Breaking In For Survival (part 3)

COLE
Cole had spent the evening and the night catching up on some of the Island business. He had run the training class, which had been scheduled for Neo to handle on Street Fighting . It had been fun to actually get in with the men and teach. Lately there never seemed to be enough time to work with his troops. Three people had earned their specialist badges and two trainees had been able to complete the training to move up to the regulars. His chef had gotten with him and a new hydroponic garden area had been designed. Cole smiled as he remembered putting a sign up in the main room on the board that he needed volunteers to help get the garden up and running, and eight people had signed up in the first ten minutes. He would leave the choice of one or all to the chef.

Frank was able to get to bed by mid-night and got his normal six hours of sleep. Artkee had brought him his breakfast and then cleared it away. The elf had also given Cole a report on Franco and Neo's conditions. Franco was still out and according to Punta would be out for a while yet. The elves wanted to get him as close to normal as they could before they allowed him to wake up. He had come very close to burning out parts of his body, including the special part of his brain which assisted in the changes. He was expected to have a full recovery, but too many more changes like that would do irreversible damage. Somehow, Cole was going to have to figure out a way to get the man to realize he was not out to kill his brother or family, but the way of doing that still alluded him.

Neo had woken up around four in the morning and had come out of the knock-out drug fighting. Cole had ordered that both he and Franco be strapped down in the bed. Franco because of possible problems with the change back and Neo because it was one of the nasty side-effects of the drug, that if you were fighting or running when you went down, your body thought it should still be doing it when you woke up. While he was eating, Cole had reviewed the tapes.

Neo had been lying quietly one moment and fighting to get out of the straps the next instant. It had taken Kimtu, the elf assigned to him for the night, almost half an hour to get Neo calmed down enough to listen to reason. Cooler still was restless. Only Cole had the authority to have the man untied. It was now 7 am. and Cole was heading into the room.

Cole put his hand on the handle and took a deep breath. It was going to be another long day. Entering the room, he walked up to the bed and said, "Good morning Cooler. I understand you have been awake for a while, so how would you like to get up?"

Neo glared at Fixer as he said with venom in every syllable, "Where is my brother? If your men have laid a finger on him..."

"Your brother is fine, or soon will be Neo. He is still asleep and will stay that way until the elves can get him back closer to normal." Cole leaned on the side railing of the bed. "He really did come very close to damaging his body with that little stunt he pulled. We did not have to knock him out, because his own body shut him down." Cole waited for Neo to let what he just said about his brother almost dying before he continued. "Now I want to be able to let you up, but I also want to make sure you are not going to do anything stupid. So, Cooler what's it going to be are we going to talk over there at the table or are you going to have to stay combined to this bed a while longer?"

Neo said still angry, "He would not be like that if you had not given him reason to! Now let me up, I am going to see my brother! Then I am going to find your man that knocked me out and see just how good he is when he doesn't have a weapon..."

Cole continued to lean on the bed railing as he said, "With that attitude, Neo you are not getting up. So we will start our conversation here. If at any time you decide you would like to come to the table and maybe have something to eat and drink, while talking then just let me know." Cole stopped for a moment and considered how much of what was going on he should tell the man. "I have a question for you, Cooler. Who would be your first guess, of someone who wants to see your brother dead, and wants me to be blamed for it?"

Neo shook his head as he said, "Shadow and Khalid! Both would love my family out of the way especially Frankie. They are also always using somebody else to do their dirty work."

Thinking Cole stared at the wall behind the bed, then turned back to Neo. "I am going to rule Shadow and Khalid out on this one, Cooler, because they would not have had the necessary information to try and get Marco to come after me. Since your brother's last visit with me something happened to make Franco think I was out to kill you, if your brother Marco did not call you off of the search for me. I had Artkee go through your brothers robe seam by seam and he discovered a note to Marco with codeword's only Marco and very few others would understand. The only thing was, the wrong code words were used in the wrong order, so Marco knew it did not come from me. Apparently Franco found the note and has taken it at face value. Someone wants me to kill Franco and then have Marco come after me to kill me, and they do not care who in your family gets caught in the cross fire." Cole stopped then continued, "Again I say with absolute certainty it was not Shadow or Khalid. Looks like you have someone else trying to take out your family and me along with them. Any ideas?"

Neo shook his head sadly, "Let me see the note. It going to Marco would most certainly rule Shadow out as Frankie would be his target not Marco." Neo thought of only one other and that would only be if Marco's attack had not been because of Marcus. Neo had only found out recently that those men killed the night that Marco ended up in the hospital had not been headed for St. Francis to help with the search for Marcus' killer but had been headed to meet with Air.



Cole reached in his back pocket and pulled out the piece of parchment found in Franco's robe. It was small and had very few words. Unfolding it, he held it up in front of Neo's eyes, adding a knowing smile on his face. It was not hard to pick up on the fact that Neo wanted him to undo the straps. "Since I know your first question is going to be, how was Marco convinced it was not from me, the answer would be two fold. One a code phrase has not been added to the note and two, I would not sign the note Fixer because that would not be the codename between a small group we put together in college. Franco thinks I am going to kill you, and he knows he needs help to get you out of here. I am not sure he knows how seriously damaging the change he tried could be on his body and mind, but whatever he knows he was willing to take the chance." Cole looked into Neo's eyes and continued, "Your brother was willing to give up his life and/or sanity to try and save you."

Cole decided to try to plant a seed in Neo's brain. "It looks like your world is closing in on you Neo from all sides. Too bad you don't have anyone willing to safeguard your family for a small price."

Neo read the note as he said, "It is hard for me to get anything out of a note I can barely read. Release my hands at least."

Cole looked at Kimtu who was standing at the head of the bed. The elf shook his head no. Cole chuckled and looked back at Neo, "It seems the elf agrees with my assessment of the situation you are in and knows it would not be a good idea to release even your hands. Neo I did not hurt your brother, in fact even though you do not want to admit it, I saved his life. If I wanted him dead or injured I could have left him in the cave, which he never would have been able to transport out of or I could have forbidden the elves to bring his body back to its human form. All you want to do now is fight me and anyone else unlucky enough to get in your sights." Cole leaned a little closer to Neo, "Here is a bit of information you can think about Cooler. Right now, you need me on several fronts. You still have a craving for a drug I can give you in any quaintly you want and can also help you stay away from … you need help figuring out the hooded man's identity before he gets to other members of your family and you know I have more information on subjects you will need to know about, than the Caretakers and Ministry combined . Also, Franco is caught between two worlds and I am the only one who can help him navigate the pitfalls… take him out of my care and they will lock him up until they can either train him or make it so he can not hurt anyone … Keep fighting me Cooler and I will make sure all of these worlds of yours come down on you at one time."

Cole paused so the information could take root. "Now I know you can read the note, so stop stalling… either you have information which can help me or you will stay locked away here and I will get the information somehow from your brother." Cole continued to stare at Neo.

Neo stared at Fixer as he said, "How did you know that I thought of the man that nearly killed Marco? I never said that I have been hunting for that maniac though until recently I thought it to be Shadow, since Marcus had been murdered that afternoon."

Cole stood back up a little straighter, but continued to lean casually on the bed railing. "I told you Neo, I have a lot of information. It is what I do. It is my specialty." Cole looked at his watch. "If everything goes as planned, I can allow Franco to wake up in about three or four hours. At that time, I will try again to convince him I did not send this note," Cole waved the note he had partially crumbled in his fist, "and that you care enough about you brother to stop trying to fight the one person who can probably save him and keep him out of the Wizards version of the nut house or worse." Cole walked over, sat on the edge of the table, and folded his arms across his chest. "I will of course give you some time to think about it. If I cannot convince your brother I am not trying to kill you, then I will have to revert to plan B keep him asleep long enough to get him on a regimen of drugs and control his changes with medications. This is all up to you, Neo. You know what I want and you know what you need to do and say." Cole settled back on the table and waited.

Neo shook his head as he said, "No Fixer! The answer is No! You just ruined any chance of me even trusted you slightly. You know who attacked Marco and killed at least 10 of my brother's best friends. Marco who trusts you and you won't tell him who it is and just how you know! I will find that guy and then if I find you had anything to do with setting Marco up..."

Uncrossing his arms and reaching down to grab the edge of the table, to balance himself as he rocked forward a little, Cole said, "Neo, I do not know who attacked Marco, and whether you believe it or not, if I did, that man would be dead at the moment. Marco knows I would tell him in a split second if I knew who had killed any of the people you think were only his best friends. I will even tell you there is a project unfolding as we speak to research information needed to right a lot of wrongs. Your main concern now should be Franco. Starting plan B will be a lot easier if he is not awake, but I will let him wake and then start if you want. Give me your decision Spellman … how do you want me to handle your brothers training and you addiction?"

Neo shook his head as he said, "I am not ever going to be one of your men Fixer! As for the cloaked man, how did you know he wore a cloak? Marco remembers nothing of that night. The only reason I know to look for a cloaked man is..." Neo stopped as he promised the witness never to reveal who found Marco, but soon he would need to have a chat with the man as soon as they found him. Cooler hoped he was still alive.

Cole saw the small boy in his mind. A child who would be a man of around 19 or 20 years old, would be hard to find after all this time, but he would put Artkee on it. The elf had found a lot of information on less hints. "Marco might not consciously remember much which happened that night Neo, but the information still remains in his subconscious. As you have been so quick to point out more than once, much to your apparent dislike, Marco is my friend and he has allowed me certain access to information, which can only be obtained without conscious thought and without him getting in trouble for reveling. The hooded man made a couple of errors that night, and to keep you from being able to unwittingly give the information away, I will keep those errors to myself until I can confirm and act on them. I keep your brother informed; Neo and someday maybe we can get to the point where I can trust you enough to keep you informed."

Cole walked back over to the edge of the bed. Leaning on the side railing he said, "You still have not given me a clear idea on how I am handling your brother. Am I bringing him all the way out and awake and with your help convince him, I do not intend to kill you or do I keep him under and start the buildup of the drugs he needs to have in his system?"

Neo glared at Fixer as he said, "Fixer, it has nothing to do with if you will fully trust me. It is that I will never fully trust you and I don't work with or for people I don't trust! So now what Fixer as I am not breaking..."

"I am not asking you to break, Cooler. I am asking you to make a medical decision about your unconscious brother's care. What is your answer Spellman? Will it be awake with pain and anguish for also possible joy, or will it be asleep to awaken later to a world filled with life saving drugs?" Cole had leaned closer and turned a deadly stare at the reclining and strapped Cooler.

Neo shook as he said, "ask Lance and Max, they are his doctors. Fixer, what do you have planned, now that you know what I promised you is all you will ever get? I don't trust you Fixer and what happened to my brother Frankie has shown me that I can never trust you. I will be having words with Marco and you are not going to like the result."

"I asked you Spellman. Make the decision. You are his next of kin, here on the island so it is up to you since I can't ask him his wishes. You are responsible for him at the moment, because he cannot be… which will it be Cooler… decide your brother's fate." Cole got even closer and his voice dripped with venom. "I am waiting Cooler."

Neo shook his head as he said, "I am not making any more deals Fixer!" He wanted to help his brother but he had to draw the line. He had the man that knocked him out to thank as he had come close to one trusting Fixer and more importantly doing anything to insure that Frankie was helped. He looked at the man that had tried everything to break him. Cooler inwardly cringed at the thought of what Fixer might do if he finally decided that Cooler would not ever break. Neo's mind went to those he cared about and he shook his head as he said, "So what happens now Fixer? I won't break. So what do you plan to do now?"

Cole smiled and motioned for Kimtu to come close. Leaning down he whispered in the elf's ear. He received a look of surprise and question from the elf, before Kimtu nodded and left the room. Cole just turned slowly and walked around to the other side of the table and straddled the chair. He steepled his fingers in front of him and just stared at Neo without saying a word.

Neo watched Fixer and for the first time since the man had started trying to break him, the Cooler was scared. He had always had hints as to how Fixer planned the next step in breaking him. Neo had always been able to prepare mentally. Fixer was doing nothing this time but watching him. He hated being tied down as Neo loved being active. He was terrified about what Fixer planned for Frankie. Deep down he wanted to trust Fixer cause he wanted to believe that his fears about Marco were wrong. Cooler was also fearful that Kimtu had been sent to get Tara, Kat or even Charlie or Dalton. The silence from Fixer was actually terrifying Cooler more then Fixer threatening Neo with the drugs. He had to get Fixer to talk or at least hint at what he was planning. Cooler said, "So you finally realize that you are never going to break me, Fixer?"

Cole continued to stare. After about five minutes, Kimtu re-entered the room and nodded to Cole. Frank nodded back and then with hand signals told Kimtu to go to the top of the bed and prepare for a level five mind dive. Cole needed to have a little conversation with Neo's subconscious which the Cooler had dubbed the Key . At the present time, the key was locked deep inside of Neo at level 5 in the man's brain.

Before Cole closed his eyes, he made sure Kimtu was in position, with two fingers on each side of Neo's head at his temples. Cole did not have to be touching Neo, as most mind-divers would have had to do, because he connected with Kimtu through his empathic abilities. He could do the mind-dive by connecting directly with Neo, but the elf would block out all of the stray emotions, which made it difficult for Cole to drop to the level he wanted to. It was easier this way.

With his eyes closed the made the connection and started his slide behind Kimtu. It did not take long to get to the Key who was sitting in what looked like the garden area of an older Hogwarts. This garden had not been well kept.

The Key was still furious as he felt the one known as Fixer. He stood as he said, "You had your fun now I have duties to perform."

Cole chuckled in his mind. He went and sat down on one of the leaf covered benches, "You really should do some house cleaning here you know. Sit down, please we need to talk." Cole waited until the character sat and crossed his legs on the bench. "Your conscious self has decided not to take care of your brother. He would rather he die, be in a lot of pain, or a slave to drugs as you once were. You know that I had to save your brother in the cave. If I would have left him there he would have died. The only safe place was to bring him back here. Those in the outside world cannot help him." Cole looked into the Key's face. "Your conscious self will not admit they would lock his brother up for who knows how long until they found the time to help him. I do not want to control his gift; I only want him to be able to control it so others cannot. I need your conscious self to realize it is either me, showing I have some control, or members of the Dark Sect, taking ultimate total control over every part of his body and mind. I need suggestions from you on how to make this transition easier."

The Key shook his head as he said, "You think I would help you break Cooler...No! Now release me as I have duties to perform! You tricked me before. I have watched and listened and now I want to get on with my work!"

"I also want you to get on with your work and I plan on releasing you from here as soon as I can keep Neo safe. There are those who want to control you and others in his family. They will back off if I can make them believe I have gained control. They are talking about going after the young ones you help to protect. You can handle the control, I will use but will the young ones be able to fight or will their true selves be lost in the darkness the Dark Sect will create. Help me or see your conscious self be taken over by those who will not only lock you away, but will destroy you in the process. You will not exist. Think on what I have said…. I will be back. You know how to contact one of the elves if you wish to talk." Cole got up off the bench and walked back into the fog of Neo's conscious mind. It took a few moments before he had risen to the top and could open his eyes. He looked at Neo and smiled.

The Key shook his head, as he said angrily, "No! You release me Now! I have duties to perform..." He was furious as the man just left. He could feel Cooler was worried about how Fixer planned to break him. He thought to the mind but nothing was getting out. He hollered to Fixer, "Get back here and let me out!"

It took a few moments before Cole had risen to the top and could open his eyes. He looked at Neo and smiled.

Neo head hurt as he saw Fixer smile. Neo thought about his inner voice and shook his head, "You are not going to stop trying to break me are you, Fixer? What were you doing in my head? Looking for more fears or habits, you could try to use. Give it up Fixer, as I will never break! Martin insured that…"

Cole just smiled. Not answering Neo's questions was actually making the man more nervous. Time to head out-doors. "I think it is time to take a little walk Cooler." Cole motioned to Kimtu to unstrap Neo and let him up. Cole smiled, because he hoped Neo would try something. It would give Kimtu the excuse to drop him bound on his face.

Neo finally heard something from Fixer and he relaxed a little. As Kimtu unstrapped him, Cooler wondered if Fixer was just going to pick up where they left off. Kimtu put down the side railing and Cooler slowly swung his feet over the side of the bed, and slipped on his shoes. Then he stood up and waited. Fixer had started to have Neo exercise at least twice a day. Cooler had even gotten use to the new routine. He realized that it was the one thing that Neo actually enjoyed about being on the island. He decided to not do anything yet in case Fixer just had him retied to the bed.

"Kimtu were you able to set things up outside like I asked?" Receiving a nod he motioned to the door for Neo to go first. He would have to watch Neo, because when the man figured out what they were going to do, Cole had a feeling he would be reacting rather badly. Slowly and silently they walked down the hall and out on to the front lawn. Cole motioned toward the tent area. Standing near the tent, along with the regular early morning crowd, were two men with a woman in-between them, all standing at strict attention, eyes front. When they got closer Cole said, "At ease and then turned to Neo.

Neo noticed that they had only gone as far as the tent area. He looked at Fixer as he asked," Is there a reason we are not going straight for the exercise area?"

"What we are going to do is help, Lorrie over there earn her specialist badge. She has been able to complete all the requirements except one." Cole walked over to Lorrie and her two companions as all of them came to attention again. "At ease you three." Talking to Lorrie he asked, "You ready regular to get your patch. I know this is going to be hard but I also know you can do it."

The girl was at ease stance but still looked like she was ready to snap back to attention at a moment's notice. "Thank you, Sir. I have been talking to some of the others and they have given me some mental help. I am ready." Lorrie looked around Cole and asked, "Captain, you think he is going to understand what is happening?" Cole smiled. "Not sure there." Glancing at Neo he quietly said, "Just hang in there and remember you complete your badge and you can go on that two week vacation, anywhere you want. All paid for." Lorrie smiled and saluted, "Yes sir. I am ready."

Neo watched and wondered what the last requirement she needed was. He wanted to help without giving Fixer any reason to think he was even caring for any of Fixer's men. He stayed quiet.

Cole walked back over to where Neo stood, about a six-foot distance. "Neo, the only requirement Regular Lorrie has not completed is pain management. All of my men especially the specialist know how to work through pain. This helps when they are on maneuvers or if they go out in the world and are treated, shall we say to someone else's asserted need to get information or just hurt them. I thought I would make it interesting and give you a chance to help and learn at the same time." Cole motioned to Kimtu to bring the piece of equipment, which had been sitting, in the tent. When Kimtu put it on the nearby table, Cole continued. "I know Neo you know this is a cattle-prod, but I have made some alterations. If you look closely, you will see a dial, which goes from one to ten. One is a small tickle type shock and ten burns the skin. The dial also spins." Cole chuckled at the questioning look on Neo's face. "We are going to play my version of Russian roulette. Ever heard of it Neo?"

Neo looked towards the girl as he listened to Fixer. He was not liking what he heard. The girl could be seriously hurt. Also, he still saw no connection to him. He turned to face Fixer as he said, "I told you that I have no interest in any of your men. I will train those that I deem worthy but otherwise I see no reason to help them. So I will head to the exercise area and begin my routine."

"Patience, Spellman, patience." Cole smiled at Lorrie and said, "Please take your position Lorrie while I explain the rest of our little game to Spellman here." Lorrie walked over to the pole and facing out, grabbed the ring just above her head. She spread her feet apart shoulder distance and leaned against the pole. Her two companions stood one on each side of her. Cole slowly turned back to Neo and said, "You Spellman seem to have difficulty in following orders. You know you are supposed to be completing all you sentences to me with the word Sir whether your brother interrupts or not. You are also supposed to come to attention, which I will admit you have been good. You have not realized when I say something to you it is an order. When you got out of the bed earlier, you should have come to attention, but since I did not specify you be at attention if I was in the room. I will give you that one as a freebie. From now on you will stand at attention most of the time."

Cole reached down and turned on the apparaître on the table and it sizzled. "Now here is where Lorrie comes in. Every time you refuse to follow an order, or are even too slow … every time you refuse to say Sir at the end of your sentences … every time you get me up set, during the next 24 hours, I am going to spin the dial on the cattle-prod and when it stops I am going to zap Loorie. What do you think about that Spellman?" Cole ended what he was saying with an open invitation for Neo to forget part of what he just said. Glancing sidelong at Loorie, he knew she realized what he had done, but she was holding her own. Her two companions were there to help her if she fell.

Neo smiled as he said, "I told you Fixer, I will keep my word, exactly as I promised. Which means the Yes Sirs ended when the questioning did? As for the standing at attention, you request was stated as such, I was to stand at attention whenever you entered the room. We are outside so that is also void now. Another promise was that I would train your men while I am on the island. This I will also do but it does not state that I am to help with their training or even mention the girls of your army. That is totally up to me and as I told you...I won't have anymore to do with you or your army then I have already agreed to. The girl is on her own as she was when she joined you and thought nothing of what kind of people she would be a mercenary for. Fixer, you will work for anybody that can pay your price and care nothing about just who your client is having you target. She made her bed and now she has to lay in it." With this Cooler started to walk towards the exercise area. Inwardly he was shaking, as he knew it meant pain for the girl but the lesson he hoped she understood. Neo thought, "Sometimes a person's beliefs and honor meant more than money."

Cole signaled Kimtu and motioned for him to stop Master Neo. Kimtu nodded raised his hand, Neo's arms went down to his side, and he went to his knees. "Bring him back here Kimtu." The elf again nodded and walked over to Neo, reached down and effortlessly brought the man to his feet and then dragged him back to stand before Cole. When he was stationed about two feet away from him, Cole said in a deadly voice. "The rules have changed Spellman. You will now stand at attention in my presence unless I say otherwise. You will end all you sentences with Sir, you will do exactly what I say, when I say it. Now watch and see what your stubbornness causes." Cole spun the dial and said, "Seven." Then he walked over to Loorie and touched the cattle prod to her right calf. She jerked, twisted and moaned, but she did not let go of the ring. Cole turned back and looked at Neo. "At attention Spellman, Now, Understand?"

Neo inwardly cringed as he realized that Fixer had just called his bluff. It was going to everything he mentally had stored to stand there and not want to make it easy on the girl by complying with Fixer. Cooler shook his head as he said coldly, "I am not one of your men Fixer and I never will be! In fact, I am glad you have showed me just how much your own men are worth to you. It will make seeing you in Azkaban a whole lot easier...Even if Marco must join you." Neo inwardly shook as he realized that for some reason his emotions behind that statement just did not have the strength behind it.

