Chapter 29 – Storm Warnings

Three days before Christmas, Michael, Tracy and May were fighting the crowds in an attempt the complete their Christmas shopping. With everything that had happened to them all, it was not surprising that none of them had completed their shopping. Markville Mall was gaily decorated with festive colors and bright lights while loud Christmas music blared out through various strategically placed speakers. The atmosphere was super charged with adrenaline as hundreds of last minute shoppers rushed from store to store. It was festive chaos, and after a few hours of fighting the crowds, the three friends were ready to take a break.

They managed to find some empty seats in the food court and they basked in this simple luxury as they rested their feet and their wallets.

“Ahh, I’m almost done!” declared Tracy as she rested a foot on a large plastic bag covered box. “I’ve bought for my parents, cousins, as well as Linna and Catherine. The only people I haven’t bought for are May and Michael.”

Michael took stock of his purchases and replied, “I think I’m almost done too. In fact, the only people I haven’t bought for too are the people at this table.”

May scanned her bags and said, “Ditto!”

Tracy looked at both May and Michael and said, “So, how are we going to do this next bit? Obviously we can’t be together when we buy for each other!”

May grinned impishly and said, “Obviously, we’ll have to split up now, but I have a feeling that Michael wishes that we could’ve split up sooner!”

Michael blushed a bit as he remembered some of the stores that Tracy and May had dragged him into. “I swear I didn’t know this place had so many lingerie shops! Are you sure both Catherine and Linna are going to enjoy their gifts? I mean, last I heard, they were both single, right? And I can’t believe you dragged me into all of them! I don’t know if I can look at Catherine and Linna in the eye after this!”

Tracy reached over and playfully punched her boyfriend on his shoulder. “Aw, quit your complaining! I bet you had a blast being surrounded by all those bras and panties!”

May chuckled at Michael’s embarrassment. “Actually, I have a suggestion. I’d like to borrow Michael’s body for a while.” When both Tracy and Michael looked at her, she blushed and clarified, “I mean for Phoenix! I want to go shopping with him. He and I have been through so much ordeal that I’d like to do something normal with him for once.”

Tracy nodded sagely and said, “I see your point. I can live with that.” She leaned over to Michael and whispered in his ear. Michael listened intently and nodded.

Michael closed his eyes briefly and when his eyes next opened, Phoenix looked out from them. He turned to look at May and said, “I would be honored to accompany you.”

May jumped up and said, “Great! Let’s get going!”

Phoenix took May’s hand and as they turned to leave, Tracy called out after them, “Meet back here in one hour, ok? And no hanky panky with my boyfriend’s body!”

Even Tracy was startled at how serious her tone was. She had meant it as a joke! When May glanced back, she quickly clarified, “Just kidding!” However, Tracy had a feeling that May wasn’t convinced. She looked away as May and Phoenix disappeared into the crowds. What was she thinking of? All of a sudden, the situation seemed a whole lot more complicated than before. Before Michael’s revelation, life had been so simple. She loved Michael, and May loved Phoenix. Back then, it was an easy situation to deal with. Now, however, after finding out that both Michael and Phoenix shared the same body, it wasn’t so simple anymore. For starters, she couldn’t help but to feel a spike of jealousy whenever she thought of May together with Michael’s body. It was silly. After all, it wasn’t Michael anymore, it was Phoenix. Why was she feeling this way? She’d tried hard to keep it from May, but she also knew that it was impossible to keep secrets from an Empath. Especially one as powerful and skilled as May!

Tracy gave an ironic chuckle and stared blankly at nothing at all. It was funny how things turned out. She had started out trying to hook up Michael and May, and now that she was hopelessly in love with Michael, she just couldn’t bring herself to share any part of him with anyone else. It was stupid and irrational but she just couldn’t help herself. She knew for a fact that whenever May was together with Phoenix, it was always in his other form. Today was the first time that Phoenix was using Michael’s body to be with May.

Tracy sighed and felt a couple of tears drip down her face. She loved Michael. But before she even met Michael, she and May had been best friends for a long time. She owed May so much. In fact, if it wasn’t for May, it was possible that Tracy wouldn’t even be here now agonizing over what she knew she had to do. She wiped her tears away with newfound determination. She started making plans in her head, and this time, she vowed that she would see them through!

---

For Phoenix, the whole experience of walking through a crowded mall would have been overwhelming if not for one simple fact. His human hand, tightly holding May’s hand, seemed to be the single most important focal point of his entire being. When he was in the literal back seat whenever Michael was in control, the sensations that filtered through to him were always muted. Even the sensations caused by Michael’s and Tracy’s lovemaking seemed to pale to the simple act of holding May’s hand.

<<Maybe because it is happening to you, Big Bro! I certainly don’t feel any different!>>

How can you not, Michael? I feel as if my hand was on fire, and this muscle within my chest will not cease its endless rapid drumming! Added to all this is this strange feeling in my bowels, it feels like I am falling and flying at the same time.

<<Ok, first all, Big Bro, if that muscle stopped drumming, we’d be dead! And second of all, try to ignore that feeling in your stomach. If you give in and hurl our lunch…well, let’s just say that would kill this experience really fast! Now you know how I feel whenever I’m around Tracy!>>

Why do I feel like this?

<<I think its called love. Humans tend to react differently when they are in love. And that fiery feeling in your hand? If I had to guess, I’d say you’re holding May’s hand a little bit too tight!>>

What? Oh!

Phoenix quickly loosened his grip but his action elicited an immediate response from May.

“What’s wrong?” asked May.

“Nothing is wrong, May. I was afraid that I was holding your hand too tightly.”

“Oh, that’s ok. I don’t mind one bit. I’m not made of glass, you know,” said May with a smile.

“I am well aware of that, May. In fact, I seem to be well aware of many things at the moment but find that I cannot concentrate on any of them.”

“Really? What are you aware of?”

Phoenix closed his eyes and tried to focus on his senses. “I am aware of the physical connection between us. It is very pleasant yet disturbing in a strange way. I am aware of scent in your hair, probably due to the cleanser you used. It is very pleasant. I am extremely aware of the feel of your skin, and as I cast my senses out, I aware that your skin carries its own scent and when it is combined with how your hand feels in mine, the effect is very intoxicating…”

Phoenix trailed off as his senses probed further and further. He found his body reacting to May’s simple and comfortable outfit. He took special note of the gentle swells and curves of her body. He was so enthralled with his investigation that he was only dimly aware of the effects his probes was having on his body.

