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Chapter 8: The Higher they Are, The Harder they Fall

Day 19

If there was a more perfect existence, Jason had yet to find it. Lying on his bed, wrapped in a safe, comforting cocoon of the men he loved, Jason felt totally at bliss. He had a bit of trouble slipping into blissful sleep last night... mostly because he was still raring to go and wanted more of his family in him. But Sam was one of those types that fell to a very deep sleep right after sex and he didn't want to disrespect his son.

Unfortunately, with Sam and Dan's cocks up his ass - as hot as it was - he found it a little uncomfortable to drift off into slumber. Thankfully, Brett was there to cuddle with him lovingly until his son and dad softened a little and he could slip out. A rush of cum poured out of his ass, joining with the pool that had already formed around them.

When dawn broke, Jason opened his eyes and found much of his fur was stuck together in clumps and he was practically glued to Sam whose thick, golden chestfur wrapped around Jason's chest like a comforting blanket. His son was still fast asleep and so was Brett but he noted that Dan wasn't around.

Huh... I wonder where he went...

Jason slowly tried to prise himself from the comforting embrace of his son and mate, whimpering softly at the fact that the absence of their touch left him longing to go right back into bed with them. Temptation beckoned him but he remembered that this was the day of the Endyear Parade. There was a lot of preparations to be made and no doubt Sam and Brett would have to be up too.

However, he'd let them sleep for now.

Stretching, Jason noted that he'd have to clean himself up before he went to the parade. He ran a hand over his body and winced at all the hardened cum all over his body but stopped when he noticed there was a wet on his left thigh. A fresh spot of precum rested there and when he glanced back at his son, he saw Sam was growling softly in pleasure, that huge, black, foot-long cock erect and throbbing wildly with precum pooling out in front of him.

His son was thrusting slightly, whimpering like a puppy for release.

A grin crawled onto Jason's face.

This was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Crawled back into the bed as quietly as he could and left his muzzle to hover just above Sam's titanic cock. He drew a long breath, letting his son's scent waft down his nasal passages and fill him with a sort of euphoric bliss that he simply could not get enough of. That clear, crystal-like scent of his son made him shiver and drew him closer and closer to the beautiful, black rod that pulsed with life and seed hovering just inches away from him.

Jason's tongue slipped out and he drew one, long lick running from the base of Sam's cock, up that thick, pulsing length, over the valley of veins that criss-crossed around the middle and finally to the dripping tip that was spurting excitedly from all the attention. The warm, salty precum slid across his tastebuds, sending his senses dancing with the sensation.

Sam shuddered, a whimper escaping his son's lips.

He wasn't sure why but sucking off Sam while he was asleep was ridiculously arousing. His own cock was slipping out of his sheath, pumping with blood as he wrapped his muzzle around Sam's member, twisting his head to the side and curling his tongue completely around the length. Slowly, he began drawing his tongue up and down that foot-long length, savouring the taste of his son and curbing his own enthusiasm as Sam mumbled something in his sleep.

It was unbelievable that Sam was still so deep in slumber.

Must be one hell of a dream.

Of course... Reality isn't so bad either.

Jason finished his fifteenth lap of Sam's cock and drew himself up to the tip, kissing the tampering head and suckling it tenderly. Sam gave a short 'ah' of pleasure and his cock jerked in response, squirting a thick wad of precum into Jason's muzzle.

That's my boy,_Jason thought blissfully. Reaching out, he cupped Sam's furry balls and was surprised at just how heavy they felt. His son was a _very big producer apparently. Just thinking about the amount of cum that had poured out of him last night sent shivers up Jason's spine.

He loved his son but the thought of all that cum just drove him wild. It woke the animal in him and he began vigorously sucking on that cock, begging his son to release into him.

Sam was subconsciously thrusting, each thrust getting harder and harder than the last.

His son's hands began groping around, twitching slightly until they found purchase on Jason's much broader shoulders. With something to hold onto, Sam's thrust became desperate, wild and uncontained. The gold and black wolf's tongue drooped out, flapping wildly with each thrust in between pants.

Jason found Sam's cock being forced down his throat and he resisted the gagging sensations as that foot-long monster dug deep down his muzzle, slipping down his throat. He closed his gullet around Sam's cock, squeezing more and more of that precious precum down into his stomach, moaning at the feeling of having a thick, hot rod so deep down into him.

Sam's erection became hard as a rock and a thick bulb began forming at the base of his cock. The young wolf moaned loudly as he was suddenly wracked with shudders. Those balls churned and Jason's eyelids fluttered in pleasure as a torrent of that molten-hot seed surged down his throat. He drank it all greedily, relishing the taste and feeling of his son's very essence flooding into him.

Feeling Sam stirring, he pulled that cock away from his muzzle slightly, collecting the liquid in his cheeks. The instant Sam's eyes, sprung open, Jason crawled across the bed to come nose to nose with him, pushing their lips together and sliding his tongue into his son's muzzle, carrying Sam's seed with it.

Sam's eyes were wide in shock for about half a second before they calmed.

Jason smirked mentally as his son melted into the kiss and he rubbed his own erect cock against Sam's groin. His son complied with the unspoken request, reaching out and stroking the throbbing member and sending chills down Jason's entire system. Their groans were issued in tandem as Sam became fully awake without his erection going down.

