The Chosen

The following is a complete work of fiction.

Any resemblance between the characters and any real life person is completely coincidental. Please do not copy or distribute the story without the author's permission.

Disclaimer:

The following story may contain erotic situations. If it is illegal for you to read this please leave now. Also expect blood, gore, incredibly funny scenes and super-powered teenagers with a destiny to save the world. If you're not a fan of any of these plus strong cursing and violence than this is not your type of story.

Chapter 11

A perfectly good Sunday afternoon and how was I spending it? Oh yes, sitting in an Atlantean defense outpost, dubbed the Command Center, listening to Nathaniel ask us question after question about our battle in the Ever After two days ago. We sat in the meeting room that held a long table with tall, high backed chairs. I felt a bit like an attorney sitting in a court room. The room just gave off an air of importance that made me resist the urge to spin around in my chair.

"Now repeat it again. Are you absolutely sure she said The Lords in Shadow?" asked Nathaniel for the third time.

I sighed in frustration and nodded. "Yeah, Nathaniel. I'm guessing you know who they are since your acting like Matlock with the twenty questions."

Nathaniel steepled his fingers together and looked pensively down at the steel table we sat around. I caught the eye of Ryan and Killian. They both gave me baffled looks mirroring my own confused expression.

I was getting a real bad vibe from Nathaniel. He was acting as if his favorite monkey had died or someone blew up a Twinkie factory. Mmmm twinkies. I shook my head. Get my on track. I could see the worry in his eyes. Whatever he was about to say was grave news indeed if Nathaniel's always picture perfect composure was actually coming loose.

"Just tell us already," said Killian unexpectedly, slamming his hands on the table. "Who are these lord guys and why are you freaking out?"

Nathaniel visibly gathered himself together. "The best way to start would be in the past, during the time of Atantis. When Atlantis was attacked and our people fled to the shores, you Chosen gathered together and made your last stand against the monsters."

I frowned. "We know this story, Nathaniel. We gave our lives to seal the monsters away in another realm. The Ever After."

Nathaniel gazed at us, sad green eyes filling with pain. "Sealing them away wasn't your goal. It was only a last minute act of desperation."

Ryan gasped. "Are you saying that we were losing?"

"And badly," explained Nathaniel. "You fought valiantly against the demonic forces and then you came up against Them."

"Them who?" I asked, trying and failing to remember what he was describing.

"You came against The Lords in Shadow. They are entities of immense power. They are more than the demons and monsters they rule over. They are the things that soulless creatures pray to at night. Who do demons fear? Them. They are ancient in the truest sense of the word. Their power eclipsed your own and brought you to death's door. It was a miracle that you all performed the ritual that sealed them away."

As he was talking I had a brief vision playing in my mind. I could see a blackened landscape destroyed by fighting. Bodies littered the ground and blood pooled in deep impact holes. Beings, gigantic, covered in shadows loomed impossibly huge above us. In a loose circle four figures, armored, and covered in tunics held hands. It was us. Our previous incarnations. There was an explosion of light and I blinked as the meeting room came back into focus.

I shuddered as goosebumps appeared on my arms. Was that how I died? I suddenly had a clarity about The Lords in Shadow. Something had unlocked with that memory. Feelings were now attached when I thought of the name. Fear. Hatred. Anger. So much anger boiled in my blood. I squashed the feeling down. God. I hated those bastards. Why? I didn't know. They did kill, well, us. But it was more than that.

"I get it now," I said with a dawning realization. I looked at Ryan and Killian. "The Lords in Shadow are the demons to the demons. They smacked our last incarnations down. If they're setting their sights on Earth again we are outclassed."

Killian stood. "That is bullshit!" He turned to Nathaniel. "How outclassed are we talking here?"

Nathaniel eyed him coolly. "Outclassed enough that you should sit down and listen to every word with undisturbed attention."

I waved my hand and Killian's chair scooted out. He glared at me and I gave him a cheeky wink and a half smile. He plopped down and crossed his arms staring a hole into the table. I don't think Killian liked the fact that there were beings out there that were more powerful than us. Especially since during our last tango we had to die to win.

Ryan sighed. "I think we need to find Admerion as soon as possible then. If they are making plans to invade then we'll need every Chosen active and ready."