He was shaken out of his reverie by the sweet sounds of May’s laughter. He opened his eyes and found that somehow, he and May were standing still in an ocean of humanity. May was standing in front of his body and seemed to be trying to shield him. She was also laughing uncontrollably.

“What is wrong, May?” he asked with a perplexed expression.

May tried several times to stop laughing and finally managed to say, “You…you better stop with whatever you’re doing! You…chuckle…you…hehehehe…”

“What is it?”

<<You have a hard-on, Big Bro!>>

A what?

Before Michael could respond, May finally managed to stop laughing. “You know, for an ancient alien being, I’m very glad that you can respond like a normal red-blooded human when you need to!”

Phoenix finally became aware of the changes in his body. The rushing warmth was flooding his nether regions suddenly changed direction and began to swamp his head.

“Aww, you’re SO cute when you blush,” teased May. When May noticed that the evidence of Phoenix’s arousal was gone, she took his hand again and led him through the crowd.

Phoenix could feel his face burning and in an effort to distract himself, he cast his senses out into the crowd instead of focusing them on the beautiful girl holding his hand. He felt a familiar presence and tugged gently on May’s hand.

She noticed right away and looked at him. “What is it?” she asked quizzically. She looked around and noticed that they were stopped in front of a shop that displayed various swords and knives in the front window. The banner on top of the store read: Age of Valor. She was about to ask Phoenix about his interest in the store when she caught a glimpse of a familiar face within. With her curiosity piqued, she led Phoenix into the store.

“Hey Jade! What’re you doing here?” asked May as soon as she was within speaking distance of her cousin.

Jade was busy counting out bills and hadn’t even noticed their arrival. “Oh, hi May, hi Michael…er…ummm…you’re holding his hand so this must be Phoenix, right?”

May winked at her and said, “Got it in one, cuz. So, what’s up? What’s with the bills? I didn’t know you were interested in this kind of stuff!”

Jade gave a little shrug and said, “I’m not usually, but the recent unpleasantness has made me give it more thought. Your nightsticks are nice, but sometimes I feel like I need more of an edge. Besides, today, I’m picking something up for Brandon. Before he died, Jared commissioned a sword for Brandon. Jared left me instructions in his will.”

May looked interested and asked, “Really? What kind of sword?”

Before Jade could reply, a man came out of the door leading to the back room. In his hands was a long cloth wrapped bundle. The man paused for a moment, then came over quickly and gently laid the cloth bundle on the countertop. He extended his right hand and said, “Hi! You must be May Hua Li!”

Taken slightly aback, May remembered her manners and shook the stranger’s hand. “Uh, yes. Hello, how do you do….” May let her sentence trail off and the stranger picked up on it right away.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You probably don’t know who I am! I do a lot of work with your grandfather and Tank Williams. I’m Robert Clark. RC for short.”

Comprehension dawned upon May as she exclaimed, “I know you! Or rather I know of you! You made my nightsticks!”

The man eagerly bobbed his head up and down. “Yuppers! That’s me. They’re a great idea! I wonder why no one ever came up with it before. I’ve already got several orders from private security firms. Oh, that reminds me. I’m going to owe you a ton in royalty cheques!”

The man had a rapid fire way of talking and it took May several moments to catch up with what he was saying. “Royalty cheques? Why? Oh, you mean for the nightsticks?”

The man bobbed his head up and down again. He opened his mouth but May forestalled him. “No, it’s ok. You don’t owe me anything. You created the final product and gave me and my team freebies to try out. As far as I’m concerned, we’re even.”

RC shook his head vigorously. “I can’t have that, missy! You have no idea how much those babies are going to earn me! I may even close up shop so that I can get more time to work on them!”

“Why don’t you just hire someone to look after the shop?” asked Jade.

RC turned to her and said, “I don’t know anyone who can come in on such short notice. Besides, finding, hiring and training someone new is just too much of a pain.”

“I’ll do it!” exclaimed Jade. There was a fiery shine in her eyes.

“You?” asked RC. He seemed to consider it for a moment. “Hmm, Jared’s kid sister, eh? When can you start?”

“Anytime!” cried Jade excitedly. She seemed to remember something and then looked at May contritely. “Umm, that is, if we don’t have any more training?”

May smiled and shook her head. “I’m afraid even if we did, I’d be a bit out of commission for a while, what with this leg and all.” Though May was not using crutches, she was still relying heavily on her cane.

RC peeked over the counter and said, “Hmm, yeah, I think Tank mentioned something like that. Here, I’ve got just the thing for you.”

As he disappeared into the back room, May fretted for a moment at how much RC seemed to know about her activities. It looked as if Tank may have been a bit too free with his words. As RC came back out bearing something long and black in his hands, May quickly cast her gift out. She found a red spark emanating from RC for her effort. “You’re a Telekinetic!”

RC looked surprised and said, “I thought you knew?”

May looked RC over. He was a tall lanky man in his late 30’s or early 40’s. His head was going bald, but there were no telltale scars on it. “Were you…were you part of the Night?”

RC’s expression turned dark as he said, “No, actually, I’m a wild psion. Neither of my parents had any special abilities that I know of. Tank and I are old army buddies and he introduced me to your grandfather. Speaking of whom, how is the old man anyway?”

“He’s still in a coma,” said May sadly.

RC sighed deeply and then presented the dark stick to May. “Here you go. It’s a modification of your original nightstick. I got to thinking about the short effective range of the fletchettes and came up with this baby.”

May took the black stick from RC and examined it. It was just over three feet in length and looked like an ordinary cane except that it was thicker all around and the end did not taper like a normal cane. She studied the top end until she found a thin almost invisible line near the top. She gave the top part a sharp twist and a small port opened on top. She flipped it around, judged the weight, and then gave the bottom end of the stick another sharp twist. She looked back at RC and could see that he was waiting for her judgment.

