It’s been tense in the Owens household since the brothers returned after the city replaced the gas lines for their furnace. Chance told Leo everything about the Spirit Thief from twenty years ago before telling him about the one that found him and Liam. Leo was skeptical at first until Chance told him he hadn’t had any vision journeys since shortly before Christmas. After sitting there thinking about it, Leo’s response was to lean over and give Chance a big hug.

“Trust the brothers to find and stop that maniac.”

Chance happily returned the hug before voicing a concern that just surfaced. “What do I do in the meantime, Leo?”

Leo answered his brother right away. “Live.”

Chance was about to make a sarcastic retort when he realized Leo was being serious. He sat there mulling over that one word response for a good long while before the meaning became clear. He’d been perfectly fine with life before he’d found out he had the ability to see current events as they happened. He smiled and playfully mussed Leo’s hair. “Thanks, little brother.”

Leo grinned. “Any time.”

Present day

Chance looks up from his computer screen in time to see Leo grab the banister as he comes down the stairs. He flies over to his little brother and catches him before he falls. “Careful there, Leo.”

“Thanks, big brother.” Leo turns to scowl at the steps and Chance can see a glint of something as the light from the back door catches it.

“What the hell?” He waits until Leo’s sitting down before grabbing the flashlight they keep on the dining room table.

“What is it, Chance?”

“I’m not sure. Check your feet for any abrasions or markings. Humor me.” He turns on the flashlight and starts at the top of the stairs.

Leo checks his feet and makes a wordless exclamation of surprise. “There’s a thin red line on the top of my right foot!”

“I was afraid of that.” Chance scowls as he slowly examines the stairway. He doesn’t find what he’s looking for until the eighth step down. “Hello, what have we here?” He leans in for a better look and finds a thin braided wire hanging somewhat loosely from two hooks spanning the width of the stair. “Well fuck me running!”

Leo checks his right foot by standing on it, then goes to the phone on the dining room table. “No touchy, I’m calling the police.”

“Works for me.” And Chance hunkers down where he’s standing, with the flashlight exposing the potentially deadly wire to the public, so to speak.

Leo comes over for a better look as he talks to the police dispatcher. “It looks like a thin braided wire. No, neither of us have touched it. My brother’s shining a flashlight on it as we speak.” He listens to the dispatcher’s response. “I almost tripped thanks to that damn thing! He caught me before I could, thank goodness.” He wanders back to the table as he talks to the dispatcher.

Chance gives the wire a brooding stare before sighing softly. “You weren’t here when we had the gas leak, that’s for damn sure.”

Leo comes back over after hanging up the cordless phone and putting it back on the table. “Officers will get here as soon as they can. It’s a bit busy today.”

“It’s not like we have anywhere to be.”

Leo recognizes the note in Chance’s voice and puts a gentle hand on his shoulder even as he speaks softly. “Can you imagine how Adam would feel if it had happened to him? He’s had the power to see the future for half his life.”

Chance shudders at the subtle reminder of Adam’s age. “I think he would have done more than make Simon bleed last week on Breakdown...” He looks up at Leo. “I think he would have killed the man.”

“Right.” Leo goes to the front of the townhouse to watch for the police.

Chance can hear his communicator beeping and lightly taps the button that’s flashing. “Chance here.”

The voice on the other end is rough and gravelly but familiar and it makes him smile. “Good to hear your voice, kid... How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing okay, Adam... It’s rough, but Leo gave me some good advice about how to handle this.”

“What’d he tell you?”

Chance smiles at the recent memory. “He said one word...” He adjusts the flashlight so it’s shining directly on the wire. “He told me ‘Live’.”

“That’s some pretty solid advice.” Adam smoothly changes topics. “Is Leo okay?”

“He’s fine.” Chance can’t help laughing a little. “He’s watching for the police.”

“Good. I’ll come by after they leave.”

“Sounds good to me... Here they come.” A soft beep tells him the channel’s been muted on Adam’s end. Adam can hear everything but they won’t be able to hear him.

- - -

Leo closes the door after the police leave with the wire in an evidence bag and leans on it with a sigh. “What a rotten way to start the day!”

Chance grumbles as he gets comfy at his desk again. “You said it, little brother!” Then he taps the button to close the channel on his communicator because he knows Adam’s going to show up soon.

