We were quick to gather ourselves together and get out of that club. Besides, it looked like Bernie was ready to swing a billy club at anybody still standing after having his business trashed so badly. It's best that we not be in his presence and be perfectly healthy at the same time.

We stepped over small puddles of blood, broken furniture, fixtures that had fallen from the ceiling. It was hard to believe that this was the same club that that the others had taken me to that first night to celebrate. The night that I found out what they really were...and soon after made the choice to stay in darkness forever. The trashed husk of a building that lay in ruin at our feet hardly resembled the place that we once knew. And I began to wonder if it was my fault that it was gone.

"So do you remember where this joint is or not?" Max grumbled.

"I...I think so." I said.

"You think so? Dude, either you remember or you don't."

"Hold on, just give me a second." I tried using some of Doc's memory techniques to peel back the layers of fog that had misted over my thoughts in the months since Gyro had taken me there. Hell, he had taken me to so MANY places, it was hard to keep track of them all. "I think....it was up north...and...I think I remember that we took the subway. But not the Red Line...it was Blue." I shuffled through my memories like a deck of playing cards, hoping to put them in the right order and deal myself a winning hand. But it wasn't easy. Not at all.

What could I remember...let's see...

"We were SOOOO drunk.....he ran right into a brick wall!"

No...not that one. That's not the right moment.

"I got us tickets! To the ICEZONE!!!"

Not that one...

"C'mon, I KNOW you wanna let us in Bernie...."

"It's my birthday..."

"They're 'chasers', Justin....just meant to keep an eye on you...."

All I could really get were fragments and pieces. Some with perfected details, some with altered perceptions. But I knew that it had to be in there somewhere. After all the times Gyro and I had been out together, it should be easy to locate the right memory to find him again.

"Whoah! The POLICE....I'm NOT leaving you here...."

"Heyyyyyy, my buddies are here!....I only had a little bit of spice...I....You don't have to yell...."

"You guys can 'booty screw' at the club....!"

Come on, dammit....where are you?

"I KNEW you could do it Superman!"

"Vampires call it a 'sunburn' shot...Bacardi 151, vodka, splash of lemon juice...."

"Just a couple more fights, Justin! And we can make all the money we NEED!"

WAIT....back up! THERE...that's what I'm looking for! Somehow, that memory is connected to what I need to know. I remember....hmmm...I remember going to Soren's arena that night for the first time with Gyro and Dion. I remember having to fight....I remember the video game machine in the convenience store that acted as the secret entrance....wait...no, that's too far ahead. Back up some. The images scrolled backwards in my mind, almost as if recorded onto an old video cassette. It was a delicate maneuver, trying not to go back too far or leap too far ahead. But with a little concentration, I managed to work something out. Ok...before the arena...where were we? We were...WAIT....Jeremy! That was the night Jeremy threatened us over the money we owed him! He had his goon come pick us up with Torsten and Grimm...outside of....of a club. The location is kinda hazy, but was getting clearer fast. I needed to go out that night....but why? Ok...I remember...Trevor was chasing me that night. We had to get rid of him. So we sent Gyro to watch him and keep him occupied...and...THERE IT IS!

"I've got it! I remember!" I said.

"Hallelujah...." Trevor sighed sarcastically.

"C'mon, we've gotta go! We may not have much time." I said, hurrying in the direction of the nearest Blue Line subway.

"Justin, are you sure it's the right place?" Jenna asked.

"Positive." I could feel it. My thoughts and feelings could easily cling to it. If Rage is doing what I think he's doing, and he's tracking me down, then my essence should be just as evident on Gyro as it was on Max. Probably more. Jesus...what if that makes everyone in the lot a target? What if that makes...Taryn a target? As we galloped down the stairs and hopped the turnstiles to get on the train, I made sure to keep Taryn extra close to me. I held him against me, ignoring the looks of other people waiting on the same train. I didn't care if they looked. I needed him here with me. I needed to protect him at all costs. Because losing him means losing myself. And nothing matters after that. Nothing. I'd gladly welcome oblivion, and take this whole worthless planet with me if I had to. I swear it.

At first, Taryn might have mistaken my clutching him tightly as a sign of affection. But soon he began to feel the desperation in my embrace, and he turned to look me in the eye. His glorious green eyes were so hypnotic sometimes. A beauty that could be better defined by tears than by words. And he ran his soft hand across my cheek, as if to somehow calm me down. He could have asked me what was wrong, and he would have gotten the predictable answer, which would have been designed to sooth his nerves instead of my own. So he didn't bother with the task at all, and just turned into me to lay his head comfortably on my shoulder while I wrapped my arms softly around his shoulders and leaned against the wall. I could smell the sweetened scent of strawberries and sunshine in the locks of his hair, and I could feel the warmth of his body heat as his chest pressed up against mine. I held him even tighter as I began to let my mind wander to darker thoughts of having to let him go. I began to tremble slightly, and almost felt my eyes welling up with tears as the inevitability of it all started to crush down on me from above. Weighing oh so heavy on my already weary shoulders. All I could do was stay silent, hold back my sniffles, and keep that boy wrapped as tightly in my arms as I possibly could. I wanted to keep him safe. I just...I had to keep him safe.

At that moment, I looked up, and I noticed that Trevor was staring at me. I don't even think that Jenna had picked up the emotion with her senses, but Trevor did. He felt my desire to protect what was mine. He tuned in to the fears and the worries and the despair in a way that no one else could. It was always difficult to figure out how Trevor could use his extra so successfully when it was so hard to explain. But in that moment, when his eyes met mine, he knew that something was seriously wrong with this moment in time. He looked at me, and he looked at my arms gripping Taryn's waifish shoulders to the point where they were almost sore from the tension...and I wonder if he knew, or at least suspected....that darker days were coming for us all.

