Collaborative Fiction Monsters of Rural Colorado

“He’s holding my wife,” Richey said. “He has the wives of three of our village councilmen, also. He’s keeping them in the courthouse basement. They’re being held with some sort of barrier – I don’t know if it’s magic or what.”

“If this big guy hadn’t scared him off, we’d get some answers,” Ace said. “You really screwed things up.”

Highlander glared at Ace, but the other man seemed unfazed. The nearly seven foot tall, 300-plus pound Scotsman didn’t seem to scare Arcane Ace at all.

Helmut spoke up. “Enough, Ace. Pointing fingers is not going to solve anything. Besides, if you had given a straight answer, ve would have answers – probably more than ve have now.”

“Helmut, that’s over and done with,” Astra said. “Ace, I expect straight answers from here on. And you and Highlander – bury the hatchet now. I’m in charge and we’ll do things my way. Director Nova specifically sent Helmut and Highlander here for this assignment. He has a reason – whatever that may have been.”

Highlander walked over to the Jeep and leaned back against the hood, crossing his arms without taking his glare off the new arrival. The tension was palpable. One could cut it with a knife.

“I’ve heard about Highlander. What did you do for Legion,” Arcane Ace asked. “You still working for them?”

Highlander straightened up. His glare deepened and his fists clenched. Helmut transitioned form again, this time taking the shape of a Tyrannosaurus.

“Back off,” the T-Rex growled, lowering his head until his huge teeth were inches from the face of Ace.

“ENOUGH!!!”

Astra was now really unhappy. “I’ll go this case with just Tempest if I need to!”

"No need for the dramatics, pooch." Arcane Ace said as he waved his hand and a peppermint candy materialized. He casually tossed the candy into the slathering mouth inches from his own face. "We need to be working together right now, and I do my best work when I'm not halfway through a digestive tract."

Helmut switched back to a wolf and coughed out the candy. A low growl signaled the shapeshifters thoughts.

"Listen, we didn't meet under the best of circumstances. That's how the deck deals out on occasion." Ace shrugged. "I don't know any of you beyond your reputations, you don't know me. If it helps, I will show you my hand if it helps earn your trust for now."

"That would help," Astra said with crossed arms. "Spill."

"I wasn't lying when I said we were after a living nightmare, but to be more specific, we are after a specific nightmare." Ace moved to the area where the fake sheriff stood. "What we are after is a living embodiment of Torment from another plane of existence. It made its way here when some novice spellcasters fooled around with more than they could handle."

"What does it want?" The Infinite Tempest asked.

"What does most anything want? Pleasure and sustenance. For beings such as this one, they are one in the same. It feeds off of the pain it inflicts, hence the crushing of the former sheriff's body and the kidnapping of the councilmen's wives."

    "So, we're fighting a demon?" Astra guessed.
    "You could call it that," Arcane Ace agreed.  "It's more accurate to call it a dark entity since some are unwilling to use biblical names."
    "How do we get rid of this entity?" I.T. asked.  He was interested but did not believe he had the ability to exorcise a demon/dark entity.  
    Astra was also afraid of fighting a demon.  Aliens, Mad Scientists, Mutants, even zombies she had no issues with.  Demons were powerful and could do a lot of damage.
    "There are a few different ways," Arcane Ace began.  He notice Highlander giving him a look.  He had the floor right now.  He was the apparent expert on magic.  Highlander had more experience than the others, and Astra had more knowledge of psychic powers.  He wasn't sure what Infinite Tempest brought other than raw power, and Helmut could sense other things in different forms.  He considered this before continuing.  

Pardon me for interrupting,” said Highlander with a voice as deep as he was tall. “”It appears Ace has abilities to sense things beyond what the senses of most lifeforms can detect. When this is over, perhaps he could assist me in filling in much of the several thousand years of my own past for which there seem to be no answers.”

While the big man’s attitude toward Arcane Ace still seemed to possess a degree of chilliness, it appeared the huge Scotsman was at least open to working together.

“Astra, my background is largely in the supernatural,” Highlander said. “In your opinion, would I be of more help at this point by returning to the village and see if my skills would be of assistance in freeing the prisoners that are being held there? Helmut’s skills would probably serve us well here.”

Doctor Richey interjected. “I can take him back to the village in the Jeep. My background, naturally, is medicine, and I’m not sure if I can be of any more help here. Besides, if he can free my wife and the others, they know me well and a familiar face may be welcome to them.”

