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Chapter 2 â€" Blood's Thicker then Water

Skye's amber eyes were wide with shock. There standing not more than ten feet in front of him stood the most beautiful boy he had ever seen, the storm's wind whipping his sandy blond hair across his face. He was absolutely perfect; something told Skye that he knew this boy, but from where...

The second reason for his shock; he was wondering, why this image of perfection would be standing beside Joey...

No! Wait, Joey's dead! Skye's mind was racing, his heart rate increasing, as several more bolts of lightning darted from the clouds into the field they were in, missing them by feet.

Why would this boy be with Joey?!?! Skye couldn't get that thought out of his mind.

"Skye, what's wrong," Ryan asked looking up into his brother's shocked eyes.

Skye said nothing he stood there frozen in place.

Ryan turned around, and gasped, "No way, you're dead!"

"Surprised?" Joey asked, "Well I've got some news for you!"

"Get away from him, he's dangerous!" Skye yelled to the boy.

"Yeah, right, he's not my issue at the moment, you are!" the boy replied.

"Well since we're all such good friends already," Joey snickered, "I'd like you to meet Ryan, the real Ryan," Joey snickered.

"If he's supposed to be me, than what does that make me?" Ryan shouted

"A simple figment of Skye's imagination, brought forward by this Ryan's powers!" Joey laughed.

"Here watch," Joey laughed as he raised a small pistol, "I'll show you how easy it is to end him."

Joey fired the gun, the bullet bounced off of a barrier, surrounding Skye and Ryan.

Joey looked at his Ryan, laughing, "Ryan, you want to give it a go?"

"More than you know it!" he replied, closing his eyes, concentrating, opening them with a stare.

Skye could feel the explosive power smash into his shield he had made, but his barrier held.

"Try this one then," Skye barked, shooting a stream of fire at Ryan.

Ryan quickly countered, casting his own flame pillar in the way.

"That's it!" Skye shouted, charging after Ryan as fast as he could, his streak of super speed raced towards Ryan.

"Bring it!" Ryan laughed as he ran away at equal speed, they were matched.

Ryan would bring a fist at Skye in a streak; Skye would counter and swing at equally blinding speeds, Ryan already blocking his move.

This continued for a few minutes, however, Skye was forced back to his Ryan, when Joey raised his right arm at Ryan, a bright energy blast forming.

Skye raised another energy shield, and glared at Joey's version of Ryan.

"You think that you're so strong; you think you can take me??" Joey's Ryan snapped.

"Yeah let's go!" Skye shouted, his arms out stretched, holding his barrier at it's strongest.

"All right, well something you didn't know about Ryan, was that your real brother, has the ability to make his thoughts a reality, should he choose to." Joey laughed.

"Let's see how strong you are when you don't have your friends," Ryan laughed, as his hand began to glow a bright gold.

"Yeah, right, they've always got my back!" Skye countered.

"Not for long!" Ryan smirked, releasing his ability.

A second later it felt like Skye's friends', their memories, feelings, all were being literally ripped from his mind, memory, body; all he could do was stand there, watching each of them grow smaller and smaller, disappearing all together.

Ryan launched another blast of golden energy at Skye's shields, which flickered slightly.

"Yeah... right, that's not going to be enough, they won't forget me!" Skye replied, his voice shaky.

"Well then, how about without Alex and Ryan?" he laughed.

Ryan cast his ability once more, this time it was ten times worse for Skye; Alex flashed before his eyes, disappearing much to fast for Skye to do anything. Ryan on the other hand, was slowly dragged from existence from right beside Skye.

Skye reached out and grabbed Skye's right ankle from the distance between them, holding on tight.

The strength from Joey's Ryan's attack was too strong; Ryan was slowly being pulled from Skye's grasp.

"I won't let go!" Skye screamed to Ryan.

"Okay, but... who are you?" Ryan asked.

Skye froze, shocked, his own brother had forgotten about him, that easily, one morph's power could do all this! His grip faltered and Ryan slipped away into the void.

Skye collapsed, his shield collapsing to a small bubble surrounding him, visible cracks forming in the matter.

"Still think you're the stronger one?" Ryan asked, "Let's see!" he laughed shooting another rainbow blast of energy at Skye's shield.

The impact caused Skye's shield to collapse, the blast of energy hitting him directly; he landed with a thud on the soft grass, burns covering his chest and legs.

