The Super NKOTB
by Kittie

Episode Seven - The Shadow
Written by Kittie and Sheila

"Things you can't see...?" Jonathan repeated slowly. "Maybe it does kind of make sense...."

"What are you thinking, Jon?" Danny asked, prompting Jonathan to continue with his thought.

"It's kind of a long story," Jonathan said quietly, looking only at Jordan, "And I'm not sure you want to hear it."

Jordan went very pale, and sank down into the nearest chair. "I... want to hear it."

"You've blocked it out, and you know there's a reason for that—"

"Tell me," Jordan snapped, then his face softened and he finished, "Please."

Jonathan paused for a moment, his eyes boring into Jordan's, and then nodded slightly. "All right."

December, 1976
"Jonathan, Jordan, come inside!"

Eight-year-old Jonathan heard his mother's call and turned to his younger brother. "Come on, Jordan, we have to go inside."

"I want to stay here," Jordan said, not looking over. "Mr. Man and I are making a snowman."

"There's no such thing as Mr. Man," Jonathan said, rolling his eyes. "You made him up."

"I did not!" Jordan told him, indignant. "He's my friend!"

"Oh yeah, then where is he? I don't see him."

"Jordan, Jonathan, I said to come inside," came the call again, as Marlene Putman appeared at the back door and beckoned to her sons. "Don't make me ask again!"

"He's invisible," insisted Jordan, and he turned his back on Jonathan once again. "Mr. Man, I have to go inside," he said to nothingness. "We can play later, okay?" Jonathan grabbed Jordan's arm and yanked him—a bit too hard—pulling him toward the house. Jordan let out a yelp as tears sprang to his eyes. "Ow! Mom, Jonathan's pinching me!"

"I am NOT! He won't come inside!"

"Let go of your brother, Jonathan, you should know better than that."

Jonathan's eyes narrowed and he whirled furiously on Jordan. "Fine, see if I care. Stay out here with your stupid imaginary friend and freeze to death. You're just a dumb little kid anyway!"

"Jonathan!" Marlene pushed Jonathan aside and gathered Jordan up into her arms as he burst into tears. "What has gotten into you?!"

Jonathan didn't answer, he just stomped into the house. Marlene sighed and follwed him inside, carrying Jordan. "He didn't mean it, sweetie, don't cry!" Jordan buried his face into her shoulder as she took him into the kitchen and sat him down in front of a steaming cup of hot cocoa. "Drink your cocoa."

Jordan picked up the cup and sipped carefully. The temperature was just right, and it warmed him a bit. Who cared what Jonathan said anyway, who needed him? He had a new best friend—Mr. Man.

~*~

That night, Jonathan was awakened by an odd scratching noise, coming from the window. He thought it was a tree and dismissed it. But then it came again, and was accompanied by whispering. He turned over as he heard Jordan trying to quietly sneak out of bed, and poked his head slightly out from under the covers, squinting one eye to watch Jordan without being seen.

Jordan sneakily looked around and peered at Jonathan, checking to see if he was awake. Apparently, he decided the coast was clear, for he proceeded to tiptoe to the window. There was more whispering as Jordan conferred with someone Jonathan couldn't quite see. He heard snatches of conversation, phrases like, "It's okay, come on," and "What if I get in trouble," but finally, Jordan took one last glance in his direction and climbed out of the window, shimmying down the outside wall.

Jonathan hesitated only a second, but gave Jordan a ten-count before following his brother out of the window. Once safely on the ground, he spied two shadowy figures, one tall, one small, hurrying away from the house. Jonathan had to jog to keep up.

He could see storm clouds gathering in the sky, congregating toward one spot up ahead... toward which his brother and his mysterous companion were apparently heading. He swallowed back his fear and began to close the distance between them.

As Jordan and the stranger reached a clearing in the park, Jonathan ducked behind an elm tree to watch. The clouds, teeming with lightning, swirled and gathered over their heads. Jordan shrank back, pressing closer to the stranger's side. The man merely laughed and knelt down before him, grabbing Jordan's arms.

"Ow," the child yelped, trying to pull away, "You're hurting me!"

"You won't hurt for long, Jordan," came the whispery voice of the stranger, "Soon it will be over."

"I don't like this anymore," Jordan whined, beginning to sniffle. "I wanna go home!"

"But you are home," the man snarled, and the lightning and wind picked up.

Jordan opened his mouth in an impossibly silent scream as the lightning struck.