He knew that this girl had no idea why he seemed to be so cold against Fixer. He would talk to the girl later as it really was more a matter of loyalty and honor. This army of Fixer's seemed as loyal to Cole as the Caretakers were to Arianna. The problem was Cooler had seen nothing that showed Fixer deserved such. Then Fixer also taking jobs from anybody that would pay his price had made Neo wonder if the man only cared about money and power. He smiled as he realized that it was that fact that kept Cooler from even considering what Fixer was wanting.
Cooler said as coldly as he could, "Fixer, You are no better than Daniel Marsden. Your ability to accept any client that pays you price shows that all you really care about is money and power. I can never work with anybody like that. Your people show you a loyalty that you have done nothing to earn!"

The girl had done well with that first hit of the cattle prod but he had a feeling that Fixer was far from done. Inwardly Cooler wondered just who would say uncle first, him or Fixer. He cringed inwardly as he realized that he was already thinking of just which types of Fixer's orders, he would allow himself to give into so that the girl might survive this. What about Fixer's specialists and a few others had Neo connecting, Cooler had no clue except that they seemed to be extremely loyal and a few had even tried to get Neo to see Fixer in a different light.

Cooler wondered if these specialists knew something about Fixer that Neo had been trying to see. Marco had few friends that Neo knew Marco would do anything for. He looked at Fixer and wondered what was it about this man that Marco had put Frank Cole as one of those that Marco would put at the top of that list.

Cole looked over at Lorrie and silently asked her if she was all right. He received a nod. Smiling he turned to Neo and said, "I do not take any job offered Spellman. I pick only the ones I want to take. Their results have to make a difference. Normally what Lorrie is going through would only take six hours, of intermittent cattle-prod pokes, punches and arm twists. Lorrie was given the choice of six hours of definite pain, to 24 hours of maybe pain. These are things other less savory organizations might use to make my army do what they want, before I can rescue them. And Spellman they will be rescued, right Loorie?"

Lorrie nodded and tried to smile. Cole was actually trying to give her a little time to relax. But he could not let off much. "Maybe later I will let you ask Lorrie why it is so important for her to get her specialist patch. She has been working on it for over a year now. You are her last hurtle." Cole held up the control for the cattle-prod and said, "Stand at attention Spellman and answer me like you are required to."

Neo got a look on his face as he said, "The one thing you will learn about me is this...Those I trust have earned it! Those I work with and for have earned both my trust and loyalty. You have earned neither Fixer and so far, only one of your men has earned at least partly my respect. As I said before, I am not one of your Men and I Never will be!"
Cole spun the dial. "Five" he announced and the man on Lorrie's right touched her right thigh with the prod. She winced and her breath came in short pants. When she was able to look up again, a single tear came from her right eye. She just looked at Neo and tilted her head.

Cole stepped closer to Neo, "So Spellman, we are going for three are we. Stand at attention and answer me like you should." Cole put his hand on the spinner.

Neo just stood there as he said, "You don't get it Fixer! You think that girl in pain will get me to comply? It won't! Fixer, you have the only promises out of me that you will get. I will honor those both since none apply here...I will do neither. Air earned my loyalty and trust! You have neither my trust nor my respect and so even though my brother Marco shows you loyalty, I will never join your army." With that Cooler looked towards the woods as he really need to run and clear his head.

Cole motioned to Kimtu to turn Neo back around. "If you want this to go on, you are at least going to watch what you are doing to the girl, by your stubbornness, Spellman." Kimtu forced Neo's head to stay pointed at the human female. Cole again spun the dial and held it where Neo could see it. He saw the man's hand fist up and then relax and stretch, several times. When the dial stopped, Fixer said, "Six" and watched Neo's face as he heard the sizzle of the cattle-prod as it touched Lorrie's skin. He inwardly cringed, but would not show it. This was the hardest part of the training for his specialist. The men and women who went out into the world in areas, it was necessary for him to send them, needed to know what to expect and not be too surprised, by what they might run into. He always attended every pain training time. After he made sure every person got any medical treatment they needed and they were given a two week paid vacation to anywhere in the world.

Cole was almost in Neo's face this time. "I said stand at attention Spellman and answer me like you should." Cole could hear Lorrie's sobs but he could not give into them. The Dark Sect or some of the other groups, which roamed the world, would not give in, and he knew Lorrie would not expect him to give in. If he could get just this one move out of Neo and get him to agree to call him Sir, even when his brother interrupted then they could move on.

Neo said nothing as he was thinking about the easiest way to get the girl her patch or finally see just how loyal this girl was. He smiled as he had the way but how to get Fixer to agree.

Cole shook his head and gave the dial a spin. It took everything in his power not to show what the number meant. He was not sure the girl could take a level 10. Looking at Neo he said "Ten". There was an auditable gasp from Lorrie. When he glanced in her direction he saw she had closed her eyes. She was also working her hands on the rings to try and get a good tight grip. Her knuckles were already white. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked straight ahead. Cole raised his hand to give the order for the hit……

Neo heard the number and said knowing only one word would get Fixer to even consider Neo's idea, "Sir, I think I have a better way to see if she is truly ready for her patch. It might even get me to see something more about you..." He was going to offer her a choice.

Cole waved off the man with the prod and said, "I'm listening Spellman. You have my permission to talk."

Neo smiled as he said, "Offer her the Pinch, sir? It is extremely painful and if she truly believes in what you stand for then she would have earned her patch. However, sir, if she chooses this then I want no interference from you or any other. It will show me a lot about you through how she really feels about you."

Cole motioned for Kimtu to release Neo's bonds. "Do not try anything else Spellman there are more than one person watching you." Turning to Lorrie, he said, "Spellman is correct about how painful the pinch is Lorrie. It can also be lethal, but…" Cole glanced at Neo. "Spellman knows the correct way to use it. When it is over, I will give you your patch."

Lorrie looked from Cole to Neo several times. Finally, she shifted her hands on the ring over her head which she was still holding onto and said, "I will agree Captain. I trust you to know your people." Cole nodded and looked back to Neo.

Neo smiled as he said, "Fixer, if any interfere well I hope they understand that is not in their best interest." Then right before he got next to her, Cooler said, "We shall see!" With that he moved so fast that even if she chose to recant her choice. After the Pinch was applied, he said coldly, "You will be dead in ten minutes. I just cut the blood flow to your brain. Fixer is allowing you to die. Lorrie tell me; what is so important about a patch if it costs your life to get? You can't believe that Fixer's goals and cause is worth your life? Just admit the truth that Fixer cares nothing about your life and we can stop this foolishness. I will give you this choice every minute of the last ten minutes of your life. How much of this are you going to foolishly take for a leader who has done nothing to deserve such loyalty?" Neo walked over to Fixer and whispered quickly, "How much trust do you have in her loyalty in you? Enough to make a wager?"

Lorrie's eyes shot to Cole. There was solid panic written there. After a moment though, of looking into Cole's eyes, she took a deep breath, fighting the pain, which was evident in her eyes also. Turning her star to Neo. "The Captain will not let me die, Spellman. If I do, though he has a good reason. My family will be taken care of. My mother will have all the medical treatments she needs… my brothers and my sister will never want for anything and they will have an education. The Captain knows best what is needed." Lorrie turned her eyes again to Cole and smiled slightly. "I can do this Captain, but it sure does hurt." Lorrie concentrated on her breathing.

"I know Lorrie, hang in there." Even when Neo walked up to him and asked if he wanted to make a wager, he never took his eyes off the girl, but said quietly to Neo, "What wager Spellman.

Neo said, "If she fails then I can ask you for one thing and you have to do it. As you know nobody has passed this, so I will swear right now that if she does...You can ask for one promise other than me joining your army and I will do it. So do you have enough faith in her loyalty?"

Cole nodded. He still had not let his and Lorrie's eyes break their lock on each other. "I agree Spellman to your wager. I would appreciate it though if she did not die."

Loorie could read lips. She had not been able to see Spellman's but the Captain had agreed with his wager. She also know he had bet in her favor. Loyalty went both ways in the Captain's army. She had learned that from the beginning.

Neo smiled as he said, "I will say this but she must not know. I have no intention of her dying. I will end the Pinch at the last possible second no matter what she chooses. I will also not ask where Khalid is." He went over to Lorrie and said, "You ready to end your pain, Lorrie? You ready to admit that Fixer only cares about finishing his jobs and getting paid? That he does not care about how many people gets hurt from his work or even if what he is requested to do targets children? Well Lorrie?"

Cole kept his eyes pinned to Lorrie and added a hnit of a smile. "It's all right Lorrie answer his questions." Cole was not afraid of her answers. He gave loyalty to his men, through what he did for them and their families. And he demanded loyalty in return, which was freely given.

Tears were coming from Lorrie's eyes by this time, but she nodded to the Captain. Turning her pain ridden eyes to Spellman she said though teeth she tried desperately not to clinch. We have done jobs where there was no payment, Spellman. We gather information for people and we have even rescued several. One of the rules is to keep innocents out of the line of resistance." Loorie moved her hands on the ring, trying to get a better grip. At the moment it was the only thing keeping her on her feet. If she let go she would fall to the ground. "We don't target children Spellman, children are to be protected under all cost. I can handle your pain… the Captain has my loyalty as I know I have his."

Neo inwardly cringed as he realized that this had not gone as he had thought. He had only one more shot at putting a dent in her faith in Fixer. He looked at her coldly as he said angrily, "You don't target children? Bull! Fixer has and is using Rosa as leverage against her father Councilman Lucas Fairmont! I was there when Fixer gave him the choice between his daughter being hurt and him doing what Fixer wants. That girl has been traumatized enough without being used to keep her father in Fixer's pocket. Fixer proved to me with Rosa that he will use anybody even children to get what he wants..." Neo realized that is what bothered him the most about Fixer. He looked at Fixer as he continued, "Maybe you don't know your boss as well as you thought, Lorrie. Can you really stay loyal to him knowing what I just told you about how far he is willing to go just to get the job done for his client?"

Lorrie's tears were flowing freely now. Her chest hurt so much, but she had to make it through. She needed that patch. The Captain would not let her die. She barely moved her hands, because her fingers were locked in place she had been concentrating so hard on holding on. In a horse voice she said, "The girl was never in any danger. Any children who come to this island come thinking it is a great place to be. They are always protected." Lorrie looked at the Captain, "When I read the report it said that the councilman was only shown that the girl was on the island. No threats were made against her. Children are protected here. Anyone being caught hurting or scaring a child is instantly dealt with. I believe in the Captain, Spellman."

Neo knew that he would remove the Pinch after the girl answered. He was going to cut it close but the girl would live as his anger was towards Fixer. Cooler wondered just what Fixer would ask for. He had been so sure that the girl would fail. Neo thought about the girl's words and wondered if Fixer's threat to Governor had been an empty threat. He shook his head as he said softly, "Fixer doesn't make empty threats which means I have a very hard decision to make." Neo knew the rules and Lucas' choice made the Councilman a threat to both Wizenagot as well as the Caretakers. By Caretaker Law, Neo had no choice but to report what he had learned. Cooler shook his head as he said quietly, "My debrief will sentence at least five people to Azkaban. For the first time since I joined the Caretakers, I am unsure of what I should do. If I tell the truth then I seal the fates of Brennan, Marco, Antonio, Franco and Lucas as well as possibly Lance and Greene. Can I really choose my duty over my friends and family? And if I don't and they are used to endanger Tia or the Andreas line?"

"Neo, what have you really learned. I have talked with your brother about the stories he prints or squashes. Both Tal'mac and Arianna know I have done this. I know your brother plans on putting the stories somewhere in the paper. The only ones I am worried about are those on the front page because those are the ones people really read. Therefore, I haven't really squashed any news. Marco and I have been writing back and forth since we were of school age. He was my only penpal. Later when we had grown and graduated we met up and have stayed friends ever since. If anyone wants to check out what we have done together, let them.

As far as the Ministry knows, I have done nothing wrong and the people who have talked with me have not promised anything, which is going to get them into trouble, because any information they give me can be readily found in other official and unofficial sources, it will just be quicker coming through them. Also Neo, what proof do you have about what you think has happened?"

Neo removed the Pinch and then went to stand by Fixer as he said, "She earned her patch and a deal is a deal. Her loyalty to you gives you one promise from me but only one. So what have you chosen, Fixer?" Neo inwardly was unsure of himself and his own beliefs for the first time in a long time. He had never thought twice about reporting a possible threat to the Andreas line but now Neo was considering lying to protect those five men's secret.

Cole had immediately ran to Lorrie and said, "You have earned your patch specialist." Smiling he waved the medics forward and helped get Lorrie on the stretcher. She would be taken immediate to the hospital unit and checked out. When she was well enough he would present her with her patch and send her on her two week all expenses paid vacation.

Standing back up as she was carried away, Cole turned to Neo. Cole just stared at Neo for a few long moments then smiled. "While continuing to call me sir, I want you to promise to stay on the island for a period of four months after Franco completes his training without trying to leave. Once Franco is gone, I will have the time to show you around properly. You might learn a few things if you are not concentrating on how to leave."

Neo listened to Fixer request and realized that the promise he was about to make was not what he had thought Fixer would request. This would also give him time to think about his friends' vows to Fixer. He smiled as he said, "I promise to stay on the island after Frankie leaves for four months and during which time I will call you, sir. This I swear!"

Cole shook his head, "No Neo that is unacceptable. As long as you are on this island you will use the word Sir to finish all you sentences in my presence. Do not play word games with me Spellman. Try again."

Neo shook his head but smiled as he said, "Okay Sir. I swear to stay on the island after Frankie leaves for four months and call you Sir but not at with each sentence I say. I will only be saying Sir in place of where I would say Fixer or Cole, Sir!"

Cole nodded. Looking toward the man sitting at the communication table which was always set up, Cole silently asked with hand signals if Franco was a wake yet. He got a negative response. "It looks like your brother is not awake yet, Spellman. How about a run?"

Neo smiled and shook his head as he said, "I would rather check on the girl. Sir, as you know I cut it awfully close with removing the Pinch." Neo was worried if the lack of blood flow had cause more problems for the girl.

Smiling Cole said, "We can do that. I am proud of my medical facilities. It will give me a chance to show you around. This way." Cole motioned to the path to the right, which lead behind the barracks and off toward the back of the house.

(OOC: This is a combined post by Barbie and Jane, We hope you enjoyed it)

NEO
Neo was in the hall just getting back to his room. The girl Lorrie would be fine which gave Cooler relief though barely. He looked behind him to see The Fixer. The man had a look that had Neo inwardly shaking. Fixer had something planned and Cooler had a very bad feeling that whatever it was, Neo was not going to like it one bit.

The Cooler stopped at the door of the room, turned to Cole and said, "So what do you have planned? I am still never going to be one of your men even at the end of the four months."

Cole reached around Neo and opened the door. It opened to his touch and a few others. "Shall we go in Spellman? I think we are about to have a very informative talk." Cole followed Neo into the room and indicated the chair at the table. "You know how to sit, Spellman, take a seat." As he took his own seat, straddling the chair on the opposite side of the table he continued, "I figure we have about two or three hours before your brother will be awake. If he has not woken on his own by then I will have the elves wake him. I want to get a training session in right after lunch." Looking at his watch he asked, "Are you hungry Spellman? I can have a tray brought in for you."

Neo shook his head as he thought, "Fixer, is way too calm. Why do I get the bad feeling that things just got worst?" He had no choice but to go in as his exit route was blocked. He turned back at the door as he said, "We have nothing to talk about. I am never going to be one of your men. Not in four months, four years or ever. You are still going to go down, though because of what I promise under the drug, I won't be the one doing it."Instead of heading for the table, Cooler went to the window and said nothing. He had to get Fixer to react or he would have no clue how to prepare himself.

Cole had watched Neo walk to the window and wondered how much he should tell him. "Neo, we have a lot to talk about. For one, we need to talk about your multi-play on words when we were in the yard. We also need to talk about you misguided idea that I have given up making you a part of my little family here. Now sit down and let's get started on your future."

Neo just shook his head as he said, "Not Happening!"

Cole shook his head and motioned to Kimtu to make Neo sit down. Kimtu raised his hand and Neo stumbled to the chair, sat down and his legs became bound to the legs of the chair. "Now, Spellman, hands on the table, palms down and fingers spread. Now or I will have Kimtu do it and then we will talk."

Neo shook his head as he folded his arms tightly in from of him with his hands on each other's upper arm. He then just glared at Fixer but said nothing. This type of Fixer, Cooler knew how to fight and resist.

Cole signaled to Kimtu and Neo's hands came stiffly off his arms and landed hard on the table. His fingers then were bent out, palm down and now spread on the table. Cole knew it had been painful to have it done, but Neo was going to learn and if it took a little hard persuasion then that was what he would do. Cole leaned forward and folded his arms on the table in front of him, "Now that we are all settled in, what should be talk about first, Spellman?"

Neo felt the pain of his arms being forced apart and his palms hitting the table hard. He was determined he would not scream but he could not keep the pain from his eyes. Cooler said nothing in response to Fixer.
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The pain Neo was in was evident and would only continue to grow, as the Cooler strained to remove his hands from the table. Kimtu would keep up the pressure as long as Neo continued to fight. "You do know if you would relax the pain would diminish?" Still nothing from the man. "I will choose the subject of our talk then, until you come up with something you want to talk about. Let's start with the present situation. First, your brother tried to run because … well I think both of us are thinking there is a third party involved here. I will tell you right now it is not Khalid. I do not know where Shadow is at the moment, so the possibility does exist he is involved, but I doubt it. He's not much into taking things slowly or sending notes. Someone wants to drag whatever their agenda is out as long as they can. Your brother will not get lost again.

Second, your brother came very close to ending his life or at a minimum his sanity. I will explain it to him when he wakes, but Neo you need to talk with him. I will be giving him the choice of getting things under control on his own or the drugs.

Third, you have put yourself in the position where I will control your life for four month. I will have absolute control over your eating, sleeping, where about's and actions. I will have control over any information about the outside world, including your family and friends, which I might let you know about. I will always know where you are and what you are doing. Question Cooler: How long do you think, Spellman, you can go without eating or drinking, or without knowing if your family is safe?" Cole sat back in his chair a little and put his hands on the back of the straight-back chair he was sitting in. His eyes stared at Neo.

Neo cringed as he realized what Fixer had said. He would not comply with any of Fixer's measures. Smiling, Neo said nothing as he wanted to show Fixer that the Cooler still had control over his own mind.

"Either talk with me Spellman, or I will give you something to loosen up your tongue. I asked you some questions and I expect answers. We don't want to go there again do we?" Cole had the drugs, which would make Neo answer his questions with his true feelings, but he did not want to use them again. It was bad enough Neo craved the drugs. There was always a mind-dive, which Neo would be unable to prevent, but Cole was not sure he wanted to go there either. He wanted Cooler talking.

Neo cringed, as he understood the threat. His panic caused him to blurt out, "No please. I just got the craving under control. Don't start me down that roller-coaster again."

"Then talk to me Spellman." Cole nodded and leaned forward on the back of the chair again, folding his arms on the table in front of him. "Let's start with your brother. You need to get him to understand what changing using the strength he did before, without and preparation can mean. Your brother still trusts you Neo. Get him to tell you what he thinks is going on, and see if you can get him to think of other possibilities besides me. I will find the third party, but I need something to work with, and Franco although he does not realize it, has some clues locked away in his head. Talk with your brother. After the next training time, I will try and give the two of you some time together. Now as for your future…"

Neo shook his head as he said, "No, my brother is not a part of this. I will not spy for you."

"I do not want you to spy for me Neo. I can watch your brother anytime I want to. What I want you to do is try and keep him from changing again without preparation. If he keeps triggering episodes like that his body is going to think it is a normal thing to do. What happens when you are out is public and Franco gets upset. What do you think the Ministry will do to your brother if he cannot control the changes. How long will he be allowed to stay on the streets? I want you to talk with him and see if you can get me some information so I can find the person who is trying to make your brother think I am trying to kill you and maybe even make you and Marco fight each other."

Neo shook his head as he said. "I can't as I don't even understand it."

Cole steepled his fingers in front of his face, then replaced them back on the table with his arms folded in front of him, "We will leave that for when we talk with your brother. He can explain in his own words and then you can figure out the best way to help him. Let's talk about your future. I figure we have about one month maybe less left until I can get your brother to the point he can go out in public with his gift. Of course this all depends on his cooperation and his willingness to stick to the program. At the end of that time, I will send him home and we will have him explain you are still on some personal business. That will be when your four months starts. Do you have any questions about what will happen during that time?"

Neo inwardly cringed as he realized that meant he would be in Fixer's hands for at least five months. He said, "I won't break!"

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself, Spellman?" Cole leaned forward a little and continued. "I will be controlling your every movement, your information, your food, your liquid intake. You will get to see how my island is run, and discover why many freely want to stay here once I let them into my little group. If you are good, I might even let your Key loose, but that you will have to earn." Cole sat back up straight.

Neo asked unable to hide his panic, "How did you find out about the precaution that Martin set up? What have you done with it? release it. I am not joining your army!" Though now Cooler was not as sure as he realized that if Fixer had control of the Key then this was going to get a lot harder to fight. Fixer only had to change the Key and he could have Cooler believing anything he wanted him to believe.

"Your little sub-conscious is safe, and although he is not happy, he is all right for now. What do you think would happen, Spellman, if I convince your Key that things were not the way they appeared. What do you think would happen if I convince your sub-conscious, that if you did not convince me to give you some more of the drugs, you would get extremely sick and weak?" Cole gave a wicked smile. "I think I could then release the Key and sit back and watch your body fall apart. You would be so weak you would depend on me even to move you from one place to another. Better yet, what would happen if I convinced your sub-conscious that you had all ready broken and you wanted desperately to be part of one of my units?" Cole again leaned forward and said pointedly, "You are fighting a losing battle, Spellman. A battle I am destined to win. Why not make it easier and let me show you what you are missing."

Neo realized that he had forgotten that Fixer was empathy. He shook his head as he said, "Martin set up that Key and I am going to trust that he is the only other one besides me that can change it. "I am not breaking."

Cole laughed aloud. "Martin is good Spellman. I give him all the credit in the world, but we learned from the same person how to do things with the mind. Never, ever doubt anything I say. I do not lie and I do not say things to give false grandeur. I do not have to change the Key; only make it think things have happened. You see it can see out, but what it sees and feels is clouded in a mist, which I have established, think of it as a filter I control. Changing one word the Key hears or does not hear, can change meanings. Let me let you in on a little secret Spellman, you are already half mine, my hard work is done…" Cole was badgering Neo, and he would keep it up. The more he got the man to question his own beliefs the more he could shove the ones he wanted to down Neo's throat.
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Neo cringed as he wondered had Fixer actually changed the Key. Cooler had to talk with the Key. Shaking his head as he said, "I don't believe you. I want to talk with the Key. I want to hear it from him."

