Angelika – Like an angel
Truda – Fighting woman
Varick – Protecting Ruler
Harman – Man of the army

<Varick?> Alan thought to the man, <I think that you and Angelika need to come here as soon as possible.>

Alan could feel the confusion in Varick’s thoughts. <Alright we’ll be there as soon as possible.> Varick replied.

Emory was watching Alan as he was having a conversation with Varick. “Is everything alright?” Emory asked.

Shocked out of his thoughts Alan told him, “Yes sir, they should be along in a few minutes. It appears that the women are still shopping.” Alan said with a sigh. Emory started to laugh then nod he could remember giving up after trying to stop his wife from shopping years ago; especially when she was as in to it as the two young ladies appeared to be.

A few minutes later the two doors of the shops that all of them had gone into opened.

Varick and Harman swiftly moved to Alan’s side concern apparent on both of their faces. “I thought you said that we’d have no further problems after the talk you had with their leader.” Varick told Alan on guard for any sudden movement toward them.

“For the moment we have no problems, though what this man here has to say might lead to some.” Alan told a confused Varick and Harman. “Let’s just wait ’til the women are here ok?”

Varick and Harman both nodded looking around at the amount of people, there were more than a few there that didn’t feel like the villagers.

A moment later they were joined by Angelika and Truda, both also with a look of concern on their faces. “We heard,” Angelika said. “I thought everything was good?”

Alan smirked a moment then replied, “As far as I can tell everything is. Apparently, the young woman’s father was impressed, as she said ‘Father was impressed when you brought me back and wished to talk to you. You are the first that have been here as long as you have and haven’t made a move, threatened or attacked. Father wished to ask you what your intentions are and if you would consider joining with us?’ I told them we all had to be here for something as big as the nature of this.”

Varick was nodding then scanned the crowd. Varick’s eyes coming to rest on the older man in the center of all those present. Then he did a double take, “I am sorry for staring but you appear to be familiar.” Varick told the man.

The older man stepped forward his shining, keen eyes wide as he took in Varick then Angelika. “I have to say sir,” the man started, “you also appear to seem familiar.”

Alan was nodding a wide smile breaking out on his face. “I think that all of you will be, to each other. Please sir,” Alan said looking at the older man, “please tell my uncle your name.”

The older man looked at Alan with a look of disbelief, “Uncle? You are joking; you both appear to be the same age. There is no…” The man stopped mid sentence staring even harder at Varick and the other three. “What is your last name?”

Varick sadly shook his head, “None of us know much of our past is gone. I am Varick, this is my sister Angelika. These are our friends Harman and his sister Truda.”

“Varick…,” the old man was whispering as he slowly stepped toward Varick. Touching the side of Varick’s face the old man drew back as if he were shocked. “Brother is it really you?” Turning toward Angelika, tears now streaming freely down his face. “Sister? My god you are still as beautiful as you were then!”

Angelika pulled back from the man as if she’d been burned, “Sister!? Just who the hell are you? What kind of sick and twisted joke is this?” She spit at the older man.

The old man retreated back as if he’d been punched. “I guess it has been far too long for either of you to remember me.” The older man whispered. Looking at Alan the man’s eyes were almost pleading with him to help.

Sighing Alan stood up between the old man and the siblings. “Maybe this will help?” Alan asked passing a hand over the older man.

There were more than a half a dozen gasps heard as the older man was suddenly regressing in age. In place of the older man was now a teen of 18 or 19. “H… h… how?” The teen was stuttering.

“Ok, that’s a new trick we haven’t seen you do before,” A smirking Truda said. Looking Alan over closely she said, “What other things are you hiding?”

“Emory? My god! Is that you? We all saw you gunned down! They carried you out and threw your body away like trash!” They heard Harman’s voice.

It was the teen’s turn to smirk, “All of you forgot the game we used to play? Stop the stick? Come on I know you all remember it!”

Tears now streaming down her face Angelika bowed her head and whispered, “We just got our memories of you back an hour ago. Please forgive me brother I was so afraid, so terrified when I saw you go down. I thought they had killed you and were about to start on us!”

Varick and Emory both moved to comfort Angelika who was a mass of crying flesh at their feet. Gasping a moment when both males put their arms around her, then she sighed and relaxed.

Several of the shocked men had taken a step forward, but were stopped when the teen put up a hand and they all stopped dead in their tracks.

Madde walked over to Alan with a questioning look. “I thought father’s brother and sister were killed during the war. By the way what in the hell did you do to him?”

