Guardians - Alternate Universes

CH 15 Welcome Back

As Rile stepped through the shimmering portal, the crackle of the campfire outside their tents reached his ears. Cale sprang up from his spot by the fire, his children's joyful shrieks echoing in the distance.

"Welcome back," Cale said, clapping a hand on Rile's shoulder and studying his brother's weary face.

Rile slumped onto a nearby log, still lost in thought.

Cale handed him a goblet of wine, waiting for an answer to his unspoken question. "How did your mission with the other Alex go?" he finally asked.

Rile took a long sip of the rich, red liquid before replying, "She was rather...hostile at first. But eventually she came around when we reached the Anolis home world. And then your counterpart showed up." A faint smile tugged at Rile's lips as he recounted the unexpected encounter.

Cale raised an eye-ridge in curiosity. "What happened?"

"Well, it turns out his brother Rile had been murdered by Morgan. I introduced him to Alex. I have a feeling she'll keep him busy with her own missions and adventures." The warm glow of the fire danced across Rile's face as he spoke, reliving the events of his journey.

Cale poured himself a goblet of deep crimson wine. They drank in silence, the rich liquid warming their throats as they sat together in the evening. Rile slumped down, exhaustion etched into every line of his face.

"What else?" Cale finally broke the silence, his voice low and gentle.

Rile avoided Cale's gaze. "Nothing else," he replied curtly.

Cale tapped his brother's knee with a sharp claw. "Something else is bothering you."

Rile's shoulders tensed at the touch. "Alex is dead," he said bitterly, "and seeing her counterpart was like a knife to my soul, Cale. What do you want from me?"

"I want to help," Cale replied sincerely. "Is that all that's bothering you?"

Rile scoffed and snatched the wine-skin, pouring himself another goblet. "Isn't that enough?" he snapped. After a long drink, he said, "Razz saw her die." He stared off into the distance. "A dark portal revealed it all to him. Morgan...he starved and beat her." He couldn't continue, his voice catching in his throat.

Cale placed a comforting hand on Rile's shoulder. "That's terrible. It sounds like something The Adversary would do. Torturing others is his specialty."

Rile's anger flared at the mention of The Adversary. "Morgan is a fool," he seethed. "Alex can't glow if she's sick or starved. And yet, he always talked about wanting copies of her implants. Why couldn't he have just taken those instead of resorting to torturous methods?" His fists clenched in frustration as he spoke.

"That's right," Cale stated firmly. "Morgan may be psychotic, but he's not stupid. He wouldn't have starved her. It was Alex who chose to starve herself."

Rile lifted his head and stared at him incredulously. "What does it matter?"

"It matters a great deal. If Morgan was the one depriving her of food, he would hold all the power in their twisted relationship. But by choosing to starve herself, Alex took back control. She denied Morgan access to her powers, leaving him helpless and frustrated. It must have given her immense satisfaction to finally have the upper hand over him. Keeping her power from Morgan was always her ultimate goal, at all costs," Cale explained with warmth.

Rile drank the last of the wine. "It did cost everything. I'm going to bed."

"With my family in our tent," Cale said.

"Alone," Rile said.

"Children," Cale called.

The swarm of children enveloped Rile, begging him to join them in their tent for the night. With a resigned sigh, Rile allowed himself to be led away by the joyful pack. Seba smiled affectionately as she tucked each child into their makeshift bedrolls within the tent. Cale followed shortly after, embracing Rile before joining in on the crowded puppy pile of bodies already snuggled up together for the night.

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A/N

Dedicated to

IanReeve216

who not only asked for this to be published but is enjoying it!

Cocosghost