“It makes sense to me,” said Ace. “Highlander’s supernatural knowledge overlaps considerably with my magical experience, and we may be duplicating powers and knowledge here.”

“Go ahead,” Astra decided. “”Helmut can stay with us, if he will. We can use his abilities. Tempest, accompany Doctor Richey and Highlander. They may need your assistance.”

Richey climbed into the driver’s seat of the Jeep and Highlander climbed in the other side while Tempest took to the air/ The sturdy suspension of the Jeep held up well on the rocky terrain on the return to Bennet, but it was a jolting ride for the occupants” It seemed to make Richey more uncomfortable than it did the kilt-clad big man.

“Excuse me,” said Richey. “Did you say you have a past of several thousand years? That seems nearly unbelievable. Just how old are you?”

“I do not know, Doctor.” Highlander sighed, “My memory only covers that period since my apparent retrieval from Legion. I have been told there is evidence of references to my existence dating to nearly the Stone Age.”

Richey was silent for several minutes as they rode along.

“Would you permit me to examine you when this is all over? It would be fascinating.”

“Doctor,” Highlander said. “I have a feeling this will never be over.”

"Well, now that they've gone, what do you intend to do, fearless leader?" Arcane Ace asked Astra. Helmut crossed his arms and placed his full attention on her as well.

She didn't quite know how to proceed. There were still too many unanswered questions for her to know a clear path. "Is there any way for you to track this Torment spirit? Either of you?"

"I can tell when it is nearby, which it is not at the moment," Ace replied. "But as for tracking it. No. I got lucky when I sensed it nearby while I was examining the woods where the body had been found. I think it was trying to gauge you heroes to find out who would be the most vulnerable to its manipulations."

"I agree. Surveillance for weaknesses, then divide and conquer." Helmut agreed. "From the moment the sheriff greeted us, he displayed a dislike of capes, but rather than evade us, he tried to 'poke the bear' to see whom he could spur into an emotional response. This being is one who likes to play with his prey."

Astra paced about. "So would it be going back to incite the women it is holding prisoner in the courthouse currently or is it lurking here waiting for an opportunity to attack one of us? And here we went and split the party already, making its job easier."

"Highlander would be a tasty morsel for it," Arcane Ace said. "He already has a rich bouquet of regret about him, not knowing much of his past. But while he might be a, and I apologies for the analogy, a well-aged wine, you yourself, Astra, have a great deal of internal conflict inside of you as well. The Torment spirit could find you to be, <cough>, akin to a tender veal banquet."

Astra spun on Ace. "What do you mean by that?!"

"I don't know your full story, but you're worried about someone very close to you. Someone from your past. A young man who you feel responsible for... no, you feel like you have let down. A person you failed to protect." Arcane Ace pulled out a deck of cards and shuffled them several times. "Pick a card."

She stepped up to him and selected one of the cards he had fanned out to her. She chose one and took a look at its face. It was a photo of her friend Doug in the last seconds she remembered seeing him that night.

"How did you get this?" Tears welled in her eyes. She balled her fist and pulled back to punch Ace into tomorrow.

"Get what?" Ace asked, pointing to the card in her hand. "The card showed you the subject of your own torment. I just hope that what you're feeling is strong enough to lure the spirit back here."

"You're using me as bait!"

Helmut scowled.

"Better you than the three women in the basement," Ace said. He snatched the card out of her hand and stepped back a couple of feet. "Right?"

The trio arrived at the village and headed directly for the courthouse. As they began their short climb up the front steps, the were hailed by a voice from just inside the entrance.

“Took you long enough,” said the voice.

“Something’s wrong,” Highlander said.

Infinite Tempest stopped immediately, and said softly, “He couldn’t have beaten us here. Just be cautious.”

The Doctor whispered, “I’m confused.”

Highlander responded, “Don’t believe your eyes, Doctor. No matter what you see, it’s not real. That is not Arcane Ace. Whatever it is, it’s got the height wrong.”

Highlander continued up the steps and Tempest and the Doctor realized what the big Scotsman meant. The man they saw now talking to Highlander was approximately the same height as the big man from Scotland.

“I see,” Doctor Richey said. “Ace isn’t as tall as Highlander. That’s not him.”

