Smoke reformed on the ground next to where Triss had, for want of a more sensitive word, splashed. Her scattered silver pieces were already regrouping, however, and it wasn't long before she stood next to him.

"We have to find the others," he said.

"I know, but it's freezing. Find some clothes, first." Her voice carried no trace of humour.

It was a few minutes before Smoke reappeared, having found a pair of jeans and shirt in a nearby building. They hung loosely, made for someone far larger than him, but they would do. Not speaking, they began to walk around the area, from time to time flowing up to the roofs of the taller buildings to scan the area from on high.

It was another interminable time before they found Richter and FX, lying close to each other face down in a pool of water, surrounded by the rubble of the exploded tower. Neither was breathing, and blood swirled in the water that surrounded them. Still mute, they moved the two bodies into the dry entrance of the office building next to where they lay, and moved on.

Several minutes went by before they found the group of former prisoners, surrounding Kala and Nick. Nick came over, unsurprised, as soon as they flowed down and reapparated.

"Kala's looking after the others, but... well, most of them are too sick. They're not going to make it. I don't think..."

Smoke and Triss were taken by surprise as Nick fell to his knees, and they caught him by the arms to stop him collapsing completely.

"Are you alright?" asked an alarmed Triss.

"It's just..." Nick panted. "I've changed too much today. I can hold it a bit... longer, but..." He lurched forward and grabbed at his temple, groaning. "Get... FX and Richter..."

Smoke and Triss looked at each other. He didn't know?

"Nick, they..." Smoke began, but was cut off.

"Reanes... got them, didn't he? They'll... be coming round... about now..."

Smoke looked up at Triss. "Look after him," he said as he changed, pouring away as fast as he could.

Smoke reappeared next to the office where they had left the two bodies to find them gone. It took him a while to find them, walking with difficulty, leaning against each other for support, down a small road a little way away.

"Ah, Jesus, Smoke, I really don't need to see that right now," said FX, gesturing weakly at Smoke's naked form.

"You were dead!" he said, unable to think of anything better to say.

"I think we would know if we were dead," said Richter, pushing himself upright. "But mon dieu, I don't know if that wouldn't be preferable," he continued, clutching his head. "I 'ave a terrible headache."

Smoke, unable to work out what to say, just asked "Can you fly?" FX nodded.

"I think so. Slowly, though. I feel like hell."

By the time Smoke returned with FX and Richter, Shade had joined them. A scar cut across his forehead, but was already half-healed. "It seems our encounter with Reanes left a little memento," he said as the three of them joined the group. "Our already fast healing capabilities have been further enhanced."

"Hasn't stopped you speaking like a burk, though, has it?" said FX, but he accepted Shade's outstretched hand and grinned as he shook it.

"We saved the world, then?"

Shade nodded, but their smiles failed as their eyes took in the sick, bleeding, and dying all around.

"Shit. What can we do for them?"

"I don't know," replied Shade. "Something."

He was interrupted by Triss' voice, shouting for help.

"Nick's really bad! Help me!"

They ran over to where Triss was standing over Nick, who was shaking violently and frothing at the mouth.

"It's like a fit," she said. "We can't touch him. Help me clear the area."

They rushed to move the various lumps of detritus and remains of the destroyed tower away from Nick.

"What's he saying?" asked Richter to FX as they carried a particularly heavy lump away.

"I have no idea mate," said FX, glancing towards the thrashing figure concernedly.

Indeed, the sounds coming from Nick were nothing like language, they were a mere random collection of sounds and syllables that spluttered out of his mouth. Triss stood over him, clearly torn between wanting to hold him down for his safety and knowing that was dangerous for someone in the throes of a fit.

It took a while for Nick's wild thrashing to subside, and the sounds he was producing began to slow too. They sat around him, save for Kala who was trying to care for the other sick and injured as much as she could, and watched as he calmed. It was Smoke who spoke first.

"Can you hear what he's saying?" he asked. Shade leaned forward.

"It sounds like..."

But Shade's sentence was broken when Nick suddenly sat bolt upright, eyes wide with terror.

"We made a mistake!" he cried. "We made a mistake - I remember!"

His voice was a wail.

"I remember what's going to happen! We made a mistake!"

Nick looked up towards the night sky as he cried, and when the others followed his gaze they realised they could not see the stars.

And deep in the sun-drenched desert half a world away, a beam of light shone down from the heavens, brighter even than the burning desert sun, carrying the power of a supernova, harnessed and tamed, a light purer than any this planet had seen before. Where it struck the surface the sand fused into glass, then melted into a glowing red liquid that expanded until it was a bubbling pool, a molten lake. The beam itself did not attenuate, but instead was suddenly no longer a beam but a shortening column, the top slowly moving downwards in a way light should not. When the column reached the height of a tall man there was a snap, and atop the lake of molten glass stood a honey-skinned youth who looked around him through green eyes that burned with the light of a million suns, and smiled.

END OF PART ONE