“How long do you expect me to sit here and listen to your bullshit,” Steve unleashes. “Special training, the reason why we were taken, and killing two of our captors. Do you really expect us to believe these lies? I’ve seen our captors in action. There is no way this asshole can even stand up to one. He just wants us to cater to him. Come on Mac, I know he is our old friend and all, but he has been nothing but trouble the moment you brought him back. We need to cut him loose.”

“As far as I can tell he is telling the truth,” Steph says. “There is a small chance he has developed some way to manipulate my abilities, but I highly doubt that. There is a reason the leaders tend to give me and those like me a wide birth.”

“This is the most interesting thing to happen in a long time,” Lucy says. “Believe him or not, we have all known on some level that we have been waiting for SOMETHING to happen. Anything really. Our hosts sure as hell aren’t up to anything benevolent like their appearance might suggest. Preparing us to fight their battles for them is definitely likely.”

“The old Christian in me wishes it wasn’t true,” Cindy says. “I mean if they are angels, servants of God, then wouldn’t they be more godly or something? They gave us similar powers that they have, but everything else we have seen suggests technology over divinity. I believe him.”

Steve’s face sunk. His entire body looks like it was hit with a ton of bricks. Stumbling back, he had to support himself against the wall. No one went to help him. Which seem to just make matters worse, and he slid down the wall.

“Why,” Steve trails off trying to find the right words. “Why do you all believe this sadistic newcomer over me?”

We all stand in silence, trying to find the right words. Any words coming out of my mouth would only escalate the situation. All I did was share what I experienced. I know Mac and Cindy wanted to know; the others had to be a little curious. Steve is perfectly justified in disliking me. Maybe I should have been a little bit more diplomatic. Not my strong suit.

“You are letting your emotions get the better of you Steve,” Mac finally chiming in. “Dimitri’s actions may not always be the noblest, but he has always strived for a better tomorrow. Not always for himself. Me and Cindy can tell you countless stories of Dimitri sacrificing his own future for others. It doesn’t matter though, in the here and now there is no way to verify any of it. Stephanie can give us some insight, but she has her limits. We only have each other.”

“Several people have similar claims about our hosts,” Lucy adds. “Always coming from those closest to floor leaders. Everyone wants to dismiss the terrible. We don’t want to think it will just get worse. Dimitri you said we are conscripts. What exactly does that entail?”

These memories came back in a flash. I relived the key moments in brutal detail.it was all there though. Ready to be called up as information or almost experiencing it again. A whiff of Keith’s scent comes to mind as I prepare to repeat myself.

“They don’t intend for all of us to survive. Days, weeks, months,” I trail off. “Sooner rather then later we will approach our destination. Some other planets they have a beef with. Our rations of food and water will stop so we become more willing to do whatever they want. Which is for us to kill who they want to kill. Then with each battle more will die and more will hone their skills. Leaving them with an elite combat force of about fifty thousand or so. It won’t get much better for those soldiers. They might have cushy living conditions and better food, but at the end of the day killing for the Seraphim is the only thing they will be good for.”

“What’s the plan then?” Mac asks.

I shrug. What the hell does he expect from me? The only thing I have been able to do up until now is not die. He was always the better tactician. My skills lay more in the reacting to shit hitting the fan.

“Him or me,” Steve states.

“Him,” Mac says unflinchingly.

“Him,” Lucy quickly follows.

“Him,” Steph says after she peered at me for a bit.

“Him,” Cindy says in almost a whisper.

Proudly he gets up and walks to the doorway. The shadowy effect of Cindy’s power still in effect. I reach out towards him with my magic senses and feel great sadness radiating off him. An emotion that is all too familiar to me. With one final deep breath he pushes through. The field shaping around his body as he leaves.

“No. Stop. Don’t go,” I said halfheartedly. “Anywho, I don’t have a flushed-out plan yet, but one is starting to form. Mac, do you have any ideas? Hopefully, one that won’t end in our horrifically painful deaths. Maybe involving a little less death than people might expect from me?”

“I got nothing but give me time. This is a lot of new information and I need time to digest it,” Mac pauses and tilts his head seemingly listening to some unknown sound. Cindy’s power was two-way. Nothing left this room, and nothing entered it. I could sense that something about Mac could get through the field. Which concerned me a little.

“I think we all need to digest everything. I can remember most of my life now, but that doesn’t mean I have come to terms with everything that has happened. The only thing on my mind right now is sleep. Maybe some cuddles?”

I try to seductively gesture to Cindy. She shakes her head slowly like I am crazy.

“No. Too soon since the Steve thing huh? Lucy, Steph,” I pause. “Mac? Any takers? I am a good cuddlier. I promise there will be zero rape attempts.”