We got on the train and I counted nine or ten stops on the overhead map until we would have to get off. Everyone was silent. Watching me and my expression as they hoped and prayed that Gyro wasn't in as much trouble as I said he would be. I attempted to send him a message mentally using Taryn's extra, warning him to get Rain and get out of that place as fast as possible! but I didn't know how. I just couldn't push it out far enough. I asked Taryn how to use it better, and asked if maybe he could try. "I don't know, I never tried it like that before. I've only been able to really send messages to people who have been in my immediate line of sight." He said. But there's GOTTA be a way to do it! It happened before. It happened between us when I rescued him from Soren's warehouse. So it MUST be possible.

"Don't even bother." Michael said. "Knowing the little pipsqueak, he's probably at least four drinks past being able to receive anything 'mentally'."

Dion agreed. "He's right, you know? Chances are he's not gonna heed the warning, even if he gets it. He'll be too busy having fun."

Jenna saw my frustration, and said softly, "Don't worry, Justin. We'll get there in time. They'll be fine." But as she randomly laid her hand on my arm, something odd happened. It was like an electric spark between us, and somehow...she felt something unbelievably 'wicked' inside of me. I don't know where it came from or how she triggered it through touch alone, but she was suddenly flooded with images of hate, death, destruction, and pain. It only lasted a second, and she pulled her hand away from me, the overwhelming sensation still lingering in her fingertips. I saw two tears drip from her eyes as she gave me such a look of utter confusion. Like she had never experienced something so foul, so powerful, so irreversibly evil. She used her hand to cover her mouth before she gasped out loud, and quickly wiped her tears away before anyone else really took notice. But we both know that something had happened. And she had somehow tapped into that rapidly churning storm that was building strength with every breath that I took. A level of madness that would not only consume me, but everyone around it, if it were ever fully unleashed. She stared for a few seconds longer, her eyes bursting with fear over what I had living inside of me, and I silently told her...with a look of concern...not to 'tell'. I can work this out. I can find a way to control it. I know I can. But I needed time. I just needed to get through this 'one' night, and then I can get help. Older vampires will know what to do. They'll know the legends, they'll understand the texts...they can help me find my balance again. All I have to do is get everyone to safety first. My family i darkness has to be safe.

The train came to our stop, and we got off, rushing to the surface to find the way there. I think Dion recognized the location and was able to help me find the club again. Thank God it was still 'operational'! I would have freaked if we had found ourselves walking into another 'ground zero' situation. People were walking in and out of the place, and casually hanging out in the surrounding streets. Again, it seemed to be a mix of vampires and humans alike, one of the 'chosen' places where they can co-exist and not tear each other apart. It always confused me, trying to find that fine line between our forced discretion and our apparent union. We live in secret, but how secret could we be with so many places like this in existence?

Then again...maybe the answer is simple. People as whole....simply don't pay attention. They've been brainwashed into not caring, not seeing, not retaining any information for longer than the few seconds it takes to push it to the back of their polluted minds. Strange. They really don't notice the 800 pound gorilla in the room until it rips off an arm and tosses it across the room. I don't think it was clandestine governments and secretive Elders that kept our existence from the general public for so many centuries. It was a list of simple flaws. Ignorance. Apathy. Disbelief. Ego. Laziness. I must admit, for a system so complex and so difficult to pull off, their execution is immaculate.

We approached the club as a group, not really concerned with the party atmosphere in the street outside. However, my senses began to pick up some subtle vibrations from all directions as we got closer. It started out as just one or two sets of eyes, gazing upon us from the parking lot. But that number increased greatly as we walked towards the door. I looked around us, and I could see vampires noticing our little group instantly, their eyes glowing brightly in the dark as they turned to watch us move. I could feel their sudden fascination, I could sense their increasing tension, and when I saw the looks on their faces...I saw a look of amazement.

Eyes widened, jaws dropped, conversations came to a standstill. And a few vampires looked over the side of the roof to see if it was true. It was ME...they could 'see' me. Had word traveled that fast? Is it possible that I've been spotted for what I am? The street outside got quiet except for the muffled sound of the pounding bass coming from inside the club. Some vampires gave me a wicked smile as I walked past, and bowed their heads slightly, as if to pay my visit the ultimate respect. Others backed away from us, sending vibrations of fear and tension into the air around them They started to actually 'leave' the area when they saw me, finding places to hide until I was gone so they could rush off to some other location. And some watched with an intense focus, studying us and analyzing our every move, trying to figure out what we were doing here. I felt so open..and to me, that was a very dangerous feeling to have.

"Sweet Jesus...the chosen one is real...."

The inner voices began almost instantly, and no one could hear them but me. Depending on the emotion involved, some voices were louder than others in my mind. But I heard them all, and picked up my pace as I attempted to get in and back out again before I caused too much of a disturbance.

"No....no this can't be! Is it the 'End Times' already??? Are we to be judged here tonight???"

"He brings the light. He brings us the truth!"

"Oh....My....GOD!!! He's come to destroy us! The angel of death has come to MURDER us all!!!"

"Justin?" Dion asked, seeing my anguish. "Justin, are you aright?" I started to tell him that I was ok, but a trickle of blood ran out of my nose, and a severe pain ran through my head like a migraine headache.

After a second or two of forcing the pain to go back down, I said, "I'm..I'll be fine. Let's just get Gyro and get out of here. Fast. Ok?" Dion nodded as I wiped away the trickle of blood, and we walked to the front door of the club. I had to literally concentrate to keep my head from exploding. The pressure was indescribable. Was it some trait that I had gotten from Zero, expressing itself without my direct consent? Absorbing too much, too fast. I felt as though I was all alone, with a thousand minds all pulling on me from different angles...stretching me out...tearing my brain into pieces with fish hooks, used to take a firm hold of my thoughts. It really began to hurt, and I became dizzy with the task of holding it all together.

"The chosen one has returned..."

"The destroyer of worlds is here...."

"How DARE he claim to be our savior..."

"The message he holds must be STOPPED! It will change EVERYTHING! It will lead to CHAOS in the streets!"

"His power...his energy...I MUST have it! I must take it from him!"

"That's him! That's the one who sired him! He couldn't have too much longer to live...."