Adam emerges from a portal with a red outline and stands in the living room with a surprisingly neutral expression on his face. “They were quite calm about the whole thing.” Then he goes to the kitchen and shoos Leo into the living room. “Go sit down, kid. I’ll cook for you.”

Leo gives Adam a wan smile as he turns to go that way. “Thank you.”

“Neither of you have been sleeping very well.” It’s a statement more than a question.

“It’s been hard to sleep since we had to get the gas lines for the furnace replaced... Add in what we found this morning and you’ve got one big rough patch.”

“Did Chance tell you anything?”

Leo settles in on the couch and pulls his blanket around himself to keep warm. “Yes. I know all about the power thief.”

Adam turns on the coffeepot. “Funny you should call them a power thief, Leo...”

Chance rubs his eyes. “How many more has that jerk gotten to?”

Adam’s voice is positively grim. “Most recent tally had the number at three hundred.”

“Three hundred!?”

Leo is aghast. “How are they moving so quickly!?”

Adam turns to look at them from the kitchen. “One of them had the power of rapid transportation in addition to being able to see hints of the past.” He sighs and opens the fridge. “They got a good look at the thief and identified them as a heavily tanned Caucasian male with short brown hair and blue eyes.”

“Any identifying characteristics? There are lots of white men with short brown hair and blue eyes.”

“Identifying marks?”

Chance grunts as he turns to his computer. “Scars, marks, tattoos.”

“Funny you should ask that.” Adam wrestles the frying pan out of the cupboard and checks it for dust and debris. “The witness, an adult female who’s had those powers all her life, has a photographic memory and she can draw. Jarred’s programmed Artemis with the pictures of all his scars and tattoos.” He gives the pan a quick wash to make sure it’s clean before he uses it. “When was the last time you actually scrubbed your dishes when you washed them, Chance?”

“I always scrub the dishes when I wash them. What did you find?”

“Your frying pan was dirty when I took it out of the cupboard.”

“It shouldn’t have been... I scrubbed the crap out of it last night!”

Leo chimes in with a confused look on his face. “He did. I stood there and watched him.”

Adam scowls. “Something is seriously wrong here.”

Chance makes a face. “Just what we don’t need! Another fucking mystery!”

“I’ll handle it. You have a match coming up.”

“I know.” Chance sighs and rubs his face with both hands. “Please don’t tell Kelsai about this... She has enough to deal with as it is. And I think she had an argument with her dad.”

“How can you tell?”

“She’s been insanely tense lately.” He’s been giving her small displays of affection in an effort to help her calm down and relax. Her most notable reaction had been a loud squeal and lots of kisses when he’d given her a set of BTS Funko Pops known as TinyTan. BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Bulletproof Boy Scouts.

“Did she like the Funko Pops?”

“Dude, she loves them!”

“That’s great!” Adam finally puts the pan on the stove and starts cracking eggs into bowls for omelets. “What do you boys want in your omelets?”

Leo sees Chance grimace and knows how to answer. “Just cheese and mushrooms, please.”

“Got it.” Adam doesn’t question the limited content request. He has a feeling he knows why they’re going easy on the filling. “Toast?”

Chance answers this time. “Yes please.”

“You bet.” Adam starts humming as he works and quietly hopes the sound helps Chance and Leo.

Leo recognizes a few of the notes and lets himself relax. “Good choice, Adam!” Adam is, of course, humming “Crush ‘Em” by Megadeth.

Chance recognizes the song too and gets an idea. “Hmm, I wonder.” He spins around and starts typing at the computer.

Adam brings out the plates of food and kicks Chance’s gaming chair as he puts one down on the desk. “Breakfast is ready, kid.”

“Thanks, Adam.”

Adam gives Leo the other plate and goes back to the kitchen. “Almost forgot your coffee!” He comes back with their favorite mugs full of the freshly made brew. After putting them down with the right people, he goes back to the kitchen. “Bon appetit.” And he starts washing what he just used.

Leo collects the empty plates after he and Chance are done eating and takes them to the kitchen for Adam to wash. He pitches his voice low so Chance can’t hear him. “I’m worried, Adam. What if they can’t find this guy?”

Adam takes the plates and puts them in the sink. “They will. It took them a long time to find the other one because they didn’t know what they were looking for. This time they have a good physical description to work with and Artemis is connected to police databases nationwide. And they have a solid group of allies they can rely on to help them with the groundwork.”

