"Uhhhhhh" Axel said opening his eyes. As he gently raised his hand rubbing his droopy eyes he realized it was hooked up to an IV.

A small machine was beeping in the corner monitoring his heart rate, but aside from that, he didn't see anything that resembled a hospital. He had somehow found himself in a bed in someone else's home. He knew it was not his home, because all around him seemed to be plaques of mantra and spiritual words posted around the walls. Bewildered, He took a moment to read one of the carefully placed words.

"Heaven lies within not without" it read.

The room seemed to invoke a deep spiritual feeling to Axel. With the beaded curtains hanging from the ceiling and tribal rugs arranged across its floors, it came off as the lair of some shaman or mystic. On the wall was a photograph of a nappy headed boy with a woman rubbing his head.

"Where... am I?" He said aloud adjusting to the room.

As his eyes panned to the left he noticed a frightened little girl who had dropped her doll.

"Do you know where I am?" He asked the little girl.

"Grandmamma!!!" The girl shrieked "The boy woke up!"

An old woman in shaman robes came through the beaded curtains. On either side of her wrists, dozens of bracelets jingled as she made her way towards Axel.

"I don't believe it" She said checking Axel's vitals. "You've somehow recovered."

"Recovered from what?" Axel asked. "Where am I?"

"You're at grandma Lu's" The woman said smiling. "My big headed grandson brought you here, he didn't exactly explain what had happened but you were in rough shape." The woman explained.

After a few sounds of rustling behind the beaded curtain, a boy came stumbling into the room spilling a couple of the beads from the curtains onto the tribal rugs.

"Axel!" Reggie exclaimed, running to his side.

"Whuurt?" Axel said through his squeezed face.

He grabbed both sides of Axel's face examining him closely.

"Grandmamma I thought you said that boy would never wake up?" The child asked

"Shhhh now honey, let's leave those two alone she said grabbing the child's hand.

So I did here you! You can still talk! That's relief! In your shape we weren't sure if you'd ever move again!" Reggie said bursting with joy.

"I don't feel all that bad to be honest." Axel said, scratching his head.

"WHAATT? Reggie exclaimed. "You shouldn't be able to scratch your head! WHAT IS GOING ON?"

"What… what are you talkin about "Axel said sitting up in his bed.

All of a sudden Axel felt a waterfall collapsing into his bladder, it seemed he hadn't relieved himself in quite some time.

"Wait! Where's the bathroom!" He said scrambling out of the bed

As he leapt out of the bed and started walking to the bathroom he soon realized that it wasn't only his arm that was hooked up to something.

"Whoa... What are you doing! How are you? how are walking! Get back in bed!" Reggie ordered blocking Axels path to the bathroom with outstretched arms.

"Dude what's wrong with you man? I feel fine I just got to take a piss!" Axel yelled.

Tears filled Reggie's eyes as he started hugging Axel.

"Thank god man I was so worried! I can't believe this is happening!" Reggie said

"Brolo this is awkward my backside is exposed!" Axel said trying to cover his butt with the johnny he was wearing.

"I was so worried about your backside Ax… I'm so glad its ok…" Reggie cried

"Yeh yeh I get it you were worried but if I don't get to the bathroom soon you're going to have something else to worry about!" Axel groaned

"HAha All right go take a piss man! Hopefully by the time you return our special guest will be back." Reggie said laughing

"Special guest?" Axel said, peeking his head out from the bathroom.

When Axel returned from the bathroom he was shocked to see his older brother waiting in his room.

"Broooooooooooooo!"

"Axxxxxxxxxxxx! "

"It's true! You really can walk! What's going on here!? Vincent said beaming.

"Why don't you tell me? Why is everyone acting as if I was dead?" Axel said confused

"Axel..." Vincent said slowly approaching his brother, "Your spinal column was shattered, and we didn't think you were going to be able to talk for the next 6 months! Let alone move!"

"What? Really how long have I been asleep exactly?"

"Only two days"

"What! That doesn't make any sense! You guys must have got it wrong! How can I regrow my entire spinal column in 2 days?"

