Chapter 17

Angelika - Like an angel
Truda - Fighting woman
Varick - Protecting Ruler
Harman - Man of the army
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Alan, Angelika and Truda appeared back in the village to a myriad of shouts. Alan tried to look up, too tired to even attempt to get to his feet. “Thank you both,” came an almost whisper from him as he once slumped to the ground.

Alan suddenly felt several pairs of strong arms lift him, carrying him toward the nearby building. He swore he could hear the voices of Varick and Harman asking what had happened. He also heard both Truda and Angelika tell them that Alan had over done it again, right after his mother called him an idiot.

A few moments later Alan felt that he was unceremoniously dumped in a bed. Too tired to hardly turn his head he let the darkness take him. Crap he thought this was going to mess up a good day! Even as he sank deeper into the darkness he had the sensation of flying, then like before he stopped short.

Looking around Alan saw once again that he was in the bunker where it all had started. Growling he searched out his two nemesis’s.

<I can feel you here show yourself!> Alan heard the Doctor’s thoughts screaming at him.

<As if you could do anything to me. You’ve never been able to, what makes you think you can now?> Alan’s thoughts snarled back at him. <As I have said before you should get used to disappointment!>

Reaching out Alan grabbed the Doctor’s heart again actually starting to squeeze it. Suddenly thousands of possible futures appeared in his mind, all of which didn’t include him in them. Growling with disgust Alan released his hold on the man’s heart.

<Still afraid of me aren’t you?> The Doctor sneered at Alan.

<NO!> Alan shouted out, <though I think you are of me!> This time Alan reached in as far as he could stimulating the fear centers of the Doctor. Then Alan started to plant more and more thoughts linked to the abject fear he left there. <You remember, you aren’t dealing with children! I will kill you one of these days for all the atrocities you have perpetrated on all of those that are here.>

<You will never defeat me! I am the greatest mind ever produced in Germany, I am... > The Doctor started.

<Yes, you are a dead man! Nothing you can do, no amount of time will stop me from finally destroying you!> Pushing his energy toward the Doctor he smiled at the satisfying crunch as the Doctor was propelled toward and against the wall. <Remember you putrid f•©k! I am coming, you can’t nor will you ever be able to stop me! Good bye you ass!> Smiling as he watched the Doctor sink to the floor unconscious, Alan pulled out.

Jerking awake Alan looked around the room, he was in a bed? How ... then he remembered the day before. A movement near the door caught his attention.

“So you are finally awake.” The feminine voice said.

“Yes,” Alan croaked out his throat dry. “How long?”

“I think it was about twelve or thirteen hours not sure. I don’t really keep time all that much now.” The soft female voice replied.

“Helga?” Alan croaked out again as a glass of water appeared in his hand. After he’d drained it he got back to Helga. “How are you here and no one is throwing a fit?” Looking closer Alan could now see that she wasn’t really here. “Ah! I see a projection. I just learned to do that a few weeks ago. Very good! You are only the second I have seen do it. Though I have to ask how?”

The visage of Helga blushed slightly, “When you were healing me, you grew so weak but kept on going. You were so close to total exhaustion but your mind was still closed. Then briefly before you faded I saw into your mind briefly. I saw this technique as you call it. I saw how you did it so I have been trying to do it also. It wasn’t easy but I think I have it now.”

“I hope that’s all you saw Helga, there are things there almost as bad as your past. I wouldn’t wish either of our lives on anyone. Even with all the pain, well, perhaps all the pain on that bastard Doctor I wouldn’t wish it on no one else.” Alan snarled out causing Helga to gasp and withdraw a moment. “I apologize Helga, I didn’t mean for you to see that.”

“It is all well Alan, I could feel that he has caused you great pain as he has me. I thought to never meet another that had as much anger toward him as I do.” Helga told him.

“I just hope that I can end him soon so we can get on with a normal life. This constant looking over one’s shoulder is quickly growing old and irritating.” Alan told the visage as it nodded agreeing with him.

There was a running of feet as several people burst through the door. “Alan!” He could hear Angelika yelling.

All of the new visitors stopped short when they caught the nearly transparent visage of Helga. “Helga?” They all heard Harman say in a low voice. “My god you are still alive!”

A shy smile crossed her face as she nodded, “It is good to see you and Varick, har, har.” She said smiling larger.

Growling, Harman took a step forward pointing a finger at her. “I told you to never call me that again!”

“What are you going to do? Spank me again?” The shy twenty something female with big blue eyes, long brown hair and a slender figure told him.

Growling his face red Harman took a menacing step forward. He suddenly stopped dead still at the chilling voice of his sister. “Unless you want to be hitting air then sleep for a few more hours, don’t you even think of hurting my friend!” Harman groaned then grabbed his stomach as he went running from the building. The visage issued a giggle at the smirk on Truda’s face.

“I see you are still his boss.” Helga said stifling another giggle.

“Not as much as I used to, that I feel is thanks to Alan. As I am sure you can tell we owe him a great deal.” Truda replied.