My offers are genuine, and Steph picks up on it. She rubs her head in response and walks out without saying another word. Lucy almost breaks a bone as she hits my shoulder on her way out.

“Dimitri,” Cindy starts. “You know I was in love with you once. That love will always be there. When you say stuff like that with such great timing. I have a difficult time remembering why I loved you as much as I did.”

“My evil charm,” I say.

The slightest smile shows on the corner of her mouth. She takes a moment to collect herself, following Lucy and Steph.

“I could use a nap. It has been a while since I’ve slept,” Mac says.

“Was someone worried about his oldest friend here? Do you need a hug? I’ll let you be the big spoon.”

“My side,” Mac gestures to the side of the room he is occupying. Then he gestures to where I am standing. “Your side. If I catch you over here, you’ll wish you never made it through your torture or the fights.”

“My side! Your side! My side! Your side! My side! Your side! My side! Your side!” I say with exuberance while covering half my head. It doesn’t phase Mac at all. He lays in a bunk as if I wasn’t even here. So, I follow suit.

Sleep doesn’t take me again. Maybe I should go find Cindy and have her knock me out again. No, I need to learn to deal with my reality. It was easier in my own personal cell though. Lights turned off. No random motion from outside the room. Aside from the repeated attempts to end my life and the impending doom, it wasn’t all to bad.

“The truth,” Mac starts. “The truth is if given a choice. Go back and continue my life the way I lived it, or face whatever is to come. I would stay here every time. You could tell me I am looking forward to endless physical and mental torture. Killing for the name of some known power. Committing what we would consider war crimes. None of that makes a difference.”

“Because we are fucking space wizards,” I finish his statement.

“Hell yeah. I have telekinesis, I can regrow limbs, and I could go toe to toe with Spider-man in a fist fight. The shear potential of this is mind blowing and worth nearly any price. I mean, I’ll fight back if it comes to any of the terrible stuff. Until that day, I will enjoy all of this.”

“Wanna know my favorite part,” I ask.

“What?”

“I can teleport. It breaks every law of physics I know of. I’m in one place, with a slight motion and then poof I am somewhere else. Like what the fuck. It is so cool,” I rant.

“It is pretty cool. Me, Steph, and Lucy all tried to do it when you went into the fights. We made no progress. You’ll have to show me that later.”

“Will do. But you’ll have to show me some stuff as well.”

“I doubt there is much I can do that you don’t know about.”

“Dude! You are nearly invisible to most people senses. Everyone thought you were some sort of hologram or something. Me and Steph had to reassure people who hadn’t touched you that you are real. Don’t get me started on what Lucy says hitting you is like. After a single training session, you went into a fighting competition with a few of the most dangerous people around, and you walked out the victor. People have tried to do what you have done in the past few days,” he pauses to consider, “weeks. Do you know where they are now. Dead.”

“I got lucky. The right thing kept happening at the right time,” I told him.

He gives me a wry look and lays back. Mac might be impressed with what I can do, but he is alone with me because he can take me down if need be. I am still a new unknown element in his little community. Regardless of our long history, he wouldn’t want to take the chance I go bad and hurt the new people has sworn to protect. It’s a comforting thought. In its own way he is also protecting me.

Time creeps away as we lay in silence pretending to rest. So much to say and neither of us knows where to begin. One event above all others keeps popping into my head.

“No one said anything about what I did to Melissa,” I say as a question and statement.

“What is there to say? During my first round of fights, I killed all my opponents, Lucy used to hunt men who were abusing women, Steph did horrific things to people’s minds… this place has changed use all.”

Like usual he is right. Before I could respond he jerks his head at the wall, as if he is looking towards the elevators. His face fills with concentration. I try reach out with my magic senses to understand what he is doing, but it is so foreign to me. As if I am trying to understand Cantonese while only knowing old Gaelic.

His head moves slowly until it is facing the doorway. He gets up and adjusts himself. Like he is trying to look all proper. Seems silly. I get up as well and begin to move towards the door. Mac gestures me to stay put. A little bit of concern is on his face. Together we stand, flanking either side of the doorway, time crawling by.

Finally, the door opens, but the force field is in place. I give Mac a sly look. His gaze is fixed on the person on the other side. The field causes just enough of a distortion to keep me from being able to see who it is. Did it do that before? No, it was transparent before. Except for when I was doing stuff to it. That must mean who ever is on the other side is manipulating the forcefield.

The field drops right when I was about to push out with my senses. Revealing Chuck on the other side. I had to force myself through the field. He just brought it down. The residual energies around it tell me that he was being gentle with it. Not wanting to risk breaking the device that creates it. He then reaches up and knocks on the other side of the door.

“Sorry about that. I didn’t want to risk Dimitri or you to think that I can be avoided and/or ignored. The council requests Dimitris presence. I am to escort him”