"I've got your family," Silveria told Adam. "They're mine now." 

     "I knew that monitor you made for Gramps was bullshit." 

     "Want to see?"

     Two more silver cages, besides Adam's, floated into view.  

     Abby and her family stood in one of the cages, Adam's son in her arms.

     Trevor stood alone in the other. 

     Great, Adam thought. Leave them alone for five minutes...

     "We were talking about Claudia?" Silveria asked. 

     "Claudia no longer exists. Please don't make me lose all my friends to prove that to you. We talked about maybe teaming up to take out Technolica?"

     "Not now. You've been too snotty to me."

     "How does he feel about ​you, anyway? Does he even know you exist?"

     "He knows I exist, all right. I had a visit with them earlier this year." 

     "Sounds like it didn't go well." 

     "Some people have no imagination. I liked him, at first."

     "And what do you think about him making her grab her ankles every day?"

​     "I hate it, but I can't help but watch. It's always a little sexy watching people fuck, right?"

     "If you say so."

     "Oh stop. I know all about you. For years, you fucked every woman who crossed your path. You knew no woman could resist you, and you used that knowledge to take advantage of thousands."

     "I'd lost my way."

     "I just don't want you to pretend you can look down your nose at anyone."

     "Can we stop The Fours or not?"

     "Nothing's stopping The Fours today," Silveria said. "Claudia and The Azure were our last hope." 

     "So what are you going to do?" Adam asked, "when the day is done and Earth is a cinder?"

     "I'll drift amongst the galaxies in search of those who choose to dream." 

     "And what you'll give them is nightmares." 

     "I'll give them both. You can't have one without the other."

     "Until The Fours devours the entire Universe."

     "I'll find another one."

     "Until there are no more."

     "I'll survive longer than any of you. You know what else? I haven't mentioned this. I picked you up in Seatrailia, but we've been traveling since." 

     The ground opened. 

     A gaping hole appeared in the cloud that was Silveria. 

     And, through that hole, ten thousand feet below...

​END OF CHAPTER FIVE

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