Chapter One
CHAPTER ONE
The blood was everywhere. Screams echoed through the halls of the castle. The wind howled as it tore through every inch of the grounds. Smoke filled the air. The heat from the flames was unbearable. Bodies littered the floor. Lady Taylee, Duchess of Gryphon's Glenn, sobbed softly as she stared at the horrific scene.
"Hiro! Hiro, wake up!" A voice called desperately.
Hiroki Fujimori woke up screaming. He struggled to catch his breath and calm his racing heart as he took in his surroundings. His girlfriend, Jennifer Jarmel, wrapped her arms around him and tried to comfort him.
"Are you alright?" Jennifer asked as his breathing evened out.
"It was just a dream..." Hiro replied softly.
"Hiro... With you, it's never just a dream," Jennifer pointed out gently.
She was right. Hiro sighed and grabbed the sketch pad and pencil he kept on the bedside table. He began to draw what he'd seen.
Jennifer watched as the images appeared on the page. She knew better than to ask questions while he was still sketching a scene, so she waited patiently for him to finish.
"Who's that standing in front of Taylee?" She asked when he was done.
Hiro looked at the figure, who he'd only drawn from behind. He never saw this character's face, but he always knew who he was.
He's not just a character, Hiro reminded himself. He's real. They all are. And they're in danger.
"Hiro?" Jennifer called softly, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Vincent," Hiro replied. "Prince Vincent is going to return to Gryphon's Glenn... Soon."
Jennifer tensed. "Should we warn them? Do we need to go back?"
"Not yet..."
"Hiro, Taylee's standing in the middle of a slaughter. I'm not sure we should put this off."
"We have a little time. If we go back too soon, we might set this in motion before it's meant to happen... We could cause this. We have to be careful, Jen."
"I think we should at least call Jason."
"We'll see him at the convention."
"The con is in a week. I'm not convinced we should wait that long. Besides... You're shaken up, Hiro. You need your brother."
He sighed. "You're right," he admitted. "I'll call him in the morning."
"It's not like he sleeps," Jennifer replied lightly. "He's probably in his studio."
"I don't want to bother him while he's working... Right now, all I need is you."
Jennifer smiled at him. "You've got me," she promised. "Always." She laid back down and opened her arms. Hiro curled up in them, holding her and breathing in her scent to help him erase the scent of smoke.
I love you, he thought once he knew she'd fallen asleep. She smiled peacefully in response and he knew she'd heard him. Sometimes, her telepathy was even stronger when she slept. It came in handy when he had nightmares, which was a frequent occurrence. More than once, Jennifer had slipped into his head as they slept and helped pull him out of flashbacks.
Most of his flashbacks were of the abuse he'd endured while in foster care. It made him feel pathetic and lost, but Jennifer never judged him. Sometimes, however, he flashed back on the events of Owl's Day.
Peter's untimely death continued to haunt him. The Pirate had sacrificed himself to save Hiro's life, and the worst part was that Hiro knew he would have survived even without Peter taking on the bulk of the attack. Sure, he'd have been weaker, but he would have been alive. It didn't help that Kristy had died shortly after his death because Donovan had lured her into a trap using a tulpa that looked like Peter.
Stop thinking so much, he scolded himself. There were more important things to worry about. Owl's Day was over and he couldn't change the past. He needed to focus on preventing the future he'd seen.
It will never be canon, he silently vowed. No matter what, Hiro wouldn't let this vision come true.
+
Princess Natalie Elizabeth Vega was not having a good morning. She'd woken up from a horrible nightmare filled with carnage. Then, she'd realized she had a telekinetic tantrum in her sleep and nearly destroyed her bedroom. It had taken a while to clean everything up. Now, while hurrying to meet her family for breakfast, she'd fallen down the stairs.
Nat sighed as she sat on her rear for a moment and tried to gather herself.
"Again, Nat?" A voice asked with concern.
Nat looked up and blushed as she saw Helena Chaston looking down at her. The sorceress she was completely in love with but not quite dating extended her hand to her.
"I slipped," Nat replied, accepting Helena's hand and getting to her feet.
"You really must be more careful, Nat..." Helena paused as she noticed Nat struggling to put weight on her ankle. "You're hurt!"
"Oh, it's nothing really," Nat replied. Pain shot through her leg as she tried again. "Well... Perhaps I am slightly injured." She blushed again.
Helena was already kneeling at her feet. Nat could feel the healing spell she was casting as it began to work. It didn't take long for her pain to vanish.