Absolutely loving the thought of pressing himself against his son's thick, furry chest, Jason wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulders, holding him tightly against himself. He vaguely registered Brett's soft snores and mentally snickered at how much his mate was missing out. Still, he doubted his Rottweiler would mind much.

Sam's hands both wandered down to Jason's member, one grabbing the thick, red, wolf-meat and the other massaging Jason's balls, coaxing more and more seed to churn in anticipation of release. Jason was quickly reaching his limit, his knot forming rapidly.

Jason let out one last loud groan of sheer ecstasy as he exploded all over Sam, his cum seeping into Sam's golden chestfur. He pulled his muzzle away from Sam, feeling a little idiotic with the grin he wore which was caught halfway between basking in the afterglow of ejaculation and drunk on his son's love. Sam licked his lips, sparkling sapphire-blue eyes filled with what could only be love.

"Morning," Jason chuckled.

Sam smirked and poked the tip of Jason's member. "Morning to you too, dad."

A soft snort from behind Sam indicated that Brett was just waking up.

Brett sleepily sat up and yawned, stretching and curling his tongue. Watching those huge muscles bunch and flex stirred something more in Jason.

"Dad, you're seriously a non-stop sex machine," Sam laughed, wiping the fresh batch of precum that had splattered onto his chest.

Jason blushed beneath his jet-black fur. "I can't help it that the guys I'm surrounded with are smoking hot." He wrapped his arms around Sam and pulled the smaller wolf to him, holding him tightly.

"Did I miss something?" Brett asked, scratching the back of his own ear.

"Just a really wet alarm clock," Sam replied, slipping away from Jason's grip.

There was a pang of disappointment that he wouldn't get to have a little 'love-session' before breakfast but Jason decided that was probably for the best. The Endyear Parade was due to start just a little after noon and it was already well into the morning. All three of them had to get cleaned up, get dressed and them make their way to Newroads Town Hall where the Parade would start.

He slipped out of bed, still with the salty taste of Sam's cum in his muzzle.

"As tempting as it is to join in on what I missed out on," Brett said, trying to rub off the dried cum in his fur, "we have to get going. We still have to find a suitable costume for you, Jason."

Right...

With Genesis broken, Jason no longer had a costume to wear to the parade. His costume was magically tied to the blade and with it shattered, he couldn't just summoned his battle attire like he used to. The plan was simply to find some replacement clothing. With Dan around, it would be a simple enough matter to change the shape of existing clothes to replicate his former costume.

Maybe that's were Dan went off to...

"I call dibs on the shower!" Sam exclaimed, leaping towards the door and bolting out, his black and gold tail flicking out of view.

Their house - still not completely connected with Dan's home - had only one shower. So, with the bathroom in Dan's house, that made for two accessible showers...

Wait...

"I got the other one!" Brett laughed, leaving Jason with a wink and a playful smirk.

Crap!

Realising that now he basically had to sit on his bed and wait for the two to finish with cum drying on his fur, he wondered if it had been such a wise choice to give Sam a blowjob. Groaning, he lay back on the bed, staring absently at the ceiling with his sticky seed still clinging to his fur.

Click-click.

Jason flicked his ears backwards at the sound. That definitely wasn't something anyone wanted to hear in a newly renovated house.

Maybe it's just some crickets or something...

Click-click.

The sound was far too... solid and unnatural to be crickets...

Click-Click...

Okay, now it's just getting annoying...

He sat back up and glanced around the room, searching for the source of the noise. Despite the sounds of the showers echoing down the hallway, the clicking was still quite prominent.

Click-click...

His eyes flicked towards the master bedroom's balcony. It overlooked the swimming pool and the backyard as well as the vast majority of the neighbourhood. Finding a pair of boxers - he wasn't sure if it was his or not - he barely clothed himself and headed out onto the balcony, the clicking noise abruptly stopping.

Huh... Must've been a cricket after all...

"Your entire family seems very content."

That voice sent chills down Jason's spine... as did the cold, hard blade that was suddenly pressed against his neck. About another eleven were levelled at various parts of his body, one particularly at his crotch. A pair of strong hands seized his arms, holding them down securely and preventing him from struggling free.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Chris Thornton warned. "But even with your super endurance and regeneration, a fall from this height will still cause some damage. Maybe even another coma."

Jason growled softly, shivering as Chris' breath brushed his neck. "What do you want?"

"Good... You're cooperating..." Chris tugged at Jason's arms, pulling him back into the house. The world suddenly spun as Jason felt himself get thrown against the bed. Those same, hovering swords continued to hover over his body, keeping him from moving even as he lay prone on the same cum-soaked sheets that had - just a few moments ago - been the site of so much affection.

Chris sniffed the air and winced slightly. "Dan was with you... Wasn't he?"

There was genuine regret in that voice. It was puzzling. Chris seemed both regretful and cold at the same time...

What does he want...?

"If you hadn't gone all psycho on us, I bet you would've been here too."

That caused Chris to scowl. "Perhaps... But the past is the past. I'm not going to live in its shadow."

"Why not? You seemed to like being a Malefactor."

Blinding pain shot across Jason's cheek as one of Chris' blades sliced into the flesh. He was reminded of the other scar Chris had given him and clenched his fists. Being unable to summon Genesis, he was completely helpless. It was depressing knowing he couldn't defend himself.

But he wasn't going to surrender.