“No. it isn’t,” Tempest answered. “ Ace is about six or seven inc …”

Before Tempest could finish his sentence, the pseudo-Ace attempted to push Highlander down the steps. Highlander shook off the attempt and a crushing left from the big Scot dropped the thing flat on its back. The prone form shimmered slightly then faded into a black, amorphous shape without definition.

As Highlander reached down to check the form, it suddenly lashed out, grabbing one of the entrance pillars and pulling it loose from its spot, bringing the portico crashing down on it and Highlander.

A cloud of vapor or smoke sifted through the rubble and disappeared. Highlander lay under the debris, moaning, as Richey and Tempest rushed to his aid.

The Infinite Tempest lifted a large piece of masonry off Highlander's back as Dr. Richey took ahold of the fallen hero's wrist. "Don't move right away. You might be hurt."

Highlander opened his eyes as he shook his head. He spat out a mouthful of dust before standing up, letting the excess debris roll off his back. "Hurt. Nah. It caught me off guard. That's all." He searched the area. "Where did it go?"

"Another puff of smoke," I.T. answered. "We need to discover a means by which to disable that ability."

"help," a small voice called out through a broken basement window. "Is someone there that can help us?"

Doctor Richey scooted to the opening in the pane and peered in. "Heather? Is that you? Is Jamie there with you?"

"yes. can you get us out of here, please. Before it comes back?" Her voice broke as she spoke, overwhelmed with a desperate fear.

"We're trying." Doctor Richey looked over his shoulder to the two heroes.

The Infinite Tempest took a step away from Highlander. His body flared with electrical energy arcing from head to toe. "I'll go in first and draw its attention, if you would like to try to evacuate the wives out through that window?'

   Astra was waiting when she received a telepathic cry from Highlander.  "It's going after Highlander!" She exclaimed to Arcane Ace and Helmut.  She ran over to both of them taking an arm.  "Hang on."  There was a flash of red psionic energy and they stood in front of IT.
    "Where's Highlander?" Arcane Ace asked.  
    "It pushed him down the stairs," Doctor Richey replied.  "How did you get here so quickly?"
    "I used my psychoportation power," Astra explained.  "I hope you guys are alright.  I know teleporting can be jarring."
    They heard the cries of the women being kept prisoner.  IT was stepping towards the stairs to try and get its attention.  She looked at the others.  "Let me draw it out," she said and she let the torment of not knowing what happened to Doug take her.

As Astra and Tempest focused their energies on attracting the attention of their nemesis, the powerful Highlander ripped his way through the basement wall by simply tearing the window and its frame from the structure.

As the window came free, Highlander realized the wards serving as a barrier were more magical  and less supernatural in nature.

Magic? That was Arcane Ace’s bailiwick; supernatural was the realm in which Highlander functioned best. Obviously, it would take both of them to free the captives.

“ACE!!!” Highlander yelled for the magic man and Ace responded quickly, having sensed the presence of magic auras emanating from the basement. Highlander saw whatever their opponent was just inside and ignoring Ace’s warning to hold up, landed a quick blow before the thing could respond.

The power of the big Scot was again apparent as the creature staggered from the force of the big man’s hammer-like blow. Highlander followed his attack as he grabbed the creature and literally threw it up the basement stairs, operating with such fury that he was somehow oblivious to the magical wards focusing on him.

Unwittingly, Highlander’s beserker-like attack on his target forced the creature to turn its full attention to Highlander, giving Ace the opening he needed to quickly and efficiently decimate the magics holding the captives and enabling the master of magic to free them safely. As Ace gathered the ladies together, Doctor Richey appeared at the massive hole in the basement. His appearance elicited joyful response from the captives and they followed him outside as Ace cleaned the basement of the spell generating talismans. Helmut came through the wall in the form of a huge … something bearing a sphinx-like shape with an additional pair of arms that ended in massive appendages similar to long, very sharp knives. Whatever he was, he stood guarding Ace’s back as the arcane artist swept the area clear of the foreign objects the creature used to detain the captives.

On the stairs, the creature was totally engrossed in fighting off the attack of Highlander, unsure whether to bother with defending itself or moving toward the psychic attraction provided by Astra and Tempest. A moment’s hesitation gave Highlander the opportunity to deliver another jarring blow that drove the creature through the front wall of the courthouse. It wasn’t clear whether the creature’s momentum created the huge aperture in the wall or if Highlander’s fist provided the impetus that demolished the concrete block barrier.