She stepped back and twirled the stick experimentally. The balance was fine but she found the weapon a little on the heavy side. “Let’s see, top end is a taser and the bottom three quarters is a fletchette rifle. With the added length to the launching tube, the effective range is probably tripled and the accuracy is improved, right?”

RC openly beamed at her. “Right! It’s yours to field test if you want!”

May started to shake her head but Jade piped up excitedly. “I’ll take it!” She looked apologetically at May and said, “Sorry, May. I like your nightsticks but I keep wacking myself whenever I try to twirl them. Besides, you know my preferred weapon is the bo staff anyway. This will suit me just fine!”

May nodded at RC who solemnly handed the weapon to Jade. As soon as Jade touched the weapon though, her body stiffened up and she spoke in a strange voice. “Can a sword blade be added?”

RC looked surprised at the strange timbre in Jade’s voice but evidently knew something about Clairvoyants. “Yes, I suppose you could add a sword blade, but modern sword canes are really nothing more than long spikes with no edge to speak of.”

Jade continued speaking in her strange voice, “Spikes are useless against the multi-headed beast. Only by cutting off its head can a Hydra be stopped.”

“What’s a Hydra?” asked RC.

Jade gave herself a shake like a dog shaking off water. She looked around with a perplexed expression. “What? Why’s everyone staring at me like that? What happened to me?”

May started to reach out to her but Jade backed away. “No! I don’t need comforting. I need to control this blasted gift of mine! Why can’t I control it?” She started to cry but she still backed away from May. RC flipped up a panel on his countertop and came over. He led the sobbing Jade away into the back room.

May sighed and turned to see Phoenix examining some weapons on the wall before him. He appeared to have completely missed the earlier byplay but May knew that he didn’t. “What do you think?” May asked him quietly. She was glad that the store did not have any other customers.

Phoenix shrugged and said, “I think Clairvoyance is a strange and unpredictable gift. Depending on interpretation, the gift is never wrong.”

May frowned and said, “That’s the problem, isn’t it? It all depends on interpretation. Besides, I’ve never heard of something like this happening. That didn’t sound like a prophecy. If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost say that someone was taking control of Jade just now.”

“It does seem rather odd,” said Phoenix. “However, odd or not, I do believe that it is a warning of some sort.”

May nodded in agreement. She did a slow pan of the room and sighed. When Phoenix looked at her with a questioning look, she gave him a little wave and said, “Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking that’s all. Jared commissioned a sword for Brandon. Knowing the two if them, it’s probably a one of a kind type sword. Both of them have loved swords for as long as I can remember. Jared is more of a history buff. I can remember him going on and on about different types of historical swords, from the Japanese katana to the European bastard swords. Brandon, on the other hand, preferred the more exotic type swords that didn’t have a place in history. He always said that if he were to ever own a sword, it would have to be one that didn’t already carve a niche in history. That way, when he used it, he would be making his own history.”

Phoenix looked at her. It was clear from the expression on her face that she was lost in some fond memories. “And what kind of sword do you prefer?”

Startled, May glanced at him and said, “You know, I don’t really know. I guess I’ve never thought about it. I suppose given my roots and my training, I’d probably prefer a simple Tai Chi sword. However, they just don’t cut it as a real sword anymore.”

“I do not understand. A sword is a sword, right?” asked Phoenix.

May gave him a stern look and said, “You’re kidding right? Oh, no wait, I’m sorry. I keep forgetting. Anyway, I’ll give you an example. Look, I know I’m pretty good with a Tai Chi sword. Not an expert by any means, but I know most of the forms. One summer, I was getting pretty proud of myself and Brandon decided to take me down a couple of notches. We used customized training swords that were ideally suited to each of us. I had my light as a feather Tai Chi sword, and Brandon was using a katana. Even with dulled edges and padded protective gear, he left me enough bruises to bring me back to reality.”

“But I have seen you defeat him in training,” said Phoenix.

May grimaced and said, “I’m a lot better now, especially since I’ve found my ideal weapon. However, I still wouldn’t go up against Brandon with a sword. A lot of it has to do with the style of combat. Modern day Tai Chi is more art than combat. Modern day kendo still uses the fast vicious attacks that have remained true for hundreds of years. It suits Brandon to a T.”

Phoenix looked thoughtfully at the arrayed weapons and asked, “If you were to have an ideal sword, what would it be?”

May arched an eyebrow at him and asked, “What’s with the sudden interest?”

Phoenix shrugged enigmatically. May copied the motion and then said, “Oh well, it wouldn’t matter anyway. I don’t like rapiers cause they’re not that great for cutting, I don’t like any of the other European style swords cause most of them are for giant muscle-bound Neanderthals. I like the Tai Chi swords, but they’re too light and whippy-bladed for actual combat. The Japanese katanas are great, but I still have trouble with their weight.” May flexed her arms muscles for emphasis. “I guess I really have to start weight training!”

“What you need is a one of a kind sword!” said RC.

Both May and Phoenix looked up as Jade and RC came back out. Jade looked better and seemed to have recovered from her ordeal. RC immediately went over to the cloth covered bundle that he had abandoned earlier. “Brandon is going to love this!” he exclaimed as he unwrapped it.

Jade, May and Phoenix looked on, eager to finally see the mysterious sword. As the weapon came into view, both Jade and May made excited and appreciative noises. Phoenix, however, was not impressed. The blade resembled a Japanese katana while the handle did not. The curved blade looked to be about twenty eight inches long, while the handle was about ten inches. There was a mean looking pommel on the tip of the handle. The sword guard was circular surmounted by four slanted spikes.

Jade was admiring the sword with open mouthed awe. May, on the other hand, was more analytical. “A katana-like blade that is ideal for slashing attacks with enough of a point for stabbing attacks too. A European style pommel means that the blade is probably a little thicker and heavier than it appears and Brandon could use it as a last ditch weapon if someone gets inside his guard and hit them on the head with it. The spikes can be used to catch an opponent’s blade and possibly break it.” She pantomimed a shudder. “I wouldn’t want to face Brandon with this!”

RC bobbed head up and down in obvious delight. “So, you like it? If you want, my friend can start making another sword to your specifications!”

May took one last longing look at the sword before passing it to Jade, who took it with gleaming eyes. “I don’t think so. Christmas has pretty much emptied out my bank account!”