"When you have earned that privilege then I will consider it. For now, you are just going to have to believe me." Looking at his watch he said, "Your brother still has about half an hour of rest, so since you are still allowed to eat and drink, would you like something. I will also allow you to exercise if you like…." Cole picked his words very carefully. He was going to drive home the fact he was in charge of what Neo could and could not do.

Neo shook his head as he said, "I want to talk to the Key now Fix...Sir! I am not going anywhere near Frankie until I do..."

Cole realized he was going to have to talk with the Key first, before he allowed Neo to reconnect. He stood up and said, "If you eat a meal and add the energy to what you have now, I will let you talk with the Key , It means taking you into a level 6 mind dive and I have to prepare myself for that." Cole motioned for Kimtu to get a tray for Master Neo. The elf left and Cole knew he would be back in about three minutes. "When you are done eating, everything on your tray, Kimtu will come and get me, understand?"

Cole turned on his heels and walked out of the room, headed for his office so he could watch Neo on the screen. He also needed to check with Punta to see if Franco was close to the point where they could allow him to awaken. When he reached the office, he turned on the view screen and settled into his comfortable overstuffed desk chair. Closing his eyes he waited for Kimtu to get back in the room with Neo.

Kimtu returned with a tray with, two sandwiches, a fruit cup, mineral water, and beet juice on it. When he had put in town in front of Master Neo, he stood behind the young master's chair, saying, "Master Neo while you eat, I must prepare your mind for the dive. It will mean I must touch your head. This is necessary, Master Neo."

Neo nodded as he said, "Okay I will eat everything." When his meal came he smiled until he saw the beet juice. He had promised so he would finish everything. He nodded to Kimtu as he drank the juice. He knew that he would get rid of the taste by eating the fruit cup next.

Cole finally felt Kimtu make the connection. Neo's concentration on eating would help to smooth the path in the dive. He could do mind-dives on his own, but by connecting with the elf as a go-between, the subject would not know he was even part of the dive. Slowly Cole made his way down to the sixth level and walked through the fog. The Key was still sitting on the bench where Cole had left him last. "Your conscious wants to have a talk with you Key, but I came first because we need to go through a few rules before I allow it. This will be a onetime shot for quite a while, so I think you should listen."

The Key watched as the man came through the fog. When the man had said that Cooler wanted to talk, the Key said still angry about being locked away, "Release me as I have duties to perform! You have no right keeping me here.." He could feel Neo's confusion and needed to get to Cooler. He looked into the fog and then got quiet as he asked almost to himself, "Why is Fixer keeping me here? What could he want from me? I have a responsibility to keep Neo on track. I cannot do that locked in here."

Cole sat on the other end of the bench, which appeared to be made out of cement, but had a soft feel to it. Neo and his friends must have liked sitting on the benches around the school. "Ah my little friend, you are here because I need Neo to start reacting instead of thinking. You allow him to question what I do and what I ask him to do. I cannot have that." Cole looked off into the fog also and then back at the Key . "I have come because I want to talk with you before you are allowed a moment with your conscious self. Neo needs to join my little army. I need him to teach and we all know how good a teacher you are, correct? I also need certain other people to know I can control him, so his family is left alone. I have no interest in the girl Tia, at this time. I am not going to ask him to kill friends or family. I am not going to ask him to put any of the children in harms way. In fact with the information I can give him and show him, he will be able to better protect those who will dominate his future. I need you to tell him during your talk that this is how he would feel."

The Key shook his head, as he said, "No! That will take him away from his path. I can't allow this new priorities. He has chosen to be a Cooler not a teacher. I will not agree."

"You may have come to this place to hide Key ]/i] but I control it. Cole stared at the small childlike Neo. As the seconds ticked away the Key started to squirm and grab his arm. A few more seconds passed and the being was actually showing signs of pain. Cole did not stop but let it escalate. In another moment the Key was rubbing his arm hard and even the base of his neck. "I can keep the pain growing, Key. At the moment you conscious self only feels a twinge of a headache. If it grows much more he will be in pain also. I need your agreement on these points and a couple of others."

The Key was hurting and had no clue why. This terrified him as he asked curious but also frightened, "How are you doing this? I can't feel pain but I am in pain. How? Why do this? I have not hurt you, so why hurt me? Stop this..." The Key was scared of what this could do to Neo but was leery of changing Cooler's chosen path. He shook his head as he continued, "Please, I can't change his path. New courses are unpredictable and not to be taken without a great deal of thought. I cannot change and as such I cannot allow him to change."

Cole smiled. "Ah, but what if what I am doing is his path. What if my lessons are lessons he is supposed to learn to continue on and get through other lessons in the future. If you prevent me from doing what I am trying to do, wouldn't you be changing his path? Everyone and everything, changes all the time Key . To prevent the change goes against our path of life."

The Key figured that his creator placed that order in but then he saw a memory of Neo's father having a talk with Neo and Marco. The Key would have to see if Neo remembered the memory. Then he got an idea and headed for the fog at the point where Fixer entered.

Cole crossed his legs on the bench and leaned on his knees with his elbows. The Key was walking toward the fog. Cole decided to let him try what he figured was an escape attempt. The Key disappeared into the fog in one spot and immerged from the fog in another. Cole smiled broadly as the Key turned around and re-entered the fog, only to immerge again in a different spot. "You know there is no escape unless I let you out. Everywhere you enter will lead you right back to this spot." Cole chuckled. "Agree to my terms, or….." Suddenly the right leg of the Key started to shake and he grabbed it in pain. He went down to the ground moaning in pain. "Agree Key….. agree."

The Key was confused but he hurt so bad. He tried to signal for the nurse only to remember that none of this was real but a place from Neo's past. Key screamed out as he said, "Please make it stop. I will listen but am unsure if I can change his path as my creator might have my orders locked. They would be in the Headmaster's office as would be my link to him..." The Key realized his error almost immediately. Fixer now knew that the Key had direct access to Martin. The fear showed in the Key's eyes, as he was unsure if Fixer could hurt Martin as the man had hurt him.

Cole thought that was an interesting concept. Neo's sub-conscious was directly linked to Martin Kildare, Doctor Lance Kildare's father. The link could not be used on the island because the elves were blocking all connected thought, except for theirs and who they choose to allow at any certain time. But the information could be very useful later. It may be a way for Fixer to draw the man to the island. Martin would be a challenge. "I will stop the pain, all you have to do is agree to tell you're conscious, that it would not be such a bad thing to join my little army, at least to give it some serious consideration. You need to convince him that his path is to be here and learn what he can and that if he agrees to stay it is not a matter that I broke him but a fact that he can now learn more about what I am trying to do. You also need to warn him about taking any more of the drugs. I want him to think he will be seriously ill and weak, if I give him more. Do we have an understanding, Key, or do you continue to hurt?" With that Cole took the pain up one notch.

The Key tried to think about what the Fixer wanted. The pain had become almost unbearable. He screamed as another wave hit him. Slowly as he curled into a ball, Key said trying to make sense of the knowledge, “But why? Neo has a group he belongs with. Why force him to abandon them for your group? The drug issue, I can give...” He stopped as another wave of pain hit. Key wanted the pain to go away but was afraid that what Fixer was demanding was too great a price.

He was crying as he pleaded, “Please the pain...I can’t think...I will consider the rest but I need to think it through...Please stop the pain...If Neo joins your army then he leaves the safety of the Caretakers...” The Key screamed and shook his head as he said, “Okay...Please...I will ask Neo to consider your offer...but I will abide by his decision. Please... stop... hurting me...” As soon as he was away from his prison, the Key planned on insuring that Fixer never got a hold of him again.

Cole took away the pain. He knew the Key realized what he could do at any moment. "I am not asking him to abandon the Caretakers. In fact, he needs to stay within them. That group needs to stay together as tightly as they are able. All I am asking your conscious self to do is agree to not interfere if he sees me or any of my men in the Shadow Lounge or anywhere else. I am also asking he run interference for anyone else who might have designs on disturbing us. I need a relatively safe place in the world to be able to go too. As far as him being part of my army it is more for having him realize I can control his life if he goes back on his agreement."Cole got very close to the Key and added, "And I were you, my little man, I would be very, very convincing on getting him to agree with me. After all I have four months after Franco leaves, to drive my ideas and wishes home. Seems to me you would want a whole person, in both mind and spirit to return to, when I agree to release you." Getting even closer he said, "Your conscious self better not know where you are… I do not care what excuse you make up, but as far as it is concerned, you are safe and happy to be here. Remember the pain. Do we have an agreement?"

The Key relaxed a little when the pain went away. He still did not understand what this man planned but he listened as this Fixer scared him. He edged his way towards the school as he answered, "I suggest but Cooler has final say. Where am I to meet with Cooler?" He hoped it was on a different level and far from this prison. The Key's hand was on the door as he asked still scared about Fixer restarting the pain, "Why you hurt me? I did not like it. You want my help but you not help...you hurt...my creator...will find out...I..." He did get to finish his words.

"Stop, Key . The meeting will be held somewhere else. By the time you two are rejoined, I will not care if your Creator knows what I have done. I am not asking Neo to do anything illegal. I am not prescribed as a criminal. I have been very careful in my dealings. I know of no person who has ever gone to the authorities and complained I kept them here against their will. Before my guest leave I make sure they understand why they were here, how much they enjoyed their stay and how much I will enjoy seeing them again." Cole could not help add a small chuckle to the thinly veiled threat. Do not disappoint me in this little man, because you know how it will turn out." Cole clicked his fingers and he and Neo's sub-conscious were now in The Shrieking Shack of Neo's third year at Hogwarts. Cole quickly locked the place down so the Key could not leave. "Wait here and I will allow your conscious self to talk with you."

Cole again snapped his fingers and worked his way back up and out of Neo's mind. As he opened his eyes and sat up straight, he grabbed a piece of parchment and quickly wrote down the information he had gotten on the codes and the Key's direct connection to Martin Kildare. Then he stood up, stretched and headed back to Neo's room.

Neo had finished everything just as the doorknob turned. As he stood at attention Cooler remembered the headache he had halfway through his meal. He looked towards Fixer as the man entered the room. Cooler hoped that soon he would be able to use the Key to clear his head.

"Eyes front, Spellman." Cole said as he walked toward the table, smiling. The man was holding to his honor. As he straddled his own chair, he added, "At ease, you may be seated. Palms on the table, fingers spread. Please."

Neo nodded as he kept to his word as he sat down.

As Kimtu cleared away the dishes, Cole leaned forward and folded his arms on the table in front of him. "While you were eating Spellman, I thought about your request to talk with your sub-conscious. I have decided to grant that wish. On the chance I was going to agree to the idea, I had Kimtu prepare you for the mind-dive. I know you have been through one before because you have the Key in place. We will be going to level six, possibly to level six, possibly level seven but I do not like going that deep. Kimtu will be your sponsor, so I will be free to interact with both parts of you. You will have five minutes of real body time, to find your answers, so think about your questions. Do not try to rescue your sub-conscious Spellman, because the ramifications can be hard to fix. Do you understand and do you have any questions?"

Neo glared at Fixer as he said, "You had no right hiding the Key. You want me to trust you but then you do things that make me question your true motives. I want my Key back doing what Martin designed it to do. I had a headache halfway through my meal, know anything about it? Fixer, I won't break and I plan on taking my Key back. Then I plan on insuring that nobody ever can do what you did." Neo was angry and hoped his words had just not ended him meeting with his Key.

Cole just smile. He just stared at Neo with raised eyebrows. The man had used the name Fixer not Sir.

Neo was unsure of what he had said that raised Fixer's eyebrow. He shrugged his shoulders as he said still angry, "What is wrong? At least I am been honest."

Kimtu walked up to Master Neo from his place of observation in the corner. Whispering in Master Neo's ear he said, "You did not say Sir , you used the name Fixer , Master Neo. Master Frank is waiting for you to correct your error." Kimtu stepped pack and nodded to Cole, who returned the nod.

Neo shrugged as he said, "Kimtu, to be honest I was unaware I had even given him that much respect. I have been actually been avoiding sentences where I would need to put a name. A deal is a deal though so..." He turned to Fixer and said, "Sorry Sir for using your code name. Though the rest of what I stated Sir, I will never take back. I was telling it like it is and at least giving you a heads up."

Cole nodded but refused to say anything about the headache. "When you are calm then we will go. Please lean back in your chair and let your hands hang by your side." Cole motioned for Kimtu to get behind Master Neo, and make the connection. When the elf had stepped behind the chair and placed two fingers at each of Neo's temples, Cole waited until Neo looked relaxed enough to start. Nodding he allowed Kimtu to take them to Level six in the mind-diving process. The interior of the kitchen area in the Shack now surrounded them. Neo was standing in the middle of the room, with dust everywhere. The Key was standing in front of Neo. Cole had taken up a position a few steps away and slightly off to the side. "You may start now."

Neo smiled as he saw the Key. He looked at the door as he took the Key's hand. He said as he headed for the door, "We are out of here Neomando then you can explain things." The Cooler had warned Fixer that he planned on taking his Key back. The Key was stunned as Cooler pulled him towards the door. He remembered the pain and Fixer's words then dug in his heels as he said, "No Cooler!"

Cole put his hands behind his back and shook his head. The Cooler was definitely stubborn. The Key had a taste of what would happen if they tried to escape. It was going to be interesting to see if Neo's conscious or sub-conscious won the test of wills.

Neo had forgotten how stubborn he had once been. Shaking his head as he said, "Okay, what is it? You make a promise? I just to talk just us two. No ears. He can't hurt you or take you away again. Not as long as I have a hold of you Neomando. So why are you not wanting to?"

The Key shook his head and said, "We can't leave even this room, I have tried."

Neo cringed as he realized what his Key had said. They were trapped. He looked at Fixer as he said angrily, "Is it true? Have you trapped me in my own mind? Just what was your plan?"

"I agreed to let you talk with your Key . I said nothing about you being alone or that you would be able to walk around free. Cole snapped his fingers and three chairs appeared. Two of them where Neo and the Key had originally been standing and the third in front of him. He made a great show of straddling the chair, folding his arms on the back of it and waiting. "Care to have a seat, both of you?" Cole knew the Key would get the hint that he was not asking but commanding them to take a seat. "You only have another four and a half minutes, Spellman. If I was you I would use them wisely, not arguing with me."

Neo shook his head as he said, "I control my mind and that means I talk with my Key where I wish. I told you that I planned on taking my Key back." The Key shook his head as he asked, " What is really bothering you about my absence? Let's go sit and talk." Neo cringed as he realized that The Key was not even questioning Fixer. He watched as Key sat in one of the seats and was trying to pull Neo down into the other chair. Neo glared at Fixer as he said, "What have you done to him?"

Cole smiled and motioned to the chair Neo was trying to decide to take or just stand. "I have done nothing but explain a few things. Things which you conscious mind is refusing to accept. Why don't you just sit and listen. Maybe you will learn the truth." Cole pretended to look at a watch, adding, "Three and a half minutes left…"

The Key nodded as he said, "At least give Fixer a chance to tell me his offer? I will either accept or reject it. Now sit down or let go of my hand."

Neo sat down as he realized that somehow Fixer had gotten complete control of the Key. At the very least Fixer had the Key terrified to go against him. He looked at Fixer and asked, "You had said something's that hint that you are brainwashing my Key. What do you plan on doing while we are here?"

"Listen, and you have three minutes," was all Cole said.

The Key looked at Fixer as he said, "Your offer, Sir?" He knew what Neo believed but it was far better fate then if Neo had touched that knob. Key had to protect Neo and if that meant making Cooler believe Fixer had absolute control of him than so be it. His eyes pleaded with Fixer not to hurt Neo and to just ignore Neo's anger. Something in Fixer's eyes informed Key that the next three minutes were going to teach Neo a lesson about threatening Fixer.

"It's actually very simple. Besides continuing to come to attention when I enter the room and replacing my name with Sir I want both of you to: One, do what I say when I tell you to do something,.. Two, Come to any where I request when I ask you to … three look the other way when I or my men are in the Shadow Lounge or any other place where we might be seen, and four run interference when someone else is trying to interfere with what I am doing." Cole smirked as he added, "And as five let me add this, remember I can do this…." Cole snapped his fingers and the Key found itself in pain again. The pain was not directed at the Neo, but as it increased in the Key, Cole knew Neo's was getting an extremely bad and growing headache. "You have just over two minutes left to talk among yourselves.

The Key curled into a ball as the pain hit. He cried as he pleaded with Fixer, "Please...What have I done? I did not run away...Please stop the pain..." Neo felt the headache back and finally understood. He glared at Fixer as he said angrily, "Leave Neomando alone! You were torturing him earlier when I got my headache? You will get nothing more then you have already received from me! What will Hurting my Key bring you?" Neo knew what Fixer targeting Neomando was doing as he felt the difference. He just prayed that Fixer did not. He reached out to his true self and tried to hold the boy. Cooler knew that if Fixer ever got Neomando(The Key) fully, then Neo would be changed at the very core of his being. He said to Neomando, "It is okay. You did nothing wrong. He is just a bully like Marco."

Cole stopped the pain and watched. Talking to the small vision of Neo at the age of 12 years of age he said, "You have been very good and have done what you are supposed to do, but unfortunately I need your whole being to know how deep I can go in my percussion. I have taken the pain away and will keep it away, as long as your conscious self behaves. I am getting tired of the temper tantrums." He could tell by the way Neo was treating the Key that the Cooler listened to his inner self quite a lot. "I have stopped the pain for now." Looking at Neo he said, "I just want you to understand Spellman where we stand with this. How far you want to push me is totally up to you. I told you before, and I usually do not repeat myself, but…. you are fighting a losing battle here." Cole knew Neo had figured out what his ability to control the Key would mean. Looking at the two he said, "Two minutes you two. Come to any decision"

Neo was furious as he said, "You leave him alone Fixer. I don't like bullies. More importantly neither does the Core especially Tia. I told you I am not joining your army. I also said that I am only going to the exact wording of each of my promise. You want me to promise more than show me that you are worthy of trust and respect. Cause at the moment I have neither in you."

The Key was still crying as he heard Neo. He shook as he heard the meaning. He gave Neo and shook his head sadly as he pleaded with Cooler, "Please just try being the Cooler instead of the Nitro? You might see a different side." Neo inwardly cringed as he said, "Neomando, every time I try and give him the benefit of the doubt, Fixer does something to make me doubt his true motives."

He turned to Fixer as he said angrily, "And if I refuse to give anymore promises?"
The Key was trying to give Neo good advice, but whether he would take it or not was to be seen in the future. Cole had decided to not give the Key anymore pain. For all intense purposes, the Key actually was a scared child hiding in an adult body. Cole inwardly shook his head. It was like all grownups. "Then Cooler you and the Key are going to be separated for at least the time Franco is in training and the four months after. He will be able to see what you see, feel what you feel, and hear what you hear, but you will not be able to communicate with each other." Cole looked pointedly at Neo, "You won't even have gut feelings to go on, because they are tied to your sub-conscious, and the Key will not be able to even give you a hint. If you think you are confused about things now, Cooler, wait until we are into your four month visit with me." Cole chuckled and said, "One minute and we leave…"

The Key heard what was said and panicked, "Cooler, please? I don't want.." He stopped as Neo held him and said, "It is okay. I didn't say I would or would not agree. I just asked what would happen if I refuse. I don't like what he has done to you. He is changing you and that has got to stop." Neo turned to Fixer and said, "You will leave Neomando alone and release him. Then I might think about considering what you are demanding. I won't have you torturing my Key." Neo was worried as Fixer had gotten Neomando to be terrified of him. Fighting Fixer just got a lot harder.

"I will agree to stop hurting the key. But Neo I will not release him until you and I come to a favorable understanding. And Spellman, I do not mean favorable to you. Remember, he will be a able to hear what you hear, and feel what you feel. I think this could be a very enteraining four months, don't you." Cole chuckled and stood up. "Now we have about 30 seconds before Kimtu pulls us out…. Say what you want now…. Because it will be a while, I think before you speak again."

Neomando held on to Cooler and shook his head not wanting to let go. Neo was worried more for his Key then himself. Cooler said knowing that he would regret it, "Sir, please let me calm him down. He does not want me to go. He needs more time, just until I can get him calmed down. Please sir, he is terrified?" Neo knew it would cost him at least one promise. He would give it just to see Neomando not so terrified.

Cole put one knee on the chair and held on to the back of it. He closed his eyes for several seconds, then said, "I will give you an extra five minutes, Spellman, only because you asked so nice." Cole looked Neo in the eye, "This will cost you and we will discuss what when we have returned to the top. I will decide and you will say Yes Sir to my decision. Agreed?" Cole knew he had Neo for at least one extra thing. He had several ideas, but nothing concrete yet. He was going to make Neo agree to the open slate.

Neo said without a moment thought, "Yes, Sir" He held Neomando as he asked, "What scares you so about returning?"

The Key said hiding a smile, "Alone, nobody to talk with nothing to do. He comes sometimes to talk. This time he brought pain. I want to do what I was designed to do. Please I will be good don't send me back?" Neomando knew that he had saved them both as he gotten Neo to ask for more time. He hoped it was enough to please Fixer as the man terrified him.
"Neo you must earn the privilege of being together. I will tell you what I will agree to do though. If you do not give me any trouble. I will open the school here up to the Key. That way he will have places to go and things to do. I will also give you both, half an hour together once a week, until we can come to a better understand of what I require." Cole straddled the chair again for the five minutes they were to remain. "Key, you will be able to hear Neo, so you will not be alone. You will not be able to talk with him, but I think Artkee, one of the elves on my island would be willing to allow you conversation with him every so often. I will have him mind dive, when Neo is allowed to sleep and explain things to you. This is all I am willing to give."

Turning to Neo he said, "This is going to cost your conscious self, but the Key will feel better I think. As long as he is good, and you are compliant, I think we can start working on other matters." Cole looked at Neo with a questioning look. Neo would realize that he was about to put his conscious self through a time period where survival would just mean keep moving in whatever direction Cole pointed and whenever he said move.

Neo looked at Neomando and saw the pleading in his eyes, as his young self said, "Please Cooler, just don't allow the drugs in your system. It makes it foggy in here. I also came close to dying the last time..."

Cooler nodded as he said, "Okay Fixer has a deal. As long as you are happy again. I will try as far as my addiction is concerned. Fixer does have his good moments, don't he?"

