Okay, when did Lucas show up, and why did he show up? It's Thursday morning and this is Zane's apartment. I mean, I'm not going to complain that I'm getting double the cuddles, I'm just confused. He must have decided to pop in after he finished being a vigilante for the night.

Zane is wearing boxer-briefs, while Lucas is wearing sweatpants. I'm wearing shorts and a tee, because I'm not as comfortable wearing less with either of them right now. Maybe I should be? I mean, they do see me naked all the time and I've slept naked with another guy several times already. But what if they take it the wrong way? Theo's said he wouldn't have an issue as long as it was just cuddling – as long as nothing more happened.

Shaking my head a little, I start to work myself out of the guys' grips, only to fail. Sighing, I shadow-walk out of it, then hurry into the bathroom so that I can pee. When I return from doing that, Zane's awake and looking amusing.

"I wake up just in time to see your pale ass hurrying into the bathroom," he says. "And Lucas in my bed. At least Danny's still on the couch."

Zane was actually disappointed that Danny decided to sleep on the couch last night, because it made it harder to talk ourselves to sleep. Danny doesn't mind sharing a bed with me and Todd, but Zane apparently pushes his limits, which I find amusing. He spent the night with us so that he didn't have to walk even further than I would have had to in order to hang out today.

"Don't ask me when he arrived, I just woke up," I tell Zane.

"I won't," he snorts. "Breakfast?"

"Want me to make it?"

"Only when you're alone!"

He hops out of bed and hurries into the kitchen, and I return to his bed and grab my clothes, slipping back into them as Zane flips on the lights. I move to the table and sit down, watching as my apron-clad friend prepares breakfast.

"So I talked with someone at the group that's possibly going to make me the offer," I tell Zane.

"Yeah?"

"He said that I'll find out tomorrow, not today," I say. "Whether or not I'm getting the offer."

"Any hints on whether or not you will?"

"His boss still hasn't said," I say. "But like you, Lucas, and pretty much everyone else, he says I'm guaranteed to get it because I did put in the effort to show that I'm dedicated to improving myself and my power is useful."

"See?" He says. "Even people in the know say it."

"Doesn't mean I'm not nervous, though," I say. "Even remembering what you said isn't helping. I mean, it's tomorrow. If I get this job, then everything changes."

If I get this job, I become not just my dream job, but I become a Sivalshi Guardian, protector of the greater peace of this city. I become one of the heroes of the city. Even if there are people who hate them, even among my friend group.

"Yeah," Zane says. "I'll admit, I'm a little nervous about the job, too. It's an amazing gig, to be honest. I was already qualified, and the wait has me nervous. I can't imagine how it is for you, who hadn't used his powers since he was little, to get told you might get a job as a security guard. Knowing there's a chance you won't get it must be stressful."

Getting up, I walk over to where I left my phone and grab it, returning to the table and checking my texts. Invites from Zane and messages with Isaac, Todd, Lucas, Danny, and Theo. Nothing new, though when I check my contacts, there's the one I put in yesterday sitting there, clear as day on my screen.

"I got an offer yesterday."

"From the job?" He asks. "Didn't you just say you wouldn't find out until tomorrow?"

"From another company," I tell him. "They, uh, found out about me tackling the purse snatcher on Sunday, including that I used shadow-walking to do so."

"What did they say?" He asks.

"Full use of their training facility for powers," I answer. "A specially-tailored spellsuit once Spelcor studies my power enough to figure out how to make one, use of a company-owned apartment in a building where tenants have access to a workout center, pool, and spa, and an income of two grand a month starting, with a potential raise of two hundred fifty every six months. It also comes with health insurance, including complete coverage for anything arising from the job."

With the company owning the apartment, I wouldn't have to worry about paying the bills for it. That income would give me not just the money to cover food and other normal stuff, but give me some extra spending money and even savings.

"I'd be in a probationary period for the first three months," I continue. "Where I'd go through education on the procedures, shadow other security guards, and learn the ropes while continuing to improve my skills. If I make it past that, then I'd exit probation and receive a pay increase of five hundred then in addition to become a full security guard. I'd basically just need to not screw up, remember the protocols and rules, and continue to improve my power."

"Damn," Zane says. "That's a pretty damn good job offer there."

"Yeah," I say. "I was kind of suspicious, so I checked into it and called the company directly rather than using the business card he gave me, and their security office confirmed that they were interested in hiring me and I really did talk with the chief of security."

