Chapter 19

Meet Lucky the newest member of the gang.

Kyle watched in horror as Trav's stone cracked into small pieces. No one had showed up yet; so he dove for his brother to try and hold his shattered form together. Kyle roared with rage at his own stupidity. He grabbed a hold of his brother trying to keep him together long enough for help to arrive.

But anywhere he touched crumbled to the floor. He was frantic, but he had to back away. If he kept trying to save him he'd be the one to kill him. So he backed right up to the wall and threw his hands up for good measure.

A Medmage finally came running, but stopped in mid stride when he saw what was happening and turned around to sound the magical equivalent of a code blue. Kyle begged them to save him as the room filled with mages who frankly looked like they had no clue what to do.

All of a sudden Travis' body started to vibrate and the cracks started to glow a bright green and a loud whining noise started.  It was deafening. It got louder and louder before everyone got with the program and hit the dirt. It was just in time too, because the stone exploded sending small shards flying in every direction.

Kyle covered his head and eyes while tears course down his face. He was screaming and crying hysterically when he heard the first exclamation from the medical staff. They sounded like they were pleasantly surprised; so Kyle lifted his head to check out what everyone seemed to be celebrating. When he looked up to see that Travis was sitting up in bed looking as fresh as a daisy, he nearly fainted with relief.

He cried out, "Travis," and lunged into his arms like a effin' baby and cried like a girl. Not to sound misogynistic or anything. He all out wept like a little baby. And he wouldn't apologize for it.

Travis just laughed and patted him on his back to try and comfort him and wasn't that just like his brother to worry about someone else when he's just come back from the dead.

As soon as Kyle stopped with the water works, he texted his friends:

Guys you better double up on the Mcee Dees. Someone just woke up! K. A.

That's great! Be right there! L. N.

Less than five seconds later a port door opened up on the far wall and Lauren and Zach stepped through. Apparently they were with each other already.

A chorus of 'Lauren can you pick me up came through from the rest of the gang and Lauren obliged them all. Soon everyone was standing around his brother's bed.

And piled on top of it was an assortment of junk food. Cheetos and Doritos, hamburgers and fries, candy and chocolate bars. It was a veritable feast. When Donnie came through carrying a meat lover's pizza with extra cheese – which was coincidentally Trav's favorite -- Kyle teared up again. He had the best friends money couldn't buy, and from now on and for the rest of his life he'd make sure he never forgot it.

They hung out in Trav's room for the rest of the day much to the dismay of the medical staff but they refused to be budged so they'd have to deal. Everyone ate especially Travis and Kyle. Travis because he hadn't eaten in weeks and Kyle because all he'd eaten was hospital food and the quantity and quality of that was seriously lacking.

Everyone took it in turns to update Travis on all that had happened including their stay in the cells at the guard's headquarters. He laughingly said he wasn't sorry he'd missed that.

The med mages came in every once and a while to check his vitals and where shocked to find him fully recovered. And he was, you could tell the guy looked like a shiny new penny. Like he'd just shed a stone skin to the new and improved Travis underneath.

And Kyle couldn't stop hugging him that is until Travis complained, "Dude you're rank. Someone needs to throw you in a hot shower pronto and burn your clothes, because they aren't salvageable."

Everyone laughed until Kyle went around the room with his pits exposed. Nope no one was laughing then: gagging yes, running for their lives for sure, but defo not laughing.

When Travis yawned loudly everyone decided to break it up and head home. Lauren was nice enough to portal Kyle to his place where he spent a hot second worrying that he would walk in on their doubles and give his fosters a freakin' heart attack, but it turned out someone from the hospital must have called someone from the council, because they were gone when he arrived.

Thank the Lord.

He ran a bath instead and soaked his aching body in the scalding hot water. He couldn't wait to get some sleep. He had slept in a reclining position for weeks. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he thought he'd crash, but he was wrong. He couldn't close his eyes without seeing his brother falling apart at his hands. If he'd died today a part of him would have died too.

