The five youths rushed through the portal door. They made haste through the Star Gazer until they found a sobbing Ben, being consoled by Professor Maxwell.

Alice rushed to his side. "Are you hurt?" Ben shook his head while trembling. Alice looked to Maxwell, "What happened?"

Maxwell explained," Ben had finished up the day and went home. When he returned moments later, he told me of his foster family.

Alice nodded, "Okay little guy. I'm going to go check it out."

Ben grabbed her fiercely, "No, you can't go in there. They're probably still in there."

Alice caressed the young man's face, "All the more reason for me to go." Springing up from her seat, she inquired, "Who's coming with me?"

Eary wilted at the thought. All he wanted to do was go home and cry. But knowing of the power he possessed, Eary raised his hand.

Luke smacked it down. "What's wrong with you?" He inquired harshly. "Do you honestly think I'm letting you put yourself in danger?" He grumbled as he gestured towards himself and Sakile, "We'll go." He stated as the two moved to the portal door.

Mei inquired, "Hey, I'm not your brother. Can I come?"

Sakile shook his head. "You're just a bunch of kids."

Mei snarked back, "What? We totally went through two research facilities and beat tiddle together!" Crossing her arms in protest, she stared him down.

Sakile replied, "Sorry, little miss. That was different
We had to have you involved then. But you don't need to be seein' nothin' you don't need to be seein'!"

Before the two disappeared through the door, Luke ordered, "Go home. Mom and Dad are worried about you. Mei, you should head home too." With that, he disappeared beyond the shining portal, leaving only a closet in its place.

Eary sighed, "I guess we better listen. All things considered. What if someone is targeting our families!"

Mei nodded, "You're right! There would be no one to protect the restaurant if someone attacked."

The two entered their numbers into the portal door. Mei stated, "There's mine." Peeking her head through, she immediately waived to her mother. "Looks like Baba wongs is still just fine."

Eary nodded and smiled as his friend departed home. Walking through the portal to his own home was a bit of a surreal experience. The shimmering light turned to globs of black rainbows as he emerged in his parents' living room.

Sitting in the families living room, we're his parents, Josh, and all of the Bennett family. He gasped, "What's going on?"

His father announced, "What's going on is that people are scared, Eary." Delia embraced her husband as he continued his rant. "One of your friends came home to a dead family today, Eary!"

Eary fell silent and still. He stared at his father. Mitchell quickly stated, "You need to start telling us everything about what is happening, now!"

His tone was full of anger. Eary had never seen his father like this. He had never spoken to him like this. With all of the nightmares he had faced, nothing but Mitchell could make Eary quake in his boots so badly.

Eary nervously replied, "So." He managed to spit out. A flurry of possible outcomes filled his head. He pressed on, "I thought we were safe, but I guess we're not!" He burst into tears, face in his hands. He felt a presence lift him from where he stood. Mitchell then placed his youngest son upon the couch. He balled up to his father, clinging to a pillow.

The whole room stared as Eary collected himself. He said, "Remember when we got back and explained the Nocopo to you?" Mitchell nodded in compliance as Eary continued, "Did he explain what a Claris was?"

Mitchell shook his head, "Can't say that I have, Eary."

Eary nodded, "Apparently, God broke a piece off themselves and sent it and Mote to Earth. When he landed the piece of God, oh, they call them Claris. And I think they're non-binary."

Eary looked up from the pillow. The faces of his family stood in communal shock. Eary felt his heart sink as he continued, "Anyway, the piece of Claris broke into four. Which made three kingdoms in Antarctica."

Mitchell interrupted his son,"Eary, why was the family of one of your friends killed?"

Eary bursted out. "Because the four shards made three evil Scions and only one good Claris, and now they're out to kill me and everyone I know!" He broke down again as Mitchell held his son tightly.

Mitchell inquired,"You have one of these shards?" Eary nodded as he continued to cry into his pillow. The suspense was broken by the arrival of Luke.

He asked, "Hey, Josh and Ephraim. Can you take Eary back to the safe house for me? I need to talk to the adults." As he tucked a strand of long blonde hair back into his beanie.

The two boys agreed. Ephraim helped Eary to his feat, as the three headed to the portal door.

Once arriving at the safe house, Josh said, "You have a shard of God inside you?"As he raised a brow.

Eary nodded, "According to Mote and the motelings." Feeling a sense of relief a unease as he spoke.

Josh nodded, "It's okay, man. This whole thing has been so strange." He said as he placed his hand on Eary's shoulder.

Feeling a wash of acceptance, Eary began to tear up at his brother's understanding.

A moment all to brief, as a second later, Josh glanced to Ephraim. His expression of the one he had in the garage. He whispered, "I'd like to go talk about that now."

Ephraim nervously protested, "A-actually, I needed to talk with Eary for a bit. I hope you don't mind."

Josh's expression shifted considerably, as the once confident young man was left shaken as he replied, "Oh, okay. Later, then."

Ephraim nodded as he escorted Eary to the labyrinth of rooms. Ducking into one, he placed his hands on Eary's shoulders. He grumbled under his breath as he set Eary on the bed. Taking a step back, he clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. He said, "Okay, here's the thing." He stopped and started nervously pacing back and forth.

Eary raised his brow in concern, "Ephraim, are you alright?" He asked, his tone a wash with uncertainty.

Ephraim nodded, "Yeah." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Here's the thing. I love you. And I don't love you like a friend. I love you, love you."

Eary widened his eyes in disbelief, "You dated my brother, though."