The wind swirled around them, picking up dirt and leaves, and a dark glow exploded from Jordan's chest, penetrating the tall stranger. He threw his head back and laughed, sending chills through Jonathan's very core. He watched in stunned silence as Jordan's body slowly withered and began to slump to the ground.

"NO!" He burst out from his hiding place, tears rolling down his cheeks. The stranger's head whipped toward him, red eyes wide with shock and anger. "LET HIM GO!"

His concentration broken, the stranger dropped Jordan to the ground, where he lay unmoving. The dark glow dissipated and flew into the clouds, before a strike of lightning, somehow pitch back, shot down and struck Jordan. The child's body convulsed and he let out a sharp gasp, dark eyes flying open, tears already streaming down his cheeks.

The stranger let out a hiss and his body lifted into the air, his coat whipping around him in the winds. Jonathan gathered his brother's body into his arms and ran, not looking back. He would never know where he found the strength to return home.

The Present....
There was a palpable silence as Jonathan finished his narrative, finally broken by a choked sob from Jordan. Joe, who had been frozen to his seat, eyes wide with disbelief, immediately leapt to Jordan's side and plopped beside him, placing a comforting arm around his shoulders. "Awww hey," he said quietly, "we won't let any invisible soul-sucking vampires get you. We're the Super NKOTB, man. We can kick that nasty dude's ass."

"But...." Jordan managed, trying to hold back his tears, "We're not the NKOTB anymore. We're just us."

"Yeah," Joe agreed. "And we are buff, tuff, and ready to rumble!"

Jordan just looked at Joe, his expression clearly reading, What the hell is wrong with you?! Joe just shrugged, his face widening with a smile. "Same ol' Joe," Jordan muttered, standing on shaky legs. "Y'know Jon, you were right. I didn't want to hear it. But I guess I had to."

"You okay?" Jonathan asked, his hazel eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah," Jordan answered, letting out a shaky breath. "It just all came back to me at once.... All of it."

"Man," Donnie breathed. "Unreal."

"I wouldn't have thought it could happen," Danny added, almost to himself. He was sitting hunched over, elbows resting on his thighs, his hands folded between his knees. Then he seemed to become aware that he'd spoken aloud, and quickly turned to Jonathan, "Not that I don't believe you—" he quickly amended.

"I know." Jonathan nodded and smiled tersely. "This whole situation is pretty out there."

Jordan, who had been staring blankly out the window, turned to them, alarm settling on his features. "What if.... Mr. Man..." He shuddered involuntarily as he said the name, "...is involved in this somehow? What if he's come back?"

There was a moment of silence as the others digested this thought. Then Donnie let out a nervous snort. "No way man, he ain't in this."

"No, he couldn't be. He's gone," agreed Joe, sounding strangely uneasy.

"I wasn't suggesting that at all," Jonathan reminded them. "I was just saying that's why you were so freaked out, that's all. I didn't think you'd remember it so vividly. I thought it'd be like... just a story, ya know? I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Jordan snorted, almost angrily. "I don't think I would've expected that either."

"I dunno about you guys," Joe said, standing and stretching, "but I'm thirsty. I'm gonna go get some Coke." His body fell to the floor.

Jordan sighed, rolled his eyes, and casually spoke to the air. "Joe, you forgot your body!"

Joe's eyes suddenly flew open and he scrambled back to his feet. "Oh! Whoops, sorry. It's just a lot easier for me without my body because I'm so much lighter and I don't need to stretch when I'm out."

Jordan just stared at him. "Oh...kay." Then his face lit up. "Hey!"

"What?" the others all asked in unison.

"Hey!" he repeated, his voice rising in pitch and excitement.

"What?" They all said again.

"HEY!"

"WHAT?!"

"I'm not scared! I mean I wasn't scared! When he was... it was... cool! I mean... and I was... yeah!"

"Huh?" Donnie asked succinctly.

"I understood you completely, bro," Joe assured Jordan.

Danny gave him a look. "You would."

"I wasn't scared when he popped out!" Jordan clarified. "Nothing, not even a tiny bit!"

"Really?" Jonathan winked out of existence. "Are you scared now?"

Jordan thought about that. "NO!"

"Bitchin'!" Donnie clapped Jordan on the back. "Why the sudden change?"

"I guess because now I know why I was scared. Before it was just... a vague memory... not quite a memory... just a... half-a-memory... of a feeling...."

"I getcha," Joe assured him again.

"You would," said Jonathan.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12