"You always thought you were so tough," Joey spat, "Now you see how strong you could have been if you had stayed with me, served me, had been mine!"

Joey faded from sight, apparently being transported somewhere.

Ryan then waved his arm at Skye; the next thing he knew he was lying on his bed at home, alone, weak.

"Ryan can force teleport?" Skye thought to himself.

Skye collapsed, falling into a deep and turmoil filled dream like sleep.

***

The next few days passed quickly, Skye's mom checked up on him periodically, never once mentioning Ryan, maybe she had been made to forget too. This carried on for about a week, Skye barely having enough energy to go to school, and when he did he was alone, his friends had apparently forgotten him too.

A week had passed since the encounter; Skye was standing in the front of his school, his friends not even knowing who he was or talking to him. What seemed like overnight Skye had gone from being one of the most popular kids in school to the new kid and a loner.

Clouds rolled across the sky as Skye felt his anguish truly manifest through his powers, the environment around him changing, reflecting his emotional state, Skye was a wreck.

"Still think you're so tough big guy?" the voice smashed into him like a tonne of bricks, it was Ryan.

Skye glared at him; a sudden rush of anger caused several lightning bolts to streak from the Sky, landing around the school yard, causing his former friends to run into cover.

"You son of a bitch!" Skye screamed.

"Careful, she's your mom too!" Ryan laughed.

"Fuck you!" Skye shouted, charging at Ryan.

"Okay, so going to do this again?" Ryan laughed, taking off at his regular streak of light speed.

Skye matched his speeds, like a mimic, he was there, launching volleys of kicks, punches and blasts of energy, each being countered.

"Come on Skye, I know you have more in you than that!" Ryan laughed.

"Shut up!" Skye shouted, shooting more energy at his so called ‘brother'.

"Is that all you have?" Ryan laughed, sending a kick coated in his golden energy at Skye, the blast knocking him back into the wall of a nearby store, knocking the wall down on him.

Skye climbed out, glaring it Ryan; what could he do, he was almost invincible, but if he was truly he brother, he had to break through all the shit that Joey had filled his brain with.

Skye shot a black of white light from his palm; it smashed into Ryan's chest, leaving a burn mark, which seemed to heal flawlessly in seconds.

"I think we've fought enough for today," Ryan grinned, "I'll see you soon!" he laughed, waving his arm at Skye once more, teleporting him home.

Skye landed in his room, standing facing his wall.

"Seriously? Again!" Skye shouted, slamming his fist into his bedroom wall, shattering the drywall and the wooden support behind it.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Skye's mom burst through the bedroom door.

"Nothing," Skye replied, slumping down onto his bed.

"Sweetie, what the hell has come over you, and how did you get all these bruises?" she asked.

"It's nothing!" Skye sighed.

"Nothing my ass, look at these marks, these cuts!" She screamed, holding one of Skye's arms up, examining the bruises and cuts. "Who did this to you, I demand you tell me!"

"It's nothing," Skye repeated.

"But look!" Skye's mom gestured to the wounds, can't you feel these?" She asked.

"Not really," Skye replied in a mono-tone voice, trying to remove his hand from his mother's grip.

"I don't see how you can't!" she replied, but as she watched, right before her eyes, the black bruises lightened, then faded. The cuts covering Skye's wrists healed over and in a matter of seconds, leaving nothing behind, not even a mark, A second later, she was holding onto Skye's perfectly healthy wrist.

"What the hell was that? What just happened?" She shrieked.

"It's nothing!" Skye replied.

"Don't you tell me that that's nothing, come clean.... NOW!" she stated.

"Why," Skye replied angrily, standing up, "You're not going to believe me anyways!"

"Honey, I'm your mother, as much as it kills you to think this, I can understand a lot of what you're going through, I was a teenager once!" She replied.

"Things are different," Skye stated.

"How?"

"If I tell you you're not going to understand anyways,"

"Help me to understand!"

"Fine, but don't get all mad at me when I do!"

"Okay, let's hear it!"

"If I tell you, you've gotta believe me!" Skye replied.

"I'll believe what I want to!" she replied.

"Fine, but don't blame me if you don't believe it!" Skye sighed, as he started to tell his tale from the beginning, the school field trip, not omitting anything.

