Darkness, black, nothing.  That's all he could see.  Suddenly, a light flashed around him.  He looked down to see himself powered up.  He looked up again to see someone watching him.

"Welcome Power Lord."  it said.  He tried to speak but nothing came out.  He tried to run but couldn't move.  The person came closer.

"You have something that belongs to me."  it hissed.  it pointed to the amulet around his neck.  It came closer still.  He was filled with fear.  The person stepped to the side to reveal his friends and cousin behind it.  He let out a whimper.

"Your friends cannot help you now.  I shall take over and the earth will bow before me."  It said.  Behind it, his friends burst into flames.  He gasped and tears fell down his face.

"It ends here Power Lord." it laughed.  It approached him and reached out a hand to touch him.

"NO!"  he finally screamed.  There was a flash of light and it all disappeared.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kevin?  Keeevin!"  Kari whispered.  Kevin's eyes slowly opened and Kari stopped shaking him.

"What?  What happened?"  he asked.  Kari just looked at him funny.

"You fell asleep and you were talking in your sleep.  It got annoying.  Now come on."  she answered.  A gadget appeared around her wrist and she began to push the buttons.

"Go, go where?"  he asked again.  Kari looked up.

"We just got a signal and we need to head to the base.  Another one of Nicky's creations broke through and is tormenting a town."  she answered.  Kevin immediately got up and Kari pressed the code for the portal.

"Hang on to you hat."  she laughed and she walked through.  Kevin followed her and it closed up behind them.  A few seconds later they were standing in what they called their headquarters.  It had six different rooms.  Each for the six superheroes.  And each one was very different.  Kevin's was made from steel and held several items he used to practice his power.  Howies was kind of weird, having things like crystal balls to see the future and other stuff.  Brian's was the only one with a high ceiling and was filled with basketball stuff.  A.j.'s had several targets and laser guns everywhere.  Nick's had punching bags, karate stuff and yes, a nintendo.  Kari's room also had targets but it had several items that were rocket powered.  From a surfboard, to rollerblades, she attached rocket boosters to them all.  But the ones she loved most were the ones she could attach to her ankles.

"Brian, what's the emergency?"  Kevin said as he Brian came out of the control room.

"Nothing to serious.  Something's called caver escaped a bit ago.  But Nick has assured us that they don't do anything but scare people."  he answered.  Kevin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Power up time."  said Kari.  Her and Kevin both pressed a button on their wrist gadgets.  For each, an amulet popped up.  They both pulled them on and gained their powers.

"Come on!  We're using the cycles this time.  The others are waiting for us!"  said Brian.  They ran across the hallway and the door opened up.  Inside were six motorcycles.  Three already had a rider.

"Where have you been?  We sent the signal out ages ago!"  said Howie.

"Well we're here now.  Lets go!"  said Brian.  Each of them pulled on their helmets and started the bikes up.  A doorway opened up in front of them and they went zooming out, Kevin in the lead.  He had already been able to locate the trouble.

"Top Speed to Heatseeker.  Come in Heatseeker."

"Heatseeker here, what's up?  Over."  Kari answered.

"What took you and Kevin so long?  Was there a problem?"  he asked.

"I'll explain later.  It's something i'm concerned about.  Heatseeker over and out."  she returned.  There were no more words between them.  Suddenly, Kevin stopped.  The others quickly stopped behind him.

"There!"  he yelled as he pulled off his helmet.  The others looked to see.  There sat in the middle of the road the ugliest thing you could ever see.  It looked like a worm on crack.

"Get 'em!"  yelled Nick.  He drew his sword and ran at them.  The others followed.  These things might not be a danger to the public but they sure can put up one mean fight.  The creatures looked up as the band of superheroes were on them.

"Take that slime ball!"  Kari laughed as she zapped one of them into dust.  But before she could turn around, another one pounced onto her back.  These things were heavy.  It was so close to biting her head when it let out a scream.  She then felt the weight being lifted off her.  She flipped over to see Kevin throwing the burning thing aside.

"Thanks."  she said quickly as she ran to help Howie.  He had managed to use mind control on three of them.  Brian slammed another fireball into one and it blew up.  Green slime went everywhere.  It hit Nick in the back.

"Gross!  Watch it!"  he yelled.  Suddenly the slime began to bubble.  Steam rose from it.  "Holy crap!"  Nick screamed.  By then it had burn through his suit leaving his back exposed.

"I thought you said these weren't dangerous!"  yelled A.j..  He fried another one into ash's.

"I did!  But I never said their blood wasn't!"  he cried as one jumped on him.  He pushed it back and forced it to back up.  Soon all of the cavers were circles.  A.j. then threw a net over them and they disappeared, leaving the panting group behind.

"Whew.  Nick, you have got to tell us the whole facts!"  said Brian.

"Hey your not the one with the hole in your suit."  Nick grumbled.  Kari giggled.  Then she looked around.

"Uh guys, we're drawing a crowd."  she said.  The guys looked around to see that they were in fact bringing a crowd of people.

"O.k. we'd better leave now."  said Kevin.  They quickly got back their bikes and pulled one their helmets.

"Wait!  Don't go!  We want to thank you for getting rid of those things for us!"  called one of the women.  Kevin turned his head.

"No need to miss.  We were just doing our job."  he answered.  They all started up their bikes and road away, leaving a very shocked crowd of people behind.  Nick and Brian we're laughing.

"We were just doing our job?  Thats the oldest line in the book!"  Brian's voice came over the helmet walkie talkie.  Kevin rolled his eyes.  He then saw a streak of blue run past him.    He realized it was Kari.  She always liked to be the first one back to the base.  Soon, they were pulling into the area they left from.  They shut their bikes off and put everything back.

"Man!  What the heck am I going to do with this?"  said Nick, pointing to the hole in the back of his black suit.

"Nothing but not wearing it should do the trick."  said A.j. as he pulled his amulet off.  All of them left the room except for Brian and Kari.  He kept her from leaving.

"Now, are you going to tell me what the heck is going on with Kevin?  He always is the first to get the distress beacon."  he asked.  Kari let out a sigh.

"I'm not to sure but he's been having those nightmares again.  Just before we came, I heard him saying stuff in his sleep."  she explained.

"What kind of stuff?"  he asked again.  Kari thought about it.

"Something like 'you can't take me' and 'stay away'.  I'm not sure."  she said.  Brian smiled a bit.

"Alright.  We'll keep an eye on it.  In the meantime, I've got rehearsal."  he said.  Kari pulled off her amulet.