Regardless the creature, seemingly dazed, staggered forward where it encountered the powerful electrical field generated by The Infinite Tempest. Combined with the force of Highlander’s crushing blow, the electrical field rendered the creature dazed and subject to being subdued by the combined efforts of Astra, Tempest and Ace.

Richey tended to the captives and Helmut reached Highlander’s side to stand ready to again deliver whatever force may be necessary to keep the creature from rising and resuming its efforts to create chaos.

"If you don't mind, I think it is time to send our friend back home." Arcane Ace brought his arms up over his head and a faint blue pattern made of glowing lights emerged between his hands. As it grew stronger, a black portal opened up in the middle of the display. "Keep him still for a moment longer."

Astra used her abilities to restrain the shapeshifting spirit. As the powers of her mind engaged with the beast, its eyes moved from the front of its face through whatever substance made up its body and stared at her from the back of its head. In her mind, a voice spoke to her. "Don't allow them to send me back. Please. Allow me to stay and I can lead you to your friend. I can track his distress. He aches in ways you cannot imagine. He still calls out to you for help."

Highlander kicked the creature in its side. "Astra? Are you with us?"

She heard his words, but her mind welled with frustration. This creature had attacked a man and kidnapped others. Sending it back to where it belonged was the right thing to do, but what about Doug? What if the Torment spirit was telling the truth?

Arcane Ace's machinations built. The portal grew large enough to engulf their captive. "Drive it through here. Let's be done with this critter."

    Astra couldn't let this monster harm anyone else.  She would never give up looking for Doug.  "Never," she stated to the entity.  "You've done enough harm!  Back you go!"  She used all of her willpower to push it through the portal.
    "NO!" it screamed.  "You'll never find him on your own.  You will be miserable.  I can lead you to him," it pleaded as it was pushed through the portal.  It lashed out at Arcane Ace one last time as it vanished.  It left a scratch across his face.
    Highlander smiled and nodded to Helmut.  Infinite Tempest dropped his energy as Astra dropped.  Arcane Ace cast a healing spell and walked closer to the others.

As the creature disappeared within the portal, a perplexed look came across Highlander’s face, and as he approached Astra, he asked, “Are ye certain ye wanted to do that? Yon thing may have helped ye find one important to you. It seemed willing to assist ye to avoid being banished to wherever he went. Ye had a golden opportunity to assuage your feelings, lass.”

“I couldn’t allow it to hurt others,” Astra said, her voice trembling slightly. “It had to be done.”

Astra noticed the troubled look on the big man’s face.

“I have no family, no close friends. Even faced with a threat of that magnitude,.” Highlander said, “I could not be certain that I could refrain from ignoring its offer to assist. Methinks ye are a special person, in that regard.”

Astra looked at the huge Scot with a confused expression. She could sense the others, particularly Helmut and Tempest, sensed what she did. The big man’s entire speech pattern had changed. It was as if a tremendous epiphany had just overwhelmed Highlander. She studied his expression closely. A strange look came across his face, and the big man closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously.

He moaned, bent at the waist and swayed for a moment before collapsing flat on his face. Almost as quickly as Highlander hit the ground, Doc Richey was kneeling at his side, checking the big Scot’s condition.

Tempest helped the doctor and together they rolled the big man to his back. Highlander opened his eyes, staring at the sky.

“Highlander. HIGHLANDER,” Infinite Tempest shouted. “Doctor … wha?”

“I don’t know,” Richey said.

Highlander began to speak. What he was saying was nothing anyone could understand. The language was unfamiliar to everyone.

Doctor Richey looked at the big man’s eyes more closely. He was focused on something; his eyes moving about quickly, side to side, up and down, back and forth. Highlander’s lips began to move, soundlessly at first, then continuously softly speaking the words “serpent” and “garden” over and over.

Astra looked more and more concerned. She turned to Helmut and asked, “Do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”

“His memory’s returning. It’s vhy Director Nova selected him for this assignment. He’s putting it all together,” Helmut said.

“Wait a minute,” Ace said. “Are you saying Nova knew that whatever was here would trigger his memory? Nova knew what what we were facing?”

”You knew, did you not,” Helmut asked. “He indirectly compelled you to come also, Ace.”

