Tamarious' POV

Moving day, late Saturday morning...

"Yes, Tamarious!"

Those two words officially made my morning the moment that I dropped to my knees and proposed to Tiffany Victoire Detweiler after spending a good bit of last night making love to her in her bedroom. And her parents (as well as the last of the servants who stayed around to make sure that everything was packed up into the moving ban) were there to witness the glorious moment of our engagement. "Tamarious, welcome to the family," Mr. Detweiler boomed with pride as I slid the ring on Tiffany's finger. "You're going to make a fine addition to the family."

"Wished the Tillmans and Parrishes were around to join us in the celebrations," Mrs. Detweiler commented.

I stood to my feet with Tiffany by my side. "Kelante texted me before breakfast and said that he and his family were leaving earlier than planned," I explained, fixing the hem of my shirt. "Told me that he wished me and Tiffany the best and that he hoped to see us soon."

"What about Grandma and Grandpa Tillman?" Tiffany wanted to know.

I hummed a bit. "They haven't been back here since last night. Come to think of it, Grandpa Albert said that he and Grandma Rosa Mae were staying behind to settle some affairs."

Mr. Detweiler harrumphed, rolling his eyes. "Well, for his sake and ours, I hope they don't stick around before St. Anthony's is blown to the moon around noon," he remarked as a butler came to throw the remnants of a hasty take-out breakfast away while the rest of the servants came with their packed suitcases on hand. "When the wedding begins, that's when those bombs will go off and we can't afford to be around for suspicion when they do."

"Right," I replied formally as I led the charge to head outside. "Time for us to get this exodus going, people. Let's go."

Several minutes later, I was soon in the family's Range Rover with the two moving vans leading the caravan for us to put Berkeley, California behind before the onslaught of Titans and allies fell on everyone around here. "I almost feel sorry that we have to leave here," I piped up as I sat next to my future wifey in the backseat while her dad got in the driver's seat. "If things had been different, we might've fought harder to keep those Super-Losers away from us. Too bad that it all had to come down to this."

"Don't worry, babe," Tiffany assured me as she kissed my cheek. "At least we'll be in Seattle in four days' time. We'll be ready for our debut at UW and join all the Outcasts there to keep our revolution alive."

"True." I nodded twice. "As for Kyle and his new brood, they made their choices clear as day. And I can only show pity for what could've been. Too bad that he got wheeled into this mess by force before he accepted his fate like a punk."

"Let's not talk about him, darling," Mrs. Detweiler said soothingly as she checked her makeup. "He belongs with this town of nobodies, anyway. This is all about us and we're moving forward to the future. As they say, the best is yet to come."

"That's right," her husband said as he finished locking in the location of our new home in Seattle. "Time waits for no one who wastes it while the sun never sets on those who ride into it. Tamarious, the move will go forward at your command

No words that were said were more truer than that. I sat back, closed my eyes, and inhaled one big breath as my watch beeped noon. "Let's ride," I declared. "Adios, Berkeley! I hardly knew ye!"

It would be the last thing I would remember saying before the loud booming began and everything was lost in fire and screams.

**************************

Kelante's POV

At the international airport...

"You do realize that we can never come back here again, right?" Mom reminded me as we were waiting for boarding procedures to begin. It hadn't been easy, but my family and I had left Berkeley just before the sun rose. Of course, Kelante texted me about his plans to propose to that Detweiler girl early on after giving him some excuse to avoid blowing our cover. But as we made our way towards our home in DC, I knew that it wouldn't have mattered what would happen because I knew that while my family and I were leaving California, I knew that the Yorks, Dermotts, and all those involved in Project Titan were going to be fully involved in making it go global and make the world become comic-book reality.

All we Parrish family members could do was spread the message across with me in college studying journalism.

"Of course, I know we can't come back here," I replied calmly as I glanced at the pages of a magazine. "I just hoped that I don't regret pulling this Mata-Hari on Tamarious and the Detweilers. This could really be a final and lethal blow to them if we're not careful."

"We did what we had to do," Pop-Pop Louis intoned, Granny Jolene nodding silently in assent. "Their plan for anarchy was going to spell disaster for everyone if our family did nothing about it. Albert did the right thing by telling Brian and Lisa what that boy was planning. We can't condone him for wanting to de-age and become like his grandson, but we knew that this was all out of our hands from the moment we arrived."

"Definitely," Mom said. To me, "It had to be done, son. At least we're granted immunity for coming forward and we'll live our lives in peace."

My cell buzzed, the screen flashing Kyle's number. "Hello?"

"Ah, I take it that you're at the airport," I heard my cousin say over the phone.

"That we are, my family and I are," I replied. "Anyway, has everything been-"

"It's all settled as Tamarious and the Detweilers will be dealt with accordingly," Kyle cut me off. "As for you and your folks, your new home in DC is fully furnished and everyone at Howard U is expecting you for summer orientation in two days. Of course, this means that you can't come back to California until everything's been settled."

"I know that," I replied. "Give Browning and his girl my regards. Tell them that what goes around comes around. And congratulations in advance on your nuptials. May you and Marcel live a...well, you know the rest."

I heard his teasing laugh. "All the best to you, cousin. Enjoy HU."

The line disconnected as the PA announced our flight was ready for boarding. "Come on, y'all," I heard Mom say as we all got up and carried our baggages. Once we handed our tickets to the gatekeeper, I said a silent prayer for strength and mercy for what was about to go down. And while Tamarious had good intentions, some things weren't meant to be. And maybe, just maybe, the comic-book world wouldn't be a bad thing after all.

Grateful that we were upgraded to first-class, we soon found our seats and let ourselves relax as a smiling attendant handed me some noise-cancelling earphones which would allow me to connect to my Spotify and play my favorite songs. "Farewell, Berkeley," I said, vainly stifling a yawn as the flight procedures began, me buckling up my seatbelt. "And good luck to you, Kyle. I wish you my best."

The plane's engines began to roar to life as I sat back and let the music began to take me to my new wonderland. The sun was shining bright as I got a glimpse of the skies while the plane began to take off.

The sun never sets on those who ride into it. And as of today, I was going to ride into that sun towards a new legacy without regrets.

Sue me if you must.

The ending will feature one more confrontation as Tamarious and Tiffany soon learn of their fates after Kyle reveals their plans for them. It's short and ominous, yet oh so right!

Dedication: Author_artisan. Song: "Chasing the Sun" by The Wanted.

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