The guards at the door moved forward to stop us before entering the club. But as soon as they saw me standing with the others...their eyes widened, and their breath caught in their throats. They immediately stepped aside and gave us no further trouble. How is it that they KNOW me??? How can they tell? What hidden subliminal vibe am I giving them to alert them to my very presence. They CAN'T all be psychics and readers! There's got to be something else. Something that shows on the outside without me knowing it. Because I refuse to believe that the vampires on the Pier could have spread the rumors of my existence THIS far, this fast.

We stepped into the club, and it was frantic with energy. The bodies gyrated in unison, the darkness of the club illuminated with brief flashes of laser light and mist. It was bigger than Bernie's place, and the crowd seemed to be a bit more 'rowdy' in nature. But it was basically the same kind of party environment that Gyro was known for.

"Ok, so where do we start?" Jenna asked.

"The bar, of course." Trevor replied, and he was already in motion to check it out, with Michael following behind him closely.

Dion took a leadership role in the situation, and gave us positions. "Jenna, you hit the dance floor and see if you can feel either one of them out. Max, you see what's going on in the VIP lounge, and be careful."

"I got your 'careful' right here, Dion." Max said, grabbing his crotch before heading off to the lounge.

"Dylan and I are gonna check out the upstairs areas and the balcony. And Taryn, I want you to go..." Dion started, but I interrupted him.

"Taryn's staying with me." I said abruptly, taking a hold of his hand. Dion gave me a strange look, so I rushed to give him an excuse. "We'll make out better if the two of us stick together. Gyro and Rain will recognize us easier in the dark. It would be better that way." I hoped that my nervousness didn't show through my lame explanation, but I wasn't about to be split up from my angel. Not in here. Not with danger lurking about.

"Ok..." Dion didn't press the issue. "..Why don't you and Taryn go up to the balconies then and check that out. Dylan and I will split up and check the corners of the room to see if they've taken up any booths or tables" He gave me one last look, knowing that I was hiding something from him, but decided to get to the matter at hand first. "Alright, let's move. We meet back here in ten minutes whether we find something or not, got it? I don't want anybody getting mixed up in this crowd." We nodded, and went our separate ways. I didn't dare take my hand off of Taryn's as we waded through the crowd of people. I held on with a death grip, pulling him towards the stairs.

We walked up, swerving back and forth to avoid people who were either walking up or down, as well as people who were just hanging out on the steps, kissing, drinking, or leaning over the side. Even in the darkness of the club, I noticed a few heads turning my way. And through all of their deceptive thoughts, one stood out. It said, quite simply...

"...Once the sire is dead, the message will be lost forever. This boy has nothing to look forward to but heartbreak and madness..."

I stopped walking, and turned my head in the direction of the vampire that said it. He was older, rail thin, with goth make up on and glow in the dark sunglasses. I stared at him in anger, feeling the offense of his comment...and I felt my eyes turn pitch black as I caused his glasses to shatter and the drink in his hand to explode! The shards of glass cut his face, and he was covered in alcohol, but he got off lucky. I was forced to pull the energy back before it awakened the Beast...but he needed to learn to keep his thoughts a little more 'positive' when it came to the love of my fucking life! Next time...I'm shattering bone! Standing on top of the balcony, I brought Taryn to one of the dark corners of the room, and he actually pulled free from my hand for a moment. "What...what are you doing?" I asked.

"Justin...why are you clinging to me like this?" He asked. "We can find them quicker if we split up...."

"NO! Taryn, you've got to stay here with ME! Ok?" I said, the desperation creeping into my voice. "Please?"

"It's ok. Alright? I'll be FINE." He said. "I'm gonna find Rain and we'll get out of here as soon as we can. It won't take long."

"Taryn, PLEASE!!!" I shouted, and had to quiet myself down. "Listen to me...I don't want you to be away from me, right now. Ok? Do you understand? I want you right here where I can see you at all times."

"Why?" He said, taking a few steps back.

"Please, Taryn, don't start with the questions right now! Just...stay with me. Please?" He could see the heartbreaking terror in my eyes, and he melted. He walked back over to me, and gave me a hug. "I'll....I'll explain it all to you later, I PROMISE. Just...please don't leave me." I sniffled. "Please don't leave me here alone." I was holding him tight, when I noticed two vampires staring at us from not far away. When our eyes connected, they both slowly bowed their heads, and began to bow down on one knee before me. Shit, here we go again! "Come on...let's keep looking." I said, and took a hold of Taryn's hand once again to leave the area before the kneeling vamps brought any unwanted attention my way.

"The boy is touched by Death. It is strong with him..."

"A sacrifice so great...so immaculate. Our time has come.."

I wish they would stop! I wish I could MAKE them stop!!! FUCK their prophecy! It WON'T happen!!! "Hey, Justin..." I felt a hand on my shoulder and jerked away, raising my fist in the other person's face. It was Max, "WHOAH! Slow down, there, babycakes! You wanna switch to decaf, or what?"

I lowered my hand, feeling my body unwind from the tension building up inside. "Jesus, Max...I thought you were searching for Gyro and Rain."

"I was. I didn't see him. Besides, how big do you think the VIP area IS?" Max looked around at the partying club hoppers, and said, "You know, Justin...maybe you tagged this place wrong? I mean, things seem pretty 'party normal' here. Maybe you're just being paranoid."

Taryn looked at me as well, his expression mirroring the same sentiment. "You have been really jumpy, lately, Justin. Maybe you made a mistake?"

I would have loved to come to the same conclusion. Nothing would have made me happier than dropping this feeling in my stomach and breathing easier knowing that it was just my mixed up mind that was making this seem so real. But the truth is, I sensed danger here. SERIOUS danger! And I couldn't just ignore it or let it go. My body and mind would not be at ease. The sooner we got our friends and left, the sooner I could get back to feeling better.

"I'm telling you, the little brat probably walked off with some brain-dead bimbo for a little game of 'hide the middle finger'. He plays the supposed virgin card very well in places like this. You'd be surprised how older ladies go from saying he's adorable to giving him nookie. I swear, everybody's half pedophile at heart." Max said. "And for all we know, Rain could have thrown herself in front of a moving truck on her way over here just to clear her head."

