As Anna sobbed into his chest he held her tight within his arms and tried to hold in his own tears back since he knew that if he broke down then they may never leave. Though a part of him did want to stay in the world they had created since it seemed so peaceful and perfect, though it may have been too perfect. Even with his thoughts going through his head he continued holding her tight until finally, she started to calm down a bit.

"I really have missed you being in my arms, even if it is a little different than the last time," Brandon said getting her to give a slight chuckle through her tears as she lightly hit him. "N-now, you ready for this?"

"N-no, e-even though it's been three years for me I-I'm still not ready to r-relive..." Anna started before trailing off looking down the hallway where he knew where the main lab was, and where the portal was as well.

"I know, I'm not either but at the same time..." Brandon started making Anna look him in the eyes.

"...we have to, I know..." Anna whispered before grabbing his hand and starting to lead him down the hall silently.

Going down the hall was very familiar to him but that didn't stop the chills going down his back with every step, and the further they walked the more noise that could be heard. First, it was the sound of their footsteps on the concrete echoing through the hall, then they could hear the whirring of electricity and machinery. Finally, they could hear other people and soon enough those voices became real, though they were now standing in front of themselves talking to the rest of their group including Frank.

Though as the two of them approached the scene froze making Brandon look at Anna who shared a sad look at the six of them before anything happened. Emily's face was unscarred, before she and Greg got together, also before Leory changed his name and before fully transitioning, and of course, there was him who had lost his memory and found a new place, last and not least Frank was still alive. This was the last time they were all together, before Franks's plan.

"I have been playing this over and over again in my head..." Anna said, her tone shaky but the anger was unmistakable. As he looked she was staring right at Frank, and he couldn't deny the anger and betrayal washed over him when he saw the scene. It felt even more fresh than before but he knew he had to keep control.

"It really has been a while for you, for me, it really only has been a year you know?" Brandon said as he stepped forward to get a closer look.

"Y-Yeah, and you found new friends and family there," Anna replied though she was firmly planted where she was.

"You also know there are some things that hadn't come back to me, at least until all this..." Brandon gestured around. "Including knowing about the different races in the world I found myself in. We were all supposed to go together in order to start diplomatic relations, it was our team's first diplomatic mission."

"We had to d-do a lot of work to get the mission, lots to prove and just like always we do we rose through the other teams to become one of the most trusted and best teams around," Anna said as she watched him look around.

"At the very least the most reliable anyways, and not one of us had any idea what Frank was capable of," Brandon said stopping and looking right at Frank himself. "This conversation, we were talking about what we would like to try from the world we were going to about to make final preparations."

"S-so, d-did you?" Anna asked finally stepping closer.

"Yeah, it was so much better than I thought it would be," Brandon said as Anna came to stand by him. She laced her hand with his, which seemed to hit the play button as the group started talking and walking again, at least until Frank started to lag behind.

"Right, he was the last one into the room," Anna said and as the two of them walked by him he faded out of existence.

When they crossed into the portal room he couldn't but gasp as he saw it again as if it was his first time seeing it. The portal device itself was about the size of the average double door but the entire wall looked like one massive computer. He shook off the shock of seeing it again and looked at the group that was standing behind a yellow line that had some kind of glass going across from floor to ceiling.

"it's just for the initial activation of the full portal for a manned mission. The portal releases a form of radiation when it's fully activated to a new world, and yet a world we had connected before won't produce nearly as much," Anna reminded him, which he really didn't it but knew it was more likely for herself.

They stood there for a good minute watching their group talk with some of the other members and scientists, and he kept his eyes firmly locked on Frank. Soon though the room was filled with a humming and everyone's attention went to the portal as it started to spark to life. The sound of gauger counters going off joined as the portal fully formed, and once it reached the edges of the frame they waited a few moments when the gauger counters stopped completely.

"Radiation is all clear!" A voice over a walkie said. "Team is clear to start moving equipment into the loading zone. First steps in fifteen!"

"Alright, you heard the lady let's get you all ready!" One of the scientists called over, though you couldn't identify who. Though the voice over the walkie was unmistakably Sally's voice since she was a leading member it only made sense.

"So, are you ready Brandon?" Brandon looked around and realized he was where his other self was standing. In front of him and who asked him the question was Frank.

