Jonny stood his mind blank strangely he didn’t feel anything. He thought his uncle’s body was on the ground pooling blood, but their was no emotion to the knowledge.

“So, it was never a trick.” Jonny felt his voice coming over dry lips. “You had real magic the hole time.”

The man who killed his uncle and made him want to be famous looked at Jonny with a confused expression as if trying to get a read on the younger man. “That’s right... I could tell you all about it if you wanted, though I would understand if you needed some time... Retirement even?”

Jonny found that he was staring at the empty space were the blood wasn’t touching the man, half wondering why he wasn’t angry. “No... want to know. I was a big fan as a kid.”

Harker was also giving Jonny a strange look, watching him as if ready to stop Jonny from trying to kill his boss.

“If you're sure.” David said seaming to be waiting for the bomb to go off, or writing Jonny off as one of the outcasts who worked for the joy of the job. “Well, where should I start?”

“...Magic, I didn’t think the magic ring was the first world portal but you're nearly 120 years old.” Jonny said slipping into a subtle act, he wasn’t feeling things yet so he would do what he loved. Put on a show.

“I would have to start just a little earlier, To explain properly.” David gestured. “Lets go and find some place better to talk.”

“Oh yes of coarse.” Jonny nodded taking a step back a slow act starting to build, that of an egger fan that he some times pulled out to people who thought they were celebrities. (this one was easier as Jonny really had been a fan.)

Their walk was silent and almost awkward as the big bos organized his sorry and Jonny did some self reflection.

He just couldn’t find a way to feel anything about Drew’s death, it was just to big. Like if someone had told him water was no longer a thing.

It was ridiculous of corse water was real, and of course Drew wasn’t dead... maybe not forever.

‘Magic was real... magic brought people back form the dead all the time.’ Jonny thought. ‘They have big ass gates to worlds where the dead came back like the grim reaper was a dog playing fetch... I can bring him back.’

Jonny stood on the elevator with David noticing the man go to the top floor, the one Drew always said was for fools.

‘ “Too long just standing around waiting, too full of snobs, and if you're in the business you might as well have a target panted on the roof.” ‘ Jonny could nearly hear Drew say.

“Hmm...” David said looking up at the elevator. “You know as an old man I didn’t mind waiting... seemed like it was all I ever did, but now i’v got the upgrade I think it was time more things around here got the same.”

“Yeah, never came up here much because how long it took.” Jonny said “Through I thought the view was best in town.”

“Indeed.” David said “I just hope it lives up to the memories.”

“I hope that’s part of the story.” Jonny muttered after a moment wanting to ask.

David gave a small chuckle. “Yes, it can be. If you don’t get tired of this old man’s rambling.”

Jonny chuckled back. “Don’t worry i’ll be fine, I was in charge of Bingo!”

They shared a laugh at that, David giving Jonny a pat on the shoulder.

It was still a little bit of time before the door finally dinged open, David took the lead walking out first Jonny following close behind.

They walked to the end of the room the large golden plack reading like a jack pot said 777.

The building had been built with this in mind, the biggest best room was the Jack pot sweet. Exactly the opposite of 313 Drew lived in, ostentatious was the go to. When asked what something should look like the answer was expensive and tacky as hell.

Privet old style slot machines lined one wall, fixed to have a switch that would let them always win. A large golden hot tub was in the other room, with taps that pored more then water. Drugs were “hidden” In the vases and the well stocked bar helped more than anyone could ask for. Plush carpets were cleaned so well and after every gest that even a drug dog wouldn’t know what happened inside.

One wall was just a large window, a swimming pool glistening on the edge of a balcony that looked out over the town and the distant desert.

The barren blank landscape might have been the worst part of the room, after the small town it was just sand and rocks. (Not even good looking rocks.)

David made his way to the bar making himself a drink. “Can I get you anything?”

“No...” Jonny said trying to think of anything. “Well... maybe just a cup.”

David raised an eyebrow but deftly snatched up a glass walking over to the couch, taking a seat.

Jonny after a moment took a seat next to him, expectantly David handed over the glass.

Jonny took the glass then saw the look on David’s face. “What?”

“Oh go on, I know a young trickster eager to show off his skill when I see one.” David said taking a sip of his drink.

Jonny flicked his “phone” on his wrist activating his ring of mana, before taking a thread of that mana and put it into the glass.

Jonny watched David as as far as he could see the glass just started filling with water out of thin air.

David gave a little smirk, taking another sip of his drink. “Alright, well done.” He showed off his large golden ring. “I’ll be learning soon enough.”

Jonny’s throat hurt from the water, he was much more thirsty then he had thought. “Oh yes, that place is great... What are you're plans for it now?”