"I am so there."  she laughed.  They left the room and the door slammed behind them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"This is the sixth time we've done this song!"  whined Nick.  It was true.  But for some reason Kevin just couldn't get the notes.

"I'm really sorry guys.  I really am."  he said.

"Kevin, what has gotten into you!  Stay focused!."  snapped the manager.  Kevin wiped a bit of sweat from his brow.

"Alright!  From the top!"  said Brian the music started up and they began the song again.  Kevin still couldn't hit the notes right but it was pretty dang close.  They finished up the song and the music stopped.  They all looked at Kevin.

"You look beat."  said Howie.  Kevin nodded.

"I haven't been sleeping well.  Don't worry though, i'll take a nap before the show."  he said.

"You'd better.  I have never heard you do so badly before."  said Kari from the front row.

"I think we need a break."  said A.j..  He was already starting to walk to the cooler.

"Grab me some water will you?  I all of the sudden feel very weird."  said Kevin.

"Oh no!  Don't you get sick."  said Nick.  Suddenly, the ground around Kevin began to swirl.  He felt very dizzy and fought to stay standing.  He looked at the guys but couldn't see them very well.

"Kevin!"  he heard Kari scream.  His legs gave out from underneath him and his world went black.  His eyes opened again.  He was no longer in the stadium, but in a strange looking room.  He pulled himself to his feet to find he was in full gear.

"So, we meet again Power Lord."  A voice boomed from behind him.  He turned around to see the dark shadowy figure.  He was overcome with fear and anger.

"Who are you?  What do you want from me?"  he asked.  The figure laughed.

"I have told you before, I want you."  it hissed.  Now Kevin was really scared.

"Why?"  he asked again.  The thing came closer and grabbed the amulet around Kevin's neck.

"You have what is rightfully mine.  I had it in life and I want it in death.  Since I have no body that will support it, I will take yours."  it bellowed.  Kevin clinched his fists.

"You'll have to fight me first!"  he yelled. The thing laughed again.

"You cannot fight me for you are not dead.  Only sprits shall fight me.  Now, time for you to step back and let me do the work Power Lord."  it said.  It lunged but Kevin dodged out of the way.

"You can't have me."  he said.  They both ran at each other.  Suddenly right when they hit, Kevin's eyes opened and he sat up quickly.

"He's up!"  Kari yelled.  She still was holding onto his hand.  He looked at her like he had never seen her before.

"Unhand me."  he growled.  He took his hand away from hers and got up from the ground.  He looked pretty mad.

"Whew, we were worried for a minute there.  I guess you needed that break more than us.  Come on, lets go get you some medical help."  Brian said.  He grabbed onto Kevin's arm but he pulled away.

"Dude, what is your problem?"  said Nick.  Suddenly Kevin grabbed Nick around the neck and lifted him up.  Everyone froze in shock.

"My problem is you, you ninja scum!"  he yelled.  It didn't even sound like him at all.  Nick was struggling to get himself free.  He was turning really red.

"Kevin stop!  He can't breath!  For the love of god let him go!"  Kari screamed.  She ran at him to try and make him stop but before she could help him, Kevin swung and hit her in the chest.  She went flying through the air and off of the stage.  Howie ran to see if she was o.k..  Finally, Kevin dropped Nick.  Brian was still in shock.

"Since when have you been able to use your powers without the amulet.  What is wrong with you?"  he said.  Kevin looked at him.  Brian noticed that his eyes were different.  Something evil.

"Let me be Top Speed.  Make sure Illusioner and Ordinance know this as well."  he said.  Before Brian could do anything, he went running off of the stage.  Kevin didn't stop until he reached the bathroom.  He ran in and locked the door.

"What have you done?"  he asked.  Suddenly, a voice came into his head.

"It is almost over Power Lord.  I am in charge now."  it said.  Kevin saw himself in the mirror, yet he didn't know the face he saw.  The kind gentle one he knew was replaced with an evil madman.  He was now losing control.  He could feel himself being pushed back.

"Why.....why d did yyou hurt NNick and Kariii."  he said slowly.  His words were slurred and hard to make out.  He was now losing control of his speech.

"Ninja Man and Heatseeker were bothering me.  They needed a good dose of pain."   it said in a happy voice.  It was almost over.  Kevin began to feel weak from trying to fight it.

"Wwwho aawre yyyooou?"  Kevin asked.  The thing chuckled.  This time the voice came from his mouth.

"My name is Camiden.  Leader of the Xenon empire.  And you, Power Lord are finished."  he said.  With that, Kevin fell to the power of the new being.  To weak to fight no longer.

"They will fight you.  You are nothing like me and never will."  he whispered.  Camiden laughed again.

"They will never find out."  he said.  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.  Camiden looked up into the mirror.  His eyes were black instead of green.

"Kevin!  Open up right now!  Don't make me pick this lock!"  Brian yelled from outside.  Camiden looked at the door and smiled.

"I guess it's time I meet you family."  he said.  He walked up and unlocked the door.  Brian turned the knob and came in.

"What the heck were you doing!?  You almost killed someone!"  Brian yelled.  'Kevin' just looked at him.

"Whoa, I am really sorry o.k.?  I have no idea what came over me."  he said.  Brian was still really mad.

"You better be!  Nick is to scared to come back here and Kari has a bruise the size of Ohio on her back."  he said.

"Listen I said i'm sorry.  Something's wrong with me o.k."  Kevin said.  Brian's face loosened up.

"Wrong?  What's wrong?"  Brian asked.  The Kevin impostor didn't answer.  Brian put a hand on his shoulder.  "Kev, i'm your cousin.  You can tell me anything."  he said in a gentle voice.  Kevin shook his head.

"Just go back on stage.  I'll be there in a bit."  he said.  Brian nodded and headed for the door.

"Are you sure your alright?"  he asked as he opened the door.

"Positive." he answered.  Brian shrugged and left the room.  The Kevin impostor smiled.  "Not as smart as I thought he'd be.  His kindness sickens me.  He's just like the old Top Speed."  he said.  He took one last look in the mirror.  His eyes had returned to green.

"Yo Kev!  Get out here now and we won't hurt you that bad!"  A.j. yelled from outside.

"Coming A.j.!"  he yelled back.  Then he got an angry look on his face.  "The first one i'm going to get is Ordinance.  I never liked him."  with that, he left the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A about an hour later Nick and Kari were sitting in the hotel room watching T.v..  Nick had a pack of ice of his neck and Kari had two for her chest and back.  Both were still really mad at Kevin.  There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!  We can't get up anyways!"  Nick yelled.  The door opened and Howie peeked his head in.

