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Chapter-16- Transformations

Thursday, July 8, 1999 - 11:35am Las Vegas, Nevada ...

Nathanial Carrington glanced at his watch. He lifted his eyes to the sound of a knock at the hotel room door. Nathan opened the door to Jonathan Parker. He placed a finger to his aged lips. "She fell asleep. Did you book the helicopter out of here?"

Jonathan stepped through the door and nodded. "It doesn't leave for another hour." He glanced at his wife, lying on a bed.

Sinopa Parker slept on her back, hands over her pregnant belly. Nathan gave Jonathan a moment to look his wife over. The old man took the younger thief by his wrist and guided Parker out of the hotel room.

Nathan took Jonathan to his own room, directly across the hall, shut the door, and cleared his voice. "It's time we talk, Parker."

"Just JC. I respect you, Nathan. I don't blame you for what happened. I'm just glad you kept her safe for the last few weeks."

Nathanial shrugged. "Yeah. Sinopa's a good girl. I have a lot of respect for her."

"How long have you known her?"

"Longer than she remembers. It's complicated." Nathan motioned to a blanket over his dresser mirror. "You can thank that one for being the drama queen that she is, and clearing out Sinopa's memories more than once."

Jonathan grimaced.

Nathan sighed. "Look, kid, thanks for the nice room. The clean clothes are a nice touch. There's a lot of stuff I need to tell you, and I don't want our conversation to go any further than this room."

Jonathan eyed Nathan for a moment then nodded. "Is this about Karla? What's your obsession with her anyhow?"

Nathan glanced at a wrist watch. "Right about now, she's hunting for the telepath you and your wife saved in New York seven months ago." Nathan paused, as if thinking. "Also, the kid and the werewolf are about to meet Philip Astor any minute."

"Jesus Christ. He's the council's other largest financial backer."

"Yeah," said Nathan. "He's rich. But he's got nothing on your vault, JC."

"One of these days, you'll have to tell me how you know so much about my family's worth."

Nathan grinned and glanced back down at his watch. "Twenty minutes from now, Karla will find the werewolf and the telepath. The three of them are going to engage Astor's men out in the rain on the roof of a parking garage. That means we have time to talk."

"How do you know all this stuff, Nathan?"

"The same way I know Eli Thomas Parker Junior made those lock picks you keep in your pocket at all times - someone told me."

"When?"

"When I was in my late twenties, kid. I remember because the electricity wants me to."

"What the hell does that mean, Nathanial?"

"It's why Tamamo can't wipe my memories - Christ knows she's tried that bullshit quite a few times. It doesn't work because stimulating the hippocampus with electricity unlocks memories you forgot you had."

"How do you mean? You have a photographic or eidetic memory?"

"Nah, kid. But if I want to recall something, I think about it and juice up. It comes back to me with all the details. Smell, sound, sight, everything. If I wanted to remember what it was like the day I met Eli Thomas Parker Senior, I just have to think about it and juice up - then I'll remember the sound of his steam engines, the smell of his cologne, and his overly-friendly smile."

Jonathan remained emotionless, yet his eyes showed he was interested in hearing about his ancestor.

Nathan smirked. "You know, you're gruff and broody like Batman, and Eli Sr. was amiable and friendly like Bruce Wayne. Hell of a difference."

"The man you're talking about was alive in the late 1800's, Nathan. Are you seriously that old?"

"Yeah, kid. Then I helped Carmen, his wife, to deal with Eli Thomas Jr. acting out. Kid needed a male role model in his life. Y'know, back when Carmen was pregnant with her son, she didn't know the sex of the kid yet - so the name she picked out if the baby was a girl ... was going to be Nichole."

Jonathan stared at Nathan in silence. After a moment to contemplate, he said, "My family has a thing about reusing names out of respect for our ancestors."

"I know, JC. I know. Look, we don't have long to talk."

"Fine. First, answer my question - what is your obsession with the succubus? Why are you so protective of her? Is it because you married her sister?"

Silence.

Parker arched his brows. "Is it?"

"Seems I'm not the only one who knows things that make others feel awkward. Good for you, Parker. You got a leg up on me."

"Don't deflect."

"Truth is, I know what Karla is capable of, understood? I've known her since December of 1906."

"And how do you know things that haven't happened yet, like Karla and her friends going up against Philip Astor?"

Nathan sighed. "That's really complicated."

"Un-complicate it."

"The best way to describe it is, during my childhood, I was given a glimpse of the future. A lot of shit is going to happen, Jon. There's so much I want to tell you but I can't change everything without screwing up everything."

Parker glanced back over his shoulder to make sure the hotel room door was fully closed. He turned back to Nathan and folded his arms. "Something you learned from YiaYia?"

"Something like that." Carrington paused then sighed. "No. Nothing like that, but it's what I'm going to tell people until the day I die. This stays between us. You keep this a secret the way I kept your family vault a secret, you got it?"

"I understand."

Nathan opened up the closet and withdrew several extra blankets. He draped another one over the mirror of the dresser. He carried the other into the bathroom. "Hang that up, young man."

Parker sighed and climbed up onto the sink counter. He stuffed the blanket into the fixture and draped it to cover the mirror. Jonathan dropped down, turned off the light and pulled the bathroom door shut behind himself. "Okay, you wanna tell me what's with all the cloak and dagger?"

"You know YiaYia in person? You ever met her, Parker?"

"YiaYia the Greek oracle? She's a good cook. I like her tzatziki sauce," said Parker, pronouncing the word to sound like, 'tah-zee-key.'

Nathan smirked. "Yeah I put it on everything. Look, if I tell you the truth, can I trust you not to tell anyone?"

"That depends on what you tell me."

"I don't want the sports almanac to fall into the wrong hands, Parker."

"You're using Back to the Future analogies?"

Nathan shook his head with a sigh. "A long time ago, I saw my own future, Jon. It's complicated, and I won't bore you with all the details, but suffice to say, my life changed when I used my ability while being in physical contact with technology from the First Age."

Parker's eyes widened. "You mean like that crap we found when the EC asked my team to retrieve that device a few years ago?"