David eyed Jonny again. “Same as Drew, he had fine ideas. Shame to let them die with him.”

Jonny nodded a little “Did you really need to kill him? I mean, if he wasn’t dead would he really be such a big problem?”

“Not yet, but you saw how quickly he was growing.” David took a sip of his drink.

Jonny took one as well, and thought ‘It’s odd how this mana water smells like rain.’ “Well it certainly seemed like it, but” Jonny gave a half shrug. “I’m not sure just everything he had going for him.”

“Quite true, he really was a grand puppeteer.” David said looking out over the empty desert.

Jonny looked out as well, noticing the placement of the building meant that even the sunset was to their side. “Shame about the view.”

David let out a chuckle, and when he glanced over at Jonny seemed to enjoy himself even more noticing that Jonny wasn’t in on the joke.

“Seems like it’s my turn.” David declared and with a little flourish the window shifted, the vast desert suddenly looking out over a Canadian forest. The bright green trees, and flowing waterfall stunned Jonny for a moment.

David clearly enjoyed the reaction. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” He took a smug sip of his drink as it faded away. “So that’s one point for me.”

Jonny let his act take over agreeing subtlety as he drank more of his fresh water. “OK, yeah that was... something.”

“Just wait till you see what space has to offer.” David said smugly glancing up and frowning.

“What?”

“It’s been a long time cense i’v been able to truly look at the stars... Their’s so much junk up their.” He muttered. “We’ll have to fix that.”

Jonny took a moment to process just how big a statement that was. “...The first owner of the ring wanted to go to space.”

“Yes I read the report. Fascinating stuff, I do hope their is more.”

“...right.” Jonny said wondering how well a nearly 120 year old would use modern tech.

“Yes, lets save that for later.” David said looking back at Jonny. “It seems like you're still interested in my story?”

“Yes.” Jonny said firmly, wanting to learn many things but at this moment just what David’s power was... so he might kill him.

Jonny wished he had a short cut on his “Phone” But he was quicker then he thought. “In fact let me make sure this thing wont go off.”

David raised an eyebrow and gave a chuckle taking a little drink of his glass. “Is that the trick where you set an alarm so you can say you got a call to stop having to talk with an old man?”

“I’ll say it again you where my Hero growing up I can’t wait to find out your life story from you.” Jonny said really putting his phone on silent but also sending out Woodpeckers wishing that he could make them work faster to pick the info out of David as fast as possible.

‘So maybe 18 will get the job done faster’ Jonny thought making sure they were invisible to any but mana vision. Putting his phone away he gave David a big smile watching the birds swarming him pecking away until Jonny let his manna vision fade.

“I never wrote a book, or let one be made of my life.” David started looking into his glass. “I was always to good at the crime side of things to bother when the legitimate money ran out.

Truth is i’m ashamed of most of it, anything that wasn’t crime or the grand tricks was childish, and cowardly... I’v had way to long to just sit and remember. It will be good to tell someone, the full truth for once.”

David dramatically drained his glass, setting it down on the table with a little tunk. “I ran from the second world war, I killed men over money, I ran from both my birth family and one I had made all chasing a dumb dream... Finding others with powers.”

David clearly wanted that line to hang in the air, and Jonny let it let the lie sink in there was no way it was true.

The look on Jonny’s face seamed to please the man enough to keep going with his show. “I was Just a young man, youngest son of 12 siblings but a middle child. All my brothers had gone off to fight in the War. Back when we thought it was the war to end all wars... I was just young enough not to have to suffer the same fate they had, dyeing or getting maimed for good old uncle sam.

The old man was getting on in years, and with sisters both in blood and in law to take care of I had to get any job I could.

So when I was told I could make what at the time was an unbelievable amount of money just driving a truck at night getting it from one man and handing it off to another, you can bet your bottom dollar I took it.

By the time I found out it was booze I was running, and every night I was dodging the law and the lawless. It was too late, I needed the money my family needed the money... So I risked everything every night, to provide for them.

Eventually my little back roads got found and a quick shot from a hidden gangster tipped my truck over and into the river.

I went under and thought I was done for, then the water shifted the dark muddy became clear as crystal. Little lights floating everywhere this beautiful woman all in white drifted out of the dark, and said a word... Something i’v never been able to get out of my mind, but never ben able to repeat. My throat just seems to be ripping when I try, even though when she said it it was the most beautiful word i’v ever heard.

I cant say it, and it’s hard to say what it meant. But i’ll need to in order to tell the rest of the story.”

