The Invincible Hero 2 Two Years

The shock was written all over her face, Mary was holding hands and flying through the sky with the Invincible Hero, but what about Lorne? What happened to Lorne?

"Where's Lorne?" Mary timidly asked. She had already forgotten she was flying through the sky. Right now the missing Lorne and the present hero were more shocking to her than her intense phobia of heights.

"I'm right here Mary." Lorne smiled warmly.

"Dr. Lorne Longoak is me but the Invincible Hero is also me," Lorne explained gently.

"I don't understand." Mary persisted.

Lorne sighed to himself, 'such a smart girl but I guess the shock is just too much for her. I thought she would find this an exciting surprise. Still, it makes me happy that she is so concerned for me.' Lorne thought to himself.

"Mary, you should know most superheroes have alternate ident.i.ties. Lorne is my alternate ident.i.ty." Lorne explained again.

Mary suddenly realized she was being stubbornly foolish. It was obvious what the Invincible Hero...no, Lorne was telling her was true. She was just too shocked. Mary calmed her mind and after a few breaths she looked back at Lorne with a smile and said:

"I suppose you want to talk about this; I would feel more at ease discussing this on the ground. To be honest, I'm about to freak out, I'm scared of heights and I don't see anything below me." Mary said as calmly as possible, however, intense terror had overtaken her eyes as tears began to form.

"Oh, I had no idea, I"ll land right away!" Lorne said.

The pair landed in the clearing of a forest. Mary started to calm down once her feet touched the ground. Lorne smiled apologetically at her. It had never occurred to him she might be scared of heights.

Using his laser vision, Lorne cut down a tree and quickly used its wood to create table and chairs for the pair. He also built a fire.

"Lorne," Mary said.

"Yes?" Lorne responded.

"I'm not used to this face of yours, could you change back to the Lorne I know?" Mary asked.

"Oh...of course!" Lorne immediately changed his body shape and facial features to look like Dr. Longoak once more. However, he still remained in his super suit.

"You wouldn't happen to have regular clothes would you?" Mary asked.

Lorne realized he hadn't thought this through. Before Mary's eyes, Lorne blurred slightly and he was now in his regular clothing. Lorne had flown back home, changed clothes and flown back. He also picked up some snacks for the pair to enjoy as they talked.

"Better?" Lorne asked.

"Much," Mary said with a slight smile.

Things were awkward between the two for a few minutes. The pair simply sat in their chairs quietly looking up at the stars. Eventually, the two got lost looking into the sky above.

"I come from up there." Lorne finally said.

"The sky?" Mary asked.

"Yes, I'm not from this world. Before I was born my parents left our planet Zimwer and moved to Earth. They always told me they wanted the quiet life. They were on vacation and Earth seemed like a nice place to spend some time." Lorne said.

"Really? Your parents sound very carefree." Mary said.

"That's what I used to think as well," Lorne said.

"Used to?" Mary asked.

"Hmn. I found out recently that they were on the run. It turns out that on our planet of Zimwer we were royalty. There was a coup and my family fled for their lives to Earth." Lorne said.

"That's terrible! You just discovered this?" Mary asked.

Yes, I found out today in fact, just a few hours before our date." Lorne let out a loud sigh.

"Mary, I told you this morning how I felt you were special from the very beginning. After you agreed to the date I was so excited. I imagined many things. I thought we could slowly draw closer together. I would wait until we dated a while, maybe until we were engaged and then I would share my secret with you.

However, I found out a few hours ago I don't have such a luxury. I'll never get to know you, we'll never get married. We'll never have a family. I had such high hopes." Lorne said.

Mary was feeling overwhelmed but finally, she was able to ask, "Why not, why aren't those dreams possible now?"

"The people who chased us from Zimwer found us. They'll be here in two years. If we leave the Earth then they'll destroy the Earth. As powerful as I am, the truth is I am considered very weak by my people's standards. There's almost no hope my parents and I will survive." Lorne said.

