(A/N: Not much has changed. Life is life and continues on.)

Chap 22 - Polaroid

(age 44-60+) / (Twins 24-40+) / (Aavi newborn-16)

EW69 to EW 83+ (31 to 17 yrs till DS1)

In the year of Aavi's birth, changes occurred for the Battleborn.

The still surviving first gen breeders started to rapidly age. Already past their usefulness as breeders, they had been shuffled off to menial positions and tasks or thrown to the front line camps. Some aged years in a matter of a few weeks, others took months before they looked old. A few aged so rapidly they died within days. Even the oldest surviving humans looked young in comparison. The second gen breeder fertility rate dropped by half that same year. The same went for the third and fourth gen breeders, though not as bad. All in all the breeding program for the Battleborn had major wrenches thrown into the works and none of the humans could figure out why.

For Tika, things changed on a personal level. Not only was Aavi her first child, he was her only child. When it was decided she had she recovered enough to be brought out of the coma it was also discovered she had lost her healing abilities. She still had her medical knowledge and skills, she just couldn't accelerate the healing process anymore. Once Aavi was considered old enough to be put in the nursery with others his age, Tika was reassigned to front line medic duty. Either by chance or design, she was assigned to the same squad as Xaxu, Kaop and Erin.

Over the next few years, the focus shifted from the almost exclusive use of breeders to allowing all female Battleborn the chance to procreate. In fact it was highly encouraged for them to do so when fertility rates in the breeders dropped even further. New regulations and practices were put into place where all pregnant Battleborn were reassigned as 'Home Guard' until after they gave birth. The large nurseries were also downsized, encouraging the building of 'family units' amongst the Battleborn. It was discovered that many offspring learned faster from their parents than they did from the system previously used.

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At the age of five, Aavi officially entered into training with all the other offspring born in the same year. Already multi-lingual, he picked up languages like Vulgrim sucking down souls. He was considered average and on par with his year mates in everything else they were trained in. The only notable exceptions besides languages was in first aid and weapon accuracy.

Strife couldn't be prouder. His son was following the path of a ranged fighter. It was evident even at this young age that his son was was highly skilled with ranged weapons. Though not the norm amongst Battleborn, it was a trait of a Nephilim. By the time a nephilim had reached his son's age, they had already chosen their weapon type and combat style. He wasn't even disappointed when his son showed preference to archery instead of guns.

Like with his partner, Mayhem was a good blend of both his parents. He was fast like his dam and was good at getting into the middle of things like his sire even though he looked more like Rampage than he did Grief. As he grew, so did his gear. He was also quite notorious for causing trouble so it wasn't uncommon to see him being chased around the fields by other phantom horses or even his parents. But for all that, he wasn't a bad horse, he was just bored. When his partner had free time, it was almost always spent together. It was not uncommon when everyone was free at the same time, to find them all together riding.

That was something else Strife was proud of Aavi for. His horsemanship. Even the Horsemaster agreed that the boy was a natural. It was like the child became a burr that wouldn't come loose when he was astride Mayhem. Something that in later years, would be a must if he wanted to survive any type of mounted combat.

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By the time Aavi was eight he was almost as tall as his mother. And he looked a lot like his father with his spiky dark hair, yellow-gold eyes and playful grin. He also inherited the nephilim blood lust but that was tempered by his mother's somewhat easier going nature. Unfortunately that easy-going jokester attitude got him into trouble almost constantly with any angelic instructor he had, no matter the subject. It didn't help that he would stand up to said instructors when they started bullying other kids in the group. Add to it, a child's pride and insecurities which kept him from saying anything. After all, his father was a great fighter the same as his elder sister. His mother wasn't too shabby either. And often months would go by before he saw either his parents or sister due to them being deployed to the front lines.

It was only by chance that Xaxu discovered what was going on with Aavi and the instructors. She had returned back to base early as part of the escort for those seriously wounded in the latest skirmishes and when she entered the infirmary, she found him getting looked over by one of the healers. "Healer, Aavi," she said in greeting. She didn't ask what was wrong or what happened, she'd find out in time with a little coaxing and plenty of patience. Turns out she didn't need to.

"Stormcrow Xaxu," the healer replied in a greeting of his own. "Good. Now I don't have to stay quiet," he said giving Aavi a look.