I heard him speaking, but my eyes were focused on the crowd, hoping to catch sight of one of them. "I think they're still here." I said. "I think they're close."

"Sure. Great. Whatever. You know, I wish you had turned psychic before I ended up getting MY ass kicked tonight!" Max grunted, turning to Taryn. "Your boyfriend is turning all kinds of crazy on us, you know that?"

"Why couldn't you just keep him still, Max?" Taryn asked.

"Keep him still? Are you kidding me? Once him and Rain got into it all heavy, all I could do was stand out of the line of fire."

"What the hell were they fighting about?"

"What they ALWAYS fight about! Gyro crossing over and coming to find her. Have you ever tried to stand between those two when they're arguing? It's like being in a head on collision with two runaway trains. Those fuckers are more alike than they want to admit."

Taryn and Max kept talking, but I let my feelings guide my eyes over the darkened balcony. And finally...in the background...I saw a flash of something. A little multi colored mop of blond hair, jumping up and down in time with the music. And then, a glimpse of a highly familiar, slightly intoxicated, smile. "THERE! I see him!" I shouted. It was hard to keep track of Gyro's bouncing through the massive crowd of bodies dancing between us, but at least I had some idea of a fixed location. "Come on!"

I took a hold of Taryn's hand again, assuring that he was within arm's reach at all times. I'm not letting that hand go, not for ANY reason Not until we're back home again. I pushed and pushed and pushed some more, hoping to divide the crowd long enough for us to pass through. They knocked us back and forth a bit, but we were still making progress. Finally, I got close enough to see Gyro laughing and playing with two twin young ladies, human, who looked like they had used a fake ID just to get in there. And just as Max said, he had been selling himself off as being an actual 13 year old boy....which they found...adorable. I approached him quickly, and had to literally put my hand on his shoulder to keep him from bouncing around. He was surprised to see us, and gave us an excited grin. "HEYYYYYY!!! Omigod, it's about TIME you guys got here! Isn't this place even MORE awesome than it was last time??? We picked a good night!"

"Gyro! Dude, listen to me, ok?" I started, but he went right back to bouncing the second I took my hand off of him.

"Hey, Justin...this is Brandy, and this is Candy!"

The girls frowned up and pouted. One said, "No, I'M Brandy!"

And the other said, "And I'M Candy!"

Gyro giggled, "They're twins!"

Max jumped in sarcastically, "Hehehe, ya THINK? DUDE! STOP dancing! This is serious!"

"What's he talking about?" Gyro asked, still grinning.

"Gyro...we've got to go! We've got to get out of here right NOW! I mean it!" I told him.

Gyro looked at Max's head, "Dude...what happened to your noggin man?"

"Gyro, dammit! Listen to me!" I shouted, but he was just coasting on pure adrenaline at this point.

"I know you ladies are only human, but trust me....this guy over here? You're gonna be seeing a LOT of big things from this guy in the future! Hehehe, he's gonna turn this whole fucking PLANET on its ear! You just wait..."

"GYRO!" I snatched him up by the arm and got him to sober up long enough to realize that we weren't joking around. "You and Rain are both in danger! Do you understand? We have to find your sister and go!"

Gyro wrinkled up his brow for a moment. He looked over at Taryn, "What's he talking about?"

Taryn told him, "Dude, I don't know what's going on, but Max was attacked tonight. And Bernie's club...it's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean it's gone? Who attacked Max?" Gyro asked, still confused.

"We don't have time for details. Justin thinks the same vampire might be on his way here." Taryn asked him, "Where is your sister?"

Gyro looked back and forth at all of us, and he managed to stutter out, "She...she didn't want me following her tonight. So when she saw me, she told me to stay up here and she'd stay downstairs." He looked back at me. "Dude, is this for real?"

"We'll worry about that after we get out of her. Come on, let's see if we can find her on the dance floor somewhere." I walked to the edge of the balcony with the others and peered over the side into a crowd of what looked like three or four hundred people, easy. Maybe Dion and Dylan had found her already, or maybe Jenna had found a way to lock onto her position, but we couldn't tell. Trevor was probably more interested in finding Gyro than finding Rain. But as we looked out among the partying vampires and humans, I caught a glimpse of Jenna's golden hair in the midst of all the dyed black styles beneath us. She was talking to Rain on the lower level, so I guess that all we had to do was meet up and regroup by the front door so we could go. Taryn caught sight of her too, and happily sent her a mental message to get her and Jenna to look up at the balcony where we were standing. Message received. Taryn smiled with relief as he waved to them in the crowd, and Rain actually waved back. All that was left to do was to get Trevor, Michael, Dion, and Dylan, back towards the entrance.

And then.......

The 'darkness' came.

I don't know if he others could feel it they way that I could, or if they even noticed it for that matter. But to me it was like a shower of ice and broken glass being poured over me in a high wind. It was as if I could actually see the spiritual 'light' being sucked out of the room. And as it darkened all around us, I made a blind attempt to reach for Taryn's hand once again, holding it tight, and taking a step or two back from the balcony railing.

I could feel his presence, his affect on the souls around him, long before he became visible. A silhouette appeared at the entrance, shrouded in darkness, with only a bright green glow in his eyes to use as a distinguishable feature. He walked forward with such ease, such arrogance. It was almost as if his every measured step was floated above the surface he was standing on. Taryn felt the pull on his hand as I gently guided him to stand behind me, and that was when he looked away from Rain and Jenna to see my worries increasing tenfold with the appearance of this dark stranger

As he stepped into the light, the intensity of his stare began to sweep across the room. Never in my life had I felt anything so cold. It must have taken such an incredible effort to contain so much fury deep enough inside to give off the appearance of normality among others. It burned my senses, stinging my heart with its agonizing hatred. And I started to tremble as I felt him begin to 'analyze' the room once again. His calculations sizing up everyone around him as quickly and efficiently as he possibly could. Readying himself to begin his dark work in this place, like so many others before it.