"Your team?" Nathan smirked. "I'd hardly call Karla Chintzy and Aris Sokolov a team. I recall you had two others ... the two French brothers."

"Yes, 'The Brothers Rue,' they called themselves."

"Hard workers - I liked those boys."

Parker smirked. "Mm, so did Karla, as I recall."

The old man's smile faded. "Jon, I'm sorry they were killed and I'm sorry you had to lie to everyone about how they died. But to answer your question - yes. It was technology like the device you were asked to find."

"Go on, I'm listening, Nathan."

"I was in my late twenties; it was before I met Eli Parker Sr., and before I married my wife. I had my own team of Specials, and we were under attack."

"Who was your enemy?"

"We fought a deity, Jon. It wasn't pretty. I charged the device with my power, hoping to either destroy it or the deity. Instead, it absorbed my energy and caused me a lot of drama. I saw a different time. I saw a world I didn't understand. From that point, my life was never the same. I know things I shouldn't; I know my future. I know where things go wrong. All I can do is try and fix everything the old fashion way."

Parker studied Nathan's expression for a moment. "What did you see?"

"Way too much. I saw one hundred fifty-seven years of history, starting from the 1890s, all the way up to 2050."

"Christ. That happened from zapping some sort of First Age tech device? Are you being serious, old man? You saw legitimate history before it happened?"

"Yeah, Jon. And you want to know the kicker? I saw how and when I die in 2023, too. So now, I've had this past century to wonder why I got to see the things I've seen. I get to wonder - why me? I get to scratch my head and wonder what it all means, and if it was all so that I could fix things without changing the world. It's been a goddamn burden I've kept to myself for a long time."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"The thought of the kid finding out is a double-edged sword, Jon. I've wanted to get this shit off my chest for a long time. But Chance is young and green. If he finds out, he'll be a target."

"Why?"

"Because someone found out I know the future quite a few years ago. They hunted me because knowledge is power. It's the reason I started the Four Horsemen. I wanted to surround myself with the best warriors our kind has to offer. Now, the original guy who wanted to know what I saw ... he died in 1997. To date, I still don't know who killed him or why. But the word got out that I know the goddamn future."

"Big deal, the Esoteric community is loaded with seers, Nathan. Some are better than others, which is why YiaYia is the current Oracle."

Nathan sighed. "Let me put things in perspective, kid. I've know exact details about future incidents, ninety years before they occur. We're talking about things that YiaYia could only confirm after some fuzzy dreams, a week before that incident takes place."

"Does YiaYia know about what happened to you?"

"Yeah. She's been the only one because she has become my excuse for knowing. She confirms whatever I tell people about the future."

Parker crossed his arms over his chest. "Like what, for example?"

"For example - Dr. Aris Sokolov now calls himself Aris Falcon. You cannot let him near your wife. I want you to look up a man named Isaac. He's a doctor for the Esoteric Council's highest-ranking leaders. He's quite old."

Parker folded his arms. "I know Isaac. He's a friend to Methos. He's an inventor. Why do you think Isaac is qualified to deliver a baby? And, more importantly, why would he help? He's very racist. Humans, gods, he holds grudges against both. Sinopa is a deity."

Nathan put his hands up to stop the thief from talking. The old man ran his right hand up over his crew-cut short hair "Isaac will help, trust me. He's an inventor as a hobby. His true calling is to the medical world. Yes, he's racist towards anyone human or mythological, but he's the only one who will make sure this delivery goes right."

"Why Isaac and not Sokolov?"

"Aris genetically engineered the children from the very beginning. They're just an experiment to him."

Jonathan began pacing. "You have proof?"

"He wants the kids, your son and daughter, to have children together."

"Excuse me? Are we talking about incest?"

"Yeah, Jon. Aris wants your grandchild. He added genetic code to the twins, so they would be attracted to one another. He changed their genetic code, creating something called a 'chimera,' so that if your twins have a child, your grandchild would become someone capable of helping Aris to locate the Capital of the First Age."

"Capital as in a city?"

"That technology I mentioned ... it came from that city, Jon. Aris has become obsessed with the city, its tech, and its people. He's going to go out of his way to find a way down there."

Jonathan continued pacing. "How do I even try to digest what you're telling me?"

"It starts with following clues from the oldest immortals of our kind. Apparently, ten thousand years ago, the leader of the city managed to seal it away. The leader, who is dead now, is the only one who can gain access to it."

"What's that got to do with my kids, Nathan?"

Carrington sighed. "If your children fall in love and have a baby, the kid would be a genetically reborn version of the long-lost leader of that ancient race. No, I'm not kidding. I know it sounds ridiculous, or like the plot of a bullshit B-movie, but Aris did a lot of genetic work on those twins."

Jonathan clenched his hands into fists. "Like what?"

"They'll grow up and emit a pheromone that only the other twin can detect. Fox's body has been genetically engineered so that every sperm his body creates is identical. If those two get together, their chimera genetics will recreate this guy who died ten thousand years ago. I know you'll love your kids to death, but you have to keep them apart once they're old enough to..."

"Christ, Nathan. You're asking me to keep my kids apart because they might have sex."

"Jon, it's a temporary thing. Topaz will eventually go through a phase where she prefers women. A few years later, she'll find a boy named Vincent Nevada. She'll watch him go through a near-death experience and they'll fall in love. I won't live long enough to see it, but I can tell you right now that Vincent is the best thing for her."

"Jesus. Is he a Special?"

"Yeah, Jon. The kid has an amazing ability. You should also know that Vincent's older brother will fall in love with your little sister. Your instinct will be to drive a wedge between them. Don't do that."

"Why would I want to interfere with...?"

"He's a cop."

Jonathan eyed Nathan for a moment. He frowned. "A thief and a cop? That's not a good idea."

"She won't be a thief," said Nathan. "Your little sister won't manifest an ability until much later in her life. And when it finally does happen, it won't be what you have."

"You saw all of this?"

"Yeah. First Age technology is pretty weird, stuff, Parker. Anyway, your sister is currently pretty young, right?"

