An Oh My God FanFic

                            Who's a God??

                                  PART 3

                                    by

                                Brett Handy



     I awoke slowly and realised that I was lying uncovered on
some kind of large bed.  I tested my arms and legs,
remembering the pain that had been present the last time I was
awake.  The burns were gone and there wasn't even a scar to
show where they'd been.  I sat up on the large bed and
examined the room around me.  The furniture was modern, but
the hangings on the wall and the windows made it look like a
something out of the middle-ages.
     
     I was dressed in a long robe that was made out of a
rich-looking purple material.  Noticing a set of clothing on a
chair I shrugged off the robe and put it on.  The material was
smooth to the touch and was quite comfortable.  It wasn't
until I looked in the overly ornate mirror that I realised
what I was wearing.  The light blue clothing seemed to shimmer
as I looked at it and I felt a strange feeling sweep through
me, it was a feeling like deja-vu.  In a flash I saw myself
standing in front of a different mirror, looking at myself
wearing this same set of clothes for the first time.  
     
     Then the feeling disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Shaking my head I walked over to the door and opened it
slowly.  A young man standing at the door snapped to
attention, "My Lord", he said respectfully, "The God of Truth
would like to see you as soon as you are able".
     
     I nodded and gestured for him to lead the way.  Following
him through the halls of the castle I was amazed at how
familiar things here felt, not the castle, it was as if the
very air had something in it that was different. "Brett!",
Chia-Yao exclaimed as we reached a large hall, "Good to see
you up and about!".
     
     "Thanks", I said, "Could you fill me in on how I got
here?".
     
     Chia-Yao smiled, "Well, it was an unusual way to use a
wish", he said casually, "But it saved all of you".  He
gestured at the chair sitting across from where he was working
on a strange looking device.
     
     "What?", I asked, sitting down in a large chair across
from the young God.
     
     Over the next few minutes he explained what had happened
after I'd lost consciousness and made my wish.  The three
Goddesses were in a pretty bad way when they'd been brought to
the hall of healing, each of them had overextended themselves
terribly in the fight and were in need of some serious
healing.  It had taken the combined power of all the varied
deities of healing to keep them alive.
     
     "What about Keiichi?", I asked anxiously, "Is he all
right?".
     
     Chia-Yao laughed, "He's fine", he assured me, "And taking
good care of Belldandy".  The God of Truth leaned across the
desk, "I think this little scare has pushed Keiichi into being
a bit more honest about his feelings", he observed quietly,
"He nearly lost Belldandy in that fight and it's given him the
nerve to be more open".
     
     I nodded cautiously, "What about Urd and Skuld?", I
asked.
     
     Chia-Yao looked bleak, "Skuld was hurt pretty badly, but
thankfully she's recovering well, Belldandy's taking care of
her...", he said, breaking off.
     
     "And Urd?", I asked, almost dreading the answer.
     
     "She's still unconscious", he said quietly, "She expended
so much energy in the fight, and then granting your wish...".
     
     "Where is she?", I asked, feeling a strange pang in my
chest.
     
     "She's still at the hall of healing", Chia-Yao explained,
"Physically she's fine, but she hasn't woken up".
     
     "So she's in a coma?", I asked.
     
     "Right", he said, looking at me apprehensively.
     
     "What's wrong?", I asked, frowning.
     
     "I would have expected you to be a little more upset", he
observed, "I mean we are talking about Urd here".
     
     I nodded, "I'm upset", I said, "But I'm also not feeling
quite like myself either".
     
     Chia-Yao frowned, "Why?", he asked, "What's wrong?".
     
     I looked around, "This place, where is it?", I asked.
     
     "It's my domain here in Heaven", Chia-Yao explained.
     
     I had a sudden flash of myself in this room, talking to
Chia-Yao, in almost the exact same positions as we were now. 
As always he was working on something.  Then the feeling and
memory disappeared.  "This is bloody strange", I observed, 
"I've been here before, haven't I?".
     
     "That's right", Chia-Yao observed, "In fact I was working
on this piece of junk at the time".  He picked up what I now
recognised as some kind of oversized rifle.
     
     "Let's hope it doesn't burn out this time", I commented. 
Then I paused wondering how I knew that the previous gun had
burned out.
     
     Chia-Yao also frowned, "I thought you'd lost your
memories?", he asked.
     
     I scratched my head in confusion, "I thought I had too",
I admitted, "How come I *know* what happened?".
     
     Placing the BFG on the table, Chia-Yao stood and
gesturing for me to follow, "Well talk to the God of Healing
about this, maybe he can tell us", he said.  The two of us
walked to the front castle gates.  The gates opened onto a 
long path which we started walking along, surprisingly in a
few moments we were walking onto a large complex of buildings. 
The designs were a smattering of different styles from all
over the world and all over history.  Some of them were
unfamiliar to me, but the whole complex was incredibly
pleasing to the eye.
     
     "This is heaven?", I asked in amazement.
     
     "One part of it", Chia-Yao explained, "Different
religious backgrounds see things in different ways and they
have different areas where they exist, this is the central
core of heaven, were most of the work gets done".
     
     I nodded and followed him down the slope leading down to
the buildings.  In no time at all we had arrived at a building
with a huge Red Cross on it.  We walking inside unchallenged
by the two imposing-looking guards at the front door.  "Who're
they?", I asked Chia-Yao quietly.
     
     "They're representations of two of the guardians of
knowledge and healing", he explained.  I noticed a hooded
figure watching from behind one of the statues, it nodded at
me in greeting.  I attempted to ignore the familiar figure and
continued on with Chia-Yao.
     
     We walked through the maze of passageways until we
reached a room with several people hanging around outside it. 
Chia-Yao nodded to them in greeting, "Any change?", he asked.
     
     One God with a large beard shook his head, "No dammit!",
he thundered, "and since we're not 'next of kin' they won't
let us inside".  Then he noticed me and stretched out a large
hand, "Good to see you again Brett", he observed.  I returned
the handshake with a nod.  The other Gods standing around also
voiced their relief at my recovery, I nodded politely, not
even recognising who I was talking to.
     
     A God wearing long flowing white robes with a red cross
on his collar stepped out of the door, "Shhh!", he insisted,
"Thor if you don't keep it down I'm going to have to ask you
to leave!".
     
     "Doctor would you mind taking a look at Brett for a
moment?", Chia-Yao asked carefully, "He seems to be having
some memory problems".
     
