Kyle:

"And don't think we're happy to see you either."

"Well if the word of Darius is worth anything, that's not a surprise." Xao's eyes widened as I'm sure he felt the two blades pushed into his side.

"So you know Darius?" Jessica asked beside him with one blade to his chest and the other to the side of his gut.

"Well," Xao raised his hands, "We're not friends at the moment if that's what you think. He just thinks I'm a little different. And if you know him well then you know..."

"Guessing he won't leave you alone," Jessica said, pulling her weapons back.

"In a sense. He can't make me a deal, but that doesn't keep him from being creepy."

"Probably second nature for him," Jessica commented.

Xao chuckled, "You DO know him." He shook his head. "Well look, he told me about you two. You're trying to find a kid right?" Jessica nodded, her weapons still out, but not pointed. "Really you two, I'm unarmed, can you please put those away?"

"What, afraid you might say something I don't like and get shish kebabed?" Jessica asked. Not that I personally had any idea what shish kebab meant but I could venture a guess.

"Yes," Xao said, nodding with a plastered nervous smile. Jessica grinned, putting her swords away. He visibly calmed. "Look...you could say I actually got a soft spot for folks in trouble. So I tracked you down." He pulled out a DNA tracer of his own.

"How'd you get our DNA?" I asked.

Xao chuckled. "Beats me, it's not my tracer. But let's say don't go back to that tower for a bit and you shouldn't have to worry about Darius for a while." He tossed the tracer in the air and caught it. He paused and looked at me. "Listen, I don't want you to judge me by that freak alright? I want to help you."

"For a price?" I asked, folding my arms.

Xao chuckled, folding his arms, but standing to the side like he was relaxed. "You really don't know anything about tricksters do you? You really think our society is built by only the sick and depraved? What power could we ever then have? I make up the terms of our deal however I want. If I don't want to hurt you, then what I ask for won't hurt, it's that easy. I can make you ANY deal I want."

Still leery, I waved for Xao to go on. He continued. "Here's my deal," the boy held up his right wrist, displaying a small band on it with a strange device attached to it. "It's a redirection module, my own design. I use it to redirect any electric attack used on me into a concussion blast, like this," Xao directed his hand off from the two of us, a blast of energy almost visible to the eye ushering forth from his hand and hitting a pile of nearby trash sending the complied waste in all directions. "It's more controlled than electric blasts, and not necessarily lethal. I know that in time I will have to fight, I just like to think that that day I'll have a choice not to take another man's life. Sometimes you feel like you have to..." Xao said but shook his head.

"But sometimes it's not worth it," Jessica replied.

Xao nodded. "You see, when I heard about Jessica, I realized the ultimate trial for my device was in reach. If I can redirect the power of the most powerful of all Pharaohs, then this weapon... well I'll be honest I just want to see what it will do."

"So what exactly are you wanting?" I asked. Xao snapped his fingers and I felt the air around me start to swirl around as a plume of smoke enveloped me. I panicked and threw out my arms to force it away, feeling myself overwhelmed and wondering if it would suffocate me. A bright light flashed around me and for a few moments, I couldn't see anything.

When the light vanished I looked around, the smoke dissipating from me. I coughed a little. I looked around seeing I was now on top of a very tall building looking out over the city of Portland. This might have actually been the tallest structure in the city. I spun around on the roof. It wasn't narrow so really there wasn't much fear of falling, and Xao and Jessica were there with me.

Xao placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "It's alright, sheesh you flew across the solar system in like a day to get to earth, didn't you? So why would popping on top of a building in the same city be so astonishing?"

I looked at him with a snide smile. "First off, it took a week to get here from the homeworld, and second, at least I expected it. Why are we up here?"

"I want to use Jessica's powers to test my weapon, but not in an alleyway where I might damage the buildings and hurt someone. Up here should be fine." The boy stretched out his right hand in front of himself, directing me with his head to get out of the way. "Jessica, I want you to hit me with an electric blast... can you use the lightning blade technique?"

"She can," I interrupted. "But if she does, I doubt there will be anything left of you." The boy went back to a normal standing stance. "I think I know what you're thinking to do. A Pharaoh's body has properties that allow us to blend insulative materials and conductive materials inside ourselves to keep our electric powers from hurting us. However, any insulator can be overwhelmed, and trust me, the level Jessica is at with her swords, if she were to blast you, you would die instantly. Your invention would not work and redirect the power, the power would simply rip your body apart."

