​     "Decloak, everyone," Adam said. 

     "Hi," was the response of the other three in the van. 

     Gramps sat behind the steering wheel. (Not that he steered anyone anywhere at the moment.)

     Adam sat in the passenger's seat. 

     Niki and Trevor sat in back. 

     Adam Forwarder, Jesus, Trevor thought. He looks good. The last time Trevor'd seen Adam, the immortal being was nothing more than a mass of torn meat no bigger than a pillow. Now, except for the wounds he'd taken in the fight they'd just been in, and those healed even as Trevor looked at them, he looked every bit as strong and virile as he had the decade before when Adam worked as a mercenary, charging one billion dollars an assignment. Adam looked like one of those muscles on top of muscles guys. His hair was a lion's mane that hung to his shoulders.  

      "How's Abby?" Niki asked. "How are the kids?"

      "They're not kids anymore," Gramps replied. "Alison's twenty. Skip's seventeen. They're fine. We're on our way to join them now."

     "Great. So what's up with this Technolica asswipe?" Niki asked. "And what's he got to do with the Azure?"

     "They dumped us out of training," Trevor said. "No contact since."

     "We're thinking there might be some kind of connection," Niki said.

     "He's the Seventh Talon," Gramps replied. "Over seven years, The Fours unleashes seven talons on an inhabited planet in every universe he plans to devour. Mother Naturia was Talon Six."

     "Yeah, and we took care of her, too," Niki said.

     "For a time you did, but she's grown back since, and what Mother Naturia is to plants, Technolica is to technology."

     "And what about Naturia the continent? Is that back?"

     "Yes, but it's not called Naturia anymore." 

     "Don't tell me. Let me guess. It's called Technolica." 

     Both Gramps and Adam nodded. 

     "He should call it Meglomaniaca."

​     "That's good," Gramps said. "I like that."

                                                      CONTINUE