Xaxu raised an eyebrow at the healer's comment. When she looked at Aavi, the boy looked embarrassed as well as sulky. "I see… how long?"

Aavi looked away and mumbled something.

"What was that?"

The boy heaved a mulish sigh then spoke up. "I said almost a year."

"Ummhmm.. Healer?" Xaxu asked.

The male shrugged. "Can't say but it was bad enough he started coming in about six months ago. And no I didn't leave the curtain open. I said close it, which you didn't therefore it's your own fault she found out. Not mine, so stop giving me that look youngling."

Xaxu pulled her helmet off then ran a hand through her hair, absently noting as she did, that it needed to be cut again. "Alright Aavi, I'll find you once I'm finished with my reports. We'll talk then. Ok?"

Strife's son nodded, still moody at having been found out.

"Good," Xaxu said once she was satisfied that her little brother was being honest. "And Aavi? It's good to see you again brother." She gave him a one armed hug before leaving. When she was finally done with all the briefings, reports, additional reports and briefs it was much later than she expected. Which meant the bunkhouse turned 'family' quarters had not had a chance to be opened up, aired out and provisioned. Arriving at the bunkhouse, she found all the once shuttered windows wide open and a small lamp flickering dimly on the table. Able to see perfectly in extremely low light, the lamp was more of a courtesy than a requirement to navigate the room. After blowing out the lamp, she made her way up the stairs to the second floor to where her and Aavi's rooms were located. She found him sprawled out on his cot sound asleep. She shook her head at the sight then headed to her own cot for some rest.

Both were up and ready for the day by the time the sun rose the next morning. On their way to the stables, after he asked she let him carry her helmet (and wear it for a few).

"One day brother, you'll have one of your own," Xaxu said.

"Can I pick the color?" Aavi asked as he turned this way and that, finding everything he looked at sharper and clearer than he'd ever seen.

Xaxu laughed. "At first, no. But once you go up in ranks then you'll be able to personalize your gear piece by piece. Still plan on using a bow?"

Aavi slowed then removed the helmet. He looked down and kicked at the dirt. "Not you too," he mumbled.

Seeing as they had reached the stable, Xaxu reclaimed her helmet but didn't put it on. "Me too what?" she asked as she waved a greeting to the Horsemaster. "Did papa say something before we left this last time?" she continued.

The boy heaved a huge sigh and kicked at the dirt again. "No.. but everyone says I'm dishonoring him by not using a gun or rifle."

"Everyone?" Xaxu prompted.

"Well.. all the angle instructors…." he said. "And I don't like guns. They don't feel right," he added. "Papa's guns feel all… old and mad and grumbly and jealous and.. .. I don't know, they just feel wrong for me. Like they're only letting me fire them because of Papa and that if he wasn't around, I don't know..."

Xaxu paused at her brother's words. This was the first time she was hearing anything about how the weapons felt or reacted. "And mine?" she asked as she tilted her head in thought.

Aavi looked at his sister a moment then away. He'd mentioned it to one of the instructors earlier in the year that the weapons they were learning with felt strange and that was when all the trouble started happening. As if they were trying to prove him wrong and prove to everyone else along the way as well. Including himself. He looked back then held out his hands.

Xaxu unholstered Hope and Vindication but only let Aavi hold one at a time. Not that she didn't trust him with her guns but they were a lot like their papa's guns. Heavy and awkward in unwanted hands.

"Hope is green? Like a fresh new piece of wood. And Vinny is.. Arrogant, like Instructor Laslyia. They're both excited but scared of not being good enough…"

"Laslyia? Arrogant? Noo… can't be. He's too full of himself to be arrogant. Miss lady fancy pants himself can't be arrogant," Xaxu commented as she reholstered her weapons. The serious expression just didn't look right on her little brother's face. Her ploy worked as the boy started giggling. "Just don't call him that unless I'm around ok?"

"Ok," Aavi said still giggling which turned it into a funny snort that got him laughing again.

Grinning, Xaxu grabbed Aavi and pulled him into a hug. "There's my little brother. Ok change of plans then. You go get Mayhem and I'll see if Rampage wants to head out again. Meet you at the mess hall. Ok?"

Still giggling Aavi nodded. "Ok."