"My understanding is, no normal Pharaoh should be able to survive Jessica's powers anyway," the boy replied. "Really, most Pharaohs can't survive being struck by lightning from without. Like a normal human body can generate electricity as well, but having it forced in from outside isn't usually a good idea. My weapon is built to protect me, redirecting the most powerful of electronic-based attacks into concussion blasts that simply fire away from my body, rather than killing me."

I shook my head. "Kid... it all depends on how badly you want to die."

The boy chuckled. He then looked over at Jessica. "Kyle here seems to think I couldn't possibly have compensated for the kind of power you can put out with those blades." She gave a bemused smile and a nod. He looked out over the city. "Alright then you two, we'll make our deal like a bet. Don't use your swords, Jess. If you can hit me with enough power to force me to give serious thought to allowing you to use your swords on me, I'll tell you right away what city Thomas is in."

"And if we lose?" I asked.

"Oh right, that's how a bet works isn't it? Well um..."He looked around for a while. "Then um... well then we both tickle Kyle until he's in tears, that good by you Jess?"

"Win-win," said Jessica with a smile.

"Wait what?" I asked.

The boy retook his stance with his hand out, "I'm ready Jessica."

"I'm sorry, can we clarify the thing about-" I began, but Jessica was already engulfed in electric energy. She directed her hands forward, a bolt of energy emitting from her and blasting into Xao's body. Out of Xao's hand and into the air I watched a blast of energy shoot forward cutting through the cement of the rooftop and firing outward. Xao himself flew backward and hit the building top rolling several times. The boy slammed into a railing near the building's edge and was almost thrown over it.

Xao got up, holding his shoulder and hunching over like he was in terrible pain. "Not sure if this hurts so much because of the impact or if that really almost killed me... I don't understand...the device backfired and fired forward at the same time... the energy was too much for it to absorb."

Jessica unsheathed her right sword with a smile, "Well ya know... we could try your idea if you really like."

Xao quickly dropped to his knees and covered his head with his hands. "Oh no, that's okay." Jessica laughed and put her sword away. Xao rose to his feet. "I'll be back." He snapped his fingers.

I chuckled shaking my head as he vanished in a plume of light and smoke again. "Thought he was hot stuff didn't he?" I asked. Jessica grinned at me. "Um... Jess..." She started walking towards me and I inched back. She started to giggle, raising her fingers and waving them in the air. "Um... can't catch me!" I said, running quickly to the other side of the roof with her on my heels.

She chased me for a few minutes, but being on the roof, neither of us could use our powers to jump for fear we might fall, so in the end, she was far faster than me. She finally grabbed me around the stomach and forced me to the ground. "I got an idea- you are so gonna get it now!" she said. I started laughing before she did anything, knowing what was coming.

A cloud of smoke appeared to our side with a bright flash of light and I breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm back!" Xao shouted. "Good news... were you about to torture him?" Jessica nodded, getting up. "Oh by all means continue."

As I got up, still grinning, Jessica looked at me with that evil tickle monster look in her eyes. "I'm still gonna get him at some point," she said. "But I think we have priorities now."

Xao nodded. "Indeed we do," he said. He gave us both a twisted half frown half-smile. "Well, good news and bad news. Good news is, I think I know the boy's final destination... by the way he's currently on a plane."

"I don't know how that helps us," I replied.

"I'm a trickster," Xao replied. "We're honor-bound to honor the spirit of our deal, not the letter. But that's where the bad news comes in. The plane is headed for the capital of Great Britain, London."

"Why is that such bad news?" I asked. Jessica stared at Xao with her shoulders and arms hanging loosely and her mouth ajar. "What?"

Jessica composed herself a little. "Um... Kyle that's halfway across the planet from here."

"Well not halfway, more like a quarter-" Xao cautioned, but Jessica cut in.

"Close enough!"

"How far away are we talking?" I asked.

"About five thousand miles... give or take... take really... a few," Xao replied.

"I'm guessing a good number of those are over water..." I stated, not sure what I was trying to clarify.

"Most of it." Xao agreed.

"Well," I grabbed the young man's hand and shook it. "I thank you for your assistance,"

"Well hold on, I still need to get you back down to the ground." The boy snapped his fingers.

"No really, that's alright-" The smoke enveloped me again and a bright light blinded my eyes again.

When the light and smoke cleared again, I shouted, "Good lord how do you get used to that?!" I looked around and we were all in the alleyway again. I shook my head and looked over at Jessica. "Well, I guess we're gonna have to figure out how the planes work on this world."