Jade wrinkled her nose as she hefted the sword. “It’s a little heavy,” she complained. “But it’s absolutely beautiful! You’re friend does good work!”

RC smiled expansively and said, “I’ll make sure to mention it to him.”

Jade gingerly passed the sword back to RC and said thoughtfully, “You know, Jared’s instructions to me said that if I really liked this sword, I can use some of the money he left me on one too.”

RC’s smile brightened at the prospect. “I’m sure you and I can work something out!”

Jade waved absentmindedly at May. “You guys go on ahead. I’ve got some ideas that I want to run by RC.”

As May and Phoenix left the store, May turned back for one last look at Jade. Jade was talking animatedly to RC while he was busy taking down notes. He would often shake his head as he discounted something that Jade was saying. It would appear that Jade had some very outlandish ideas. Whatever the result was, May was sure that Jade’s ideal sword would be very interesting indeed!

---

The small room as almost empty except for the old man on the bed, a doctor in a white lab coat, and a nurse dressed in pale blue. The nurse was busy sponging the old man’s face while the doctor studied the monitors.

The doctor sighed in frustration and finally looked away from the monitors. “Wake up, Wu Chen. Diablo’s dead and the danger is past. You can wake up now.” There was no response, but then again, the doctor didn’t expect one. He had come to visit every day since Diablo’s attack but there had been no change.

The nurse finished with Sifu Chang’s face and was about to pull down the sheets when suddenly, there was a whoosh of displaced air. Both the nurse and the doctor looked up in time to see two figures magically appear in the middle of the room.

The first thing that the doctor noticed was that both figures were almost bald and had several surgical scars on their heads. The taller figure was dressed all in black and could have been mistaken for a man except for the two barely noticeable swells on her chest. She also had a thick braid of hair that originated from the back of her head and was currently wrapped around her neck. Her companion was obviously a man, but stood hunched over and was dressed in clothes that were wildly colorful. His eyes seemed to stare in all directions at once while the woman only had eyes for the trio by the bed.

The woman in black held up her right hand, palm up and pointed it at the nurse in blue and commanded in an authoritative tone, “Sleep!” A blue bolt of psychic energy flashed across the room. It hit the nurse in the head and she crumpled like a rag doll to the floor.

The woman in black’s companion giggled like a child even though he was looking in another direction at the time.

“What…who…” gasped the doctor. He seemed to be having trouble believing his eyes.

The woman in black waved off his uncompleted question and said, “We’ll get to you later, Dr. Stevenson. I need a witness to your trial.”

“Trial?” sputtered Dr. Stevenson.

“Hush!” commanded the woman in black. She focused on Sifu Chang and pointed her palm at him. “Awake!” As before, a blue bolt of energy leapt from her hand and hit Sifu Chang’s head.

The old man’s eyelids fluttered and then snapped open. He looked wildly around the room until he saw the odd duo in the center of the room. “Chun Peng?” he asked in a bewildered tone.

The woman in black smiled and said, “Ah, I see you remember me. It’s been a long time since we chatted old man.”

“What…what are you doing here?” asked Sifu Chang.

“I am here to dispense some justice and to fulfill a prophecy,” said Chun Peng.

“Justice?”

Instead of replying to Sifu Chang, Chun Peng turned back to Dr. Stevenson. “Allow me to introduce myself, Dr. Stevenson. My name is Wang Chun Peng. I represent the Psion Nation. I am here to prosecute you on your crimes against the Psion Nation. I will be your judge, jury, and executioner. Will you hear the charges?”

Dr. Stevenson’s face turned pale. “Wait. What do you mean…I had no choice!”

Chun Peng nodded sagely. “Ah yes, the same old tired, ‘I had no choice’ defense. Do you know how many ex-Center personnel tried that same old argument? It doesn’t work anymore. Will you hear the charges?”

“What are the charges against Dr. Stevenson?” asked Sifu Chang. “Whatever he has done in the past, he has been a benefit to me and my school over the past many years.”

Chun Peng glared at Sifu Chang and said, “You have no bearing in this court, old man! You are here to witness justice being served, nothing else!” She looked back at Dr. Stevenson and said, “I will ask you one last time. Will you hear the charges?”

Dr. Stevenson’s eyes darted back and forth between Chun Peng and the old man on the bed. Then, his eyes glanced furtively to the camera in the corner of the room.

Chun Peng caught the movement and said grimly, “The old man cannot help you. Even at his best, he is no match for me. In his current state, he couldn’t fend off a kitten. As for the personnel watching behind the camera, they’re currently taking a nice long nap. The cameras are still rolling though. I want this trial to be recorded for posterity. I want all future psions to know that the criminals who abused their parents and grandparents will be punished and that the Psion Nation does not forgive easily.”

Dr. Stevenson’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “What are the charges?”

Chun Peng smiled triumphantly and said, “You are charged with the willful murder of a young psion. Do you even remember his name?”

Dr. Stevenson’s face grew even paler. He nodded solemnly and said, “Yes. I remember his name. His face fills my nightmares. His name was Wang Chun Ming.” He looked carefully at Chun Peng’s face and said, “Your brother, right?”

Chun Peng nodded fiercely. “My older brother. He was transplanted from my Center in China, sent to America, where you subsequently opened his brain up, ripped out his gift, and gave it to that wastrel in that bed beside you!”

“I had no choice!” cried Dr. Stevenson.

“You could have refused!”

“They would have killed me!”

“Then you should have died! Because of you, the Centers all around the world began their operations in earnest, competing against one another to see who could create the ultimate psion. Hundreds of psions died because of you!”

Dr. Stevenson hid his hands behind his hands and cried. “I didn’t know it would kill him. I didn’t mean to kill him!”

Sifu Chang raised a hand weakly. “Dr. Stevenson truly does repent the past, Chun Peng. Because of that first successful operation, I lost my wife and my grandson. However, I have managed to forgive him and he’s been a great help in helping us understand our gifts.”

Chun Peng snorted in contempt. “A great help? How has he done that? By hiding in a closet and spying on your precious students? Don’t get me started on your crimes, old man. The Psion Nation has allowed your school to run all these years because in a small way, it does teach young psions to protect themselves. Don’t try to patronize me!”