He was so young! He was supposedly my age, but looked almost a full two or three years younger. A late bloomer, I suppose. His original blood cells were gone, his feeding had already been completed, I assume, without conflict. He was beginning to reach his peak in terms of crossing over, much like I was, and he had embraced the extreme power of it without much regret at all. He was small in his build, even smaller than Gyro, and not all that tall. He had a smooth and unblemished face, with hair that hung down just low enough to cover about half of his ears. Light brown, with a rich reddish tint to it. There was a certain beauty to his deep seeded wickedness. A beauty that remained evident, even as the black void of emotion circled around him in a turbulent storm of anger and despair. He did NOT look like the type of villain that could handle Max in a one on one fight! He didn't seem the type to be able to destroy Bernie's club, or cripple Soren's fighters in a local training gym. He wasn't even 'threatening' enough to take on the bullies I once faced in high school If anything, they probably would have picked on him even more than they did on me. But...despite that boyish, almost angelic, physical appearance...his soul harnessed an evil that could not be described. I had to use Dion's extra just to keep from being infected by its plague of fury. There was no doubt about it...this was 'Rage'...and at long last...

He was here!

I didn't know whether to tell Taryn to take the others and run, or if I should keep him right by my side and take him outside safely myself. If I keep him near me, I may alert Rage to his presence, and he may get hurt! But how can I trust anyone else but me to protect the love of my life against something so merciless? I didn't have long to think about it at all..because when I looked down over the balcony again, I saw Rage's eyes quickly shift towards the bar. As though he had suddenly found his first prime target. But...instead of the sickening 'joy' that he felt at Bernie's club when he began to tear it down from the inside...Rage had a completely different emotion surging through him this time. Something entirely separate from any of the signatures that I had ever gotten from him before. It was this...moment of confusion...then the fires of anger began to burn hot as the recognition became more concrete in his mind. His stare became more intense, and the tension inside of him built to unfathomable levels. I looked towards the bar, and saw Michael and Trevor heading towards the entrance, no doubt to meet up with Dion and Dylan as we agreed on. It was as if Rage had locked onto them with a vengeance, and nearly chuckled to himself over his good fortune.

"Justin....?" Taryn said softly. It broke my concentration for a moment, and when I took a sudden breath, Rage was suddenly alerted to my presence He swiftly fixed his gaze on me from across the club, connecting with my eyes from down below.

I froze! He could see me. He could sense the power in me. He could recognize my signature. My essence. My spiritual 'fingerprint'. And once we connected, it was almost impossible to pull away. Our very existence seemed to suddenly get 'hooked', and my limitless light and his limitless darkness began to seek each other out from a distance. As though he were trying to involuntarily pull me in to the abyss, and I was trying to involuntarily pull him out of it. There would be no easy escape from this. Not at all.

But THAT....is when things changed.

"Justin, we found them. We can go." Taryn said, but I kept him behind me. Kept my hand in his. "Justin....come on...let's go." He said softly, and that's when he stepped from behind me to look over the railing again...and Rage's focus shifted to him instead.

Suddenly, his connection with me was completely broken. It was like a bolt of lightning had cut the chord on us both. And I saw Rage's eyes widen..just moments before the fury inside of him bubbled up to the point where it hurt to even look in his direction. The anger, the pain, the misery, were all simultaneously released, and his face changed to a look of hatred that almost unrecognizable to what I had seen in him before. The sensation of it was so strong that other vampires in the club near him began to feel it too. Ice cold on the surface of the skin, burning hot underneath. All of that rage had suddenly been focused upon Taryn in a way that I had never seen before. And without further delay...he began to make his move!

"We're too late..."

I could feel the energy building up within him. He absorbed it from the room around him, pulling it into the very center of him, creating a pressure cooker in the core of his hatred. It was like seeing the final three tics on the countdown of a detonator. There was no time to warn them, no time to retreat. And yet....I was not afraid.

The energy built to mind-blowing proportions...and I think the vampires in the club could feel it, even if the humans could not. Not that it did them much good! Without warning, the energy exploded from inside of him with a shriek of pure madness! And everyone standing within 20 feet of him was instantly knocked to the floor! Both Rain and Jenna were startled by the blast down below us, and the panicking crowd began to push and shove them back and forth as they ran away from the source. Everyone started screaming and running in all directions, some of them already terrified by the rumors of a rogue vampire murdering everything in sight, and some of them just out of pure hysteria! Even the people on the balcony with us all began to rush forward to see what was happening, and the pressed us up against the railing....almost knocking us over the side! I moved to hug Taryn close to me, and make sure that he wasn't shoved to the ground below And Max caught sight of the boy causing the trouble.

"Awwww SHIT! Not twice in the same night!" He said. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting the fuck OUT of here!"

Gyro looked down and saw Rain and Jenna fighting for the ability to remain standing as the crowd practically trampled their around them like a stampeding herd of wild buffalo! And I saw Dion doing his best to stay against the wall with Dylan to keep them from hurting him! The club erupted into CHAOS, and Rage began swiftly tearing into everything that he could get his hands on! He was like a whirlwind, ripping bodies to shreds so fast that his victims didn't even have the chance to know that they had been dealt a mortal blow until they felt their knees buckle and they fell to the floor. I saw bodies flying in all directions, Rage knocking them clear across the rooms. You could hear bones breaking even over the music, and you could see knees and elbows being bent the other way, ribcages being collapsed, skulls being shattered! Torn flesh flew up into the air, trailing splashes of blood behind it like decorative streamers....Rage had definitely turned this into an art.

"Unngh! I can't.....I can't hold on!!!" I heard Gyro shout, and saw the mass of people pushing up behind him as the crowd tried to flee down the steps! They 'bottle necked' at one point, and once the first person fell, more bodies fell on top of him, with more panicked partygoers trampling them underneath! Gyro was being bent over the side of the railing, and just as he was getting ready to go over, I let go of Taryn's hand and grabbed onto his wrist! Gyro swung to the side, nearly pulling me over as well, but Taryn and Max held on tight to me from behind.