"Very," said Jonathan with a firm nod. "I'm surprised you know about her. My parents are getting up there in age. I'm surprised they had another kid this late in life. They haven't told anyone."

"Yeah? Her name is Nichole. Believe me now?"

Jonathan licked his lips and swallowed. "There's no way you could have known that."

"Why, because you and your folks are the only ones who know about Nichole being born? Yeah, your secret is safe with me. You're going to wind up raising her until 2014. She won't get her ability until much later on in her life."

"What's this cop's name?"

"His name, despite how much he hates it, doesn't matter. He'll be a homicide cop - he won't be your enemy. He will love your little sister and treat her with respect. And his younger brother, Vincent, will treat Topaz the way you'd want Topaz to be treated. You won't ever have to worry about your girls."

Parker nodded with a frown. "So, why would I wind up raising my kid sister until 2014? What happens then? And why aren't my folks going to raise her?"

"I don't know. All I know is that you raise Nichole alongside of Fox and Topaz. Then, in 2014, there will be a lot of tension in the world. It'll be ten years deep into a new 'Crusade.' But this one won't be Christians against Muslims. It'll be the Big Government facing off against Muslim expansion because there will be a lot of instability and unstable cultures sitting on top of the Middle East oil supply."

Jonathan held his hands up. "What does this have to do with why Nichole would disappear in 2014?"

Nathanial shook his head. "God, I shouldn't have said anything. I feel like I wanted to tell you to keep the twins apart, and then the flood gates opened."

"You've really been holding information about the world close to your chest for all these years?"

"Yeah, kid. It hasn't been easy."

"Pardon me being skeptical, Nathan. The telepath could have told you about my baby sister. Why don't you just bluntly tell me what you want to say, and stop being so cryptic?"

"Believe what the hell you want, Jon. Just keep those twins from having kids. If you do a good job, the world won't fucking end. You understand what's at stake now? If Aris gets his hands on your grandchild, everyone dies. How's that for blunt?"

"If you really know things that will happen before they happen, why didn't you change things? I mean, Jesus Christ, Nathanial, you could have stopped two nuclear bombs from falling on Japan. If you really knew it was going to happen before it happened, why didn't you stop it?"

"It breaks my goddamn heart, Jon, but I have to let historical things happen."

Parker glared at the old man for a moment.

Silence.

Nathan folded his arms.

"How the hell do I believe you've seen the future, Nathan? You're asking a lot from me. Make me believe you."

Nathan scoffed. "You want proof? Fine. Next year, a Navy destroyer will be bombed by terrorists. The following year, America will be attacked directly, only it will be a thousand times worse - they'll hijack airplanes and crash them into New York City skyscrapers. You'll see the news and realize I'm right. That bullshit changes the world, and countries take new measures to protect themselves."

"Are you serious?"

Nathan nodded. "And then maybe you'll remember this conversation and decide to keep the twins from being dumb horny teens that act without thinking. Hell, maybe you should keep them apart from the start, until Topaz is old enough to show an interest in females."

After a moment, Jon Parker shook his head. "Fine. I don't know if you're crazy or not. I can't prove your claims until it's too late. So why not anonymously submit this information to the United States? They'll realize they're in danger. They'll take your information under consideration. It might save lives, and still have the outcome of causing the American Government to take the steps necessary to protect itself that you mentioned."

Nathan threw his arms upwards. "You think it's that simple?! I lightning-teleported myself into the Oval Office and I warned Roosevelt about Pearl Harbor! I thought he'd see my ability and take my warning seriously! I thought I could change things, Parker!"

"And Pearl Harbor still happened..."

"Exactly! I had all this information and I couldn't stop it!"

"Is this why you tell people that YiaYia warns you about certain things? So our community is more likely to listen to your warnings?"

"Yes, Jon. I know things nobody saw coming!" Nathan sighed.

"I'm listening."

Nathan smirked. "For starters, I told Eli to withdraw all your family's stocks before the market crashed at the end of the 1920s. I didn't know exactly what day or year it would happen, so I had him pull everything at the end of 1927. But I knew it was coming approximately at the end of the so-called roaring 20's. I couldn't stop it. Then the end of the 30's come and I thought to myself - if I stop Pearl Harbor, millions of people would survive."

"He didn't listen to you?"

"No, Jon, and I'm glad he didn't."

Parker blinked. "Excuse me? You could have stopped Japan from falling victim to two nuclear bombs ... that is, if you're really telling me the truth."

Nathan sighed. "If Roosevelt listened to me, Hitler would have conquered Europe _before_Russia's march from Stalingrad to Berlin. I think Roosevelt considered my warning, then he made the call to _let_Pearl Harbor happen as an excuse to get the rest of America to agree to go to war against the Axis powers. He had better foresight than I did, despite my knowledge of what happens next."

"You're talking about two cities being nuked. You know my wife is from Japan right?"

"Jon, you're a young, dumb kid compared to me. You ever seen the Japanese Government before the 1980s? All you remember about Japan is that they made computers, video games, and pretty girls with foxtails. Back in my youth, they were bullies to anyone who couldn't protect themselves from Japanese Imperial expansion. They thought they could rule the world. Lucky for the rest of the world, Japan wasn't the sum of their military desires. They had a notion of honor, and they have this 'If you can't beat them, join them' mentality. And, yeah, now they're one of America's closest allies. But goddamn, Jon, we all but begged them for peace before they attacked Hawaii."

"Okay, look, I know you hold it against them because you lived through that time, but that's not what Japan is like anymore."

"Don't patronize me. Did you forget I'm friends with Sinopa and Tamamo-no-Mae? I was already old when the Second World War started. I'm trying to tell you that I was ignorant enough to think I could stop thousands upon thousands of people from dying. But if I'd done that, millions of people would have died in Europe. The Nazis would have conquered Europe without any goddamn resistance. Then they might have been able to withstand the Russian march against Berlin."

"Speculation, Nathan."

"Yeah, but I have no right to change history. All I'm supposed to do is stop the world from ending, not police every mistake it made in the twentieth century."

"I would have tried harder, Nathan. I would have changed more."