If I just wait until Brett or Sam get back...

Chris hesitated. "Jason... I'm sorry..."

The apology was genuine... as was the blood seeping into the sheets.

Mixed messages made Jason's head hurt. Here was Chris, Legion, apologising to him while also threatening him at sword point!

What? Does he have multiple-personality disorder now?

Though... All things considered, Jason realised he wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

"Please," Chris begged, "Just... listen to me."

"You -" Jason began but Reason jumped in, quickly slapping his face with the Epic Broom of Ass Kicking.

_"Assumptions are dangerous things,"_the subconscious entity reminded.

Fine...

"I'm listening," Jason growled.

Relief crossed Chris' features and the dark wolf eased the blades around Jason, the swords swinging back into their wing-like position over Chris' shoulders. Legion - Chris - let Jason sit up as he took a few steps back, offering his hands face up to show he had no intention inflicting harm. Jason noted that he was also carrying what appeared to be a large, black, metal case over his shoulder similar to a military-grade armoured box.

"Jason, do not attend the Endyear Parade."

Reason was pushed aside as Jason's cynicism kicked in. "Why? You planning to massacre everyone there?"

"What?" Chris answered, surprised, his eyes wide. "No! Of course not! Why would I?"

Again... he seemed genuine.

"Let's see..." Jason muttered, holding up two fingers. "There was you trying to destroy the world before by using R3's own gift against us... then you coming back to randomly kill people -"

"Even you have to see that I haven't just been killing randomly," Chris interrupted, eyes narrowed.

Eyes snapping back to Chris with a dangerous edge to them, Jason snarled, "From what I can see, you're just tossing a coin!"

Legion sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "Use the information you obtained. Think about who I've killed and the circumstances of those deaths."

Jason recalled the folder he had stashed away back in the lounge room. All the names... all the instances of murder caused by Legion... Each and every one of them couldn't be really considered 'murder'. More like 'execution'. Chris just killed the people would probably get the death sentence anyway... Never any innocents.

Debate amongst the population of Newroads was whether or not Legion was actually a supervillain, a superhero or a vigilante. Most people voted vigilante but some swerved to either villain or hero. Jason was definitely voting for villain...

... but...

"What about them?" he sneered. "You just sped up the process of death. You told me before that death is the greatest change of all. Is that your retarded version of making the world go round?"

Chris let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head vigorously. "No! Do you think I like killing those people?"

That had to be the most rhetorical question in the world.

"Yes."

Holding up his hands again in surrender, Chris said, "Fine, fine. I walked into that one. Alright... it's obvious I can't convince you with just words... So I'll just come right out and say it." They locked gazes. "You've made a lot of enemies in your time Jason. So much so that the Endyear Parade is pretty much you asking for every supervillain to take a shot at you. If you value the lives of your family and friends, you won't get on that float."

Jason stood up from the bed, squaring his shoulders and glaring at Chris. "Do you know there's going to be an attack or are you just being cautious?"

"I know there's going to be an attack."

Yeah... You're the one that's gonna pull the trigger.

"Be nice,"_Reason warned. _"He has a valid point. You're 'retired' now, remember? People will consider that as 'helpless' or 'powerless'. If you get up there, supervillains will think you're weak... Weak enough to take down."

It was a valid point... And given the crushing proof of his vulnerability that Chris just handed him, Jason was starting to severely doubt what would happen if he did get up on that float. Worse, if a supervillain came and attacked him, Sam and Brett would have to rush to his rescue... and he'd be left cowering in the corner.

He could just imagine it now...

... the news coverage would be like an atomic bomb going off and the fallout would be the remains of his career, dignity and future... Everyone would consider him a 'washed up has-been'. Just one tiny defeat and he was on the ground, cowering while the newer, stronger, younger generation took over...

I don't even have a space station to call my own...

"Why do you care anyway?" Jason muttered, unwilling to admit Chris had a point.

"I've... Had my eyes opened," Chris admitted softly. "I was wrong... I was desperate... I wanted freedom from the No Ones... I didn't want to be part of their machinations or their plans... But I made the mistake of assuming that the No Ones were 'gods'... That they were infallible and that I was defying destiny."

Jason remembered R3's mantra concerning the No Ones and their mortality. The Writer of Reality constantly insisted that the No Ones were mortal just like everyone else. While the terms of their death were much more specific and certainly harder to achieve, each No One wasn't perfect... or at least so says the guy that could make everything perfect.

And yet... he doesn't make everything perfect...

... Why?

"The No Ones are far from gods," Chris continued, his eyes turning towards the balcony and gazing out into the morning sun. "Destiny is the path carved for us in the sand, fate is the path we carve out for ourselves and freewill is the power to choose which path we take."

That last quote sent bolts of realisation through Jason's body.

Those are R3's words...

"When we last met and you ended my insanity, R3 didn't let me die. As is the cycle with all existence, he took my story and implanted it into another reality. I was reborn as a completely different person... Same name, ironically, but different nonetheless." Chris chuckled, holding up his hand towards the sun. "Would you believe that I was born human? That I had not powers of my own just incredible skill with swords and guns...? I hunted the world for special artefacts and inadvertently ended up saving it time and time again...

"Long story short, R3 came to aid me in disguise and we became friends. When I eventually died, he showed me who I was... What I had been... Needless to say, I was crushed that I was evil... Even funnier was the fact that before I was a Malefactor, I was actually an accountant, then before that, I was a bodybuilder and then before that I was a tapeworm."