Ephraim nodded, "But I stopped everything shortly after. When you told me how you felt, it made me think of us. It made me think of who you were to me." He ranted, waiving his arms in frantic gestures. "I gave you my hoodie, Eary, because I wanted to end things and wait for it to be okay for us to try. And maybe you'd give me a chance later on." He sat down on the bed next to Eary, who remained shocked and silent. He continued, "Then the miracle, and you're so great. And..."

He was interrupted by Eary, "I thought my dad did this. This was my brother, and it was a two year thing. You said it yourself. Now, after all the pain you put me through. Now you want love?" He stared in offense at the young man, whose eyes began to tear up. Eary angrily snapped at him, "Don't do that! That's not fair! I cried a lot over you. So I get to be angry!"

Ephraim nodded as tears streamed down his face.

Eary cooled himself, staring at the wall. He said, "I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you. But this is way too soon following that for me. And I just found out some things about Decan. And I'd love to just talk to my best friend about it, without it being weird." He turned his head as tears began to fall.

Ephraim nodded, sniffling back his tears. He said, "I get it." Pausing for a moment, he quickly explained, "I just want you to know that none of our parents know about us."

Eary replied, "That does make me feel better. Now I feel bad for blaming him."

Ephraim apologized. After an embrace, he said, "I only ever kissed and grouped with Josh. I know that still a lot, but I swear. It took me a long time to get comfortable with myself...."

"Fuck you both!" Josh's voice rang out from the door. The two immediately departed the others arms. As Josh ran off down the hall.

Eary sprang up, "Josh!" He called out as he ran off down the hall. With Ephraim quickly following suit.

Eary caught a glimpse of his brother as he turned the corner down the staircase. Running after him, he continued to call his name. The angry teen paid him no attention as he continued to storm off.

As Eary reached the end of the staircase, he caught up with his brother. "Josh, it's not what you think."

Josh hissed back, "You are fucking gross! You seriously could still find him attractive."

The argument was cut short by the opening of the portal door and the emergence of the three boys' families. Of the group, Brian and Mitchell approached their sons. In a concerned tone, Mitchell said, "Hey guys, we need to talk to you."

Brian gave jittery a nod as he stated, "We're all going to have to live here for a while."

Mitchell agreed with a hum and said, "But there isn't enough room for everyone. So we decided, since Ephraim is so close with both of you, that you three could bunk together."

As he finished, the two fathers gave an assured smile. Their three sons, however, gave a look of suspended horror. Josh immediately protested, "I don't think so! I would never share a room with him!" 

Mitchell snarled at his son, "This isn't optional! This is something we have to do."

Josh angrily replied, "Yeah, because of him!"

Mitchell quickly corrected his son, "No, Josh! This is something we all prayed for. Just because it happened to Eary does not make this his fault. Now, I am done with whatever it is. Your problem is with him. Unless you can give me one good reason as to not, you're sharing a room for a while. So can you give me one?" He looked his son in the eyes, searching for a reply.

Later on that night.

Eary listened to the clock tick on the wall as the three young men sat in deafening silence. His were not the only eyes fixed and locked to the ceiling. Ephraim and Josh joined him in the uneasy symphony of clock ticks. The occasional leg move from Ephraim was always met with an uneasy expression from Eary and a push and silent treatment from Josh. As the hours 'ticked' by, the young men faded off to sleep one by one. Except for Eary, as an all too familiar feeling was beginning to rise inside him.

"Mote!" He called out as he hastily changed into his jeans.

"What the hell kid. It's three in the mornin'!" Mote complained, shimmering in from the darkness.

Eary lamented to his long time pal, "I got that bad feeling again. The kind I can't ignore."

Mote replied, "Alright! I'll get two pots and wake the others."

Eary quickly stopped the moteling. He said, "Wait, Mote. You saw the way Luke treated me earlier, like I was helpless."

Mote quickly said, "I know, but that was only 'cause he cares about ya."

Eary nodded, "Obviously. But this is my destiny, so shouldn't I spear head somethings? Like this, for example." He stated, as he finished putting on his shoes. "Whatever it is, you and I can handle it. We've gotten way stronger and smarter since last we did this. What do you say?"

Mote yawned, "Fine, kid." He nestled in the hood of Eary's sweater. "Just wake me if you need me."

Eary rolled his eyes as he set out into the night. The pull took him down the street and deeper into residential areas. Block after block, house after house, the young man's pull elevated. Until he stood before a house, with its door slightly a jar. 'Who lives here?' he wondered as he entered the dark entryway.

As he walked along the unusually slick floors. Eary was elated to find a light switch. As the luminous spread throughout the room, the immediate sight of a butcher's massacre lay about the family room. Bodies broken and torn, eyes liflessly staring at him. Calling out for relief from their agony. He searched the room, examining each face. Until the unmistakable face of one of Josh's friends' heads stared at him from the dining table.

Panic filled him as he turned to flee. Only to run into the chest of a man as hard as stone. He looked up, and to his great horror, Sasha Mikhailov returned the glare.

He grabbed Eary by the throat. In a deep Russian accent, he exclaimed, "It looks like a missed one." He squeezed Eary until a large burst of yellow, the boy's shields, erupted from Sasha's grasp.

His expression shifted to rage as countered with a massive jab that was once again countered by the shield. The psychopath was not done, however, as he immediately followed his punch with a blast from his hand. Eary and his shield were sent flying, and darkness took him as he hit the wall.