"It'll take you about a day to get there by plane," Xao commented.

"Guess that's as fast as we can get," I said with a shrug and turning to leave the alleyway.

Xao laughed out loud. "HA! Normal citizens have to plan flights like that weeks in advance, let alone what you're gonna have to do."

"Not so!" I shouted back. "We can just pretend to be someone's kids," I said snapping and pointing.

"They're still gonna check you for tickets," Xao replied.

"Don't forget we're also on the run," Jessica replied.

"Who's side are you on?" I asked.

"I'm not sure what he's after, but I'm personally wondering why Xao is still here," Jessica replied.

I looked at Xao, "So how about it, why are you still here? You could just flash away couldn't you?"

"True enough," the boy replied.

"So are you gonna grant us another deal? How about this time you just get the boy for us?"

Xao shook his head. "First of all, this stuff has rules. I set the terms for the deal, not you. Keeps folks from asking for the ridiculous like their loved ones back from the grave or asking to take over the world... things we really couldn't do for folks even if we wanted to. Second rule, I can only grant one wish in a day, and only one for the same person in a year."

Jessica cocked her head to the side. "You could just say the first wish was mine and give Kyle something tomorrow."

"Again, it's the spirit of the law that we're looking at here. I can't grant Kyle a wish that you would have asked for given the chance." He shook his head. "So basically, as a trickster, I'm pretty much useless to you guys now." The boy gave us both a grin. "However... not so much am I useless to you as a person. Remember I'm still a Pharaoh."

"So...?" I asked.

"We Pharaoh's get out of situations by inventing. Just so happens I have an invention that can get us all across the pacific ocean and all the way to Britain in twenty-four hours. Well, it's not really mine but I can get it... I think."

"Hold up," I said. "You're saying you want to go with us aren't you?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." I bit my lip. "Really what would be so wrong with the idea? Three is better than two. In fact, I've got a second tracer here so once we get to London we can cover more ground by splitting up."

"Well..." I said, folding my arms and looking off to the side.

"C'mon now, I gotta see the end of this."

"Why not? I'm game." Jessica asked.

"NO!" I almost shouted. "Think about who he is!"

"Who am I... according to you?"

"To me?" I asked back. "According to yourself, you're a god."

"Well... a trickster-"

"You think you can just give and take whatever you want from whoever you want," I replied. "You use powers beyond your own understanding to make things happen and ask just whatever you want in return."

"It's a pretty sweet deal actually," Xao said with a chuckle.

"It's wrong!" I shouted. "Look I'll deal with you in a moment, but you want me to travel with you and act like you're just another guy I trust?"

Xao shrugged. "Jess doesn't seem to have a problem with me. Am I really so terrible a person?"

"Not exactly, but you... Jess back me up here!"

"Um... sorry Ky," she said scratching her head.

"Sorry? He thinks he can take the role of a god. Isn't your God supposed to be a jealous God?"

"He never said he was an actual god, and besides I'm sure the real God can use him... really if you ask me, that's why he's here."

"Excuse me?" I asked back.

"Well c'mon," Jessica replied. "Don't tell me you didn't notice." I gave her a blank stare. "I prayed forever yesterday. Now here's someone prepared to almost hand us everything we need on a silver platter. You think it's all just a coincidence that Darius just happened to blab to someone who had the power and desire to help us... and who could do something to get the little creep off our backs for a while?"

"You do realize that's all very weak coincidence don't you?" I asked.

"Say what you want kid," Jessica replied. "But I don't think things like this just happen."

"And YOU would be the one to prove that the world isn't random?" I asked back. Jessica just shrugged. "In any case, are we really discussing this?" I almost demanded, spreading my arms indignantly. "Jess... you really think we can trust someone like this? Seriously, he's pretty much a witch."

"It's technology, not magic," Jessica justified.

"He still uses power he has no right to."

"Well... you've got the final say," Jessica admitted. "What should we do?"

"I- I kinda wanted you to agree with me... um," I looked at Xao. "I mean he's evil right?"

"Can't see how he's anymore so than anyone else," Jessica commented. "But again, it's your decision."

"I- I- No it's not," I finally said. "You're older and you're a better judge of character... I think. So what should we do?"

"I say we take him," Jessica said with a shrug. "What could go wrong?"

"That's never a question you want answered," I replied, folding my arms again.

"Right!" the boy said, snapping his fingers. I quickly ducked down. He looked down at me.

"You're not gonna do the flashy light thing?" I asked almost kissing the dirt.