Cole put his head down for a moment, trying to hide the smile. The adult Cooler, the conscious self, was comforting the 12 year old sub-conscious Cooler. It was as if he was trying to heal himself. It fascinated Cole and was going to give him some interesting thoughts to fully look at the situation from all angles. Maybe he would even write a paper for one of the Wizardry Magazines or send the information to Sinclair, who would love it. Maxwell Sinclair was a Psy-healer and in Cole's book the best there was. Looking back up he said quietly. "Neo it is time to go. Key I will have you back at the school in a blink. I have opened up the whole school for you to explore. There will not be children or adults there, but I think I can allow animals. Artkee will be in touch in the not too distant future."

Cole stood up and walked toward the door a couple of paces then turned. "Come on, Neo. Kimtu is getting ready to pull us up."

The Key was disappointed as no people meant no studies. Neo saw that look and said, "What is it now?" The Key said, "No people means no studies. Marco would have loved it but I don't. Our mind needs stimulation. We need to work it." Cooler chuckled as he said, "I guess Marco was right I was a knowledge junkie? Okay."

He turned to Fixer and asked, "Sir is there a way to solve Neomando's knowledge and mind stimulation problem?"

"I will talk with Artkee and see if he can set a study secession or two up. Key, if you are just trying to cause problems in this, the elf will know and will not continue to teach you. He can be a hard task master also, and will expect effort on your part. Now, Neo we must go. Kimtu has already opened the portal."

Neomando smiled as he said, "Yes Sir, I will work hard. You will not be disappointed." Cooler saw the smile and realized that he had been played. As he left Neo said, "That was low Neomando. But I guess we will find out if your con job will blow up in our faces." With that Neo went through the portal and said, "Even after everything you put him through, Neomando still set me up to agree to certain number of promises. Never forget it Sir and keep him safe as possible."

Cole had listened to the exchange between the two, while trying not to make it obvious. The sub-conscious had just called him Sir which was actually going to make it easier for the conscious Neo to use the phrase. He nodded and smiled as he followed Neo back to the top of his mind. Opening his eyes, he took the few moments it always took him to reacclimatize himself to the real world. Looking at Neo he watched as he also came back up to the room. "That was interesting. I learned a lot, I hope you did also, Spellman. I plan on keeping your Key very safe because apparently it learns faster than you do."

Neo shook his head as he said, "Neomando seems to hold skills that I wished Martin had allowed forgotten. I never intended for those skills to ever be a part of me again. By the way, I did not give him that name, he said it once when I asked what he wanted to be called. I looked it up and have been leery of my Key ever since. It means, New servant of the dark chieftain. I have been meaning to check with Martin to see if he actually made it or if he just used something that was already in my mind and tweaked it." Neo inwardly shook as he wondered if Neomando's creator was not Martin but the cloaked man instead.

He glared at Fixer as he finished, "He tricked me to help you get those promises but it will change nothing between us. All it does is make me distrust my key. I still have no intention of ever trusting you. You might have promises from me but you will never have my loyalty or respect. Those I give to people I trust and those people have earned that. So you have gained nothing..." Cooler hoped he was right but deep down he had a feeling that by Fixer changing his key that Neo would be changed at the very core of his being. Shaking his head as he wondered if that was a change that could ever be fixed.

Cole became a little worried and more than interested in the turn of events the mind dive had caused. Neo was doubting his own sub-conscious, thus he was doubting himself in the deepest part of his being. "He did not trick you Neo. All your Key did was actually say aloud to your conscious self what you were thinking but were afraid to admit without being in touch with basically yourself . You convinced yourself to listen to yourself." Cole chuckled. This circumstance was going to make a great paper, which he would be sure to submit to the medical community. He would change the names of course, but it would be a fantastic case study in the true meaning of listing to your gut feelings or your sub-conscious. "As far as your promises, we did not add much, just strengthened a couple of them. Do we need to go over them, Spellman?"

Neo cringed, as deep down he knew Cole was right. He did not want to like or even respect Fixer but there was small things that Cole did that had Neo second-guessing himself where the man was concerned. Cooler thought back to how he had been before he became a decoy. He was so sure of himself, so eager to learn. He smiled as he realized that even though his key had a name that hinted of its making was during the darkest part of Neo's life. Neomando reminded Cooler of how he was before all the darkness. Saying his thought unknowingly aloud, "Neomando is me from a time when it was easy for me to trust. When the only thing that mattered was learning and protecting my family. When those skills were untainted and came so easy. When the link to Marco was still there. Neomando comes from a time in my life that I thought I would never get back...." Neo stopped when he realized that Fixer had heard him. Glaring at Fixer as he said, "Neomando is naive as I once was. Before I learnt what Marco had learned long ago, You can never really fully trust anybody but yourself. I have Khalid to thank for waking me up to how naive I really was."

Cole leaned forward on the table, his arms still folded in front of him, his face expressionless and just listened to Neo arguing with himself. He wanted to trust, he felt he should be trusting, but his experiences were holding him back. It seemed if he did not understand and insure he could not trust that it would be all right. "If the Key still wants to be called Neomando then there is a reason, He is not naïve as you are trying to believe. Remember Spellman that small being is a large part of you. It is where your true feelings and ideas reside. I guess the question I should be asking then, is can you fully trust yourself anymore, Spellman? We all need in our hearts and souls to trust someone, even if it is only ourselves. Where is your need for trust going to go Spellman…. Where will it land?" Cole chuckled and leaned back a bit.

Neo cringed as he realized that Fixer had felt his true emotions. He said angry but uncertain why, "Stay out of my head, Fixer! And what do you mean by there is a reason behind Key using the name Neomando? I was never dark, not like the man that..." Neo stopped as it still sent him into a place in his mind that The Cooler was afraid to go. He tried to change the subject by asking Fixer, "So when will you be chatting with Marco again?"

"We are not changing the subject Spellman. When was the first time you remember being called Neomando. Think back to you early childhood. Maybe even before school." Cole was hoping Neo had not received the name from the hooded man, which was playing so proximately in Neo's outlook on life in general. The man was like a shadow, which was not connected to anything, and Neo kept trying to connect it.

Neo shook his head as he said, "I am not going there, Fixer! I left that life at seventeen." Even as he said it, his thoughts went to the night he and Marco had returned to find Frankie and Kat missing. Leo had a note in his hand for both Neomundo and Marko. Leo handed them each one and then had run from the room. Marco had read the one marked Marko. Before Neo could open the other one, Marco had slammed his fist into the nearest wall and started looking for father saying how their father dare make such a promise. Cooler shook his head as he refused to see what he knew happened. He had never seen their dad so terrified as he was that night. That door was one that Neo refused to ever open. He wondered what he had done with the note addressed to Neomando.

Cole rubbed his chin. "Neo, Marko just stands for Marco in Bulgarian. Nothing bad there other than it might be a clue to who the person was who left the notes with Leo. Since Marco was mad at your father after he read the note, I think we can be certain it was your father who told Leo to give the two of you the notes. Neomando, is harder to figure out, but it was your father who gave you the note with the name on it, so it was your father who gave you the name. Did he every call you the name, before that day?"

Neo shook his head as he remembers their father's anger at seeing the letter in Marco's hand. The man had been furious and had stormed out of the house. He had come home the next morning with Franco and Kat. Tal'mac had shown up within hours after that.

"Dad was furious at seeing Marco's letter. He mumbled something in a different language mixed with English but I remember the word Patriarch. Franco and Kat came home with him in the morning. Tal'mac arrived that afternoon. If Tal'mac was not near us, we were with mom and Dad...That was until Mom was found murdered...Dad become more secretive and gone a lot." Neo was staring at the wall but not really seeing it. "Everything changed with mom's death."

Cole leaned forward a bit his arms still folded on the table and said, "How did everything change Neo. You still had your brothers and your sister. With Tal'mac there, things should have settled a bit. He is a great elf."

Neo was shocked by Fixer's words until he remember that Cole was an empath. He glared at Fixer as he said angrily, "I told you to stay out of my head, Fixer. Tal'mac connection to my family is none of your business. You leave him alone!" His mind was already remembering that for some reason after Tal'mac come. Neo found out later, it was their mother and not father who requested him; that the old elf seemed to have more authority then even their Father. He remember many of the fights his parents had over just what Tal'mac's role was where him and his siblings were concerned. Neo cringed as he remembered the day he learned that their Father... Neo shook his head as he remembered that Fixer's empathic skill might still be reading his thoughts. Saying to Fixer, "Nice Try Fixer but Tal'mac is off limits..."

Chuckling Cole shook his head. "I have several connections to the Great Elf. I will not fight him or even use him for anything. Your mother called him for a reason, and that reason I will discover, but that is all. He holds too much respect in my book. Someday, Neo when you leave my island you will have to ask him about the old elves slave trading routes and how the system was broken up. I think you will find it interest what changes have taken place, in how things happen and what is allowed to happen. I told you before Tal'mac is one of the great ones, honored by many, both elf and human."

Cole looked at his watch. It was 11:30 and time to get the afternoon underway. Looking at Kimtu he asked if one of the other elves had messaged him that Franco was fully turned back into a human. Kimtu nodded. Cole turned to Neo and said, "It is 11:30 and time for your brother to be woken up. He will need to eat and we will start the afternoon training session. Oh and Spellman, the stance rules and the Sir's will be used in your brothers presence, whether he interrupts you or not. I hope we understand each other in this. If you need me to restate the rules you have agreed to, tell me now."

Neo listened to what Fixer said about Tal'mac and smiled. Getting a faraway look as he said, "Mom, was somebody targeting you because you knew just where the Elvin Prophecy came from? Was somebody out to stop Tal'mac and just where do we fix in? You left so much unsaid and Tal'mac was so heartbroken when you were murdered..."

Neo was brought out of his thoughts by Fixer's words concerning Frankie. He glared at Cole as he said, "I told you, I am not worrying my brother, Fixer! He has already attacked you once and changed twice because he believes that you are out to destroy me or force me to work for you. I will do nothing to enforce that belief. If you don't believe that Frankie will follow through with his threat...then you have no understanding how the six of us are and work? Even father feared our connection."

Pushing himself up out of the chair, Cole said, "Since you did not get me any problem during the mind-dive, I will agree to let you not have to stand at attention in my presents and call me Sir, only, and I repeat Spellman, only when your brother is physically in our presence. At any other time, you will follow your agreement with me. I need to get your brother back to the newspaper, so I am willing to be a little leant at this time. Now we need to get to your brother. The two of you will be eating lunch together… a slightly different lunch, but I will even leave the room so you can talk." Cole nodded to Kimtu to let Neo rise but to watch him closely. Waving toward the door, Cole looked at Neo.

Neo nodded but said nothing as he realized that Fixer was most likely up to something. The man had given in way to easily. He needed to see Frankie and so tried to put it out of his mind. His brother's health was more important at the moment.

(OOC: This is a combined post by Barbie and Jane. We hope you enjoyed it.)

COLE
(OOC: For information on what happened just before this see Elsewhere, Training For A New Life, Post #12. Beginning quotes are from that thread.)

Neo cringed when the enclosure was talked about. With fear in his eyes, he asked, "Like the one that..." He could not finish as he was having another episode. He was unsure why or just how he was going to make it through tomorrow, but he had found the trust he once had. Cooler hoped that it was not just another mind game that Fixer was using to break him. Neo hoped that now he could find the trust for the man that he would always have for his blood brother…

Frankie's eyes were fixed on his brother. Scared he said, "Please Cole, he is having a spell? It is too much, what did they do to him? Fixer, please help him?" …

Franco cringed as he said, "Fixer, look at Neo. He is shutting down again. How can we talk if he is having a spell like before? Please Fixer, help him. What did those guys do to my brother? Please Fixer explain to me what my brother wants so badly to forget? And just why you believe instead that he needs to face it?"

"Franco, your brother will be fine." Cole looked at Neo and changed his plans. He nodded toward Kimtu and said, "Take Master Neo back to his room. I will check on him in a couple of minutes." As Kimtu helped a dazed Neo out of his chair, Cole said, "Spellman return to your room. I will see you in a few minutes. Go with the elf." Turning back to Franco as Cole was led away he said, "Your brother was captured and basically led to believe his live was in danger of ending, for an extended period of time. It all took place in an enclosure designed to not let him out and holding a dragon. The person who did it did not want Neo dead, but he wanted him frightened, beyond belief. He wanted your brothers soul scared and willing to do anything to keep the dragon away. I will go and talk with him Franco. Get some rest."…

Franco smiled as he said, "Thanks Cole. I just hope whatever you have been doing will insure that he will never feel that way again? One day, I hope you two get back what you once had before they got him to quit trusting?"

Cole nodded and then left the room, He headed for Neo's room. They needed to talk.

When Cole entered Neo's room, the man was sitting at the table staring straight ahead. As Fixer got closer Neo noticed him and slowly rose to stand at attention at the side of the table. Cole straddled his customary chair across for Neo and said, "At ease Spellman, have a seat." Cooler, slowly did as he was told, but his eyes never came off the back wall. Just then Tarka walked in, nodded to Kimtu and then Kimtu left. Cole nodded at Tarka and quietly said, "Stand behind Master Neo, please and connect, second level only." Tarka nodded and walked to behind Neo's chair. Reaching up with his hands he put two fingers on each of Neo's temples and closed his eyes. After a moment he opened his eyes and nodded at Cole.

Cole looked at Neo and said, "Spellman, you are safe. Tarka has connected with you and will protect you, at level two. He can dive lower, quickly if needed. Do you hear me?" When Neo did not answer, Cole looked past him at Tarka, who nodded. Neo could hear him and was close to the surface of his mind.

"Neo, I need you to come back to the room you are staying in. We are going to talk. Let Tarka lead you." Cole closed his own eyes and dove to where the Key was. He released Neo's sub-couscous and floated to the surface. "Neo you Key is at level one waiting to join with you."

The key was shocked by the turn of events. As he got prepared to do his job, he smiled as nothing had been implanted, though one memory had resurfaced. The Key said, "At least he now knows." He felt a problem and found Neo lost in the memory.

Neo felt his key but addressed Cole, "Sir, if I do this tomorrow? Frankie could die or not be able to change back?" He knew things at least for him had changed. This was his friend and he wondered why he had forgotten. He owed this friend the benefit of the doubt.

Before Cole answered Neo, he glanced toward Tarka and said, "You can release now, Tarka. Get Master Neo and me each a mineral water then you can rest." Turning back to Neo he said, "You brother will not get stuck in the dragon form. I have taken every precaution possible. It is only your fear of reliving the 24 hours you were locked in the enclosure with that other dragon." Cole could tell Neo had questions on how he knew. "It seems a certain character, tracked me down and let me know what had happened, but I could not get to you. Neo the man cannot get on this island so get that worry out of your mind…. I will make sure all five of my elves are there tomorrow. Three will be on Franco and two on you, to help in anyway possible."

Neo cried as he remembered saying, "Cole, he knew about Frankie's gift. He said that if I ever left again, the Master would have a new pet. The cloaked man said it had already been set up and all it needed was me doing something against the Master and Frankie's gift would enslave him to that evil one forever. As you know I left when I graduated and joined the Caretakers? I am afraid that something I will do tomorrow will trap Frankie as a dragon forever. That time when I was ten was bad enough. They had me a month conditioning me. Then when I thought Frankie was dying, I was enslaved again this time between the addiction and fear of what they had done to Frankie...Cole, I was warned what they would do if I left and I have nightmares that remind me that I am never able to fully trust ever again. Our promise to each other was what gave me the strength to walk away. As you went against everything that your family to save us that day, I was not about to ruin your memory by taking the mark. Please Cole what exactly was they doing to me that month and then later when I was their decoy? Why do I feel as if I will never really be free of them? That they can take me back whenever the Dark One wants? Why do I feel as if I carry his mark on my very soul?"

"Neo, they took a 10-year-old boy and made him think they could control his life forever. They made it part of your everyday training. Your brain has accepted it as a normal thing which can happen. They did not have to worry about keeping the fear alive and reinforcing it because as a wizard you would be coming into contract with dragon on a relatively normal time frame. When you grew older and started to think more for yourself, they decided to reinforse the earlier training, so they threw you back in with a dragon. They did not want you dead Neo, but they wanted you to think they did. You have never had a chance to regain your footing with the dragons." Cole paused long enough to take a drink from the bottle of mineral water, Tarka had set in front of him. "By going to your brothers change tomorrow, you should be able to start your own healing process. It is necessary for you to be there Neo, for both yourself and your brother. He needs to know you can accept him in any shape he chooses and will not run, like he had been conditioned to think over the years, people will do."

Neo asked the question that worried him the most, "Cole, the breaking you have been doing. Why? Why put me at odds against you? Why finish what they started? Why threaten Brennan with his only real weakness, the Core?" Neo was terrified that the boy that had taught him since high standards and values had somehow gotten trapped in the web that the Dark One weaved. He feared that his friend was once again the Dark One's and that trusting him would enslave him to the evil sect that two young boys had made a pact to destroy.

"Since we were in that place so long ago, Spellman, things have happened and I have had to make promises to others. One of thoes promises is that I control the Quints, at least the male line. Marco I do not have to control because of our past together, and this is understood by those concerned. Your brother has not turned dark , Spellman, he just has a different outlook on life. Things are not so black and white in his little world anymore. Franco is no problem, because the others think he is broke, but Neo he has made promises to me, but he has also found ways around what I have asked of him. And I want you to understand, what I am doing as far as his gift is concerned, is for him alone. I do not want it to fall into others hands, so I am training him. It is thought in the outside world I am still trying to brainwash him and get information."

Cole just looked at Neo, and raked his hand through his hair. "As for you, I need your conscious and your sub conscious on my side. I need anyone who questions you from the Dark sects, whether you know they are part of it or not, to know in no uncertain terms you are mine. There is no pretending in this Neo. Until I know that has happened, you will undergo my method of training. If you want to call it brainwashing, fine, but it is going to happen for your protection and for others."

Neo shook as he tried to understand what Cole was saying. He did understand one thing, that for some reason, his old friend wanted those of the Dark Sect to believe that the Quints were no longer a threat. His key said, "What is the Sect famous for?" Neo shook as he realized that Fixer was insuring those that could read and control minds would get only what his friend wanted them to get. Neo smiled as he said, "I guess trust will be key in that you still hold true to wanting the destruction of the Dark Sect and their Master?"

Cole nodded. "As far as they are concerned, Neo. I have to be in control of the Quints. They have promised to leave your sister and Dalton alone, if I can prove to them you and your brothers are under my control. Marco has the mind control to fool them … Franco has made promises and they know he will hold to them. You do not have the mind strength to handle them, so you must be re-educated , their words not mine. I am sorry to have to do it to you, but it is the way it is at the moment. The easiest way for me to do it would be to reprogram your Key, but I have not wanted to go to that extreme because it changes who you really are, so I will push and continue to push until you are mine, in every cell of your body."

Neo cringed as he asked the question that plagued his mind, "Cole what if after you have done what is needed to insure they believe us broke, Khalid or worse Shadow chooses to hand us over to the Dark One? Will there be a way to break the control? I trust you but Khalid and especially Shadow can't be trusted."

"That’s a good question, Spellman. As you know there are five elves on this island. Each is Tocoferty, or Prince in the human language, of their clans. They can break any of the controls either signally or as a group. They cannot be kept out of anywhere Khalid or Shadow can take you. They have their instructions, even if I am dead. Now that you know how this has to work Spellman, I will be able to change things a little bit. When your brother leaves you will start basic training with my troops. You will enter as a trainee and do everything they are required to do. You will be punished for insubordination, the same as they are punished, and Spellman let me tell you I developed the tight ship syndrome . You will be pushed, probably harder than them, because I only have four months to send you through an eight month program. I hope you are understanding all of this Spellman, because your life and several others depend on me drilling home what I have to." Cole looked with daggers at Neo, "I will have the elves work with your Key. I will not change your general make up, but they can tighten some of the areas which can be used against you."

Neo understood the danger as he said, "Cole, for everybody's sake, as soon as Frankie is off the island, I must forget what I have learned this day or at least be made to believe it was part of the programming. Have my Key know the truth but I can't. Though I want to be programmed to believe that what you revealed and our connection that I can only trust you fully...maybe a life debt kind of thing? But if anybody reads me, we need them to believe that none of what I believe is really true but all part of the programming to make me think I owe you a life debt?" Neo wanted his friend to understand that he would do whatever it took to protect Cole's secret.

Cole nodded. "The elves can take care of most of what you are suggesting. I really do regrete what I have to put you through, my friend. We have all had to change with what is happening in the world at the moment. I know I can have the elves block your Key from being read, although he will probably have to go back into hiding. The elves can bring him out if something happens to me. This is not going to be easy Neo, there is going to be pain and anger, both of which I will probably be administering. Oh and Tal'mac will know the truth. I will wait until after your brothers change tomorrow to have the elves do a mind damper on your brain. They are good, Neo." Cole took a moment and uncharacteristically looked down at the table. When he looked back up, his eyes held all the friendliness he could muster. "It has been good, my brother, to be able to remind you of the past. It will hurt to take it away. Someday I will let it come out again, I promise." Cole reached out his hand to shake Neo's.

Neo's eyes teared up as he nodded and said, "It is needed to protect those involved. And I can still believe what is true is true. It will just be another way of control at least as far as others know. At least deep down I will have the truth and the trust to see this through. "

Again Cole nodded. Standing he said, "It is time for you to get some rest, my friend. Do you need anything to sleep tonight. I am telling you the truth you know. Franco can do this. Once he passes this part then, we only have some other small changes for him to make to drive home the idea he can do it. After that he will be sent home. He will retain what has happened here. But I will not be able to explain to him why you cannot go. He will just have to understand. I will try and get a message to both Marco and Tal'mac and explain what has happened."

Neo nodded as he said, "The night terrors"

"I can give you something for them, Neo. At least you will trust me tonight to help." Cole offered his friend trying to give him at least on good night of sleep.

Neo nodded as he said, "At least I will still have the memory, even if everybody believes it is a planted memory."

Cole nodded at Tarka and signaled for him to give Neo two sleeping pills, then he turned back to Neo, shook his hand one more time and said, "Take the meds Neo, and get some rest. Somehow this has all got to work out in the end. Your brother will be fine."

As he took the pills, Cooler said, "Sir, wait until after Frankie's change has gone full cycle before you do any mind altercations on me, please. I am going to be in true fear which will have to be handled. I will need that complete trust in you Cole to get through it. When Frankie realizes some of the memories of today are gone, it will be easier for him to believe your saving me is a planted memory. But Cole, tomorrow I need no doubts about you."

Cole made sure Neo took both pills and watched as he headed for the bed. Stripping to his boxers, he climbed under the sheet and blanket and laid with his head on the pillow. "I agree with your reasoning, Neo. Get some rest. For one more day we will be true blood brothers. I will be happy when it will always be known by everyone." Cole turned and walked out of the room.