"Hey guys, just coming to see how your doing."  he said.  Kari looked up at him.

"Better.  I can feel my ribs again."  she said sarcastically.  Nick nudged her in the arm.

"Hey D, didn't you notice something different about Kevin?  Beside he almost killed the two of us?"  Nick asked.  Howie nodded.

"Yeah.  I didn't know we could use our powers without our amulets."  he said.  Nick shook his head.

"Thats the problem, we can't.  Kari and I tried and we couldn't do it."  He said.  Howie got a confused look on his face.

"Then it must have been a stray power surge.  Hey, it can happen."  he said.  Nick shrugged.

"I don't know.  I know Kev's been having a few issues lately but I have never known him to strike out against us like this.  He's rather talk then cause pain."  Kari spoke up.  She winced a little from pain.

"Hey, Nick has been known to bug Kev."  Howie laughed.  Nick threw a pillow at him.  Suddenly the door opened again. They all looked to see Kevin's tall dark figure.  Nick got an angry look on his face.

"You want to talk now?"  he said.  Kevin just glared at him.  His site soon turned to Kari.

"You should have stayed out of the way Heatseeker.  Thats how people get hurt."  he said coldly.  Kari's eyes went wide.

"Kevin, whoa, please leave her alone.  She's not in the mood to be hurt anymore."  Howie said.  Once again Kevin's cold stare turned to Howie.

"Keep your mouth shut and you won't get yours Illusioner."  he said.  Howie backed up a bit.  "We are to report to base a 5:00.  Top Speed got a message of an attack suppose to happen.  Come in full gear."  He ordered.  Then he turned and left the room leaving his three shocked friends.

"O.k., it's not issues.  Somethings definitely wrong."  Nick said.  The others nodded.

"Why did he keep calling us those names?  We only call each other that when we're fighting in public."  Kari asked.

"Get Brian and A.j..  Time for a meeting."  said Nick.  Howie didn't say anything.  He just nodded and left the room.

"Nick, i'm really scared now."  Kari said.  Nick put a hand on her shoulder.  The door opened once again, causing Nick and Kari to jump.

"Hey, calm down!  It's just us."  said A.j.  They both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where's Brian?"  Nick asked.

"We don't know.  He never left the stadium.  He should be back soon."  A.j. replied.  Him and Howie sat down in a couple of chairs.

"What are we going to do with him?  He's dangerous."  said Kari.

"And that thing about the attack, doesn't that seem strange?  None of the other enemies have actually warned us."  asked Howie.  The others thought about it.

"And did you notice how blank his stare was?  Like the lights are on but nobody's home sort of thing."  said Nick.

"Whoa, dudes and dudette.  What are you guys getting at?"  A.j. asked.  They all looked at him.

"That Kev hasn't been the same since he passed out at rehearsal.  Especially since he tried to practice punching with my rib cage."  Kari grumbled.

"And how do we know Kev didn't do something to Brian?  Brian has never stayed behind the pack before."  said Howie.  There was silence once more.

"You have a point there.  Lets go and find him."  said Nick.  Just has they were getting up, the gadget on Kari's wrist began to beep.  She lifted her arm up to see a screen pop up.  On it was Brian.

"Guys, we've got a major attack!  I need back up!"    He said quickly.  They could hear banging in the background.

"Huh, I just that message was to throw us off.  What's the source?"  she asked.

"Unknown!  Get down here now!"  he cried and the image disappeared.  The screen flipped down and she pulled out an antenna.  She pointed it at the nearest wall and shot at it.  I then made the portal to the base.

"Might wanna power up now, it might be bad."  said A.j..  All of them nodded and pulled on their amulets.  One by one they became what people know as heroes.  They all quickly jumped through and the portal disappeared.  A minute later they were at the base.  But there was something very wrong.

"It's quiet.  Way to quiet."  said Nick.  And he was right.  There was no noise.  No banging like they heard from Brian's call.

"Brian!  Brian!"  Howie yelled.  There was no answer.  A.j. then pulled out his laser guns.

"I'm going for his training room."  he said softly.  He broke off from the three and went into the dark room.

"I'll hit the control room.  Nick, you stay here with Kari."  said Howie.

"Like I have a choice."  Nick answered.  With that, Howie went into the control room.  Leaving the two in the hallway, keeping a close eye out for movement.

"This is even more scary than when Kev launched me off the stage."  Kari said.  Suddenly, there was a soft banging noise.  The two jumped about a mile.

"What was that?"  Nick asked.

"I have no clue.  I'll have a look."  she said.  Her eyes began to glow a soft yellow and Nick could tell she was using the x-rays.  He grabbed her arm so he could see what she saw.  Her gaze moved to Brian's training area.  What they saw surprised them.

"Where's A.j.?"  Nick asked.  Kari shrugged and kept looking around.  They past by this one section of wall when Nick spotted something.  "Whoa, go back!"  he said Kari moved her eyes back that area.  She then saw it.

"What is that?"  she said to herself.  She pressed her temple to zoom in.  She then gasped at what she saw.  "Brian's vest!"  she yelled.  Suddenly, the lights in the hallway all went out.

"Oh great."  Nick whispered.

"Don't worry, lights going on."  said Kari.  As her eyes lit up, she heard a slit whoosh noise behind her.  When she got them up to full power, she turned around to find Nick gone.

"Nick, this isn't funny!  This is no time for games!"  she yelled.  The only answer she got was a loud bang to her left.  She turned to see nothing there.  Now she was scared.  She hated to be in the dark alone.

"Nicky!  D.!  A.j.!"  she screamed.  Once again there was a banging noise.  Only this time it was closer.  She was paralyzed with fear when she thought of something.

"You can't hurt me if i'm not on the ground." she whispered.  At that moment, her rocket boosters activated and she flew upward.  Her paragliding wings popped out to give her some control.  She looked around again to find no one.

"Oh man this sucks!  How come i'm always the last one?"  she asked herself.  She did even have time to answer her own question.  She heard something strange so she turned around.  This was a bad move.  Something grabbed her around the ankles and she fell towards the ground.

"Thought you could get away huh?"  it said.  She hit the ground hard.  It then grabbed her shoulders and held on tight.  She began to struggle when she felt like all of her energy was being sucked out of her.