Astra said, “Helmut. Tell us what he’s remembering. What does that have to do with all of this?”

Helmut took a deep breath and responded.

“This is to remain classified,” he said. “You understand that Highlander is much older than all of us. He has limited shapeshifter abilities, but he’s unvware of them for the most part. Much of his memory was suppressed and/or reconfigured to alleviate the madness vith vhich he lived for so many centuries.

“He changed his appearance, took a new identity and relocated to vhat vould become Scotland. He became known as Duncan MacGregor, eventually; killed a man named Malcolm McHenry because McHenry massacred his immediate family. A supernatural entity, whose name ve don’t know – for certain, anyvay – vatched over him for centuries. Legion somehow discovered who he really vas, kidnapped Highlander and tried to make him a controlled killer in its employ. Legion vas unsuccessful in making him into vhat it vished him to be.”

Everyone took a deep breath and exchanged glances.

“Helmut, it’ll remain classified. I will terminate anyone who I even suspect is thinking of exposing the secret,” Infinite Tempest said. “Who is he and what started all of this? Tell us, we’re in this together – all of us.”

“Not all of us,” Helmut said. “The Doctor and the women are not in this.”

“I can erase their memories,” Astra said. “They’ll never recall.”

Helmut considered, then turned to the doctor, “Go to your vife and the others. Astra will adjust your memories. You’ll remember nothing of this conversation.”

Richey said, “Good. Something tells me I’ll be much happier not knowing, even if I have no idea why I’m happier. Thank you – all of you.”

The doctor left and the heroes crowded around Helmut, eager to learn about their fallen comrade.

“Now, what happened … and who is he really,” asked Astra.

“The vhat was a murder that he committed,” Helmut said softly. “As far as who Highlander really is … his name is Cain. Cain … son of Adam. Now you can fill in the blanks. You now know vhat you're facing."

To characterize the atmosphere as stunned silence would be tantamount to describing the cloudless, sunny sky above as blue.

It was apparent to everyone that the information Helmut just shared was just about the most fantastical thing they had ever heard.

“Wait,” Astra said. “Are you referring to the biblical Adam?”

“Preposterous,” Ace said.

“Preposterous? Seemingly. Improbable? Very likely. False? Most definitely not,” Helmut said. “The being who delivered the message to us vas deemed by Director Nova to be angelic in nature. The director had a very detailed discussion with him, and the director said he vas told the being’s name, but could not share it with anyone. Apparently, if he tried to speak the name, write the name or othervise attempted to reveal it in any manner, he vas prevented from completing the action. He knows the name, but cannot share it.

“As impossible as it sounds; as improbable as it seems, it it true. Highlander is, in reality, the son of Adam. He is mankind’s first murderer, and the mark put on him is that of immortality. It is a burden he has borne for ages, since the dawn of man.”

“Very hard to believe,” said Tempest. “How can it be?”

“Is there not much about each of us that ve do not understand,” asked Helmut. “Do we understand everything ve have learned throughout our lives? How do you explain your powers? You simply explain them as morphon based, or magic, or circumstance of birth. Or as the reality of your beginnings on a vorld that differs from ours, with different physical laws – or different divine interventions. We do not understand; we simply acknowledge and accept. It has alvays been so – here on this vorld, on other vorlds, in this time, in other times.”

Helmut walked toward the prone and seemingly still delirious Scotsman.

“He vill come to realize it is true,” Helmut said. “He vill need each of us to help him realize that he is to bear no shame for that vhich happened eons ago. Vhat vas in the past must remain in the past. Vhat he is now, vhat he represents now … that is vhat matters. Be he Cain, be he Duncan MacGregor, be he vhatever name he may choose to be known … he is Highlander and his destiny is now writ on his eternal legacy.”

“It is hard to accept,” Astra said. “I had always thought of the story of Cain and Abel to be largely apocryphal. Now, you tell us it is factual? With all due respect, Helmut, it is hard to believe. I’m not sure I can accept it as fact.”

“Still don’t believe it,” Arcane Ace said. “How could anyone believe it?”

“Do you not believe things that happened before your time, Ace? Many are things of vhich you’ve been told,” Helmut said. “Yet, you accept those things.”

“You’re delusional, dogface,” Ace said. “He’s not Cain. I find it hard to believe he’s any older than any of us, except for a few years, maybe. What kind of scam are you trying to foist on us?”

