The first sound Mac heard after the kaboom was the plinking and tapping of pebbles and stones as they bounced from what remained of the surrounding building's alley walls. He opened his eyes to the sky, which was blue. A few dark clouds passed by overhead.

     No. Wait. Those aren't clouds.

     It's smoke.

     "Oh… no…" came Marks' voice from a great distance.

     The Adept's right ear was ringing. His left one was off. The noise from Calen's cannon had disconnected it.

     Mac sat up with a grunt and checked his vitals in the Navigator. Everything was okay – even his audio – which was now rebooting. He found he was covered in bits and chunks of stone and started dusting himself off. Mark sat up beside him and coughed.

     Calen still stood in front of them, as if he'd frozen in place. His legs were spread wide, his hands locked onto the cannon. His back appeared stiff, and his …

     Mac blinked in disbelief. Blue and white arcs of electricity flashed and whirled around the marine in irregular moments. And Calen was…smoking.

     Mark stood and offered Mac a hand. The Adept rose with a grunt and continued to dust himself off as he moved around the rubble to stare at Calen, who remained as still as stone.

     Arcs continued to branch out from his body. His eyes were wide and glowed white for a few seconds as Mac stared open-mouthed. "Calen?"

     Mark moved to stand beside Mac. "Nicholas?"

     The marine blinked once. Then twice. He moved his gaze to focus on Mark. "That…was... therapeutic."

     With a snort, Mac turned to look back down the alley – and cried out – nearly stumbling over the rubble.

     The ground where the priests and others had stood was now a shallow crater. The walls to either side of the alley were carved out and smoking. It looked as if some giant had taken an ice-cream scoop to the building's sides. I hope there weren't any innocents inside these buildings.

     People began appearing at the widened alley entrance. Mark grabbed Mac's shoulder. "I say we leave. Quick. Meet up with the others."

     "I think that got them all. And I don't know about holy, but it certainly was smiting.

     "Uhm. Yeah, Nicholas. They're dead. Let's go," Mac gestured for the VE to move. The Adept went around him and retrieved his shoulder bag.

     Even though Calen's movements were a bit stiff, the three quickly made it out of the alley as the sound of sirens filled the streets.

     Mark turned to Mac as they jogged. "Where are the others?"

     The Adept called up Derricks' cell phone, then used its trace signal to triangulate their where abouts. He then tapped the GPS again and received an aerial view. What he saw caused him to stumble. "They're about a mile and a half due west, and they're not alone. Jesus.."

     Mark slowed. "More Hunters?"

     "More of something. They're right in the thick of a battle."

     Calen came up between them. "Then lets go."

     The three came upon a square filled with people gathered around an outdoor cafe. Mac stopped as a voice came through on his audio. "Mac? What's going on?"

     "Kyle?" The Adept looked over at Mark, who was now trying to look over the crowding people. "Where are you?"

     "I'm in the hotel. What was that explosion?"

     Mac smirked. "That was Calen. He fired his cannon."

     "What?!"

     "Look, we're in a bit of a mess at the moment," he followed Mark and Calen through the crowd.

     "There are birds and cats attacking people!" Mark exclaimed. He laughed. "That has to be Arden. We found them!"

     Mac paused. "Kyle…did you get the coordinates for the cistern?"

     "Yeah…"

     "Meet us there," he disconnected and pushed on ahead behind Calen.

     They came out to the edge of the crowd to find Arden, Derrick and Johnny surrounded by five suited men. Derrick held a staff in his hand, and to Mac's surprise, abruptly spun the weapon around, knocking out three of the men like bowling pins.

     The Adept pursed his lips. Impressive.

     "Come on," Calen shouted and charged ahead. He spun and round-housed a sixth suited Agent who then flew backward into two who had advanced behind him.

     Mark began to sing as he knocked back another one with a simple gesture of his hand as he ran towards the others.

     Cats and pigeons flew about the melee, squawking and screaming as Mac noticed regular clothed Sleepers fighting with Agents. As he neared their corralled comrades, a strong hand caught his shoulder and spun him around.

     The anger and frustration of the past few days came quickly to Mac as he turned to see a man in black holding a gun aimed at his head. The Adept recalled the karate program, the one he'd tried to use in Uno to escape capture, and with a now comfortable smirk, delivered a high, well-placed heel-drive into the man's abdomen. The attackers's gun was suddenly in Mac's hand, the metal grip cold and comforting.

     He'd corresponded the weapon, but because there was so much chaos, no one noticed. Except for the Agent, who was about to stop worrying about it. Mac lifted the gun and fired into the man's chest.