“Yes, we owe him a lot though he can still be an idiot!” Angelika said causing Alan to roll his eyes at her.

“I have apologized many times mother, even you know that there are times that you just can’t stop. I already felt that I failed Helga not completing her,” here Alan whispering, “causing her so much more pain. “I’m sorry Helga it was never my intention to cause you more, like me, you have suffered far more than you should have.” Now there were tears falling freely from Alan’s eyes as he was reliving all the pain of his youth, then much of Helga’s he’d felt.

Collapsing back on the back Alan’s memories were starting to wrack his body with pain. Withering on the bed small groans started to come from his throat. Suddenly he felt himself crushed by not one but two soft chests.

“It’s alright Alan, nothing will hurt you.” Came a female voice.

Suddenly Alan tensed up his eyes going wide, “Nein, nein! Bitte hör auf! Es tut so weh!” (no, no! Please stop! It hurts so badly!)

Another female voice suddenly broke in, “Alan! That was ages ago! Let it go, please let it go! It’s the only way you can survive! Alan!” There was a ringing crack as a hand slapped his face.

Alan immediately stiffened then relaxed, “Thank you Helga, again I am sorry I caused you more pain, pain you didn’t deserve.” With a sigh Alan relaxed but didn’t speak or move for another hour.

Not long after Alan was finally able to sit up there was a commotion outside the building he was in. ‘Looking’ outside he saw that all thirty of Helga’s children were trying to get to where he was. <What is going on? Why are all of you here?> A worried Alan asked.

<Mister, mister! Please help! Mother fell a little while ago! We can’t get her to wake up! We’re scared you were the only one we could think of to help. Please mister help mother!> Came the near frantic thoughts of Helga’s children.

<Alright go back to her, wait! I’ll send you to make sure she is comfortable, I will be right behind you.> Alan told all of them.

<Thank you sir! Thank you!> With that Alan sent all of them to their mother as he called the others.

“We’re here Alan, what was that about?” Truda asked.

“Helga’s children said she fell and they can’t get her awake. I am afraid that when I took that memory from her I did more harm than help. I am going to see if I messed her up, I am going to need you and mother. With her deep fear of men even my presence is dangerous. Get mother and follow me as soon as possible!” Alan told Truda as he was gathering a few things to take with him.

Appearing in her building he heard her children shout then all say hello, please help mother again. Alan knelt beside her bed extending his hands over her. At first he could find nothing wrong then he started to delve deeper. Finally he found that her energy center had shifted and was partly blocked. Cursing to himself he started to remove the blocks. Problem was she had over eighty five only a few less than him. Shaking his head this was going to take a while.

An hour later he’d opened a third of them as she was finally starting to breathe easier. Reaching thirty he could finally feel her strength start to build. A moment later he felt Truda and his mother as they arrived. A soft hand touched his shoulder right after he’d opened her 33rd power center.

“Is she going to be alright?” A worried Truda asked as she looked at her friend.

“She will be soon, this was all my fault.” Alan said as he hung his head. “I hadn’t thought of her energy centers when I was fixing her. Damn it! How could I have been so damn stupid?”

“Alan,” came the soft voice of his mother. “you, like us are still learning. Had you not done the things you had for us could you have even attempted this?”

Alan thought a moment then shook his head. “That is all well and good mother but this time I royally screwed up! I could have killed her I...”

<Alan could you please shut the hell up?> Came Helga’s thoughts. <I already have a bad enough headache. Now then if you could finish up what you were doing I think I will really start to feel better.>

Both Angelika and Truda were giggling at him and the astonished look on his face. Then they both started to laugh harder at the smug look his features took on. Starting again Alan worked for another hour finally getting the 66th opened he stopped. Though not as tiring, as the rearranging that he’d done on her before, this was still taxing. Then again the fact was that the more he did the harder they seemed to be to open.

Sitting back Helga opened her eyes a moment later. “I see how you are doing it I might be able to open a few.”

“You can try Helga but it takes a lot of energy.” Alan warned her.

“Yes I know, I saw what it did to you. You have opened more than seventy percent, that plus the fact this is my mind, so it might not resist as hard for me as it did for you.” Helga told him.

Raising his hand he told her to go for it but be careful. Even as he watched astounded, Helga was opening them in half the time he had. Hell she hit seventy in no time. Finally at eighty she stopped.

“I told you it was taxing.” Alan said.

“Yes it was but I am almost open now. I feel so bad you exhausted yourself three times because of me. I want to repay you Alan but for now all I can do is tell you thank you.” Helga told a still tired Alan who just nodded yes.

Angelika spoke up a moment later, “We need to get Alan back to the village. Please call us if there is anything you need Helga.”

“I will dear friends I will.” Helga promised as the three of them flashed out appearing back in the building Alan had been in.

Alan fell into the bed closing his eyes he was shook awake hours later. Gingerly opening his eyes he was shocked to see Helga standing over him. “Hello Alan!” She said with the enthusiasm of a child.