“Oh that?” Alan said sounding as if it were an everyday thing. “I just reversed the aging process on the rest of him. His insides are already that of a young man, I just matched the outside with the inside.”

“So,” Madde started again trying to let everything sink in. Father called the woman on the ground his sister, the man next to him his brother. You said that the same man was your uncle? Wait, then that makes that young beautiful woman your mother?” Shaking her head she was still having a hard time getting her head around it. “I saw what you did; I know you can do a lot of things but…” Even as she watched Alan started to grow older ’til he was the same outward age that her father had been.

“It’s not that hard once you can grasp the concept,” Alan said matter of factly.

From behind them they heard Angelika giggle, “Ok Alan now you’re just showing off!”

Alan and Madde turned to see Angelika hugging and kissing both of her brothers. “You are the one who put me onto this mother.” Alan said with a smirk of his own. “You’re as much to blame as I am!”

“Me!? You are of course joking Alan, I never told you to show off like this!” Angelika said as Truda joined in on the giggling.

Alan shook his head and was quickly the age he was again. “Crap, never try to win an argument against your mother!” This of course started another round of giggling from Angelika, Truda, and now Madde. “Honestly! I don’t see the humor in any of this!”

Varick walked over to Alan, “Don’t argue that’s what you said, just let it go ’til later then you can get back at them.” All this was whispered though Alan was sure that Truda was detecting what had been whispered between them.

Alan nodded toward Truda and Varick nodded as he clamped his mouth shut.

Emory turned toward Alan, “I appreciate what you have done for me but really Alan! A teenager?”

Alan nodded then waved a hand over Emory who aged for a moment then looked about 30. “There that any better?”

“Yes thank you, I guess I should call you nephew now, no?” Emory said with a huge smile on his face. “So you weren’t engineered like they were?”

“No, as far as I can tell I came by all of mine by birth. As far as I know the doctor…” There were several gasps then more than a few angry shouts from those that came with Emory.

Emory held up a hand quieting all of them. “I am more than familiar with that monster. When we received word that the bunker had exploded we were also told that all were killed in it. Hence, my shock at seeing my family. Wait! You mean to tell me that the animal survived also!?” Emory’s face was now twisted into a mask of rage.

“I am afraid so though strangely enough no one has actually seen him in over 40 years.” Alan told the man.

“40 years? All of our memories go back almost that far except for what you have opened in the last few weeks. I still can’t remember your birth, or who the father is Alan. I fear I may never remember.” Angelika said a fresh set of tears in her eyes.

Madde ran to Angelika and held her close crying with her. “This beast of a doctor did this to you?!” Madde looked at Emory, “Father I want to be stronger, I want to help them destroy this monster you have told us about!”

Emory looked at Alan feeling the almost overwhelming amount of power the younger man possessed. Rubbing his chin he thought yes, he did feel many times more powerful than the doctor. “Alright I agree; that is if you can do it. I also want you to help those here also. If worst comes to worst we might need the added power to fight him. Especially if he tries to hurt you through us.”

“I can, though as strong as he is right now you are the only one that would stand a chance. I’m sure you know that to go against him takes a lot of power.” Alan told all that were present.

Emory patted Alan on the shoulder, “We have a lot more than power, and we have a full bag of tricks that have kept us hidden from him for all this time.”

Alan nodded as the man opened his mind and showed Alan all of the many tricks that they had used over the years. Interesting Alan thought some of these ideas might actually come in handy.

A sudden thought accrued to Alan, “I was thinking Varick. With the way the assistant is coming after us you think he might try to come here?”

Varick and Harman were suddenly attentive, “Wait you really think he’d risk trying to attack here,” Varick asked.

“I wouldn’t put it past him with the rise in the frequency of the attacks.” Harman said after thinking a moment. “You might want to put something in their minds to actually deter the assistant’s men.”

Emory and Madde were watching this exchange with great interest. “You mean to tell us there is another out there? Anything you can do Alan to keep all of these people safe would be welcome.”

Alan nodded and started on the weaker of the men with abilities within twenty minutes they were all at twice the power they had been. Shaking his head Alan knew they could stop a few of the hoard the assistant had but they would need to be stronger if they were going to be of any use.

Looking at Madde’s son Alan saw that the young man was already as strong as he’d just made the twenty men. I have to be careful Alan thought as he started to raise the young man’s power. Finally the man was far more powerful than any but his grandfather. Starting on his cousin he found that she was far easier than any he’d done. Finally finished with her a mere ten minutes later Alan felt a slight drain and sat with a thud.