     The Doctor nodded and led us into another room, he
indicated that I should sit on an examination table, "What
seems to be the problem?", he asked.
     
     I explained the strange flashes and feelings I'd been
having and he thought for a long moment before casting an
involved spell.  I felt a tingling sensation as he completed
the spell.  "Well, well", he said after a moment, "It appears 
that you have two different souls inside you".
     
     "WHAT?!?!?", I asked in confusion, "How can that be?".
     
     The doctor shrugged, "I don't know", he admitted, "By
rights, the souls should be fighting each other for dominance
and you should be insane".
     
     "How reassuring!", I observed, "So how did this happen?".
     
     The doctor thought for a few moments, "You were standing
next to a memory store when it exploded?", he asked.
     
     "If you mean that blue sphere", I asked, "That's right".
     
     "Well, that means whoever's soul was in that, is now in
you", he explained.
     
     "But..", I frowned in confusion, "That can't be
right...".
     
     "I can banish the other soul", the doctor said, casting
another spell.
     
     I held up a hand, "Hang on a second", I protested.
     
     The doctor frowned as he completed the spell, he was
holding up his hand expectantly, "What?", he asked in
confusion, "That should have pulled the foreign soul".
     
     Chia-Yao, who was standing against the wall stepped
forward, "As I understand it", he said to the doctor, "Both
souls are native to his body".
     
     "That's not possible...", the doctor began.  Chia-Yao
explained about what had happened to me and the Doctor was
silent for a long while.
     
     "Then there's nothing I can do", he explained, "I can't
remove the other soul and I don't think I should try".
     
     "But what's it going to do to me?", I asked quietly.
     
     "I don't know", the doctor admitted, "But I foresee two
possibilities; first the souls will meld together eventually,
leaving you in about the same position as you were before
your... split".
     
     "And the second?", Chia-Yao asked.
     
     "The two souls will reject each other, leading to madness
and probably death", he finished seriously.  The doctor nodded
in farewell and left the room, leaving me staring at the wall.
     
     Chia-Yao placed a hand on my shoulder, "Come on Brett",
he said, "We'd better go and see Urd".
     
     I nodded and the two of us walked across the hall. 
Inside the room I was surprised to see no medical equipment,
just a young lady in a nurse's uniform sitting beside the
large bed.  The nurse nodded to the two of us and then left 
the room quietly.  Urd appeared to be sleeping peacefully, all
traces of the battle were absent.  "Urd?", Chia-Yao said
softly, "Wake up!".  She didn't so much as twitch a eyelid at
his suggestion.
     
     "How long has she been like this?", I asked.
     
     "Since we returned after the fight", Chia-Yao explained,
"About two weeks".
     
     "I was out for two weeks?", I asked in confusion.
     
     Chia-Yao nodded, "But you were fading in and out of
consciousness", Chia-Yao said carefully, "She hasn't moved".
     
     "Have Belldandy and Skuld tried talking to her?", I asked
curiously, "I understand that loved ones can sometimes bring
people out of comas".
     
     Chia-Yao nodded, "They've both been here", he confirmed,
"Nothing so far".
     
     I sat on the edge of the bed, "Urd", I called softly,
"Come on now, wake up!".  Chia-Yao and I spent nearly half an
hour talking to Urd, trying to get her to awaken, but we
didn't get even the slightest response.
     
     "Has anything like this happened before?", I asked
quietly.
     
     Chia-Yao shook his head, "No one's ever tried to grant a
wish after doing battle with a few dozen Demons before", he
said carefully, "We don't know how it's likely to effect her".
     
     "So it's my fault then", I said, looking at Urd
regretfully.
     
     "I wouldn't put it that way!", Chia-Yao protested, "If
you hadn't made your wish, it's quite likely that you'd all be
dead right now".
     
     "And now instead it looks like Urd might die", I finished
grimly.
     
     "Let's talk to Belldandy and Skuld", Chia-Yao suggested,
"They might have some suggestions".  I nodded and the two of
us walked out of the room, I took a last look at Urd sleeping
peacefully and I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all
my fault.
     
                             *****
     
     Belldandy was watching Keiichi inconspicuously as he
cooked dinner.  He'd insisted that he do all the cooking.  She
smiled a little as he deftly flipped the omelette he was
making.  "Looks like he actually learned something from
Brett", Skuld observed quietly.
     
     Belldandy looked over at her sister quickly, noticing
Skuld's expression wasn't as critical as it usually was when
she was talking about Keiichi.  The two Goddesses had been
unconscious for nearly three days when they'd returned and
Keiichi had been mothering them continually ever since.  Even
Skuld's harsh attitude towards him was fading after that much
attention.
     
     There was a knock at the door and Skuld rose to answer
it, she gave a little gasp of joy, "Brett!", she said in
amazement, giving him a hug.
     
     Brett smiled slightly and nodded, "Good to see you're
better", he said firmly.
     
     Skuld frowned, "You've seen Urd", she said, her smile
fading.
     
     Brett nodded and was about to say something when Keiichi
came bustling in to see what the noise was all about. 
"Brett!", he said, shaking the young man's hand warmly and
patting him on the back, "Well timed, I've just finished
dinner".
     
     Skuld nodded to Chia-Yao, "You can join us too, if you
like", she offered.
     
     Chia-Yao shook his head, "Sorry", he said, "But I've got
something I have to do".  With that he disappeared in a flash
of light.
     
     Skuld closed the door and sighed, "He's been avoiding us
for some reason", she observed, "I wonder why".
     
     Keiichi and Belldandy exchanged a knowing glance, but
remained silent.  After dinner was served, Brett looked at it
with a small smile, "Omelettes?", he asking, taking a bite.
     
     His face lit up with a smile, "I recognise that recipe",
he said after a moment, "But I thought I told you to put more
spices in it, it's a little bland..".
     
     "I didn't want to overwhelm my invalids", Keiichi said
with a grin, "Besides, you told me to 'season it to my own
taste'...".  Then Keiichi broke off and stared at Brett in
confusion, "What happened to your memory loss?", he asked.
     
     Belldandy and Skuld also looked up in surprise.  Brett
explained what he'd been told at the 'hospital' and everyone
looked a bit nervous after he'd finished.  "So you could go
insane", Keiichi said quietly.     
     Brett nodded, "Or die", he said almost casually. 
Everyone was silent around the table for a long moment and
then Brett spoke up again, "That's neither here nor there",
Brett said firmly, "This *might* happen to me, but if we can't
do anything Urd *will* die".
     
