Jonny was loving the spell-book program.

It was turning his mentally tiring, focus intensive, mana manipulation spells into fun little works of art.

He was still setting it up in fact, but that was part of the beauty of it. It was like a 3D paint program where he could set up the different colors to be different mana types.

So the colors he saw when he looked at the mana with his mana vision he just told the program to use the same color.

Then with all the tools added in the program he could just give it a little bit of his mana and it would change into the thing.

He already had mana 4 spell presets, mana sword, bolt, beam, and grande spells that just needed the right mana put over it to change into the mana type he wanted.

He also was able to make some more advanced mana then he was willing to try before.

Letting him find a type of mana that was a combined super hot air, light, and the destructive part of fire that was more of a laser weapon then anything in the real world could even make.

Jonny had also made a Freeze type that acted the way ice did in games.

He was working on a reverse mana that should flip any mana added to it to its inverse, making cold into hot and light into dark. Mostly just to see what would happen when he put it onto things.

Jonny raised his hand his "battle rings" floating around his hand. The first outer ring was checkered with elements he thought he would use the most, The inner ring was striped with the 4 presets.

He put a stream of mana though the bolt stripe, then the water square. The stripe took the mana taking it and changing it going from vague energy turning into a cone shape, adding momentum behind it before firing out.

Target he was aiming at was one of his own solid orbs, the water bolt smashed ageist the orb the bolt splashing out while the orb stayed firm.

Jonny felt a moment's satisfaction the rings worked and his orb was strong enough to take the blast from the water bolt.

He aimed for the next orb floating much further down the range he had set up in, this time trying to add mana to both the bolt and the grenade before going into the water. Hoping the 2 would mix making a missile.

Instead the cone was created and shot out while the orb filled with water with a core of expanding momentum dropped from his hand.

'oh fuck' Jonny thought solidifying the orb as it fell enough that when he kicked it it was sent down the range before exploding with a splash that still splattered at Jonny a little.

He let out a breath of relief the voice coming from behind him making him jump.

"I guess it was a good thing I came to get you." Jason was standing in the doorway his skin shinny with the metal form that was fading away as Jonny watched.

"yeah, that wasn't what I wanted to happen." Jonny said dismissing the rings.

"i would hope so." Jason said with a chuckle.

"I was trying to combine the mana bolt with the mana grenade to make a mana missile, or at least a grande that is moving fast." Jonny said

"You know I don't know what you mean right?" Jason asked with a blank look.

"yeah... yeah. Sorry, did you get the spell book app?" Jonny asked.

"yeah Its been really helpful for my plant stuff even after I started to get the hang of it, that app is like a short cut." Jason said as he and Jonny started heading back to the portal cross-way. "though I wasn't much of an artist. Spent a point to get better at it so my spells wouldn't look like a kids drawing."

Jonny laughed at that. "i don't know, mite scare people even more if they know some kids drawing plant monster is going to get them"

Jason chuckled "ahh the big squiggle line pile is going to get me!"

They laughed for a moment more before they saw Drew and Mike talking quietly having an intense discussion while a man Jonny didn't recognize stood beside them.

"Mike!" Jonny said with a big smile "Good to see you man. I got to say good work on those new apps. That spell book app is a life saver."

"For real." Jason said "you should be proud of your work."

"Yeah that's great." Mike said distracted.

Drew glared at Mike "Our talk is over, maybe you should listen to what they have to say."

Mike glared at Drew for a moment then blinked as if he just realized what Jonny and Jason had been telling him. He turned to them a wide grin on his face. "Really? you like it that much?"

"Yeah." Jason said a little unsure at the mood whiplash. "I think you jumped me ahead by years at least."

"I'm starting to make things I wouldn't have thought possible." Jonny said.

Mike grinned like a little kid his face even turning a little red. "well, I just took a paint program and tweaked it up a bit. Magicked it up."

"Well it's working out beautifully" Jonny said "any other programs you think would work out half as well?"

"Yeah iv got a few things in the works." Mike said shooting a glance to Drew. "but I'v got a quest that will take me a few days, so look for ward to me getting time to get back to working on some projects."

"Well I'll be waiting" Jonny said.

"Good luck." Jason said.

"Thanks." Mike said glancing back at Drew who opened a portal to what looked like a gas station bath room. Mike looked a little disgusted before heading though the portal.

"Jason i'm going to send you on ahead. Take the driver seat from Arther and find a place to park as close as you can to the anomaly."

Jason nodded. "understood."