From the way the guy spoke, their chief of security doesn't often make a personal visit to extend a job offer.

"Sheesh," Zane says. "I'm jealous."

"Of what?" Danny asks, and I explain again as he joins me at the table, dressed in his birthday suit, just as what he slept in. "That's pretty neat. So if the first job falls through, you've already got a second lined up."

"Yep," I answer. "Which is kind of reassuring. I did tell the guy that I was waiting to hear back on another job, but that I should know tomorrow whether I get it or not. He told me to consider the offer open as long as I continue to improve myself because they'd love to have someone on their team who can shadow-walk and who is willing to chase after someone of his own initiative rather than waiting for a cry for help."

"Did you explain the 'why'?" Zane asks.

"Because of the clouds the other day?" I ask. "Yeah, I did. He said that didn't matter – I saw the problem, knew I could handle it, and did it. If I get the job, he expects me to use that same reasoning and to call for backup if I need it."

"That's good," Danny says. "Will you take it if the first job doesn't fall through?"

"Maybe," I answer. "Theo said that if I don't – which he doubts – then I should wait a week to see if any other offers come through. Since I did use my powers publicly, even if only the criminals and the two vigilantes saw it, word will still probably get to companies in the middle and upper districts about it, and once they research me, they'll learn more about my power and that I'm training it and myself for a security job. He said a better job offer might come, though the company that contacted me is respectable."

"Good luck," Danny says.

"Thanks," I smile. "I really want the first job, though. It's basically my dream job."

"Extra luck for that," he claps me on the back. "What's for breakfast, Zane?"

"Biscuits and gravy with sausage links," he answers. "Plus some fruit on the side. Do you think I should make some for Lucas?"

How shocked would Lucas be that Zane actually considered making food for him? Even if he's looking at Zane in a new light, he's still viewing Zane as being somewhat antagonistic toward him.

"He'll probably sleep for a couple of more hours, minimum," I say. "So nah."

"Alright," he says.

Zane finishes up making breakfast as we discuss our plans for today, then we eat, and after breakfast, Danny and I wash the dishes. Once they're washed and in the strainer, we move to the couch to play a video game.

This one, we're supposed to be killing hordes of zombies, and we take turns slaughtering the undead abominations. This is nowhere near as bad as the horror movies that Lucas likes to watch when we hang out. I can actually handle this.

"Wait, don't go in there yet," Zane tells Danny. "Go back a bit."

"Why?"

"Secret loot," Zane says. "It's only here the second time you're in the area. You have to kill another eighty zombies here, then it'll appear. Go back to the fountain, there should be more there."

Danny moves his character to the fountain, then starts attacking the zombies there, hunting down a few more to reach the needed one thousand kills before following Zane's directions to an alley. He opens up the dumpster in the alley, and inside of it is a trophy that causes an achievement to pop up.

"Sweet," Danny says. "Did you see that bonus?"

Most of the achievements in this game come with bonuses for the player (or players, in our case).

"Yeah," I say. "Fifty percent extra strength when fighting more than twenty zombies at a time, and that's most of the battles after their start, before you've wiped out most of them."

"Yeah," he says. "That's awesome, we'll be killing them faster. Thanks, Zane!"

Danny moves to the next area, then hands me the controller, and Zane guides me in getting another secret treasure. This time, it's a ring that we can equip onto our character to increase their regeneration by ten percent.

"So as long as we don't lose the finger, we're good," Zane says.

"Wait, we can lose our fingers in this?"

"Nah," Zane grins. "Just messing with you. There should be a boss spawning as soon as you walk into the next room."

"You fight him," I hand him the controller. "I'm still learning how to play and I failed against the last boss."

Zane navigates the character into the next room, then starts fighting the giant of a zombie that was waiting for us. Just as he beats us, we hear a snort from the bed area.

"Morning, Lucas!" Zane greets him.

"One is naked, one is in his underwear, and one actually has clothes on," Lucas says. "That's not what I was expecting at all."

"We've got the full stages if we include you," I say. "Since you're just wearing pants."

"True," he says. "Didn't bother getting dressed?"

"We're just hanging out here," Zane says. "Didn't see a need to. If we're comfortable, we're comfortable. Heck, the only reason I'm not naked is because I didn't bother stripped after getting out of bed, and I'd slept with something on for Shadow Boy's sake. Plus, I don't want Danny getting jealous of my awesome-hey!"