"Please, stop!"  she begged.  It didn't stop.  When all of her energy was gone, it let her go.  She fell to the ground unconscience.  What ever it was standing above her, laughing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"She's waking up."  Kari could here a soft voice.  She also felt a hand on her head.  She slowly opened her eyes to see Howie and Nick kneeling down next to her.  Howie's cloak was covering her.

"Hey girl.  Good to see you awake."  said Nick.  She began to sit up but was stopped by the piercing pain in her head and eyes.

"It's alright, your o.k..  He just drained you of energy temporarily."  said A.j.  She looked around to see they were all in one of the holding cells.  It was very cold.  Suddenly, the doorway opened.

"I see she has awaked.  To bad she isn't dead." it said.  The person was in the dark so Kari couldn't see him.  When she tried to turn on her lights, she was to weak.  The person laughed.

"Your energy was all I needed to keep you all here."  it said.  Kari turned her head to see Brian was also there.  Brian's gloves and vest were missing and A.j.'s coat was torn.

"Leave her alone."  Nick snapped.  The person came into the light and Kari gasped.  It was Kevin, but not the Kevin she knew and loved.  His clothes were all black as well as his eyes.  He looked more like a monster.  Even his voice scared her.

"I can do what I please Ninja-Man.  You are the captured."  he answered.  His eyes turned back to the fallen girl.  She winced as another shoot of pain went through her eyes and head.  "Your energy should return in a few hours, but you'll be dead by then."

"Shut up!  Get out of Kevin's body!"  Brian screamed.  He ran at the bars to attack but A.j. and Howie held him back.

"Don't Brian!  Those bars have enough power to zap you to China."  said Nick.  Kevin laughed.

"Listen to him Top Speed.  He seems to be a little brighter than you."  he said.

"Kevin, why are you doing this?"  Kari asked in a soft voice.

"Kevin is no more.  I am Emperor Camiden."  He bellowed.  Kari backed up into Nick a little bit.

"Why do you want us?  You are dead, you should be past on by now."  she asked again.

"Well, aren't you miss twenty questions.  I think i'll kill you right now."  he said.  He pulled out a laser gun he took of of A.j. and pointed it at her.  Her eyes went wide with fear.  Suddenly, Camiden grabbed his head.  He seemed to be fighting something.

"Go Kevin!  Pull him down!"  Brian yelled.  All of them then knew what was happening.  There was no way in heck Kevin was going to allow this creature to harm any member of his team.

"Stop it!  You cannot win Power Lord!"  Camiden yelled.  Suddenly the voice changed a bit.

"Help me.  Don't let me kill you.  Just help me."  he said.  Kevin had returned, but just for a few seconds.  After that, Camiden showed signs that he had taken full control of him.  Tears were running down both Kari's and Brian's face.

"He's still in there Camiden.  He will defeat you!"  A.j. said.  Camiden just looked at them, to weak to say anything.  Then he just turned, hit the clearance code and left the room, leaving the five in the cold cell.  Brian and Kari were still crying.  Brian held Kari in his arms.

"It's not him that will kill us.  It's not Kevin's fault.  It's not his fault."  Kari kept saying.  They all knew this.  Nick sat down against one of the walls.  His hood and goggles had been ripped from his head and his hair was all messy.  In fact, all of them were missing something or had something torn.  Howie's metal arm was gone.  Along with the torn coat, A.j.'s guns, hat and holsters were gone.  Nick's sword, nunchucks, everything were gone.  Kari could feel that her rocket booster's were gone. And last, Brian was still missing his gloves and vest.

"If he's still in there, he will protect us.  His power is super strength and he still has it."  said Howie, trying to calm the two down.  All of them knew that the most effected from this would be Brian and Kari.  They were the closest to Kevin.

"Whoa man it's cold.  Brian, how about whipping up one of those fire balls?  I'm freezing."  said Nick.  Brian shook his head.

"I can't without my gloves.  And that demon set them outside the cell out of reach.  It's not like i'd be able to get them if they were in reach, i'd be fried."  he said, wiping the tears from his face.

"Man!  Things can't get any worst."  A.j. said.  Suddenly Kari's eyes lit up.

"Uh oh.  What are you going to do?"  asked Nick.  A weak smile came to her face.

"Just stand back and watch."  she said.  Before anyone could do anything, she grabbed the bars of the cell.  Electrical current started to go through her body.

"Oh my god!  What the heck are you doing!"  screamed Nick.  He couldn't pull her off for risk of getting shocked himself.

"She's committing suicide!."  yelled Howie.  Suddenly, she let go.  Sparks were still coming out of her hands.  She had the biggest smile on her face.

"What the....what did you just do?"  asked Brian.

"One part human, two parts electricity.  All I needed to get my power back."  she said.  Then all the guys realized what she was doing.  She was the only one who could touch the bars and live to tell.  Plus, she got more power to shoot from her little eyeballs.

"O.k., this would help us out here, how?"  asked Howie.  She smiled again.

"Two blue gloves, coming up."  she answered.  She flicked on her lights and took a look around.  She found the gloves lying on the floor and centered in on them.  Then she sent out a laser.  It wasn't very powerful, but powerful to lift the gloves up and bring them through the bars.  She put her hands out and the gloves dropped into them.  She handed them to Brian.

"Dudette, you're amazing!"  said A.j.

"Tell me something I don't know."  she answered.  Brian put his gloves on in a flash and generated one of his fireballs.  None of them knew how they were going to get out of here, but they all knew one thing.  Kevin had to get out first.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You fool!  What do you think you were doing?"  Camiden yelled.  His hands were clinched into fists.  He was very mad.

"I will never allow you to harm them.  You were going to kill Kari and I fought you."  Kevin 'said' back.  This made Camiden even more angry.

"Heatseeker was weak.  She wouldn't be suitable host for the others."  he said.

"Only because you made her that way!  Plus, I know your little plan and i'm telling you now, it's not going to work."  Kevin yelled.  Camiden put his hands to his head.

"Shut up now or i'm killing you right here."  he said.  Kevin laughed.

"And lose a body?  You won't."  he answered.  Camiden didn't say anymore.  He just sat down to the controls and began to try and figure them out.  In his head, kevin knew that there was only one way to get out of this.  One way that would hurt him physically, the others mental.  It was the only way and he had to find a way how to tell the others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As Kevin was having his argument with the parasite, the others were trying to warm up from the fireball Brian made.

"How are we going to get rid of that guy?  I mean, he can get the powers without the amulet and hurt us all."  said Kari.

"By the way this place is rocking, I'd say were no longer on Earth.  So we need a plan and we need one now."  said A.j.  The place was silent for a moment.