She turned to look at Dr. Stevenson once more. “You have heard the charges against you. How do you plead?”

Tears streamed down Dr. Stevenson’s face but he didn’t answer.

“How do you plead, Dr. Stevenson?” repeated Chun Peng.

“It doesn’t matter how I plead,” said the doctor finally. “You’re going to kill me no matter what I say.”

Chun Peng grinned evilly. “True. You have been found guilty of murder. The sentence is death.” She raised her right hand again and commanded, “Die!” The blue bolt hit Dr. Stevenson in his head and he collapsed. He was dead before he hit the floor.

“He did not deserve that,” said Sifu Chang sadly. “I’m the one who has your brother’s stolen gift. What has happened to you, Chun Peng? Stella often spoke fondly of her conversations with you.”

“The Psion Nation needed a leader. No one else wanted the job.” Chun Peng’s face softened somewhat as she asked, “How is Stella? I had heard that Toby Clark had re-emerged. One of the things I was going to do here was to do her the favor of killing that son of a bitch!”

“Toby is gone,” said Sifu Chang.

Chun Peng cocked her head and said, “Gone but not dead. I see you have persuaded even your own daughter to forget and forgive her rapist. You really are a monster!”

Sifu Chang’s eyes flashed angrily. “Toby is required to fulfill the prophecy! Without him, psions will never have true freedom!”

“That depends on your interpretation,” said Chun Peng. “I, of course, have my own interpretation as well. Let me introduce my other brother.” She pulled her silent companion closer and oriented his body so that he was somewhat facing Sifu Chang. “This old man is Chang Wu Chen, the man who has our brother’s Clairvoyance gift. Old man, meet my brother, Wang Chun Po. As you can see, my brother is not normal. Some idiot dropped him when he was just a baby and no one bothered to correct the damage. Instead, they kept operating on his brain. He now has the same three gifts as Toby Clark. However, unlike Toby, he has learned to merge all three gifts together. His mastery over all his gifts, combined with his physical handicap, has led the people of the Psion Nation to nickname him Mogwai.”

Sifu Chang’s face drained of all color. Chun Peng smiled at his reaction. “I see you understand the significance. ‘Sister to the Demon, Scion of the Teacher.’ Through no fault of his own, my brother is referred as a demon by my compatriots, and whether I like it or not, you contain the essence of my other brother, which makes us related in some obscure way.”

“You think you are the Empress of the prophecy,” said Sifu Chang in a whisper.

“Who better to lead the psions? There has never been a psion as powerful as me. Toby Clark wouldn’t have lasted more than two seconds against me.”

Sifu Chang closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. “Empathy, Telekinesis and Telepathy. You are powerful indeed.”

“I can burn the mind, control other people and I can kill with a thought. No one can stand against me. Especially not some stupid little girl with only one gift and is too afraid to use it!”

“My granddaughter may yet surprise you. She has surprised and impressed me on many occasions.”

“Maybe. But I have much higher standards than you.”

Sifu Chang sighed deeply. “With all your gifts and your temperament, you are more prone to kill than to heal. We need an Empress who can understand the true nature of our gifts and who can lead us through the storm that is coming.”

Chun Peng shook her head. “The storm is coming, on that we agree old man. But it shall me, at the head of a unified Psion Nation, who will see our people through.”

“May Hua Li is a healer,” said Sifu Chang quietly.

“She is a blind fool!” exclaimed Chun Peng. “I stood not twenty feet from her today and she failed to register either my presence or that of Mogwai. Even when I took control of that other girl she did not register the use of my powers. She is not the one.”

“I say that she is,” stated Sifu Chang firmly. “What will you do? Kill me like you killed poor Dr. Stevenson?”

Chun Peng’s eyes flashed angrily. “Don’t tempt me, old man! Being the originator of the Psion Prophecy does not exempt you from the wrath of the Psion Nation. Once the prophecy is fulfilled and I am crowned Empress, I will deal with you. What I want from you is to send her to me.”

For the first time, Sifu Chang’s face showed true fear. “No! Don’t kill her! Kill me if you want!”

Chun Peng threw back her head and laughed. “Kill her? I don’t want to kill her! I owe Stella that much at least! She will help me fulfill the prophecy that will see me crowned. She is linked to this…this Phoenix. When I have her in my control, the Phoenix will be mine as well.”

“You are the fool if you think you can control the Phoenix!”

“Perhaps,” said Chun Peng with a shrug. “We will see. You will send May to China. There, she will be tested. When she fails her test, the Psion Nation will look to me for leadership.”

“Who will test her? You?” asked Sifu Chang incredulously.

“The Psion Triumvirate will test her. That includes me, Mogwai and one other. All of us have three psion gifts. If your precious granddaughter can defeat us all, then I will crown her with my bare hands!”

Chun Peng laughed long and hard. Her laughter was edged with madness. Beside her, Mogwai giggled hysterically. Unnoticed by him, drool ran down his chin in thick wet strands. When Chun Peng’s laughter finally trailed away, she gave the old man on the bed one last hard stare. “You will send her, old man. Otherwise, I will come back. You will not like what I will do if I have to come back here!” She turned to look at Mogwai. An unspoken message flashed between them and he ceased his insane giggling. He wiped an absentminded arm along his chin and then closed his eyes. In the next second, both he and Chun Peng disappeared in a whoosh of displaced air.

---

Tracy’s plan did not reach fruition until several weeks after the New Year. The pre-requisite, of course, was to wait for May’s leg to fully heal and the cast to come off. During that time though, she was anything but idle. There was plenty of missed schoolwork to catch up on, plenty of tests and exams to write, and plenty of matchmaking to do.

The weekdays after school were filled with homework and studying. On the weekends though, May would take the Children of the Night downtown to Dominic Pedro’s house to help him rebuild and to fortify against other rival gangs. Two surprising additions to the group were Catherine O’Hara and Linna Summers. The price for their silence regarding the fight with Diablo had been their inclusion into group. Cheerleading had taken a back seat to friendship!