Mary was very startled and felt as if her heart were breaking. She never knew just how much she hoped things would go well with Lorne. It was at this moment when she found out Lorne likely had just two years to live left that she began to panic.

"Lorne, it might sound crazy, but I don't want to be without you. I think I love you." Mary said.

Lorne was startled and happy inside but grim determination soon took over.

"Mary, there's no future being with me as I'll probably be dead in two years. This isn't a burden I can ask you to bare.

"It's a burden I'm willing to bare Lorne. Don't throw me away, don't try to protect me from your fate. Isn't there two years? Can't we be together during the time you have left?"

"Mary, what are you saying?" Lorne asked.

"I think...I think I'm asking you to marry me." As Mary said the words she couldn't help but let out a giggle.

Lorne was really surprised but suddenly he realized this was something he wanted. He wanted it more than anything, and to his mind, this was the first thing he had ever wanted anything.

"Then let's do it, let's get married!" Lorne said. The new couple looked at each other and started laughing. Sweet tears flowed gently from Mary's eyes. Without either of them expecting it, they suddenly found who they were looking for. Even though their time together would be limited they knew they would treasure it. At this moment, all they could think about was the other person before them.

A week after Mary and Lorne talked in the woods they were married. Since Lorne and his parents didn't believe they would survive the upcoming storm, Lorne decided to dispense with the alter ego. The wedding was attended by all the great leaders and heroes of Earth. Even regular humans like the staff at the Museum and their supporters attended. Even Marcia Mathews attended. She was so upset that the man she loved, The Invincible Hero had disguised himself so well. How many times had she talked with the una.s.suming, geeky Dr. Longoak?

Marcia was upset, but mainly she was deeply sad. Not only did she lose out on the man of her dreams; she had learned through the back channels Lorne was more than likely going to die in about two years. If she couldn't have this man, at least she wished he would have a happy life. Lorne's impending death broke her heart even more.

On a happier note, Mary's family attended the wedding and caused an even greater stir than all of the celebrities and heroes in attendance. Mary's humble human origins painted her as a Cinderella type protagonist. A common girl married into royalty. Unexpectedly Mary's Cinderella story caused a fanatical sensation about Mary and her family across the world.

The fanatical interest in all things Hubbs prompted the release of a Hubbs line of toys. Mary Hubbs was dubbed Maid Marion and came with an action smash archeological hammer. Her father Arnie Hubbs' action figure was dressed up as a circus performer and dubbed Arnie the Karnie. Mary's mother Phylis was called Momma Luv and she came with funky 70's wear...for some reason. Finally, Mary's brother Harvey Hubbs was called Harvey the RV. The Harvey toy came with his own RV which transformed into battle armor. The craziness over the Hubbs was dubbed the Hubbs Hysteria.

The j.a.panese created an anime series called Sensēshonaruna Habusu wa Subete o Seif.u.ku Suru No Ga Daisuki or in English: "The Sensational Hubbs: Love conquers all." All of the Hubbs appeared in their toy version selves in the anime. There was also a small cute squishy character that Mary would often hold in her arms.

In the anime, instead of living in America, the family lived in a small apartment in j.a.pan. The Invincible Hero would drop by from time to time to show off his award-winning smile. The intro to the show had Mary walking alone looking longingly into the sky as a sudden flash of the Invincible Hero would show up through the intro from time to time as if saying: "Yes, I'm saving the world, but my heart is always with you." As it turned out those were some of the lyrics of the anime song. The anime and its song was an international hit.

No one could explain the Hubbs Hysteria and it was eventually agreed that no one should.

A year after Lorne and Mary were married they welcomed twins into the world. The twins were a boy and a girl. The boy was named Peter Allen Longoak and the little girl was named Georgiana Alaina Longoak. Everyone was so proud about the birth of the twins. It was decided the birth of the twins would be kept a secret. Afterall, they were also survivors of the royal family and the children had to be hidden.

The Longoaks and Hubbs retreated from public life. There was only another year until the Usurpers arrived. Lorne was slowly preparing himself.