Nathan grimaced. "If I changed anything, it might have made things worse. I learned my lesson. I can't change anything major. My changes have to be subtle ones, and I can only try to change bullshit pertaining to the supernatural community."

"Changing something involving the twins is subtle?"

"It doesn't directly have an effect on the rest of the world, Jon. Yet it saves the whole goddamn world in the end. And over the next two years, when you see the destroyer attacked, followed by hijacked airplanes crashing into America, you'll see I wasn't bullshitting you. And then you know what you're going to do, kid? You're going to keep those twins apart."

"If you can really change things, why wouldn't you stop someone from attacking America?"

"Because Jon! Don't you listen? If I change world events, the possible outcome could be far worse. These assholes float a boat of explosives into a Naval destroyer. The ship doesn't even sink. Then they fly four planes into three buildings on the east coast. America makes changes to their rules of engagement, and to their information network and spying network because of these attacks."

"Yeah, so?"

Nathan threw his hands up in the air, "And what if I stopped these attacks, huh? And then America's guard is down for the next attack, which is something that I can't anticipate because I changed things. And what if the next goddamn attack is something worse?"

Jonathan frowned but stayed quiet.

"What if Nine-Eleven never happens, and the world stays lax? Then the terrorists try something else, like a multi-kiloton nuke in a briefcase, huh? Would you rather a few thousand civilians dieq? Or would you rather this country be defenseless and unprepared for a nuke that could wipe out New York City or Los Angeles? How about Chicago?"

Parker stayed silent.

"What if it happened to San Francisco, and Dallas? Not changing history breaks my goddamn heart, Parker. But it has to happen this way because the alternative has the potential to be much worse."

"Nathan, if I knew what you claim to know, I would put a stop to it..."

"No, Jon. Now stop acting like you know so goddamn much. I've had decades to think about the God-awful shit I know. I've had more heartbreak than you can understand, watching this shit unfold. If I stopped Pearl Harbor, and Germany invented the first Atomic bomb, they would have held the world hostage."

Jonathan grimaced.

"I'm telling you to keep your kids from having sex. Is that too much to ask? Be a father. Goddamn. Take them for ice cream together after your jobs or something. That's always been your thing, right?"

"Fine."

"Good." Nathan began pacing his empty hotel room. "I'm sorry everything is so damn complicated."

Jonathan frowned. "Why do you have blankets up over all the mirrors in this room? You trying to keep secrets from Tamamo?"

"I'm keeping secrets from everyone, including you." Nathan offered a frail old grin.

"Fine, let me ask you about the mirror my wife is hunting: What happens if this mirror stays in the wrong hands?"

"Imagine if the bad guys pull some nasty bastard through to help them? Some of the gods are real assholes, Jon. Imagine having someone like Aris Sokolov in possession of the mirror. What if decides he needs the help of someone more powerful than we can handle."

"I see. Sinopa tells me that it would allow humans to go through without a chaperone. Should I be worried? It's her job to get it back, but she's pregnant."

"No need to worry," said Nathan. "Karla will find it. This is all about her anyhow."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Karla has to retrieve the mirror. I know your wife was tasked to get it but Karla was given the same objective. Natalia Kincade offered her a half million dollars to get this damn mirror. It's enough money for Karla to get her life back together. She can pay off her condo, pay off her credit debts, and whatever else she needs to do."

"Such a small amount of money - she's willing to risk her life for nearly nothing."

Nathan sighed. "It's not the money. It's her chance to get herself in a better place. It's the chance to rebel against the Esoteric Council and expose the current leadership as shysters. The more she learns about this mess, the more she wants to know what's going on. She's a good girl, Parker; she means well."

"You love her?"

"I have for a while, now. We realized we weren't compatible romantically. We were better friends than lovers. Now I'm old and she's still young. Our relationship evolved. We learned how to handle our physical thing, whatever it was, and now we're learning how to incorporate a sort of father-daughter relationship. One day, I'll be dead and I don't want her to be alone. She deserves to be happy."

"So this kid, Chance - is he the one for her?"

"Yeah, but it'll never happen."

The thief tilted his head. "Excuse me? Why not?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love for them to be a happy couple. She's a hell of a lot happier than I've ever seen her. I've seen fifty shades of Karla, and this ... her with Chance ... this is the happiest she's ever been, Jonathan. But a higher power is in the driver's seat. The kid dies, and eventually Karla settles for someone else."

"What happens to the boy?"

Nathan shook his head. "Chance makes a selfless choice no man should ever have to make. I don't know much more than that."

"What _do_you know about him?"

"He isn't in the picture by the time you and I die, Parker." Nathan sat down on the edge of the dresser.

"You really want a resentful succubus with her kind of power to be running around, pissed off?"

Nathan frowned. "No. I don't. I believe that Tamamo somehow helps repair Karla's resentment. It doesn't last forever, but it's better than letting Karla go off half-cocked for the rest of her life."

"You like the kid, don't you?"

Nathan smirked and looked away. "Yeah. I didn't think I would. I told myself he is a nuclear bomb, and if he falls into the wrong hands, he could kill us all. I told myself to let the EC run things with their rules."

"He can do all that?"

"Yeah, Jonathan. If this kid wanted to topple the Esoteric Council, he could do it by turning them against one another using their thoughts. Worse yet, the boy could be forced to use his ability by someone like the St. Leonard brothers. He's a 'broken arrow' and that sort of power shouldn't exist."

"But?"

Nathan ran his hands up through his short hair with a sigh of frustration. "But then I met the kid. And now I like him. I want him to be the one that Karla spends her life with, but I don't know if I can change history."

"Now you want to save him?"

Nathan grimaced. "What if he learns what I know about the future? What if he tells Karla? What if the wrong people target him after he learns knowledge of the future? It would cause serious problems."

"I'm still not really convinced."

"I don't give a shit. You'll be convinced after Nine-Eleven."

"What's nine-eleven? A time something happens? Am or Pm?"

The old man shook his head grunt. "No. It's not a time. But you'll know what it is after it happens. And you know what, Jon? You'll realize I'm not blowing smoke up your ass. And then you'll get those twins apart like I told you."