     Everyone was jolted back to reality and Belldandy nodded,
"She's withdrawn into her own mind", she explained, "The Gods
of Healing tried to get past her mental defences, but they
were fought off by her.
     
     "Fought off?", Brett asked, confused, "I thought she was
unconscious?".
     
     "She is, but her unconscious mind is that which protects
her against mental intrusion", Belldandy explained, "It has to
do with the amount of Ego and Willpower a person has".
     
     "And of course since this is Urd, her Ego is quite
substantial", Skuld said dryly.
     
     "What about one of you?", Brett asked, looking at the two
Goddesses, "If you're her sisters... wouldn't she open up to
you?".
     
     Belldandy shrugged, "Perhaps", she allowed, "But I
wouldn't like to try using my power to link minds with her at
the moment...".
     
     Keiichi nodded, "You two are still too drained to risk
it", he said.
     
     "Well", Brett said, sitting back in his chair and taking
a long cold drink of water, "I guess it's up to me", he
announced.  When nobody protested he nodded, "That's decided
then, so how do I go about doing this?", he asked.
     
                              ******
     
     I was wondering if I was doing the smart thing when I
arrived at the 'hospital' with Belldandy.  I didn't recognise
most of the people who were waiting outside as we walked up to
the 'hospital', but they obviously knew me.  I received
several reassuring pats on the shoulder and many hardy 
handshakes as I made my way through the crowd.  I spotted one
familiar figure standing slightly apart from the crowd, it was
the God of Mystery again.
     
     I looked over at Belldandy in confusion, "Why are they
giving me this kind of encouragement?", he asked.
     
     "It's not an easy thing for you to do Brett", she said
seriously, "And there's danger involved for you, this isn't
just a little trip you're getting into".
     
     I nodded, "I understand that it might be dangerous...", I
began.
     
     "Do you?", Belldandy asked, looking at me closely,
"Brett, it's probably more dangerous for you than it would be
for either myself or Skuld".
     
     I frowned, "Why's that?"
     
     "Because we love Urd and she knows that", Belldandy
explained, "But you... ".
     
     "What you're saying is that she's more likely to lash out
at me because of what's happened", I concluded.
     
     Belldandy nodded silently and I shrugged, "I am
responsible for what's happened", I said firmly, "Not only for
what happened to Urd, but everything before and after".  Then
I lowered my eyes, "You have no idea how close I came to
wishing I'd never met any of you", I said softly.
     
     Belldandy looked shocked, "WHY?!?!", she asked earnestly,
placing a hand on my arm.
     
     "Because of all the trouble I've caused you", I said,
"Look at what happened to Urd after I arrived, she was almost
killed by Nilthar".  I removed Belldandy's hand gently from my
arm and resumed walking up the corridor, "Face it Belldandy",
I said firmly, "You all would have been better off if I'd
never been born!".
     
     Belldandy followed me silently for a few moments and then
I felt her put a hand on my shoulder, "Brett", she said,
drawing me to a halt.
     
     She led me over to a spot where we wouldn't be disturbed
for a few moments and took my chin firmly in one hand, making
me look her in the eye, "I shouldn't tell you this", she said,
"But Urd admitted something to me the night before you lost
your memories".
     
     I was silent knowing what was coming.  "She told me she
loved you", Belldandy confirmed.
     
     I nodded, "I understand...", I began.
     
     Belldandy cut me off with a small tap on the cheek,
"Wait!", she said, "Let me finish".
     
     I nodded and she continued, "I've known Urd all my life",
she explained, "For her to admit that she needed anyone was a
huge step, she's had her fair share of boyfriends before, but
she never once told any of them that she actually loved them,
let alone admit it to me".
     
     I think the confusion showed in my face, because
Belldandy smiled and then kissed me on the cheek, "Thank you
for making my sister so happy", she said softly, giving me a
little hug.
     
     I didn't know exactly what to say, which was fine,
because before I could formulate my reply, we'd reached Urd's
room.  Belldandy nodded to me in farewell, "Good luck", she
said.
     
     I stepped into the room and moved over to the bed.  A
nurse gestured for me to lie down beside Urd.  A little
awkwardly I lay down, unconsciously trying not to disturb her. 
"Ready?", the Nurse asked.
     
     I took a deep breath and nodded.  I felt that strange
tingling again and suddenly found myself feeling drowsy.  I
could hear the Nurse's voice chanting in low tones and I
forced myself to relax even more.  I felt a lurch and then I
was somewhere else.
     
                         ******
     
     Brett found himself standing in the middle of a crowded
room, people everywhere were shouting in unintelligible
languages.  It was like being inside a stock-exchange where
everyone talked different languages.  He looked around in
confusion for a few minutes until he noticed a single 
figure in the middle of the room that wasn't shouting madly. 
Brett pushed his way through the crowd, mumbling apologies as
he went.
     
     After fighting through the sea of people Brett paused as
he realised that the quite person was in fact a little girl. 
She was standing quietly and apparently trying to listen to
the many voices around her.  She had long white hair that was
wild and unruly, lying about her face and she continually
batted it back from her eyes.  With a start he realised that 
this was Urd as she had been when she was a child.
     
     Brett knelt down in front of her, "G'day", he said
softly, tousling her hair gently.
     
     The young Urd looked up curiously at him, "What do you
want?", she asked in a tiny voice.
     
     "I'd like to talk to you", Brett said gently.
     
     Young Urd turned away with a toss of her chin, "I'm too
busy", she pouted, "Trying to sort out all these voices!".
     
     Brett listened for a moment, "That must be a big job", he
observed.
     
     The little Urd nodded, "So I don't have time to talk to
you", she proclaimed grandly.
     
     
     "What if I can help?", Brett asked curiously, "I bet if
we both tried to sort them out, it would be faster".
     
     Little Urd thought for a moment, "Ok", she said,
gesturing to one side of the huge room, "You take that side".
     
     Brett nodded and walked over to his half of the room.  He
looked back at little Urd, she was simply standing listening
to the voices of the people around her, and not really getting
very far.  "Right", he said, walking up to the nearest person,
"Can you understand me?", he asked.
     
     The man being addressed stopped shouting and looked at
Brett for a moment, before nodding.  "Can you speak back to
me?", Brett asked, "In a way I can understand".
     