***

One evening, Lorne's parents called Lorne to meet with them at their Jupiter home. Lorne arrived and saw his parents looking very proud.

"Lorne, I have something for you." Lorne's father said.

"He built it himself!" Lorne's mother cried excitedly.

"Follow me to the lab." Lorne's father said.

Lorne followed his parents to his father's lab. What could his father have made for him? Lorne was extremely curious. It was rare for Lorne's father to share his inventions with his son. Now, his father had created something just for him.

The Longoaks walked into the lab and noticed in the center of the main lab a table with an object mysteriously enshrouded by an oversized sheet. Lorne tried to peak using his Ridarn vision but found his vision blocked. Wow, his vision was blocked! This was the first time anything was able to block his vision. Lorne's curiosity and excitement grew.

"Did you try to look through the sheet?" Loren's father asked with a smile.

"You caught me, Dad." Lorne smiled back.

"I told you he would try to peek! HaHa, I may be getting old but I know all about you and your shenanigans boy." Lorne's father said, clearly pleased with himself.

"Lorne, in just under a year we are likely to face a crisis so immense it will probably end our family which ruled for millions of years." Lorne's father began.

"Millions of years!" Lorne cried out.

"Yes, yes, yes, try not to get distracted by small matters. Don't interrupt me again, I'm building up to the big reveal." Lorne's father commanded.

Millions of years was a small matter? Lorne understood he couldn't judge the affairs of Zimwer, his home planet, as he would judge affairs on Earth. However, to think things operated under such an exaggerated scale! Lorne couldn't believe it. How long was the longest ruling human Empire? The Roman Empire lasted for a thousand years and that was including Rome's ma.s.s conversion to the Church.

Thinking of a kingdom ruling for a million years was startling enough, but to realize the kingdom had been ruled by the same family line? The whole thing sounded absurd. The only way Lorne could imagine such a thing working is if the rulers were somehow able to extend their lives far beyond the human norms. For example, if each ruler lived to be one hundred thousand years old then this million year dynasty would only have ten rulers. This seemed more realistic as the older the family became the larger and more political the family became.

Lorne had lived his life as a historian and archaeologist. He knew how fragile politics could make even an aristocratic family line. This information was completely unbelievable. Perhaps living on Earth had skewed his notion of what was and wasn't possible. As the Chinese might say, he had been a frog at the bottom of a well seeing only a small part of the sky.

Noticing his son lost in thought, his father stood next to the table looking perturbed as he held onto the sheet. This was a big moment, it was "THE BIG REVEAL," but his son was lost thinking about silly little things like the length of their rule.

Lorne finally sensed his father staring at him, getting more and more annoyed.

"Sorry Dad," Lorne apologized immediately, giving his full attention to his father and pus.h.i.+ng all other matters aside.

"As I was saying, there's a big crisis just over the horizon. It's coming for us and we can't run. We have to fight. There's one problem with us fighting. Do you know what it is?" Lorne's father asked.

A number of possible difficulties ran through Lorne's mind, there were the numbers of soldiers on those ma.s.sive wars.h.i.+ps, the weapons of the wars.h.i.+ps...there were a lot of problems that they were facing how was he supposed to know which problem his father was the most concerned about.

Lorne's mother helped move things back to his father,

"Your father is referring to how weak you are." his mother whispered.

"I'm weak?" Lorne asked.

"Yes, exactly, you're weak. The soldiers on those s.h.i.+ps could destroy you with a sneeze!" Lorne's father excitedly yelled.

"That's why we are here today. I have created something for you that can give you a fighting chance. I present to you! BS42!!!"

Lorne's father suddenly threw away the sheet to reveal a silver tubed object that was tapered at both sides. The cylindrical object was about a meter long and silent as the grave. Lorne's eyes grew wide when he beheld this thing. His Ridarn vision was blocked by the object. All he could tell about the object is what he could see. "Is it a missile?" He wondered.

"Dad...what is it?" Lorne asked breathlessly.

"I told you...it's BS42." Lorne's father said.

