Ryn approached Kev’s door slowly. Her old friend had been increasingly withdrawn ever since the fighting in France. He hadn’t wanted to hang out, hadn’t been interested in anything other than training and meditating.


    She reached up her hand to knock and paused once again. Kev had been in seclusion from the team for the last few days. Ever since the outcast aliens had come through the portal. Ryn was delighted to get confirmation her parents were ok but when she’d laid a hand on the portal and been denied a wave of sadness had washed over her. If Kev refused to see her now it would feel almost the same.


    Come in, Ryn, the thoughts appeared in her mind. It was like his voice simply imposed itself in her head. Her hand dropped and turned the oddly old fashioned handle, pushing the door open and stepping in.


    Kev was floating cross legged, hovering a couple of feet above his settee. As she entered his legs stretched out and he lowered himself gently to the ground.


    “I’m sorry you’re worried about me,” he smiled sadly. “I’ll make you some tea.”


    “Thanks.” Ryn walked over and sat down to the side of where he had been meditating. “Is it hard?”


    “I’m trying to keep the voices out.” He paused before placing two cups on the counter and flicking the kettle on. “It was easier before,” he muttered, reaching over to get a pair of teabags.


    “Before what?” Ryn asked.


    “Before the aliens came through. Humans think a certain way. They’re all very different but the basic pattern is the same. The aliens are… new. Difficult.” Hot water was poured and he stirred the cups before reaching for the milk. “You still take sugar?” he asked.


    “You know I do.”


    “I like to pretend I don’t.” He brought the cups over and put one in front of Ryn before moving to the far end of the settee and sitting himself. He blew on the steaming liquid before taking a sip. “I can’t go back to Earth.” Ryn picked up her cup and held it in both hands but didn’t take a drink.


    “We’ll need you. Whatever Mum and Dad found on this ship they had to clear, it’s changed everything for his plans. We can go back soon.” He chuckled, the bitterness in his voice made her cringe a little on the inside. She hated that he knew what she’d felt despite her saying nothing or even twitching.


    “Don’t worry about it. None of us can help what we are. I’m… Ryn, can I tell you a secret?”


    “Of course,” she pivoted to look him in the face.


    “I’ve been taking copies of minds.”


    “Your mind clone thing?”


    “Eater. Mind Eater. It is… very strong. I’ve got Bob, Amit, the team that came back from Hagrutship and a bunch of the more prominent aliens. We can’t trust Mindscar anymore. She and Belisarius are behind a lot of the troubles on Earth.”


    “How the hell do you know that?” she demanded, shocked that a pair of prominent Signatories were stirring up the rebels.


    “I’ve got a copy of Mindscar. I’ve got a copy of War and Life as well. They’re the two that give me the most problems. They’re so strong!”


    "You got their permission?” she asked.


    “No. No one knows if I copy them. Look, we''re getting off topic. The aliens make being here difficult for me.”


    “Have you copied me? No, don’t answer that. Why not just come back to Earth when we go!” Ryn snapped, her exasperation getting the better of her.


    “Exasperation is such a beautiful colour,” the boy replied. “I can’t. I’m proscribed.” Ryn gasped and reached a shaky hand out to reclaim her cup and take a long, scalding mouthful of tea.


    “Mind Eater-”


    “It’s not Mind Eater. I got another ability. I can take control of people. Temporarily!” he raised a hand as she drew a breath to launch into a rant. Her parents'' views on control powers were deeply ingrained.


    "But the Accords are over! The Reavers made that obvious! Earth is being strip mined for Essence, it’s a wreck now! We can help. You can help, Kev. You’ll know a Reaver or a Culler if they come within a hundred miles of you! You won’t be collared!”


    “I’m not scared of being collared, Ryn,” he said softly, staring deeply into his mug. The girl deflated a little, her shoulders fell and she put her cup down on the table.


    “What is it then?” she asked, not looking at him.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    “It’s me,” he sighed. “I don’t want the temptation.”


    “The what?” she demanded, beginning to lose patience. She needed her friend to join them when they went back. They all needed his power and his support.


    “Temptation. You don’t… Imagine being able to take someone over, completely. As long as I concentrate they''ll just obey me. It''s like… I don’t have the words. You’ve been worried about me. You think I’m withdrawn and that I’ve changed. You think of me and you don’t think of the same person you’ve known for years.” Ryn flinched as her thoughts were spoken aloud by her friend. “Even this scares you. I know too much. Ryn, you’re like a sister to me and you are scared of me.” she shook her head and he laughed softly. “Yes you are, it hangs around you like a yellow cloud. If even a sister is scared of me what will strangers feel?”


    “They won’t even know you! We need you Kev!” she blurted out.


    “I’ll be there for you,” he said quietly. Never fear on that score, the words burned in her mind. “I’m not ready yet though.”


    “If there’s anything we can do…” she offered, finishing her tea and rising to her feet.