Carrington slid off the dresser and walked to the window, watching the rain. The intensity was coming and going in waves. An intense downpour lasted ten to fifteen seconds, followed by a moment of calm steady rain.

"I'm tired of the council and its drama, Nathan. I have bigger things to worry about, like my family legacy. I want to train my kids to be their best."

Carrington smirked and turned back towards Jon Parker. A tired, weary smile crept across the old man's face. "Why don't you play professional sports or something, Jon? You could probably be a pretty good football player. You could be the least bulky receiver in the league and set a few records, or you could be one hell of a quarterback."

"Me? Pro football?"

"You need to consider that you're rich and nobody knows who you are. Create a legal wealth on paper. Then anytime you need to travel or do something expensive, you can validate your lifestyle. Just do it for a few years, invest the money, and buy a team or something. Become a philanthropist. Teach Topaz how to become the best master thief your four families have ever seen."

"Why not my son?"

"Because Fox will be better with cyber security. Topaz will be very competitive. Nurture her drive. She will want to be the best, so make her the best. And play pro sports, I mean it."

Parker rubbed his chin. "Hmm." A sly grin tugged at the thief's mouth. "I've actually considered that recently, so it's funny you mentioned it. What team do I play for?"

Carrington returned the grin. "Clever, kiddo. But I'm not telling. You'll try out, and you'll blow away the competition. You sill be the oldest rookie footballer in the league and you will set world records."

"And Sinopa?"

Nathan smirked. "She'll be at home, raising children. Listen, where is the whip?"

"The whip belonging to the viceroy of Poland?"

"No, smartass - the whip belonging to the aliens. Yes the whip that belonged to the viceroy of Poland."

"Karla has it in her purse. What's the deal with it? Nobody told me anything."

"In 1610, Elizabeth Báthory was captured and convicted of murdering at _least_eighty virgin girls and bathing in their blood to become immortal."

"Yeah. Okay, so, she was Hungarian, right?"

The old man smirked. "Look at you, kid. You're more educated than I thought. I'm impressed. Yes, she was put on house arrest for four years and presumed dead in 1614. They removed her from Chachtice Castle and tossed in a stonewall tomb. She escaped in early 1615, where she laid low. In the 1830's, some whack-job fanatic virgin female cult sacrificed some of their members to awaken the countess. Elizabeth started quietly pulling favors and winning political sway with select members of the EC ever since."

"How's she involved with this mess?"

"She sought out Aris Sokolov to help her. He used his knowledge of genetics to stabilize her immortality, so that she could sustain it without having to bathe in blood. She was basically a broken vampire. He fixed her. Now she's working with Aris. She's apparently helping Aris with his illegal super-soldier program. The guy's name is Jasper Cunningham. They have a seven-year-old daughter together and this kid manifested an ability - when in proximity to her parents, she can render them completely invulnerable to any and all physical attacks."

"Jesus. That's a new one."

Nathan nodded. "The whip is what was used against Báthory in the 1600s. It's been used two times against her and both times it's the only thing that could knock her down a peg or two. So we're going to kill this bitch, separate the kid from Jasper, and then knock him down on his ass. That's Aris' front line of defense. Then we'll go after the mirror."

Parker nodded in reply. "Understood, what's my play?"

"Look, kiddo, you've got your wife back. Lay low. Let the rest of us handle everything. Do you understand?"

"I ... understand, Nathanial. Will I see you again?"

Nathan shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Were you really there when Masopic killed Niall Kincade?"

Nathanial nodded and walked to the door. "Yeah, in the summer of 1908. And now I'm going to make sure Karla gets that damn mirror back to the Kincade family. Stay away from the telepathic kid, or he'll read our conversation from you."

"Wait, is that why you told me that stuff? You did it to force my hand into staying away from Marcus Howard?"

"Hey, you're a smart one," Nathan said in a faux bright tone. "Helping the kid will leave your wife unprotected. She's going into labor soon. You need to think about her safety. Find Isaac before it happens. Don't let Aris near her or the children. I mean it."

Jonathan offered his hand. They shook. Parker glanced at his watch. "I should wake her. My flight is leaving soon."

"Good, good. That's good - get your wife out of Las Vegas. The rain should probably taper off soon."

Parker nodded with a frown. "How come you didn't know about getting captured?"

"I didn't lesrn eery single detail, just the important ones. I barely know your future beyond playing football for three years professionally. Now, get your wife to safety. And I want box seats and season passes."

"You like football?"

"Goddamn right I like football. You can take the blankets off the mirrors now. Oh, and call the front desk and add a few more rooms to your tab. Karla, Peri and the boy are going to need to get some rest before I send them off to fight the good fight, you got it?" Nathan smirked and walked out of the hotel room.

Nathan turned up the hallway and headed for the elevators. He stopped in front of them, eyed the elevator call buttons for a moment and decided to take the stairs.

X

X

Meanwhile...

** A supernatural line of eight soldiers** faced off against Peri, Karla and Chance. At first, nobody spoke.

The werewolf, Peri Lynn, rubbed water from her face. "I'm getting tired of the standoff."

Chance licked his lips, took a deep breath, and called across the rooftop to the men. "Look, fighting is inevitable at some point, but this isn't the time or the place."

One of the eight soldiers scoffed.

Chance frowned and tried a different approach. "People are likely looking out their windows right now to see the storm. This storm is unbelievable. Anyone with a camera will be taking pictures. How many tourists are in Vegas? And how many tourists have cameras? Do you want to chance someone getting a great photograph of us fighting?"

Karla stole a glance at a nearby hotel building. "I'm happy to turn this whole thing into a wet t-shirt contest, and walk away the winner."

One of the eight men pushed wet locks from his forehead and said, "The détente is cute, but you three just want to buy yourselves time because you know you're running out of it."

Karla laughed. "Did you see what I did to your boss?" she said, nodding towards Philip Astor, half phased in the rooftop. "But it's raining. Have you guys met my friend, Nathan Carrington? He's in the area. It's raining. Lightning is not out of the question. He could fry you guys and nobody would question a lightning bolt in a storm like this."