I perked up at the mention of Admerion. I nodded along almost breaking my neck, I was doing it so quickly. Ryan gave me a tiny smirk knowing why I was so excited. I couldn't help it. In the past I knew him intimately. I really wanted to see if that connection we shared still existed to present day.

Something vibrated against my leg and I almost yelped in surprise. I held it in since the three of them were intently discussing future scenarios and strategies of counter invasions. I pulled out my phone and slid the top up. My phone was one of the new phones that was small and square and instead of flipping it open, the top slid upward revealing a key pad beneath. Heh. I thought it was pretty nifty.

I hit a button and looked at the text message I just received. It was from Danny. I looked back up and the three were still talking. Covertly, I looked back down at the phone and read the text. He wanted me to come see him at work later. I smiled goofily. Our date two days ago had been pure Disney. There was dinner, a cheesy accident that got good natured laughs, flowers, and then a romantic walk that got interrupted by a sudden rain shower. It was the best date I ever had.

My fingers moved over the pad with lightning speed. Yep, I, like the rest of my generation, was a text whore. Why call someone when you could simply text them. I promised to meet him later and ended it with a little heart and smiley face with its tongue sticking out. I was feeling a little cute. Grinning, I put my phone up and looked up to see everyone looked right at me. Damn so much for being James Bond.

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. "Did you not think we wouldn't see you playing on your phone? Do you think I'm really stupid?"

I shrugged guiltily. "Well, not /really/ stupid."

I braced myself for the usual speech and sure enough right on cue it came. I sighed inwardly ticking off the usual points. I was leader. I had responsibilities. I had a duty and destiny. It was always the same guilt speech. I admit I did feel guilty but I was sixteen. I didn't ask for any of this. I just wanted to be normal. Is that so much to ask? And God forbid I did anything a kid my age would do. I used to spend my Sunday's playing video games with Kevin. Now I'm sitting in an ancient, buried building plotting the fate of the world. Sorry if sometimes I wanted to think or act like someone who didn't have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Life was a bitch.

I mustered up my most sincere face and let out a pitiful sigh. "I'm so sorry guys. I'll try and pay more attention."

They bought it hook, line, and sinker. Hell I wasn't sorry. I would pay more attention but excuse the fuck out of me if I actually had a normal life outside of this mystical one. I tuned back in.

"Remember that Centennial's, and the surrounding areas, barriers between this world and the Ever After are weak," said Nathaniel to the nodding of Killian and Ryan. "If they are to invade Earth I think they will do it here."

Ryan nodded and pushed up his glasses with a finger. "I agree. If we want to stand some type of chance against The Lords in Shadow we need to find Admerion. Only with the four of us can we even hope to fight them."

"I don't really remember him," stated Killian, frowning in thought. "I do recall him being powerful."

If my dreams were correct I could remember the same thing. There were many times I had dreamed Admerion, though masked in shadow, do battle with monstrous enemies. Each time there didn't seem to be a match. He defeated them with astonishing speed and strength. Oh yeah. I knew in my bones that he was someone I didn't want to see turn dark. It was like knowing instinctively that a lion, although pretty, could turn savage within a heartbeat.

"I will ask my friends in the coven to do some scrying," replied Nathaniel. "They know of a few seers also who could be of some help in finding Admerion's current incarnation. It's a long shot but they could find something."

"Why is it a long shot?" I asked. "They led you to me right?"

Nathaniel shook his head. "You are different. You are the champion of magic. You are its avatar and any sensitive who is close to you or looks for you could pick you up easily. To a gifted eye you stick out like a light in the darkness."

Oh. "Well yippee ki-yay," I said, dryly.

"That's why the rest of you were impossible to track down," explained Nathaniel. "While your powers lay dormant you were like any other human even to a trained sensitive."

A beeping sound suddenly filled the air making our heads snap up at once. We shot out of our seats and ran from the conference room and down the hall. The control room's doors slid open as we rushed in. The operations center was a circular room that held three main consoles filled with lit square buttons that controlled all the facility's systems. Mounted on the wall was a large screen filled with scrolling script of glyph like symbols. Atlantean. If I squinted my eyes I could almost read the symbols, but I would lose focus and the meaning would leave my mind. Nathaniel went to a console and tapped a series of buttons. The screen came to life and an aerial map of the city appeared. A red light glared brightly at us amidst the all blue landscape.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Ryan.