    “Thanks Ryn. I’ll get a handle on it eventually.” She leant down and gently kissed him on the forehead, resting a hand on his shoulder. He looked up as she pulled her head back and smiled slightly, half his mouth quirking upwards. Then he nodded slightly and she turned, moving to the door. As it closed behind her she fought down her feelings and headed back to the shared living space the team used between training missions.


    “Any joy?” asked Simon, looking up from the swirl of grey mist in his hands as she entered. The rest of the team were spread around the room, lounging or pacing depending on their nature.


    “He won’t go back to Earth anytime soon,” she said flatly.


    “Ah for gods sake Kev. No ones going to collar you!” Sally yelled at the roof.


    “This is not helpful. He knows what you’re thinking Sally, there’s no need for dramatics,” said Andrea. The shy girl flinched slightly as Sally turned a baleful gaze her way. Sally exhaled a deep breath and shrugged.


    “Fair enough. But if we’re a team we should act like a team and work together. So there’s some bloody aliens and their brains are weird? So what!”


    “He’s been struggling dealing with a few hundred people, now there’s a bunch more of them, including some humans who are not the kind of people we would have liked before the Monarchs came along,” said Bad.


    “What do you mean we wouldn’t have liked them? Leaving the aliens aside for now, I can see that would be weird for him, what’s up with the team that Carnival rescued?” demanded Jane angrily. “They’re humans like us!” The girl made of fire rose to her feet and spun towards Bad.


    “Easy, hothead!” Bad smirked as Jane appeared to steam, the glow from her body increasing noticeably at the jibe. “They were anti-Accords. They hate the Sigs.”


    “And now the Accords are dead. We’ve got Reavers laying waste to half the planet and Cullers sneaking around in the shadows murdering high levelled folks. They’d love Earth now!” snapped Jane, fighting to contain her emotions and lower her temperature.


    I’d love Earth now but that’s the problem. Please guys, just give me some more time. I need to find stability before I expose my mind to the thousands and millions on Earth. You can’t understand. I ask you to trust me and be patient.


    They all glanced around, looking up at the ceiling and across at the walls. The voice seemed to have come from everywhere.


    “That’s weird you lanky prick!” called Bad. “If you’re going to spy on us, why not just attend the meeting?” He looked back and forth, waiting for a reply that would never come.


    “Teenagers,” Bob grumbled from a wall speaker. “Give the lanky kid a few more days before you start beating down his door. We’re going to have the Necklace at a reasonable state of readiness in a week''s time. The new tech I’ve got back from other-Bob has changed everything.”


    “It’s that significant?” asked Simon, his eyes lighting up at the thought of finally getting his hands on some of the new materials.


    “Wind your neck in, Batman. You’ll get access once I figure out how to make more of the stuff. That might take a while.”


    “I’m a bloody Urchemist, Bob, you metal asshole. I can literally make more of it out of dirt if I can get a look at the bloody stuff!” Simon threw up his hands in frustration. The walls, for once, were silent.


    “You sulking metal man?” Jane scoffed.


    "Fucking kids. Evie was a handful, back in the day, but you lot…” the walls muttered. “Ok. I’ll get you a sample. If you can mass produce it you’ll get a raise. I need lots and lots and lots of the stuff. It’s not quite a match for dragonmetal but it''s entirely inorganic, which makes things easier.”


    “You mean you don’t have to profit share with the Dragon?” asked Claire brightly.


    “Yes. That.” Bob replied flatly.


    “As long as we’re clear on your motivations. And I will want a raise if I can synthesise the stuff,” muttered Simon.


    “Children. I try not to use that word, you’re all powerful, more powerful than most humans. But in this case you’re being children and I have to. Our goals are the same but I’m nearly eighty years old. I know, I know, age doesn’t make you right but it gives you perspective. None of you lived through the Advent, none of you knew the mundane wars across the decades leading up to the Advent. You’ve only seen the harshness of the world from behind your mothers skirts! Behind my fucking skirts!” barked Bob. “I would ask that you not question my motivations again. I’m in it for the species, even if I’m not technically a human anymore. Sure I’m happy to make some ‘money’, the vast majority of which gets ploughed back into more defences and better bots, it gives me the resources I need to build up our world!”


    A pin dropping would have rung like a bell at that moment in time. Ryn’s friends looked back and forth at each other and the room erupted in angry shouts, calmly stated thoughts and everything in between.


    ENOUGH! The word overrode all their thoughts and the babble suddenly fell back into silence, the kids glancing around and rubbing their temples.


    Dammit. Bob is an arse but he’s right. We need to be ready before we go back. We’ll have a lot on our plate when we do and I AM NOT READY YET. Help Bob and fucking grow up, guys.


    Kev’s telepathic rebuke elicited a round of muttering but the kids shook it off and began to settle down.


    “So how long are we going to keep sitting on our hands?” asked Jane. “Can we use the aliens as support when we go home?”


    “No. They’re being held in reserve. They might be deployed to support the Carnival if they get into trouble,” said Bob.


    “Against their will?” asked Ryn.


    “Girl, I love you like a daughter so I’m going to pretend that question didn’t occur to you. For the record: no.”