     The response he got was a string on unconnected words
that made no sense.  Brett thought for a moment, "Do you
understand any of the other people around here?", he asked.
     
     With confused look, the man nodded.  "Good", Brett said,
"Go and grab everyone who you can understand and group them
together".  The man nodded and began walking around the room,
talking to other people.  Brett passed from one person to
another, grouping the people together who could understand
each other.
     
     After a few minutes of sorting, he had several groups,
each made up of an equal number of people, and each group also
had the same proportion of men and women. Brett tried
listening to each group in turn, the voices still made no
sense, but there seemed to be a pattern to them.
     
     He directed each group in turn to start their
explanations again.  "It's definitely a statement", he mused
to himself, "But about what?".
     
     Brett failed to notice little Urd coming up behind him,
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?", she screamed.
     
     "I'm trying to help...", Brett began protesting.
     
     "NO!", little Urd screamed again, this time at the people
and their seemingly unintelligible statements, "I WILL NOT
WAKE UP!!!!!".
     
     Brett stepped back in shock for a moment, "You can
understand them?", he asked in amazement.
     
     "Of course I can!", Urd said scornfully, "But before you
interfered I was able to ignore them!".
     
     "But..", Brett looked around in confusion, "Don't you
want to wake up?".
     
     Little Urd turned around with a toss of her hair, "No",
she said, "I'm happy where I am".
     
     "Here?", Brett asked in confusion, "Indicating the room
around him".
     
     "No", Little Urd replied, "This isn't where I am".
     
     There was a suddenly flash and Brett found himself
disorientated for a few moments.  When he could finally see
well enough to make out his surroundings he had to blink
several times to be sure he wasn't imagining things.  He was
standing at the Temple in Nekomi.  It was a beautiful sunny
day, there were birds singing and the sound of children
playing inside the walls.
     
     He pushed open the door dubiously and peered inside. 
Three young children were playing tag around the huge cherry
tree.  There were two girls and a boy.  He noticed as he got
closer that the girls appeared to be twins and they were about
the same age as the young boy.  As he approached the children
stopped play and looked at him warily, "Uncle?", the two girls
asked in confusion.
     
     The boy also looked at Brett strangely, "Dad?", he asked.
     
                         ******
     
     After a moment of shock, I took a second look at the
young boy and could see more than a passing resemblance to me
when I was younger.  I knelt down in front of the children,
"Where is Urd?", I asked gently, "I need to talk to her".
     
     "But Dad..", the young boy said, "The two of you were
going out with Uncle Keiichi...".
     
     I looked around, "Then who's taking care of you three?",
I asked.
     
     "That would be me", a voice called from the temple steps.
     
     I glanced up, "Megumi?", I asked.
     
     Megumi looked at me strangely, "Brett?", she asked,
"What's wrong?".  This Megumi looked several years older than
the one I knew, she was wearing a lab coat and looked like
she'd just come from an experiment of some kind.
     
     I had to remind myself that this was all in my (or
rather, Urd's) mind.  "Where is Urd?", I asked seriously.
     
     "I thought you would be with her", Megumi said, "You were
all going down to the park for the afternoon..".
     
     I nodded, "Thanks for the info", I said, turning towards
the front gate.  I found my path blocked by the three
children.
     
     "You are not my father", the young boy said firmly.
     
     The twin girls were flanking him on either side and they
nodded as well, "You're not Uncle Brett!", they agreed.
     
     I nodded, "You're right", I said carefully, "I'm not the
Brett that you know".
     
     The boy gave me a serious look, "What are you going to
do?", he asked, "You're not going to hurt my Mum or Dad?".
     
     I shook my head, "I'm trying to help Urd", I explained.
     
     "How?", the two girls asked in unison.
     
     I looked around at this near perfect world, "By making
her face reality and not a dream world", I said stepping over
the young children.  I was troubled as I walked towards the
park, this fantasy world she'd created was just too perfect,
it would be difficult to get her back to reality.  I arrived
at the park and heard a familiar voice, "Hurry up with 
lunch", Urd called.
     
     I stopped behind some bushes to get an idea of what I was
in for.  Urd was relaxing on a huge blanket, Belldandy and
Skuld were also lazing around on the blanket, talking and
laughing.  They all looked a few years older.  Then I saw what
was becoming a familiar sight over the last couple of days,
myself.
     
     "Lunch will be ready soon", the Dream-Brett called over
to Urd, "Be patient!".  I took in the scene quickly, Keiichi
and Chia-Yao were assisting my counterpart who was BBQing some
steak.  I watched for a few more minutes until everyone was
grouped together, then I walked slowly from my hiding spot and
out into the open.
     
     "STOP RIGHT THERE!", Chia-Yao called, drawing his sword.
     
     I stopped where I was, "I have no desire to fight with
you, I only wish to talk to Urd", I explained quietly.
     
     Dream-Brett frowned at me, "Why?", he asked.
     
     I looked over at Urd who was staring at me in confusion,
"What do you want?", she asked bluntly, "You're interrupting
our fun".
     
     "You mean *your* fun", I replied, looking around, "You
know this isn't real".
     
     "It's real enough for me", Urd replied, reaching out
possessively and grasping the Dream-Brett's arm.
     
     I shook my head, "Urd, if you don't come back with me,
you'll die", I said bluntly.
     
     "Is that a threat?", Chia-Yao demanded, stepping forward.
     
     I continued to look directly at Urd, "This isn't real and
you know it!", I insisted.
     
     "I am happy", Urd said firmly, "I'm here with the man I
love, I have a happy family, I don't need anything else".
     
     I shrugged, "Fair enough", I replied, "But remember, your
real family and friends are suffering because you're in this
dream world".
     
     Urd frowned, and I continued before she could interrupt,
"There's a cluster of Gods and Goddesses waiting outside your
hospital door, waiting for some news... Belldandy and Skuld
are both frantic with worry...".
     
     I gestured to the Dream-Brett, "You know that he's just
imaginary", I told her, "And as much as you want it, deep down
you know it's not real".  I looked at her and smiled, "You're
giving up before You've given me a chance", he looked at her
dream-version of himself, "I don't think things will be the
same between us as they were, but that doesn't mean that
they'll be worse".
     
     Urd lowered her head and I placed a hand on her shoulder
(none of the dream-characters were interfering), "Please just
give me a chance", then I smiled at her expression, "And give
yourself a chance too".
     