"So Joey, your friend, did all this?" She gasped, "Skye you have to be lying, I'm sorry, I've known him for years! He ate dinner over here on a number of occasions, I would have noticed.

"I don't think you would have," Skye said, pulling a vodka bottle out from under his bed, "You haven't exactly been the most sober person alive over the last little while."

"Don't you dare," she countered, "when your father left, I had no one!" She shouted.

"You had me!" Skye shrieked, "You had a son, someone to take care of, and you chose the easy way out!" Skye replied.

"Yeah and where did you go? Huh? You went to Space with your friends, to fight some sort of monster that we used to call a family friend!" Joey's mom snapped. "So don't you dare go there, I had a lot to deal with!" She shouted.

"You had a lot to deal with, were you captured, genetically altered, forced to almost become a slave, fight for your life every day?" Skye shouted.

"That's not fair; no one else had to go through that!" She replied.

"There are people out there now suffering the same fate, I'm stuck here, because I need to calm down apparently," Skye replied, "At least that's what Serina says, and now I've lost my brother... my..." Skye stopped, watching what he said.

"There you go talking about this Ryan again, who is he?" she asked.

"He was your fucking son!!!" Skye shouted.

"Don't you use those words in this house!" his mom replied curtly.

"All I'm saying is that you could have worked something out, I certainly didn't feel all that loved before I left!" Skye shouted.

Her face contorted, raising her hand, there was a loud smack, Skye gasped, his own mother had just slapped him across the face. As she covered her own quickly, tears welling in her eyes she ran from the room, grabbing another bottle of vodka and downing the whole thing, leaving Skye sitting there, his eyes wet.

***

Skye began to walk the short distance to his school, well he more so slumped to school, deep in thought. He had managed to explain what had happened to him to his mom and after being slapped across the face, he explained where, who and what Ryan was, the son she had magically forgotten about.

"Hey princess!" Ryan interrupted his thoughts; he was standing across the street from Skye, leaning against a lamp post.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Skye shouted.

"Awe, but I want to come back home with my brother, see my mommy again!" Ryan sounded almost sympathetic.

"Really?" Skye replied sarcastically; he glared at Ryan, knowing he couldn't be trusted.

"Yeah see," Ryan walked over to Skye and stood a foot in front of him.

"What made you change your mind?" Skye asked.

"Nothing!" Ryan spat, as he slapped Skye across the face, "but you defiantly you needed a wake-up call, we're never going to be brothers we never were!"

"Why don't you just forget your powers?" Skye suggested, using one of his abilities, "forget your old life."

"That's a nice trick," Ryan grinned, "I think that skill could come in handy," he laughed absorbing the ability.

"Nice try," Skye used another power to rip the stolen ability back, too quickly for Ryan to absorb it too.

"So you have some surprises left in you," Ryan laughed.

"Bite me," Skye sighed walking past his brother.

Ryan raced in front of him, standing between him and the school, "Here's something to remember be by!" Ryan smirked, and then punched Skye with his energy coated hand, leaving an instant black bruise.

"Come on pretty boy, hit me!" Ryan demanded.

Skye glared at his brother, who had presented his face in front of Skye, "Hit me!"

"No!" Skye replied.

"What's the matter too chicken shit?" Ryan asked, punching him again.

"No, it's not that, I can't you, you're my brother like it or not, were related, I can't hit you, in your face; it would kill me to be that weak!" Skye replied, wiping the streak of blood from his split lip.

Inside of Ryan a battle now began, why wouldn't Skye hit him, he knew that there was no chance of them going back to how Skye and that imaginative version that he had created were. Still, Skye believed otherwise, he refused to his him, because of what he thought could exist deep inside.

"Whatever, Skye broke the silence, I'll send myself home this time!" he disappeared in a flash of bright white light, the particles of his body rising into the clouds, leaving Ryan standing there, a secret battle now raging within his conscious, who was he?

Skye appeared in front of his front door and walked into his house, passing his mom.

What happened to you?" She asked, noticing the split lip and bruise.

"I can't best your son, he's almost perfect in every way, he's just... he's my brother, my twin!" Skye replied, before taking off up the stairs and slamming the bathroom door.

From downstairs his mom could hear the shower start and Skye step into the large bathtub, they weren't rich, but they were defiantly well off.

She walked around the house, looking around, if she truly had another son, why weren't there any pictures, or anything, even she couldn't remember him and he was her fucking son.