"Thanks, Helena," Nat said as she helped her stand back up.
"Of course," Helena replied.
Nat looked around and made sure they were alone before she pulled Helena closer to her and kissed her. Helena relaxed in her arms, kissing her back.
"What was that for?" Helena asked dreamily when Nat broke the kiss.
"For healing me... And because I am having an awful morning and needed something good to happen," Nat replied.
"I'm happy to help," Helena replied. "Now, I imagine you're expected in the dining hall."
"Indeed," Nat replied. "May I escort you to breakfast?" She looped her arm through Helena's with a cheerful grin.
"You're the Princess, Nat... I believe it is I who should escort you," Helena said with a laugh.
"I am a strong, independent Princess, and I do not require an escort. Now... Come, Lady Helena, Noble Sorceress of the Castle. We would not want to be late!" With that, she led the way to the dining hall. Helena smiled to herself as she indulged Nat in the role reversal.
As they walked with their arms linked, Nat couldn't help but think, What a perfect morning.
+
"Fuck him up, Boggy, fuck him up!" The crowd cheered enthusiastically.
Christopher Wilson happily indulged the Scottish fans by jumping off the top rope and doing a moonsault onto his opponent, Screamin' Ian.
The referee began to count the pin, but Mikey McLachlan came out from the back and pulled Chris off of Ian and began punching him repeatedly. The fans reacted with a very impolite chant about Mikey being a cunt, which was typical of Scottish fans. Chris had only started taking matches there recently, but he absolutely loved the insane fans in Scotland. He never knew what they'd chant next. The matches were certainly never dull.
The referee called for the bell, but Chris stopped him. "I've got this, Ref!" He shouted. He hit a DDT on Mikey, taking him down before climbing back up on the ropes. The fans were screaming in excitement. Just as Ian got back on his feet, Chris hit Boggy Night, his finisher. Ian went down, and this time, the referee made it to three.
The fans went insane as the referee raised Chris's hand in victory. Chis proceeded to celebrate his win on each corner of the ropes before stopping to pose one last time at the center of the ring.
He spotted Julian Arden in the front row joining in the cheers. Smiling, he blew his boyfriend a kiss before heading backstage.
Ian shook his hand. "It was an honor, Bog!" The young wrestler said. He couldn't have been more than sixteen, which was common in the U.K. Wrestlers usually started very young there. "The best damn match of my career!"
"Give it a few years, Kid," Chris replied with a laugh. "You're still green. I guarantee you'll have better matches as you get more seasoned."
"Aye, he's right, Lad," Mikey replied as he joined them. The large, jolly Scotsman reminded Chris of Herrick, the top weapons dealer in Gryphon's Glenn. Mikey clapped Ian on the back before giving Chris a hug. "I can't wait for our match, Bog. How's your health insurance?"
Chris laughed. "Better than your's, I'm sure," he replied. If Chris got injured, he knew several healers who could fix him pretty quickly.
Mikey laughed heartily. "You're probably right," he replied. "Are ya up for drinks? My treat."
"Sorry, but I've got a date."
"Ah, good for you! What's her name?"
"Julian," Chris replied with a smirk.
"Well, invite the lad along!" Mikey said, not even hesitating. Despite the occasional homophobic asshole in the business, most of the wrestlers readily accepted that Chris was bisexual and didn't care who he dated.
"I'm not sure Julian's ready for a Scottish pub crawl," Chris said with a laugh. He knew Mikey never hit just one bar after a show.
"Ya better teach him to drink if he's gonna stick around!"
"Oh, he's sticking around," Chris said firmly. He was deeply in love with Julian, and that love went down to their souls. They'd been together in a past life as well, back when Chris was King Tobias and Julian was Sir George.
He's still my Knight in shining armor, Chris thought with a smile.
"Aye, look at the lad! He's smitten!" Mikey said to Ian. "This one must be a keeper."
"He is. I'll see you for our match, Mikey! Nice working with you, Ian." Chris offered them both a final smile before he headed to change. He did his obligatory time at his merchandise table until Julian walked over to him.
"Hey, Gorgeous," Chris greeted him.
"Hey yourself," Julian replied. He kissed him and for a moment, Chris forgot anyone else was there.
"Hey, Bog, how much for a t-shirt?" A young fan asked.
"Fifteen pounds," Chris replied as Julian awkwardly broke their kiss.