"She's bluffing," said one of the men.

Another said, "No she's not. That's the girl who just freed the old man from the train. We tried to keep him contained but he's free and he's around here somewhere."

Karla put her hands on her hips. "I'll give you one free pass. We can fight again later. Somewhere far away from windows. Truce?"

Peri turned to Karla and, in a softer voice, asked, "Are you serious? You really want to let them get away? I thought you liked fighting."

"I do," replied the succubus. "I just teleported all of us out here. My heart is going to beat its way out of my chest. I'm exhausted. Conner Parker brought me this special whip so I have a feeling I'll be needed for another fight real soon. We should regroup and take a breather. I need something to eat, a nap and some serious sex."

Chance frowned. "I sense they want to fight."

One of the eight men approached, meeting in the middle of the two groups.

"I'm John Summers. Out of everyone in this group, I'm the only one with a kid. I have a little girl, Samantha. I don't want to fight. But the three of you need to surrender."

Peri and Karla exchanged skeptical glances.

Summers added, "Some of those guys are really powerful. We've trained for years to replace this group calling themselves The Four Horsemen. We trained to take down supernatural lawbreakers and such."

Karla shook her head. "You're the diplomat of the group, huh? Well, if your boys attack, I'll let you live because Samantha will need a father, John ... Summers was it?"

"Yes. But we need you to surrender. All three of you are wanted for murder, creating chaos amongst the humans, using your abilities in public, attacking a train in public, killing members of the Esoteric Community, and let's face it." John Summers swallowed with a weak smile. "You're all really tired."

Karla looked him over, sizing him up. "Dress slacks and a polo, you look like you should be an office intern. Those penny loafers are ruined thanks to this rain. Listen, when my pal arrives, you take two steps back from your pals, and he won't fry your butt. Nathan is fair like that."

"Why don't you surrender and we can all go home. You get your day in court. You ladies can testify that you were under the influence of a telepath, and you'll be free to go about your way."

Karla grimaced. She balled her hands into fists and teleported the remains of Philip Astor out of the rooftop. The top and bottom section of his body appeared on the roof.

Astor's mid-section was horribly disfigured. Concrete and flecks of carpet from back in the hotel covered his shirt. Neither the torso nor his lower section bled from the way they'd been re-fused.

Chance looked from Astor's marred remains back to Karla. "Why does he look shorter?"

"Because I used telekinesis to cut him into two pieces like a saw, babe. I used teleportation to fuse him back together, albeit shorter. His gut is forever fused with the Caesar. This is what I could salvage."

Chance grimaced. He turned back to John Summers. "We covered our tracks. Nothing for the public to find. You'll fight us again, but next time it can be somewhere private."

"No, this ends here!" shouted one of the men behind Summers.

"Jesus," Peri groused. "I'll be in the bathroom while you idiots make up your mind."

"What?!" Exclaimed one of the men who had an alpha male personality. "Nobody is going anywhere!"

"Piss off," Peri snapped. "You boys can't even make up your minds, so I'm hitting the head."

"Why!?"

Peri eyed the man. She glanced at John Summers, standing a few feet away. Her eyes returned to the remaining seven in the distance. "Your friends are rude, Johnny-boy. All I was gonna do is use the goddamn bathroom."

The alpha personality, behind Summers, cracked his knuckles and glowered. "I asked you why, you stupid dog-bitch! Now answer the question!"

Peri clenched her paws into fists and shouted, "To open the goddamn Chamber of Secrets! Bitch, why do you think?!" Peri bared her fangs.

"Make sure you clean up after your dog," said one of the soldiers in a chiding tone to Karla and Marcus. "What are we waiting for? Let's rip those three apart!"

Summers turned to the rest of his group and said, "No, the children are right. We know better than fighting in public." John turned back to the trio and shouted over the roar of the rain. "Get out of the public eye until your werewolf transforms back to a human! Do it now!"

"No!" exclaimed one of the other seven attackers. "They're not getting away. We kill them right now and bring back the bodies!"

"Agreed!" someone else shouted.

John Summers sighed. He walked back towards his group but continued passed them. "I'll find a way to transport Mr. Astor's remains."

Peri sneered in disgust. "I want to bite some legs off, but it'd be easier if you just teleport us out of here, Karla."

Karla sighed and rubbed her face. "I'm exhausted, you guys. I can't just teleport all the time like it's easy. I'm getting better with practice, but it's hard on my metabolism. I'm not Ethan. That guy was a master."

The skies opened up. A bolt of lightning linked from the parking deck to the sky. Nathan Carrington stood in the middle, between the two groups. His fresh, clean clothes quickly became soaked in the rain.

The old man looked from Karla, Peri and Chance, back towards the other group.

Nathan's eyes zeroed in on the body of Philip Astor - both halves. He folded his arms, facing the EC soldiers. "You guys going to fight in public? Is that it? Lightning just struck the rooftop. If people weren't looking out here, they are now. And you guys were going to attack these three without due process? Don't you pricks know anything about law?"

Karla grinned. "You shmucks are in trouble now."

Nathan continued overtop of Karla's taunting. "You know what's funny? Kidnapping the hero of the Tunguska War wasn't your agenda from the council. It was an order that came down from Jasper Cunningham. You guys know him?"

Nobody answered.

"Didn't think so. You boys don't even know where your goddamn orders come from." Nathan folded his arms. "He's an illegally created super-soldier. Aris Falcon wasn't given official permission to create that abomination. Oh! And Cunningham is married to the Hungarian immortal, Elizabeth Báthory. You know the woman I'm talking about? Yeah, that's right, I'm talking about the whack-job who killed virgin girls and bathed in their blood."

Nobody spoke.

Nathan smirked, keeping his arms folded across his chest. "Eighty confirmed murders. Some say upwards of over six hundred. And that's just in the twenty-years before she was caught and arrested. It's been almost four centuries, and she's still one of the most wanted supernatural people to date. Shouldn't you be out there looking for her?"

"Fuck you old man," said one of the soldiers. "It's not proven she's still alive. That's a rumor."