Angelika, Truda, and Madde ran to him as he started to topple over on the bench. “Crap I think I did it agai…” then the darkness took Alan into its embrace.

This time Alan was in the doctor’s bunker in a few seconds. Looking around he could feel himself there so kept out of the way. Then he felt another presence, huh? Truda? <What are you doing here? How did you get in?> Alan asked.

<Alan really after all you did for me, this was the least I could do. It was easy really once you were unconscious I could get into your dreams or in this case travel. Oh my god! You are really here!>

Alan felt her reach out to the doctor feeling for his heart then stopped as thousands of choices came up. <I told you choose the right one, since it will now interact with all I have done.>

<Here I hadn’t believed you! Damn it Alan! You could have come to me with help for this!> Truda said.

<No I couldn’t, you have to retreat before it starts.> Alan warned.

<What starts?> Truda asked.

<Just retreat I’ll explain.> Alan felt her withdraw when the doctor spoke.

<You again? I am ready for you this time!> He heard the doctor’s evil laugh then the doctor touched a machine. Alan just shrugged as power flowed to him then through him. <What!? You aren’t here? I can feel you I know you are real!>

Alan laughed then the assistant appeared and Alan leapt to his mind. As quickly as he could Alan started to leave far more in him than he had in the doctor. <You are going to suffer a most horrible death you son of a bitch!>

<Who are you? You can’t hurt me; I am one of the Führer’s finest agents. I will…> The assistant started then stopped suddenly as he was screaming in his head.

<You are a pathetic excuse for a living organism. Though I hesitate to call you that as I might insult organisms. Here I want you to remember this!> Alan screamed as the assistant was again screaming in his mind.

<Who are you? I will find out and destroy you!> The assistant yelled.

<Oh yeah? Really. Good luck with that!> Alan said as he started to withdraw, the assistant screaming at him to know his identity.

Alan awoke with a major headache; looking over at Truda he saw that she had one also. “I warned you it isn’t as easy as you thought it was, is it?” Alan told Truda as she tried to rise off the mattress. Huh? They were in beds? Inside? What in the hell was going on?

Madde, Emory, Angelika, and Harman entered the room a moment later. “I… I didn’t know that you actually saw and felt all that we went through. Not just one of us but all of us! With all the control you have why can’t you block out all of us?”

Alan tried to speak but found that his throat was as dry as could be. Angelika handed him a glass of water which he drained in record time. “I can’t block all of you; if I did I wouldn’t be able to do what I did. Besides I am sure that the son of a bitch assistant will be terrified of the both of us now!”

“Both of us?” Truda said as she sat up and tried to stand on wobbly legs. Almost falling she was caught by her brother.

“Careful, you don’t want to fall on your face,” Harman said looking back and forth between his sister and Alan.

“That’s not important, what do you mean he’s afraid of me also?” Truda pushed for an answer.

“Truda really you were there, I know he could feel the both of us. He was scared at first but I felt you look out and felt him shake in terror. So I’d say he’s is terrified we both are going to attack him again. Especially since I put as much in him as I did.” Alan was also trying to stand finding he was still weak from all he’d done before but could quickly feel his strength returning.

“What have you done now?” Varick said a moment later as he came through the door.

“I went with him so it wasn’t all him Varick. My god Varick we really were there! I saw the doctor and the assistant Alan planted more in the doctor and then put quite a few in the assistant.” Truda told the man.

“You what!? Have you lost your mind Truda? What if they had put something in you that had you killing Alan when you were in there? I can’t believ…” Varick was saying then was flying across the room but stopped well short of the wall a surprised look on his face.

Truda’s eyes were glowing as a harsh growl came from her lips, “I AM NOT CRAZY! Never say that to me again Varick! NEVER! I am a lot more powerful than I was; don’t make me try to punish you Varick! Like you I have several of my memories linked to gain strength against all they did to us. You forget Alan has healed more in me than the rest of you!”

Harman had already backed away from his sister not wanting to be what she centered on. Truda looked over at her brother and the look on her face softened, “It is good to see you are getting smarter brother, yes very encouraging indeed.” With that Truda started to wobble on her legs again as Harman rushed to catch her as she passed out.

Angelika was shaking her head at her brother, “Really Varick she’d just started to finally feel more normal. Then you say that! I’d say she’s worked harder than all of us to get where she is.” Varick nodded then mumbled, “What was that brother? I couldn’t quite hear it.”

