Today, I wondered about where we came from. No, I already know about the birds and the bees. I meant where did Paranormals come from? There has to be some scientific reason on how we came to exist. Jarred didn't have a clue. He said that was the Science Branch's concern, & that his concern had been to capture Paranormals. So, how did we come to be?

A charred board cracked, snapping in half as Detective Jason Stormaton stepped on it. He looked down, registering the event, before moving on. Around him, the charred remains of the Stonewall house surrounded him. He can make out the basic layout of the place, though there wasn't much left of it. According to the report, a gas explosion destroyed the house. Must've been some explosion, and he was sure gas wasn't the culprit. He knew how they operated.

He looked at where he was. He seemed to be in what was left of a hallway. Behind him is where the front door used to be. Before him was the kitchen, where the report states the explosion originated from. He walked around the kitchen counter, noting the broken glass on the floor. He kneeled and pick up a piece and examined it for a moment. Glass from the windows. If it's here on the inside, the windows were broken before the explosion. Sloppy work on the investigator's part, or that he worked for them and just signed off on their report. Probably the latter.

He had looked into the file on this case and it had been sanitized. There was no photographic record of the two girls who had supposedly died in this explosion. But, he had heard Te slip and drop these girls name, so he knew the PCU was responsible here and needed to cover their tracks. But, he had also heard that they were free, which means they were potential allies…or enemies. He needed to know who he was looking for so he could know for sure.

He stopped and cleared his mind, focusing inwards. He stuck his right hand into his trenchcoat's pocket, as the coat itself seemed to come alive. The pocket glowed a brilliant golden hue for a moment, before Jason pulled his hand out, grasping a pair of sunglasses. The glasses themselves radiated a pale blue light around the lenses. He put the glasses on and looked around.

Everything looked exactly the same, but that was to be expected at first. In his mind, he simply thought, rewind. For a moment everything had remained the same, but was followed by a brilliant flash as the explosion imploded on itself, followed by seeing two men setting the explosive device. The men were dressed in standard PCU uniforms. Bingo. But it didn't answer his immediate question, as he already knew who was behind the explosion.

The scene played back further as he saw a battle playing out in reverse, which involved some PCU agents and two young teenaged girls. Pause, Jason thought in his head. The scene froze before him. A woman in a black suit with glowing violet eyes stood next to one of the teenaged girls, one hand on her shoulder, but looking at the other teenaged girl. Over by the windows, he notice two PCU agents, rifles to bear on the other teenaged girl, who looks to have just knocked an agent through the door. Must have enhanced strength, Jason mused to himself.

He walked over to the woman with the glowing eyes and regarded her. He had seen her before, that he knew. Goes by the alias of Special Agent Cornell. He had seen her come in and take charge of prisoners before. Ones he suspected of being paranormals in fact. So, she was involved in this capture as well.

He looked at the girl next to Cornell. He assumed it was one of the Stonewall sisters that he was investigating. He looked at her face and he froze, as his face went pale in shock. He didn't know how, but it was she. He would never forget that face for as long as he lived. His mind raced back to that moment, some 18 or 19 years ago.

"Jason."

Jason Stormaton dropped his cigarette into the snow-covered ground as he turned around to respond to the voice. Before him stood a man who looked to be in his late twenties, with long brown hair & piercing blue eyes that could look into ones soul. He wore a black trenchcoat and had a full auburn beard covering his face. Jason turned and bowed to him.

"Master."

Jason's master nodded and regarded Jason. Jason was starting to show his age on his face, his dark auburn hair starting to give away to the grey. Yet, he still looked pretty fit and in good shape for a man at his age. In fact, he looked in as good as shape as a man half his age. But, that was apart of the training, the conditioning.

"You look well, Jason. Though you still smoke those foul cigarettes of yours."

Jason smiled as he flicked another cigarette in his mouth & lit it.

"Thanks to what you have taught me, they will do no lasting harm."

The Master shook his head and sighed.

"I knew you would never change, but I had hoped."

The Master gestured to the opening of the cave behind him.

"Perhaps we can adjourn to nicer surroundings."

Jason nodded as he stepped towards the cave. As Jason entered, his Master followed. Jason's mind flowed back to when this place was his home, the cave the entrance to his home. And, to when he had to leave his home, some 29 years ago. A lifetime ago, just about. He followed the darks bends and curves of the cave, the curves and bends he knew so well. When he was young, he was allowed to go out and play in the snow every once in awhile, particularly when he had done well in a lesson.