(OOC: This is a combined post by Barbie and Jane, we hope you enjoyed it)

NEO
(OOC: This post takes place after Post #13 in Everywhere, Training For A New Life. Quotes will be from there. Franco has just gone, unaided through a complete change from human to dragon and back again. When Cole enters Neo's room it is about 2:00 pm.)

Neo inwardly smiled, as he knew what was coming next and his brother was too exhausted to change again. He thought, "Allow my key to retain the truth about our bond Cole. However, to protect everybody concerned, this needs to be done and Frankie as well as myself must believe I have been tricked and that you plan on using the implanted memory to control me. One day they will pay as we swore and then everybody will know what you did so long ago but for now..."

(Cole)… "I look forward to the day, brother when we can again know the truth about each other. I will miss what we have here. The Key will know, follow your Key, Neo. Know it's truths." Cole sat back and motioned to Punta to stand behind and between the two brothers. When he was there, he said to Neo, "Sit back brother this will not take long." Smiling he nodded to Punta, who put a hand on top of Franco and Neo's heads and closed his eyes. The sadness Cole felt as he watched, Neo's and Franco's faces loose the relaxed nature and have them now showing a weariness, was a physical hurt in his chest, but it had to be done. …

Neo thought to his key but felt nothing. He nightmare had returned and though he had been so sure that things were different yesterday, today Fixer had once again shown how untrustworthy he was. Opening his eyes as he said with a strong feeling that things had went from bad to worse, "I don't know brother but I know Fixer meant that as a lesson. You okay?" Franco did not get a chance to answer.

Cole raised two fingers. Crossing them he pointed to both the brothers. Artkee stepped forward and the upper bodies of both Neo and Franco were now bound. "Punta, block Franco again, please." The elf did as he was told and Franco would not be able to turn into anything as long as the block was in place. Turning to the two brothers, his eyes only shifting, Cole said, "Well, that went well don't you think." Standing he added as he headed toward the Barracks, "It is time to go in." Stopping after a few steps he turned and said, "Neo you will be taken to your room and Franco you will be taken to yours. Franco you will also rest, and in about an hour you will be served a tray, from which you must totally consume all of the food." Cole did not say anything about Neo eating. He was not sure what he was going to do with the man now.

Neo glared at Fixer as he said, "My brother asked you a question. One that I am very interested in your answer. What was this all about? Why force Frankie to change into the one that has tried twice to tear you apart? More importantly where is the missing time? Why can't I remember just what you did but have the feeling you were proving a point and that whatever the lesson was it won't be the last for today?"

Standing with his feet spread and his hands behind his back, Cole answered both of the brother's questions. "I will answer your questions separately, once you are back in your rooms, gentlemen. I am tired and I wish to have some lunch. Now go along like nice boys and be good. The elves have orders to get you back to your rooms and settled as quickly and efficiently as possible." Cole smiled and turned on his heels, using a quick pace toward the Barracks. He needed to think and be alone. He had not thought it was so hard to do what he knew he had to do. Neo was his blood brother and his family counted in his life more than he was allowed to let on. At least Marco knew the real reasons things were happening the way they were. He would have to get in contact with Marco soon and explain what had happened and why things have reverted back to prior to the knowledge he had to erase from Franco and Neo.

The elves helped Neo and Franco stand. They looked at each other and tried to silently give encouragement. As they were led back to their separate quarters both wondered what shape the other would be in when they saw each other next. They reached Franco's room first. … [/quote]

As his brother was being led into his room, Neo called, "Hang tough little brother. I am proud of you." The elf Kimtu followed Frankie into his room and the door closed before he could get an answer. When they reached his room Neo was led in by Punta. As the door slammed shut the elf motioned Neo toward the bed, "Master Frank says you are to rest Master Neo. Please lie down. If you do not lie down, Master Neo, I will have to place you in the bed myself and you will not have the bonds removed."

Neo was too exhausted to argue but was unsure just what Fixer had planned. As he climbed into the bed, Neo thought about why he was so tired and could find no reason. He tried to relax as Punta released the bonds and walked to the corner not far from the door. As the elf turned and levitated onto an air chair, he said, "Sleep now Master Neo. I will wake you when it is necessary." Neo shook his head and stared at the ceiling, He needed to think not sleep.

Neo turned over from where he had been facing the wall. Punta was saying something to him. "It is time to wake Master Neo. You must get up and sit in the chair at the table, please."

Neo rubbed his eyes and realized he must have fallen asleep. "What time is it Punta?"

"It is 2:11 human time in the afternoon, Master Neo. Now please get up and sit at the table."

Neo shook his head as he got up. Since it looked like they were back to the point of scarce meals the only reason Punta would have to wake him was, Fixer was coming. Walking over to the table, he took the stance of being at attention so Fixer would find him that way. Cooler thought about Frankie and shook his head as he promised to one-day deal with Fixer.

Cole entered the room and although he noticed Neo standing at attention near the chair Neo would occupy he paid no attention to him. Frank sat down, straddling his normal chair and said to Punta, who had followed him to the table, "Get me a wine and also a large bottle of mineral water for Master Neo." Cole put his hands on the back of the straight back chair which was up against the table and just watched, Neo. He was debating on how to handle the situation. Neo now thought that the truth, Cole had rescued him when they were children, was an implanted memory. There might be a little trust there but it would not be much. It hurt he was still going to have to take his blood brother down and break him, but he now knew eventually Neo would know the truth, because it was locked away in his Key, or his sub-conscious where even the Dark Sect could not read.

As he watched the man still standing at attention in front of him, he knew where he was going to have to go with him. It would not be a nice place, but Cole could keep him from getting burned too bad. "At ease, Spellman. You may sit, and drink your water." Cole took a large couple gulps of his own, sweet red wine.

Neo just glared at Fixer as he said, "So Fixer, you going to answer those questions?"



Cole folded his arms on the table and said, "Sit down on your own, Spellman or I will have Punta assist you. Hands on the table Spellman, fingers spread," then took another long sip of his wine as he watched.



Cole nodded in Punta's direction. A struggling Neo found himself sitting in the chair, bound to it at the hips and legs and his palms glued to the tabletop with his fingers spread. No matter what he did he could not move them. "That is much better; now let's see you had questions. Right?"

Neo cringed as he said, "You know what I want to know. Answer the question I asked outside."

Cole pushed his glass off to the side so Punta could refill it. "You have my permission Spellman, to drink your water. I think you will find it very satisfying. Tell me, what is the last thing you remember before waking up? Do you remember all of your brother's change?"

Neo figured if Fixer could avoid answering so could he. He remembered yesterday to some extent up until he asked to see a picture of Cole at twelve. Then he remembered the fear he felt outside and the sense that Fixer had made Neo feel like that ten year old boy again. The man had forced Frankie to change into a dragon but then what. All Cooler could remember was the terror and his nightmares.

"Drink your water, Spellman." Just listening to the man's thoughts gave Cole most of what he needed. "Your brother choose the dragon, I did not choose it for him. With a little help from the elves, he completed the full round of change nicely. It was an interesting dragon, but that can be refined." Cole was purposely using words to make Neo think he was going to be controlling Franco. From the look on the man's face he was succeeding. "You seem to have an interesting problem, being around them. More of a problem than our former meeting would demonstrate. Tell me Neo, how would you like to visit my dragon pen? I have some very interesting specimens, which you can actually go into the cages with." Cole smirked. He did not like doing this, but he had to play it right to the maximum effect.

Neo shook his head as he tried to hide his terror. Glaring at Fixer as he said, "And if I refuse? You still have not answered my questions. What am I not remembering? You usually insure that any points you drive home are remembered so why is that not the case? Why do I just get a feeling that you forced my brother into that form as a way of insuring I got your message loud and clear? Sorry but the message you were trying to insure I got, Seems to have slipped my mind."

"I will not explain to you Spellman, anything I do not want to explain. I will tell you, you never left the island and you were supportive of your brother when he needed it." Cole smiled and took a sip of his refilled glass. "I really must insist you drink your water. I would hate to have to put a tube down your throat to give you liquids." Cole but a deadly stare on Neo. "Oh and refusing anything I tell you to do is only going to make life a little bit rougher when your brother leaves. If I want you to go somewhere, you will have the choice of going under your own power on in any other way I deem necessary. There are some really uncomfortable ways to travel Spellman." Chuckling Cole added, "Maybe just the fact I can have you lose time, and not know what happened is the point I was trying to get across."

Neo shook his head as he looked down at his hands, which were still stuck to the table. He knew he had felt true fear with whatever Cole had done. He wanted to know what in his past, had Fixer forced him to relive and just what Fixer had in mind now for whatever information he had gained from that memory. He felt a deep sense of lost but was unable to understand why as he said angrily, "Why don't you just tell me what past memory did you use to drive home your point? I might even tell you whether it worked."

"Think back Neo to when you were about 10-years-old. Do you remember a dragon? When you were 14 years old, do you remember a dragon? I think maybe during your four-month stay with me, we just might visit a hatchery I know of and let you sit among the females. They get really upset if you damage anything in their nesting area. What you think, shall I put it on my must do with Spellman list?" Cole chuckled, because it was going to be one of the things he could use to break Neo to the point the Dark Sect would leave his family alone. Leo would be the only brother still not controlled, as far as the Dark Sect was concerned, and they did not seem to be worried about him at the moment.

Neo was inwardly terrified as he said, cockily, "Fixer, I don't know what you think you know about my past but you ever force my brother again...I will take you down and won't care about losing my magic. Are we clear? Your beef is with me...deal with me! Train my brother to control his gift but never even think about hurting him emotionally to get back at me...."

Cole chuckled. "Spellman you are so full of threats. I told you, I am only interested in training your brother, so no one from the Dark Sect can use his gift against him. He is doing better than I expected. He wanted to become a dragon, so I let him, taking all the percussions I could. He has only a few days before he will be ready to join the outside world. Tal'mac will be there to help him and from what I have been given to understand, a few elves have been added to his staff. " Cole leaned forward a couple of inches on his arms, "I do not need to emotionally damage your brother to train you, Spellman. Over the past couple of days, you have given me, more than enough firepower. Do not threaten me Trainee Spellman? Life is going to be hard and dangerous enough for you without having me mad.

Neo shook his head as he said, "If that is the case then don't ever force a change on him...especially into a dragon. Fixer, I don't threaten! I promise, use my brother's gift against him or those that he cares about and I will drop you! I am willing to accept that I will always be a target for the Dark Sect and Khalid. I walked away from them at seventeen and nobody walks away and lives to tell the tale. Khalid hired you to handle things at Hog's Head knowing I would find out and come to help Frankie. I did not play his insane game then and I am not about to play it now. Tell the Dark Medjai, if he wants atonement so bad, face me himself because if any of my family is hurt because of his orders...I will bury both him and you! Now what do you plan to do?"

Cole sat up straight in the chair and put his hands on the back of it. For a few very long moments he just watched Neo. Holding the man's eyes, he thought about what he should do next. Inwardly smiling he knew he had the man on the preverbal ropes. The Cooler was scared but had learned a long time ago how to hide the fright behind cockiness and he saw his silence was adding to the fear. He motioned Punta forward and whispered in the elf's ear. All he said was, "Pretend I am telling you something very important, then leave the room for three minutes, when you return, nod and go and stand behind Master Neo. I just want to make him very nervous and play on his emotions, understand my friend?"

Punta frowned and nodded. After glancing at Master Neo, he turned and walked out of the room. It always amazed him how Master Frank used mind solutions to things. The human would use pain when necessary but he preferred mind control of some type. Punta and his brothers for the other clans had learned many things staying with the man.

Cole watched the elf leave the room. Turning back to Neo, he steepled his fingers and just stared at the Cooler.

Neo was worried but dared not voice it. Fixer had just had the elf Punta to do something. Had the Cooler pushed Cole too far and now Frankie or one of his family would pay the price, Neo had no clue but Fixer's lack of words had Neo really scared. He wondered if The Dark Medjai had ordered him brought back into the fold. Neo shook his head as he realized that to protect those that mattered, The Cooler would but what would his atonement be this time and he prayed it would not be Tia.

After three minutes, Punta re-entered the room, nodded and bowed to Master Frank, and went and stood behind Master Neo. He could feel the fear, like a cloud around the human. He thought of diving into the human's mind, but Master Frank might have a plan in the works and he did not want to take the chance on making it difficult.

Cole drummed his steepled fingers together than lowered them to the table. He needed to try and rattle this man. Neo worked on the ability to figure out what someone was going to do, come up with a plan to counter it and then wait for the next play by the person. Cole wanted him wondering what was next and worrying. Pushing away from the table he went to the cabinet on the wall near the head of the bed. Opening it he stood and looked at the contents and then turned and looked at Neo unitl he was sure the Cooler had seen him pondering the cabinet. Reaching in he removed several small bottles, checking two of them to make sure they still had liquid in them., two large syringes and some rope. The meds and needles he placed in his pocket. The rope he slowly coiled and threw on the bed.

Walking back to the table he nodded at Punta, signaling him to put his hands on Neo's head, but not to do anything. Cole walked to the table and straddled his chair, steepled his hands again and watched Neo over the top of his fingers, waiting to see what the Cooler would do.

Neo watched as Fixer went to the cabinet. His eyes showed the panic he felt as he saw the bottles and needles. As calm as he could, Neo said as he looked at the rope on the bed, "I guess that rope is for me? Do you really think it will hold me? Why don't you just tell me what choices the Dark Medjai has given me that would keep Frankie safe from his gift being used to kill for Khalid's master? Isn't that what Khalid wanted me to understand at Hog's Head? That it was me returning or he would gain control of my brother's gift and use him as he once used me?" Neo inwardly cringed as his mind thought of returning to that old life but to save Frankie's innocence, Cooler would do it in a heartbeat.

"I know what Khalid wants done Spellman and I am working on it. He does not want you brought back to his services for the time being. He wants your family controled, but not by Shadow or a few of the other wizards on the darker side of Magic. I do not work for him Spellman, no matter what you think. I work for myself. I have turned down jobs, even thoes offered by the Dark Sect, but control of your family intrigues me, so I thought I would take the challenge on. Listen carefully thought, Spellman, you will work for me and me alone. The Shadow, Khalid or any of their minions will not have control over you. If they try you will tell me and I will handle the problem." Cole looked at his watch and said, "It is now 3:35. I still need to talk with your brother before the day is up. Cole nodded at Punta, who removed his hands, after purposely not doing anything and Cole said to him. "When we leave elf, bring the rope." Cole knew Neo realized he still had the drugs in his pocket and he was having Punta bring the rope. He kept his face blank, but inside he was smiling at all the mixed messages it was sending to the man.

Cole wondered if he could get Neo to beg to take any of the punishment he thought Cole was going to meter out to Franco. It would be interesting when he turned him down. How far would Neo go with his begging. The man was proud and stubborn, but protecting his family and friends would always be his downfall.

Neo shook his head as he said, "I would have agreed to consider whatever the Dark Medjai might want but since you say he did not hire you..." Cooler tried to shrug as he finished, "then you are no threat and that means as Khalid would say of no real importance."

He saw Cole head for the door and cringed as he asked, "What do you plan for my brother?" He thought of the forced change and pleaded, "Fixer, you are not going to force a change and cage him again? Please you will destroy what makes him who he is....Don't do it...You said you don't work for the Dark Medjai but like you also said he ordered my family controlled..." Neo was panicking as he wondered if there was any way to save Frankie from what he had went through.

Cole stopped about halfway between the table and the door. Turning he said, with a deadly voice. "What, Spellman, are you willing to do to keep your brother as a human, and change my mind to let him experiment with any animal he wants?"

Neo looked at the rope and Fixer as he said, "If it was what he wanted to change to? Then why the drugs and rope if not to either force a change or to insure he can't change back? Answer those and I might tell you but most likely I will want the agreement with The Dark Medjai?"

"No, I will not answer your question. I am done answering your questions Spellman. This is not a two way street. You will listen to what I tell you to do. If you do there will be rewards, if you do not there will be punishment. When I ask you a question you will tell me your answer on the basis of any information I may or may not give you. Now the question was "What, Spellman, are you willing to do to keep your brother as a human, and change my mind to let him experiment with any animal he wants?" and your answer is….."

Neo inwardly shook but said only, "As long as it is his choice then nothing..." Cooler was almost sure Frankie was going to be forced and Neo would do anything to prevent that. The thing was Fixer had chose his words carefully so Neo had nothing to gain by going back to work for the Dark Medjai and everything to lose.

Turning to Punta he said, "Give me the rope. Stay with Master Neo. He is not allowed to have the view screen on. When I leave you may release him from the table." Cole shrugged and started for the door again, saying over his shoulder. "Suit yourself Cooler, just remember I asked and probably won't again." Cole placed his hand on the handle of the door and looked back at Neo one more time.

Neo fought his bounds as he said, "As I figured, it won't be my brother's choice, will it Fixer or you would not need the rope or drugs?" As Fixer looked back at him, Neo shook as he said, "Whatever you are planning for my brother...." He stopped with tears in his eyes, "I am his security...I will accept whatever it is on me...Just don't do it to Frankie...Please...It would destroy his trust in people..."

Cole took his hand away from the nob and took two steps back into the room. He motioned for Punta to release Master Neo, but watch him carefully. "Do not try anything Spellman. The elf can take you down before you have even finished the thought of what you want to do." When Neo was released Cole order, "Come and kneel in front of me Spellman and submit."

Neo stood and then said, "I am not breaking Fixer as I would want assurances from the Dark Medjai before I would even consider that but I will take on whatever you had planned for my brother and I doubt kneeling before you was what you had in mind for him..." He waited to see just what torment Fixer had in mind for Frankie. Neo knew that his addiction might come into play as it seemed that Fixer planned on using the drugs and rope on Frankie which meant that now they would be used on him. Cooler swallowed hard as he wondered if he would ever break the addiction again. The price was one he would gladly pay to insure that Frankie never lost his faith in his fellow man.

"I said come and kneel in front of me, now, or I leave and go talk to your brother." Cole crossed his arms across his chest and waited.

Neo cringed but stood firm as he said standing before Cole, "If I do this then my siblings all of them are free of you? Fixer, I am more than willing to accept whatever you have planned for Frankie but what you are asking there is only one thing I would go back to that life for..." He stopped as he felt his memories surface, "That is for the oath that if I came back..my family especially Frankie would be forever free from the Dark Sect....and that in my book includes this deal between you and Frankie. If I do this, then once you train Frankie, he is free of any association? No more deals, no more partnership concerning the Prophet....So who does he want more, Frankie or me? I am willing but at a price. I came back but only if he swears that my family is free from Khalid, yours and Khalid's master's grasp forever..."

Cole shook his head, "I will not make a deal with you on this, Spellman. Now knell or I leave. Last chance. Cole half turned and took a step and a half so he could reach the door handle. "Decide…."

Neo was out of options for now. His baby brother was most likely going to be forced to change and then kept from turning back. Cooler looked down as he said, "Either I kneel or the Dark Medjai gets a new pet..." He stopped as he realized there is no assurance that me doing this will spare Frankie...so why should I? Why should I accept that life again if not to kept him safe?" As he knelt, Cooler answered his own question, "Because at least there is a chance it will, that me doing this will spare Frankie and he won't be just somebody's pet?"

Turning back and walking to behind Neo, Cole pulled the man's hands behind him and tied them tight. Pulling his tied wrist, half-way up his back he looped the rope twice around Neo's neck and then back down to his hands. If Neo tried to lower his hands, the rope around his neck would tighten. Cole looked at Punta and saw the elf understood, Neo was not allowed to strangle himself, but if the rope got a little tighter that was all right.

Walking around to the front he said, "Very good move Spellman, now…" Reaching into his pocket, he took out the small blue vial of liquid and filled one of the syringes with a very large needle on it. The liquid in the syringe was clear. Walking over to Neo, he jabbed it into his upper right arm. He was not going to tell the man it was a placebo. Stepping back, he said. "That is not the same drugs you got strung out on before Spellman. This will have a very different effect. Because you have taken the hit, I will not use it on your brother at this time… Now stand up." As Neo stood, Cole made sure he was standing in the middle of the open area, between the table and the door. "You will stand here until I tell you, you may sit. You will not exercise or move from this spot. Move and you will receive another shot, and your brother may experience the same fate." Cole put his face right up to Neo's and in a drill-sergeant's voice said, "We are done making deals Spellman. I will keep the ones I have made concerning your brother as long as he is on the island." Reaching up he roughly patted Neo's face. "Do you understand…. Your answer is Yes Sir .

Neo grinned as he said, "I am glad the time for deals are over because any deal is done the minute Frankie leaves the island cause you already broke one promise to Frankie and me...Fixer, you have control only as long as Frankie is on the island after that..." Neo had in a way had hoped Fixer would make the deal cause now there was only one way to protect Frankie from becoming somebody's pet. Inwardly he felt remorse but his mind was made up. No permanent safety for Frankie, then Neo would show Fixer the Pinch by using it on him. This time he would kill to protect those he loved from the very monsters that created him.

Cole tugged on Neo wrist, causing the rope around Neo's neck to tighten, "Your answer is Yes Sir, Spellman. You were not give permission to say anything else."

"As you stand there and think about killing me Spellman, let me leave you with an additional thought. At the moment, the only thing keeping those others away from Franco, Marco, you, Leo, Kat and even Dalton is the fact that I am alive and they know I have control over at least part of your family. Take that control away, and who do you think may step in next." Cole shook his head as the thoughts whirled in Neo's brain.

Neo laughed as he said, "Since you gave me no promises, that warning is all you get. I have nothing to gain by doing anymore than I have done. So Fixer, you now have no leverage as you have chosen to forego any more deals. I will be insurance for Frankie but only until he leaves as agreed. Afterwards..."

Cole tugged on the wrists of Neo again, causing the rope to get even tighter around his neck. "Your answer, Spellman is Yes Sir, . Cole looked at Punta, who was reading Neo's body signs, to make sure Neo could still breath. He knew the breaths would not be deep causing pain as he tried to get air to fill his lungs, but he could still breathe.

Neo just grinned even though it was hard to breath. The Key was scared as Cooler seemed to be at a point Martin had worried about. He knew the elf would hear him, "Tell Cole something he said kicked in Neo's conditioning...Cole needs to really worry as Martin was...needs to insure Neo has another course...need to talk to Fixer...Big Problem.." The Key just prayed he was not too late as he waited in the garden at the school in Neo's mind.