Inside the shower, Skye looked up into the water, which poured off a rocky like edge, mimicking a small natural waterfall. He broke down; it reminded him of the shower on their ship, the same ship now sitting in low orbit, sheathed in cloaking matter, shielded better than any other in the galaxy.

"How can I move on if he keeps coming back, I fucking love him! He's my fucking brother, he's perfect, he shares my DNA, my looks, and he's the hottest thing in world. I can't believe that Joey got his fucking perverted hands on him, MY BROTHER, the best thing in my entire world!" Skye shouted, the warm water cascading across his body, he collapsed onto his knees, his head drooping down as he broke into tears.

***

From outside their house, Ryan was floating, just close enough to the bathroom to hear Skye; he had gone over to see how bad Skye was taking it, to verify that he was truly getting to him, using his advantage over Skye.

However, what he heard Skye say almost crushed him, his empathy ability, which he never absorbed, it had come with his other powers kicked up the emotions Skye felt a tenfold. His entire body seemed to ache, just knowing the pain he was causing Skye,

Ryan had to get out of there; there was no way that he was truly Skye's brother, he was too weak, too human, too, normal. Ryan teleported back to Joey, he needed to be talked out of these irrational thoughts, he knew that Joey could explain things to him, tell him that Skye truly was just imagining them being brothers.

***

Skye had regained some composure over himself; he stood in the shower, the water running down his perfect length blond hair, just like how Ryan's fell over his Emerald eyes. Skye had always marvelled at how, they could be exactly the same, genetically and everything and how he could have green eyes and he had amber eyes.

He didn't care though, all he could think about was getting Ryan back, his brother, his... lover.

Then Skye stood straight up, he knew where he had to go, he knew what he had to do. Closing his eyes he teleported back onto the Thunder in Paradise.

***

Skye's atoms fell from the Sky, landing on the deck of the Thunder, re-assembling in a bright flash of light.

"You know Skye, teleporting back here, soaking wet and naked, might have been a turn-on for some, but I am just an AI," Serina chided.

"Not now, I need you to do something for me," Skye requested.

"What is it?" Serina replied.

"I need you to go back in my memory, I need something, something that was erased long ago, and I need my brother back, any pictures that were taken, events anything!" Skye pleaded.

"Are you sure, this could be very detrimental to your health, it's not exactly a perfected technology." Serina replied.

"Yes, I'd do anything for Ryan; I need him to see that!" Skye replied.

"Very well, stand still, this will take a while." Serina replied.

Skye closed his eyes...

***

"You really are starting to believe him?" Joey asked.

"I... I don't know... it doesn't make any sense, I think he's crazy but he's bent on it!" Ryan replied.

"Well then why entertain the idea, you know he's just trying to make you weak, make your vulnerable, you remember what it's like to be weak right? Do you want to be like that, weak, useless, abused?" Joey shouted.

"No!" Ryan shouted, "I never want to be like that ever again, that was hell, please help me to make sure I never become that weak again!" Ryan begged.

"Don't worry, Ryan," Joey replied, "Once Skye is out of the way, you won't have anyone else in the galaxy that can rival you, and you will become the strongest person alive." Joey's voice practically dripped.

"All I have to do I kill him?" Ryan asked.

"That's all, and by doing exactly what you're doing, you are so much closer to your goal, he's only a weak morph, who was blessed with power, you're strong, and were destined to be great, so just end him and be free!" Joey whispered.

"Okay, I'll do it, I'll never be weak again, I have nothing to lose, no family, no nothing!" Ryan replied, teleporting himself back to the surface of Earth, near Skye's house.

***

"There Skye, it's done, I've been able to restore some of the memories, but they may not be enough, he's so strong, so corrupted." Serina warned.

"They will be, they have to be!" Skye replied teleporting back to the surface.

***

A week later...

Skye was prepared, he certain that the next time Ryan came for him, he would try and end it, he needed to fight him, needed to get him to listen.

Sure enough, the walk to school was the same as Skye had anticipated, with Ryan, making an appearance, trying to get another dig in on him as painfully as possible.

"So, you finally stopped crying?" Ryan spat.

"What do you mean?" Skye asked.

"I mean after our last spat, I followed you home, and heard you crying... You're so weak, you have the most developed powers of any morph, beside me, and you still can't keep your emotions in check." Ryan spat.