"Whoops," Lucas says as Zane throws the pillow back at him. "My hand slipped."

"I made extra breakfast for you," Zane tells him. "It's in the fridge, but now I'm regretting that."

"What time is it?" Lucas asks.

"Nearly noon," I answer. "Which might be why you're not a cranky jerk right now."

"Probably," Lucas yawns as he walks over to the fridge. "Thanks for letting me crash here last night, Zane."

"I didn't give you permission to," Zane says. "You performed an illegal entry."

"Yeah," I say. "Why did you come over, Lucas? All three of us were a bit surprised to see you here when we woke up."

"I was nearby when I decided to finally go to bed," Lucas answers as he pulls the food out of the fridge and puts it on a plate, before putting that in the microwave. "And I figured that Zane wouldn't mind paying me back for his teasing by letting me crash here instead of traveling back to my place."

"Are those my sweats?" Zane asks.

"I didn't have clothes on me at the time," Lucas answers.

"If Kier ain't here when you do that, no clothes," Zane says. "Gotta crash naked. That way, I can marvel at the fact that even if Kieran's boyfriend is bigger, I'm still bigger than everyone else."

Danny's looking confused about the clothing comment, no doubt because he doesn't know about the nature of the spellsuit and how it works. Before he can ask about it, Zane decides it's time to start wrestling Danny over me to tease him about how he's outmatched. Not one to back down from such a challenge, Danny starts wrestling him back while saying his girlfriend likes it just fine.

I manage to escape the couch and grab the controller. Lucas just rolls his eyes when he notices that. If Danny was into guys and was still single, there's a good chance he and Zane might have become a couple, the way they act.

They wrestle for a few more minutes, then Zane realizes I'm about to pass up yet another hidden treasure and stops so that he can direct me to it. Danny takes the opportunity to gather as much saliva as he can, then spit it onto Zane's shoulder.

"Hey!" Zane protests. "I'm helping play the game!"

"That's for calling me Tiny Danny!"

"Guys! There's a miniboss here and I'm dying!"

Zane takes the controller from me to fight the miniboss, then hands it off to Danny. Lucas moves onto the couch, wedging himself between them. That will probably keep them from wrestling around for now.

Soon, Lucas's phone rings, and he flashes it to his hand to answer it.

"Hi, Mom," he says. "I just woke up a little bit ago. Why do you sound upset? What? What do you mean?"

Lucas jumps to his feet.

"WHAT?" He practically screams. "Let me get some clothes on, then I'll be there. Not even five minutes. See you."

He hangs up, then flashes himself over to Zane's dresser.

"I'm borrowing some clothes," Lucas tells Zane as he yanks open a drawer. "And shoes, since you have extra and we're the same size."

"What's wrong?" Zane asks as Lucas pulls out a hoodie and pulls it on, then grabs a pair of shoes. "Lucas?"

"Cyrus was kidnapped," Lucas answers. "From his school. They think it's the Blond Boy Basher."

Lucas finishes putting on the shoes, then disappears in a flash, and the three of us look at each other.

"That's not good," Zane says.

"No, it's not," I say. "And it's only going to fuel his hatred of the Patron more. As soon as Lucas talks with his parents, grandpa, the school, and whoever, he's probably turning into Lumilxal again and tearing this town apart in search of Cyrus."

"Probably," Zane's voice is quiet. "I hope they find him soon. I've already wanted the bastard to be caught, but now more than ever, now that I know someone who was affected by it."

"Yeah," I say. "I really hope the bastard is caught even more, and I really, really hope Lucas's brother is found before he's killed. For the sake of both of them."

If Cyrus dies, Lucas will likely go down an extremely dark path. The sort that would put him in the crosshairs of the Sivalshi Guardians. Despite our differences of opinion on the Patron, Lucas is a good guy – right now. He's a great friend, too. I really don't want to lose him, especially not to the darkness inside.

"There's nothing we can do," Zane sighs. "Let's just carry on with our day and pray to the Patron Cyrus is found healthy soon."

"Yeah," I nod.

Even with that said, our mood for the day has soured, none of us really getting into the game again. How can we enjoy ourselves when our friend is hurting and worried? Especially since we know this is going to consume Lucas enough he won't be at the center tonight, and probably won't be at his apartment tonight, either. We won't be able to be there for him the way we should be.

Please, Patron, let Cyrus be found healthy and alive. Please.