Immediately upon their inclusion, Tracy had introduced Catherine to Jeff, the Tinman. As she did with most boys their age, Catherine seemed to tower over Jeff. It seemed like an odd pairing until Jeff levitated himself to Catherine’s eye level. Their relationship proceeded much more smoothly after that. Catherine later related to Tracy that she didn’t need Jeff to match her height, but found it amusingly cute that Jeff would go to such lengths to impress her.

The other fire that Tracy tried to fan was the one that existed between Linna and Dominic, the taciturn leader of the group that was protecting the small harbor front community. This relationship wasn’t going quite as well as Tracy would have liked. Linna had started making moon eyes at Dominic from the moment they were introduced, but Dominic seemed to be made of stone. He had an annoying habit of ignoring Linna and of looking right through her. It was a habit that had led to many late night comforting sessions. Tracy wanted to take a bat to Dominic’s head and pound some sense into him but refrained. She had learned something of Dominic’s story from Michael and her own heart almost broke when she learned the truth. Her only advice to Linna was to wait it out. Tracy had hoped that Linna would move on, but Linna had stuck around. She spent almost every free moment with the ex-gang members and ex-hookers and had even struck up friendships with many of them. Her new plan was to become a regular at the house, become friends with everyone there, and totally ignore Dominic. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had.

Tracy sighed a bit and then moved her thoughts to happier themes. Her own relationship with Michael couldn’t have been better. She couldn’t imagine herself in a state of purer bliss. However, now, that bliss was about to be shattered. Phoenix, the ancient being that lived inside of Michael’s head, was in love with her best friend, May, and vice versa. Due to the strange arrangement, it was virtually impossible for the two of them to enjoy a physical relationship of any sort. Virtually impossible that is, until now.

Today, her parents were out of town and she had given both Michael and May cryptic instructions to meet at her house. Tracy had spent the afternoon cleaning and decorating her room.

Dozens of candles dotted her spacious room and a soft billowy gauzy canopy adorned the top of her four post bed. Tracy gave one last tug to the bed sheets and then gave herself a mental shake. She and Michael had many wonderful times in her bed. Now, she was going to make sure that her best friend had the same. As before, her heart seemed to clench into a tight fist at the thought of some other girl kissing Michael’s lips. Tracy had to take several deep breaths to before the pressure eased. It wasn’t really going to be Michael after all, and the girl in question was May, her best friend, the one who had literally dragged Tracy kicking and screaming into the land of the living.

Tracy quickly pulled her thoughts away from the past. The past was filled with painful memories. As if called from the past, a sharp stabbing pain suddenly flared up behind her eyes. Tracy quickly sat down and rested her forehead on her knees. The pain eventually subsided and Tracy made a mental note to make another appointment as soon as she could.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Tracy pulled herself wearily to her feet. Her friends were here!

---

Phoenix silently held hands with May as they waited for the door to open. When it did, Tracy quietly led them into the house and closed the door behind them. Not for the first time that day, Phoenix wondered why he had been called here. He was about to ask his young hostess when May asked the question that had been foremost in his mind.

“Ok Tracy, we’re here. What’s this all about?”

Instead of answering right away, Tracy looked down at their joined hands. Phoenix thought he detected a slight tightening of her face but it was quickly gone. Tracy looked at Phoenix right in his eyes and asked, “Phoenix, that’s you, right?”

Before he could answer, May retorted, “Of course it’s him! I wouldn’t be holding Michael’s hand!”

Again, Phoenix detected that strange tightening of Tracy’s face. This time, he was sure of it.

Tracy gave them a broad smile and said, “Good! In that case, all is set! Come, follow me!”

Tracy quickly led the bemused couple up the stairs and into her room. Once inside, May gasped quietly when she saw what Tracy had done.

“Wow! Tracy…you…this…what…” May seemed incapable of coherent speech at the moment.

“Why have you done this, young one?” asked Phoenix.

<<Look, Big Bro, does she have to spell it out?>> Michael’s mental voice sounded exasperated.

“Look, do I have to spell it out?” asked Tracy in the same tone. She sounded so much like Michael at that moment that Phoenix couldn’t stop his mouth from quirking up into a grin.

“You want Phoenix and I to have sex in your bed?” asked May incredulously. “Are you crazy?”

Tracy laughed and said, “No, Michael and I came up with this idea. It was the only way we could think of to let you and Phoenix to be together.”

May pulled out of Phoenix’s grasp and said, “You! You must have been in on this too! If Tracy and Michael planned this out, you must have known ahead of time!”

Tracy laughed harder and said, “On’tday lamebay imay Aymay! Aliens have a hard time following Pig Latin!”

So this was what you and your paramour were planning in that strange dialect!

<<Hey don’t blame me! Histay asway Raceytay’s deaiay!>>

Please stop! You are making my head spin!

The sound of his young protégé’s laughter echoed in his mind.

May stared long and hard at Tracy. Under her scrutiny, Tracy seemed to fidget a bit but stood her ground. Finally, May asked in a soft and caring voice, “Are you sure about this?”

For the third time, Phoenix saw Tracy’s face tighten momentarily before relaxing. “I’m sure,” said Tracy quietly. “You’re my best friend in the whole world and you deserve some happiness!”

Tracy backed away to the side and pushed the bewildered couple deeper into her room. “Now shoo! Get it there and get busy! I’ll be downstairs. Oh, and there’s a box of condoms on the night table. Michael is usually quite vigorous so I figured a box was the best way to go!” She gave them a bright impish grin and waltzed out of the room.

After the door closed, May looked at Phoenix with a bemused expression. “That Tracy is really something else!”

“Has she always been like this?” asked Phoenix with an amused tone.

May shrugged and said, “Pretty much. She’s always trying her best to be happy, and this idea of hers is just another way for her to do what she thinks is best.”

May paused and Phoenix waited for her to continue. He had a feeling he knew what was coming next.

Finally May released some pent up air that she hadn’t realized that she was holding in. “You do realize of course, that we cannot go through with this, right?”

Phoenix nodded sagely and said, “Yes, I understand.”

<<What? What’re you guys talking about? You know how long Tracy and I’ve been planning this?>>

Phoenix ignored Michael and said, “I may not be an Empath like yourself, but I could see just how much this effort was costing Tracy.”