Jason felt the cold disappear as he approached the light at the end of the cave. As he stepped into the light, he saw that familiar, yet always spectacular sight that always greeted him. A giant enclosed cavern filled with bright natural daylight, yet no apparent source for the light could be seen. The cavern stretched for at least a mile, with tall metallic, yet organic looking buildings lining the main way. The light shone on the buildings, giving them a bright silver sheen.

Jason stood there for a second, taking in the sight, as the Master passed him, walking down the main path through the cavern. Jason, realizing he was falling behind, ran to catch up with him. The Master kept his pace, walking straight on till about halfway down the path he turned towards one of the buildings. He motioned with his hand, and the building opened up, forming a portal. The Master walked into the building followed by Jason.

Inside they found themselves in a red room, with plush couches, lit by torches, yet there was more ambient light than the torches could provide. The couches formed a circle with a dais in the middle of the circle. A glowing orb hovered just above the dais, floating in mid-air, casting a golden glow over the dark obsidian of the dais. The Master gestured to one of the couches. Jason nodded and sat down as the Master sat down opposite him.

"Master, your message indicated you needed to see me urgent."

The Master nodded.

"Is there something the matter?"

The Master smiled as he responded, "Not at all. There is something right."

Jason's face contorted in confusion as the Master smiled.

"Then, why am I here?"

The Master leaned back and steeple his fingers.

"My time is almost upon us."

Jason's jaw dropped in disbelief. He had know that the Masters had a way of knowing when it was their time to go, yet he couldn't believe it was happening. He had always been there, since he was quite young, taken from his home and brought here to learn the secrets of his art. Yet, he had always believed his Master would always be there.

"You don't look ill, Master."

The Master once again smiled.

"Time works in mysterious ways. All of us run out of time at some point, some of us sooner than others. Quite frankly, my work is done and I'm ready to go."

Jason shook his head.

"How can your work be done. There is so much you have yet to teach me."

The Master shook his head.

"You know everything you need to know to carry out your purpose."

"Purpose?" Jason asked. "What purpose?"

"You have a purpose and that is why I have called you here. It's my last duty to discharge before I go."

"Where will you go?"

The Master smiled once again.

"You ask the right questions. You have learned well. Unfortunately, it's an answer I can't provide for you."

Jason started to speak again, but the Master held up his hand, bidding him to remain silent.

"But, it is an answer you will learn before you die. That I can promise."

The Master sat back once more, giving Jason a contemplative look. He nodded his head and smiled. This is a side of him that Jason had rarely seen before. His Master had always been a stern, yet firm taskmaster. Making sure that Jason understood every lesson that was given him. And he had learned and understood. He strives to be as knowledgeable as his Master is, as every student does. Yet, he always fell short of that. No matter how much he learned, and he understood more about the unknown that most humans do, his Master always seem to understand something far greater. It was a source of some frustration to Jason.

"You are to be the Keeper of my knowledge, until the time comes for you to train the one to follow you."

Jason looked up at the Master startled.

"How can I be the Keeper when I don't know all you know."

The Master chuckled.

"Your life is too short to learn all the secrets I know. But, you do know the foundations of that knowledge, and that is what you will pass on to the one who will follow."

Jason sighed as he responded, "And who is this one I will train?"

The Master smiled again, which was starting to get on Jason's nerves.

"You will know him when you see him."

Jason shook his head in disbelief.

"I hate it when you talk like that."

"Yet, you know what I say will be true."

Jason stood up to start pacing.

"Yes, and I still don't understand how you are…"

Jason stopped as he turned towards where the portal entrance was to see a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties standing there. She had shoulder length blond hair and deep emerald eyes with a glint of violet in them. Her body was covered by a silver metallic armor, the same stuff the outside buildings were made of. She wore a scarlet cloak over her body, with a golden clasp holding it on. She smiled a warm, gentle smile and the agitation he had felt a moment ago seemed to melt away as he felt a warm glow around him.

"How is not your concern, Jason Stormaton, only that you fulfill what you must do. As we must all do."

Jason looked puzzled.

"We?"

The woman smiled at Jason once more, deepening Jason's sense of peace.

"We are all slaves to fate. You, me, him," as she gestured over to the Master.

She stepped closer to Jason, who had not moved from his place.