"I've got it!"  Nick exclaimed.  The others jumped at his sudden outburst.

"Would you like to tell the rest of the class?"  Brian asked.  Nick gave him a dirty look.

"Howie, do you think you can tap into Kevin's mind?  You know, have a look around and find out a weakness?"  he asked.  Howie was surprised he hadn't thought of that.

"I don't know.  I've never looked into someone's mind without them standing here."  he answered.

"Could you at least try?"  Kari asked.  He looked down at her.  Then back up to the others.

"Alright, i'll try.  But don't get your hopes up, i've never done this."  he said.  Howie shut his eyes.  At first he saw all black as he began to focus in on his target.  Suddenly, he felt the world rush by.  He opened his eyes to find himself in a strange new place.  Although he did know that he was really still in the cell, he was just happy he got somewhere.

"O.k., just to make sure, i'm not in anyone else's head am I?"  he said.  When there was no answer, he knew he wasn't.  He began to walk through the thoughts and fears inside Kevin's head.  Yet they weren't Kevin's thoughts, they were Camiden's.  Hopefully, that impostor couldn't hear him.

"Kevin!  I'm here!"  Howie yelled.  Nothing.  He tried again.  "Kevin, you are not hearing things, it's Howie!"  Suddenly, there was a bit of a white flash in front of him.  He hid his eyes to avoid being blinded.  When he looked up again, he saw an image of his old friend.

"Oh man, i've never been so glad to see you reading my mind."  Kevin said.  He looked exactly like an image Howie would make.

"Why can't he hear us?"  Howie asked.  Kevin looked upward.

"This is the safe zone.  Anything here can't be heard by him."  he explained.  Howie nodded.  Kevin smiled a bit.  "I came here a few times to contact you.  I didn't get an answer back."

"I'm not sure why.  Kevin, we need you to tell us how we can get you out of here.  And that body snatcher back to where he belongs."  Howie said.  Kevin bit his lip.

"I know how.  Back please, don't freak out."  he said.  Howie did the cross his heart thing.

"There is only one way to get rid of him.  That is a powerful hit from a light laser.  That is the only thing that will make him retreat back to the spirit world."  he told him.   Howie's eyes widened.

"Kevin, if he is hit while you're in here....."  Howie started.

"Then I probably will be killed by the blast.  Please, it's the only way."  he begged.

"Kev, the only person with guns that could get that powerful was A.j..  And the evil dude took those."  Howie said.

"I know.  That leaves only one other person for the job."  Kevin said.  Suddenly there was a jolt, throwing Howie to his knees.

"What's happening?"  Howie asked.  Kevin shrugged.

"I don't know but you better go.  Tell the others not to worry.  I'll keep them safe and will be back soon."  he said.  With that, the image disappeared and Howie was thrown back into darkness.

"Howie.  Hey Howie?  Yo D.!"  he could hear A.j. yelled.  He opened his eyes to see the others around him.  He had returned to his body.

"Well, did you find him?  What did he say?"  Brian asked quickly.  Howie hung his head.

"I did find him, and there is only one way to get the evil from him."  he said.

"What is it?  Anything to get Kev back."  said Nick.  Howie looked up at them.

"It has to be a powerful blast from a light laser.  A blast hard enough to kill."  he explained.  The others just looked at each other.  Brian's eyes were wide.

"No.  We are not going to kill my cousin.  No, out of the question."  he said.  Howie looked at him.

"Brian, it's the only way.  You do want him to be released, don't you?"  asked Howie.

"Well yeah, but we can't kill him."  he answered.  Howie just sighed.

"How are we suppose to do this?  We don't even have a light laser.  A.j.'s guns were taken away, remember?"  said Nick.  Howie rubbed that back of his neck nervously.

"That's the other thing.  Kevin knew A.j. doesn't have his guns.  So he gave me our only hope to bring him back."  he said.  He looked over at Kari.  At first she didn't understand but then it came to her.

"You want me to....."  she started.  Howie nodded.  "I can't do that!  I'm not a murderer.  I can't hurt one of my own.  Plus, I don't even have enough power to get a shot like that."  she answered.

"Your not a murderer.  And what ever it is, is not one of our own.  If you don't do this, he will kill us all."  said Nick.  No one could tell but he was pretty freaked out by this.

"No.  I'm not going to loose another.  You can't make me loose another."  she said.  They all understood why she would have doubts.  After what happened to her in the past, no one could blame her.

"Howie, lets get off this subject.  Did you see where we might be going?"  asked A.j.

"Yep, I read it like a book.  We're going back to where Camiden said he was from.  The Xenon empire."  he answered.  Now they were scared.

"Did you see why?  I mean, we haven't done anything to him.  We didn't even know he existed."  asked Brian.

"He wants revenge.  He blames us for his own team.  He thinks we have to much of the same features as they did."  he answered again.

"And what features would that be?"  asked Kari.

"Good hearts.  His team wanted to protect their kind from harm.  While he wanted to take them over and rule the land."  he said.  There was a moments silence.

"He's going to kill us for something we didn't do.  I'm not ready to die."  said Brian.  They heard someone clear their throat behind them.  They all turned to see Kari.  They didn't even know she moved back there.

"I have made my choice.  You asked me to do something that is against what I believe.  On the other hand, Kevin is my friend and almost a brother by heart.  My decision is I will do it."  she said sadly.  The guys looked at each other.

"Kari, you can't be serious."  Brian said.  She nodded.

"But not now.  I have to prepare myself.  This is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done."  she said with no emotion.  Nick put his arm around her.

"When this whole plan goes down, we have to make it look different then what it really is.  Only Kevin and us will know the real motives."  he said softly.  All of them knew Kari didn't really want to do it, just that it was one of those things that you have to do.  All of the sudden, Kari's knee's buckled and she fell to the ground in tears.

"I can't do it.  I can't hurt a brother."  she cried.  Nick kept a hold on her.

"Honey, we know.  It's just that, he's not Kevin anymore.  He's someone else."  A.j. said.  It didn't help.

"I hate this.  If only we didn't get stuck in that stupid comicbook.  None of this whole be happening now."  she answered.  Brian was thinking the same thing.

"We're not going to make you do it.  Maybe we can find a different way."  said Howie.  Kari then shook her head.  She then stood up.

"No, there is no other way.  It's going to happen now."  she said.  Brian gasped at this.

"Now?"  he asked.  Kari nodded.

"I want to get this over with.  He won't die.  Kevin won't die."  she said.  She already had her way of doing it.  Gain as much current from the bars and let it rip.  She turned to A.j., her face still wet from tears.