“The choice to believe is yours,” Helmut said. “I can only share with you my knowledge. The director told me that I am the one Highlander vill believe of the truth. Director thinks that not even he or Fiona could convince Highlander of the truth as to who he really is,”

It was Infinite Tempest who detected the growing black cloud behind their group first. He turned, looking at it in puzzlement and noticed the small aperture developing at its base. Astra looked at him and followed his gaze to the sky, now seeing the cloud for herself.

Just as the aperture appeared a sound as of thunder and a blinding bolt of lightning appeared, streaking toward Highlander. In the split second the bolt arrived, Helmut, kneeling at Highlander’s side, arose just as the bolt struck.







Instead of hitting Highlander, it instead struck Helmut, virtually disintegrating him and killing him instantly. The heroes looked on in horror as what remained of Helmut fell to the ground. The shapeshifter’s remains – all that was left – consisted of only that from the waist down. Highlander’s companion was gone.

Oh … mi … god,” Ace muttered.

As quickly as it happened, the cloud disappeared, and the sky returned to normal.

Only a disembodied, maniacal laughter remained as a testimony to the horror that just occurred.

Highlander lay still, unmoving and unaware of what transpired.

Arcane Ace managed to turn away before hurling. Helmut's legs stayed standing, like a bodiless mannequin, except for black charred bits of flesh dripping red as blood seeped out of the last of his waist. Nobody moved until the legs finally quivered and toppled to the ground with a SPLAT.

The only person who seemed unphased by Helmut's disintegration was the Infinite Tempest. He stood there, at attention like a soldier. "Keep your eyes out for more of such black clouds. We should take cover."

"How... how horrible!" Astra closed her eyes. She barely knew Helmut, but nobody deserved that as their fate.

The Infinite Tempest created a patch of fog to cover the lower torso from sight. "Keep your eyes off of him. We cannot help him, but we need to protect ourselves. Ace, take one of Highlander's arms."

Ace spat once and then wiped his mouth. "I've got him. Let's get inside the courthouse." Ace laid his left arm across his right and then shot them both forward. A luminous plane of light formed beneath Highlander's unconscious body and it levitated into the air as if on a gurney. By its side, Ace moved up the staircase as his unseen servant slid along behind him, carrying Highlander.

"MMmmm..." Highlander continued to mumble in his sleep. "No... I won't let you."

Astra looked for Dr. Richey and the women. Seeing they had made it out of the area before Helmut began to tell his unbelievable account, she followed the others up the staircase and into the building.

NOTE: Highlander will not be accepting to stories about his true origins. He would probably have accepted the story, with reservations, from Helmut.

Highlander remained largely comatose, although he did mutter things periodically. Some of his utterances were even intelligible, although even those made little sense.

For some reason that Infinite Tempest couldn’t fathom, Arcane Ace seemed to take a sudden interest in Highlander’s welfare. Perhaps the gruesome death of Helmut had an impact on the magic master. Tempest acknowledged to himself that it did have an impact on him. Watching someone die a violent death is never easy for anyone, even the most hard-nosed individual or seasoned combat veteran would have faced some inner trauma over such a violent demise as Helmut’s.

In human form, the shape-shifter had seemed such a vital entity, slightly shorter than Highlander by four or five inches, well built with matinee idol looks and a dark and brooding countenance that would have certainly appealed to many females and perhaps even a few males. To see such a person wiped out so violently, so quickly. it was soul shaking.

Astra was similarly impacted. Each of them was.

She looked over at the big man’s prone form and silently cursed the director for sending the big man into a situation that he apparently knew would strike at the very heart of Highlander’s past. Was the director so desperate to build the forces of B.A.D.G.E to combat Legion that he would risk sacrificing one such tool in the effort?

The sudden change in the big man’s speech patterns, his collapse, his ferocity in taking on the unnamed, unknown entity, his … well, everything about him, had been impacted.

She could sense a change in Ace, also. His may have been due to Helmut’s death, she realized. She wasn’t certain of Infinite Tempest. He had seemed somewhat subdued all along. Maybe he wasn’t as affected as Ace or even Astra herself. Or maybe he was feeling what happened as much as them, but didn’t display it because the trauma may have fit more with his normal demeanor.

Her reverie was broken by Ace’s voice.