Drew opened another portal leading to the back room of the RV it rattled a little as it was driving over a bumpy road.

Jason walked though as Drew gestured to the person beside him.

The man was average height, had dark hair, and skin that was lightly tanned, or naturally dark but a bit light. His face was ambiguous was the right word. Jonny felt that he looked like he could see that face anywhere in the world and it wouldn't stand out at all in any of them.

"This." Drew said. "Is Nathan Harker, my right hand man. When you see me texting all the time giving out orders and making plans. It's him that i'm tell it to. If there's some one to get things done it's him. IF there is one man I trust more then you kid, it's him."

Jonny was a little amazed at the way Drew as talking about this guy Jonny had never met or even knew existed before this moment. "Geeze when's the wedding?"

Drew rolled his eyes and Nathan sighed a little "Very funny, no wonder you're leading the bingo hall. Tell me how meany hips do you break with all the laughing going on?"

He said it so flatly and monotone Jonny wondered if this guy's power was to be emotionless.

"I see why you text him." Jonny said. "i couldn't handle all this emotion."

"Knock it off." Drew snapped at Jonny "now I'm a busy guy getting busier with all this new magic stuff going on. You can still see me and hang out if you want but if there's something you need send a text to Nathan, or more likely the guy Nathan get's to be your new porter."

Jonny frowned "Ok... have I been bugging you that much?"

"It ant like that, I said im a busy man. People are starting to wake up, Nathan here was just one of the first so we got a lot to do to get people up to speed and making sure everyone still toes the line." Drew said waving his hands as he talked. "We got to make sure these guys don't think now there all powered up and looking good there going to go out to be super-villains or some shit."

"I guess you got a point." Jonny said, though he wasn't sure how Drew was supposed to do that unless this Nathan guy had something that would help.

"Good. Nathan here got the power of Magic Words. So he's going to be working on making magic contracts to keep these people in line. But that means more paper work for me." Drew said "If he makes the contracts and can put them in the copy maker then iv still got to sign ever one to keep control over them."

Jonny frowned he thought there was something off about that but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Anyway your phone should be updated with Nathan's number so if you need anything on your quest or... or after make sure to text him OK?" Drew asked looking a little sad and unsure.

Jonny wondered what was really on Drew's mind. "Ok, yeah I can do that."

"Good. Good." Drew said and for just a moment Jonny thought Drew was going to hug him. But the moment passed and drew pulled out another cigarette "well... you got a town to go investigate."

"Right, yeah... I'll see you soon." Jonny said a little weirded out by the interaction, he figured he talk to Drew about it latter heading for the RV.

There was a guy laying on a gurney 2 other people heading off to put him in the barracks for his 4 day change.

Jonny stumbled a little as he stepped onto the moving and bumping RV, he sent out a couple of his birds to go out and start mapping out the town and getting anything interesting back to him.

"JONNY? YOU HERE?" Jason called out from the driver's seat.

"YEAH JUST GOT IN." Jonny yelled back walking up to him.

"COME TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT I CANT." Jason called out not noticing Jonny was now standing next to him.

Jonny saw the GPS saying that there should be a town right in front of them. Then they started driving and the GPS said they where leaving the town.

Jonny's eyes stung and his head buzzed a little as he blinked feeling like he had been staring at the sun for to long.

"The fuck just happened?" Jonny asked rubbing at his eyes.

"No fucken clue." Jason said. "every time I try and go into the town I come out the other side but my eyes hurt like hell. I'v tried 4 times now, It's getting annoying as hell to keep turning around in the same empty lot and old gas station."

"well then just park it there, lets leg it." Jonny said with a shrug, glancing at his watch.

"Allright." Jason said pulling into the abandoned gas station, there was a little bridge that should lead up into the town.

Jonny and Jason started walking into the town Jonny checking his watch every so often just in case.

Eyes burning and legs aching Jonny and Jason where now facing a long stretch of road before them.

"Fuck." Jonny said breathing a little hard, blinking trying to get some tears in his yes.

"SEE!" Jason yelled. "I FUCKING HATE THIS TOWN."

As soon as Jonny could see again he look at his watch. "Fuck... we lost a whole hour."

"my head is fucking killing me." Jason said head in his hands. "and we are on the wrong side of this shit. I need a nap."

"yeah I get you." Jonny said blinking. "Ok I got an idea."

"it better be you going through that thing then." Jason said.

"Yeah... yeah it is. " Jonny said messing with his phone to set up the camera's for the fist time sense he got it. He trusted his birds to come back with useful information but until then he set the cameras to view all around him etch recording at the same time.