Leo feels a huge weight lifting off his shoulders and he knows everything’s going to be okay. “How’s Liam handling it?”

“He’s not doing very well.” Adam sighs soundlessly. “It’s given him a brutal case of insomnia... Lauren is at her wits’ end.”

Now Leo isn’t one for flashes of insight but he gets one now. “He hasn’t been able to talk with his mind since you two came here about Chance’s premonition.”

Adam turns to look at Leo in surprise but it doesn’t last long and he sighs again. “I should have known something else was going to happen.” His hands grip the edge of the sink and the knuckles start to turn white from the strength of his grip. “What about Chance?”

Leo issues a soundless sigh of his own. “He’s getting clumsy again.” He looks at Adam’s hands and lightly taps one knuckle to get the older man’s attention. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say the thief undid Michael’s work on Chance’s vestibular systems.”

Adam forces his hands to relax so he can open them and let go of the counter in front of the sink he had a death grip on. “Better safe than sorry with all the bullshit you two have to deal with right now.” And he taps a button on his communicator. Jericho had come to the house to return it in person after repairing it. “Michael, it’s Adam in Denver.”

Michael’s voice comes through clearly. “What’s up, Adam?”

“I need you to come look at Chance. Leo says he’s getting clumsy again.”

“And you’re concerned the thief undid my work.”

Leo answers him. “Yes. He’s sitting at his computer.”

“I’ll be there shortly.” He pauses briefly. “Don’t worry, Leo... We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Thanks, Michael.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

Adam closes the channel with a smile. “He’s right, you know. Things like this are exactly what friends are for.”

Leo glances back at Chance for a moment. “I hope I’m wrong.”

“Me too, kid. We’ll know for sure soon, though.”

- - -

Chance is sitting on the couch in his townhouse with his hands steepled in front of him and a sour look on his face. He slowly lowers his hands, but his face doesn’t change.

“Ravyn Taylor. I don’t know whose bed you keep waking up on the wrong side of, but you need to knock it off. Nobody likes a spoilsport or a party pooper and last week you were both! Glory Braddock finally becomes Supreme Champion and what do you do? You attack her from behind and ruin her big moment! If there’s one thing I can’t fucking stand, it’s someone like you!”

He closes his eyes for a moment and focuses on his breathing. It wouldn’t do for him to get carried away and lose his train of thought. When he speaks again, his voice is calm and smooth.

“You are without a doubt one of the worst human beings I have ever had the misfortune of coming across. Look what you did to Ace Marshall. He takes up with you and suddenly he’s a maniac who’s all over the place. Shortly after that, he disappears! I don’t think I need to go back over what’s going on with Syren, do I? I mean, we all know that story!”

He pauses to take a sip of water from his water bottle. Focusing on that helps his mind regain its equilibrium.

“You’re a heartless bitch who only cares about her own gratification and mark my words, Ravyn. That’s going to be your downfall. How many times have you taken someone else’s big moment away from them and made their victory about you? How many times have you launched a sneak attack and made yourself look like a coward who can’t look someone in the eye? That won’t be the case this time, that’s for Goddamn sure! Whatever you and that slimy schemer Lexy Chapel are planning stops here. Kelsai and I are going to make your night a living hell and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

He drinks a little more water then smirks.

“Actually, there are two things you can do about it. Suck it up and get over yourselves. That’s what you can do about it.”

He moves his right leg and feels his knee pop. Oh, that’s better.

“And if you don’t like it, well that’s just too damn bad. Because that’s the way it’s going to be.”

He takes a mouthful of water and sits forward.

“Syren, I can’t tell what you’re thinking. But surely you can see the cracks in Ravyn’s façade, can’t you? She and Lexy are manipulating you into doing what they want. Do you agree with what Ravyn did last week? How right was it for her to take Glory and Brittany’s moment away from them? I personally don’t think it was right at all and that’s why Kelsai and I are going to hand you a loss on Breakdown. You’re a gifted athlete, Syren, but you’re better than this. You don’t deserve to have your name and reputation attached to someone like Lexy Chapel. And if you truly care about Ravyn, you’ll find a way to get her away from Lexy too.”

He looks at his water bottle for a moment and can feel his thoughts shifting as they settle into place.