"Is there anyway that we can't get him in here?"  she asked.  A.j. nodded.

"If the energy from the bars goes down, there is an alarm that sounds in the front of the ship.  It might say if there's something there."  he explained.

"Good."  she answered.  She then moved so she was facing the bars at a close range.  She turned her head and looked at Nick.  Then looked at Brian.

"I'm so sorry."  she whispered.  At that moment, she grabbed hold of the bars.  Her body began to shake but she held on.  The power was growing in her body.  All the guys could do was stand back and watch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Camiden remained a the controls, guiding the ship to where he called home.  To where he was once ruler.

"Soon enough.  Soon enough."  he said to himself.  In his mind, Kevin watched helplessly, wondering if he or the others would ever be rescued.  Camiden could read this and laughed at it.  "There is nothing that can help you Power Lord.  All of you are mine."

"You just keep thinking that o.k.?  You do know that people are going to talk when they never find us."  Kevin snapped.  Camiden laughed again.

"You really think people are going to miss you?  You guys are a bunch of nobody's."  he snickered.  Boy, was he wrong.

"Um, dude, we happen to be the most popular group on our planet.  If we go missing, people are going to talk.  You should have known that."  He answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.  This made Camiden laugh harder.

"I did know that.  Don't doubt me Power Lord."  he said.  Suddenly, an alarm went off on the control board.  Camiden found the source and read where it went.  Kevin gasped.

"That prison cell energy source!  No!"  he cried out.

"Oh yes.  Looks like one of your buddies couldn't take it anymore.  Let's go see which one will be dead on arrival, shall we?"  Camiden asked.  Of course, Kevin didn't really have a choice.  Camiden started off to the prison room.

"Please god, just let this be a fluke.  Just let this be some kind of mistake."  he thought.  But in his heart, he knew that when they got there, there was probably going to be a grim site.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As Camiden was making his way to the prison room, Kari was doing her best to keep going.  She had already gone past that stage she could keep her eyes open and have control over when she shot.  She now had her eyes kept tightly closed.

"I.....can't....hold.....much....longer!"  she cried.  The rest of them stayed far back in case something were to go wrong.  Nick tried to stay behind her so if she were to let go, he would catch her.

"Just kept your eyes closed nice and tight.  I can feel him coming closer."  said Howie.  A thin band of electricity had surround Kari.  Suddenly, all of them heard the door open.  The all turned to see the man in the black suit enter.  Camiden.

"Well, well, well.  Looks like we have a suicide on our hands.  No matter.  To bad i've missed half of the show."  he said snidely.  Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing.  Those kind of words coming out of Kevin's mouth.  He felt disgusted.

"Kevin, help her!"  yelled Brian.  Nothing happened.

"He can't help any of you.  He is too weak.  Just like Heatseeker."  he hissed.  Kari could hear all of this through the buzzing around her.  She was battling her emotions just to keep from letting go.

"I don't believe this.  I'm watching my own sister die."  Nick whispered.  Camiden heard this.

"It's best this way.  Less of a cargo.  Also, you killed my daughter in a act of rage.  It was about time you suffered pain."  he said.  Nick was growing more angry.  Brian just stared ahead.  Fears kept running through his head.  Fears that would never go away.  Suddenly, Kari brought her head up.

"You......for.....got.....one.....thing."  she stuttered.  Camiden smiled.

"Oh yeah, what's that?"  he asked in a cocky voice.

"Half.......elec....tricity"  she yelled.  Camiden's eyes went wide and his mouth opened, but it was too late.  Kari opened her eyes.  The laser threw both her and Camiden backwards but the shot never ended.  There was no where for Camiden to go.  The shot had hit him square in the chest and he knew exactly what was happening.  He let out a scream.

"I'll get you!  I'll get you!"  his voice boomed.  He opened his mouth and a black smoke left it.  Camiden was gone.  Now Kari had to find a way to shut it off.

"Kari stop!"  Brian yelled.  She felt the energy drain away from her body and the laser ceased.  She dropped to the ground, half weak, half in shock.  The door to the cell suddenly popped open.  The draining of the power had done it.

"Kev!"  yelled A.j..  Kevin laid on the floor, not moving.  A stream of smoke was rising off of his red suit.  His eyes were shut.  Brian was the first to make it to him.

"Kevin, Kev!  Talk to me."  he cried.  He shook him a bit.  Kevin began to move a tiny bit.  His eyes opened but were only slits.

"You did it.  I'm free."  he said weakly.  He was gasping for air.

"No, Kev, don't you die on me."  Brian said.  Tears rolled down his cheeks.  Just then, Nick came up behind them with Kari.  She almost screamed.

"Kevin, oh, i'm so sorry.  I didn't mean it."  she said.  She tried to cry but she was too weak.  She dropped beside Brian and held Kevin's hand.

"Will.....fight....in.....spirit.....world....come.....back"  he whispered.  They all knew he was going.

"No, don't leave us."  Kari cried.

"Not....fault.....come.....back....winner....fight....him"  Kevin's whisper grew softer.  "Love.....all."  he said.  He gave one last gasp, then silence.  Brian began to sob.  All of them watched as Kevin's mouth opened and a red puff of smoke came from it.  It then disappeared.  Howie knelt by Kevin and checked for a pulse in his wrist.  He shook his head and tears came.

"He's dead."  he whispered.  That's when Kari lost it.  She began to scream and cry as though she too had been wounded.  Brian put a hand over his eyes.  All of them could see his shoulders shaking.  A.j.'s head was bowed, no emotion on his face.  Nick was trying his best to not breakdown while comforting Brian and Kari.  They all had lost.  This would be a moment forever in their minds.  No matter how they would try to forget it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was very strange when the time of passing came.  Kevin could feel the pain just dull away and the world going black.  Now he was standing above his friends and himself.

"Huh, so this is what happens when you die."  he said to himself.  He watched as his cousin broke down at his side.  His heart felt like it was in a vise.  Kevin glided  down beside him and leaned in near Brian's ear.

"I'll come back, I promise."  he whispered.  Brian turned his head and looked right at Kevin, but Kevin knew he couldn't be seen.  He had to get away from this, away from the pain.  He had to defeat Camiden.  But before he left, there was one last thing he had to do it he didn't return.  He glided over to where Kari was sitting with her face in her hands.  He touched her shoulder and she looked up.  He leaned in a kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank  you."  He said below his breath.  It was time.  He knew exactly where to go.  He closed his eyes and the world began to disappear around him.  The transition to the spirit world was fast and painless.  Kevin opened his eyes once more to see the new world.