Nathaniel nodded, frowning. "The long range sensor arrays have picked up a sudden flare of extradimensional energy. Readings indicate Ever After activity. It's coming from Parkland Memorial Hospital."

I glanced mournfully down at my cell phone and slipped it in my pocket. Sorry Danny. Looks like I would have to meet you later than I thought. I looked at Ryan and Killian.

"Well boys looks like we're back on the clock."

I limped home close to eight at night. The sun had long gone down and I was in need of a fresh shower and change of clothes. My limp was slowing lessening till only the barest tinge of pain replaced it and then that feeling left. Accelerated healing was a perk of the job. I creped up to my room slinking past Morgan on the living room couch. Mom was working late at the office as usual. She was jonesing for a promotion real bad. While I missed her being home a lot, more money for our family was a plus.

I collapsed on my bed and sighed deeply. We didn't know what to expect when we got to the hospital. A Wraith sucking the life out of the newborn infants was not one of them. It had placed the entire Pediatrics floor under an enchanted sleep and placed some type of glamour over the area to keep mortals away. God. It had been sickening to watch that thing feed on the life of the babies like some type of unnatural parasite. In its long, black hooded cloak its features were unrecognizable except for its withered, decayed hands.

Once we saw the little babes in their cribs, their eyes and mouths opened in a soundless cry of terror, skin slowly turning blue, we acted like a well trained team. Until it started to suck the lifeforce out of us. I shivered at the memory. After getting our asses handed to us by the fake ass Dementor, I devised a spell using our positive emotions to hold it in place, since it was a creature of negative feelings and malevolent intent.

It was Ryan who reminded us why he had the name the Executioner. He rattled off the information of Wraiths and had an idea of killing it. Wraith grow in the dankest, darkest corners of the spirit realm. So what better way to kill a creature of shadow then light? Killian, as the champion of light, brought forth a purifying radiance that scorched the spirit from existence... and also took out two walls in the process too. And I thought I had some power control problems sometimes.

I heard a loud Tarzan like cry and my eyes snapped open as a body fell on top of me, knocking all the air from my lungs. I groaned, and pushed the grinning form of Kevin off me and onto the floor. He landed with a curse and glared at me through his dark bangs, honey brown eyes laughing mirthlessly.

"Anyone ever tell you that you look like a male version of Kristin Kreuk?" I questioned with a smirk.

Kevin pouted like a hooker who couldn't pick up a trick. "Aw that was low. You know I hate Smallville."

He started to mutter about "damn Luthor's and stupid, cum gobbling Lana Lang" with an unholy fire swirling in his eyes. At that point I tuned him out. Kevin used to love Smallville like I love Stargate, but he hated how the show was turning into a big soap opera. I didn't watch Smallville so I could only nod sympathetically and give him confused, half smiles when he went on his rants.

"And then sixth season- Chad! Are you listening?"

The world slammed back into focus and I looked at him, frowning, "Oh, were you still talking?"

Kevin punched me in the shoulder. "You bet'cha knockoff Prada's I was still talking!"

"Hey! I thought they were real!" I retorted, rubbing my arm with a scowl.

He rolled his eyes. "They can't be, too, real if you bought them off a guy selling them on 23rd and Kingsley."

"At least it wasn't as stupid as that time I told you it was chilly outside and you went and got a bowl!" I retaliated, quickly.

Kevin pointed at me dramatically. "You bastard! We swore never to bring that up. At least I've never entered a drag queen contest and won!"

I sneered at him. "At least I won! You came in third and cried!"

"I was being a good friend and supporting you," Kevin snapped. "You know I'm straight. Perfectly macho and butch I am!"

I snorted and muttered, "Could have fooled me. I wasn't going around kissing guys that night."

"I THOUGHT HE WAS A GIRL!" He cried, loudly. "How was I supposed to know."

"Kevin he had on a blue wing, fake eyelashes, and was almost taller than you!" I shot back, staring at him with a confident smirk. "Plus, his Adam's apple was bigger than my fist.

Kevin growled at me. "At least I learned how to tell time before I was twelve!"