On the way to the mess hall, Xaxu stopped by the bunkhouse to leave a message for Strife and Tika. From there she headed to the training area in order to locate the officer in charge of Battleborn younglings. Once she found him she informed him that she was taking Aavi with her to the Makers forge for a few days. He grumbled a bit but was satisfied when she offered to assist during training even though she was off duty for the next month. She also managed to wheedle a transit pass for the two of them. It would allow them to use the transit portal to Atlanta and from there it was only about an hour or so ride to the Maker's.

The area the pair arrived at wasn't in Atlanta but on the outskirts where the Battleborn were stationed along with the farms, stables and 'undesirables' were located. Anything that clashed with the human's sense of 'safe haven' was usually considered 'undesirable'; smithys, slaughterhouses, crematoriums for the Battleborn (humans had their own located elsewhere), and practice fields were such examples. Small shops that specializes in everything from weapon and armor upgrades, to items acquired from the battlefields (sometimes while the victim was still alive), were scattered throughout the area as well. It was into one of these shops that Xaxu took Aavi.

"Look around but be careful," Xaxu said as she headed to the counter. She had a few Runes that were well seasoned that she was ready to pass on. Her Runes were often sought after by those on the front lines. Wreath Lightnings, Hellfires and Abyssal Ice Runes were all favorites of the melee fighters while the Deadeye Rune was loved by those that used ranged weapons. She crafted others but those four were the most popular ones.

As his sister bartered with the merchant, Aavi wondered the shop looking at all the weapons, both familiar and strange. He found a few weapons that, to him at least, radiated almost pure emotions: hatred for the living, hunger for blood or souls, a mad joy for causing agony and destruction. But he also found one weapon, a longbow of angelic design, that drew his attention like a moth to a flame. Soft tittering ghosted across his senses like playful sprite as soon as he touched the grip.

"Found something?" Xaxu asked as she placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, causing him to startle.

Aavi almost jumped out of his skin when he was touched. He did drop the bow but quickly caught it before it could hit the ground. "Huh? Uh.. yeah… I.." He swallowed as he clutched the bow close to his chest. "Please?"

Xaxu looked at the bow then her brother's face then back. She reached out then ran her hand over the bow without actually touching it. She didn't sense anything out of the ordinary about the bow but she sure as Hell could feel the other possessed weapons. "We'll take the bow," she said giving Aavi a wink.

The youngling blew out the breath he'd been holding, almost giddy with relief.

Hours later, the pair arrived at the Maker's forge. Aavi was still clutching the bow to his chest as if it would vanish the moment he let go. Xaxu shook her head in amusement but didn't bother saying anything about it. Afterall she had Mercy for a few years before it did up and vanish on her one day, so there was a possibility. Strife and Tika arrived the next day.

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The Horseman had his right arm bent close to his chest and was limping just enough to be noticed. He waved a greeting to the pair of Makers before sitting down with a groan on one of the stone benches lining the forge walls.

"What happened?" Xaxu asked as her eyes took in the sight before her.

"Nothing-"

"Fiend fire," Tika stated.

"Why didn't you call me back!"

"It was already dead by the time anyone thought to put in a call. Took the bastard down before it realized I was even there," Strife bragged.

Tika snorted as she sat down next to Strife to check the worst of his injuries. "And got yourself pretty well crisped for it too," she said. "This was still raw and oozing this morning. Last night it was even worse," she commented as she gestured to Strife's right arm and side.

Strife just waved it off. "Yeah yeah…it'll be healed up completely by later tonight or tomorrow." Oh how he missed the near instant healing he had before the Council stripped him of everything they gave.

Nessa, the female Maker just tisked. "And I'll be betting you're gonna need new armor too."

"Well….. About that…."

Rodgort snorted as he checked the progress of one of his apprentices. "I'll not be taking that bet," he muttered. "Was any of it salvable? We might have access to adamantian but oblivion ore is almost impossible to find. Not unless you go hunting down demons that is."

"Maybe Vulgrim has some?" Strife asked. After several long seconds of silence he spoke up again. "Ok it was a long shot."

"Aye."

"Papa! Mama!"

"Hey kiddo," Strife answered back with a grin that turned into a wince when Aavi piled in between him and Tika. "Oof.. easy there kiddo," he said.

Aavi pulled back from his papa and frowned as he looked him over. "You're hurt." It was an accusation that his papa was not invincible like he thought. "You're not suppose to get hurt."