The screams were deafening, and the place was so packed that you couldn't move. You could hardly BREATHE! Gyro screamed for us to help him as he dangled from the balcony! "I've GOT you! Don't worry, I've GOT you!" I shouted back, trying to pull him back up over the side.

More people were tripping all over each other to get downstairs, some were even foolish enough to jump over the side, crashing down onto the tables below. It was difficult, but we all managed to get Gyro back onto solid ground. I saw Taryn getting dragged away from me by the current of charging patrons...and quickly shot my hand out to hold on to him! He cried out in pain as frightened people pushed and shoved and clawed their way towards the stairs, frantically pulling Taryn into the mass of trampled bodies beneath their feet. I felt my anger increasing...pushing my adrenaline to give me the strength to HOLD ON!!! Max's extra gripped me from the inside, turning my anger in to physical strength, and I began to literally push the crowd back with my bare hands to protect him! I WILL *NOT* LET HIM GO!!!!

I started to fight with them, punching anyone who ran past them, my punches getting stronger and stronger with each strike, until I accidentally hit a human guy full force and felt his jaw shatter from the blow. It caused me to realize what I was doing, and I had to pull it back. The anger was winning. The storm was brewing. And I didn't need that now. Not now.

Rage was like a wild animal! Pure evil in motion! And I saw him absorbing all that he could from the people he hurt. He USED their pain, their regrets, their anger...creating a vacuum that gave him all the power he needed to get stronger. I could feel the darkness spreading in the air as he worked his way through ten, then twenty, then thirty, then FORTY, new victims! Most of them didn't even know that, by heading for the main exit...they were headed right for him.

I pulled Taryn to my side, attempting to gain some kind of stable standing as the balcony emptied out and the pressing crowd behind us wasn't as strong. Taryn winced in pain as his side had been bruised considerably in the charge. I put my hand on the wound and Taryn yelped out loud from my touch. I quickly administered Bryson's healing energy to it, and Rain's extra to convert it to emotional pain. I had done it for my boyfriend's sake, hoping that I could get rid of some of his suffering. But in effect, I was triggering the storm. I was making it worse. And when the anger within became aware of the fact that someone here was attempting to take what was mine away from me...another identity altogether began to take my place. An identity that had zero tolerance for the bullshit of this world. An identity that was fully aware of what it was capable of...and would gladly risk never-ending madness just to crush my enemies where they stand.

I AM the chosen one! And I will NOT tolerate this blasphemy!

"Justin!!! What the fuck are you DOING??? Let's MOVE!!!" Max shouted. "JUSTIN!!!"

I felt Taryn pulling on my arm, yanking hard to get my focus back. But I suddenly jerked away from him, letting go of his hand completely. I tuned out the voices attempting to reason with me, and my eyes burned hot with a crimson glow as my fangs slipped down from my gums. A halo of pain and anger began to swirl around the top of my head, and I felt myself slowly levitate off of the floor beneath me as my arms spread slowly out to both sides of me. Rage instantly felt the change in the air around him, and locked his demonic eyes upon mine. Our connection was renewed, more intense than ever. And we both stood still as he saw my alter ego gracefully accept his challenge!

I floated up until my feet landed on the side of the railing, and I stood there with perfect balance. He was outraged by the very audacity of me to stand unafraid in his presence, and charged towards me from the lower level. He was quick, his every movement a blur. But when he took a mighty leap up from the floor to attempt to reach the balcony, I felt that dark halo around my eyes give way, and with a scream, I released a focused blast of energy that knocked him out of the air and sent him flying all the way back to the entrance!

I could feel sooooo much anger in me. The virus was taking its hold on me, and my eyes went from dark red to black as my own inner demons came rushing to the forefront. Rage picked himself up off of the floor, shaking off the shock of being attacked with such force. Never had he felt such power. Never had he been in the presence of such a worthy enemy. In me, he had found himself a target worthy of battle. And he knew that I could feed him all of the power he would ever need.

My focus was diverted, however, as I noticed Taryn stumble a bit down the stairs, attempting to walk over the trampled bodies that lay there. Max, and Gyro, were having some difficulty as well, but together, they tried to maneuver their way down to the lower level. The hysteria was beginning to calm down little by little, as half of the club's crowd fled for their lives, and the other half lay busted and broken on the dance floor. I turned my focus to Taryn, and ran along the railing, hoping to position myself at his side as quickly as possible. Instead of walking over bodies, I slid down to the bottom, beating the rest of them downstairs, and offering them my hand to help them down.

I heard more commotion from behind me, as Rage tore his way through even more people, growing stronger, absorbing more energy. Something about the darkness in him was so alluring. So untamed...unrestricted. It called out to something in me. It related to the kind of horror I once tried to suppress in my own life. It was the kind of darkness that you would have to walk out to the end of a Pier with the desire to drown yourself to understand. The kind of darkness that builds up through a life of abuse, and poverty, and heartbreak, and shame. It was the line that the human spirit couldn't cross without losing itself in the endless pain of it. And the endless joy of knowing that there was no turning back.

However, this time, he wasn't looking for me. He had a new target at that moment. And he wasn't going to let him get away.

"What the fuck is going on???" I heard Rain's voice coming from beside us, and saw her and Jenna rushing over to join us. They were a little battered from the crowd going wild, but basically ok.

The others attempted to give her the quick version of it all, but I wasn't listening. I was watching Rage's forward motion as he headed towards the bar. "Take Taryn and get him out of here! Now!" I said, rushing forward through the remaining partygoers. I didn't want to leave my Taryn's safety in the hands of anyone else but me...but if there was anyone that I could trust to protect him with their lives, it was my 'family'.