"Um, y-yeah just kind of nervous a bit. This is our first mission going to a world that already has sentient species," Brandon replied making Frank give a grim nod. "You doing okay? You've been a bit distant recently."

"Oh, I'm fine... just fine," Frank said giving him a smile that didn't sit well with him before Frank started rummaging through his personnel bag. "Sorry, just gonna make sure I have everything!"

"No problem," Brandon said before going over to Anna giving her a kiss on the cheek before whispering in her ear. "I am getting a weird feeling from Frank, I don't think he really wants to go."

"I know, after the talk we had when they told us about this mission and the way he reacted. I mean we all had a similar reaction, to be honest, but his... his was the worst of us," Anna whispered looking at Frank who was now going to the door that lead to the loading zone. "Hey, would you m-mind going to keep an eye on him? I still have to check my stuff really fast, and the others won't be too far behind ."

"No problem already went through my bag. I'll see you in the loading zone," Brandon said grabbing his bag and going to the door that lead to the loading zone. "Hey Frank, you got everything?"

"Yup, but I thought you had to check your stuff?" Frank asked making him shake his head.

"Already know I have everything," Brandon said with an uneasy feeling. "So, um, listen about our talk..."

"Oh, don't worry I'm good now. I know what I have to do," Frank said in a calm tone.

"What would that be exactly?" Emily asked as she placed her bag down for the moment.

"It doesn't matter," Frank said as he started fiddling with his bag.

"It does matter Frank, no one else will say it but you've been acting different since we got this mission. I don't mean different in a good way either, you've started to exclude yourself more and more and this calm act you have going on isn't fooling anyone!" Emily quietly yelled which only got her a hard look from Frank.

"Fine, after everything we as a whole did to each other and you all just wanna open that reality to anywhere and everywhere, and for what? They're never going to release the fact that we can go to completely different worlds at a click of a button! Besides, why would we want to do to other civilizations like we did to our own or even ruin a potential sentient species from evolving into an actual civilization with its own culture just to satisfy our conscious?" Frank said and with every word he was getting more and more agitated.

"Woah, Frank you really need to go calm down now, and as of right now I am taking you off the mission," Brandon stated making Frank turn his angry gaze onto him.

"So, this isn't what I wanted to do just yet but I can tell you're serious," Frank said turning away from them and opening his bag to pull something from it.

"Frank, what are you doing?" Emily asked trying to grab his arm Frank quickly came around with a fist going into Emily's stomach before he shoved her against the glass wall.

"Emily!" Greg yelled out though before he came in, Frank who still had a hand in his bag dropped the bag clutching something.

"Stop Greg now!" Brandon yelled out and although it took a second for it to register, Anna and two other guards manage to grab Greg before he got the door to the loading area open. Once they manage to get Greg under control Brandon turned his attention back to Frank while slowly starting to move between the now-crazed man and Emily who was still doubled over in a good amount of pain. "Frank, what..."

"Oh no, you know exactly what I'm gonna do. But you know all you two had to do was take two minutes longer and then I would have gotten it where it needed to be!" Frank said in a calm even tone that didn't have any emotion in his voice.

"But..." That was when Branon finally fully realized what he was holding, a bit of a crude bomb. "Frank, I know you may not agree..."

"Brandon, both of us know very few of these situation now a days ever gets resolved peacefully. Just like we also both know that world doesn't need to be corrupted by us, I mean I was fine with exploring planets that don't have seintiant speicie. Wasn't okay with it but it was fine, but this is crossing the line!" As Frank was talking the more he started to move his hands.

"Now you know we aren't the only team here that has gone to one of these worlds..." Frank snorted at this shaking his head.

"Don't talk to me like I've suddenly gone stupid, but I was waiting for us to go, less security checking that way. Shit, if I hadn't ever showed you some of my bombs I've made before I doubt anyone else would have figured it out until to late and by that time a lockdown would be in place. Then they would have tried peace talks to at last distract me so they could at least shut the portal down, but I suppose you two just excelorated that," Frank said with that same old smirk that he got when he told a bad joke.

"So you destroy a frame, they have more and they have the resources to build more. So all you're doing right now is making yourself a target at the very least, a dead man at the very least. I would very much prefer that you actually walk out of here on your own legs," Brandon said trying to keep Franks attention on him.