I stood up. "Hey, it's hard for some people!"

"When they're eight!"

We stood nose to nose and I could see the gold flecks speckled in his irises. I grinned at him suddenly and gave him a quick peck on the nose. He yelled loudly, backing up quickly, till he tripped over his feet. He landed on his ass on the ground and looked up at my sourly.

"You little, loose hussy," he said, scrambling to his feet. "Why did you have to go and do that for? I haven't had a good verbal duel in awhile and you go and ruin it. Thanks for kiss. I probably have Mono or something now. You're a real bitch and half sometimes."

I smiled at him sweetly. "Aw, you say the nicest things, Kevin Montero." He laughed and sat down at my desk chair. "So what's up? You come by looking for me to sooth your boredom I'm guessing."

"Why yes, Batman. How ever did you guess my nefarious plan?" asked Kevin, deadpan.

"'Cause, you have `entertain me' face," I answered him, pointing.

His face twisted into a pout. I laughed at him and grabbed some clean clothes from my closet. "Well you can entertain yourself for awhile. I have to shower and then we can go to the mall. I have to see someone there."

Kevin's face lit up as if I told him it was raining pudding. "Oh! I know who you are going on to see at the mall, Loverboy. I want to meet the dude who has you looking like Craig the Crackhead in love."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to go take my shower. No beating off in my room, you crispy motherfucker."

He shot me the finger and I closed my door to him humping the hell out of my mattress and fake moaning like a bitch in heat. I snorted and crossed the hall to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and let the water run a bit to get hot. I shucked my clothes and jumped in. I spent fifteen minutes in the shower, got out, and spent ten minutes doing my hair. I brushed the sides straight and the top flat, except for the fringe that I brushed up into soft spikes. It was kind of Jesse McCarthy-ish but dammit I had the hairstyle first.

I went into my room and stopped. Kevin was sitting in the corner with a blanket wrapped tightly around him, his face peeking through a small gap in the folds.

"Kev-kev? What's going on?" I asked, approaching him slowly. "Why are you on the floor?"

Kevin looked at me with wide and unseeing eyes. "I see dead people."

I blinked at him. "Are you fucking kidding me? A joke from 1999. Is Doc Brown outside right now with the DeLorean ready to take us back in time where you got the joke?"

"Sorry," grumbled Kevin getting to his feet, slinging the blanket on the bed. "They can't all be funny."

I snorted and grabbed my coat out of the closet. I slid it on and beckoned Kevin to get a move on. He flipped me the finger and took his sweet time to join me at the door. I rolled my eyes and we headed out and to the mall.

I rubbed my hands to get some semblance of warmth to return to my cold fingers. Man I hated winter. Chad Summers and cold weather were just two things that don't mix. Kevin laughed at me as my teeth chattered so hard I was sure they were about to shatter. I tugged my knit hit further down to cover my ears and scowled at him.

"Shut up, chuckles," I growled at him. "You know I hate the cold."

Kevin nodded, eyes lit with glee. "Oh I know, and its fun to watch you do an impersonation of Frosty the Snow Bitch."

"Sometimes I have no idea why I take your abuse," I replied, as we walked down the walkway toward Galactic Games.

The decorating committee or whoever got together to decorate the mall went all out this year. A Christmas tree stood in every corner and there were so many Santa's and wreathes that it looked like Christmas itself had thrown up in here. All the green and red was starting to make eyes hurt. Kevin was thinking the same thing and I had to drag him away from a brightly decorated Christmas tree as he screamed "Christmas seizure" and had a fit that would have made a three year old proud. I picked his shaking form up from the ground and smiled apologetically at a passing nun.

I glanced at my watch and it was close to nine. The mall closed at 10 so I hoped it wouldn't be busy so close to closing time. Less business meant the more time Danny had to talk to me. Yay. Man I was such an attention junkie. I glanced at Kevin who was doing this weird lip-licking seduction move toward two girls, who were swooning on the spot. I might be a junkie but Kevin was definitely an attention whore.

"Wow, are you seriously eye fucking those girls?" I asked, sarcastically.

He nodded enthusiastically. "Of course. It's like sex but without all the mess."