     There was a moment of silence and Urd nodded silently. 
Then the universe disappeared into a burst of colour and I
found myself laying back on the bed beside Urd, in the
hospital room.  Only it was dark and the Nurse was absent.  I
was about to get up, when I noticed a curvaceous figure
cuddled up beside me.  Urd's breathing was more steady and one
of her arms suddenly moved across my chest, pulling me into a
rough embrace.  This of course totally destroyed my escape
plans and I smiled at the innocent expression on her face as
she was sleeping.  Without thinking I bent forward and kissed
her on the cheek, she stirred in her sleep for a moment and
them resumed her rest.
     
     I was surprised at my own reaction, the kiss had been
something that I didn't even think about.  What was more
amazing was that I was totally comfortable with Urd cuddled up
beside me sleeping.  Obviously my memories were returning, but
rather than just remembering facts, I was remembering
feelings.  

"I wonder what I'll remember tomorrow", I thought just as
sleep overcame me.
     
                              ******
     
     Urd awoke slowly.  The last thing she remembered was
granting a wish for Brett, but not the wish she'd hoped he'd
make.  She found that the pillow she was resting on was a
little lumpy and she rolled over, trying to get a more
comfortable position.  It was at that point she noticed two 
things, first the 'pillow' she was using seemed to be
breathing and second it seemed to be talking to her.
     
     "Go easy!", Brett protested sleepily.
     
     That snapped Urd into wakefulness and she sat up with a
start.  She was in what looked like a hospital room and
judging by the feeling in the air, she was in Heaven.  She
glared at Brett as he sat up in the bed they were sharing,
"Just what do you think you're doing??!?!", she demanded.
     
     Brett yawned, "I *was* sleeping", he observed, "But
someone decided that she wasn't going to wake up alone".
     
     Urd was silent for a long moment, "Why are you here?",
she asked bluntly.
     
     Shaking the last vestiges of sleep from his brain Brett
nodded, "You were in a coma", he said seriously, "For the last
two weeks".
     
     Sitting down on the bed Urd frowned, "It's been two weeks
since the fight?", she asked in confusion.
     
     "Give or take a day or two", Brett confirmed, "I only
woke up yesterday myself...".
     
     "If I was in a coma", Urd said, "How did you get me out
of it".
     
     "You don't remember?", Brett asked carefully.
     
     Urd shook her head.  "Well", Brett said, "Let's just say
I argued with you for a while and you finally saw things my
way".
     
     "Thank you", Urd said, then her expression turned
curious, "So how did you end up in bed with me?".
     
     Brett gulped a little and blushed slightly, "Well, when I
woke up you had an arm over me and I didn't want to wake
you...", he said.
     
     Urd raised an eyebrow, "*I* had an arm over you?", she
asked archly.
     
     "Geeze Urd", he said, nervously scratching the back of
his head, "You know you always end up using me as a pillow!".
     
     "Says you!", Urd replied quickly, picking up the beat of
the old argument.  Then she broke off and stared at Brett and
her face broke into a huge smile.  She pinned Brett to the
bed, kissing him forcefully.
     
     Brett was confused to say the least (not that he was
complaining too much), after Urd broke off the kiss he frowned
at her, "That was quite a change in mood", he observed.
     
     Urd was barely able to contain her delight as she smiled
at Brett, "You've got your memory back!", she exclaimed.
     
     "Errr... not quite", Brett said uneasily, looking around
nervously.
     
     "What's wrong?", Urd asked.  Brett explained the problem
he had with two souls in the one body and Urd's expression
turned downcast as she released her prey, "So you don't
remember then", she said softly.
     
     Brett sat up and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I
remember little bits and pieces" he said carefully, "And
sometimes I get flashes of events...".
     
     "But you don't remember..", Urd broke off.
     
     "I don't remember *us*", Brett said, "As in you and me". 
He shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I don't", he confirmed.  At
Urd's downcast look he squeezed her shoulder gently, "With a
bit of luck I'll get all my memories back", he said
reassuringly, "The doctor said it was a possibility".
     
     Urd shook the hand off her shoulder, "He also said you
could die", she reminded him.
     
     Brett smiled a little sadly, "I know", he replied, "but
I'm trying to be positive".
     
     "Whatever", Urd said sharply, her emotional walls coming
up again, "If you don't mind I think I'd like to get changed".
     
     "I'm glad you decided to come back", Brett said in
farewell as he walked from the room.
     
     Urd watched him go and sat down on the bed again.  She'd
thought she could deal with his memory loss by ignoring her
feelings and hoping they'd go away.  But now that Brett had
begun to remember and was becoming more like his old self, she
realised that she wasn't going to be able to avoid what she
felt for too long.  As she dressed she suddenly felt a cold 
feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of losing
him.  All her life she'd tried to get by without needing or
relying on anyone, "So much for that", she murmured to herself
as she walked over to the door.
     
     A huge fanfare awaited her as she emerged from the room,
all her friends were there waiting for her.  She was surprised
at the reception she'd gotten and it was only the response
that she received that convinced her how close she'd come to
dying.  And she also realised the risk that Brett had taken in
trying to bring her back.  She was a little uncomfortable that
she couldn't remember exactly how Brett had convinced her
subconscious mind to follow him back to reality.  However what
she found even more disturbing was that he'd seen her very
core.
     
                           ******

     I found myself more and more drawn to talking with
Chia-Yao as we continued our stay in heaven.  It had been
three days since I'd helped wake up Urd and I hadn't talked to
her once in all that time, it was almost as if she was
avoiding me.  The days had passed quite quickly, Chia-Yao
seemed to be quite happy to explain anything that I was
curious about.  "So how long did it take me to learn how to
cast spells?", I asked curiously, we'd been visiting the
central computer complex and I noticed a 'technician' casting
a spell to repair some minor damage done by a bug.
     
     "Several months as I understand it", Chia-Yao explained,
"Urd would know more about it, perhaps you should ask her?".
     
     I grimaced and shook my head, "I don't think so", I said
shortly.
     
     "Why not?", he asked curiously.
     
     I shrugged, "Urd's been avoiding me", I explained, "Every
time I visit the Norn's place, she's either not in, or
'indisposed'".
     
     We'd reached the path leading back to Chia-Yao's 'pocket
dimension' (which as I understand it, is a God's personal
'living space') and he gave me a concerned look, "Don't worry
about it", he said easily, "She'll forgive you eventually".
     