I made my way through the crowd just as Rage found his target. He leapt forward and wrapped his hands around Trevor's throat, squeezing it until his hands left red marks on his skin! "You REMEMBER me, you sack of shit??? DO YOU?!?!" He screamed, his grip nearly breaking Trevor's neck! Michael instantly jumped in, fighting with a ferocity that I had never seen from him before. Rage released Trevor just long enough to drop him to the floor. Michael was easily no match. Rage let a smile appear on his face as he easily blocked and dodged every punch, practically laughing at him. And then, he scratched Michael across the face, the flesh spraying blood high into the air, and kicked him back against the bar, cracking the wood. Trevor was crawling away on his hands and knees at this point, but Rage walked slowly behind him. "Awww, don't leave, cutie pie. We have SO much catching up to do!"

At that moment, I reached the bar, and tried my best to take his HEAD off with the first punch! But, Jesus, he was fast! His reaction time was almost zero, and the second I was close enough for our arms to reach, he began to spin himself into a complete tantrum. The movements were psychotic, unexplainable...it baffled the eyes to see him even remain standing. But between my instincts and my reflexes, I wasn't about to go down as easily as the others. Our hands clashed with a fury, my speed matching his, my strength matching his. And the stronger he got, the stronger I got. The faster I got, the faster he got. The two energies were hungrily feeding off of each other in unison, increasing to levels that neither one of us could contain! It felt as though I were losing control of my arms and legs. As though they were striking out all on their own, the muscles reacting more from my emotions than my training. I began to use strikes that I had never used before. And soon, my movements were just as psychotic as his!

Our battle moved us away from the bar, and the people running from the club had to dodge us as we swept from one side of the floor to another. Rage caught my defenses lacking for a split second, and scratched a deep gash across my chest, his nails cutting deep into the meat and drawing blood If I hadn't pulled back when I did, he might have cut straight through to the bone. It angered me to no end, and the storm inside of me began to flood my senses as I fought harder to push him back. He scratched the side of my neck, and I caught a hold of his wrist, throwing him on top of a table, but he twisted in mid air to land on his feet. I charged forward and tackled him from the ground, putting him on his back on the floor. I got in a few good shots before he rolled me over to do the same. His strength was insane for a boy his size, but I didn't intend to let that get to me. We rolled back and forth, tearing as deeply into one another as possible, until we both hopped back up onto our feet and clashed again.

At this point, Rain, Gyro, Jenna, and the others had found an opening, and hurried towards the entrance, where Dion and Dylan were waiting for them. Trevor had Michael slung over his shoulder, and was still coughing from being choked so hard. However, when Rage saw them trying to leave, he suddenly opened his mouth, and a black cloud of smoke erupted from his throat, temporarily blinding me and causing me to cough and wheeze from the shock. Rage was on them in a second, and when I was able to find a way out of the smoke I saw him viciously attacking my friends! Trevor and Michael were both kicked to the floor, Max was thrown over the side of the bar, and a single punch knocked Gyro backwards, almost breaking his nose! Dion and Jenna were the only real trained 'fighters' out of the group we had with us, but as they both went into attack mode, Rage only began toying with them like he had done with so many others before. Dion swept at his legs, Jenna struck out at his center, and he dodged every move. He kept himself between them the whole time, slipping in and out of the circle so as to make them pull punches, just to keep from hitting each other. And he was drawing more strength from the both of them. Soon getting what he needed, his strikes got more brutal, and I saw him grab Dion's arm, twisting it until it dislocated his shoulder!

"NO!!!" Dylan screamed, running towards them, but Dion fought to step between Dylan and Rage, still fighting to protect him, even with one arm.

Jenna received an elbow to her stomach, and Rage grabbed her by the hair, swinging her around to slam her into a wall. All of them combined were no match for him, but they kept fighting regardless. And once I felt the smoke clear and regained my senses...I saw him make the biggest mistake of his fucking LIFE!

Rage raced right towards Taryn, grabbing him by the shoulders and smashing him through a table! He jumped on top of his chest, his fangs dripping saliva as he gnashed his teeth angrily from above. The hatred in Rage's eyes could fill the whole room a hundred times over, and he was so utterly disgusted that you could actually FEEL him trembling with anger! It was then that he said, "I have spent COUNTLESS hours...searching for you! You have....NO....fucking idea how long I've waited for the moment...when I got to look you in the eyes again! Those big, bright, innocent eyes!" I saw the look on Taryn's face, and it was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was more than fear, more than anguish. There was a moment of....recognition. And it looked as if it swallowed his spirit whole, literally ripping him to SHREDS on the inside. "I am going to ENJOY murdering you slow! I want you to feel every agonizing moment of it! At long last....you're gonna pay for leaving me behind, you fucking FAGGOT!!!" And he spit in Taryn's face, right before taking a huge bite out of his throat! Blood splashed up onto his face and Taryn shrieked in agony!

There are no words, in any language, that have been invented to describe the feeling. Having the rage of a demon and the power of a god at the same time is a level of madness that I wouldn't wish on anyone. It consumes you completely, and there is no sane mind with the ability to conceive it But as the storm rolled in, and I stopped holding it back...there was no more time for doubt. Or mercy. He wanted to experience rage? He had no IDEA what TRUE rage really was! It was time that I showed him.

I was lifted from the ground to hover in mid air, and I suddenly exploded into a shower of crimson light! It came out of every pore, my eyes, my mouth, and Rage looked back to see the powerful being before him. I felt a scream coming from deep within me...and it shook the entire building. Maybe even the entire CITY from the feeling of it! Debris began to fall from the ceiling, furniture turned over, glass shattered...and the demon in me was unleashed!

The speed that I used to reach Rage must have broken Chad's BEST record, as I became a blur and grabbed Rage by the throat, throwing him across the entire club! He landed underneath the balcony, and with a thought, I caused the supports to shatter to splinters and give way, bringing the entire upper level down on top of him! The whole club collapsed, burying Rage under tons of wood, concrete, and electronics! It took nothing to accomplish this. It was easy. Effortless. This level of destruction was as simple as blowing the dust off of a table. But I wasn't finished yet. I used that same energy to increase the weight of the debris. I used pressure to compact it from all sides, crushing him inside as I curled it all up into a ball. I made it slow. I made it PAINFUL! And I could hear Rage inside of it, growling as he fought to break free.