"Ok then!" Vincent remarked, "What about your broken leg! Don't you remember that" Vince fired back

Finally the shock from everything set in. Axel lifted up his clothing to reveal his leg. To his surprise there wasn't a single indication of it being broken! It had completely healed!

"That's impossible" Axel remarked incredulously. "I remember him breaking it… I remember how painful it was… and now…. I remember you're right! PB totally pin dropped me on my back! But it all feels so distant... You're telling me that wasn't a dream!"

"I don't know and I don't care! If you're back bro and this is a dream, I'll enjoy it as long as I can!" Vincent said embracing him

After a few moments of catching up Vincent let out a laugh

"Wow, so that's what happened huh? I'm proud of you! By the way you've got some pretty kick ass friends too!"

"Yeh! Whenever I'm in trouble they're always there when it counts!" Axel said pumping his fist

"Well, we're going to make sure that never happens again." Vince said with conviction

Axel gave Vince a confused look.

"You're in for it now!" Vince said.

"What?" Axel replied.

"I heard about all your little power trip! You can control your powers now right!

"Yeh but-"

"THINK FAST" Vince yelled, throwing a gallon of water at Axel as fast as he could.

Axel reactively threw his hands up reaching out to the bottle with the invisible strings that ran up his arms. The bottle slowly lost momentum until it came to a halt, completely frozen in midair.

"YOOOO Ax got powers now ohhh shit!" Reggie said celebrating.

Axel laughed trying his best to move the water to the ground.

"Well Ax are you ready? How about you come with me to the Badlands for the next month and train with me!? Vince said.

Axel couldn't have been happier. He gleefully jumped into the air, overwhelmed with thought of showing his older brother his new powers! It seemed, however, that he was a bit too excited. He jumped so high that he crashed into the ceiling, sending him reeling back towards the ground upside down, flashing his undergarments to Vince and Reggie as he landed on his head.

The two burst out in laughter as Axel squeaked out from below them

"Yeah, let's do it bro…" Axel said, trying to dig his head out of the floor.

Vincent folded his arms giving his brother a suspicious look.

"That wasn't the response I was expecting" he said, scratching his chin "you always give me some kind of whiney excuse when it's time to train."

"Don't let the Band-Aids and IV fool you!" Axel said springing to his feet "I've changed bro and I want to show you how much! There's nothing you can put me through that I can't handle!" Axel declared triumphantly.

"Oh really" Vince said crossing his arms... "You just remember that when I'm beating your ass and you're begging me to bring you back to school!"

Axel's eyes flickered stuttering for a moment and then fully popped open. He had forgotten all about school!

"Oh yeh that's right bro!!! My friends!" He exclaimed "Reggie have you told anyone about me yet!"

"No… I haven't" Reggie replied disappointed. "I've been basking in the moment so selfishly! Let me..."

"Wait! Not so fast…." Axel said grabbing Reggie's phone from him.

"This…" He said raising his eyebrows "Is a matter of eeeeeextreme importance!" Axel said rubbing his hands together.

Vince looked at Reggie and then Axel, as the two teenagers telepathically exchanged looks before bursting out in laughter.

Vince smiled beaming at his little brother. The old Axel had complained about everything… and here he was laughing now, just after recovering from having his spinal column shattered….

"It seems you really have changed" Vincent thought smiling.

"Ok what's the big idea? Why are you calling me all the way out here? I think I speak for all of us when I say I don't have exactly the fondest memories here" Lance said defiantly

Lance, 6, Lily, and B, were all standing in front of Reggie with disgruntled expressions.

"Yeah can we just get whatever we're doing over with, I really would like to get out and check on Ax." 6 answered

"All right!" Reggie yelled "I got em here! Now you have to take care of this grumpy bunch" he said flicking his hands to someone in the distance.

"Hey guys" said a voice from behind the group.

The sound that filled the air that day was a joy Axel would never forget. It was like how the townspeople in his dreams reacted when he defeated the bad guys, except it wasn't a dream…