I got a mental image and shuddered. Kevin and sex were something I didn't want to ever think about together again. That was like thinking of my own brother having sex. Kevin chuckled at my disgusted expression and we walked into the arcade. The game area was occupied and only a few couples sat at the tables sharing a drink and pizza. Danny waved at me from behind the bar, his violet eyes lighting up in delight. I flushed and waved back goofily, pretending to ignore the barfing noises Kevin was making next to me. Adam was already at the bar top, wavy brow hair down and brushing his shoulders. He was dressed smartly as usual. A dark gray shirt and khaki pants wrinkle free made him like older and sophisticated.

Kevin and I slid into open stools near Adam. I bid him a polite hello. We weren't on the best of terms but I could at least manage a cordial hello than just ignoring him altogether.

"Hey Chad, who is your friend?" asked Danny, slinging a towel over his shoulder. "Is this the famous Kevin that I've heard so much about?"

"More like infamous," I muttered, quietly. Adam let out a quiet snort so I'm guessing he was the only one who had picked that up. I guess it was true about blind people. Without sight their other senses are enhanced.

Kevin raised an eyebrow at me. "Talk about me much, huh?" He grinned. "Well that would indeed be me. And I'm guessing your Danny."

Danny laughed. "The one and only."

"So Danny why haven't I ever seen you around school? You look our age," said Kevin, with a nonchalant tone but I knew better.

I sighed inwardly. Here we go. Kevin has a protective streak toward me when it comes to me dating. I'm not closeted, but only a few people knew I was gay. It was more like I'll tell you if you ask type of deal. I didn't flaunt it, but didn't hide it. Kevin had taken it upon himself to act as my guardian in the dating world. Since he goes on so many dates, and me so few, or well none, he liked to make sure I wasn't getting into anything over my head. It was sweet in a Boy Meets World kind of way. At times it annoyed me but I had gotten used to it. It was one of his many quirks...many, many, many quirks.

"Well I go to a private school," replied Danny, swiping a towel along the bar top. "Me and Adam both go there. I only got one year left. I'm a senior this year. Adam is a junior so he's stuck there for awhile."

"Don't remind me," groaned Adam, frowning with distaste at the subject.

"Well that's cool. Me and Chad are only sophomores," said Kevin. He leaned forward. Not taking his eyes off Danny. Uh oh, he's let out his inner FBI interrogator. "So if you go to a private school your family must have money. So why are you working here?"

Danny blinked in surprise. I looked over at Adam and couldn't really gauge his expression since the sunglasses hid most his face but I could tell he was surprised as well. I wanted to just die. Please God. Whoever is listening. Somebody please just create a wormhole underneath me so I can just slide to another dimension so I can join Quinn Mallory and his merry band of travelers. I hung my head hiding my face from Danny. I was so embarrassed.

"Well," began Danny slowly, confused. "My parents are well off but I'm working here so I can earn some extra money for college."

Adam chuckled. "And because Uncle Alex thinks you need some good character building."

Danny cringed. "That too."

I raised my eyebrows. "I didn't know that. Why would your Dad think you need character building?"

"Probably because Danny isn't known for his wise choices," spoke up Adam, his tone innocent.

Too innocent. I think the others caught it as well. Danny's ponytail whipped around as he turned his head to level those violet eyes on his cousin. I guess it was a family matter. I wanted to know what they were talking about but it really wasn't my place to ask. I could see Kevin open his mouth to do exactly that but I kicked his ankle and he yelped in pain, sending me a scorching look as he rubbed his ankle. I smiled at him sweetly and shrugged.

"So how long have you two been friends?" asked Danny, turning his question to Kevin.

Kevin's irritated look vanished and he grinned at me. "Our whole lives. We grew up living next to each other. We're practically brothers."

"I can understand," said Danny. "Adam lives with us so it's more like he's my brother than my cousin."

"Don't remind me," said Adam, playfully.

I smiled at them glad that their earlier heat had vanished. I still had a nagging curiosity to ask what that was about but it really wasn't my place. Curiosity killed the cat I guess.

"You guys know winter break is coming up," announced Danny, his tone hinting he was leading up to something.

Kevin nodded. "Hell yeah I know. A month off school is my type of break."