     With that, Mac turned and ducked and ran through the others to stand beside Johnny. Calen came to them as well, having just dispatched another one himself with a well aimed punch.

     Mark was beside Arden, his own hands glowing a subtle blue.

     Derrick leaned toward Mac. "There was an explosion."

     The VA shook his head as he trained his gun on an approaching Agent. "Calen."

     "Figures."

     They stood in a semi-circle, facing out at the crowd. Mac's alarms went off again as his scanning picked up more of the undefineable patterns Calen had called Hunters.

     Calen swore. "There are more….I'm counting about thirty."

     The reinforcements appeared, pushing through the crowds, tossing Sleeper spectators out of their way. The large group then encircled the group of Mages. Somewhere sirens sounded again. Birds and cats continued to attack, scratch and peck at the new adversaries, but they were quickly tossed to the side like so much garbage.

     "How far away is this sewer cover?" Derrick asked.

     Calen answered. "About ten blocks."

     "Oh, we're nowhere near it." He put a hand on Mac's shoulder. "What are we going to do? You can't Correspond us all, can you?"

     "No," Mac shook his head. He wished he could, but it was well beyond his skill.

     The VE turned and focused his attention on Johnny. "if there is anything you can do, now would be the time."

     Mac watched the singer. Johnny's hesitating. Why?

     The marine opened his bag and pulled out the cannon. "If you don't, I'm going to use this."

     Mac shook his head. "Johnny!"

     Johnny stepped toward Calen. "You're not serious, are you?"

     "I've got ten rounds, I've already used one."

     Mac grabbed Johnny's shoulder. "He's already fired it. Didn't you hear it?"

     The singer stared open – mouthed at the VE. "That was you?"

     Mac and Mark answered in unison, "Yes!"

     The VA opened his arms wide. "There's a crater the size of Manhattan in an alley back there!"

     "Holy shit!" Johnny said. "Everyone – grab onto me!"

     Everyone grabbed hold of Johnny but Calen. With a low curse, Mac reached out and grabbed Calen's wounded bicep as the world warped and twisted and everything went black.

     Mac's stomach lurched as something reached inside of him. It feels as if it has a hold of my soul!

     There was no sight or sound. No feeling. No smell. Mac found himself in a world devoid of all sensation. But this was only a brief disorientation - Mac screamed howling, shrieking voices surrounded him. He tried to put his hands over his hears but he couldn't find his body. It was as if he no longer existed, caught between worlds.

     He felt first, something squeezing his upper right arm. With a small groan he tried to remove it and his fingers encountered a hand. With that simple touch, the world came back again…

     …but it was not a world Mac knew.

     Around them, surrounding them, above and below, was a maelstorm of color, wind, raw power and lightening. He could still hear the howling and shrieking, but it was somehow subdued, muffled.

     The VA looked around with wide eyes.

     "We're…we're not supposed to be here," Mark said beside him.

     Mac turned to see the Chorister's wide eyes. "Where is here?"

     "We're in the Penumbra, Mac."

     Oh damn. Shit. Hell.

     The grip on his arm came from Calen. The VE was in a slight crouch, his eyes wider than Mac had ever seen them. His mouth hung open and his beeper was shrieking. Mac moved his other hand in front of the VE's eyes. Calen didn't flinch.

     Mac couldn't suppress a smile as he looked back to Mark. "Now that's the look of someone whose paradigm just shifted without a clutch."

     Mark smirked. "This isn't funny, Mac. Nicholas knows we shouldn't be here. None of us should –"

     Arden began screaming. The Chorister moved toward her. Mac frowned and looked around him. He could see the others, in full color, but the worlds outside of whatever bubble they were in were black and white, shadowed and hazy. He could see the outdoor café, he could see the people there, and he could just make out black, inky images as they pounded at the invisible shield, trying to get inside.

     "Where is this hole at?" Johnny said in hoarse voice.

     Mac turned to look at the singer. The young man looked as if he wasn't going to hold it together. "About ten blocks away, remember. There's no direct route."

     "Then we'll have to take a water taxi." Johnny said.

     "Johnny," Derrick said in a soft voice. "Can you get a couple blocks away? Just so we can get to a boat?"

     The singer nodded. "Just…walk."

     As a group the seven of them moved away from the café to the waterway, then moved along the edge several blocks. Once they all agreed they were out of sight, Johnny nodded.

     The shrieking grew louder and again the twisting, lurching feeling of being pulled through a clothes ringer returned. Mac found himself yelling out as they were abruptly deposited back on Earth.

