering everyone for a meeting. Joe was surprised at how many people were there. Chet, Phil, Tony… all his closest friends from school and from the Kane campus were there. He looked back at Angel. Angel looked so much like the guy from the show ‘Angel’ it was like he was looking at his twin.
“Could it really be him?” Joe thought. “Amazing if it really is him…”
Angel stepped forward. “Now that you’ve seen around the buildings you’ve probably noticed that the rest is all natural terrain. This is to aid in training and building team work. From now on, no one is alone. We’ll be working as a team to train and to fight. For the first two days we’ll be trying to discover what powers each of us has and learn how to use them in their most basic forms. From there we’ll build on them. You may find that if you combine your powers you can amplify their strength.”
Joe knew what he was talking about. He remembered what he and his brothers were able to do when they combined their powers with that of the Phoenix. He sighed and remembered how his powers physically drained him.
Angel must have sensed his thoughts. “Joe, I know what you’re thinking about and you’re right to worry about that.” He looked at the rest of them, “Although you have these powers, they are very physically demanding on your body as well as your mind. You’ll find yourself very tired and eating a lot more than you could ever imagine.”
Dan walked up and turned around to speak to all of them. “He’s right. These powers will drain a huge amount from you so you have to learn to work with them. The more you do the less they will drain you, but they still will drain you somewhat. That’s why we have train so you can fight in battle and not collapse.”
Chet looked at him. “What is going on around here? First I found out I’m some sort of mutant. Next some strange firebird brings me to this moon base. And now you say I have to train to fight? You’ve got some nerve.”
Joe turned to him. “Chet, I thought so too. Until I learned I never was supposed to live on Earth. Had it not been for the invasion, we would have all been born and live on our home planet.”
“Are you saying I’m some sort of alien?” he said, paling over.
“No, we are human in everyway. Only we have are gifts that we would have had on our alien planet. They’re only awakened by the Phoenix and then turned off by her.” Frank continued, “When we go back, it will be as if none of this ever happened. No one will know and no one will ever find out.”
“Are you saying this is all going to end and everyone will forget?” Carl asked.
Frank shook his head. “You’ll remember, but it’s going to be more like a dream than anything else. It’s to protect everyone from our own government. Trust us in that the Phoenix will make sure it never does. You won’t be able to do anything like levitation and other things back on Earth until the time comes when we’re needed again.”
Angel nodded. “They are right. We will go back to who we were and our doubles will leave. As far as we know we spent the time on camping outing.”
Angel directed them all to the kitchen area. To their surprise there were robots cooking dinner for them! The robots looked like humans with but with metal skin. Several more had set the tables while others were bringing the food to the tables. Instead of saying anything, the robots seemed to move on automatic. As soon as everything had been prepared the server robots retreated to a room while the ones in the kitchen put all the pots into a special “sink” to be washed.
“I don’t believe it,” Joe said as he sat down.
“I think we’re going to find a lot more surprises here, but let’s eat before anything else happens,” Frank replied.
They were surprised that the food tasted just like the food they would have back home. Still everyone was nervous. Here they were on a moon base, eating dinner, and about to start training!
After dinner it was a collective decision to go to sleep. The trip combined with everything else had taken its toll and sleep was the top priority. Dan helped to arrange the rooms for everyone, and it wasn’t long before Frank and Joe found themselves sharing a room. It was about the size of a dorm room with two beds and two desks. The beds had blankets and a pillow and were relatively comfortable.
“Looks like whoever built these rooms really did their homework,” Frank said, as he stretched out on his bed.
“Reminds me a lot of Ronaldo’s dorm room,” Joe added.
Frank nodded. “That’s probably where they got the idea from. It’s an efficient way of making rooms for everyone that came.”
Joe lay back. He missed his room. He missed the beach and everything else that was home. Most of all he hated having to leave his family, and the rest of his friends. When his eyes started to mist over and a single tear escaped, he couldn’t avoid the small sob that escaped his throat.
“Baby brother, are you OK?” Frank immediately asked.
Before Joe could answer he felt the strong comforting arms of his big brother surrounding him. “I’m going to make you this promise. We’re going to get through this baby brother.” Joe nodded but didn’t say anything. Frank hugged him closer. “I promise….we’re going to get through this.”
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