"On your knees, Spellman." Cole called Punta forward and motioned for him to make the connection. Cole had to go and talk with Neo's sub-conscious, or the Key as Neo call it. He watched as Punta stepped up, looked Neo in the eyes, and then placed his hands on top of the Coolers head. When the elf closed his eyes, Cole knew he was mind diving. Cole put one hand on top of Punta's and closed his own eyes. He was soon able to walk through the fog of Neo's mind and came out in the garden's of a older version of Hogwarts. The Key, in the guise of a 14 year old Neo sat on the bench. The last time Cole had seen the sub-conscious he had been only about 10 or 11 years old. Cole nodded as he realized he had guessed right. Neo had gone back to the time when the Dark Sect had some control over him.

The Key yelled, "I thought you were blood brothers! What did you say that has him feeling like the only way to protect Frankie from becoming The Dark Medjai's pet is to take you out as soon as Frankie is off the island? I allowed him to remember to give you an idea of how they conditioned him, not to insure that conditioning was tapped..." He stopped as he realized just how Neo was feeling..."He thinking exactly like they wanted him to..the bad thing is I have no clue as to which of your statements to erase to stop this from turning into a bloodbath as Martin believed it would?"

Cole went and sat on the bench beside the excited 14 year old version of Neo. "He told me to let you retain the information about being blood brothers but to erase it from his consciousness, so that if he mind is read off the island, it will appear that the memory was planted by me to try and gain his trust. Now my friend I am stuck, on square one again trying to break him. There was nothing in the shot, it was only a placebo. I am open to suggestions, on where to go from here. I do not want to hurt him, but…." Cole lowered his eyes to the ground. He honestly did not want to hurt Neo, because they were blood brothers, but he also knew he had to break him or his whole family would be targeted by the Dark Sect, with no buffer in between.

The Key smiled as he said, "Okay, then we need to figure out what you said that triggered this reaction. To do that you need to remember how they conditioned him. It is not his fault Cole or yours..you will understand when you see and hear what all they put him through from that first capture at ten which you stopped, then again when he thought he was indented to Khalid. Cole, they used the name Dark Medjai for a reason and because of Hog's Head Neo connects that name with you as well. Go to Ravenclaw Tower. That is the door to those memories. When you come back I hope you have what you might have said to trigger the conditioning as Martin knew the result but he never found the trigger? We will talk afterwards."

Cole nodded and headed for the fifth Floor of the center tower of the school, the Ravenclaw House. As he made his way through the school, he looked around. He had gone to Durmstrang Institute to school. He had visited Hogwarts as a boy once when they had some inter-school games, but he had never had a chance to really look around. It was a very nice layout. As he got to the door, he found it opened, which was strange because he knew it was supposed to be locked. Entering he stood in the Common Room, somewhere he knew would normally be warm and cozy. This felt, cold and chill which went all the way to the bone.

As he looked around the round room, he scratched his head. He had no idea what he was looking for. The picture over the fireplace suddenly changed and showed a 10 year old boy in a round cell of an old castle. The boy was shackled to the wall and staring the enclosure, at the far wall only about 12 feet away was a large angry dragon.

Cole knew where he was, because he had been there also. The day was when Neo had decided to walk to the hospital on his own to see his brother Franco, one of the quints, who was in the hospital because of his heart. He had asked directions, and the man he had asked said he would take him. Instead, the man kidnapped him. The stranger was from a group who trained children to steal. Cole who had been 12 at the time, found out his parents were part of the group kidnapping the children. He had banned with his friends to find other children and set them free.. Cole had made it into the cell and was able to get past the dragon, who he and his friends had been feeding to make friends, get the boy out and get him to safety. Cole remembered how scared Neo had been. From what he had learned from other children the ones who had held Neo had terrorized him with stories about how the dragon loved to eat children, and how the dragon was kept hungry just to be able to get Neo if he moved from the wall.

The picture jumped around with different scenes, never staying the same scene for more than a second. Neo appeared to be getting older as the pictures flashed. After two or three dizzy minutes, the picture stopped flashing and a 14-year-old Neo stood on the corner of a road in Diagon Alley looking very scared. He was nodding to a man in a full-length cloak with a hood covering his face.



Cole thought about the things Neo had told him and about the research, he had been able to dig up on the Spellman Quints. It had to be when Neo had started working as a decoy. The picture showed the hooded man pointing to someone and then disappearing down the alley. Neo walked up to the man who had been pointed out and said something to him, pointing toward the alley. The man headed to the alley at a steady jog, with the 14-year-old Neo following. They entered the ally. A few minutes later Neo came out and got sick on the sidewalk near the wall. He was white and crying.

Again, the pictures started to flash fast. There were children playing, parties, dark nights, sunny days, and cloudy scenes not in focus. When the whirlwind of images stopped Neo now was older. He was being roughly thrown into another large cage with a dragon. The dragon was not a meat eater, but apparently, the young Neo did not know that, because he had plastered himself against the side of the wire mesh cage, terror in his eyes. This mini-movie had to have been when he tried to get away, had been caught and held in a cage for twenty-four hours with the dragon. Neo had told Cole that his captures had told him the Dragon also chained to the cage was Frankie his brother and was being prevented for changing back, because Neo had tried to not fulfill his missions. Neo had tried to talk to the dragon thinking it was his brother. Cole could see the dragon going in very close to Neo, as if he was smelling him. It huffed a couple of times and even opened its, mouth. The terrified boy turned his head and whimpered. When the dragon backed up, Neo sat, just staring at the other side of the cage. He had gone within himself.

Again pictures shifted showing only splotches within the picture frame. These were mostly dark and dreary. There were very few which showed any large amounts of light. There was a lot of splashes of red. Neo had been running, crying, sitting, standing, and kneeling in some of them. He was getting older again also. They did not come to a jolting stop this time, but slowed until a steady view was being shown. Neo at the age of around 17-year-old was on his knees in front of the hooded man, with his arm held out. The hooded man took a needle out of his robe and jabbed into the young mans arm. Neo relaxed back on his heels and his head dropped. The hooded man, pointed to a woman, walking out of a shop across the street. Neo turned and looked and at first shook his head no, but when the hooded man grabbed his front collar and showed him the needle, Neo nodded and slowly got up. They had gotten Neo hooked on drugs, starting when he was about 14-years-old, in order to keep him coming back and working for them.

Cole walked closer to the picture, because the woman looked familiar. He stopped quickly when he recognized the lady as Arianna Sadaki, the Founder of the Caretakers and Librarian at Hogwarts. He knew he was watching the past, but he could not help himself, yell, "Arianna, go back… it is a trap … go back…" The woman looked at the young Neo and nodded. As she walked toward the alley, she put her arm around the boys shoulders and held him tight. The youth, appeared to fight the hug at first but soon gave up and actually relaxed against the lady. Before they entered the alley, Arianna stopped, pulled the boy in front of her, so she could look at him. With her hands on his shoulders, she said something, which made Neo's head nod and then drop forward. Ari had smiled, and gave Neo a hug, then gently pushed him to the curb and sat him down. From her pocket she removed a small ball, which lite up. When she said something the ball blinked, she nodded, put it back in her robe, gently pulled Neo to a standing position and with her arm around his shoulders started down the side walk.

Cole stood staring, because he had just witnessed the point in which Arianna Sadaki, saved Neo's life. The scene had ended with a bright flash somewhere down the alley way. Cole could only stand and stare. He had just witnessed seven years of Neo's life, and his heart hurt, knowing what the young man had gone through. After Cole had saved the 10-year-old Neo, he had lost track of the boy. He had gone to the hospital, because Neo had told him his brother was there. Cole had visited Franco, and met Marco at the time. It wasn't until years later when fate connected Cole and Marco through the pen-pal system, that Cole had discovered some of which had happened to Neo. He was not sure, Marco knew the full extent of what had happened.

On shaking legs, he made himself return to the garden to talk with the 17-year-old Neo. As he arrived, he found a man sitting on the bench. The man was not quite as old as the conscious Neo, and he was taller and more muscular. He looked like how Neo would want to see himself. Cole chuckled slightly. Sitting down on the bench he said, "Ok, let's talk." Time with the Key did not exist. No matter how long Cole stayed, it would only seem like moments to anyone in the outside world

The Key nodded as it said, "You now have seen what he was put through, Cole. Have it given you any insight? Any hints as to what you might have said to trigger Neo's conditioning?"

"The devils used Dragons as their theme, so they knew Franco could and would probably turn into a dragon sometime in the future. It was like a time lock. Wait until Franco turns into a dragon, and Neo starts to hate and want to kill the people they have conditioned him to think were bad and should be taken out, like the members of the Core, anyone fighting the Dark Sect." Cole looked off toward the fog, then back to the Key, "What happens when the children get older and start fighting the Dark Sect on their own? Will you be strong Neomundo enough to hold him back, so he does not start to think they are wrong also?"

The Key shook his head as he asked, "Is that all you got? Is that the only thing you understood? The children are in danger yes but not from Neo taking them out."

Cole extended his feet out in front of him and hung onto the edge of the bench. Looking at the ground near where his heels was, he considered what he had learned by watching the scenes in the painting. There had been episodes of light where people looked happy, but those were in the flashes. The overall theme was how, Neo had been controlled by the dragon. However, not just the dragon, there had been drugs and mental abuse. It all boiled down to a control issue. Turning his head only the said to Neomundo, the Key, Neo's subconscious mind, "Neo is scared of losing control of his life. It petrifies him. Threats are the only thing I have left him with to fight the battle of retaining any part of his control."

Neomundo shook his head as he said, "Cole, you saw what they did? The threats they made. Did anything you said to Cooler could any of it have come across as giving him only one way to protect Frankie?"

Cole nodded. Looking back at the man sitting on the bench beside him he agreed, "Most of what I have done would make him feel if he took me out then Franco would be safe. But, doesn't he see if he took me out, it would only clear away one more buffer between him and Shadow and the rest of the Dark Sect. I need him to willingly come when I call so I can say things to him in my protected environment. I need the Dark Wizards to think, no I need them to know that I can control him. It is the only way to keep them away from his family. He can't just think it, he has to know it, so if they read him , and they will, there will be no doubt, that he is under my control. I am at a lose at the moment because the only thing I really have to use against him is the lack of control, his brother's wellbeing and the drugs." Cole wished with all his heart there was another way.

The key looked at Cole as he said, "But for some reason, something you said has Neo believing that giving in even a little by making deals is no longer an option. Do you have any idea of what could have been said or implied that could have closed that option?"

Cole did not answer right away, but as the realization came to him on what he did, he cringed, "Neo is an honorable man. When I gave him the shot, and it was a placebo I went back on my word to him and Franco about not using drugs." Quietly and regrete Cole added, "I went back on my word, so my word does not mean anything anymore." Cole dropped his head to his chest and pulled his legs back in under him. He had done the one thing which had turned all of his hard work and progress to nothing. He had broken his word to a man who took a person's word as to who they were and who he could trust. But the only out he could see now, was to apologize and that would not work. At the moment he did not see that happening.

Neomundo smiled as he said, "As long as it was not really a drug, that is an easy fix since it is recent. Did you say anything about not accepting anymore deals? I can change information but only if I know what I need to change Cole."

Cole looked away for a moment then back at the Key. "I got so frustrated I told him I was done making deals. I am tired of the cat and mouse games we have been playing. I am tired of treating a friend and blood brother, although his conscious self is not allowed to know the connection, like an enemy. I just need him to comply." Cole looked off into the fog again. "But I guess it is not going to happen that way." Taking a deep breath he asked, "So what do you recommend?"

The Key put his hand on the man's shoulder as he said, "Now that you saw what they put him through, you can imagine why he hates Khalid? They convinced him that Khalid ordered all that Cole. When Khalid ordered you to bring Frankie to him and the rest that was ordered at Hog's Head..." Neomundo stopped as he tried to figure out how to get Cole to understand that Khalid had unknowingly played right into the Dark Sect's hands.

After thinking he said, "It did exactly what they wanted. Neo was primed to protect Frankie at all cost. It was then that Neo linked you to Khalid. He would have followed but once your connection to Marco was made...it gave you and Khalid time. The thing is Cole, Neo is getting mixed signals about you. He remembers your instructions at Hog's Head from Khalid and because of the hatred they insured he felt for the man..." The key stopped for a few moments then smiled, "Neo swore years ago that he would never again work for Khalid. I have been helping some by picking the wording for the deals. So far the deals are just to you which makes it easier for Neo to agree. You might notice that he has only been getting more stubborn when it involves others or information? I can change the mistakes so it will appear that Neo was just dreaming this last visit by you. But Cole, Thanks to them, Neo is always looking for betrayal. He has major trust issues. You seen what they did and how he was by the time of graduation? Use that info these next four months and undo the damage they created. So what all did you learn they did?"

Nodding and taking some deep breaths, Cole tried to concentrate on what he needed to do. He was going to have to come up with some type of plan which would get Neo to know what type of person he was, and get him to realize the organization he was running on the island was not to further the Dark Sect's agenda. Positioning himself more comfortably on the bench, he turned his whole body toward the Key. "They definitely used large dragon's to frighten him. Just the size of the dragons would have threatened his idea of control. They made him feel helpless. They used his inability to be able to talk with adults, to make him think they were in charge and he could not do anything without their permission. If he did the one grounding force he had to life, his family would be hurt or torn away from him. Some of the scenes suggested he was made to watch some of the killings and even thinks he took part in them. That took care of most of the mental control."

Cole stopped to look past the Key, as he continued to think. When he brought his eyes back he continued, "With the mental control fastened down, they started with the physical control. They fed him drugs until he was dependant on them. And I can tell you first hand they chose a drug which would let him work, but made his body need it desperately. If it had not been for Arianna Sadiki, then I think he never would have been able to fight the drugs affects."

The Key nodded and asked, "Now that you know what they did, why he is so loyal to Arianna and why he believes to break will put him right back where he was at seventeen? What do you need to do to break him but at the same time give me what I need to insure that he will be ready when it is time?
Cole had some ideas floating in his head, but he had been concentrating so hard on breaking the man he never gave them true consideration, maybe now was the time. "Somehow I need to get Neo to agree to join my small army. I think, if I can get him working with the men and woman I have here, he will come to understand, all I am trying to do is collect information the Wizarding World is going to need to fight the Dark One and his Dark Sect. I also have taken on the training of the ones who are going to need to get into that fight." Cole took a deep breath, "However, Neomundo, he is going to have to turn over control of what he does and what happens to him during that time, or he will never truly listen and learn… and that is the problem … he will not have up that control. If I could get him to believe I am and independent contractor in all of this, it would help also."

The image of what Neo would have been like if he had never crossed paths with the Dark Sect nodded as he said, "Now you are thinking. Cole, have one of Tal'mac's warriors put Neo to sleep. I have the corrections set to happen upon him waking. Now for breaking him as far as the Dark Sect is concerned? One, I must always stay at the look of eleven. The connection between you and Neo is only remembered when I look like this. So only at times like now would he remember that you are his blood brother. Cole, never again allow the Key to look like he did in those memories right before Air got to him. That is the only part of the key Martin dared not change. The youngest version is scared of you and will comply more easily? Cole, never take the ability for Neo to strike a deal off the table. Use what you now know to get him to comply. You can change the younger versions if you can as it is in this form that Martin put Neo's destiny, though I have no name in this form. You might be able to help me there?"

"I think we will call you Sir Neo , it would fit. I will be glad when someday, we can actually talk in the physical world like this my brother. I hate what I am being made to do. I will protect your family as much as I can, even if I have to do it without anyone else's knowledge."

Sir Neo nodded and closed his eyes, instantly changing to the 10-year-old version, Neomundo. The boy cringed and moved to the very end of the bench. "Now boy," Cole started, "I still plan on giving you the ability to go anywhere in the school, you wish. One of the elves will come and continue to give you private lessons and assignments. Know that I still control you and you will only be allowed occasional visits with your Conscious self. Do not cross me child, understood?"

Neomundo shook his head as he tried to get away from this man. He said shakily, "I want Cooler now! I have work to do..."

Cole chuckled. "If you are good, I may let you join with him for a few minutes every day. If I give you that chance, then you will remember I am in charge, child. I can put Neo in a room, where he thinks there are dragons in every corner, so it will be your job to convince him he needs to listen to me. I can also fill his world with dragons. Now I must go." Cole looking into the boys eyes and had seen a small flicker of hope when he had mentioned the elves. "Oh and boy, the elves do what I say. They will be allowed to visit you only as long as they do nothing to interfer with any of my plans. They know what would happen if they cross me." Cole would not do anything to the elves, because they knew what he was doing, but the sub-conscious part of Neo sitting before him on the bench did not know this.

Neomundo shook as he remembered the pain that he went through when he tried to stand up to this man. He got mad as he thought of this Fixer hurting his little friends. Glaring at the man as he said with anger, "You won't hurt my little friends! I won't let you. Now release me as I have work to do..."

Cole stood up and towered over child who had cringed as he gained in height. "Your little friends work for me. If you want to keep them safe then do as I desire. I need to go now… you will be released when I think it is appropriate. Now go to your studies, child."Cole turned and walked toward the fog and turned at the edge of it. The 10-year-old Neo was headed toward the school, head hung low. Cole stepped into the fog.

(OOC: This is a combined post by Barbie and Jane, We hoped you enjoyed it)

COLE
(OOC: Beginning quote is from previous post in this thread)



Cole's eyes fluttered open and he had to fight the dizziness. In the conscious world he had only been gone seconds. As he looked down, Punta removed his hand and Neo who had been staring straight ahead, jerked his head toward Cole and held his eyes.

When Neo did not say anything, Cole reached down and with Punta's help, pulled the kneeling man to his feet. Roughly shoving him toward the table and chairs. "Sit, Cooler." Not giving him a chance to think Cole said, "Punta put him in the chair, hands flat, finger spread, legs bound to the legs of the chair and held in the seat by his hips." Cole walked over an leaned on the table, "Now Neo, we are going to come to a better understanding." Cole looked at Punta and said, "Put him to sleep, Now." Cole saw the jerk in Neo's body as the words sunk in for the few seconds he remained conscious. As Cole counted to ten, he walked to the other side of the table and straddled his chair, folding his arms comfortably the table. When he hit ten he smiled and nodded to Punta to wake Neo up.

Neo shook as he awoken. The nightmare seemed so real. He started to open his eyes...

"….. and that is why you will be seeing more of your brother," Cole knew Neo was feeling like he had woken, but he played it as if he did not know. He wanted to see where Neo's mind was and what he felt at the moment.

Neo shook his head as he said worried, "Sorry I must of zoned out? You were saying?"

"I said, drink your water Spellman. Your brother has chose the dragon and you seem to think it has affected him more. So I have decided to let the two of you talk more. He only has about two maybe three days before he will be returning to the outside world. Tal'mac will be able to keep an eye on him. If there is a problem I will pull him back here and we will continue more of his training." Cole was going to take the chance that the version of the Key, Sir Neo, had taken Neo back to the beginning of their visit.

Neo was confused but picked up his water and took a sip. The nightmare was still fresh in his mind. That meant a problem if Cooler allowed Fixer to know how much it had bothered him. He asked as calm as he could, "So if he did well on his dragon change, why not release him tonight?"

"I want to make sure he can do some of the smaller animals in quick changes. I still need to test his temper also, because that seems to trigger most of his involuntary changes. Just normal days at the newspaper will cause anger and stress and I need to make sure he can stop a change before it starts… that he can recognize the symptoms of one coming on. Over the next couple of days I am going to create some stress so I can see his reactions." Cole leaned forward and folded his arms on the table. "We wouldn't want your brother turning into something in the middle of a normal day, would we, Spellman?"

Neo shook his head as he said without thinking, "No Sir, but I want my brother free from both this island and you soon. When do you release Neomundo? I want my key back now!"

Cole smiled; apparently, Sir Neo had added the ability of Neo to say the word Sir without hesitation. "When I am ready to let him go, he will leave. As far as Neomundo is concerned, I have decided to let the two of you join, for a period of time each day. I have just not decided the length of that time. It may vary contingent on how you act. The elves have been visiting him and teaching him. Pushing your brother to be gone, will only bring your trial up sooner."

Neo shook his head as he said angrily, "Sir, I want him released Now!"

"I told you your brother will be released when I say he is ready. Keep it up Spellman and your time with your brother could grow much shorter…. Drink your water." Cole thought for a moment then said, "Maybe I could be persuaded to release him, and not be totally sure he would be all right, if you wanted that too happen. What are you willing to use as a bargaining chip?" Cole fastened his eyes with a hard questioning stare on Neo.

Neo cringed as he realized that Fixer thought he meant Frankie. He said as he tried to fix the error, "No Sir, I meant my key. I want Neomundo released Now! As for Frankie, I won't risk his health just to get him away from you."

Cole steepled his fingers in front of him and tapped his mouth with the tips. Folding his arms back down he said, "I will let you visit with your Key, for fifteen minutes. I will spend the first five of those minutes with you. That is all I am willing to allow, for the time being."

Neo smiled as he said, "I want to talk to my key now Sir."

Cole nodded and motioned for Punta to return to behind Neo, "Punta is going to take us there. Relax Spellman, take a deep breath and close your eyes." Cole nodded to the Elf and closed his own eyes. They started the decent. Within a matter of moments they were stepping out of the fog into the Library of the past Hogwarts. A table near the door had several large stacks of books piled on it and pieces of parchment scared between the scattered between the books. Holding up his hand caused Neo to freeze at the entrance to the library door, "Wait here Neo and let me make sure the young one can talk." Cole walked around to the other side of the table and found Neomundo, leaning over some parchment with several book opened on the two top corners. "Hello Neomundo, " he said in a low voice, "I have bought Neo to talk with you. I wanted to make sure we understand each other as far as what you can say to him."

The Key heard the voice of the man he dreaded seeing so soon. He got up and started to head towards a row of shelves nearby.

"Stop child. Sit back down now or you will not get to talk with your councious self." Cole grabbed the child by the collar, and drug him back to the chair, sitting him hard into the seat. Bending over with one hand on the table and the other on the back of the chair he said, very quietly. "Stay in that seat while we are here. I am willing to let you two join for a short time every day, but only if you can behave. You are to convince your conscious that he is to behave also and make agreements with me that I wish made. Do. We. Understand. Each. Other?" Cole added drawing each word out to emphasis his point.

Neomundo glared at this dreaded man. He knew the man was dangerous as he could cause pain but seemed to just like to threaten. He wanted a book and to talk to Cooler without Mister Nosy. He grinned as he said as he crossed his fingers behind his back, "I am getting a book, I will be right back. I promise."