     Mac stumbled forward into Mark.

     Johnny dropped like a house of cards.

     "Oh no," Mark called out and immediately went to the downed singer.

     "Everyone all right?" Derrick called out.

     Nods around, Mac turned to Calen just as the VE stared down at the unconscious Johnny. "He ever does that to me again and I'll kill him. Slowly."

     "We need to get going," Derrick flagged down a boat. To everyone's surprise, Kyle was on board.

     Mark looked up at Mac. "Help me carry him, okay?"

     Once Johnny was on the boat, they took off with Derrick giving directions to the driver. Night had begun to fall as they arrived close to the given coordinates. Mac helped Mark take Johnny from the boat as they grouped on the waterways' edge.

     Carefully, the group made their way to the coordinate location.

     "It's a cistern," Calen said. "Not a manhole."

     "Same thing," Mac muttered as he and Mark came up behind him.

     The well in question was located in the center of a cobble-stone street. The surrounding shops had closed. Darkened windows and store fronts greeted them as they gathered around it.

     "Okay," Arden said. "So how do we open it?"

     Mac peered at the witch, a slight twinge of concern crossing his heart. She looked worn – the Penumbra having taken a lot out of her. Dark circles hung beneath her eyes.

     With a sigh Mac pulled up a schematic to the sewer system and found there was no opening at this location. "This thing doesn't actually go anywhere."

     Calen sighed. "Bingo," the VE rubbed at his neck. He then bent over and knocked on it. "Swuavium. Fulmen. Open sesame."

     Mac smirked.

     "Open you big ass slut sewer grate," Arden called out.

     Yep, she's doing just fine.

     "Mellon."

     Everyone stared at Calen.

     He just shrugged. "What? We evil Technocrats watch movies too."

     "Mellon?" Derrick asked. "I don't think Elvish will work."

     The VE shrugged again. "Then who has the Ixos?"

     "I do," Mark said. He eased Johnny carefully to the ground.

     Mac stepped away and pointed at Mark. "Do not give the deadly poison to the insane marine."

     "It'll only take a little," Arden said. "But it might work on here."

     "I'm not opening it."

     Derrick sighed and stepped forward. "I'll open it."

     "Yeah," Calen nodded vigorously. "Let him do it."

     "I'm gonna pray," Mark said.

     The Akashic took the small bottle from the Chorister and toyed with the opening for a few seconds. When he broke the seal and popped the cork, a small, wispy image of a skull and cross bones floated up.

     Did I see that?

     The Akashic held the bottle over the cover. A single, viscous drop fell to the metal with a loud plop. Derrick hastily recapped the bottle as the liquid then began moving about the grove. A loud, screeching, grinding noise brought everyone's hands to their ears as the cover began to turn counter-clockwise.

     Mac winced and pressed his finger to the front of his ear.

     "I guess that worked," Arden said.

     "Well, if they didn't know where we are, they do now," Mark muttered as he took the bottle back from Derrick and resealed it with Arden's gum.

     Everyone leaned forward to peer inside.

     A single ladder descended down into an inky black tunnel. Mac's optics whirled to infrared. He could see further down but not to where the stairs ended. With Mark's help, he and the Chorister eased Johnny into the hole and down the stairs.

     Once inside, the cistern lid resealed itself above. The screeching noise was louder inside the tunnel area and everyone held their ears again.

     As they moved slowly downward, Mac felt a shiver slide over him, and saw the slight haze of Correspondence. We're traveled somewhere. No longer beneath the street.

     And the further down they went, the lighter their surroundings came, until no one needed a light at the stairway's end. Calen flipped off his Mag light and tucked it back into his bag.

     A single door faced them at the landing. With a shrug, Derrick stepped forward and opened it.

     They stepped through into the largest library Mac had ever seen. Shelved walls filled with books stretched up farther than he could see. Bins filled with scrolls sat in odd places, scattered about the entrance. Light filtered down from a multi-colored stained glass window. There was no given picture to the window, rather, it seemed to change every time Mac looked at it.

     Dust motes filtered about in the light and as the librarian walked further inside, crossing the threshold, he was immediately taken with a surge of power. Every ill and ache he had endured was instantly vanished, taken away and erased. He gasped and turned to see the effect had happened to all of them.

     Even Johnny stirred now in Mark's arms.

     The seven of them, after days of travel, surviving life-threatening escapades, and even the Penumbra itself, stepped through the door and into the Library of the Ksirafai.