David sat for a moment as if deep in thought then in a dreamy voice spoke. “Space, it is everything every where, where is space and everything is inside it. All places are one place with in space, but also everything is an infinite distance apart. It’s all about perspective... And knowing that secret I could bend space, pull somethings close or make something small be able to hold everything.”

Jonny frowned trying to understand. “So... space bending?”

David sneered for a moment, just a flash before seaming to calmly think about it. “In a way... I didn’t get your system, or a dream to help me learn how to use my powers. Just a word and a trick, a way to use the knowledge of that word to change the world.”

Jonny shook his head a little trying to think of what he would have done if some true meaning of the way things worked told him how to solidify things. “I missed out on that too.”

David looked confused then nodded. “Yes that’s right, you need to be in one of these other worlds to get the full experience....” He seamed to think about that for a long moment before stating. “We are both outsiders... in our own ways.”

Jonny looked down at his own empty glass, before using mana to refill his and David’s, the smell of rain filling the air. “To outsiders.” Jonny toasted taking a drink.

David laughed a little plucking up his glass “To outsiders.” he cheered before taking a quick drink. “After I woke up covered in muck and confused beyond belief, I walked into town and found 2 years had passed.

My family surly thought me dead, and i’ll admit it came as a relief. I still had a wad of cash in my pockets that I was supposed to deliver along with that last shipment.

Being a fan of the Pulp fiction at the time, stories of men going into the deepest jungles to find wild peoples, nubile women, and treasure to last 10 life times.

And with my new knowledge of space and how it really worked I was able to live like a king inside a simple suitcase, bend the air around me to walk miles in a single step, and keep my distance from any who would wish me harm.”

David smirked at that last line like he had said something truly witty. “The world didn’t quite live up to the stories. They never mentioned the smell for one thing. But I will say it was an adventure, and the treasure wasn’t what I was expecting but I still came away quite richer for the experience.

I Dealt in exotic animals, scientific samples, and artifacts I found in the temples berried in the jungles.

It was a new trick to do my long step with out crashing into any trees, but once I got the hang of it walking the miles and miles of jungle was just as easy as strolling through a hallway.

It was a great feeling at fist, being able to go were no one else could. See things only I could see, unless I brought some one with me.

But... eventually it started to get tiresome. When you job feels like walking down a hallway to fill a bag of rocks or pick some flowers. You start to wonder why you didn’t just get a job at the farm.”

Jonny nodded at that, he didn’t think he could just play fetch for a living. “Sounds lonely”

“Damn right.” David said taking a slow sip of his drink. “ Now I never thought I was gods chosen child, or a new King Author, there had to be others out there who could do things like I could. If there was one fool with a neat trick there had to be others.

So while I was bringing those scientists and Archeologists there samples I would ask them if they heard anything or anyone doing strange things. Never came up with anything more then rumors or fairy tales, some times they would tell me about some ancient legend or mythological story and that would be about as close as I would get.

Seeing that I had more money then I could reasonably spend in the poor jungle towns, and that I had no leads on anyone else with there own tricks. I took my money and headed home, I got as far as Mexico before I heard about the new big war.

Damn fools trying to take over the world again bringing us all into the fighting. I knew with my powers I could walk though a hail of bullets, or bombs and not even get dirt on my suit.

I could load up a single crate with all the supplies an army could use for a year, hell I could load up the whole army too.

I could help make a gun that seamed to never run out, or planes that held all the bombs in the factory.

But I didn’t, I had seen my brothers come back from the war. Saw what it had done to them. So I turned back headed further south, hoping to find a place I could set up and have some fun until it ended, or the world did.

One of the girls I would see got in the motherly way, didn’t get married but we did live together Had a little girl, got a nice little house, set up a sort of delivery business and lived as close to normal as I could stand.

It had gotten into my mind that maybe my little trick could be something in my blood, it was possible that any kids I had could also have tricks of there own.

I didn’t realize how much the idea was important to me until one day my girl was walking a little to close to the waters edge looked dangerous and I saw her stumble.

Her mother came running grabbing her up and then turned on me asking why I didn’t save her? Why with my tricks I didn’t just scoop her up from were I stood? Why it looked like I was ready to let her die?

I was stunned for a moment, but then just told her the truth. I thought that my trick happened because I nearly died, or did die if I tell the deepest truth of my heart. And wanted to see if it would let her learn a trick.

Her mother didn’t like that, at first... then she seamed to start to wonder the same thing. What if her little girl could do the same amazing things I could?

I didn’t mention before because I thought it would be obvious but i’v always been a bit of a show off, Never hid my tricks always looked for new ways to get a surprise out of people.

So the idea that our girl could do even half the things I could was quite appealing for both of us. I suggested a little test, and she agreed... But of corse it didn’t work, left her leg was never the same.