"His time is almost done, as he has fulfilled all that he has to do. My time is close as well, as I have a couple more tasks to do. Yours is really only barely beginning. You have a lot ahead of you, Jason Stormaton. There will be good times and there will be bad times. It will not be easy, but I know, as he knows, you are up to the task."

She walked past Jason and over to the Master.

"I'm glad you could make it," the Master spoke to her.

She smiled as she responded, "I told you I would be here."

"You were cutting it a little close, as I can feel it starting."

Jason turned to see that his Master was starting to radiate a faint blue glow.

"What is happening?"

The woman turned to Jason once again.

"Time is catching up to him."

She turned again to the Master, who was beginning to glow brighter. He looked to Jason once more.

"When the time comes, bring the one who will follow here, to train him. All you need to know to properly teach him is in that globe," as he gestured to the golden orb hovering over the obsidian dais. He then turned to the woman, his glow so bright that Jason had to turn his eyes away from it.

"One last time," he said to her.

She wrapped her arms around him and they embraced as their lips touched for one final kiss. And then, the glow faded away and as Jason turned back around and his eyes adjusted back to normal light, he saw the woman embracing thin air. Jason glanced around the room, but his Master was nowhere to be seen. The woman lower her eyes and turned to Jason once more.

"He is gone."

And she started to walk towards the portal.

"What am I suppose to do now?"

She stopped and turned towards him once more.

"It is time for you to live your own life for awhile. The one who will follow is still years away from entering your life. Live your life, but be mindful of the world around you."

Jason nodded.

"The PCU. Te's organization."

The woman nodded and then stopped and looked up at the ceiling for a moment, as if lost in thought.

"Are you alright," Jason asked.

She blinked out of it and turned to regard Jason once more.

"Just remembering the beginning. It was so long ago, yet I still remember it so clearly."

Jason stared at her puzzled.

"The beginning of what?"

The woman waved her hand as the portal in the wall opened up. She started to walk out the portal and then stopped and regarded Jason once more.

"You'll see."

And the portal closed behind her, leaving Jason standing in the middle of his Master's sanctuary.

Alone.

Jason kneeled in the middle of the rubble that was the Stonewall house, looking out into space. The image in time he had frozen had long since disappeared; yet he continued to stare at the empty space. She was here, yet her time was approaching as well she had said. Or maybe it was somebody who looked awfully like her.

Jason blinked his eyes as he stood. He regarded the ruins of the house once more. There was a mystery here he wanted to solve. A mystery that ties into other mysteries that has plagued his life. Perhaps now he would get some answers.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted some motion. He was not alone here. In one motion, he drew his gun and spun towards the motion, raising his gun towards his target. A teenager shot up behind a collapsed wall, with his hands up.

"Don't shoot," he yelled.

A lousy teenager sneaking around the rubble of a house. Typical.

"What are you doing here, son?"

The teenage boy inched out into the open. Hands still raised in the air.

"I come here sometimes. To remember."

Jason regarded the boy carefully. There was something familiar about him.

"Remember?"

The lad nodded.

"Terry. She's a girl who used to live her. Died in the explosion. I had asked her out on the day that she…"

He swallowed hard as he gestured towards Jason. Jason nodded in understanding as he lowered his weapon. He took a good look at the boy. He looked to be about eighteen, with long brown hair and wide innocent blue eyes. He wore a black Metallica t-shirt and blue jeans while wearing a black trenchcoat over it. Jason's eyes widen as he stared at the boy closely.

"Why are you staring at me like that," the young teenager asked.

Jason smiled for once in his life as he walked over to the lad.

"What's your name, son," he asked as he flipped out his badge for the kid to see.

The young man responded nervously, "Bobby."

"Bobby what?" Jason asked sternly.

"Bobby Gallagher."

Jason nodded as he stopped right before the boy. His trenchcoat whipped up as Jason raised his hand towards Bobby. Bobby started to back away nervously but froze when Jason waved his hand.

"Sleep now."

And Bobby slumped down to the ground unconscious. Jason shook his head as he walked over to the boy and picked him up. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Yet, he knew this was the course he must take. He walked over to his car and placed the unconscious Bobby into the backseat. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number.

"I found him and need transport."

He then hung up the phone and got into the car, putting out his cigarette before getting in. He was about to light another one when he stopped. He looked back at Bobby lying in the backseat. He nodded once again and started the car. His time was over. It was time to pass on the Knowledge.