“Astra, Tempest!” Ace had been seated next to Highlander and was now standing, motioning them to join him.

Astra walked over and noticed Highlander’s eyes were now open and darting back and forth. His face displayed a look of confusion. The only parts of the big man’s body that were moving were his eyes and his chest, which was heaving due to his now rapid and hurried breathing. After a few moments, he began muttering again, in a language which none of the three could understand, but which bore resemblance in sound and dialectic components to languages of the Middle East.

It was definitely not the celtic influence which had colored his language just prior to his collapse. Astra had some familiarity to Hebrew and some Aramaic tongues, and thought she could detect some influences.

Could Helmut’s unbelievable story have some semblance of truth to it?

    Astra was very concerned about Highlander.  She could feel the random thoughts of his now chaotic mind.  She didn't dare enter.  She could get lost if she did.  Instead she tried to calm his mind.  influencing the emotional state of the chaos seemed the smarter way to go rather than entering his mindscape and facing whatever horrors he had been through in his immortal lifespan.
    Helmut had sacrificed himself so that Highlander could learn the truth.  She knew Highlander would not accept the truth from anyone else.  All she could do was try to comfort his mind as these memories came back.  She did not know Hebrew or Aramaic with any real significance, but his mind was filling in the blanks for her.  The language wasn't actually Hebrew or Aramaic but something far more primal.  A language that all languages sprang from, maybe?
    Could she help him on the Astral Plane?  Did she dare try?  She looked to Infinite Tempest, "Should I try helping on the Astral Plane?"  The question was for all of them, Arcane Ace, Infinite Tempest and herself.
    She didn't know what to do, she just wanted to help.

NOTE: Background information on Fiona is found in the forum post Collaborative Fiction: Seraphim Angels ... Mycroft - Redux.


Tormented faces. Disembodied voices. Visions of tortured agony.  Chaos.

Under any circumstances, it would be enough to drive the sanest mind over the edge. For a mind that was teetering on insanity’s precipice, it represented just a small step toward a mental and emotional abyss that was a place from which there was likely no return.

Vision of a lush garden of which he had only heard, never seen. A flock of sheep tended to by a young man who bore a strikingly familiar appearance.

A field of grain he knew he was preparing to harvest. It was hard, back-breaking work. He could feel the pain of the stress the work was putting on his back, his shoulders, his legs.

He could see the young man tending the flock. Standing tall, rubbing the head of a newborn lamb he held in his arms, the young man wasn’t feeling the stresses he was feeling.

Anger. Jealousy. Resentment. Emotions flooded his troubled mind. It would soon be time to present his harvest as a sacrifice, just as the other young man would offer up the lamb in his arms.

He knew his sacrifice was substantial and worthy. But it paled in comparison to sacrifice of a living creature, and just like so many times before, the farmer would not receive the favor the other young man’s gift would.

He returned to his toil, ignoring the approach of the other man. He resented him; born of the same parents, the term “brother” was not a part of his vocabulary, but he knew what the relationship meant.

The other spoke to him, but he did not respond, instead using the limb in his hands to continue to knock down the plants.  The other spoke again, and again he ignored his brother, using the tool more forcefully.

With downcast eyes, the shepherd shifted the lamb within his arms and turned away to walk back to his flock. Anger welled within the heart of the farmer and he used the limb to strike his brother in the back of his head.

The young man staggered, dropping the lamb and the farmer struck him a second time. Then a third and fourth time. The lamb, pinned under its shepherd’s fallen form, bleated in terror as blood splattered on its head and back.

The farmer looked upon the still body of the shepherd, and horror-stricken, dropped the limb and backed away.

What had he done? How? WHY?!?

He dropped to his knees and screamed as his soul agonized in its emotional terror.

CHAOS!! ANGER!!1 PAIN!! Shame flooded his mind.

In his mind, he grimaced as his physical body did the same.

With a blood-curdling scream, the farmer voiced his agony, just as his physical form did the same.

The three heroes, standing near the physical form as the horrified scream permeated the room in which they stood, backed away.

The man called Ace covered his mouth with his hand, Tempest covered his ears, stunned that any human throat could emit a scream so thunderous and horror-filled. Astra, despite her strong emotional psyche, turned away, near tears as the chaos of Highlander’s mind stabbed outward toward her link with it.