"Oh..." He looked disappointed. Chris also noticed he was pale and thin. He had a pin on his backpack that read, I'm gonna beat Cancer's arse!
"Actually, Buddy, for you it's free," Chris said immediately.
The kid's face lit up. "Really?"
"Yep! From one champ to another! Do you want a selfie, too?"
The kid was grinning from ear to ear now. "Yeah! That'd be awesome!"
Chris posed with the kid. His hands were shaking, so Chris took the photos for him, taking no less than ten pictures and making different faces in all of them.
"Keep up the good fight, Kiddo," Chris said as he gave him back his cell phone. "The Bog believes in you."
The kid happily left. Chris noticed Julian staring at him with respect. "That was very kind of you," he said.
"Hey, if I can't make a sick kid happy for a little while, why the hell am I even in this business?" Chris replied. "I love my fans, especially the kids. They still believe in the magic of kayfabe."
"Are you ready to go back home?" Julian asked.
"Yeah, just let me pack up the rest of my merch." Chris began to grab everything, but Julian stopped him.
"Allow me," he said with a knowing laugh. Chris tended to toss everything unceremoniously into his luggage, a habit that drove his very organized boyfriend slightly crazy.
It only took a couple of minutes for Julian to pack everything up. The shirts were neatly folded and organized by size. The 8x10 photos Chris used for autographs were organized by picture and broken down by theme. His baseball caps were lined up neatly. Finally, his keychains, wrist bands, and pins were placed in bags based on which group they were part of, with each design separated.
"There! Now we're ready," Julian declared triumphantly.
"What would I do without you?" Chris asked.
"What did you do before you met me? Carry a big bag of chaos with you everywhere?"
"Pretty much," Chris replied with a laugh.
They left the venue and headed toward a secluded alley. When Chris was sure it was empty, he took Julian's arm and teleported back to Gryphon's Glenn.
They landed in Julian's room in the castle. After Girard killed his parents, Julian had been raised within the walls of the castle as one of several orphans. Helena Chaston, Matty Ishman, Casey Leonard, Raven Brier, Holly Lynn Zykos, and Cecelia Targus were the other castle orphans. They shared a unique bond no one else could fully understand.
"Do you think there's any breakfast left?" Chris asked. "I'm-"
"Starving?" Julian finished for him. Chris was always starving. One of his mentors, Serenity Mysthaven, said his powers made him burn through energy at a very rapid rate and that was why he constantly needed to refuel.
"You get me," Chris joked.
"I'm sure they kept some food aside for us. Joan knows there's a time difference between here and Scotland. Come on." Julian led him to the dining hall.
The servants were cleaning up the hall when they arrived. "Chris, Julian... Here you go," Joan Yang said. Joan had started out as a chef at the castle, but Girard had wanted her dead because she was a powerful Seer. The Pirates had taken her in and taught her to fight, but Joan was happiest in the kitchen. She'd been the main chef on the Pirate ship for a while, but now that Girard was dead and gone, she was once again a castle chef.
"Thank you, Joan," Julian said politely.
"You're an angel, Joanie," Chris said as he took a bite of his eggs.
Joan smiled at them as she poured them both tea. As soon as she finished pouring Chris's, she froze, her eyes clouding over.
"Vision," Chris realized aloud.
After a minute, Joan snapped out of it. "Trouble's coming..." She said softly.
Flynn Westford walked in at that exact moment. "You can say that again," Chris joked. He turned serious as he realized that Flynn looked upset.
"Is everything alright, Flynn?" Julian asked.
"I need to see Terros," Flynn replied. "I was hoping he was here."
"Terros and Marta had their meal sent to one of the training rooms," Joan replied. "They got an early start today."
Flynn nodded. He said nothing as he left the room.
"What was that about?" Chris wondered aloud.
"It's Flynn... It could be anything," Julian replied. "Joan, what did you see?"
"Nothing specific," Joan replied. "Just flashes, really... But it was chaotic, and I felt incredible darkness taking control of the castle."
"That's not scary or ominous at all," Chris said sarcastically.
"Sorry, Chris. Visions aren't always specific."
"It's okay. I know how it works. We'll figure out what's coming and face it together. Right?"
"Absolutely," Julian replied. Chris could tell he was nervous. He couldn't really blame him. Whatever Joan had sensed didn't sound good.
+
Scythe had been spending a lot of time in Chicago. That was mostly because Chicago was the home of Abby Wilson, the only woman to ever truly understand him. It was ironic that a professional hitman was so wildly attracted to a cop, but it seemed to work for them.