     I grimaced, "I just wish I knew what she was so upset
about", I observed dryly, "I can't understand her".
     
     Chia-Yao laughed, "You'll find that women, be they
Goddesses or Mortals are all a mystery", he said seriously,
"Even for the God of Truth".
     
     "How astute of you Chia-Yao", a voice called out, from
the mist that was surrounding the corridor.
     
     Chia-Yao sighed, "All right Mystery", he said grudgingly,
"What do you want this time?".
     
     "Oh nothing much", Mystery replied, stepping from
concealment, "I was just curious how Brett was doing".
     
     I shrugged at the mysterious figure, "I'm fine", I
confirmed.  Then I frowned, "So why are you so curious?".
     
     "You're part of us", Mystery explained, "And I like to
keep informed about how each of us is doing".  The hooded
figure floated closer and I took an involuntary step back as
it stopped right in front of me.  "After all: we're
practically family", Mystery added, reaching out with a hand
to fix how my shirt was hanging.
     
     "What Mystery is trying to say", Chia-Yao said dryly, "Is
that she can't resist playing around and making cryptic
comments".
     
     "SHE?", I asked in amazement, looking at the hooded
figure intently.
     
     The God (or rather Goddess!) of Mystery sighed, "Why have
you always got to always ruin my disguises?", she demanded.  I
was still totally confused as she snapped her fingers and the
hooded cloak disappeared with a shimmer of light.  I found
myself standing face to face with a beautiful young woman. 
Her hair was jet black and hung at her waist, she was wearing 
a very low-cut dress that was of a simple design that
complimented her well.  I found myself staring and she
laughed, "It's good to see I haven't lost my touch", she
observed.
     
     I looked away with a start and noticed Chia-Yao was
watching Mystery's antics with a pained expression.  "My name
is Syliana", she said, offering her hand.
     
     "G'day", I said absently, shaking her hand, "Why have you
been running around in that disguise?".
     
     Syliana smiled, "Well..", she began.
     
     Chia-Yao grinned, "She can't show her ugly face in
public", he laughed.
     
     Syliana whipped her head around fast enough to
'accidentally' hit Chia-Yao in the face with her hair, "What
was that?", she asked him sweetly.
     
     Chia-Yao was about to respond angrily but I managed to
cut him off, "So why have you been following me around so
much?", I asked, "It can't be just because of this 'family'
thing, can it?".
     
     Syliana laughed, "Of course it can", she said, "I missed
out on talking to you before you lost your memories, because
'someone' insisted that he could take care of it".
     
     "I *was* taking care of it!", Chia-Yao insisted, "It
wasn't my fault that he lost his memories, blame Kami-Sama if
you're so inclined".
     
     Syliana ignored Chia-Yao's comments and took my arm,
"Come on now Brett", she said, "I'll explain".  There was a
muffled curse from Chia-Yao and then a flash of light.  I
found myself standing with Syliana in front of a grove of 
trees.  In the middle of the grove was a huge tower, made out
of what looked liked polished steel.
     
     I winced and covered my eyes as the sun reflected off the
steel, making the tower look like a huge mirror.  "Where are
we?", I demanded, pulling my arm from her grasp.
     
     "We're at my place", Syliana said, pointing at the tower,
"That's where I live".
     
     I looked around carefully, "Why'd you bring me here?", I
asked carefully.
     
     "Oh relax", Syliana said, grabbing my hand and dragging
me towards the tower, "There's nothing here to be afraid of". 
I let myself be led inside the tower and found it to be much
larger inside than outside.  I found myself sitting in a
comfortable dining room as Syliana fetched some drinks.  I
looked around and noticed a painting on the wall, it was
rather old and featured two familiar figures.  Syliana and
Chia-Yao as children had their arms linked with an older man. 
Who had greying hair and a tolerant expression on his face, he
was obviously amused by the antics of the two children.
     
     "That's Tlesta", Syliana said sadly.  I glanced over my
shoulder and noticed the sorrowful expression on her face,
"Big Brother practically raised Chia-Yao and myself".

     I frowned, "I remember Belldandy telling me that he was a
'young' god", I commented.

     Syliana laughed as she placed the drinks on the table,
"Tlesta was never young", she observed, "he took on whatever
form was appropriate".  She gestured to the chair opposite her
and I sat down, "And for Chia-Yao and myself, we needed a
strong 'father figure' when we were growing up".

     I nodded and took a sip of the drink she'd provided, I
found it was some kind of fruit juice and nodded approvingly,
"Very nice", I complimented her.

     Syliana nodded and looked around the room, "It's not
often I have guests", she admitted, "Being the Goddess of
Mystery tends to exclude a lot of people".

     I looked at her curiously, "Didn't you know the Norns
like Chia-Yao?", I asked.

     "A little", Syliana admitted, "I've met them several
times, but I don't really get along to well with Urd and
Skuld".

     "Why not?", I asked finishing my drink.

     "Well", Syliana said cautiously, "They always accused me
of hiding something... when I knew them we were just kids and
they didn't even know what I was Goddess of".  She stood and
walked over to a window, gazing out almost longingly, "I
couldn't tell them and they resented it".

     I nodded, "So what did you want to talk to me about?", I
asked, bringing the conversation back on track.

     Syliana smiled, "You're so much like Tlesta", she
observed, almost fondly, "Never shy to change the tone of a
conversation in mid breath".  She walked back to the table and
sat down, looking at me seriously, "We need you back", she
said bluntly.

     "What?", I asked in confusion.

     "Remember I told you that you couldn't 'quit the game'?",
she asked, I nodded and she reached out to take my hand, "That
wasn't a threat Brett, we can't do without a God of Destiny
for too long, things need to be balanced".

     I shifted uncomfortably (not only from the feeling of
responsibility, she was leaning rather close), "I don't
understand", I admitted.

     She stood suddenly, dragging me along by one hand, "I'll
show you", she said quickly.

     We walked to an elevator and I suddenly found myself on
top of the tower.  A wave of panic passed over me as I
realised how high up I was and I reflectively took a firmer
grip on Syliana's hand.  She smiled at me reassuringly and
whispered a spell.  The sky above us suddenly became dark. 
Then I noticed a stream of light beginning on one horizon,
like a comet with an impossibly long tail it streaked across
the sky.  After a few moments the Comet had passed down to the
far horizon and was hovering just in sight.

