The woman bit her lip, staring at the red phone on her husband’s desk. It hadn’t been that long, but he should have at least called. She pushed her gray hair away from her ear and picked up the receiver. It clicked and dialed the only number it was programmed to call. “Hello, SC Ops, what’s wrong, ma’am?”

The grey-haired woman released her lip and said, “Reganald, I wasn’t going to call, but it’s been a day, the whole time with no communication at all. I am starting to get worried—”

“Wait, ma’am, are you saying you haven’t heard anything from him for a whole day?” Suddenly there was the sound of alarms and klaxons behind Reganald. “Don’t worry ma’am, the SC Ops is on the job. Give us two days tops to find out what happened.”

The woman breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Reganald, I feel better already.”

“No problem, ma’am,” Reganald replied. “I’ll be there soon to ask you some questions. Then we’ll get started.”

She nodded. “I’ll be here at the main house when you are ready.”

A few minutes later there was a knock at the front door. The grey-haired woman said, “Please come in,” and the door opened, admitting Reganald. He was short, with large, muscular arms and legs. His skin was lime colored.

He bowed, to the woman, revealing the points of his ears. She sat and pointed at a chair.

Reganald pulled out a small notepad and asked, “Ma’am, did he say anything about where he was going?”

The woman rested her chin on her hand and stared at the ceiling for a minute. “Something about a small town that didn’t have the Christmas spirit.”

“Ma’am, did he use one of the side exits?” Reganald asked tentatively. The woman’s surprise was visible. She nodded. He added, “We do know of all the secret exits, ma’am.”

When the woman finally smiled, he relaxed a bit and waited for more.

“He also said something about strange readings that were coming from the town, magical readings,” the woman said. “He said he was the only one that had strong enough magic, so he had to go.” Fear was evident on her face.

“Magic, I was afraid it might be that, otherwise, he would have come to us.” Reganald shook his head, deep in thought. “Do you think that Art would consent to help us?”

The woman’s head whipped around. She stared at him. “I have no way of knowing. He was adamant about everything when he left. Something about it being to painful to remember? Plus, he did a memory wipe. “

“The last part won’t be a problem, we can ease him back into it. I just hope that his adoptive father missing is enough to bring him in,” the male stated.

“So do I Reganald, so do I,” the woman said with a tear in her eye.

It was an hour later when Reganald along with several other small muscular males entered a multi-storied office building. Looking around Reganald leaned to his second. “Secure the building, no one in.”

His second nodded as the other males moved out to the other entrances. Nodding, Reganald turned back to the door as a small female that slightly resembled him, entered with a small black bag.

“Will it take long?” Reganald asked.

The female thought a moment. “No more than five minutes. I’m just afraid that he might react violently when it all comes back.”

“Not to worry there, I’m sure I can handle him.” When the female shook her head with a smirk, Reganald asked, “Now what?”

“I remember you having to heal for a month the last time you two went at each other. How do you expect me to think this time will be different?” the female responded.

“That was when he had his full magic, plus the knowledge to use it. Besides, I have magic now also.” Reganald said with a smile, that soon disappeared.

Still smirking, the female shook her head even harder. Releasing a huge sigh, she stated, “We’ll see Reg, I still have a full trauma unit standing by just in case.”

Reganald and the female moved through the building, completely ignored by the security, plus anyone else they ran into. Finally, they stepped off an elevator at the top of the building. Walking down the hall, they stopped before a door with the words: Art Krangle Creative Marketing. Both took a deep breath before they stepped inside.

Both Reganald and the female walked past everyone, ’til they were in Art’s office. They both stopped before a rather tall, thirty-something looking, dark-haired male sitting before several computer screens.

The female turned back to the door locking it. Reganald waved his hand, then they both waited.

Art looked up to see two short, slightly green-skinned, well they weren’t midgets though they were short people, before him. “What the hell are you two doing here? How the hell did you get past security?” He was about to press an alarm when he found he couldn’t move.

The female quickly administered a small injection that made the man’s eyes grow large.

“What in the hell have you done to me? What was in that shit?” Art was yelling.

“Really Art, such language!” Reganald said sharply, causing Art to look at the small male as if he were crazy.