But he was alive and well and it was a brand new start. For both of them.

From now on, he was going to live each minute like it was his last, because he'd learned the hard way today that it could have very well been.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They gave Travis the all clear the next day and in typical Travis fashion he went to pick up Lucky on his way home. Kyle had travelled with him on the bus. The staff looked really happy to see him, but not even remotely as happy as Lucky. He jumped up on him when he opened his cage and licked his face raw while Travis put a collar on him.

The shelter donated an old plastic travel kennel, food and a dish. Actually it was the whole shebang. Travis looked so happy to walk the dog out of the clinic. Kyle couldn't help but notice he walked out looking like he couldn't be prouder about saving the doomed animal.

As they walked down the street, Kyle marveled at how well behaved Lucky was and when they got to their stop he got right into the kennel. Kyle looked on in awe as Travis picked up the kennel like it weighed nothing. Was he actually stronger now too?

When they got home Bruno and Bo hugged Travis like they hadn't seen him in weeks which made him wonder if his folks were more tuned into the strange and supernatural than he thought. They had a big celebratory raw lasagna meal. Which believe it or not is one of the raw meals he hates the least.

Lucky bunked with them in their room that night. Turns out he snores louder than Travis, but it was music to his ears. He fell asleep instantly and slept straight until morning.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That morning Kyle woke up to the whines and licks of a very excited pit bull. If he could understand dog speak he would guess the big guy was saying. Hey human the bigger dudes in the shower. but I really need to pee so you're my only hope.

Kyle groaned and grabbed Lucky's leash to take him outside for his morning ritual. It was so frigin' cool when he noticed that the dog actually gave him a smile.

It was cold and foggy morning colder than usual for early April in San Francisco. He took the dog for a walk around the block in just his jeans and a hoody he hadn't bothered to throw on a tee which he was regretting.

He shivered despite himself as he turned the corner heading back to the house and that's when he saw it or thought he saw it. Whatever it was it was invisible he could just make out the outline of it in the bushes on the other side of the street.

It looked like the outline of the predator in the movie with the same name. He probably wouldn't even have noticed it, if lucky hadn't given it a hard stare bringing it to his attention.

When the thing started walking towards him thinking he couldn't see it Lucky started to growl menacingly and to pull on his lead. It took all of Kyle's strength to hold him back.

Kyle called out to the fiend, "Look dude we can see you so you better not come over here or I'll let go of my dog.

Lucky sensing he was being talked about started doing some talking of his own and started barking his head off. The thing stopped in his or her tracks seeming to come to the realization there must be easier prey elsewhere which was a relief to Kyle.

When it turned and ran in the other direction. Kyle took a moment to pat the big beautiful mutt on his big beautiful head. His tongue lulled to the side out of his mouth in a big goofy grin.

When Kyle got home he told Travis all about the show down and Travis didn't look shocked. That was probably what he was seeing before they'd warded the house, but were it was theory before now it was a fact thanks to their new family member.

Travis knelt down taking the pits big skull in his hands and said to him in a firm voice, "tomorrow you go with Bruno and Bo only you can protect them if something's after us. Understand?"

And damned if he didn't nod his head like he did. He nodded his head and then rested it on Travis' shoulder like he was making a vow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They made it to school without any other incidents, but Kyle had felt paranoid the whole way. Travis talked to him the entire time though to try and help him feel better. The sun came out from around a cloud and burned the rest of the fog off. It was looking like it was going to turn out to be a beautiful day.

Knight was genuinely happy to see Travis so yeah he wasn't a complete dick. Chemistry turned out to be a fun class today. They worked with alkaline metals and other solutions. And any day they worked with explosive things was a good day in his books.

Kyle was one of the rare students that focused more on their human classes than their magical ones. He fully intended to go to university after he served on the guard. He hadn't decided for sure yet but he wanted to be either a teacher or a social worker when he grew up. He could give up the magical world easily there was nothing here for him anyway. Aside from Travis and his friends, but he could keep in touch from the safer side of things -- the un-enlightened side.