"..."

"I get that, but what is BS42, what does it do?" Lorne asked again.

"What does it do? My boy this is the finest Warbox I have ever designed!" Lorne's father was extremely excited. It was clear that he was proud of his invention.

"How does it work?" Lorne asked.

"Just put a finger or thumb on the micro-node. I've already programmed it with your unique genetic signature."

Lorne did as instructed by his father. The Warbox which moments before sat there was now changing. The bottom of the Warbox opened and four quarter cylinders extended out. Each quarter cylinder angled itself at forty-five degrees. The middle third of the Warbox had two sections extending out from the second section were cylinders forming arms. Finally, the head came out of the top. At the top of the head, seven pistons pushed out what seemed to be a crown. The eyes on the head began to glow softly with a gentle blue color.

"Greetings young lord," BS42 said to Lorne as it made a slight bow of its head.

"It's a robot?!" Lorne asked.

Lorne's father was completely annoyed.

"It's not a robot it's a Warbox!" Lorne's' father insisted.

"What's a Warbox?" Lorne asked his father. He knew once his father had gone stubborn; talking to him was extremely difficult.

"A Warbox is a training machine. It contains fighting skills and techniques, options for sparring, the ability to a.n.a.lyze, advise, and guide a person's training regimen. It can also a.n.a.lyze the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy. If there is a path to victory, the Warbox can find that path. The Warbox also has a dimensional storage capacity allowing you to store anything you would like.

This particular Warbox is even better than the ones on our homeworld. It has an ultradvanced A.I. system, power synthesis system, and a temporal gate function. This last function will allow you to enter a gate into the Lost Time Zone to face warriors of different planets and time periods. Even warriors from our world can be found there. This Warbox can train a kitten into a King." Lorne's father finished his overview of the Warbox.

"It also has several other abilities such as camouflage. Over time you'll learn all of its uses." Lorne's mother added.

"The problem is one of time. This Warbox can help you increase your strength. However, I don't know if the time we have left until the Usurpers get here is enough." Lorne's father worried.

"Why didn't you give me this earlier, I could have been training with it several years ago!" Lorne complained.

Lorne's father's eyes narrowed. He was extremely angry.

"I didn't know the Usurpers would find us. There were no threats to us on this planet so even if I finished it sooner I doubt you would have used the Warbox much as you prefer digging in the dirt than improving your strength!" Lorne's father responded.

"I'm sorry Dad, but I had no idea my strength could be improved. You never said anything about it. You never told me we were on the run for our lives. You always said you were on holiday!" Lorne finally lets out some of the resentment in his heart. His parents knew this scenario could have occurred, but they never said anything. To them, there was nothing to worry about.

Now, right when he found some meaning in his life a deadly disaster appears catching his parents unawares! Lorne was so upset with his parents he didn't know what to do. He loved his parents and didn't want to hurt them, but it seemed like they intentionally doomed themselves and Lorne!

Lorne's mother stepped forward to be the peacemaker.

"Lorne, honey it really was a surprise that the Usurpers could find us in such an obscure place."

"I'm sorry Mom, Dad. I don't mean to attack you. I know it's not your fault. It's just, I finally have everything I want, a family. I have two beautiful children and a loving wife and two loving parents." Lorne said.

Lorne's father gave him a complicated look, "We do love you son no matter what happens, we truly love you too."

Lorne felt much better and gave his parents a hug.

"Now back to this Warbox, can it fight or is it just for training?" Lorne asked.

"It can fight if necessary. It's main purpose though is to train you. However, if you ever find yourself in deadly peril it will automatically enter guardian mode." Lorne's father said as he looked at the silver Warbox robot now floating near him.

"BS42 is an odd name, why did you name it this?" Lorne asked.

"My son, you have many questions. I'm sure those questions stretch outwards towards infinity. What's the purpose of life, the universe...everything? The answer is 42, but 42 is a BS answer because you only know how to ask BS questions. If you truly wish to go far in life you must learn to ask good and relevant questions.