Xaxu decided it was better not to razz Strife for getting injured. They'd come up against a fiend one other time and it wasn't an easy fight. No one was left uninjured after that encounter. "Any clue as to who may have called it up?"

"Not yet."

Xaxu just nodded then decided to change the topic. "Aavi, go get your new weapon to show papa."

"Ok!" Aavi scrambled out from between his parents in order to go retrieve the bow he got the day before.

Strife winced but otherwise not a sound came from him as his son managed to somehow find the most tender part of his wounds. "Don't give me that look, I'll be fine. And seriously there was no time to get a call through. It popped up in the middle of the nearly empty camp."

Xaxu sighed. "How many were lost?" she asked.

"None," Tika said.

"Yeah, we didn't lose a single person."

"How?"

"Whoever brought that fiend up must have taken it by surprise 'cause it was most definitely confused as to where in Hell it was. Everyone scattered out of it's range and started peppering it with rifle fire. Hellfire runes were useless against, just to let you know."

"Well duh. Kinda figured that," Xaxu quipped back.

Before they could continue Aavi came bounding back with his new bow in hand. He hesitated just a smig before holding it out for his papa to see. And like he had done the day before, he held his breath as he waited for his papa's reaction.

Strife let out a low whistle. "That is a nice one kiddo. May I?" he asked holding out a hand. "Hmm.. where's the- Whoa!.. Ow ow… that stung!" He juggled the bow between his hands for several moments before he settled his grip. "Play nice," he muttered to the bow before he tentatively ran a finger along the body of the weapon. "Oh yeah son, this is going to be a really nice weapon once it wakes up fully." He held it back out for his son to take.

Aavi started to reach out and grab his bow back when his papa uncharastically started fumbling it. His sister's hand on his shoulder stopped him though. He waited anxiously until it was held back out for him to take. He barely refrained from snatching it out of his papa's hands.

"Thought so," Nessa commented as she and Rodgort joined the group.

"What do you mean?" Aavi asked looking up at the Makers then to his papa.

"When a special weapon is forged or crafted, a spark of not-quite life is imbued into it. If the wielder of the weapon has it long enough then the weapon 'wakes up' as it were. It's not sentient, but it's not a lifeless object either," Rodgort explained.

"Is that why your guns are so grumbly when I tried to use them papa?" Aavi asked.

"Uh?" This was the first time Strife had heard anything about Mercy and Redemption being 'grumbly'

Xaxu laughed at Strife's puzzled expression. "Don't feel bad, mine are a bit new to things. Turns out Aavi here can get a sense on weapons."

"Not all of em. Just some of em," the boy said, a bit embarrassed.

Rodgort let out a chuckle. "That's a fair impressive gift boy, don't be thinking otherwise. Now why don't you take your weapon and go show you're da what you can do with it," the Maker suggested.

"That's a great idea," Strife said in agreement as he stood up. "Come on kiddo, let's go."

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Over the next few years, Aavi would face the accusation that his bow was what gave him his skills in archery, not hard work and long hours of practice. He'd be challenged by other Battleborn who also used archery to contests of skills. When it happened he set aside Pharus and either use one of the common practice bows or whatever bow his challenger chose for him. If they gave him a damaged weapon he'd call them out on it then have one of the spectators pick one for him. Every single time he would prove them wrong. He became good enough that some of the Angels who also used bows took interest.

By the time Aavi was twelve, he was in the Home Guard like all the younglings and pregnant females. Very rarely were they called upon to deal with any type of incursions. Sentry duty, messenger detail, KP duty and general patrol was the normal during the first year for those in the Home Guard. By his second year in the HG, he was patrolling the small villages and farms that surrounded Atlanta. It was during this time that he acquired his second companion.

Aavi was riding the outer farm land when a crow, as big as Dust but younger looking, landed on his shoulder. "Uh.. Hi?" he asked having to lean his head to the side as he turned to look at the bird.

"Hi!" the crow responded then bobbed its head before hopping down on the saddle and turning around so it faced the boy. Turning its head this way and that as it looked him over, it bobbed its head again. "Mine!"

"Excuse me?" Aavi asked in surprise.

"Mine!" the crow said again before doing a hop-flap to land on the other shoulder this time.

Aavi grinned. "Am I?" he asked the crow.