"Not anymore, kid!" Nathan pointed towards the exit ramp leading off the top level of the parking deck. "You should probably leave and report it to your superiors. She's working with the people who took the Celestial Reflection Window - that is what you guys are calling it, right? Or are you morons using the old name?"

One of the soldiers approached, cautiously. "The Portal to Heaven is safely with the Esoteric Council. Where it belongs."

"EH! Wrong!" Nathan shouted in anger. "You morons don't know a damn thing! I was captured by these assholes and saw their operation!" His voice calmed slightly, but remained stern. "Now go lick your wounds and report in."

"Don't tell us what to do," said the soldier, eyes narrowed from the rain.

"You stupid dumbass. You're doing my old job. I wrote your training book, dipshit."

Silence.

Nathan stared at the group of confused men. "Are you telling me you don't even know who I am?!"

No one spoke.

Nathan threw his hands up in disgust. "Are you bullshitting me? Haven't you ever heard of The Reaper? I was the leader of the goddamn Four Horsemen." Nathan opened his right and left hands, off to the side. Two lightning scythes appeared in his grasp, humming with power, crackling in the rain. "You want me to show you why, you little punk?"

John Summers stepped away from his group and approached Nathan. "Put those away. Why are you protecting the telepath? We're doing him a favor."

Nathan's glowing white sickles faded away. "I helped this new administration write its laws, you little punk rookie. Shouldn't you go home and raise your daughter? Samantha, right? She grows up to be a human hunter, so you must've done something wrong. Maybe you didn't hug her enough. Now get the hell out of my face, kid."

John stared at Nathan, brows furrowed. "How the hell do you know...?"

"Take a hike, Summers. God you're a stubborn as your daughter is going to be, only she's mouthier and a know-it-all."

John eyed Nathan for a moment. He turned back to his group. "I'm a father, now. I'm not fighting the goddamn Reaper. I'm leaving. I'll come back with something for Astor's body." John Summers walked off the parking deck.

Nathan cracked his knuckles. "Anyone else?"

Chance cut his gaze to Nathanial. "They're going to blitz-attack."

Nathanial electrified the area at the center of the remaining supernatural attack group. A bright web of electricity linked the seven remaining men for a fraction of a second.

All seven attackers went to the ground, stunned.

Nathan turned back to Karla, Chance and Peri. "I'm not going to kill them. It would get back to the council."

Peri reached a paw up and scratched behind her left ear. "Damn. I'd trade breathing under water for that any day of the week."

Karla sighed. "I have the whip, old man. Where do we go next?"

Nathan moved close so she'd hear him over the rain. "This is about to get a lot more complicated than you realize. Are you sure you want to do this? The kid might not make it. If you wanted, you two could make a run for it and lay low."

Karla swallowed. "What choice do I have at this point? We're all in this crap together."

Chance eyed Nathan for a moment. He took a deep breath. "Karla lives when the dust settles?"

"If we play our cards right, kid."

"Are we fighting or what?" asked Peri.

Nathan turned to Karla again. "Neither of these kids have a very good chance, Karla - your friends won't survive against the council. You're in over your head, here."

"I need this money, Nathan."

Nathanial clenched his fist. "This mirror isn't about the money anymore. We can't let it fall into the wrong hands."

"What's the big fucking deal, babe? Why is this so serious?"

Nathan put his hands on her shoulders. "Karla ... if one of those idiots pulls the wrong god through that mirror, you might be fighting an actual deity. And it won't be one of the nice ones that Sinopa serves. These people want power. They would take this boy by his throat and force him to read people's minds, then dispose of him like trash."

Karla brought her hands up and put them on Nathan's cheeks. "I'd fight or walk away just because you asked me to. But there's something you need to know."

"What?"

Karla looked down. She released the old man's face and side-nodded towards Chance. "He's already read from you. He knows you saw him die. So I'm_going to change things. He's not going to die. I'm going to change the future because I know about it, now. Nathan, I love him. What if '_Romeo and Juliet' was re-written with a happy ending? I'm going to write my own ending, old man."

Nathan nodded with a sad sort of smile. "If I can change the future, so can you. If you can keep the boy alive, then do whatever it takes, okay?"

Karla swallowed down the emotion bubbling up in her heart. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. I will. I love him."

"I know. And I know what it means to fight for someone you love, against all odds."

"My sister?"

"Yeah. I made a stupid decision. I went off to war for thirteen years, and when I came back, I only had one year with her before she died. If I could do it all over, I would have made a different choice."

Karla pursed her lips together, trying to repress her emotions. "She loved you. You shouldn't have left her for all that time." She bit her lower lip. "I wish you could change the past, too."

Nathan shook his head with a sigh. "Look, if you can save that kid from some bullshit fate, then do it." He leaned forward and kissed Karla's forehead. "This is the one you've been waiting for."

"Wait, all those years ago when you said you couldn't be with me because you knew I'd find true love one day - this is it? Chance is the guy you told me about?"

"Yeah, Karla. This is it. This is why. I knew I'd grow old one day, and I knew your soulmate would come along one day."

Karla rubbed her eyes, glad the rain concealed her tears. "I didn't know you believed in soulmates."

"Alright. Get moving, Karla. I'll take care of those jokers. Get Peri out of public until she transforms."

"How do I help her do it?"

Nathan smiled. "Don't you know your Egyptian Mythology?"

"What? What do you mean, old man?"

"The original Incredible Hulk. The original Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, Karla."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Nathan patted the succubus' cheek with a wry elderly grin. "There was an Egyptian goddess named Hathor. She became angry at the people of the land and transformed into Sekhmet, the lioness-headed warrior. She slaughtered thousands upon thousands of people. It took a lot of booze to get her to transform back into Hathor."

Karla blinked. "You want me to get Peri drunk?"

"That's what I'm telling you." Nathan reached up and touched the tip of Karla's nose. He offered a weary, paternal smile. "See you around, kiddo."

"I rarely see this ... sentimental side of you, Nathan. It's sweet."