How much of a horror did it take to provoke the kind of response with which Highlander responded to his torment?

Did even the formidable psychic skills possessed by Astra have the strength to help mend such a tormented mind. Could anyone assuage the pain that the big man was suffering?

Then, Astra felt a presence – a soothing calming mind sending pacifying thoughts. She could feel the presence.  To her side was a slight, attractive red haired young lady – or at least the vision of one.

“Astra,” the vision said. “My name is Fiona. I am Highlander’s psychic counterpart. I am here to help. It is you he needs at this time; I will supply the reinforcement you need to save him. Think. Bring me to your side and I will help you.”

Ace looked at the others as they stared with bewilderment at Highlander. He doubted that the story Helmut has told was true and part of him hated Helmut for sharing the information if it was. He didn't want responsibility for that type of secret. It was the untimate TMI!

But seeing Highlander in distress didn't stop Arcane Ace from wanting to help. He made and intricate pattern of gestures and a pale yellow light formed, similar to bars of music or a pattern of acoustic waves.


Soothing music began to play, seemingly from every direction. "Hopefully I can find a song to help sooth his troubled rest. Who doesn't like Enya?"

Highlander struggled, shaking as if in a bad dream while continuing to howl. Arcane Ace changed the song to one with a heavy medieval or possibly Celtic sound. Highlander calmed, but only slightly.

"Astra?" The Infinite Tempest looked to the young woman, but she seemed preoccupied. For him, there was only one option. To act. Something needed to be done. Kneeling beside Highlander, I.T. placed his hand over the incapacitated man's body. Sparks crackled off from Highlander at first, and then became a steady arc of electricity, then several, but none thicker than a spider's web and as bright as a glow-in-the-dark sticker.

"What are you doing?" Arcane Ace asked.

The Infinite Tempest closed his eyes and seemed to be concentrating. "I'm dampening his bio-electric field, reducing the electrical charges between his neurons. It should help calm him, or at least reduce his distress."

"You can do that? Is it safe?"

"I... I... don't know." The Infinite Tempest stopped his activity and his eyes popped open. "I don't know how I knew to do that."

"What, do you have amnesia, too?" Arcane Ace chuckled, continuing his effort to calm Highlander with music. The massive man had stopped moving as jerkily and his mummers faded into tiny quivering spasms on his lips.

"Yes." The Infinite Tempest relied. "And stranger than that, when I awoke and took a name for myself, I chose the name Cain as well."

   Astra thought and in a flash of red psionic energy Fiona was beside her.  They worked to calm the mind of Highlander.  They didn't know that Infinite Tempest was trying to do the same in his own way.  They used an empathic transmission of calm to stabilize his mind.  Through every chaotic memory and emotion thrown their way.
   Arcane ace saw the red psionic energy just emanating from Astra.  He knew she was doing what she could.  He saw Infinite Tempest doing what he could.  He decided to do what he could.
    As the torrent of mental images, memories and emotions continued they found the core of Highlander.  They reached out to embrace him.
    "Only you can actually stop this," Astra spoke calmly.  "Only you can accept or reject what is being shown to you.  Have to make that choice.  Just as I had to make a choice to allow a demon to walk freely on Earth or send it away.  I chose to send it away.  This is your choice.  You must decide who you will be."
   Fiona and Astra held the man they knew as Highlander.  What would his choice be?  

The two women formed some type of psionic connection with Highlander. Ace's Arcane Sight showed him a merging of their consciousnesses. To him, it appeared as if portions of their bodies became like water and flowed into one another. Attuning his sight, the merged pool of their thoughts created a mirroring plane, where Ace could see images from Highlander's troubled thoughts.

Ace shifted the music he conjured to a far more tribal and percussive rhythm, as close to the melody of a baseline heartbeat as he could, trying to encourage the man's psyche to a hypnotic state. Highlander was resisting against the memories, if they were memories. "Highlander. Listen to my voice. You are not in any danger. Listen to my words. What you are seeing isn't happening to you. It is a story, happening to someone else. Be calm and observe. You are safe."

The Infinite Tempest stared at the palms of his own hands, perplexed by what he had tried to do.

"I.T., go and try to find Dr. Richey. He might have some sedatives or something that will help." Ace asked. "We're all working blind here. I'm trusting that Astra knows who this woman is, but we're all amateurs at this type of situation. We need a doctor."