I nodded too. December marked my five month anniversary of being awakened as Chosen. It was hard to believe so much time had passed but it was a relief that I had done alright so far.

"Well I'm throwing a party at my house since my parents are leaving for Colorado," continued Danny. "It's just me and Adam so the house will be to ourselves. I want you two to come."

Danny grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. He gave me one of those heart stopped grins and I melted on the spot. Kevin made a barfing noise again and I rolled my eyes.

"It sounds fun. I'll be there," agreed Kevin, half smiling.

I caught a blur of movement and Adam hopped off his stool and headed for the door, cane extended and pace quick. Something made me jump up and head after him. I was on my feet and at his side before I even realized it. I caught him just as he exited the door.

"Hey Adam, why the rush?" I asked, breathing a little heavily.

Adam frowned, biting his bottom lip worriedly. He exhaled slowly. I caught the tenseness in his shoulders and I started to get a bit worried myself.

"Adam, I know we have a whole love-hate thing going, but you're starting to worry me man," I said, concerned.

"Don't go to that party, Chad," he said, seriously.

I started in shock. "Wait? What? Why not? Am I missing something?"

Adam swallowed heavily and he shook his head, long, brown hair brushing his shoulders with the movement. I took a step forward and suddenly something in the air changed. A sort of static built up around us so heavy that I felt like I was falling through time itself. I looked at Adam and his face was close to mine, his mouth partly open in surprise. I pushed back the feeling and cut through the disoriented sensation inside. I centered myself and was glad that the weird, whatever the hell it was, feeling left and everything returned to normal. Adam frowned in puzzlement and shook his head, probably to dispel the feeling. I needed to have a talk with Nathaniel. Were my powers starting to act up? That would be of the bad.

"Why don't you want me to go to the party?" I asked after a moment passed.

Adam shrugged. "Not everything that glitters is gold."

He placed a hand on my shoulder and we both jumped as something, static electricity maybe, sparked at his touch. He snatched his hand back as if burned and I frowned at my own hands and then looked at him, seeing my own confusion mirrored on his face.

"I-I have to go," stuttered Adam, spinning around and walking off.

"Adam, wait!" I called out.

He didn't turn around. In fact his pace quickened, cane going left and right a steady click as it touched ground. I watched his retreating form trying to narrow down the feeling that was blooming in my chest. What the hell was going on? Why in the hell was my life suddenly turning into such a soap opera? What the hell was Adam trying to tell me? What a cryptic ass warning. Was he even warning me or was he threatening me? Where was Horatio Caine when you needed him? Or better yet a fucking Power Ranger. I rubbed at the spot on my shoulder where Adam had laid his hand. What the hell happened? What was that when we touched? It never happened before. I thought back and frowned. I think that was actually the first time we had ever touched.

I walked back into the arcade in a daze. I stopped and took a moment to collect myself. If I walked in looking like Rain Man Kevin would be on me like a Plastic Surgeon on a girl with low self esteem. I didn't have any answers to the questions he would surely ask. I plastered a grin on my face and hopped back on my seat.

"What was wrong with Adam?" asked Kevin, sipping from a tall glass of vanilla milkshake.

I shrugged and quickly made up an excuse. "He just had something he was late for."

Danny came over at the moment. "Don't worry about it. Adam is always rushing off for something. Don't take it personal. The party is in three days. You coming, cutie?"

I hesitated. Adam's vague warning lingered in the air. Finally I nodded my head and grinned.

"You know I'll be there."

I was Chosen. There was nothing I couldn't take care of. A simple warning wouldn't scare me off. A sinking sensation settled in my heart. So why do I get the feeling that I was letting Adam down?

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • And this chapter didn't even take me a month. Yay me. The next couple of chapters are going to come quicker than previous ones, simply because I'm on summer break and I'm anxious to get this arc done. I might pick up some summer classes so I can't promise weekly updates however. Hope you guys liked this chapter. NEXT CHAPTER: Chad goes to the party. A minor revelation. And some major bonding.

I have created a message board in light of missing emails. My laptop and yahoo are now mortal enemies. If you want to post a comment or drop a line you can copy and paste this link into your browser. http://www.quicktopic.com/39/H/fXmyJ3NcYt7Z or if you want to email me you can do so at Batmanhater@aol.com