I've read every paper you've ever written that includes those books you wrote. All I can say is "Thank G.o.d your Grandfather hasn't read those things. You're such an academic. You ask and tackle boring and uninteresting questions in your writings about history and archaeology and then you give BS answers to your BS questions. All those "enemies" you defeated. It was really just your brute strength that defeated them. If you had been on equal footing with them, you would have been crushed to death long ago. You're like a blind bull in a china closet. Even worse, you pat yourself on the back for your "accomplishments."

Have you ever really asked the right questions? This lazy thinking habit of yours is going to cause you to fall one day soon. You'll fall suddenly and never know what happened until it's too late. You'll never see it coming. I can only hope this Warbox I've built for you can help guide you so you're not so surprised by life in the future.

Oh well, it doesn't matter, all I really ask of you is to work hard. We have less than a year left. I hope we aren't vaporized." Lorne's father concluded. After finis.h.i.+ng his statement, Lorne's father turned around and walked off to another part of his Jupiter home. Lorne's mother quickly followed leaving Lorne, by himself with the floating Warbox BS42."

"Ouch, that's a bit harsh." BS42 suddenly spoke.

"Oh, that sounded so human!" Lorne said.

"Never mind, you're father's right, you are an idiot." BS42 quickly floated away towards another empty area in the lab.

Lorne was stunned for a moment and quickly followed the Warbox. What a strange robot. What kind of crazy AI does this thing have? It almost seems human. The Warbox came to a stop next to a circle with a one-meter diameter.

"Stand in the circle please, young lord," BS42 commanded.

Lorne did as he was instructed and stood in the circle. the circle flashed briefly and BS42 went extremely quiet. BS42's eyes brightened slightly.

"You are a level 3 Zimwarn royal," BS42 said.

"Is that good?" Lorne asked.

"Sure, if you're a four-year-old Zimwarn commoner child." BS42 chided.

"What?!" Lorne was totally shocked. The strength he was so proud of ranked him with four-year-old children on his planet?

"A raw commoner Zimwarn fresh recruit ranks at level 20. A sergeant is level 25. It goes up from there. The last Supreme General ranked at level 127. Of course, he was only the Supreme General of the commoners' Army. You are so weak. I'm sorry to say this, as amazing as I am you are more or less doomed in the coming confrontation." BS42 said.

"Are you saying, there's no hope for us?" Lorne asked in a panic.

"No hope," BS42 replied.

"None?" Lorne could feel his heart breaking.

"Maybe you have one way to win," BS42 said thoughtfully.

"What, what is the way please tell me!" Lorne begged. No one wanted to die. Especially someone who was living his ideal life. He wanted to grow old with his wife, see his children grow up. He even hoped for the day when his own children came to have children of their own. Saving the world? That was his hobby. He never knew what else to do with his power. Clearly living on the extremely weak little planet Earth had stunted his growth.

"If you want hope then you must become strong enough to create that hope for yourself. You must listen to everything I say and do it. You must, for the first time in your life, try really hard to accomplish something." BS42 said.

Lorne began to wonder if he was really so useless. Why would his parents and now this robot treat him with such disdain for his weakness? Weren't they the ones who never told him he could do better. Weren't they the ones who chose this world? Why did they blame him for being weak, he always thought he was strong. It didn't make any sense.

Lorne was going half mad in his mind, but then he began to think about his wife and children. They had done their best to keep the birth of his children hidden, but there was no guarantee that this secret could be kept. Weren't his parents confident that they could never be found on Earth? If he wanted his children to survive, all he could do was give everything he had to get stronger. Lorne discarded his panic and fear. A solemn and resolute demeanor took over Lorne's presence.

"Whatever I have to do, I'll do it. BS42 please guide me." For some reason, Lorne bowed at BS42. This move shocked the Warbox.

"Of course, of course, young lord, isn't that why I'm here? I'm here to help you. I'll do everything I can to prepare you. Just please stop bowing to me! I would hate for your father to see such an action." BS42 said.