“I know it isn’t easy for you to hear people criticizing you for what Ravyn does. But since you’re associated with her, you won’t be able to escape it. I’m going to be honest for a second here. I don’t like badmouthing Ravyn, but she just makes it so easy.”

He sits back for a moment with his hands loosely circling the top of his water bottle. When he sits forward, he puts the bottle on the coffee table in front of him.

“As I said, Syren, Ravyn just makes it so fucking easy for people to insult and ridicule her. Doesn’t she have any pride? Does she really enjoy humiliating herself and embarrassing you? Just between you and me, something is seriously wrong with her. She needs professional help.”

He picks up the water bottle and takes a long swallow.

“Let’s not forget the ‘elephant in the room’, so to speak. I would be remiss if I didn’t address the one and only Lexy Chapel.”

The bottle is closed and set on the table with a thump.

“Don’t you even think of trying anything during our match, Lexy! Because if you do, you’ll regret it almost immediately. Why? Because Kelsai and I won’t be out there alone. And the person who’s coming with us is not in a good mood, so you’re better off not doing anything to piss them off!”

He smirks and something appears in his eyes.

“Syren, I’m sorry, but your hopes of earning a World title match will end this week at Breakdown. If you and Ravyn want to get anywhere near the SCW Tag Team titles again, you’ll have to go through us!”

Adam looks at the video camera and smiles. “Upload complete, kid.” Jericho had been only too happy to replace Chance’s video camera with one like Adam’s back in Philadelphia.

“What’s the text on the clickable link?”

Adam checks the laptop beside the camera. “Tensions Rising.”

“That’s a fitting title, to be honest with you.” Chance sits back and rubs his face with both hands. Michael had given him an infusion of energy until he could record his promo for the match.

Now Michael approaches the couch and puts one hand on Chance’s forehead. “You’re warm.” He frowns as he sidesteps the unnatural warmth to see why Chance is getting clumsy again.

“Brand new gas lines on the furnace channel more of the heat through the vents, but the thermostat is stuck. Maintenance will come look at it on Friday. That was the soonest they could get here.”

“All right.” He finds the cause and inhales sharply before turning to a worried Leo standing near the dining room table. “You were right, Leo.” His hand is shaking slightly as he brings it up to rub his face. “The thief did undo all my work.”

Leo can’t help it. “Fucking hell! I was hoping I was wrong!”

“Fortunately I can fix it as often as I need to.” He puts his hand back on Chance’s forehead. “Close your eyes, Chance, I can’t risk knocking you out in case you’re not at 100%.”

Chance obediently closes his eyes. “I appreciate your concern.” He also relaxes as much as he can.

“Thank you, Chance.” Michael makes one minor adjustment before closing his eyes. “This will only take a few minutes.” He’s wondering to himself about how the power thief could have taken away his repairs on Chance’s vestibular systems. Was it because I made the repairs when he was unconscious?

Adam and Leo watch in silence, worry in their eyes and postures. They don’t dare to say anything for fear of throwing Michael off balance. Jarred’s communicator had been found in a vat of acid, so Jericho is in the process of making him a new one. Adam releases the breath he doesn’t realize he’s holding when Michael lifts his hand off Chance’s forehead. “Let’s hope it stays... I’d hate to have you come back.”

“We’ll see in the coming days.” Michael looks down at Chance and smiles as those blue eyes open. “How do you feel?”

Chance takes a deep breath and lets it out very slowly. The dizziness he’d been experiencing since his premonition doesn’t make an appearance and he looks cautiously hopeful. “I don’t feel dizzy anymore... That’s a good sign.”

“Absolutely it is. Anything else?”

Chance sits there for a few minutes before he sits forward and holds out his arm, his hand directly above the TV remote. “My hand isn’t shaking.” Then he picks up the remote with a grin. “Anyone for a movie?”

Leo laughs as he joins his big brother on the couch and sees Adam and Michael sit in the overstuffed armchairs. One of them has a small red ribbon attached in an inconspicuous manner to indicate which one Adam likes to sit in. “What’s on the agenda today?”

Chance turns on the TV and finds the movie channels. “Now let me see... Ah, here we are!” He navigates to the movie he found. “Anyone wanna watch The Amityville Horror?” The sound of three voices saying yes makes him laugh even as he cues the TV to change the channel. It’s just starting, too! Syren, Ravyn, if Chance has his way, the two of you are in for a horror show of your own!