Jason couldn't help but snort at the last one.

Deserves it...

Chris was smiling faintly as well. "R3 told me that that I had come to a realisation a lot faster than everyone else did... Most of the time, people are reincarnated thousands of times before they learned the same lesson I did..."

"That no matter how many times you're reborn, you'll always be an asshole?"

WHACK!

Reason hit him but he ignored him.

Chris looked hurt and regret instantly filled Jason.

"No... That reality is yours and only yours to mould," Chris responded sadly. "I tried to force my reality onto others and that was wrong of me. When I stopped looking at how to force people into the same path as me... I started making my way to the finish line. I learned my lesson..." Chris held a hand to his chest, over his heart. "And I also learned that I couldn't have learned that without the people in my life... past, present and future.

"It's why R3 lets us make our own path in the world. If we kept guiding us along the way, we would never learn that lesson because we'll be learning according to what he sees reality. And his way isn't always the right way either. The No Ones aren't always right. The heart sees what it wants to see... and it's only when we have many hearts combined as one will they see the true path."

Chris shook his head. "Anyway, R3 offered me my Reality but I had always been missing something in my life... even in the new one I had lived. I never loved... and the reason for that is because my heart already belonged to Dan..."

"If you loved him so much, why were you trying to destroy him?"

"Because all I saw was that he was a No One!" Chris snapped. "Back then, I thought all the No Ones were the same. Stupid deities pretending to be mortal just to make things go their way. They're not. They're genuinely people who care so much that they gave up their own happiness - their own realities - to serve everyone else and make sure they get their chance at happiness.

"Seriously, Jason, you think the personal realities of all the No Ones are just their version of heaven? They're not. They're hubs into the mini-worlds for all their Advocates. Their Advocates have it better than they do. Hell, I have my dream home all set up for when Dan and I - "

Chris suddenly stopped...

... Jason's heart stopped as well... only to rewind the last few seconds and replay them...

"Wait..." he began softly. "Are you telling me...?"

Slowly... Chris nodded. "Yeah... I'm R3's Advocate."

...

Jason's reality was flipped on its head and shaken violently. He felt a wave of nausea rush up to him but he shook it off. "I... I don't understand... If you're his Advocate... Why are you doing all this?"

The answer that followed was ridiculously simple.

"Because I want to apologise to Dan."

And... it all made frightening sense.

Chris was fighting all these bad guys to make the world a better place... to make himself worth of Dan's affection. This was his chance at redemption... R3 had released his Advocates... which was why Chris was here! R3 hadn't sent back a Malefactor... he had sent back an Advocate...

"You've got some explaining to do," Jason said evenly.

The sound of the showers flicked off and Chris glanced towards the door. "Don't think I have time for that. But here's the thing, the No Ones are mortals as well. Just like mortals, they carve their paths in the sand and follow the paths of others as well as have the power to choose their paths. The only thing is, they carve bigger paths than everyone else and when they open their doors, other doors open for other people too.

"But we all have the choice of walking through those opened doors or following the No Ones. You can't give up. You can never give up. We all have a choice."

Chris set down the massive, black container he was carrying. "As a symbol of goodwill and my intentions, these are for you, Jason."

He flipped open the container.

Jason's eyes went wide.

Inside were two, beautiful swords...

One had a blade that was thick and made of a glistening white material and a gold, star-shaped hilt. The other was jet-black with a metallic surface that looked like it had black water contained beneath the glassy-surface.

Those two swords Jason recognised.

Zenith_and _Nadir...

R3's swords...

"How did you...?"

Chris winced and looked up at Jason pleadingly. "When R3 disappeared... he knew I was going to come back here... I needed to come back here because of Dan... I love him, Jason... You've got to believe me..."

There was something in Chris' jet-black eyes... More than just genuine affection... more than just love... It was the same shining emotion that he saw in Sam's eyes... That realisation that he was where he belonged... and that he would do anything to stay there.

"I believe you," he whispered.

Relief crossed Chris' face once more as he gestured at the two swords. "R3 told me that if I was going to come back here I had to give these to you when you lost Genesis."

"R3 wanted me to lose Genesis?" And that reminded Jason. "Hey! You're the one that smashed it in the first place!"

"I know! I know!" Chris replied, gesturing a surrender again. "I'm sorry. But you had forgotten who you are Jason. You changed, I'll admit, but you've forgotten how you become who you are now. You forgot about the Descent Incident, you forgot about your struggles during the Malefactor Invasion. You became so content in your life that you've become the very person you swore you'd never be. A superhero."

...

That hurt... Mostly because it was terribly true.

About six years ago, Jason Wolfe discovered he had superpowers... When he did, he swore he wouldn't be anything like the superheroes in the world... An overpaid, arrogant, public spectacle that did more stunts and appearances than actual heroics. Jason had started his career like that... Just saving people for the sake of saving them... and not for the money.

But these days... he had abandoned that... He became a superhero... and not just a hero...

I... What have I become...

"You needed to remember who you are," Chris said, picking up the two swords and holding them reverently. "R3 said that Genesis became more a symbol of yours existence a superhero than your existence as Jason Wolfe. You had to have your soul shattered and reforged before you stepped back out as yourself." He offered Jason the two weapons.