"Ok, so hear me out." Jonny said "so if our eyes keep hurting then that means that the spell or whatever it is is using our eyes to fuck with us."

"ok i'm with you." Jason said

"so what if we can't get a picture of what ever the hell is going on so im going to record everything around me while I walk back across while you put your hand on my shoulder and walk across with your eyes closed." Jonny said. "that way if nothing happens to you we know its the eyes, that way even if we cant get it on camera we know we could at least do that."

"I don't know man... I don't think I can keep my eyes closed that long." Jason said

"yeah, me ether." Jonny said. "But you can just turn metal with your eyes closed so you wont need to worry about getting hurt or accidentally opening them."

Jason pursed his lips head tilted back a little from jonny "man... alright." he said defeated.

"and if it gets really bad you mite just open your eyes and walk the rest of the way with me. Or there's a cut off point that once we cross you'll be fine and can get a head start." Jonny said

Jason seamed to like that option better. "yeah lets do that. I'll set a timer on MY phone and if it goes off and were still walken then i'll open my eyes and see if we good."

"good." Jonny said making sure the cameras were all on he faced the town Jason taking a minute to get his hand on Jonny's shoulder they started walking.

Jonny once again found his eyes burning along with his legs, after a moment he felt something soft push up against his back nearly nocking him over before he got out of the way.

It was Jason eyes wide before blinking rapidly. "Holy fuck."

"yeah lets take a break before we try anything else." Jonny said squinting looking for the RV.

"No man you don't understand, I think we just walked though hell."

Jonny saw the look on Jason's face and knew he wasn't joking. "what did you hear?"

"a great Gnashing of teeth and groans. A slimy bubbling and a groaning of the dead." Jason said "i couldn't go 10 minutes before I tried to look."

"wow..." Jonny said "hope we got it on camera."

Jason gave him a pissed off look. "You know what you go ahead and watch the recording, let me know if you see hell or suddenly start walking to the end of town. I'm takin a nap."

Jason walked off in a huff heading to the RV parked not to far in front of them.

"Yeah you sound like you need it." Jonny said following after him.

Jason got into one of the little bunks closing the curtain up tight and Jonny sat at the table setting up multiple screens one for etch camera he had set up making them just big enough for him to see while looking at them all.

Hitting play he almost immediately hit pause, trying to figure out what the hell it was he was looking at.

A long thread of light that when he hit play again started flashing lights moving on it in an almost flame like way.

He checked every screen seeing looping the first 30 seconds seeing that the thing seamed to be waiting for them at the edge of town. Floating right above the road, its long glowing ribbons wrapping around Jonny and Jason as they walked.

Jonny sent out a bird to find out what that was and to come back as soon as possible.

Letting the video play more it was only another few minutes before he could hear Jason muttering curses and complaints.

It was right after that the sound started, Jonny recognized it immediately.

A year or two ago it would be impossible to hold a conversation with most people if you hadn't seen at least one of the Zombie films going around, or played one of the Zombie based games.

That nose was the same one they would play to scare people and show the zombies where right out side and trying to eat you.

Jonny shook his head letting the video play checking all the screens to see if he could see anything but the flashing ribbons of light around them.

In a screen he set up on his left shoulder just for a moment there was a flash of something darker than the flashing lights.

Doing his best to zoom in or pause it right in the best spot, he could see the veg shapes of people but in shades of green standing on the streets.

With a sigh Jonny sent out another bird already planing on making something like a bird to just keep watch over him at all times. And seeing all the ways he could use that.

Getting back to the video the rest of it seamed to be just more of the glowing ribbons. Not having the patience to watch it all he fast forwarded it to the end, hoping to see something at the end like the ribbons pulling off of him.

No luck, he saw himself walk out of the town the ribbons pulling off of him then Jason walking into him the ribbons falling off him as well before they floated up and away.

One of Jonny's birds cam flying back to him going into one of the screens.

Jonny couldn't pull out the tortoise app fast enough, searching for the newest files added.

Opening it the options Visuals and Information was displayed.

Jonny pulled up the visuals, wanting to know what the thing that had been wrapped around him looked like.

Instead of just a flat screen with pictures appearing a hologram appeared on the table top in front of Jonny.

He knew the shape, although he didn't see it that often. Just on screen savers and nature documentaries.

There was a Jellyfish floating in front of him, its long ribbon like tentacles a thick mass under the mushroom like cap. The whole thing glowing and moving like a white flame underwater.