He had intended to surprise Abby on her day off, but Scythe got distracted by the sound of bullets. It wasn't uncommon for guns to be fired around Chicago, which was part of what Scythe liked about the place, but what was unusual was the magic he sensed around the violence.
Curiosity got the better of him and he headed toward the chaos. He drew his favorite gun and watched the scene for a moment.
A teenager with curly blonde hair was at the center of the attack. He deflected the bullets with some sort of metal shield. Scythe watched in fascination as he dodged bullets and spells, diving, ducking, and flipping through the air with the agility and grace of a gymnast.
Four men came from opposite corners and grabbed the boy as he dodged another spell.
The boy fought furiously against them. He radiated with light as he did everything in his power to free himself from their grasp.
Scythe didn't know what possessed him, but he couldn't just leave the kid to fend for himself. He fired four shots in quick succession, hitting each of the attackers in the center of their foreheads. They dropped to the ground dead.
More people came toward the boy. Scythe sighed. You've done it now, he thought. Sorry, Abby... Guess I'll need a raincheck.
Scythe grabbed the boy, who tried to fight him off. "Stop struggling," he said firmly. "I'm the one who shot them. Come on, we need to run."
The boy looked at him in confusion. "Who are you?" He asked.
"Scythe," he replied.
The boy stared at him. "Scythe? Like the crazy guy from that show Gryphon's Glenn?"
"Remarkably like him," Scythe replied dryly. "Come on, Kid."
"Ricky."
"Introduce yourself later. Run now." Scythe began shooting at the newest attackers. "Who are these assholes?" He led Ricky to safer ground, temporarily out of sight of the enemy.
"I don't know... They've been following me for months. I ran after..." Ricky hesitated.
"After what?" Scythe asked.
"After they killed my mom. She was all I had."
Scythe looked at Ricky a bit more closely. The kid was muscular but too thin. He looked like he hadn't had a decent meal in a very long time. His clothes were dirty and had holes in them.
"You've been living on the streets?" Scythe asked.
"Yeah... I figured it was better than a group home," Ricky replied.
"How old are you, Kid?"
"I'm fifteen."
Scythe cursed and questioned his sanity before he said, "Come with me. I'll get you somewhere safe."
"What's your real name?"
"I told you, it's Scythe."
"Sure." Ricky laughed. "You know, I like anime, and you do kind of look like him, but I'm not an idiot."
"Those people trying to kill you have magic," Scythe pointed out.
"Yeah... I noticed that."
"They're not from this realm, Ricky. They're from Gryphon's Glenn."
Ricky laughed. "Yeah right."
Scythe shrugged. "Fine. Don't believe me." He heard the enemy approaching and began firing shots again. When his gun ran out of bullets, Scythe summoned two more from their pocket realm.
"Holy shit! You're really him!" Ricky cried. "That, or I've gone insane."
"It's probably both," Scythe replied. "Can you shoot a gun, Kid?"
"In theory?"
"Time to do it in practice." He placed a gun in Ricky's hands. "Cover my six. I'm about to put an end to this shit."
He didn't wait for a response before he opened fire on the entire group of attackers. He stopped himself from shooting the youngest one, a teenage girl.
"Who sent you?" Scythe demanded, holding the gun steadily on her face to make it clear he'd shoot her if he had to.
"Death before capture!" She proclaimed. "Hail the Insurrection!" She promptly shot herself in the head.
"Oh my God..." Ricky whispered in horror as her body fell to the ground.
"Why the hell is the Insurrection after you, Kid?" Scythe demanded, turning his gun toward Ricky.
"I have no idea! I don't even know who they are!" Ricky replied as he stared at Scythe's gun. He was obviously fully aware that Scythe might shoot him, but he remained brave, not letting fear consume him.
Scythe took a deep breath. There was something about the kid that made him want to protect him instead of shoot him. He put his gun away.
"Until we figure this out, you're staying with me," Scythe decided.
"Where are we going?" Ricky asked after a minute.
"A sanctuary." With that, Scythe led Ricky to a house he'd come to know very well in the last few months.
Brenda Wilson opened the door and only looked mildly surprised to see him. "Hello, Damon," she greeted him.
"Damon?" Ricky repeated.
"Not to you," Scythe replied. "Hi, Mama... Can we come in?"
"Of course," Mama Wilson replied, stepping aside to allow them in.
"This is your mom?" Ricky asked.