Cole had learned a long time ago, when a child who you knew did not like you smiled, it meant they were trying to trick you so he said, "I do not think so… you may get the book when you are done talking. Remember what I have said, child or your visits from Cooler and from the elves will be shortened to non-existent. Do not cross me, or the pain will return. Do you understand?"

Neomundo inwardly shook but was pretty sure Cooler would not allow this bully to hurt him again. He tried to get up as he said with his fingers still crossed, "What do you mean? I just want to show you and Cooler a book that he might enjoy. Did I not get him to ask you for favors? I will be right back, I swear."

Cole pushed the boy back into his seat, "Do you want me to take Cooler away immediately, or do you want a chance to talk with him?" Cole had leaned closer to the boy. "Now put your hands on the table, palms down, and spread your fingers. Do it NOW, or we will leave."

The key was now pretty sure that Fixer was not going to use pain and so decided to get a little bolder. He went to stand just enough to see Cooler then grinned as he said, "Cool, Row Seventeen, bottom. meet there." With that he tried a duck and dodge move Marco taught him.

Cole shook his head as the boy took off. He looked at Neo and said, "You can not follow, but I advise you to sit down." Into the air he said, "Punta, both legs, level 4 pain. Three second burst." Cole waited a second and then heard the cry from the bookshelves off to the right, the same time as Cooler dropped to the floor. As he walked to where the boy would be, he said, "I told him to be good." When he arrived at the seventeenth row of shelves, Cole found Neomundo on the ground rubbing his legs. He picked the boy up by the collar and dragged him back, putting him hard into the chair. "Now are you done because we are leaving." Cole turned on his heels and walked toward Cooler.

Cooler heard what Fixer had ordered and remember what he had been like. Sitting down he said worried, "Sir, please don't hurt him. I used to push authority back then. He don't mean any harm. Remember what you were like with no parents around, especially no father looking over your shoulder all the time. He is just testing his boundaries. Please?"

Neomundo was in pain as he realized he had pushed the adult too far. He was shaking as he was dragged back and told that the man was taking Cooler away. With tears in his eyes, he pleaded, "Please, I only wanted a little fun. I will be good I promise. Please let him stay." He placed his hands like Fixer wanted on the table with palms down and fingers spread apart.

Stopping about half way back to where Neo sat on the floor, Cole turned and looked at the boy. "I told you not to push me, child." Turning to Cooler he added, "I will allow the visit this time, but if there is a repeat of this behavior, I will hold other visits off until I feel like allowing another, am I understood Cooler…. " turning back to Neomundo the asked, "Child?"

Cooler nodded as he heard his Key ask sobbing, "You still going to talk to me before..." He was shaking wondering just what extra rules this man was going to add because of his stunt. He had a feeling his Fixer was going to punish him after this meeting.

Walking back over to the child, be bent down one more time and said quietly, "I think you understand what I want you to do, child. You and I will talk later when Cooler is sleeping." Cole stood back up and motioned for Cooler to come forward and sit near the boy. When he was seated he said, "Palms on the table, finger spread Cooler. You have 10 of this worlds minutes." With that he walked to the door and stood and waited.

Neomundo got a confused look as he said honestly, "I was not really paying attention. Will you please repeat? I will be good but am unsure why you need me to convince Cooler as he is just another adult? They don't listen to kids." He knew he had to be careful as this adult was quick tempered like Father.

Cole looked over the one stack of books and said, "Cooler, lets go… he does not know who you are, so we do not need to stay."

Neo smiled and just said, "Sir, remember the skills I had at that age. He is adept-ting. Just tell him whatever you did before and most likely, he will find a way to con me again into doing it. You scare him and that I have to admit worries me." Cooler understood the Key. It could not do its job so it was trying to figure out how to get Fixer to release it. The Key was playing a very dangerous gambit and Neo was worried just what his beliefs were be like after five months. Fixer was changing his Key without even trying.

Cole nodded and looked directly at Neomundo as he said, "Child you are to talk to Cooler. I guarantee he will listen to you, because he knows the consequences of not listening. You are to convince him that he is to behave also and make agreements with me that I wish made. Do not play games with me, because you saw I can cause pain."

Neomundo nodded as he remembered the pain. He looked down at the table as he said shakily, "If I get this done for you then can I get on with my true duties? I will promise not to interfere if that is what it will take. I just want to do what I was designed to do, Please..."

Cole folded his arms on the top of the stack of books in front of him. Checking to see if the Key was not playing games with him again, he asked, "What were you designed to do, Child?"

The Key shook as he said, "I am not a child though you are trying to re-educate me like one. I keep Neo on the right path and I want to get back to it..."Neomundo stopped as he thought that this Fixer might not like this. He did not want to get punished worse and so quickly said, "I am willing to do whatever it takes to get back to them, even agree to things you want as long as it gets me back to my job. Please, I don't like this, I have a job to do, please what do I have to do to get back to it?" He hated the idea that this one man could cause him pain.

Cole decided to see if he could have a little fun and carry on an experiment. "Cooler, tell the child what he needs to do to get back connected to you on a more permanent basis. What must he say to me and what must he say to you." Cole put his chin on the top of his arms and waited, to see what the Cooler would do and say.

Cooler looked stunned as he said, "I have already agreed to stay in your care for four months after Frankie is gone, Sir. I will train during that time those you request me to. I already promised to turn a blind eye when I am around. What else could you want? I can't be a part of any army, Sir. Understand that and let it go?" He had no idea what Fixer was up to but he had a feeling that neither he nor the Key was going to like it.

Neomundo thought and smiled as he asked Cooler, "Not even for just the time you are here? Not while you are with the Caretakers, but just for something to do while you are here on the island? Just think about it and keep an open mind about over agreements he might want to make? Please, I really want back to work Cooler."

Cole stood back up staight and placed his open palms on the stack of books. "Cooler, sounds like Neomundo is giving you very good advice. I do want to add a small bit though. I need you to join my army for the four months you are on the island. I want full co-operation from you as if you were a regular member of the army. You will eat when they eat, sleep when they sleep, even bunk where they bunk. You will go through basic training that I have laid out and have the ability to climb in the ranks. You will add your expertise in any area needed, as all other members are asked to do. I feel this will save a lot of grief between now and the end of your stay. Agree to this and I will let Neomundo, be a part of you the whole time. Disagree and he stays locked away."

Cooler looked at his key and tried to explain, "All I can say is I will think about it, Fixer. I have been a lonewolf for a long time. There are things that put me at odds with just blindly following orders and I have big problems with you taking that job at Hog's Head. But my Key did make some valid points so I will agree to keep an open mind, especially since Marco is a lot less trusting then me and he trusts you."

Neo shook his head as he realized that he had slipped as he corrected, "Sorry Sir, I will admit that I said Fixer."

"Not good enough, Cooler. Let's go, your time is up for today. You have three days to agree or both yours and Neomundo's life are going to get a lot rougher." Looking more toward Neo he said, "I personally think you may be able to hold out longer than the child. Why not just agree now and save pain and heartache." Cole looked at Neomundo and smiled. "Maybe tomorrow, you can come up with a better argument to get Cooler to keep me from causing pain." Cole took one step back and said, "Come on Cooler. We are leaving."

Neomundo was near tears as he pleaded, "Sir, he is willing to think about it. Cooler is not out-right refusing. Please think about why he is having a hard time with this issue. He said he would be open minded, so address his issues, please? I am trying but you are the one that needs to show him...please..."

Cole turned back and nodded. "We will leave you to your studies, child. Cooler and I will leave and we will talk, but I am running out of patients with him. Come Cooler, say good-by and we will go."

Cooler smiled as he said, "You see why I resist him? This is a lot closer than I ever thought I would get to agreeing and giving him a chance to prove that I am not betraying my oath. But instead of figuring out what I have wrong with his request, he does not even want me just thinking about it. Neomundo, I won't just blindly follow somebody. I did that before and it cost me and others dearly. I swore it would never happen again..."

The Key shook as he listened and realized that Cooler had dug in his heels. Tonight, he would be facing Fixer and he was scared.

Cole clicked his fingers and the scene in the library faded away. Opening his eyes, he took the few seconds it always took to reorient his senses to the real world. Punta had disconnected from Neo. The man sat trying to reorient his own ability to be away from his sub-conscious. Cole picked up the mug of sweet ice-tea which had been placed in front of him while they had mind-dived and pointed to Neo's water, "Drink, Spellman. It will help your mind to come back here quicker."

Neo shook his head as he said, "That was the closes you will ever come to getting me in that army of yours. I was really willing to think about it and let you prove that you don't want somebody that blindly follows orders but you proved my case when you chose not to let me think things through. I followed the cloaked man blindly, I will not do it again. I will still think on it but Sir, it is not looking like I will say yes anytime soon if ever." Cooler got up and headed towards the bed.

Cooler smiled and stood up. "Think hard Neo. When you and I next talk, I do hope you have seen reason. You want to find out what I am really like, well what better way than to join my army. The problem with that though, is that if you do not totally commit to doing what is required, you will not get the full story, of what we do here. Wouldn't it be worth, four months of your time to be able to solidly say I am bad or good?" Cole chuckled. As he walked toward the door, he knew he had just thrown down the preverbal gauntlet. Now to see if Neo had the guts to pick it up.

Neo listened to what Fixer had said as he got into bed. Right before Fixer left, Neo said sleepily, "I just wish I really knew that saying yes would not lead to me going back to that life...too much blood is on my hands as is...to ever allow a repeat...even to free Neomundo....He was the one that agreed that....too much....is at stake....for me to fall into that trap again...but Fixer has a valid point...how can I really be ..." With that Neo fall into a restless sleep

Opening the door, he said very quietly over his shoulder. "Good-by until tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Cooler." Leaving the room, Cole wondered how long it would take for Cooler to fall asleep, before he could go back in and have another talk with the boy.

(OOC: This is a combined post by Barbie and Jane, we hope you enjoyed it)

NEO
Cole turned on the view screen behind his desk. He had decided it he was going to do this he was going to be comfortable. A glass of wine sat on his desk in easy reach. Crackers, sharp cheese slices and meat tidbits graced a plate also within easy reach. Tarka had just walked in the door and stood next to the chair.

As the screen came on Punta, who was in Neo's room, walked to the head of the bed where Neo was sleeping. Carefully the elf levitated Neo's arms to the sides of the bed and fastened them to the side rails, which had been raised as soon as the Cooler had fallen asleep. Carefully the elf placed two fingers on each of Neo's temples, looked at the camera and nodded. The elf had established the mind connection needed for the mind-dive.

Cole relaxed into the chair, closed his eyes and nodded to Tarka. The elf put his hands gently on Cole's arm and closed his eyes. Cole started the trip down to level six where he would find the Key, Neo's sub-conscious, who had taken on the appearance and apparently temperament of a ten-year-old boy. Cole had thought long and hard how to handle the level and had decided to handle him as a 10-year-old using scare tactics as only a last resort.

When Cole emerged from the fog he found himself in Hogwarts Library, a favorite place of the young Neo. It was not hard to find Neomundo. Several tall stacks of books sat on one of the long tables, like a wall. Walking around to the other side of the wall of books, he found the boy reading. As his presence was felt, the young child closed the book fast and tried to hide the title. Cole had not caught the whole title but enough of it to know the book was about brainwashing. "Very interesting, he thought to himself. Quietly he pulled out a chair and took one of the books off a nearby stack. He started to read. He would let the boy make the first move.

Neomundo was worried as he realized that Fixer being here meant that Cooler was asleep. He went to get up, as he did not want this talk.

Closing the book with a loud thump, Cole said, "Stay in your seat young man. I think it is time for us to have a talk and see how you can best help Cooler. I have come here without him just so you and I can have a heart to heart talk and figure out things. You do want to help him right?"

Neomundo jumped at the loud thump. He could tell Fixer was up to something but had no clue as to what. With a slight stutter, he said as calmly as he could, "If you would let me do my duties? You can't be here when Cooler is sleeping. I was helping him before you interfered."

Chuckling Cole turned more toward the boy. "I want to let you do your job Neomundo, I really do but I need to know you are doing it properly before you can continue full time. So let's talk and see what we can figure out, all right?" Cole smiled, trying to put the boy at ease, but figured it was going to take more.

Neomundo was unsure but said as he once again tried to leave, "Then let me go so I can do my duties? You confuse me and Cooler. I can't keep him on track locked up here. You need to leave him be."

Cole put his hand firmly on the child's shoulder and pushed down, making the boy regain his seat. "First we talk. You care for Cooler and I need to know how to make the next four months as unstressful a time as I can for him. I was hoping for your help." Cole watched the boy. He knew Neomundo was designed to help, so he was playing that card heavily.

Neomundo shook his head as he said, "I won't help you control him. Nobody is ever going to control The Cooler again. You will fail in brainwashing him, I will see to that." He had been reading up on the subject and had realized what Fixer was possibly doing. The Key tried once more to leave saying, "Now if you will excuse me, I have books to put back." He picked up the book he had just started reading and a few others. He had found them all very interesting.

Cole stood, picked up a few books and said, "All right, if you don't want to sit here quietly and help me with Cooler, then we will talk as I help you put the books away. Lead the way, Neomundo." Cole stood and waited for the boy to walk away, so he could follow.

Neomundo shrugged as he got up. He wanted away from this man but now that was going to be next to impossible. He got an idea and smiled as he bolted towards the door.

Cole smiled and put down the books he was holding then headed at a steady pace to follow the boy. In his mind he thought, "The cage please, Tarka." . He could not hold back the chuckle as he realized what the boy would find as he exited the Library. Walking out the door, he found Neomundo, plastered up against the side of a cage, looking around him with fear in his eyes. It was a good replica of the cage a ten-year-ole Neo had been held in when he was captured by the slavers before the 12 year old Cole could release him. Cole casually walked in and sat on a rock not far from the boy. "Are you ready to talk, child?" he asked with a smile on his face.

Neomundo was even more scared of this man. Falling to the floor in tears, he asked, "How? Where is my school? What is this? Let me out, please?"

Cole crossed his legs and rested his arms on his knees. "I just wanted you to realize we are going to talk, child. I control where you can and cannot go. I control your world. Now, if you are willing to sit and talk with me, and help me with making Cooler's life easier, then we will return to the school. It is up to you…. we talk here or there."

Neomundo looked around and slowly nodded. He just wanted to be anywhere but here. He said still trembling, "Please, bring the school back. I will listen but I am unsure how you talking with me will help Cooler?"

Pointing toward the door the boy had just run through he said, "Go back through there, and you will be back in the Library. Have a seat and we will talk about how you can help Cooler."

Neomundo was scared that it would be somewhere worse but he did not intend to get the man madder. He headed for the door praying that it was the library. Stopping at the opening, he looked back and saw the man coming toward him. He scrunched up his shoulders and waited to get pushed or even hit.

Cole walked slowly up to the boy and put his hand on the child's shoulder, feeling a definite shutter. "It will be all right, Neomundo. Come on boy, let's talk." Putting his other hand on the other shoulder of the boy, he gently guided him back into the library and to a table. All of the books, which had formed a wall earlier, had disappeared. "Sit." Cole pulled out a chair and set the boy into it, then pulled out the chair beside it, and angled it toward the boy. "First question, do you truly want to help Cooler, have an easier time during the four months he is going to stay with me?"

Neomundo sat down still scared. He heard the man's question and was unsure how to answer. He started looking at where he had just been as he said worried, "I help by keeping him on track. You plan to control him?" He wanted to help Cooler but was unsure how. The Key also had to worry that anything he did, Fixer would take out on Cooler. Saying in a low voice, "How do I protect Cooler, without this man taking it out on Cooler?" He just stared at the door that he had just came through and wondered if the cage still was on the other side. Neomando's prison just got a whole lot smaller. Had Cooler's as well?

"I know you are supposed to keep him on track. The worries I have at the moment are where that track leads. Now, you have not answered by question, Child" Cole reached out and angled the child's chair more toward him, "do you truly want to help Cooler, have an easier time during the four months he is going to stay with me?"

The Key stiffened as he nodded unsure what saying no would have done. All Neomundo knew was he did not want to get the Fixer madder at him and Cooler then the man was already.
"Good," Cole said with a smile on his face. "Cooler is going to be with me for four months. I know he wants to know as much as he can about my army, so he can take the information back to the others. I want to help him learn because I am proud of what I have built on this island. If he is constantly fighting me and trying to figure out how to escape or be stubborn, then he might miss some very important information. "

Neomundo looked at Fixer quizzically. The man made no sense as The Key could not understand how Cooler studying Fixer's army figured into Cooler stubbornness.

Cole rubbed the back of his neck. He could tell the boy was not understanding the point he was trying to get across. "Let's try it this way. Say there is a good book you really want to read. You sit down and start to read it. Now people come and sit down beside you and start talking, occasionally trying to draw you into the conversation. Instead of listening to them for a moment, to see if you can answer a question, which would make them stop talking, you keep trying to read your book. It would be hard for you to read, correct, and you might miss finding out something the others are telling you, which could make it easier for you to read. I want Cooler to pay attention to what is going on around him, so he can learn about my island and the people on it. I think he might like it, if he gave me the proper chance to show him."

The Key giggled as he said, "Then quit treating him as a prisoner instead of a guest." This man had no clue to how Cooler thought.

"I want to treat him as a valued member of my small troops and let him roam free, but I also want to make sure he stays on the island until the end of the four months." Cole looked straight into the child's eyes. "I don't want him to miss anything which might be interesting to him or those he wants to take the information to. If I could get him to agree to really take part in the training exercises for the four months, then I can show him everything he needs to know."

Neomundo shook his head as he said, "I don't know what more I can do? I got him to at least think about it but then you wanted an answer..." The Key was worried because he had seen Cooler dig in his heels before. Trying to hide his fear, Neomundo continued, "Cooler doesn't like being controlled. Something in his past has him trusting very few to even give their opinion. He likes taking his time and weighing all the factors. I think it is boring but it is the way he does things. I know he is not pleased with what you did to Frankie but I can only advice him? Cooler makes the final call..."

"Honor means a lot to Cooler, and I am very pleased with this fact. If you could advice him to take part with no reservations in the training exercises, so he can learn about my island then that would be good." Cole decided to add a bit of adventure. "The men and women who are in my troops get to see secret things no one else does, and they get to go into the caves. Sometimes I have treasure hunts and they get to keep what they find."

Neomundo listened and then shook his head. He tried to not get this guy as he said, "I already tried and it was my best ploy. Cooler said he would think about it..."

"Child I know your relationship with Cooler, so do not try and get around what I want. If you accept the idea it would be good for him to spend the four months, really trying to find out how my organization works, then when you connect and he leaves you again, the idea will be part of him. I am afraid until you agree to this with no tricks you will not be able to join with Cooler. So are you willing to help me, or do I have to add mental and physical pressure to my request?" Cole looked toward the door. "The cage can be brought in here also you know."

Neomundo tried not to cringe but the fright was in his eyes as he said, "He said he would think on it. I don't control him, I only advise him. I can give him the info you gave me but he was never for treasure hunts. It is all I can do as he makes final call. He refuses to relinquish control and I don't want him to." The Key was scared because he was going to have somebody angry with him, either Fixer or Cooler. He was wondering if he had really that much power with Cooler.

"But child, he makes his final calls on what information you hold. If you truly convince him that you think it will be in his best interest to spend the four months as a willing member of my forces then he will agree to it, when I ask him again. My men and woman, think for themselves. If they didn't they would not be of any use to me, in helping to gather the information I need. However, they also follow orders, on where they can go and how long they can stay there, because I know how long it will be safe for them to be working on whatever project they are assigned to." Cole smiled and got a little closer to the child. Putting his hand on the boys shoulder, and giving it a firm squeeze he added, "I know you can convince him Neomundo, because he relies on you."

Neomundo said trying not to show just how scared of this man he was, "I can tell Cooler his options and that is all I am willing to do...I won't control him for you and I won't let you control him. I do my job and that is all I want to do."

Cole sat up a little straighter and said, "Then I guess we can not come to the conclusion I want too, and child as far as I am concerned, what I want is the only possible outcome of what is between Cooler and me at the moment." Standing up he continued, "I will leave now. When you have decided to give me a lot more help in getting Neo to join my army willingly for the next four months, you can send the information through one of the elves. Until then you and Neo will be separated. Think on his child." Cole started toward the door.

Neomundo panicked as he said, "You said I would get to see Cooler. What are you planning to do?" He was scared that this man would hurt Cooler. His creator would be unhappy if something the Key did made things worse. Neomundo shook as he said, "I said I would give him the information. I just won't..." The Key stopped as he now understood what Fixer really wanted. Shaking his head as he said, "That is it, isn't it? You want to control Cooler using me? I won't! You can't make me!" He tried to hide the terror he felt as he wondered just what Fixer planned for both him and Cooler. Neomundo had a feeling not many refused Fixer and The Key knew in Fixer's eyes he just had.

Cole stopped halfway to the door and turned, "I want to give Cooler what he wants. I want to give him information, exercise and the ability to be freer and not stuck in the room he is in most of the time now. I want him to be able to be with people, who have the same interest he has. There are members of my army who like doing the same things he does. I plan on having him in better physical and mental shape when he leaves in four months. Don't you want the same thing?"

Neomundo nodded as he said, "Yes but I will not control him for you or anybody else. You did not answer my other questions."

"I am not going to tell you my plans, child. You will find out soon enough. I will concede and allow you one more short visit with Cooler. If when he returns from visiting you, he will agree to be part of my army without reservations, then I will allow longer contacts. If he does not then I will use his conscious world to make him comply." Cole walked back to the table and leaned on it with his palms flat. "If I have to use others types of persuasion it will be in your best interest not to be connected with him." Cole stood back up and half turned toward the door. "When he wakes, I will allow the contact. Think hard child what you revel to him. I control your reality and his."

Neomundo was scared for Cooler and himself. He had a bad feeling that Fixer was going to use him to control Cooler. The problem was he liked being the Key. That would change if Martin thought Neomundo had anything to do with the body coming back hooked on the drug again or worse damaged. The Key was in a bind and could only see one way to insure the body's safety for now. With a look of defeat Neomundo asked, "And if I help you? Then what? Though I am still unsure of how much Cooler will agree but what exactly do you have in mind?"

Cole turned back to the boy. "I want Cooler to see what my organization is really all about. I want him to freely talk with the men and women on the island. I plan on putting him through the same basic training any new recruit goes through. He will have no problem because he is in good shape. As he gains experience, I plan to give him some training duties, which I know he likes. He will not get to choose who he trains, because my men do not get to choose who they pass on their knowledge to. He will eat with the troops, sleep with the troops and spend his day as his rank allows. As far as rank, I think he will move up rather quickly."