Suddenly... Jason didn't feel like he deserved the two swords...

I had forgotten...

Back then, I was all about the people around me... my connections...

And then, when my soul was broken... I barely remembered that I am who I am because of all the people I've met... Good or bad, they've helped me forge me into the man I am today...

Determination suddenly swept into him.

"Tell R3, when you see him," he said, "that I'll never forget again."

He seized the swords...

... and a blinding white light exploded from the weapons, washing completely over him.

A cry died in his throat as unconsciousness swept over him.

*****

Something was poking Jason's cheek... Something hard and pointy...

He grumbled and swatted it away.

"Wow... He's alive. That's got to be a first."

An unrecognised voice... right after coming back from unconsciousness.

Not a good sign.

Jason opened his eyes and winced when he was hit by pure white light... except... It wasn't light. It didn't burn his retinas as most light would... In fact... he wasn't even sure if it was light at all... Just... Whiteness... That witness was interrupted by a lupine face that he didn't recognise.

A tall, athletically built timber wolf with brown and white fur was hovering over him, regarding him with bright, sky-blue eyes. The wolf's muzzle was greying slightly indicating his age and a messy mop of short, grey hair rested between his ears. A pair of circular spectacles sat on the wolf's muzzle. The lupine was dressed in an all-white suit - a white blazer with coattails, white pants, white shoes and even white tie.

If Jason didn't know better, the guy could've appeared as a floating head in the pure colourless void he was in.

Wait... 'colourless void'...?

Jason sat up and glanced around.

All around him was nothing but white...

He was in Naught... R3's home reality.

"Feeling better there, son?" the wolf asked, crouching down next to Jason. "Do you need a glass of water or something?"

Nausea suddenly started kicking in and Jason felt terribly dizzy. "Erm... Yeah, please..."

The wolf suddenly held up a glass filled with water.

What the...?

Jason took the glass and guzzled it, shuddering as the cool liquid slipped down his tongue. He smiled shakily and handed the wolf back the glass. "Erm... Thanks... uh...?"

The wolf gave him a very Sam-like grin - bright, cheery and with no hint of malice. "Just call me 'the Librarian', Librarian if you want. Just don't call me Libby!"

"Um... Okay..." The Librarian helped him to his feet and he staggered a little. "Erm... Where am I...?"

"Well... Considering you're here and not dead, I'm guessing Jacob wanted you here in Naught to see something."

"Jacob?" Then Jason remembered R3's real name was 'Jacob Reaper'. "Oh! You must mean R3!"

The Librarian's eyes sparkled. "Ah! So you do know Jake! Excellent! That makes things easier!"

The oddly dressed wolf clapped his hands and their surroundings suddenly shifted and warped. Emerald grass began shooting up from the ground, covering the witness. Marble pillars erupted from the green carpet alongside a massive mansion that had to have at least a hundred rooms. Clouds rolled in from the horizon and as they passed, the cleared the white sky and converted it into pristine, blue. The only thing that remained white was the sun.

"What...?" Jason began.

If this was Naught, this guy - the Librarian - had the power to control it... But... He didn't think anyone could have the power to control Naught except R3...

"Who... Are you exactly?" he asked.

"Like I said, I'm the Librarian," the wolf replied cheerily, indicating that Jason follow him through the mansion. "Myself and the Secretary aid Jake in his day to day dealings. We help allocate the Advocates their jobs, organise annual leave, outings and take care of the kids."

Jason went rigid. "R3 has kids?"

"What? Oh no. Jake is saving himself for his one and only, EX. But many of the Advocates have children too, you know. And then there are those people who have earned their own realities that occasionally want to visit. Jake is very popular. It's a good thing we exist outside of time and space or we'll never be able to get to all those parties!" The Librarian let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, and the best thing is, the Secretary never has to cook! We just get to eat at all the parties! Of course, Jake doesn't go that often. He spreads himself thin as it is.

"The poor boy," the Librarian murmured, shaking his head as they mounted the steps of the mansion. "He wants to see everyone so happy... It's no longer just about him and EX anymore, you know. He keeps say that he's doing it for that reason but you can really tell he takes joy from bringing everyone happiness. He still sheds a tear when he rereads stories he's finished."

The Librarian kept chatting and Jason found himself zoning out fairly easily. He followed the wolf through the huge, oak doors of the mansion, entering a vast expanse of what had to be a library. There were books everywhere. Massive bookshelves that stretched on to eternity upwards were lain side by side in corridors that ended only wherever the horizon stopped and in just as many aisles.

"Whoa..."

"This is the Library," the Librarian announced. "Well, my version, anyway. Jake prefers to keep his version a little more simple. Just endless white with bookshelves floating everywhere. But that can be a bit disorienting to visitors. So this is a little more homey, don't you think?"

Jason just nodded numbly and stared at the Librarian in shock. "Um... So you're... R3's assistant?"

"You could say that." The wolf shrugged and started heading down the aisles. Jason hurried to follow him, not wanting to find out what happened to people who got lost in these infinite expanses. "I have a degree of control over Naught, as much as Jake allows me. Talk about a dynamic workplace, huh?" The wolf chuckled at his own joke.

"Erm... Right..." Jason murmured. "Listen... I just touched R3's weapons and there was this blinding light... Next thing I knew, I was here..."