It was never the same, we blamed me... Rightfully so, I was the one who brought all the mess in who thought it would pass on. Then actually tried to see if killing her would give her a trick.

So I made sure there was enough money and left, the war was over and the last time that meant America prospered I was hopping this was true this time as well.”

David gave a tight lipped smile “In a way it was true but the world was never the same after the first war... My little tricks started getting more and more attention decide to put on a proper show, soon I was king of the world.

But you know all about that.” David gave a little wink taking a sip of his glass.

“I was always on the look out for others, trying to find people with tricks, always asking others to show off so that I mite not be the only one with a power.

But I started to get old, and started to grow board with my lot. I remembered that old thrill I got running Booze.

So I found a little gang then got good at it, I will admit I had a few good ideas.

But it was your uncle who really shinned, I swear I was convinced he had some sort trick. Something that made him think like 4 men at once.

He kept telling me I was in charge, sending me reports taking my orders, cleverly waiting until I was dead to put a new puppet in charge.

I withered he thrived, I grew old he grew smarter, I knew my days where numbered...

Then that basement happened, this ring and all the rest, but I was told there was no way to cure old age. Nothing to do for me, the old man would die just as planed.”

David smiled pulling out a little vile of what looked like mercury. “But then luck smiled on me again. I was in a room with a young lady, wondering how I was so neglected that I would have to share a room. When we had a visitor, the young man had this on him.” David shook the little vile and the mercury spiked and shifted as if angry. “I nicked this off him... and you can see the results.”

Jonny blinked. “What even is that?”

“Some sort of living miracle.” David smirked putting it away. “I didn’t get the full package but it cured my old age and gave me the pep in my step needed to come back.

I didn’t want to kill Drew you understand. But when he gave me the ring I could see this look in his eyes, he was already planning on taking me out. Saw me as nothing but a nuisance in the empire I made. The throne I built that he now sat on. So I had to protect what was mine.”

David was nearly yelling at Jonny glaring at him as if daring Jonny to make a move, to do something, take revenge right here and now.

Jonny for his part looked away, a pit of shame boiling his blood. “Yeah... He would have had you killed. He didn’t like the titles or anything but he loved to be in charge.”

David kept up the glare for another moment before shaking his head. “Damn your even more of a pansy then they said you would be, TAKE HIM OUT OF HERE.”

Jonny grew cold as doors opened, Luke, Jason, and others entered the room. None of them looked happy to be there.

Harker moved to stand behind David. “I said he wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Come on.” Jason said quietly offering Jonny a hand up.

Jonny was to ashamed to take the hand, getting up and moving to the elevator.

“Don’t worry.” David called out to Jonny as the door closed. “The bingo hall is still waiting for you”

After the door closed Jason said softly. “Don’t let him get to you.”

Luke even added “Yeah, I just would've killed you... I don’t think I want to kill you.”

“I’ll give you a ride home.” Jason said after giving Luke a little punch.

“Yeah... Thanks.” Jonny’s car was still at his house.

Everyone but Jonny who had a “phone” suddenly had screens light up in varrys places on or around there bodys.

There was a slight confused clamoring when the elevator doors opened to the basement. People were shouting, dogs where barking, and what sounded like snapping crocodiles met with bolts beams and gunfire.

A wolf looking like black flame jumped at Jonny, Jason shoved him aside taking the bite on an arm.

Luke killed it with a quick bolt from his finger. “Stay here!” He ordered Jonny as they headed out to handle what ever had happened.

Jonny feeling like a child sat in the elevator hearing sounds of combat between beasts and magic users.

After a moment he felt himself get angry. ‘I AM A GROWN ASS MAN!’ He yelled at himself, getting up. ‘I have a great power that can help.’ He hit the button for the elevator to open not bringing out his rings to fight with but prepared to just solidify the air around monsters so that others could get the kill.

The doors opened something was flying through the air, Jonny caught it with out thinking just in time to see the one who threw it was a confused looking man with bright grey eyes, he looked like something out of an apocalyptic movie. The ones were people had to carry there whole lives with them, packs and pockets everywhere, dirty torn up clothing a back pack with a bow sticking out.

“DROP IT!” The guy yelled.

Before he could react Jonny was now standing on a glowing circle confused people stood in a group nearby, shrouded in darkness backs lit by torches.

“Is this going to happen every time we try to use that thing?” A figure asked another.

The second one sighed. “Its beginning to look like it... Nock him out and put him with the other one, at least this one has what we want with him.”

Jonny finally noticed the thing in his had seamed to be some big ass 80s looking calculator or remote control.

A figure stepped forward and everything went dark.