Power Trip: An Omniverse Story

What Next?

   "Who do you want to see first?" Karma asked. "Rachel would want to know about this. Of course the children but they might be in Refresh. Matthieu will want to know."

   Matthew stopped in his tracks. "Matthieu?"

   Karma turned with a confused look. "Yes?"

   The brunet hardly noticed the rain. "He... he's alive?" His soul was racing.

   Karma studied Matthew for a moment. "You... you didn't know? Have you thought he was dead this whole time? You thought he was dead and it was your fault?"

   Matthew felt tears escape again. "I attacked him. He wasn't moving. He- I didn't know. I thought I killed him again!"

   Karma gathered his husband into his arms. "Oh Mattie. Its okay. It's okay... He's alive. Alive as he can be."

   Matthew fell apart in his husbands arms. "I thought- I thought-" He hiccuped.

   "Shhh..." Karma rubbed his husband's shoulders carefully. The two stayed like that, in the rain just 10 feet from the palace, until Matthew calmed down.

   "Are you okay..?" Karma asked.

   "Yes..." Mattie murmured. "I-I'm fine."

   Karma nodded. By now they were both soaked. "Lets get inside and dry off."

   Matthew nodded and the two headed into the palace.

   Right away they were greeted. "There you are! I was worried you had gotten struck by lighting or something!" Ah. Fortune is still the same. He babbled about something and then his voice died in the middle of his sentence. "W h a t."

   Karma almost couldn't contain his laughter.

   "Hello Fortune." Matthew smiled.

   Fortune stared at the brunet for a moment. "What." He repeated. "Matthew? What the–" He rubbed his sockets and blinked. "You're like actually here?!"

   "I am."

   Fortune turned on his toes. "guYS!!!!"

   Matthew lurched forward. "Fortune wait!"

   Too late. A door opened. The first face out was one of the ones Matthew wanted to see first.

   "What's the big deal?"

   "KARMA BROUGHT MATTHEW BACK TO LIFE!"

   Matthieu shoved Fortune to the side. "WHAT?"

   Karma face palmed. "I did not bring him back to life! I just happened to find him first after he decided to reveal that he never fucking died!"

   Matthew stayed silent. The nerves were back along with a lump in his throat. He stared nervously at his brother across the entrance hall.

   Matthieu rubbed at his eyes the same way Fortune had. "Mattie..?" He asked in a soft tone.

   "I'm... sorry..." Are the first words that tumble from Matthew's mouth.

   "Holy shit!" Matthieu dived across the hall and wraps his arms around the older brother. "You're alive! I woke up and they... Oh stars they told me what happened and that you were dead!"

   "Matt..." Matthew started. "Why... How are YOU not mad at me?"

   Matthieu pulled back. "Are you really asking me that? After what I did?"

   Matthew suddenly feels very stupid.
Maybe he should have thought of that... "I thought I had hurt you... I thought I had–"

   Matthieu gave a very sad smile. "Its hard to kill a ghost. BUT OW!" He snapped.

   Finally someone else reacts. "Dad!", Rune crosses the room next and gathers her dad into a bone crushing hug. Cypher followed quieter and stops a few feet away.

   Matthew grinned and held onto Rune tightly. He opened his eyes facing Cypher. The last person he had hurt... Cypher was always hard to read... Is he angry? Scared? Upset?

   Cypher was silent. When he's silent... it means he's thinking. "Where?" He says.

   Matthew should have expected this from his brilliant son. "A locked AU."

   "Blowing off steam?" Cypher assumed. Of course Cypher would figure it out.

   Matthew nodded never once letting go of Rune. Matthieu's hand was still on his shoulder.

   Cypher nodded and walked forward. "I knew you weren't dead... It just didn't make sense..." He slips in on his Father's other side.

   Matthew let a hand rest on Cyphers back gently. "I should expect that from you..." He made a mental not to actual talk to Cypher later.

   For now he let himself hold his family again...