"Listen, just because you can't or choose not to believe that you're my brother, I can prove it." Skye shouted, "Just read my mind, see my memories, I had them restored, just see what you were, what we we're, then if you still want to fight, I will fight you." Skye replied.

"Promise?" Ryan giggled, taunting him, "Sure you could punch your so called brother?"

"Just look," Skye replied, slight tears welling in his eyes.

"Fine," Ryan replied, walking up to Skye, he closed the distance gracefully, and Skye couldn't help but feel slightly turned-on, this figure of perfect beauty walking towards him, he reached his hand out to Ryan.

"Keep your hormones in check will you!" Ryan glared as we walked closer to Skye.

However, Skye couldn't help but notice a slight bulge in Ryan's jeans.

Once Ryan stepped close enough to Skye, he took his hand, feeling the memories of Skye well up and jolt into him.

***

Ryan saw it, he was in the past, looking down on Skye and Ryan playing together, playing trains, playing tag, playing their first game of hockey ever. The memories washed over him in waves, the next was the most emotional, their eighth Christmas, Skye had bought Ryan a video game, one that he had wanted all year, one that Skye had saved his money the entire year to get him. When Ryan witnessed his past self, wrap his arms around his brother, and tearfully thank him for the best gift he had received, he could no longer take it, and he broke the connection with Skye.

Skye saw Ryan come back to consciousness in his arms; tears welled in his emerald eyes.

"See what I mean?" Skye asked, pushing some of his perfectly shaped blond hair from his eyes, wiping a small tear from his eye.

"You're lying; you only like me because of my body!" Ryan snapped, "You're just like that man!" he shouted and raced away from Skye, diving into the lake behind their school.

Skye followed, pursuing his brother at top speeds, he knew where he was going.

Skye dove into the crystal clear, blue water of the lake and swam quickly to the middle of the lake; the underwater caves there had been a favourite of his when he was young.

***

Ryan emerged from the water into the cave which was light by crystals and mosses that glowed in the darkness; they shed a fairly bright light across the largest cave of the series under the lake.

He curled up into the fetal position, his legs shaking, tears flowing readily from his eyes, he couldn't deny it any longer, some how he knew that Skye was close to him, he couldn't break it to himself, admit the word brother, but Ryan knew.

There was a second splash as Skye lurched from the water and walked towards his brother.

"Ryan," Skye started but noticed his position, hear his sobs.

Skye got down behind his brother, wrapping himself around Ryan, putting his arms around Ryan's.

"Leave me alone!" Ryan sobbed.

"Ryan, listen to me," Skye started.

"You just want to use me, like he did!"

"Like who did?"

"That man."

"Which man, what happened?"

Then Skye gasped, the memory flowed from Ryan into Skye, the initial reason for Ryan going missing was clear. He was kidnapped.

Skye couldn't believe what he was seeing, the torture that befell Ryan, the pain, the abuse, he couldn't believe that he had survived it, for five years!

Then Skye saw it, Joey smashing the door down, killing the man, and saving Ryan.

"Why did you save me?" Ryan asked him.

"Because I know that you're going to be great, you're going to be something, if you come with me." Joey seeded.

"O.... Okay," Ryan gasped, grabbing onto his so called saviour.

The memory ended as rapidly as it had begun, Skye was holding Ryan again.

"Ryan, I don't want you for your body, I would love you no matter what you looked like, it wouldn't matter to me, and you're the most amazing thing ever, the most beautiful person I've ever seen, the perfect friend, brother even." Skye calmed.

"Re... Really?" Ryan sobbed, the walls collapsing over his memories, he was beginning to remember.

"Really, I love you, you're perfect, you're compassionate, and I know you can be all that and more, you just need to remember!" Skye whispered.

He kissed his brother's cheek, "I love you!"

The kiss sent an electric shock through Ryan's mind, it sealed the deal, it shattered all of Joey's lies, his pain, everything.

"Sky... Skye," Ryan sobbed.

"Yeah?" Skye replied.

"I'm so sorry!" Ryan sobbed, turning in Skye's arms, embracing his brother and crying openly into his wet t-shirt.

"Its okay, Ryan, I love you too," He pulled his brother close, his own tears freely flowing.

The two boys stayed like this for a moment, their emotions running between them, healing over their wounds, healing the space that had grown between them, their powers welcoming their other halves.

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To be cont.