"Everything happens for a reason," the Librarian said, holding up a finger. "That was no accident. R3 no doubt wanted you here to do something. We just need to figure what that something is. It happens more often than not. Sometimes, you just have to take a person out of existence to make them appreciate their existence.

"Now... it was 'Jason Wolfe', correct?"

_"_Yeah..."

Jason was still disoriented... and confused... He was puzzled why R3 would send him here... and a little scared because the Librarian somehow knew his name...

They entered one of the isles and almost immediately, the Librarian plucked a familiar black, unmarked book from the shelf. It was Legacy, Jason's reality. Originally, R3 had given it to Jason but then Jason gave it back when it's power had caused Jason then-boyfriend to become erased from reality, Connor Stark.

A stab of pain and regret shot into Jason as he realised he had completely forgotten about Connor... It had been his secure home for several years that R3 would piece back Connor so that he could see the tiger again... But again, it hurt him like hell knowing that he had been so consumed by his own existence that he had forgotten all about Connor...

"Ah!" the Librarian announced, reading the pages. "Here we go! It says here you're supposed to go to the Empty Throne and witness the No Ones discussing the destruction of your home, Enria."

...

"WHAT!?"

"Come along then!" the Librarian said cheerily, clapping his hands once more.

Their surroundings were suddenly warped again.

Jason found himself standing in a small enclave high in a vast circular chamber. Down at ground floor were thirteen differently designed thrones arranged in a circle with a single, unassuming altar at the very centre of the circle. All but two of the thrones was occupied.

"Where -?"

"Ssssh!" the Librarian warned, pressing a finger against his lips. "Quiet. Can't let any of the No Ones know you're here."

_"Why have you gathered us here, D8?"_a familiar, metallic voice asked. Jason glanced down into the ground and saw T13 the Traveller of Time.

Each of the No Ones were present even if he couldn't make them out clearly.

_"We are here to discuss the destruction of the reality known as Enria,"_D8 the Derelict replied.

L4 the Liaison of Life groaned loudly. "Not this again, D8. We already discussed this before. There is no reason for Enria to be destroyed."

"Time changes all mortals, L4,"_D8 pressed. _"The face of Enria has changed. Where once you would assume that due to the changes it has undergone, it would deviate from the mistakes of the past but that is not true. Cast your eyes into the world now! See that even the great Jason Wolfe, Brett Sykes Wolfe and even Dan Wolfe or F6 the Patriarch have fallen into the same traps as the other mortals that made the world so abhorrent in the first place!"

Images began flashing before each of the No Ones, appearing like hovering flat screens. Jason was too far up to make out the scenes clearly but he was sure it was describing his rise to a Professional Super, essentially becoming that which he never wanted to be so long ago.

"Are you telling me that people are not allowed to be content with their existence?" A11 the Ascended replied sceptically. "Consider that in this reality, rise to a superhero is considered an honour and indeed something to be proud of. I see no reason why the ascension of these three individuals marks this reality as worthy of destruction."

"Perhaps D8's mind is a little narrow in his revenge again F6," S-Zero the Saviour of Space said, leaning forward and regarding the imagines intently. "However... I am detecting the interference to three inter-dimensional beings... Ones that are playing quite a significant role in the course of events... One I believe, is the vigilante known as Legion... He is murdering people and even offered Jason Wolfe two weapons that belong to our King..."

Murmurs began echoing throughout the chamber.

"Legion is R3's Advocate," I5 the Ingenious argued, her distant, echoing voice silencing everyone. "He is no doubt acting through R3's plan."

"One could argue that he is not," K12 the Karmic retaliated. "We have not seen our King for a while... and he remains unfound. There is a distinct possibility that this Advocate, in fact, crippled our King and has him trapped in Enria. It would explain the presence of another of the inter-dimensional individuals with F6 being the last."

V10 the Valiant spoke up, her voice low and dangerous. "Assumptions are dangerous things. We cannot know this for sure. Should we act on assumptions, then we risk the lives of countless mortals on shaky foundations. If we are to pursue this, we must investigate more."

D8 suddenly stood up from his throne. "We digress, friends. We argue not on the whereabouts of our Lord but rather on the right of Enria to continue existing. While the presence of these individuals do put into question the stability of Enria, we must look to the merit of the mortals and not their abilities. Mortals can be yet of use to us should they gain the ability to traverse realities."

"Mortals are not to be used, D8,"_T13 scowled. _"We too are mortal."

"Yes, yes,"_D8 replied dismissively. _"But we are mortals who hold those_mortals as our responsibility. We have let them progress too far. We have coddled them and let them play with toys that are_ far_too dangerous for their own good."_

"If I remember correctly," A11 said, "it was you who gave them those toys in the form of the Malefactors."

D8 ignored that statement. "Enria is now teeming with too much power. Additionally, the mortals that use that power turn against one another and consistently use their fame and fortune to control others. This contradicts this realities ideal of freewill. It was stated by the creator of this reality that all mortals be given the choice of what they will and will not do. Freedom, my friends, and balance.

"However, those ideals are put to a grave threat because in a few short moments, on a particular parade in the city of Newroads, all the superheroes - the keepers of that balance - will be gathered in one area where disaster will strike. Most, if not all, of them will die protecting others and the balance of power will shift drastically to the point of no return. When that occurs, the villains responsible will capture and enslave the people of Newroads, making it a hub for their villainy."