"Yeah. Well, don't get used to it. It has no place in my world. I've gotta go and be a grumpy old dick, now." Nathan turned away from her, stormed across the parking deck and snatched the wrists of the first two men to recover from being stunned. "Come with me, you dickheads."

"What the hell?" one of the men grumbled.

"Shut up, kid. Everyone join hands. We're getting out of here and none of you are going to argue. You morons screwed up everything and you don't even realize it." Nathan forced the two men back to their group. "Someone grab Astor's ankle and wrist with your free hand."

One of the other men sat up and rubbed his stiff neck. "Who the hell do you think you are, old man?"

Nathan glowered at the group of supernatural warriors. "If you dipshits talk back to me just one more time, I'll show the whole lot of you 'tough love,' so help me Christ. I've done enough to earn respect from all of you. But hey, don't you rookie thugs thank me all at once."

"What the hell for, you old bastard?"

Nathan raised his voice, shouting at one of the supernatural soldiers. "For saving the supernatural community from extinction several times. I'm the Reaper, you ignorant little shit! Didn't we just go over this?! Now hold each other's goddamn hands! NOW!"

The seven soldiers linked hands. Nathanial put his palms on the two men nearest to him.

Suddenly the sky opened up with a flash of light and a crack of thunder. The intensity of the energy released by Nathanial created a shockwave.

Chance, Peri and Karla toppled to the concrete.

A burn mark stained the parking deck.

Karla got back to her feet and said, "Peri, what's your favorite thing to drink?"

"What? I'm not a big drinker."

"You are until you figure out how to change back."

Chance rubbed his forehead and approached the women, helping Peri to her feet. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea. Giving a hyperactive werewolf liquor is like..."

"Giving sex to a sex demon," Karla said with a grin. "Sometimes you gotta sooth the savage beast, babe."

"I ... if you say so, Karla. By the way," Chance swallowed with a frown. "I saw more into Mr. Carrington's thoughts. He believes, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that I'm going to be dead soon. I'm a little nervous about all of this."

Peri brushed herself off, stepped away, and shook hard like a wet dog. She turned back to Karla and Marcus. "Fate said I was going to be a mundane. Some fox lady said I was going to become a weapon. A rainstorm in the desert said I was going to have a bad day. But a bullet through my leg said I was going to fulfill an important destiny."

Chance and Karla exchanged glances.

Peri arched her back, causing two loud pops in her spine. "If you told me all this stuff yesterday, I wouldn't have believed it."

"Do you know how to change back?"

Peri shrugged. "I need a myofascial release to transition back."

Karla eyed Peri with confusion. "What?"

Peri kept her gaze on Chance. "Marcus, you can become more than you think you're capable. Don't just roll over and die. Become more. That asshat shot me in my leg, hoping I'd bleed out for his amusement. That's not what happened. I've taken two bullets today. Guess what? Two bullets didn't kill me. I refuse to roll over and die, you know what I mean?"

Chance smiled. "I get it. Thanks for not eating those guys. How about some real food? There are apparently rooms waiting for us at some swanky hotel not too far from here. Sinopa's rich husband got us rooms, clothes, and free food. Then we can figure out our next move."

Karla deadpanned, followed by a wry smile. "How'd you know we have rooms waiting for us?"

"Mr. Carrington kept saying it in his mind over and over, so I wouldn't read his other thoughts. It worked a little bit, but I still perceived his worry that Peri and I will wind up dead."

"So what if we do?" Peri said. "We define our futures."

Karla rubbed her face. "I want a warrior's death. Something meaningful, and epic. I used to live a very cavalier lifestyle, because I expected to drop dead any minute. But then I found out I'm immortal, and now I want to stay that way. And that goes for you two, also. Let's all stay alive."

Peri sniffed disdainfully. "Every day should be your last hurrah. You only live once, so make the most of it."

Karla smiled at Peri. "Carpe diem. I like it, sister. You only live once - that should be a slogan or something."

Chance took Karla's hand in his. "I disagree. The way I see it, you live every day, and you only die once. Whatever Mr. Carrington thinks he saw - that's a suggestion. It's not written in stone."

"Until you get old," Peri said.

Chance shrugged. "The day I woke up from my coma, Dr. Sokolov was telling that other guy about my 'telomeres.' They said I might stop aging after I reach a certain point in my life."

Peri rubbed her furred chin in thought. "Life mates, huh? That's sweet, you two. I miss my husband. He wasn't quite so ... immortal." The werewolf cleared her throat loudly, adding, "Enough about that. Let's get off this goddamn rooftop."

Karla waved her hand towards the rest of the rainy Las Vegas landscape. "Which hotel, babe?"

"The big black pyramid. Now all we have to do is figure out how to get Peri to her room without people seeing her."

Karla rolled her eyes. "This is Vegas, guys. Peri, you're in costume, and the headpiece is created with extensive makeup and prosthetic pieces that go on either side of your head. We'll explain you need to get to your room so you can get out of your entertainment gear. We'll get you some large sunglasses to cover your eyes. Don't yawn in their faces, show off the length of your tongue, or take off the shades and we'll be fine."

Peri tilted her head. "You really think that'll work?"

"Like I said, this is Vegas. Act like you belong there and people rarely question it. Let's walk in there like we own the place. People love realism in their entertainers. Let's go get some rest."

Chance took Karla's hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. "I thought they were going to kill us, Karla. And you know what bothered me most?"

"Aw, what's that babe?"

"I was upset I wasn't going to see you again. I guess I got it bad, huh?"

Karla turned to him and put her free hand on his face. She kissed him in the rain.

Peri rolled her eyes and turned away from them. "Really guys? Really?" She threw her paws up in the air and sighed. "We were just told we got free rooms. You couldn't wait to get a room? You've really gotta make out here? Right here, right now? C'mon, let's get out of the rain."

Silence.

Peri rubbed her face with a groan. "Seriously? Aw c'mon. I'm hungry, I'm soaking wet, and I just want to get back to this other hotel and relax!"

Karla and Chance continued to make out, ignoring the werewolf.

Peri stomped away, splashing through puddles in the middle of the parking deck. "Aw man! Come ON!"

---

Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/704363