"Yes! Mine! Mine! Mine!" Each time it said 'mine' it got louder and louder.

Aavi looked around as field workers stopped what they were doing to look at him and the crow. "Shhh! I get it. I'm yours. Now quiet down Rowdy." A faint connection had already formed between the two, that was how he knew the crow's name and that it was a young male with a perchance of pranks and troublemaking. Much like himself.

The crow stopped and cocked its head to the side then murmured a coo as it sidled up closer to the boy's head and started preening his hair.

The rest of the patrol went as normal as ever. Most everyone ignored the bird and those that didn't… well it greatly depended upon how they acted towards both the boy and the bird as to how Rowdy acted. If a person's actions were on the positive side, Rowdy would puff up and preen, act the fool, do stuff that would in general get laughs and smiles. If the person acted negatively they experienced the ire of not only Rowdy but any and every other crow in the vicinity until either an apology was given or a truce declared.

Elsewhere on one of the more active battlefronts, Xaxu also acquired a crow as a companion. This one was just as large and just as old as Dust but its feathers looked like they were covered in a very fine dusting of ash. The pair had a psychic connection that was almost the same as the one between Dust and Death. She could get general impressions and snippets of what the crow was seeing and hearing when needed. From that point on Dust stuck with Strife, much to the Horseman's annoyance.

At some point in the far future, Death would visit the Crowfather who was still at the Well of Souls and question the old one about it. The Crowfather would just smile and admit that the crows bonded to Strife's descendants had all evolved past even his expectations. The old one would then turn the tables on the Firstborn Nephilim and ask if he was envious of Strife and the life he had gained beyond the Horseman. Death would, of course, refuse to answer and stalk away as the Crowfather and his birds laughed in amusement.

But that was the future. In the present, another four years had passed.

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At sixteen, Aavi was now as tall, if not taller than his sister Xaxu and he still had a few more years of growth ahead of him. He also looked so much like his papa that it could no longer be denied that he was the son of Strife. His connection to Rowdy, his crow, had mature so now he could see through the crow's eyes just like Xaxu could with Ash. As for his bow, it was more awake than when he got it but it still wasn't fully awake yet.

By now, Aavi had been transferred from the Home Guard to a battlefront division. He was supposed to have been deployed with the rest of his yearmates but instead, he was one of a handful that had been given a special assignment. He would be going with the Vatican City envoy's entourage where he would be guarding the Atlanta embassy. From what little information he'd acquired, it was considered something of a joke assignment more along the lines of a demotion than anything else. The embassy was in the heart of a human survivors city dominated by Angels. There would be nothing to do except stand guard duty, patrol the embassy and escort the ambassador whenever he had meetings outside of the embassy.

"Remember what I said. Don't be fooled by those pretty white wings. Angels are just as bad as Demons when it comes to their attitudes towards anyone they think beneath them," Strife warned for what seemed to be the hundredth time since finding out about his son's assignment.

Aavi rolled his eyes. "I get it papa. Really I do."

"I'll hold you to it kiddo," Strife replied then held out his arms. "Now come 'ere." Strife was not at all embarrassed or afraid to show physical affection to those he held close. "Not gonna lie. I'll miss you."

Aavi wrapped his arms around his papa in a hug and stayed there. "I'll miss you too," he said.

"Already said goodbye to your mom and sis?"

Aavi nodded then loosened his grip.

Strife held on for another minute before letting his son go. "Another thing, if you get into trouble and need help, do Not hesitate to send that pain in the ass crow of you're. Me, your mom and sis will do our damnedest to get to you. Even if we have to get the Makers to make a reflection pool to get there by. You know they'd do it too."

The young male chuckled. "Yeah I know they'd do it. And I bet uncle Mik and 'aunt' Mal would join you guys too, just for something to do." He was referring to Mikeal, the long time Fallen friend of the family and new comer, Malakai, a risen demoness that his papa and sis ran into a few times before he'd been born.

Strife laughed as he stepped back. "Yeah that sounds like 'em. Love ya kiddo. Be careful."

Aavi smiled, "I will papa." He stepped back and turned, grabbing his pack and his bow as he headed out to join up with the others also assigned embassy duty.

From his perch on the back of a chair, Dust cawed.

"I am not crying you damned feather duster," Strife retorted.