“I said, I will have to apologize to her when she wakes up.” Varick said though it seemed hard for him.

“Yes I think that would be wise brother.” Angelika said with a small laugh.

Alan could only shake his head as he began to feel far more normal. “I need to check all that I have worked on. Then I want to start on you Uncle.”

Emory Verlorenen nodded then started to smile, uncle! Something he thought he’d never hear. Angelika stepped close a moment later, “I forgot in all the excitement and reunion Emory. What is our last name? In all the years we have yet to discover it.”

Looking at Varick and Angelika with shock Emory stated, “He took your name from you? If I have the chance I will kill the bastard myself! It is Verlorenen it means the lost ones.”

“Emory,” Harman said as he and Truda had been listening. “Do you recall ours?”

Giving a huge sigh Emory nodded and said, “Yes, it was Mächtig. It means mighty.” Both Harman and Truda were shocked but smiled in delight. “Again I say I will personally kill the bastard if given the chance. You can do a lot of things but to take the very name of a person’s family, that is unforgiveable!”

Alan was nodding feeling the rage growing in Emory; really he couldn’t blame the man. To lose your family not once but twice? Yes, Alan knew all too well the feeling of not knowing who he truly was.

Alan shook his head as he started to go over all twenty of those he had increased. Ah! Good they were holding steady though they were stronger he hoped they would be effective. Even armed with all the tricks that Emory had shown him he knew that the assistant’s goons wouldn’t be so easily fooled.

Next Aldrich, Madde’s son came in hmmm, yes, the young man’s abilities were holding strong indeed. Though not hugely powerful he’d be more than a match for all the men that the assistant could send. Then he touched Madde and received a shock. She’d obviously been practicing, as they weren’t where he’d left them compared to where her abilities were now.

Sighing Alan knew it would be a few days ’til he could increase the twenty. Though they had abilities their bodies still needed to adjust some before they went up more. Aldrich could in another two days, as well as Madde perhaps even one for her. She was already almost as high as her father was right now.

Turning at last to Emory Alan told him, “I have gone over all of those I did the improvements to. The twenty will take at least a week. I just hope we have that long. Aldrich is very high and could hold his own for a while, it will be at least two days for him. Madde is a different story.”

Emory’s eyes went wide, “Is she that weak? I thought she was by far more powerful than most.”

“What!? Weak? No, it’s not that. I just improved her hours ago and already she has slightly increased where I left her. I’d say another day for her.” Alan said a little shocked.

Emory nodded then told Alan, “Alright son I’m ready when you are. Though I have to ask, just how much is this going to hurt?”

“Hurt? Who told you there would be pain?” Thinking back a moment, Alan smiled. “The reason he felt pain was he tried to resist. It seems he changed his mind AFTER I had started. It’s a little hard to stop once one starts this, had I stopped where I was, he would have been dead a few hours later.”

“Ah! I see now, I will have to speak to him after we are done. Sorry to be so questioning but one more?” Alan nodded as his uncle continued. “Is it possible to unlock the abilities in others? We have been told for decades that everyone has these abilities.”

Alan thought about it for a few moments then said, “I’d have to see the one that you would want me to open up. Also it could be dangerous as they wouldn’t have the control that someone born with it would have.”

Emory nodded then noticed that Varick and the others were listening with rapt attention. “Alright Alan son, I’m about as ready as I am going to be.”

Alan nodded then reached out finding that the man hadn’t lied and was about as open as one could get. Reaching in Alan could see that everything in the man’s mind was extremely ordered. Finally finding what he’d been looking for Alan started to move very little as he started to increase the man much as he had the others. The only thing was this man’s mind was far more powerful than the others.

Alan could feel the man almost enjoy the feeling of his abilities increasing. Then Alan found the man’s thought talk area and opened it more, Alan figured why not? Alan had started to withdraw thinking the man was at his limit but found he was wrong so shrugging Alan kept at it.

It was perhaps forty five minutes later when Alan pulled out feeling the fatigue starting to set in again. Damn it Alan thought I didn’t recharge enough! Alan was sweating profusely when he was fully withdrawn. Then thinking a moment went back in and adjusted one last thing. “I gave you more control Emory I felt you were about to let loose a blast. I’m not sure I could have stopped it as depleted as I am.”

Emory’s eyes were wide, he’d have lost control? Damn! He was sure happy that his nephew was on their side. There was a sudden screaming as several people rushed forward to catch Alan. “Sorry uncle.” With that Alan was out again.

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