May nodded sadly. “Tracy has never fallen in love before and she’s completely in love with Michael. She probably doesn’t even realize how much jealousy she’s feeling. Her generosity touches me dearly but I cannot do this.”

<<Oh…>>

“I understand, May. I believe that Michael understands too.”

May looked hard at Phoenix, almost as if she were trying to look through him. “Remember this, Michael. Remember how much Tracy loves you. Don’t you ever do anything to hurt her! If you do, I’ll ask Phoenix to chant in monosyllable tones until you go crazy!”

<<I’ll never hurt her!>>

Phoenix relayed Michael’s promise and May nodded again. Suddenly, May’s eyes widened in shock. Her head twisted around to face the door and jerked it open. “Hurry! Someone is using psion powers close by!”

Phoenix followed quickly on May’s heels as she barreled down the hall and skipped down the stairs. In the living room, they found Tracy lying on the couch and two strange people standing before her. The first was dressed in black with a thick braid of hair coming out of the back of her otherwise bald and scarred head. The other was dressed gaily and was running his hands over his bald and scarred with childish glee.

May skidded to a halt as the strange pair turned to face her and Phoenix. “Who are you? What have to done to Tracy?”

The woman gave her a grim smile and said, “Do not worry, May. Your friend is simply asleep. I am not a monster like Toby Clark.”

Taken aback, May asked hesitantly, “You know Diablo?”

“Only through telepathic conversations with your mother. If I could only find him now, I would gleefully kill him for your mother’s sake.”

“You…you know my mother?”

The woman chuckled, but it was not a humorous sound. “Who do you think helped organize the psion rebellion in China? Of course, I was only thirteen years old at the time. My name is Wang Chun Peng. I have come to see you.”

“Me? Why?”

“Several weeks ago, I asked your grandfather to send you to see me. Obviously, he did not do as I asked.”

“My grandfather? But he’s still in a coma!”

Chun Peng laughed and said, “He didn’t even tell you that he was awake? That stupid old man! I woke him up.”

“You? How?”

Chun Peng gave May a hard look. “You know, of course, about psion merging?”

May nodded. “Diablo was able to merge his gifts together to produce Psychic Fire and Sixth Sense.”

“Toby was a fool!” said Chun Peng with grated teeth. “He thought that merging two gifts together was enough to make him a god! Ha! If he had ever discovered his third special power, you would never have defeated him.”

May felt an icy trickle of fear run down her spine. “Third power?”

“You really don’t know, do you?” Chun Peng shook her head and said, “Empathy to power and merge the gifts, Clairvoyance to seek out distant places, and Telekinesis to provide the transport.”

Comprehension dawned upon May. “Teleportation!” She turned to look at Chun Peng’s companion and declared, “That’s how you got in here!”

Chun Peng’s companion did not register May’s comment. Instead, he looked around the room as if he were a child in a candy store.

“Don’t waste your time talking to Mogwai,” said Chun Peng. “His mind exists on a different plane than ours. Only telepathic messages can get through to him.”

May looked back at Chun Peng and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, she asked, “What do you get with you merge Empathy, Telekinesis and Telepathy?

In response, Chun Peng held up her right hand and it started to glow blue. “Psychic bolts,” she declared proudly. “I can jolt the brain, put it to sleep, or simply tell it to die.”

Chun Peng started to point her hand in Phoenix’s direction but May quickly interposed her body. “What do you want? Why do you want me to go to China?”

“The prophecy,” said Chun Peng. She tipped her head in the direction of her strange companion and said, “You’ve met my brother, the Chinese Demon. Your silly grandfather has my other brother’s Clairvoyance gift. Obviously I’m the Empress of the prophecy.”

“You want to challenge me for the title?” asked May incredulously. “You can have it!

Chun Peng shook her head. “It’s not that simple. The Psion Nation demands that you be tested.”

“Who’s going to test me?”

“The Psion Triumvirate. My brother Mogwai, myself, and one other will conduct the test.”

“So, if I fail, I can forget this silly Empress thing?”

Chun Peng’s eyes flashed angrily. “There is a storm coming. The Psion Nation needs a strong leader to lead it. If you fail the test, you will die. If you do not come to China, you will die. I have spared the life of your friend, but in order to give you cause, I’ll take the life of your other friend.” Chun Peng looked past May and straight at Phoenix. “Die!”

The blue bolt of psychic energy danced around May and hit Phoenix in the head. He reeled backward as the command to die threatened to overpower him. He could feel his body starting to go numb and couldn’t stop the desire to lie down and die.

<<Change, Big Bro! Change!>>

In desperation, Phoenix applied his power to the image of his alternate form and in a blaze of light, he transformed.

Shock and surprise registered on Chun Peng’s face. It was obvious that she had not expected the transformation. She recovered quickly though. “Ah, the Phoenix. I have heard so much about you! Unfortunately, I am not ready for you yet!” She turned to her companion and a silent communication flashed between them. In the next second, the two of them vanished.

May was not quite ready to allow them to go. She closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them again, she knew which direction she had to go. She grabbed Phoenix’s hand and dragged him out of the house. “This way, come on!”

Phoenix took May into his arms and took off in the direction she was indicating. He probed outward with his senses but could not find anything unusual. May, however, seemed to know exactly where they were headed. Every few minutes, she would make Phoenix change direction, sometimes seemingly at random.

After almost ten minutes on a single heading though, May cursed and said, “Damn it! I lost them!”

Phoenix pushed out with his senses again, but could not find any trace of the woman who had tried to kill him. Instead however, he got a trace of something else. Something familiar. With May still in his arms, he changed direction and started flying towards the new object.

“Where’re we going? I told you that I lost them!” asked May with her mind.

“I know. However, I sense something else – something that I have not sensed in a long time.”

May reached out with her gift. She hadn’t really expected to find anything so when she sensed a psion spark, it came as a complete surprise. “Hey, I sense something too! It’s a psion spark, but not the woman who tried to kill you.”

Phoenix flew higher and higher. He wrapped a glowing shield around himself and May to protect her from the cold air. Up in the distance, he could see a bright object. He increased his speed until he caught up with it.

May gasped in shock as soon as she saw the object. It was a UFO! It was round, like a saucer and the bottom glowed green. The psion spark was coming from within the UFO. She gathered her courage and strength and opened her mind to her gift. She had to find out who was inside!