"Wow."  he said.  The place looked exactly what those pictures of heaven were.  Everyone around him was in white.  Thats when he noticed that he was still in his red suit.  He really didn't know what that meant.  Suddenly, he noticed a black figure moving through the crowd.  His anger flared.

"Camiden."  he hissed.  He began to run after the figure.  The weird part was that Kevin seemed to be running faster than he ever did.  Like someone was pushing his forward.  He caught up to him easily.  He reached out his hands and went to grab him.

"It's not that easy Power Lord."  Camiden hissed.  He dodged the grab and ran through a group of people.  Kevin tried to catch him but he disappeared into the crowd.  Kevin stopped and looked around.  There had to be someone he could ask.  He went up and tapped someone on the shoulder.  She turned around.

"Excuse me, did you see a man in dark clothing come by here?"  he asked.  The woman looked at him in amazement.

"Of course young hero.  He ran into the house of tranquility."  she answered, pointing in the direction of a white house.

"Thank you."  he said quickly.  He began to run toward the building.

"Good luck hero!"  the woman yelled after him.  When Kevin reached the building, he ran up the stairs and grabbed the door knob.  Instead of the door opening, he went right through it.  He looked around the dim room.  There was no one there.

"Come out coward!  Fight me like a man!"  Kevin yelled.  He heard someone chuckle.

"Ah, you dare to challenge me?  So be it!"  it called back.  The room began to fade away.  Soon it looked more like a battle ring.  Kevin could see a man at the opposite end.

"Me against you.  This time it's going to be a fair fight."  Kevin said through his teeth.  Camiden laughed again.

"Fine.  Have it your way.  You do know I have never lost a battle."  he said.  This was it.  This whole thing would judge if Kevin would return to his friends and family.  If he won, he would go back and live life normally.  Well, as normal as it gets for a superhero.  If he lost, he would remain here forever.  All of the sudden, a bell begin to toll above them.  The fight was to begin.  A fight to the death.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brian, Nick and A.j. all sat at the controls, leading the ship back home.  None of them spoke to each other.  Brian's eyes were still puffy and red from crying but he had run out of tears to cry any longer.  Just then, the door open and Howie stepped in.

"Where's Kari?"  Nick asked as he turned around.  Howie shook his head a bit.

"I did what I could.  I had to stop her but she had trouble listening to me.  I did what I had to do."  he said.  Brian and A.j. both turned around at that point.

"Whoa, what do you mean?"  asked A.j..  Howie then sighed.

"I caught Kari trying to shove herself out of the airlock.  She kept mumbling something about being divided and it being her fault."  he explained.  Nick put a hand to his mouth in shock.

"Is she alright?"  he asked.

"Yeah.  I put her into a sleep state.  She shouldn't be going anywhere for a while."  he answered.  Nick breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank god."  he said.  They all turned back to the controls.  Though, none of them really knew the way home and Kevin had always been the navigator.

"Guys, can I ask you something?"  Brian finally said.  The all turned to him.

"Well, you just did, but we'll take another one."  said Nick.  Brian gave him a dirty look.

"Funny.  Anyway after when Kev you know, past on, did any one hear something?"  he asked.  All of the guys shook their heads.

"No, why?"  asked Howie.

"I could hear someone whisper in my ear that they can come back, and that they promise that they will."  he said.  They others looked at each other.

"You know, Kari was telling me she felt a strange cold feeling on her cheek and someone telling her thank you."  said Howie.

"It was probably the grief setting in."  said A.j..

"I don't know.  All I really know is, I miss him.  I want him to be here with us.  With Kari."  said Brian.

"We all do Brian.  Mark my word, we all do"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With the last toll of the bell, Camiden made the first move.  He ran at Kevin with all his might and was ready to give him a head butt.  Kevin easily evaded the attack.

"You're going to have to do better than that alien!"  Kevin yelled.  Kev pulled at one of the sides of the ring.  It came up easily and Kevin went after Camiden.  Kevin nailed him one in the side of the head.  Camiden screamed in pain.  Suddenly, Kevin was thrown back by an invisible force.  He slammed in to the wall hard.

"You must not have known that my kind can use powers of the mind."  Camiden said.  Kevin began to lift off from the floor.  His strength wasn't going to help him here.

"Your little friends can't help you now Power Lord."  he bellowed.  Camiden begin to lift him higher and higher.  Kevin struggled the whole time.

"Come one Kevin.  Think, think!"  he thought to himself.  Then it clicked.  He shut his eyes and began to concentrate.  Camiden saw this and laughed.

"Waiting for your second death I see?"  he asked in a smart alec voice.

"Not a chance.  Try this one on for size!"  Kevin yelled.  He opened his eyes and a laser beam came from them.  It hit Camiden in the arm and he went down.  Kevin began to fall from air but caught himself with his own mind.  Camiden was bewildered.

"But, how?"  he asked.  Kevin's feet gently hit the ground.

"We are a team, and since my friends can't be here, I get to makeup for that."  he hissed.  This angered Camiden very much.  He ran at Kevin again and was ready to punch him.  Kevin counter acted by using some sort of karate.  The fight went one.  Kevin tried kicking him in the head but it was blocked.

"You will not win!"  Camiden cried.  He then tried to use a combination of his mind, strength and punching to get him.  Kevin just jumped up.  He went as high as the ceiling.  When he began to come back down, he aimed to land on the alien.  He let out a scream as Kevin landed on his head.  This knocked Camiden out.  He fell to the ground in a motionless heap.  The fight was over.

"Nice guys finish first, my friend."  Kevin said in a cocky voice.  The bell to toll once more.  Kevin was the winner of the fight.  He began to cheer and holler with joy.  Suddenly, everything around them return to where they had once been.  But instead of it being empty, there were two people there.  One dressed like Kari, the other dress like A.j..  They were smiling.

"Welcome back Power Lord.  We are very pleased with how you did."  said the woman in the Heatseeker suit.  The man nodded.

"You beat the unbeatable."  he said.  Kevin was just weirded out.

"Who are you?"  he asked.  The woman let out a chuckle.

"Look at us.  Not even polite enough to intro due ourselves.  My name is Nebula, also known as Moonbeam.  My friend here is Xanatos, also known as Quick Silver.  We are the true owners of the amulets."  she explained.  Kevin's jaw dropped.

"But how?  I thought this was from Nick's comicbook.  That none of this was real at some point."  he said.