“Really? You break the hell in here, and you admonish me about my language? I’m going to put you so far under the jail, you won’t remember your name, Reggy!” Art’s face suddenly registered surprise. “What in the HELL!!! I’m going to make you pay for this Reggy!” Again Art’s eyes blinked in surprise.

“How long?” Reganald asked of the female.

“Two minutes, any time now,” the female replied.

Art was starting to struggle as a flood of memories began to inundate his mind. “What? What?! WHAT!??” Art was repeating over and over. Then his eyes locked with Reganald’s, narrowing them with a look of hatred, he almost growled at the small male. Then his face softened as he turned to the female. “They must be completely panicked and desperate if you’re here Viola.”

Viola’s eyes also softened as she nodded. “I’m afraid it is, my… Art. Your father has…”

“He’s not my father as HE well reminded me, far too many times to count. That among a few other things drove me away from there.” Here Art stared accusingly, then sneered at Reganald. “Like I said before, Christmas can die for all I care!”

“Art! You can’t mean that!” Viola cried.

“Why the hell not? Why should I make the world happy when all I was given was pain and suffering. Even now, seeing the both of you here is nothing but tortuous pain to me. Why the fuck should I care? I am not a martyr, I will not sacrifice myself, my feelings,” here Art took a deep breath. “Nor will I sacrifice my love, for this supposed season of happiness. No, if I am to be denied, then the rest of the world can also be.”

Both Reganald and Viola’s eyes went wide. “I know you dislike me Art but…” Reganald started.

“Dislike?” Here Art started to laugh. “Dislike? No Reggy,” here Art’s face twisted into a grim mask of hatred and rage. “No, I don’t dislike you, I absolutely despise you!” With that, a mighty blast of magical energy shot out of Art’s hands.

Reganald smiled, then the smile faded as he was thrust back into the wall at least a foot. “Art? Do you hate all of us that badly?” Viola asked, her lips trembling.

His arms dropping at his side, Art’s face softened again. “No my dear Viola, not all of you. Though there are a great many of you that I do. They didn’t even consider, Viola, the council just said no. They didn’t even let me speak, had they, we might be together, now? I just want all of them dead.”

“Is that why you left? Just up and disappeared for ten years?” Viola asked as she reached her small hand to Art’s face. Touching it, they both trembled as almost forgotten feelings were thrust to the surface.

“It was better to leave with no memory than to stay and suffer untold humiliation and ridicule by the others.” Here Art held up his hand. “It was there my dear, no matter how much they watch the others, it was there,” Art told her.

A groan from the wall let them know that Reganald was waking up. Huge tears were falling from Viola’s eyes. “By the great mother, I did not know. Had I just an inkling, then I guarantee that things would have been different.”

“No, my dear, I don’t think that even you could have swayed them. My, HA! Father could have, hell even Reggy could. Me? No, I was and am nothing to them.” Here an almost evil smile lit up his face. “Another twenty days, then they will be nothing also. He can’t pass the power to anyone else now that I have it. No one can take me without quite a few being destroyed. Now, you(maybe it should be I because he vanishes?) better go before I get really mad and start with Reggy.” With that, Art snapped his fingers and vanished.

Reganald stood up, then immediately backed up from the scathing look from Viola. “YOU! You could have helped prevent all of this. No, you had to just follow along, be a good little soldier even though you knew it was wrong. There are times I am almost ashamed to be your sibling!” Whirling, Viola marched out of the room her anger growing by the second.

They had boarded their transport when Viola growled at Reganald. “We need to get back NOW! I have to inform the council. By the great power what a bunch of doddering old fools!” She turned to growl at the others when they started to gasp. This made every one of the well, muscled males shrink back from her.

Reganald swallowed hard as he stared straight ahead, they needed to get back. It appeared that Viola might have all the answers that they were looking for. Getting her to reveal that information before she was ready, that was altogether an other thing.

Art appeared within the confines of a dark cave. Passing his hand over the walls, he could still feel the almost overwhelming evil that surrounded them. Nodding his head, he could also feel the evil trying to invade his space then his body. He wasn’t stupid, as he flung a few tendrils away, just angry.

Near the back of the cave was a heavy set man that was resting on a mattress.