"Justin! Justin come on, let's go!" Dion called out to me. The others were wounded badly, but I wanted to finish this. Once and for all.

"Justin, PLEASE! STOP!" Taryn cried, and he limped his way over to me. I used my hand to push him back behind me, and keep him from getting in the way, but Taryn clutched onto my arm, and forced his way in front of me again. "STOP IT!!! DON'T!!!" He looked back at the rubble as it got smaller and smaller, sucking itself inward like a collapsing star. He had to be hurt. He had to be PUNISHED! It's the only thing people UNDERSTAND anymore! They have no clue what being heartless is all about! All my LIFE I've been allowing these bullies to walk all over me and all over the world! All my LIFE I've been 'dealing with' the consequences of their actions! No more! NO MORE!!! I increased the pressure, and crushed Rage inside a little bit faster! "You've got to stop! Justin? Justin look at me!" He sobbed. "LOOK AT ME!!!" It was his beauty that caused me to lower my guard. It was his love that helped me to see clearly for the moment. And he told me, with tears in his eyes, "You can't do this...." I gave him a look of confusion. And he told me the truth. "It's Alec, Justin.....it's my brother!" The horror of the situation came to light, and I saw the infinite sadness in Taryn's eyes as he saw his baby brother being crushed and compacted in the prison of stone. "Don't hurt him!!! Please? Don't....don't hurt him. I can't...I can't let you..." He sniffled. "Please..we have to go! Ok? We have to....we have to just....go.....please..don't hurt my brother, please.." He begged me. Not knowing how to even approach this emotionally. Then again, neither did I. But the heartbreaking look in his eyes, the tears running so freely...I couldn't go through with it. I just...couldn't.

My eyes dimmed, and my muscles relaxed as memories of what I had done at the warehouse, what I had done to Natpea, came to mind. And I couldn't do that to his brother. Not with him begging me to stop. I released my hold on the debris, and the club fell silent as the others in our group attempted to regain their balance. Taryn hugged me close, the pain in his neck still bleeding, and he lightly pushed me back. Forcing me to walk away from the wreckage before me.

Gyro's nose was bleeding profusely, Dion's arm was still sore from almost having his shoulder broken. All of us had taken our fair share of punishment, including me with my chest scratched up so deeply. I'm sure that, even with Bryson's healing capabilities, it would take a few sleep cycles to heal fully. We stuck together through it all though, and headed towards the exit.

Then...I heard a rumbling behind us. And an saw movement in the aftermath of the destruction. A bloody hand reached out from the inside, and I saw Alec emerge from the pile. He still had his legs pinned down, but he I watched as his young face became visible again. I could feel the darkness in him, reaching out to me. I could feel his pain, his anger, further intertwining with my own...and his vortex began to spin, nearly pulling me in. "More...." He said, a smirk appearing on his face. Had he really been that unaffected by my strongest attack?

"Go." I told the others. "Go on."

"Justy....?" Taryn seemed so worried, looking at his brother in the wreckage.

Rage began to laugh, "You're not getting away that easy, China Doll! YOU HEAR ME???No matter where you go, no matter how deep you hide...I'll FIND you! I'll hunt you down and I'll make you SUFFER for what you did to me! Hahaha...and it's gonna hurt! It's gonna hurt like HELL!!! AND I'M GONNA ENJOY EVERY FUCKING MINUTE OF IT!!!!"

I felt a low level blast of energy leap forward from my thoughts, hurting him just enough to shut his mouth! But he only felt the pain for a moment. And his smile widened. "More...." He said. I shot him with a stronger blast this time, hoping to do some damage. "MORE!!!"

"Taryn, go with the others. I'm coming."

"Come on, tough guy! Feed me more!" He said. His darkness tangled itself up in my senses, and I felt the immense void sink into me. The abyss began to pull on my shadows. My angriest thoughts, my most hurtful memories, my most desperate feelings...he was absorbing them. And pieces of 'me' were being absorbed with them. It was like he was developing my extras by capturing my experiences...giving rebirth to them in their most potent form, making them his own. I had to pull back from him, seeing my shadow on the ground actually stretching out in his direction as it was being sucked into an inescapable vacuum. The more anger and pain I possessed, the easier it was for him to take hold of it.

"Stop it!" I shouted! And another blast of energy shot forward, this time nearly burning the skin off of him. I just wanted to break free! I wanted him to let me go!

But he healed instantly from the blast, and his smile only got bigger. "MORE!!! YES! Give me MORE!!!" I had to leave. I couldn't keep feeding him like this! I backed away from him, and moved to leave the building But not before he called out to me one last time. "This isn't OVER between you and me! Not by a LONG SHOT! I'll be seeing you again REAL soon! COUNT on it!!!"

I didn't answer him. I just walked away. How do you kill your lover's brother? How do you fight something that only gets stronger the more you struggle to survive? Whatever the answer...it's beyond me at this point. It might be beyond all of us.

There was no hiding our injuries as we got back onto the train that night No one would even sit on the same train car as us. We were just thankful that there weren't any cops on the train to question us about what happened. I wanted to sit next to Taryn, and hopefully bring him some comfort But instead....he sat next to Rain this time. He cried on her shoulder, and she held him close, taking as much of his pain as she could. He barely looked at me the entire way home. I had never seen him so torn up inside. I had never see his tears come from so deep in his soul before. It was the ultimate in self punishment, and I doubted that he would ever be the same.

As I looked around at our group, battered and bruised, I felt a cold chill run through me. And I sat alone, lost in my thoughts...anticipating the hard times ahead. There won't be any more delays. There can be no more secrets. Rage has come to bring darkness to everything that I love. Everything that I live for. And he's not going to stop until one of us or both of us are destroyed. Of that, I can be sure. Everything that I've experienced in this existence of endless night so far is being put to the test. And I don't know if it will be enough. In fact...I'm almost positive that it won't be enough. I only hope, if there is a 'destiny' in all this, that it brings me some answers soon. Because I'm too scared to search for them on my own right now.

The storm is coming...and I have to prepare for it. I only hope that I'll be able to save what matters most...in the end.