By the time lunch rolled around he was starving, so he decided to have the lunch special twice over. He'd lost a lot of weight waiting for Travis to come around, he needed the extra calories. When he joined his other friends at their usual table, Xander was already talking. Kyle hoped he hadn't missed one of Xander's usual rumor has it quotes because those turned out to be the most exciting.

Kelly was on his lap too which made Kyle wonder when did there on and off again complex AF relationship become on again because they'd been at each other's throats before the show down with Liam?

She was nuzzling his neck while he spoke which kind of made him a little sick. He couldn't believe someone of her caliber would even look twice at Xander again after the way he treated her. But what did he know, if he lived to be a hundred he would probably still never understand woman.

"Hey Guys, Xander began rumor has it that the entire council guard was here last night, following through with a super secret mission."

Kelly stopped nuzzling then and sat up.

"What can that mean," she asked Lauren?

While Kyle thought good one if he had to ask anyone himself he'd choose Lauren she was the only one who could even come close to understanding her brothers and the council's motives.

But she looked confused too when she shrugged, "The only thing I can think of is that they moved the ankh."

"Yeah why keep it here when he'd almost gotten in, but where would they have moved it? Brenna asked as she ate her Mac and Cheese.

"Who cares as long as it's not here under our noses." Connor added.

"And if they've moved it they've probably moved it to a more secure location so that's gotta be good news right?" Ray asked he pointed to a bit of food on Ollie's face.

"Yes I say good riddance to bad rubbish as the British say." Marley intoned.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to enjoying some good old fashion teen drama for a change, not the world ending kind." Ryan announced as all eyes drifted to Kel and Xan.

Travis spoke up, "who's up for a visit to club NYX we have a victory to celebrate."

Everyone agreed. It was time to cut loose a bit. Fuck it. He might even get as hammered as Kelly did the last time they went. Maybe he could ask Lara and her friend along? He knew Travis liked her and her friend was hot.

That afternoon Erika asked to talk to them both before training.

"Gentleman," the dwarf began, "I know it's no coincidence that you were here the night of the attack and I'm truly happy to see that you're fully recovered, but I have to warn you two. You came within a hairsbreadth of being conscripted," she lifted her two fingers to demonstrated how close they'd come," please keep that in mid next time you come up with another one of your harebrained schemes."

What could they say; Steinman was their mentor they had to assuage her worries? Everything they did while under her guidance must reflect back to her.

Travis spoke up for the both of them. And in true Travis form he said, "Sorry Ms Steinman we can't make any promises. As long as Liam's crew threatens the safety of all halfbloods we will not rest until he's stopped."

The dwarf smirked at them as if to say she would expect no less, but was obligated to say," Know that I can't be perceived to sanction your actions, but I'm bloody proud of you both." She smacked them both hard enough on the back to make them nearly fall flat on their faces. The female dwarf was seriously jacked.

She took to the mat that day and called him and Travis up over and over again. His discipline was Judo a grappling throwing and pinning martial artform and even though his tutor and opponent was less than half his size he was no match for her she threw him like a rag doll all over the mat. She was doing it even more so today. No doubt she was trying to make a point that if they wanted to continue to be idiots about going head to head with everyone and everything that threatened their world; then she had a lot of work to do and so did they.

When he went to the shower afterward he was limping. Not even the troll bile could take away every ache and pain. Every muscle in his body hurt but there was no rest for the wicked he had to go straight from training to the boys and girls club.

Damn when he remembered that today was basketball practice he groaned out loud making Travis laugh. They showered quickly but before they went their separate ways, Travis reminded him to be on the lookout. If either of them were followed again they'd have to tell their friends who would probably institute the buddy system again.

I hope you all liked this chapter.

Welp they're off to the club again. Do you think that's a good idea?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

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