     "Now", Syliana said, "Think of time like this, a straight
line".  I nodded and she pointed at another object (that
resembled a small sphere) which was coming over the horizon.
As it passed over the line, the line blurred and changed
shape, moving slightly out of alignment.

     "What's that?", I asked, pointing.

     "That's you", Syliana said, smiling slightly, "or rather,
you when you were a mortal".

     "Ok", I said, "I've read enough science fiction to
realise what you're getting at: each choice we make alters the
future in some way".

     Syliana nodded, "Correct", she said, "Now according to
that theory, the future isn't set and things can be changed,
right?".

     "Right", I said, "The future's not set".

     "Wrong", Syliana announced, gesturing to the sky.  A
group of stars appeared, I blinked as I realised that they
looked like Skuld.  At the opposite end of the sky, a star
formation that bore a striking resemblance to Urd appeared. 
Right above us, an image of Belldandy appeared.  "Your friends
the Norns represent not only the present and the past, but the
future as well", she explained.

     "But..", I began.

     Syliana silenced me with a shake of her head, "I'm not
finished", she said.  The previously straight line in the sky
suddenly turned curved and jagged and seemed to be continually
moving.  "To a large degree, the future *is* set, how we get
there is not", she explained.

     "So what exists at the end of time?", I asked, peering at
the far horizon.

     Syliana laughed and shook her head, "That's not for us to
know", she said, "Only glimpses of it come to us now and
then".

     I nodded, "So what part do I play in all of this?", I
asked carefully, "Why do you need me to be involved, if all I
can do is move the line by a tiny amount".

     "Ahhh!", Syliana said with a smile, "As the God of
Destiny you effect much more than you could as a mortal".

     I watched as another sphere appeared on the horizon, this
time however, the line in the sky was jolted as it passed by,
the continual movement of the line ceased and it became much
less chaotic, there were still kinks, but the line was close
to being straight again.  The sphere stopped directly above
us, half the sky was chaos and half was just a single line. 
"This is where we are now", Syliana explained, "As you can
see, there is far more for you to do".  The patch of sky that
was just ahead of the sphere was totally awry, looking like a
mess of spaghetti.

     "But why *me*?", I asked firmly, "Surely there's someone
else who could do a better job?".

     "Quite probably", Syliana admitted with a little grin,
"But random chance has picked you to replace Tlesta and you're
all we have".

     I shrugged, "Well, what part do you play in this cosmic
game then?", I asked with a smile.

     "Ahh!", Syliana said grandly, "I am the one that clouds
people's judgement and keeps answers hidden".

     I frowned, "How does that help them make the right
choice?", I asked.

     "It doesn't!", Syliana said firmly, "Any choice is the
right one, so long as they make it.. I guess the best thing to
say is that I represent the unknown that people strive to
understand...".

     "Sure you are!", came a voice from the elevator.  Chia-
Yao walked onto the tower top with us, he had a disgruntled
expression on his face, "You couldn't wait for me?", he asked.

     Syliana grinned at him, "Not a chance", she replied,
grabbing onto my arm, "You had your turn, now make room for
me!".

     "I feel like some kind of prize!", I admitted, gently
removing Syliana's hand, "What's Chia-Yao's job then?", I
asked her.

     "I represent the known, solid fact", he said, "That's the
whole cornerstone of knowledge".  He looked at the sky, "I'm
the foundation that mortals use to strive towards that which
is hidden".

     I nodded, "Ok, so you two are representations of natural
forces", I mused.

     "We three", Syliana corrected me firmly, "You can't be
removed from office, it's not something that even Kami-Sama
can do, you were chosen by random chance".

     I frowned, "But I don't have any magical abilities like
you guys", I protested.

     Syliana gave me a curious look, "But your aura says you
have", she argued, "Maybe you just don't know it yet".

     "So what do I do now?", I asked looking at the tangled
web in the sky, "How do I keep things from going astray".

     Chia-Yao and Syliana looked at each other and shrugged,
"We have no idea", they both said in unison.

     "But...", I began, "How do I know I'm not making a
mistake?".

     "And what if you do?", Syliana asked with a smile, "So
there's one more kink on the road to the future, all you have
to do is keep things from flying apart too much".

     I grimaced, "Are you sure there's nothing else you can
tell me?", I asked carefully, "If I can't get out of this
job.. ".

     "You'll want to do the best job possible", Syliana and
Chia-Yao said again in unison.

     I frowned at them and they both laughed, "Tlesta used to
say the same thing", Chia-Yao explained, "I guess chance
picked well".

     "What's the next step then?", I asked the two of them,
"You've explained everything reasonably well, what do I do
now?".

     Chia-Yao glanced over at Syliana, "I don't suppose you'd
let me train him", he asked curiously.

     "No chance", Syliana said bluntly, "I had to leave him in
Urd's hands before, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to
let *you* take care of it this time".

     "So exactly what are you going to teach me?", I asked
curiously.

     "Well", Syliana said carefully, "I'm going to try to
teach you some of what Tlesta taught me about what he did".

     "Ok", I allowed, "But I don't see how that can help
me..".

     "You will", Syliana said firmly, "Just because you can't
do everything other Gods/Goddesses can do, doesn't mean you
can't do anything".

     I nodded and looked around, the sky had resumed a normal
appearance and it appeared to be early evening.  "Come
inside", Syliana said, linking arms with Chia-Yao and myself,
"I'll make you boys some dinner".

                                  ******

     Chia-Yao was a little apprehensive over the meal and he
waited until Brett had tried what Syliana had offered before
he dared take a bite.  "Excellent", he noted, "your cooking
has really improved".

     Syliana gave him a stern look, "It was never that bad!",
she insisted loudly.

     "You used to burn water!", Chia-Yao replied with a grin,
he looked over at Brett, "She was so bad I used to do all the
cooking when we grew up".

     Brett fought back a smile and nodded as he tried another
dish, "Very nice improvement then", he complimented Syliana.

     Syliana smiled and rushed off to get some more drinks. 
Chia-Yao frowned thoughtfully after her, "Well that's a
first", he observed.

     "What do you mean?", Brett asked curiously, between
bites.

     "You actually made her blush", Chia-Yao commented.

     Brett choked on the mouthful of food he was chewing, "I
didn't notice that!", Brett disagreed, "All I did was
compliment her on the food".