"I'm not here as a trickster," Xao replied. "Remember? The transport we're gonna be using is a submarine, so we're gonna need to get to the coast. I'll go get a cab."

I held up a hand. "Exactly HOW will a submarine get us to London in twenty-four hours?" I asked.

Xao chuckled. "You'll see."

"And how are you getting a cab?" I asked. "Aren't you too young looking to just go wherever you want on this world? You already said you can't make another deal."

"I can't," Xao said back. "I'm gonna use another kind of magic." He pulled out a large wad of cash. "The almighty dollar." He pointed into a dark shadow cast by an overhanging roof above. "You can be in earshot, but stay in the shadow till I work my magic alright?" He stuffed the money back in his pocket.

Jessica and I both watched from the shadow as Xao scanned the streets. Several vehicles passed by but he made no move to hail any of them. Finally, a yellow vehicle came by with a white sign on it that said "Taxi". Seeing this vehicle, Xao quickly yelled into the street and almost ran over to it. The car stopped and came over to the sidewalk. "Something I can help you with kid?" asked a man in the driver's seat.

"What else do you call a cab for? I need a ride."

"You're not a little young?" asked the man.

Xao chuckled and pulled out a wad of cash. "A thousand dollars says I'm twenty-six if you want." The man took the money and examined it.

"It's real... but just taking a kid- how far are you wanting to go?"

"Newport."

"Ne... kid that's over a hundred miles. I drive someone else's kid that far and I'll be in the slammer for the rest of my unhappy life. Keep your money," he said, handing the money back.

"Ten thousand says you take the risk."

"Ten thou-" the man shook his head. "No. Do you have any idea how much trouble I'd be in-"

"Alright, you convinced me. Fifty thousand."

"Where the heck did you get this kind of dough?" asked the man. Xao handed him a piece of paper. I spied a look at the paper and noticed the word "lottery". "Same place you will. Go ahead, scratch the first two gray circles off."

The man held the paper. He did something... not sure what... and opened the door. "No questions and if anyone asks, I'm your son," said Xao.

"Tell me I'm not doing something horrible here," said the man, holding his hand up to stop Xao from getting in.

"That's a question- but I'll tell you, you most certainly are not."

The man sighed and allowed Xao to get into his car. Xao waved at us. As we approached the man quickly spoke up again. "Hold it, you didn't say anything about more kids... and even younger."

"You didn't ask."

"You said no questions."

I opened the back door for Jessica letting her in. "You're getting it!" I said with a smile.

"Getting what?"

Jessica clicked her teeth. "No questions."

I got in and Xao pointed ahead. "Newport, I'll tell you exactly where when you get to the city limits."

"You guys-" The man began, but Xao cut him off.

"You want we should take our money and ask the next guy?"

The driver paused, looking back at me and Jessica. "Well... no. I got ya." The vehicle drove away with us inside.

(***)

Gregory:

The sun shined over the small park, lush green grass all around. Kids chased each other, rolled in the dirt, and pushed each other on swings, many having their parents watch from not far off.

I rested against a tree watching the children as they played. A find like those two, Kyle and Jessica, was going to be hard to beat. Darius liked what I presented him with those two, but he always raised his standards when I found someone unique and innocent for him. Once I could just give him a random six-year-old to torment. These days he was demanding folks who weren't just innocent, but also doing something that seemed to make them stand out... not an easy bill to fill in a world filled with demons... heh, I would know. You could say I'm one of the demons.

Gregory Kune, there I stood, looking for another boy or girl with aspirations of heroism. I wondered about looking in the police department again. It was a given that I might find one or two cops that seemed to be good people, but to interest Darius they had to be particularly committed. I approached the children, listening to their conversations.

A hand grabbed my shoulder from behind. I knew the hand." Darius... so you get what you wanted from them?" I turned to look the dark-haired boy in the face.

"I was... interrupted." He shook his head.

"Our deal stands."

Darius' eyes wandered. "I still need you."

"You want to make me another one?"

"You know I can't till the year is up." I shook my head at him. "Do you know how many people I've gotten to hand over their life savings?" he asked. "I could set you for three lifetimes."

"Make it an even four."

"Four million dollars then," he said. He gave me a suitcase, my eyes only going wide for about a second. "Now pack up, we're going to England. That's where your angel is going."

"You didn't tell me what you wanted."

"You see this kid?" he asked, showing me a picture of a dark-haired boy dressed in a red shirt and light blue jacket.

"That's Ky-"

"I want his head," Darius said with a glare.