CHAPTER TWO

Dean was so focused on his game he nearly forgot how pissed off he was. Shooting bad guys on the screen might not be as productive as shooting them in real life, but it made him feel better.

     "How do you play this game?" Jonathan asked. Dean hadn't even noticed he'd come over.

     "You aim the gun and shoot the bad guys," Dean replied.

     Jonathan cracked a smile. "Well, I think I can handle that."

     Dean grinned. "Cool. I'll make it a two player game."

     Pretty soon, they were both engrossed in the game. Dean was impressed that Jonathan picked the game up so easily. It was a while before Jonathan asked, "So what in the heck is going on with you and Ryan?"

     If anyone else had asked, Dean would have been angry. He didn't mind it coming from Jonathan. The two actually had a lot in common. They were both soldiers from Military families who were on their own in the world. Jonathan's family had died long before. Dean's father was killed in action two years earlier. Almost exactly one year later, his mother met the same fate. He tried not to think about them.

     "He's a jerk," Dean replied. "He pushes all my buttons."

     "You seem to know how to do the same to him."

     "I didn't mean for it to get so bad. I just get so angry when I see him, especially around Panya. I mean... He killed her, Jonathan. He tortured and murdered her and she still trusts him. She's naïve. She needs to be protected."

     "I don't think you give her enough credit," Jonathan said as he shot another bad guy without missing a beat. "That girl has been through far too much to be considered naïve. I made that mistake with a lot of females in my time, and let me tell you, I was wrong."

     "I can't control the rage around him anymore," Dean admitted. "It's not me. It's Horus. So, I mean, I guess it is me, just... not."

     "Oddly, I think I understand what you're saying. Horus is still angry that Set killed his consort. That makes perfect sense. The problem is that you and Ryan are incarnated. You have to live in the mortal world. You can't go around beating the heck out of each other without consequences. You need to get your emotions in check, Soldier."

     Dean nodded. "You know, for a guy who lived so long ago, you're really smart about the way the world works."

     "I do try. Watch your back! There's an enemy soldier breaching the front lines!"

     Dean's focus went back to the game. Weirdly, he felt better. Jonathan had that effect on him. It took another hour for him to realize something was wrong.

     "Oh crap! Where's Panya? I sat down to play the game and I don't know where she went. Man, she's probably freaking out..."

     "I doubt that very much," Jonathan said. "You aren't going to like the reason, either."

     "She's with him, isn't she?"

     "Yes Sir. Be calm, Yankee. She's fine."

     "I hate this."

     "I know. Choose your battles wisely, Dean. This one isn't worth it."

     "You're right, Confederate."

     "It does occasionally happen."

     Josie joined them then and Dean forced himself to smile. "Nice attack earlier, Frogger," he said. "I didn't see you coming."

     Josie glared at him. "Well, you pissed me off. Jonathan didn't deserve to get attacked. He was trying to help."

     Suddenly, Dean felt guilty. He hadn't meant for Josie to see that side of him. She was a sweet kid. He also hadn't meant to hurt Jonathan. He'd just been so angry at Ryan... "I know. I'm sorry about that. I lost my cool. It won't happen again."

     "See that it doesn't, Yankee, or I just might shoot you next time," Jonathan said.

     Alyxx and Mark joined them next. "Where's Panya?" Alyxx asked. Realization hit her. "Never mind."

     "I'll go find them," Mark said. "It's late. We should get home. Josie should have been home about three hours ago."

     "Hey! I resent that," Josie replied. "My curfew is midnight, not ten o'clock."

     "An hour ago, then," Mark said as he went to go retrieve Panya and Ryan.

     "Don't worry," Alyxx said. "I'll just tell Jo you were with me." As it turned out, Josie's mother was Alyxx's childhood best friend. It was a small world.

     Panya and Ryan followed Mark back to the rest of them. Dean immediately pulled Panya into a hug. She stiffened. He'd moved too quickly again.

     "I'm sorry, Panya. For everything," he said. She relaxed and allowed him to hold her. He loved holding her. He felt much better when she was safely in his arms than when she wasn't. He wondered absentmindedly if his soul had PTSD from her death. He was constantly afraid something would happen to her. How had he let her wander off with Ryan? He needed to get his shit together.

     "Great. We're all friends again," Alyxx said pleasantly. "Let's get on our way before Horus and Set take control and start another battle."

     Together, the deities left the restaurant and headed toward the subway. From there, they had to split up. Dean planned on taking Panya back to Zane's Uptown home before heading back to Queens. He was annoyed when he realized Ryan had the same plan, but he let it go. There had been enough fighting for one night.

     Alyxx and Mark were going to swing by Josie's before going back to Zane's. Jonathan, like a good soldier, was taking Josie home himself.

     It was a tense ride Uptown. No one spoke. When they got off the train and dropped Panya off at Zane's, Ryan hugged her goodnight. Dean kissed her hand.

     The two were both living in Queens. The ride on the 7 train was even more tense than the ride to Zane's. Dean considered moving to another car but that seemed rude. Instead he stayed on one end of the car and Ryan moved to the other. Dean was relieved when they parted ways for the night. Finally, he could relax.

*

     When he woke up the following morning, Dean felt cold. Something was wrong. He jumped into the shower and bathed himself impressively fast even for a soldier before dressing and heading out the door. He immediately got on the train to Zane's house. To his great annoyance, Ryan was on the train, too.

     "You feel it, too?" Ryan asked.

     "Feel what?" Dean replied.

     "Don't mess with me now, Dean. Something's wrong."

     "Fine. Yes, I feel it, too..." He hesitated. "What do you think it is?" He hated asking Ryan for anything but Ryan's soul was much more unlocked than his and he couldn't deny that the younger boy knew things he didn't sometimes.

     "I'm not sure. I'm hoping Julian will already be waiting at Zane's with a prophetic explanation."

     "Yeah, it's always nice when that happens."

     Neither spoke again until they reached Zane's house. It was still early, but Zane answered the door looking worried. "I wish I could say I'm surprised to see you both so early, but I'm guessing you feel the energy in the air, too," he said.

     "Is it... him?" Dean asked. He prayed the answer was no. He wasn't fully recovered from their last battle with Chaos and he was fairly certain he couldn't survive another so soon.

     "No," Ryan answered. "This is his people, but not him directly. He doesn't have the power yet."

     "Chaos knows Chaos, huh?"

     "Something like that."

     "Come inside," Zane said. He opened the door wider.

     "Where are the displaced deities?" Dean asked.

     "They haven't come downstairs yet."

     "That's odd," Ryan said. Concern was clear on his face. "Panya's always up before dawn."

     "She could be meditating," Dean replied hopefully. He didn't even believe himself. Whatever was wrong, it had something to do with Panya, Jonathan, and Alyxx.

     Zane seemed to have the same thought. He practically ran upstairs. His sister Olivia was already knocking on Alyxx's door when he got there.

     "Something's wrong," Zane said.

     "I know," Olivia replied. "They're gone, Zane. They just vanished."