"Hmm, true but this will at least put a pause on their plans as they get investigated by the government. Especially with them wanting to know how I got hold of the materials to make this, though it's not as potent as I want it..." Frank said taking a step closer to him. Brandon turned to see if he was where he wanted, between Frank and the portal.

"So, tell me, just how powerful are we talking right now?" Brandon asked, but since he knew Frank he knew that it would cause a bit of damage but keep Emily alive. He also knew she wasn't safe, but she was out of the kill zone.

"We both know what you're trying to do, and really I would have done this either way. There really was no need for you to lead me away like this, and I really do not want you here either. I really rather not hurt any of you, but make no mistake about me doing this..." As Frank was talking Brandon managed to kick some bags through the portal knowing it would most likely be his only chance.

"I understand that Frank, but you also know I have to at least try to save you. Even if there is no chance of it actually working but we all know who is in the wrong here. Because lets say nothing really happens of this investigations, then your death is meaningless. If they do find something, then you deny the innocent people that are constantly dying any chance of hope of living in any kind of peaceful life!" Brandon yelled making Frank roll his eyes.

"I do not care..." Frank said throwing the crude bomb down at his feet making Brandon react in the split second before the bomb exploded to dive towards the portal. Even though he knew the risk since it would most likely be unstable due to both the bomb and them trying to deactivate the portal, and as he got close to the portal he could feel the force of the explosion pushing him forward and the stind from the heat. Just before he entered everything stopped.

"W-we were so scared and worried about what happened to you since the portal..." Anna said as she walked over to him.

"I-I know, I remember what they told us could happen." Brandon said as he walked to meet her.

"S-so, is how you described yourself really how you look?" Anna asked making him smile.

"I'll tell you what, I will show you what I usually look like now a days if you show me yourself now as well," Brandon suggested making Anna nond in agreement. "Ok, I think you should go first, please?"

"F-fine, but just know I don't look to different," Anna said and as she closed her eyes her hair grew longer and went into a braid. Her clothes changed to be a cute little summer dress with a familiar ring on a necklace.

"That's my..." Brandon started before Anna finished.

"Mom's ring that you always carried around. It was one of the things we found after this all happened," Anna gestured to the explosion. "So, it's time to show me."

"Right," Brandon closed his eyes and could feel his wings sprouting out of his back and his clothes changing, he was now shirtless with shorts on and could hear Anna gasp.

"This is amazing!" Anna let out shaking her head. "It must have been painful growing them."

"Yes, yes it was. But I need to know, why did it take you guys so long to at least try reopening the portal?" Brandon asked even though he had an idea.

"I-it was because between the portal not being fully shut down, the explosion, and you going through it corrupted the file they had on that world. So they had to start from scratch with it, whiling continuing on after. They rebuilt the portable frame and got it working within a month, we were all cleared to got back to duty two months after that."

"But they had to work on trying to reopen the portal to the world you had gone to in secret at first until they made enough progress to get it officially approved. Though it's been slow going and a lot of testing but they are very close to establishing full contact. It's still unclear whether our team will be the ones approved to go due to all this, but we have proven ourselves and have been promised by multiple higher ups," Anna explained making Brandon nod his head.

"I figured as much..." Brandon said and looked Anna in the eyes.

"B-brandon, w-we also need to talk about us..." Anna said making him take a deep breath.

"Anna, I am not going to persuade you into something you aren't comfortable with. I will be heartbroken, but if you wish not to be with me because of my herd then I can understand..." Brandon started before Anna held up her hand.

"I-I will always love you no matter what, a-and this is not me saying we should be over. B-but I will take this time to think about everything..." Anna said as tears started streaming down her face once more. This made him come forward and locked lips with her once more.

"I will always love you too, no matter how many I have you will be at the center. No matter how many worlds apart we are, even if it's a thousand years for me I will wait for you, even if you don't come back to me," Brandon said as he broke the kiss and began walking towards the portal.

"Brandon!" Anna called as he reached the frame making him pause and turn to look at her one last time. "I... no WE, will find you and you better be as okay as you as you say you are hear me?"

"Lound and clear," Brandon said before stepping through the portal.

Author's Note

Alright guys remember to smile, smile, smile!