"We have always been here.  Ninja Man just made a portal for us to come here.  It was a complete mistake."  said Xanatos.  Nebula came closer to Kevin.

"Power Lord.  We have some new for you that may shock you."  she said.

"I died.  I don't think anything can come as more of a shock."  he said.  Nebula shook her head.

"Power Lord, you are not suppose to be here.  You were not suppose to die."  she said.  Kevin stopped.

"What?"  he asked.

"Allow me to explain.  When you first put on the amulets, there is a pact that you automatically become a part of.  It says things like, use powers only for good, do not allow others to use them, those kinds of things.  But it also says that you come as a team and leave as a team."  said Xanatos.

"Well, what the heck does that mean?"  Kevin asked again, becoming frustrated.

"You and the others must die at the same time.  We have to send to back."  said Nebula.  Those words were like music to his ears.

"Back!  Oh god, image how happy they'd be to see me again."  Kevin said.  Nebula smiled.

"But, we do owe you a reward for your bravery.  First, let us get rid of the trash."  she said.  She snapped her fingers.  At that moment, three figures entered the room.  She point to Camiden and they all bowed.  Then they picked him up and took him away.

"Where are they taking him?"  Kevin said out of curiosity.

"Where he belongs.  With all other evils in the universe.  Included that loud mouth daughter of his, Sinissta."  answered Xanatos.  This made Kevin even more happy.  Going back with people he loved and another evil bit the dust.

"Now, for your reward.  For your bravery in the face of danger, we are granting you the request to have contact with whom ever you like."  said Nebula.  Kevin stopped.  His feelings were jumbled up inside of him.  This was his one true chance to speak to the one he has thought about since the day he died.

"My dad."  he said.  Nebula nodded.

"Is that all?"  she asked.  Kevin thought for a moment.  He then shook his head.  He had thought of someone else.

"Yes, yes there is."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The place they had set Kevin's body was a bit cooler than any part of the ship.  It was placed upon a metal slab and his hands placed in a crossed position.  There was only one thing strange about it.  His body had gone completely white.  His hair, eyebrows, suit, everything.  Suddenly, the doorway opened.  There stood a small figure.

"I'm here."  it whispered.  It was Kari.  Somehow she had pulled herself out of the sleep state.  She walked over and took his hand.  She then sat down beside him.  Tears came in silence.

"I can't believe I'm never going to hear your sweet voice again."  she whispered.  She knew she wasn't going to get a response.  She then laughed softly to herself, remembering the old times.

"I remember when we first started our training back at the headquarters.  Whenever Brian was doing the jumping thing, we would sneak into the room, you would throw up up into the air and we would see how long it took for me to nail him in the butt with a laser."  she smiled.  She then stopped.

"I also remember the first night I was with you guys.  You must have heard me moving around and crying, so you got up and sat with me.  You sang me back to sleep."  she said.  She shook her head.

"So many memories in the short time we've been together.  I was thirteen at that time.  How could I have know that when I was fifteen, I would lose you.  The one who always reminded me of my own dad.  The one I could talk to when I was scared.  Sure, I have Nick.  He will always be my brother.  But without you, life just isn't complete."  she confessed.  She put a hand through his while hair.

"To tell you the truth.  I never wanted to blast you.  I knew how dangerous I can be.  But I did it anyway.  It's my fault."  she cried.  She then noticed something different.  Upon his shoulder was a red dot.  No bigger than a fingertip.

"What?"  she asked.  Before her eyes, the dot seemed to be letting off these streams of color.  It went down his arms and legs.  His white hair began to darken.  All the while, Kari was standing there in shock.  She then ran to the doorway.

"BRIAN!  GUYS!  COME QUICK!"  she screamed.  She turned back to Kevin.  His hair was now black again and the red was almost finished.  Kari could here footsteps behind her.  They were coming.  Brian was the first one there.

"What happened, what's going....."  he stopped.  He had seen Kevin and couldn't believe it.  He then took a step back when he saw his eyes open.  Kari let out a gasp.  Kevin began to sit up.

"Kev, is that you?"  Kari asked.  He turned to her and smiled.  Thats how she knew.  She ran up to him and threw her arms around him, only to wince forgetting that she still had the bruise on her chest.  Either way she didn't let go.  Brian joined her.  Thats when the others came.  The all stopped when they saw the scene.

"Well i'll be.  He kept his promise."  said A.j..  Soon the three released each other.  Howie, Nick and A.j. approached them.

"How did you do it?"  Howie asked in amazement.  Kevin went on smiling.

"We came into this as a team, we shall go as a team."  he answered.  He then looked at them each.  "Lets go home."  he said.  No one could disagree with that.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Thank you Seattle!  See you all next year!"  A.j. yelled to the sold out stadium of fans.  The fans screamed and the lights went out.  All the guys went running off the stage.  Their manager and bodyguard met them as they came off.

"Good show guys.  Great job Kev, you got your act together from this afternoon."  the manager said.  Kevin nodded.  The quickly made it back to their bus before the fans began to leave the stadium.  Kari was there waiting.

"So, how was it?"  she asked.

"Oh you know, same ol' stuff."  said Nick.  He and the others then went back to the front where the fridge was.  That is except for Kevin.  He sat down beside Kari.

"It's been a weird day hasn't it?"  he asked.  She nodded.

"And I never want to go through it ever again."  she answered.  Kevin chuckled.

"You know, I got to speak to my father."  he said.  Kari looked at him.

"Kevin, that's great!  At least you got to see him after all this time."  she said.

"Thats not all."  he said.  Kari gave him a confused look.  Then it dawned on her.

"You, did you?"  she sputtered.  He nodded.

"They are very proud of you Kari.  When you did was brave.  They said they'd always knew that you would become something from your dreams."  he said.  Kari couldn't speak.  She was literally hearing four voices from the grave.

"Is that all?"  she asked.  She knew she sounded selfish but Kevin didn't seem to mind.

"Nope.  They all told me it was them who placed you with the Carter's.  They knew that they would give you a great life and they knew that you would become great friends with us.  It was actually your sister's idea but they wouldn't admit it."  he said.  Kari could hardly believe this.

"I miss them."  she said.

"I know.  But they are with you every single day.  Same with my dad.  They are watching over us.  Now and forever."  he said.

For on that very day, all of them found out something that they had never known.  Life is a precious gift.  Loose it, and you may not return to the ones you love.  So keep a hold of those you love, for they can be taken from you, whether you expect it or not.

THE END