(Disclaimer: A warning to those who continue.  This is a sequel to a previous story.  Both of these were written in the mid-1990’s.  While the first one was slightly edited and vanity press published, this one has not been touched in over 20 years.  I figure I should do something with it and people may get a laugh or fright from how I used to be.  Every author comes from somewhere, so this is part of my origin.  To that end, I am deeply sorry for whatever nightmares I will inflict on the literary world and the American English language.  Enjoy?)

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Meanwhile, the female guardians are trapped on the deck of the Intrepid and they are waiting for Tegam to talk.  He had tied them up in strong sun-forged chains and spent the following hour in confused silence.  Occasionally, he would be on the verge of talking, but a sudden thought always stopped him.  So, Hydrana finally decided to start asking her own questions.

“What do you want with us, jester?” she asks.  Miracle is still pretty dazed from her fight with the concrete serpent.  She simply stares at the redheaded man standing before them.

“Actually, I only wanted to talk to Kelly.  Your arrival and capture was an accident.  But you should hear what I have to say as well.  Have you figured out anything about my recent changes?” replies Tegam.

“Only that you were under the Earth weapon’s control.  You aren’t really a villain or at least you didn’t start out as one.”

“Exactly.  Right on target.  Not a bull’s eye, but you’re close.  You young heroes can be very intelligent when you want to be.  I was originally a hero along with our old friend Solix.  But Adriana’s group took control of me instead of killing me.  I don’t know her reasons, but it had something to do with my specific planet.”

“Hold it!  Hit the rewind button, Tegam.  You’re saying that you were one of the ten original planet guardians!” exclaims Miracle.  She breaks her metal bonds by pushing her arms out as hard as she can and jumps to her feet.  The other guardian stands up, but freezes Tegam to the aircraft carrier’s deck before breaking free in the same manner as her friend.

“This isn’t necessary.  I wanted to talk about me being one of the original guardians.  To be more precise, the original Neptune guardian.  There is no need for any form of violence.”

“Fine.  I’ll let you go on one condition.  You must promise to answer every single question that we ask.  I don’t want any cryptic responses or half-truths.  Understand that, prankster,” growls Hydrana as she unfreezes the immortal.

“Of course.  I’m not Solix, so I don’t like keeping secrets that I am allowed to tell.  Now, what do you want to know?”

“If you are the original Neptune guardian, how is it that I have a part of you inside me?  You never died when you were supposed to.”

“I’m eternally thankful for that.  But that Tegam died as soon as Adriana caught him in her skin­tight web.  You see, the Glebnoks had created the original guardians as universal protectors.  We were genetically programmed to be erased from existence if we lost that purpose.  So, when I strayed from my path and turned to evil, my genetic programming should have terminated me on the spot,” explains Tegam as he uses the magic whip to turn some missiles into a comfortable living room set.

“Why didn’t it?” inquires Miracle.

“Just like God’s creation, the guardians evolved beyond our creator’s strongest expectations.  But, like I said, that old Tegam is dead and long gone.  I am a brand new man with shattered images that serve as my memory.  Thankfully, the pictures are rapidly starting to reform.”

“Okay.  Now, what do I have to do with any of this?  I’m the new Venus guardian, not the old one.  I would think that Hydrana would be the more likely person for you to talk to,” mentions Miracle as she sits in a recliner.

“I know that my past deals primarily with Neptune.  But I want the two of you to follow me in one of your space skimmers.  Adriana will certainly send a force to kill both the Glebnoks and myself.  They are the one’s that hold the rest of my memory.  I cannot stop Adriana’s forces and find the rest of my past without your help.  Before you answer me, I can assure you that Fate and Infinity will be fine by themselves.  Infinity is insignificant to both Draveon and Adriana while Fate is extremely important to Adriana.  I can’t tell you why, but she will not let him die during this particular battle.  She has some long term plans for him.”  He ignores the Venus guardian’s bored expression and concentrates on staring at the fading stars.

“You didn’t answer my question.  Why me?”

“How can I put this?  Before I became one of the evil immortals, I knew this incredible woman.”

“Oh no.  Here it comes,” Hydrana whispers with a sudden smile.

“She was a beautiful Glebnok of some importance, who was named Brina.  Her long hair was as soft and black as a panther’s pelt.  She had these eyes that resembled a pair of flawless emeralds.  I can remember every tiny physical detail about her, which includes her unique birthmark.  It was shaped like a domino mask and it was on the back of her perfect neck.  She was. . .”

“Stop with the long-winded description.  Just come out and say it, Tegam.  I’m a dead ringer for your old lover.  Even down to the birthmark.  So, how do I fit into your past?” Miracle interrupts.  She slowly moves her hair to the side in order to show the other two immortals the small, domino mask birthmark.

“For our resident genius, you sure can’t take a big hint.  You resemble Brina, so Tegam trusts you enough to ask for your help.  I, for one, think we should help him regain his freedom and some kind of a good life.  It also means we might get the Glebnoks as allies,” says Hydrana.  Suddenly, Tegam vanishes and the space shuttle’s engines start.  The ship is taking off by the time the two female guardians get off the Intrepid.

“Can you track him while we’re in the space skimmer?” the Venus guardian asks while they sprint toward Central Park at their top speed.

“It’s unnerving.  I can clearly track him in deep space with these new senses.  I can see his shuttle’s heat trail and smell the burning atomic fuel.  Why?”

“Because we’re going to follow him.  By ourselves.”

Hydrana is a few steps behind Miracle as she yells, “This is going to be some girls’ night out.  I hope we survive this or at least get some shopping in.”