The UFO paused in its flight as Phoenix flew in front of it. It hovered motionless in mid air. Phoenix recognized the ship as a Pracetorian scout ship and he started pushing his senses out towards it when an exclamation from May gave him a start.

“Diablo! Diablo is inside that thing!”

With a sudden sense of urgency, Phoenix directed his senses inside the ship. In the cockpit, he found a green skinned four armed alien at the controls. Phoenix ignored him for the moment and directed his senses deeper into the ship. In the back, in a small room, he found Diablo lying unconscious on a tiny bed. Anger flashed through his being at finding the monster still alive. He gathered his power to end Diablo’s miserable existence but then he hesitated. Did he have the right? He had been asked once to spare Diablo’s life. Was that request still valid?

A hum of power reverberated through the small scout ship. Feeling an odd sense of alarm, Phoenix quickly withdrew his senses. He wasn’t sure why, but he increased the power to his shields. A porthole opened on the otherwise smooth exterior of the scout ship. Something flashed bright and a dark metallic object impacted heavily on Phoenix’s shields. The force of the impact sent Phoenix reeling back. In the next moment, the scout ship suddenly accelerated and raced away.

Phoenix quickly recovered and was about to give pursuit when he remembered who he held in his arms.

“Why aren’t you going after him?” asked May.

“I cannot take the chance to endanger you. I cannot believe that I hesitated! I should have killed that monster when I had the chance!”

“You are not a murderer,” said May consolingly. However, all of a sudden, a dim memory surfaced itself and she recited out loud. “’Do not hesitate to strike your blow, or the next time you see your foe, will signal the end of all we know.’”

“That sounds familiar.”

“That was a prophecy my grandfather uttered when he shook hands with Michael for the first time! Maybe it was directed at you and you just hesitated in ‘striking your blow.’ Oh my god! We’ve just fulfilled part of that prophecy!”

“I thought prophecies are subject to interpretation.”

“They are,” said May. “However, there is one other thing that you do not know.”

“What is that?” asked Phoenix.

“That alien that was piloting that ship…he was emitting powerful emotions.”

“What kind?”

“Well, they ranged but the three most powerful ones I felt were panic, hate and fear.

“That alien was a Pracetorian.”

“Aren’t the Pracetorians your former masters?”

“Yes.”

“Why would a Pracetorian feel panic, hatred and fear towards you? Why would he attack you without provocation?”

Phoenix didn’t answer right away as he mulled over the questions. Finally, when he answered, his mental voice was tinged with sadness. “I do not know, May. I do not know. I am beginning to feel though, that my former masters were not as benign as I once believed.”

---

Phoenix and May returned to Tracy’s house to find her awake and livid. It was obvious that she was worried sick about her friends, however, when May explained that they did not follow through with Tracy’s plan, Tracy immediately started in on another tirade. Rather than trying to face up to Tracy’s storm, May quietly pulled her upstairs.

Phoenix had no idea what they talked about and spent his time conversing with his protégé. Neither of them could conclusively analyze what had happened, but both agreed that they would have to be even more cautious when confronting any aliens in the future. Phoenix took advantage of the privacy and changed back into his protégé’s human form. One of Tracy’s cryptic instructions for the evening was to bring a change of clothes. No matter what Tracy’s original plan had been, Phoenix was glad that it had included the clothes!

About an hour later, May returned with Tracy in tow. Phoenix relinquished control to Michael and retreated into the corners of his mind. Tracy looked subdued but as soon as she saw Michael, her face brightened up and she jumped into his arms. Michael couldn’t figure out how she knew it was him in control and not Phoenix, but wisely decided that now was not the time to bring it up.

May quietly cleared her throat and when she saw that she had her friends’ attention, she said, “I have made up my mind. I’m going to China.”

“What? That’s crazy!” exclaimed Tracy. “This Chun Peng character seems to be way stronger than Diablo and you want to face her yourself?”

“Besides,” said Michael, “didn’t she say that there were three of them? Something about a Psion Triumvirate? These people all have three gifts each and they know how to merge and use them.”

Tracy looked thoughtful and then said, “Ok, let’s see if I’ve got this straight. Empathy, Telekinesis and Clairvoyance will yield Psychic Fire, Sixth Sense and Teleportation. Empathy, Telekinesis and Telepathy will yield Psychic Fire, Mind Control and Psychic Bolts – aka the ability to kill with a thought. That leaves one final combination.”

Michael nodded his head and said, “Empathy, Telepathy and Clairvoyance. We know that will give the psion Mind Control and Sixth Sense, but what happens when the psion combines all three?”

May gave it some thought but could not find the answer. “I don’t know. Obviously, the third psion of this triumvirate has these abilities. I won’t know unless I go though.”

“But that’s crazy!” protested Tracy. “They just want kill you!”

May shook her head negatively. “No, if they just wanted to kill me, they would have tonight. However, if I don’t go, I’m sure they’ll come back and start killing my friends one at a time until I do go. I can’t risk my friends’ lives like that.”

“Damn it! We finally get rid of Diablo and now these bozos show up and they make Diablo look like a pussycat!”

Michael and May exchanged a look. May nodded imperceptibly and Michael said, “Um, Tracy, Diablo is not dead.” He then proceeded to tell Tracy what had happened when Phoenix and May had tried to chase after the strange psion pair.

When he finished, Tracy said, “Great! Just great! I knew I should have used a bigger gun!”

“That’s not important now and we can’t do anything about it,” said May quietly. “My mind is made up. First, I’m going to have a real long heart to heart with my grandfather and my mother. I need to know what I’m getting myself into. Then, it’s off to China.”

“How long will you be?” asked Tracy.

“I don’t know. As long as it takes to take care of this prophecy business I suppose.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes and then Michael asked, “What about the Children of the Night?”

“They can take care of themselves for a while. Diablo may not be dead, but he is out of reach. I think we’re safe from that threat for the time being.”

The three friends talked for another couple of hours. Together, they laid plans for May’s imminent trip to China. Michael and Tracy knew that they would not be able to change her mind so instead, they threw all their energy into planning the little details in the hopes that they could help prepare their friend as much as possible.