"Do I look like this is my mom?" Scythe asked, rolling his eyes.
"Everyone calls me Mama, Baby," Mama Wilson replied warmly. "What's your name?"
"Ricky," he replied softly.
"Well, Ricky, I don't know what you're running from, but you're safe here in my home." She studied him before nodding. "I've got some of Chrissy's old clothes that should fit you. Why don't you wash up and change?"
Ricky didn't protest as she set him up in the bathroom. While he showered, she looked at Scythe and asked, "Damon, just what is that boy mixed up in?"
"I'm not completely sure... He ran away after his mom died. I'm not sure about his father. The kid has people from Gryphon's Glenn trying to kill him but has no idea why," Scythe explained.
"Oh, that poor child... He looks like he hasn't eaten in days."
"I was hoping you could help with that."
"Of course I can. Stay in here and watch Selene for a bit. I'll be right back."
Scythe sat beside the infant Mama Wilson had left in her swing. "Hi, Munchkin," he said. Selene cooed happily in response. Scythe might prefer guns to people, but he didn't mind babies so much.
He picked up the phone he used when in that realm and called Abby.
"Hey, Scythe," she answered almost immediately.
"Hey, Beautiful. I'm at Mama's. Why don't you come by?" He asked.
"What are you doing at my Mama's?"
"It's kind of a long story. I may have picked up a stray."
"Like a cat?"
"Like a kid... A teenager really. He's on the run and needed a sanctuary, and I couldn't think of anywhere safer than Mama Wilson's house."
"Scythe, if he's a runaway, we need to alert the authorities from wherever he lived before he ran."
"I don't think the cops can help this kid, Abby... Let's just say it's a Gryphon's Glenn issue."
Abby cursed. "Alright... I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"Looking forward to it, Beautiful." He hung up the phone.
By the time Abby came by, Mama Wilson was nearly done cooking. Scythe knocked on the door of what he assumed was Chris's old room. Ricky opened it up and let him in. He was wearing clean jeans and was about to pull on a shirt when Scythe stopped him.
"Damn, Kid..." Scythe said softly as he looked at the scars on Ricky's back.
"It's nothing," Ricky said as he quickly covered himself up.
"If you ever see the bastards who did that to you again, point me in their direction."
"Why do you care, Scythe?"
"The hell if I know... I guess because I've got scars like that myself." He pulled the back of his black t-shirt up slightly to show Ricky that he meant that. Girard had tortured him for most of his childhood. One thing Scythe understood was being an abused kid.
Ricky's eyes widened. Scythe pulled his shirt down and shrugged. "Look... You can talk to me, alright? I get it."
Ricky nodded. "Thanks," he replied softly. The trauma showed in his eyes, and so did a deep sadness. For some reason, Scythe hated seeing him sad.
"No one will hurt you like that anymore," he said firmly.
"For now," Ricky agreed.
"Ever. You're staying with me."
"Um... Did you just offer to adopt me?" Ricky asked with a laugh.
"I'm not father material. It's more like I'm kidnapping you before anyone else can." He smirked at Ricky.
"Okay," Ricky agreed. "You can kidnap me."
"Good, because I wasn't asking permission. You're safer with me than alone on the streets."
"Thanks, Scythe... Really."
"No problem, Kid. Come on out. Mama Wilson cooked for you."
Scythe could tell by the look in Ricky's eyes that he was starving. He followed him out of the bedroom. The smell of the food made Scythe's mouth water. The sight of Abby setting the table made him smile.
"Hey, Beautiful," he greeted her. Scythe pulled her into his arms and kissed her quickly.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Ricky asked.
"She's the woman I enjoy kissing," Scythe replied.
"They're dating," Mama Wilson chimed in. "They're just too stubborn to call it that."
"We're not exclusive," Abby clarified.
"I don't see you bringing any other men around here, Abigail," Mama Wilson teased her.
"Ricky, this is Abby," Scythe said, saving her from further teasing. "Abby, this is my stray."
"Your stray?" Abby repeated.
"Yeah. I think I'm gonna keep him around for a bit until I know he's safe on his own."
"Start at the beginning, Scythe."
"Eat first," Mama Wilson said firmly. "We can discuss all of this after."
When Mama Wilson said to eat, people knew better than to argue. Scythe decided the conversation could wait a little while. Mari had warded the property to protect Selene, and she'd been very thorough. Ricky was safe for the time being. They'd figure out the rest after lunch.