Jason was struck by panic.

Sam and Brett were going to be at that parade!

And if what D8 said was true... Then they were going to get hurt... or die!

"Assumptions again, D8," L4 warned.

"I assure you, I am not. Gaze into their future, my dear. Gaze into the reason_for this action. With the 'retirement' of Jason Wolfe, villains have become courageous and opt to destroy him once and for all. The gathering of all the other supers within the Newroads area just makes for a bigger target. Should any one of the Wolfe Clan die, chaos will ensue as hearts will be broken and retaliation will be slow at best._

"Newroads will fall."

"Then why destroy Enria for that!?" L4 shouted, leaping to her feet. "Why would you destroy a reality over something that happens in wars all the time!? While the loss of life is sad, there is a system implemented to ensure those that perish in Newroads are brought into other realities to have their chance at happiness!"

D8 paused...

... and Jason knew the No One was about to bring down the hammer...

"Because it is who will die that matters. Should any of the Wolfe Clan die, it is an attack on us_, the No Ones! Dan Wolfe is F6 the Patriarch, one of us! Should he perish when he made it clear he intends to continue existing on this reality as long as possible is a deprivation of his choice! Should Jason Wolfe, F6's son, die, the culprits attack the first ever true No One child! Should they attack Brett Sykes Wolfe, they attack one of us by adoption! Should they attack Sam Wolfe, they attack a truly unique child brought into existence by our King's hand, thus challenging R3's choice!_

"Should any of them die, they attack the No Ones!"

It was a flimsy excuse to Jason but... It made sense... There was a deep connection between the No Ones and the Wolfe family... They would want revenge too if one of them died.

"I would have to agree," K12 said grimly. "They are our family. Should any of them perish..."

"I really don't care about that," H2 the Harbinger of Havoc said. "Jason and the others will probably end up being Advocates anyway. I just want to blow stuff up!"

"I'm concerned about the Wolfes," S-Zero admitted, leaning back in his seat. "But I am more concerned about these inter-dimensional characters... They worry me... If left unchecked, they will destroy the world... I can sense immense power in one... power to rival my own and T13's combined... Nothing to match R3's but still enough power..."

_"Jealousy, S-Zero?"_T13 mocked.

"Caution. Looking into events, if events were to unfold as D8 explained, I see this power filling with endless rage and ripping the reality apart. It must be destroyed... I don't advocate destroying Enria... But I will tear apart the reality to find this creature to prevent it from escaping into other realities."

T13 shook his head. "No! I still refuse. Mortals change over time. Even should Newroads fall, it will be liberated. The future is uncertain. I will not_destroy Enria!"_

L4 nodded and slammed her fist against her throne. "Life is too precious to wantonly declare it forfeit due to your obsession over revenge, D8! I will stand against you should you attempt to destroy Enria!"

I5 hovered off her throne. "And I as well."

D8 chuckled darkly. "Very well then... Let us do this diplomatically. We shall vote."

V10 started in surprise. "That is unfair. Not all the No ones are present! F6 and R3 aren't here!"

"The balance remains the same,"_D8 replied confidently. _"There are - or rather were_-_ thirteen active No Ones. With two missing, we come down to eleven. In the past, even if we were divided, R3 would always be the tie-breaker. Even with F6 and R3 absent, we can still have a vote with a resolution."

Many of the No Ones looked uncomfortable with the decision... and even Jason was leaning forward in anticipation.

He counted the numbers...

T13, L4, I5, V10 and A11 all seemed to reject D8's move...

... but D8 had the support of H2 and K12... S-Zero might vote with him or he might not... that left W7 the Blade of the World and N9 the Neutral...

Someone tapped Jason shoulder and he flung around.

"Time's up!" the Librarian announced cheerily.

"What!? No!"

Whiteness...

... again.

*****

Jason's eyes fluttered open and this time, searing light cut through his retinas. Not the white of Naught... but real light. He smelled a strange mix of body odour, bananas, oil and urine in the air and he winced as his senses returned to him.

He found himself standing in an alleyway...

At the front of the alley was an enormous crowd, cheering and shouting. Confetti was drifting down from the rooftops of the tall buildings surrounding him, one blue flake dropping on his nose. He brushed it off as a massive float in the shape of a pirate ship drifted above the sea of heads and bodies...

The Endyear Parade!

He was at the Endyear Parade!

"Oh no..." he gasped, eyes wide.

Jason scrambled to the crowd, trying to shove his way through.

"Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry!"

At first, no one let him through... and then when the first person turned to him, her eyes went wide in shock probably from realising who he was. She pulled aside, starting a chain reaction that cause everyone in the crowd to peel away from him as he cut through them and surged to the front.

He hurriedly looked for the float... his float...

There!

At the front of the parade was a titanic image of himself in his combat attire, wielding Genesis in one hand and standing triumphantly over the body of Chris Thornton. On that same float was the shadowy Hellhound the new superhero, Force Wolf.

Jason charged along the street, brushing aside the confetti and streamers, legs pumping and panic rising in his chest. There were a large number of gasps and shouts from the crowd and he guessed that Brett and Sam had announced he couldn't make it for some reason. He wondered if he had just 'disappeared' or if he had actually been in another coma while he was off in Naught watching the No Ones vote on the end of his very home.

"Brett! Sam!" he cried, throwing caution into the wind.

It didn't matter if he used their real names.