     Chia-Yao smiled, "Well, I know my sister pretty well", he
explained, "I think you'd better watch out around her, she
obviously isn't thinking of you as a brother".

     Brett gave Chia-Yao a dirty look, "Thanks so much", he
said dryly, "As if I didn't have enough problems....".

     At that moment Syliana walked back into the room with
some more drinks and passed them around.  Chia-Yao grimaced,
"Not more of your fruit juice", he protested.

     "Drink it", Syliana ordered, "It's good for you".

     Brett laughed at Chia-Yao's expression and the evening
passed quickly.  After a few hours of chatting and getting to
know each other, Chia-Yao yawned loudly, "I guess it's time
for us to go", he said tapping Brett on the shoulder.

     "Must you?", Syliana asked quickly, "There's room here
for you to stay the night...".

     "Thanks", Chia-Yao said quickly, "But we've got a meeting
in the morning with the Norns".

     Brett looked up curiously, "You didn't tell me that", he
observed.

     "Well", Chia-Yao said evasively, "You never asked".

     "What's the meeting about?", Brett asked bluntly.

     "This and that", Chia-Yao said off handedly, "Nothing
particularly earth-shattering..".

     Syliana shook her head, "You're a horrible liar Brother",
she said, "Now come on and spill the beans, what's going on
tomorrow?".

     He mumbled something that Brett and Syliana didn't catch,
"Speak up!", Syliana said, tapping her brother on the head.

     "We're going to try to restore Brett!", he said loudly.

     "Why should that be kept a secret?", Brett wondered out
loud.

     "Because we're not suppose to be doing it", Chia-Yao
said, "Kami-Sama hasn't cleared it.. in fact he's been
ignoring every mention of your name".

     Brett frowned, "What exactly are you going to try to
do?", he asked.

     "Well", Chia-Yao said, "I don't exactly know what's going
to happen... ".

     "Why didn't you mention this to me?", Syliana asked, a
bit of anger creeping into her voice.

     "Because it was suppose to be a secret!", Chia-Yao
protested, "I couldn't let anyone know, in case someone found
out and protested to Kami-Sama before we finish".

     Brett gave Chia-Yao a dubious look, "Mate", he said,
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm happy the way I am,
according to what Syliana said, I don't particularly need
those other powers...".

     Chia-Yao gave me a innocent look, "I didn't suggest it!",
he protested, "In fact I agree with Syliana!".

     "So who put you up to it?", Brett asked curiously.

     "Thor and Apollo", Chia-Yao said, "And few other Norse
Gods and Goddesses, a smattering of Greek ones...".

                                  ******

     "I keep telling you I don't need this!", I protested as
Thor and Apollo manhandled me onto an altar in the middle of a
large temple, "It doesn't feel right!". I'd been as I woke by
Thor and Apollo.  They'd grabbed me (obviously Chia-Yao had
told them of my reluctance) and we'd transported back to earth
for this ritual and I was a little nervous about someone
seeing us.

     "It's for your own good!", Thor insisted, "You'll thank
us!".

     "Brett, you are our friend and we won't let you fade into
obscurity!", Apollo explained, "This ritual will endow you
with quite a bit of power".

     "I don't know if this is such a good idea", Belldandy
cautioned, watching Thor and Apollo secure Brett to the altar.

     Urd and Skuld were also looking a bit dubious about the
whole thing.  "Bloody right it's not a good idea!", I insisted
loudly, "I don't want this, ok?".

     "Don't argue", Thor suggested, "It'll make things
easier!".  I stopped struggling as I realised that they'd used
chains to hold me down.  I absently noticed a tingling
building up around me.  Thor, Apollo, the three Norns and a
number of other gods, goddesses and other creatures were all
surrounding the alter and chanting in some kind of strange
language.

     There was a deafening thunder as the energy surrounding
me suddenly became visible as a beam of white light, streaking
towards me.  I was bracing myself for the shock when a dark
form suddenly appeared between me and the beam.  It was a dark
shape that seemed to twist and turn like a flag in the wind. 
The beam of light hit the shape and seemed to pause for a
moment before continuing.  When it continued it contained not
only the white light of the various gods, it also had a twist
of the dark energy from the shape.

     "FOOLS!", I shouted, breaking the chains as easily as one
would break a matchstick.

     I stood on the alter and looked down at the pathetic
fools who called themselves Gods.  Raising one hand I reached
out and took a hold of Thor's throat and squeezed.  The God of
Lightning fell dead at my feet and I turned to look at the
others who had drawn back in terror.  I noticed Urd standing
near the front of the group, "Ahhh", I said, "My bride to be".

     I pointed at one angel-like god and released a blast of
Demonic energy that vaporised him neatly.  At this point the
pitiful bunch decided to attack, dismissing several fireballs
and lightning bolts with a simple shield, I began killing them
off one by one.  "This is so disappointing!", I observed as I
killed off a trio of Security Daemons with a focused
earthquake spell, "Even Phalus and his lackeys did better than
you fools!".

     Urd looked at me with near terror in her eyes and I
enjoyed the feeling it gave me, "Phalarus!", she gasped.

     "That's right", I said, blasting Skuld and Belldandy with
a bolt of blackfire, the two Goddesses were literally reduced
to atoms by the huge blast.

                                  ******

     I woke up screaming.  Taking a deep breath I walked over
to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face.  "What the
hell was that", I wondered, remembering the vivid dream.  The
name Phalarus gave me chills, but I didn't know why.

     Sitting back on the bed I tried to work out what the hell
was going on, Chia-Yao had told me that Thor and Apollo would
be dropping by 'pick us up'.  I suddenly realised that this
was one of those dreams that I couldn't ignore.  I dressed
quickly and quietly exited the room.

     Sneaking around Chia-Yao's castle wasn't the most fun
thing I could think of doing, but I realised that if I didn't
get out of here before Thor and Apollo arrived, I'd be stuck. 
Avoiding the single guard at the door was easy enough, he
seemed to be half-asleep.  I reached the front door and opened
it silently, the huge door moved back without even a whisper.

     Reaching the path back towards the main complex of heaven
I shivered as I felt a strange presence.  I couldn't shake off
the feeling I was being watched.  Hurrying down the path I was
thankful that it was so straight and uncluttered.  I let out a
sigh of relief as I saw the now familiar complex of buildings.
Without warning I caught a glimpse of a figure on the edge of
my vision, then everything went black.

                                  ******

-----CONTINUED IN PART 4