Neomundo shook his head as he clarified, "No Fixer, I was asking what exactly do you want me to do? And what exactly are you planning to do should I tell Cooler that you are trying to control him through me?"

Cole shook his head and chuckled, then walked back to the table and glared at the boy. "Do not think I am stupid, Child. I want you to convince Neo that he needs to become part of my army for four months and take part as if he is a trainee. In addition, you need to do this without, and I repeat, without telling him I am using you to control him. If you think something, the contact between the two of you, makes it real to Cooler. I will wait to see what happens…. Remember the cage, Neomundo." Cole turned and headed back into the fog.

Neomundo realized that Fixer knew about the connection Martin had set up. He hung his head as he said, "I don't really have a choice, do I? Fixer, this is all the help you are asking? After this I will be free to advise Cooler as I deem needed?" He needed to know just how long he would be taking his orders from Fixer instead of his creator.


Cole stopped at the edge of the fog and said. "You will be allowed more contact. If Cooler joins my army under the conditions I require, then I will allow you steady contact. Until he leaves this island you are under my control on when you can have contact and when you cannot. Your reality will be governed by me." Cole turned again and disappeared into the fog, heading back up.

COLE
Cole opened his eyes as Tarka stepped back and nodded. Looking at the screen he saw Punta release the still sleeping Neo's arms and put down the sides of the bed. The elf then stepped back and nodded toward the camera. Cole stretched. He had been gone in real time only about fifteen minutes, but the mind-dive always took a lot out of him. Reaching out to his glass he realized his wine had been replaced with ice water. Smiling at the Elf, he said a simple, "Thank you. " and drank most of the glass down.

Pushing himself out of the chair, he stretched his total body. Looking at Neo he had an idea. "Tarka, my friend, could you please Mind-dive back to our little friend and tell him it is time to tell Neo, about when my young self saved him from the dragon in the cage. It would be good to have a life-debt on my side." Cole received a nod and watched as the elf's eyes closed and his body went almost lack to the point of dropping to the floor. After a few moments, the elf straightened, opened his eyes and nodded to Cole. "Good, thank you my friend. Now I think it is time to wake Neo, and let him know his sub-conscious wants to have a talk with him.

Cole walked out of his office, followed by Tarka and down the hall two doors to Neo's room. Opening the door he walked in and smiled. Making his way to the table and straddling his usual chair, he nodded to Punta, giving him permission to wake Neo.

Neo felt the elf before he was even touched. As his eyes slowly opened, he looked around. Upon seeing Fixer, The Cooler did the only thing he could. He nodded as he got up and stood at attention.

"Very good, Spellman, at ease. Come and sit down at the table I have some good news for you. I think you are going to enjoy it." Cole nodded to Punta and then toward the small refrigerator in the corner. The elf, retrieved a mineral water and an iced-tea from the cold box and placed them on the table. Cole smiled as he waited for Neo to decide what to do next.

Neo gave a mock salute. He then walked over to the table and sat down. He felt different and was unsure if he liked the feeling.

When Neo was seated, Cole pointed to his drink and then took a couple long sips of his own. Putting the bottle back down on the table and folding his arms in front of him he calmly said, "The elves tell me the Key has been good and has been studying hard, even asking for more, than they think he can handle in-between visits. You were a very good child, someone anyone would have been proud to call friend." Cole took another drink and continued. "I have decided to give both of you a little treet. I am going to let Punta, mind-dive to where the Key is and let you too talk and join together for a short period of time. I will not come or follow.
Neo listened but only partly as he was worried about the weird feeling, he had. Something had happened concerning his emotions while he slept. He barely even nodded. He seemed to be just going through the motions. This was totally unlike him but shrugged it off to it being an aftereffect of seeing Frankie in that cage as a dragon. The lost time did not help and had probably been responsible for the nightmares he had.

"So are you ready to go, Spellman?" Cole asked, slightly smiling at the look of confusion, which clouded part of Neo's eyes. There was no direct connection between Neo and his sub-conscious, the Key, but there was a hazy connection, so Neo was getting some feedback from the boy. It was going to be interesting to see when he returned after direct contact. At least the Key was thinking about what he had said.

Neo could only nod as he said as if half asleep, "I guess I am, Sir?"

"Very well than, close your eyes, and Punta will take you down to the sixth level." Cole nodded to Punta, and watched as Neo's body totally relaxed in the chair. The elf had added just enough restraints to keep him upright. Cole looked at his watch and figured it would take about 15 minutes actual time. Since time did not really exist in the mind-dive world, there was no way of telling how long Neo would think he was gone.

NEO
Neomundo looked up from the book he was reading at the table in the Library. He had just about finished the homework the elf had given him. Earlier when the elf had visited he had told Neomundo that he was to tell the Cooler about the Fixer person saving his life, when he got him out of the dragon cage. The elf had explained it was a life-debt which would help Cooler understand that Fixer wanted to help him understand and that it would make it easier on Cooler over the next four months. Neomundo did not really understand the adult world, but the elves had been kind and understanding, so he would be nice back and tell Cooler about the time.

Cooler came out of the fog. Neomundo got up and started to run to him, but stopped at the end of the table, looking into the fog. Where was the Fixer man? He always came with Cooler. But no one else came out of the fog.

Cooler was still in shock not to see Fixer. Now maybe he could find out really what Fixer had been putting his Key through. He watched as Neomundo came running only to stop at the end of the table. Trying to smile and ease his Key's mind, Cooler said, "It is okay Neomundo. Fixer is not coming. This time is just me and you. You wanted to talk to me, right?" He wondered if this was just Fixer's idea. A way to keep Neo busy and another way of showing just how much control he really had over The Cooler. Neo was scared for Frankie as he could not protect him while he was talking with Neomundo.

Neomundo took one more look toward the fog then ran into the Coolers arms. "That man scares me a lot. When he saved our life, I thought he would never hurt us." Backing up a little, Neomundo took a breath and continued. "Come and sit down." Neomundo stopped and asked, "or do you want to go someplace else. I can go anywhere in the school, but not more than fifty feet or so out from the actual building. It is sort of fun being able to go anywhere and use any of the equipment." Neomundo waited to see what Cooler wanted to do.

It felt good to have Neomundo in his arms. Sometimes Neo forgot just what the mental boy's image purpose really was and thought more that he was just repaying a very old debt. The Cooler had trouble remembering the actual debt but he never forgot what the older boy had meant to him. He still had the scar on his right hand from their personal pact. Near tears as the memory of the cloaked man coldly telling him that his friend and blood brother had became dragon food. He was brought back to the present with the boy's words. Shaking his head as he asked, "I was told that boy became Dragon food thanks to me, Neomundo? I never knew the older boy's name. You sure it is Frank Cole a.k.a. The Fixer?"

Neomundo pulled Cooler over to a chair at the table. When they had both taken a seat, their chairs turned toward each other, he nodded. "I'm positive. The older boy that came and got us out of the cage was Frank Cole. When we got outside, he took us to a bunch of streets away from there. Remember he talked to us and said, we should not be wondering the streets, and then we made the blood pact with him that we would help others remember that. He saved our life that day." Neomundo looked down at his hands. They owed their life to the man who wanted to show Cooler about his island. Neomundo was still frightened, but Cooler would still have to make the choice on whether to follow the man now.

Cooler was bewildered as he said, "Then why the ruse? Why make me want to see him in Azkaban? All he had to do was remind me of that day and the pact we made. He could not have changed that much, could he?" That twelve year old had to be there somewhere and now Cooler was determined to find him. He would save the boy that had once saved him. Cooler saw new meaning behind Frankie caged, as a dragon. Cooler would remember but he had not and Cooler was one day going to make the Cloaked Man pay for taking that memory.

"There is something else, Cooler," Neomundo said as he rung his hands in his lap. "Fixer wants me to help you understand how important it is for you to join his army and learn about what he has set up on his island." The boy hesitated before continuing, "Since you are going to be on the island for four months anyway, I was thinking it would be a good time to find out what you could. Maybe you can find out if Fixer has changed…. But it seems to me if you are fighting him every step of the way, you are going to miss clues." Neomundo stopped. It was the best he could do to try to get Cooler to agree to follow Fixer's orders.

Cooler was going over every day he had been on the island. Shaking his head as he said, "Don't worry Neomundo, I plan on finding out just what is going on. Then I plan on getting our blood brother away from them and making them pay. For now, though I plan to do what I have been doing which is keeping my promises and watching. If I have to do that by being a part of his little army then so be it? But Neomundo, I just wish he had never involved the Core cause that involves the Princess...."Cooler stopped as he wondered if he would be able to choose between his blood brother and his vow to protect the Andreas' line especially Tia.

"Cooler," Neomundo started, "every time we have known members of the Core were on the island, they have always appeared to be happy. Fixer has shown us that they were protected, remember the nets on the side of the mountain and all of the help he sent with them. I think he was telling the truth, but I am only a child and the adult world scares me a lot. I don't think I ever want to grow up."

Cooler smiled as he said, "The one thing I know about Fixer is the man has so far never lied. I guess I am just worrying about Khalid. You see I paid very close attention to just what Khalid asked for and from whom at Hog's Head. The Fixer is not done yet with that job for Khalid. Which means Khalid could still ask for, Tia to be turned over. Now I am wondering if being in Fixer's army might be the best way to protect her. He sends his specialists most of the time and I have gotten to know some of them. It was the reason I said I needed to think about joining Fixer's army. I need to weigh the best way to insure that Khalid does not try to use Fixer to get Tia because Tarik is one of the people that Khalid wants something from. By the way I like that my Key is still a child Neomundo, you are able to see things with an innocence that I lack. It is why I listen what you say very closely."

"It is confusing, Cooler. Fixer says he works only for himself. I think he takes jobs from people, and one of them could be Khalid, but he also said he has turned down jobs. He also seems different in some way since he was at the Hog's Head." Neomundo shivered as he remembered that day. It had taken everything in his power not to shut down and leave Cooler on his own. Maybe he is telling the truth."

Neomundo straightened his shoulders and smiled when Cooler told him he did not mind him being a child. Maybe someday he could grow up and be a man. As he was about to tell Cooler about possibly being able to join with him totally if he joined the army, Tarka, one of the elves walked out of the fog, and said, "Come Neo, it is time to return to the top. Neomundo will see you again soon." The elf turned to the boy and smiled giving him a friendly wink.

Cooler smiled as he saw Tarka. He was about to find out at least one answer. He said to Tarka, "I need a question answered Tarka. I know Fixer is not done with the job he started at Hog's Head. What I need is to know if Khalid ever planned on adding Tia to that list? I guess what I am asking has Khalid giving Fixer the one thing that he has never gave before; the freedom to say no to Khalid?" He needed to know that if Khalid or Shadow ever asked for Tia that his blood brother would have the right to refuse. Cooler smiled as he realized that he wanted to protect Frank Cole as much as he wanted to protect Tia.

Neomundo reached out and grabbed Coolers arm. He did not want to be alone again. He was scared it would be a long time before Cooler would return, even though the Fixer had said he would be allowed to come back. It had sounded to him like Cooler was going to accept being part of the army, so if Fixer was being truthful, and Cooler said he never lied, then he would be able to go back to doing his job.

Tarka took a step closer to the table and softly said, "Master Frank would not have me lie to you Master Neo, but…." Tarka was not sure if it was his place to answer the question. If he said too much he would give Master Khalid's secret away. Master Khalid did not want anyone to know he was going against the Dark Sect. If they found out he would lose his magic. That is why Master Khalid had the elves wipe his mind of the true things he had said to Master Frank. "It is a true statement to say Master Khalid never requested Mistress Tia, be added to any list he is concerned with…. Now come Master Neo, we must return."

Neo smiled as he said, "Tarka, the Dark Sect had control of me once I have no intention of them getting that control back. My next deal will be with Frank Cole and you elves only. As I made a vow to protect the Andreas', line especially Tia. I trust Frank but Khalid; well the Dark One has had him for a very long time. Tarka, I lost my trust a long time ago but those that took that from me...I swore to one day make them pay. I don't want Frank being forced to make that call. So I will be Frank's way of saying no. And Yes Tarka, Frank is going to like my answers. I just hope he understands the wording cause by doing this I give us both a loop-hole where Khalid is concern?"

Tarka nodded, "Your words are understood, Master Neo. We have all been told to protect the children. He took a couple steps back and waited for Master Neo to walk into the fog. Turning to the boy he said, "One of us will return soon, young one. Be brave." Tarka followed Master Neo into the fog and made the trip back up.

(OOC: For more information on what Khalid told Cole see Archives 2013 "Family Ties Are the Hardest To Break" thread on site.)

COLE
Cole looked at his watch. Only five minutes of actual time had passed since Tarka had taken Neo on the mind-dive. The first sign that they were coming back up was when Tarka moved his hands on Neo's head. Cole leaned forward on his folded arms, which rested on the table, and waited for Neo's eyes to open. He was not sure what had been said, because he had stuck to his word and had not followed. If there was a major problem he would check with Tarka later on what had happened. He knew Neomundo was scared of him, but he was not at all sure the child would not pull some type of temper tantrum and tell Neo just about anything. All he could do was wait.

Tarka put his hands down and stepped back as Neo's eyes started to flutter open.

Neo smiled as his eyes adjusted. He would wait and see what Tarka would tell Cole. Cooler wanted to know if he was being too quick to accept that Cole was that twelve year old when he had believed all these years that he had gotten that boy killed.

When Neo did not say anything, Cole looked at Tarka for some type of explanation. The elf said, "He knows of the cage… he ready to know the truth, Master Frank." Cole nodded and walked to the large screen on the wall near the door. Grabbing the remote he returned to the table and straddled his seat. Pointing the remote at the screen, he nodded toward it, silently telling Neo to watch. The screen flickered and then showed a boy about 12-years-of-age playing ball with a couple of much younger children. The boy turned and waved at whoever was filming the playing. As the scenes unfolded, Cole turned his head and watched Neo's face. When he knew the man had recognized the boy, he shut off the viewer, put down the remote and turned back to Neo. "Questions," was all Cole said.

Neo watched and was shocked. The last doubt was gone. He said scared to find out, "The cloaked man told me that because you helped me..." He stopped as the tears came, "I was told you were Dragon food. All these years, I believed you dead and instead you joined them..." He was hurt, confused, and angry all in one. Had their pact meant so little to Cole that he had just made it and then thought nothing about it again. He had so many questions but was scared that Cole's answer would destroy the little trust that the Cloaked Man could not destroy.

Cole steepled his fingers in front of him and relaxed his lips onto the tips. Even though anyone who read Neo's mind would think the memory was a planted memory to gain control over the man, it felt good to Cole that Neo knew the truth. It was so hard to not let it be an honest memory. The boy in him, still 12 years old, remembered the fear he had fought to enter that cage and same the younger boy. The dragon was not that scarry because Cole and some other children had made friends with it, at least as much of a friendship as you could make with a dragon. However, Cole knew what would happen if his family found out he was setting the captives free. He and the others could not to much with the adults, although they had succeeded with some of the women, but they worked hard to help any children caught in the slave rings clutches.

"My family sent me away to school after beating me thoroughly. They did not want me killed though so they let it be known I had died in one of the attempts to let others loose. If I had tried to find you then they would have tried to pick you up again. I did visit Franco in the hospital though and that was the first time I saw Marco." Cole put his arms back down on the table and folded them. "Fate turned Marco and I into pen-pals and we discovered we had met before and under what circumstances. Since I started to get into mercenary freelancing, I decided to not have any attachments. Marco would not let me go totally though so over the years I have kept track of you and your siblings."

Cole motioned to Tarka to get them something to drink, and waited to say more until the drinks were in front of them. "Drink your mineral water Neo. Your body needs it." Taking a drink himself, he continued."Neo, I want you to hear something, I mean really hear it. I can't tell you why, but I do not work for Khalid. I have in the past, but the dynamics of our relationship has changed. The children are being protected by me and my troops as much as we can, but we cannot go to the school, or openly have them here."

Neo crumbled as he said, "Cole, you are not done with that list of Khalid's from Hog's Head. Until you are, you still have to report to Khalid. Remember I worked for that man and nobody just says No to the Dark Medjai. I never once doubted that you would not protect those kids but Khalid is known for getting what he wants. I just can't understand why you would risk taking that job in the first place? What Khalid knows, his Master The Dark One knows. And if the Dark Sect ever found out that you were still alive..." Neo thought he knew why. Cole knew how Neo felt about his baby brother. Neo shook his head as he realized that Cole had protected Frankie that day not only because he promised Marco but also because he knew that it would have destroyed Neo if Shadow had dealt with Saint the way he usually did.

"I cannot explain to you Neo, why I do what I do, I can just tell you, my main concern is finding information about a lot of subjects." Cole looked at Tarka then back at Neo. "The big question you need to answer is how hard a time you are going to give me about the next four months. I was telling the truth, when I said I want you to take part in my army with no reserves. Go through the training from beginning until end. Learn Neo what I have built. I will not pull any punches and you will be treated like a regular trainee and then recruit, when you get that far. If you make specialist, and I am pretty sure you will, then we will talk some more about other matters." Cole sat back a little in his chair and grabbed the back of the chair.

Neo shook his head but held up a hand as he said, "I am not saying I won't Cole. It is not that easy for me. I would not have gotten out of that place if it had not been for you. Just like Arianna saved me at seventeen when all I could hope for was that she would kill me quick. I owe that woman and her family alot. I gave a wand vow to protect the Andreas' line and I made a personal vow to protect Tia from those that killed everybody who has stood in their way to get to her. Cole, I won't allow Khalid or Shadow to escape justice. They have made that girl's life miserable and killed a lot of my family and friends doing it. They and the Dark Sect are going to go down. I would hate for my own Blood Brother to be ordering me to stand down on that day. I am more than willing to join your group but under one condition."

Cole raised his eyebrows and asked, "And that condition is, Spellman?"

Neo smiled as he said, "I want the ability to tell you No to any job or order I am not comfortable with and on that day that those that have targeted Tia face Spellman justice..." Neo stopped weighing his words, then, "You Cole will not try and stop us. I won't ask you to remember the vow that we made that day so long ago. I am just asking that you allow us to do what we swore as I am just asking that you allow us to do what we swore as I never forgot. Can you do that?"

Cole rubbed his chin and looked at Neo. "I will agree that when you are off the island you do not have to follow my orders, but while you are in training you will be a regular trainee which means you follow the orders of your superiors. I will also not stop you from bringing Shadow in for justice. If you do not bring him in, you make yourself one of them, dispensing a vigilanty justice and Spellman, you do not want to go there." Cole decided to give a little information to Neo. "Spellman, I have also taken an oath to protect the Princess, and I will stick to that oath." Looking pointedly at Neo he added, "Hopefully our methods will not conflict."

Neo caught that he had not included Khalid and he decided to find out why saying, "And Khalid? Cole, they killed William Andreas and that is one of many that I plan on insuring that justice is done. Do you really think that Shadow let alone The Dark Medjai will ever allow themselves to be taken?"

"Khalid did not kill William Andreas. Do not ask me how I know. Maybe if you make it through the training I will let you see the information I have. However, William Andreas died at the hands of the Dark Sect, but not Khalid. In fact, Khalid came very close to being killed that day also. Shadow is just a man, contrary to what many seem to think. He will come down with the rest of them someday. If you rush it though Spellman, you will lose the other ones that need to go down with him." Cole took another drink of his Ice-tea. "Drink your water Spellman." Looking at Tarka, Cole nodded. "It is time for dinner. Would you like to eat with your brother? He only has a day plus a few hours here."


Neo shook his head as he said, "Sir, we have proof of Khalid and Shadow's guilt as far as William's death is concerned. I might show it to you one day. You have been lied to, as Khalid wanted William to know just how personal he concerned this strike. There have been other deaths that Khalid, thanks to Antonio has been cleared of but not Tia's father's murder." The Cooler's temper was flaring but he showed no outer signs. They had gotten cocky that day as the picture had a written threat concerning Marcus and Tia was an eyewitness. Khalid had bragged that he had every intention of William Andreas not even having peace in the Afterlife.

"I cannot use what I have to change your mind at the present time, Spellman. The information could put others in danger far beyond what you are trying to prevent now." Cole had the proof that Neo needed, but if he put into the man's hands and thus his mind then the Dark Sect would know about the sealed and hidden information. It would mean the information was not safe anymore and could actually be used against those trying to take down the Dark side of Magic. "This is just going to have to be a point where we will have to agree to disagree. Now your brother is about to be served do you want to join him?"

Neo wondered if Fixer had something planned but just nodded. He said, "For now but be fore warned, I see Khalid and I will do what I must. I will take him down or die trying. My agreement will be with you and the elves only. I will give no promises concerning anybody else especially Khalid or that maniac Shadow. Oh course, I want to eat with my brother but you still won't find out anything." Cooler chuckled as he was not that he still did not trust Cole. It was just Neo just did not talk at meals. His mother taught the kids that it was not polite.

"That's fine, Spellman. We will have plenty of time to talk while you are here for four months. I just want your brother to see you are all right." Cole stood up and motioned for Neo to follow him out the door. As they walked next door to Franco's room, he stopped just outside the door and said, "Tomorrow we will be through several challenges for him," Cole chuckled at the look of concern on Neo's face. "No, Spellman, I just want him to learn to be comfortable with changing both directions. The day after tomorrow, we will all sit down and talk before Franco leaves. Now go in and have dinner with your brother. I will not see either of you again until morning. At 9 o'clock you will be returned to your room."

Neo nodded as he said, "You do understand that I did not include your men in my deal. I might work with them but any loyalty I show any of them, they will have to earn. Your specialists, I will show them respect but only them. Sorry Cole but your regulars are nothing more than boot camp graduates and a few still have a chip on their shoulders that I have every intention of knocking off. Ask the one that deals with their chip the most, Tom and Saunders. By the way, they will show Saunders respect or you will be minus about five more. Tom's words not mine though I agree with him. They think because she is female they don't have to listen to her and I am starting to take great affiance to it seeing as I am the one that tested her. Tom has already laid a few of them on their backsides for their very rude behavior and threatened them that next time they would be seeing firsthand how good he is with his toy."

"I agree with you Spellman, but remember you have agreed to go in as a trainee, and in that position and the Regular Level there are rules, you can be punished for, so let's see how long it takes you to reach Specialist before you talk about hitting your, superiors, shall we." Cole chuckled and opened the door and motioning for Neo and Tarka to enter.

(OOC: This closes this part of the double threads, to finish up go to Elsewhere, Training for a New Life, which is running at the same time. We hope you have enjoyed this group. If you have any questions or comments please send message on here to Flo Richards is my main character or Sasha McChey)
CLOSED