All he knew was that if he could stop any of his family dying, the No Ones wouldn't attack. A pit formed in his stomach when he realised that if the No Ones voted in favour of D8... even those supporting T13's stand against the Derelict would attack... He didn't want to have to face all the No Ones!

That would be impossible!

So he had to keep his family from getting hurt.

Thankfully, the floats ground to a halt as he scrambled in front of his float which was the leading vehicle. Sam and Brett both looked horrified as he stood in front of them, holding his hands out and barring their path!

"You gotta get off the float!" he shouted.

"Uh... Okay..." Sam began, lifting himself up from the ground with his powers and gently coming down to stand in front of Jason. Brett jumped down as well, his shadowy wings catching his fall.

"You've got to listen to me," Jason said, grabbing them tightly. "There's going to be an attack! Some supervillain is going to attack the Parade!"

Sam gave him a shaky grin. "Erm... No offence, dad... but there's already been an attack."

...

Jason blinked.

Had he missed it...?

Had the attack already occurred and Sam, Brett and the rest of the superheroes managed to repel it easily?

Was he panicking for no reason?

"There has?"

"Yeah..." Brett said, sniggering slightly. "The 'Attack of the Naked Superhero'."

What...?

As if the universe had decided to inform him of his situation at that point, a breeze billowed by flecked with a bit of snow, bringing a chill to his fur... almost all his fur. Glancing downwards, he realised why the parade had stopped...

... and why that lady had pulled away so suddenly...

... and why both Brett and Sam looked about ready to burst into tears from laughter...

He was still in his boxers... Not his boxers, in fact... Sam's...

After having spent what seemed like an eternity in Naught... he had forgotten to get dressed!

What was worse... his fur was still stained with dried cum!

Oh no...

Suddenly... it occurred to him that he was standing in front of the entire world... almost completely naked... The Newroads Endyear Parade was broadcast all over the world...

...

Eeep...

The laughing started...

Jason blushed so hard he was sure he was blushing through his fur and despite his boxers, he still covered his crotch, his tail sinking in between his legs. It hurt even more that Brett and Sam had started laughing as well - nothing so hard but they were laughing.

Some part of him wished he could die at that moment...

It was a terrible wish to make...

BOOOOM!

All laughter died as eyes flung towards the rear most floats.

BOOOOM!

A float exploded into flames, sending sharp shards of debris in all directions.

BOOOOM!

Up went the float just before the Malefactor float...

Oh no...

BOOOOOM!

There goes the Malefactors... again...

Screams started cutting through the parade.

"Dad...?" Sam began.

BOOOOOM!

The Descent float exploded... and that left only one float left...

The one right in front of them...

The one two metres in front of all three of them!

Oh shi -

BOOOOOM!

Suddenly, he felt like the wind was blown straight out of him and he knew nothing but darkness. For a second, he wondered if he had died...

If this was it...

If the explosion had simply disintegrated him...

Then the darkness banished by the afternoon sun clouded by thick clouds of smoke.

WHAM!

He saw stars for a second and his head fell to the right... where he saw Brett, in his normal non-Hellhound form, blinking in surprise and with a slight gash across his face. There were a few sharp shards of shrapnel imbedded into his back but nothing serious.

"Brett...?" Jason gasped, coughing as his breath returned. "Are you alright?"

Brett nodded and sat up. "What...?" His mate's eyes went wide.

"I dunno... Sam must've teleported us -" Jason turned to where he was looking.

His heart stopped...

... and shattered.

"SAM!"

Right beside him, staring up at the sky with blood flowing from his muzzle... lay Sam Wolfe... A huge metal spike the size of Jason's arm was shoved right through Sam's chest, right over his heart. Jason could see the shattered remains of his son's vital organ scattered across the jagged length.

Sam let out a ragged gasp.

No!

He was still alive!

Jason scrambled over to his son, holding up Sam's head... Those glistening, sapphire-blue eyes were quickly losing their light of life...

"Sam... No..." Jason begged. "Don't do this! You can't die!"

He wasn't even sure if Sam could hear him anymore...

Then... his son smiled at him... With a shaking hand, Sam reached down his shirt and pulled out a small, golden pen... Chronicle.

"Save your strength," Jason pleaded, gripping Sam's hand tightly around Chronicle.

He didn't want to believe it... It was impossible...

After all they had been through...

After everything they had shared...

After all their love...

One explosion...

One miserable fucking explosion took his son away from him!

Jason felt a mixture of emotions flooding him... most of all was rage...

Whoever did this is going to pay!

"D - D -Dad..."

His anger died instantly... and he saw his Sam's face again... Even through all the blood... all the death, his son's face was a brilliant, shining image of happiness and love. Sam was smiling and the light in his eyes was back.

"Sam..."

Sam's hand slipped away from his, leaving Chronicle back in his hands.

"See ya later..." Sam whispered, his eyes slowly closing... his head... slipping in Jason's grip.

The last word that echoed in Jason's ears and heart...

... that last word that Sam Wolfe uttered...

... was...

"... Dad..."

...

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Jason's cry cut through all the screams of torment of agony... His sobs seemingly shaking the world. He heard Brett cry out something beside him just as loud as his... but he didn't register it.

Clutching Chronicle in his hand... he just stared at his son... At Sam...

...

At that moment...

Eleven meteorites hit Enria.