"Why would my father care," Lorne asked.

BS42 floated there silently for a moment before responding. "It's not that he cares, it's just that I was created to be as humble and gentle as possible," BS42 responded finally.

"Young lord, let's get to work. We need every second to prepare you for the upcoming battle. Please stop worrying about things over which you lack the power to do anything about. Instead, gather to yourself the will you need to become truly invincible. Only then will you be able to save your family." Lorne said.

***

For the remaining months prior to the Usurpers coming to Earth, Lorne spent all of his time in training. BS42 taught Lorne a special training technique which could quickly raise his power. In the months since he began training, he had raised his strength from level 3 Zimwarn Royal all the way to level 30 Zimwarn Royal. To compare rankings A level 30 Zimwarn Royal was roughly equivalent to a level 57 Zimwarn Commoner. This power surge may seem absurd, but his body had been severely repressed as he grew up on Earth.

He had never gone through training, but the explosion in strength was expected with the combination of his own repressed strength, his exceptional royal bloodline, and the Zimwarn power released by the power strengthening technique.

Finis.h.i.+ng the series of tests BS42 put him through, Lorne quickly landed next to BS42. Sweat was dripping from Lorne's brows. Lorne's father had created a special training environment which increased the effect of gravity by a million times. Weapons, robotic opponents and more were ready for his use. At first the training seemed impossible, but eventually it became easier and easier. Lorne was filled with confidence now.

"What do you think BS42?" Lorne asked.

"Do I think you will win in the upcoming battle? Is that what you are asking me? I don't know. If you are facing anyone from the Usurpers elites then you have no chance at all. If you are facing members of the commoner army then you have a chance of winning." Lorne replied.

"If I defeat this army, won't they send another?" Lorne asked.

"Yes, they'll never let you go, but they will no longer bother Earth. What you are winning tomorrow is a chance for life on Earth. They will never let you go, but if you win tomorrow you will be given time. Time to grow and become strong enough to protect yourself and your family. If you become strong enough they'll stop seeking you out." BS42 said.

"Perhaps I could become strong enough to win back the throne! Then we would never have to worry about Zimwer again." Lorne hoped.

BS42 gave the typical electronic stare he made whenever Lorne said something stupid or naive. Lorne hated getting that look from the Warbox. A normal human would probably think that the Warbox was just silent. What they couldn't perceive was this silent stare was actually the Warbox's look of disdain.

"You are such a child, do you really think you can reach a level of power where you could suppress your entire planet? Do you know how powerful you would have to be to do that? Just focus on trying to survive the battle. Leave the dreaming for when you're asleep." BS42 turned away from Lorne. This was a sign that Lorne was dismissed from BS42's presence.

"For a robot, this guy sure is full of himself." Lorne thought.

"Lorne." BS42 suddenly said.

"Yes, BS42," Lorne responded.

"The training's done. You're either ready to win or you'll be paste. There's not much point in your training anymore. Take the last week before the battle and see your kids. When's the last time you saw them?" The Warbox asked.

"The last time I was with them was almost a year ago. Mom and Dad never let me leave their Jupiter home." Lorne commented.

"I didn't ask you for your life's story kid. Just asked a rhetorical question to let you know you could leave. You're as thick as ever. Go see your family. Your parents and I will see you in a week." BS42 said.

The Warbox was full of himself but it seemed like he cared. What a strange robot did it really care or was it programmed to appear to care. Just how advanced were the technologies of his home planet of Zimwer?

Lorne flew back home and quickly changed his appearance back to Dr. Longoak. It had been nearly a year since he took on this form. Lorne was looking forward to surprising his wife. Until this time, they had only been able to talk virtually.

Walking through the door of the kitchen, Lorne silently watched as his unsuspecting wife fed his children. The twins had turned one while he was training. He hated missing their first birthday, but his parent refused to let him go. "Survival was more important than parties," they said.

Zimwer was truly a conquest centered planet. Not only the Royals, but even the commoners saw their first duty as being prepared for war. That's what BS42 told him at least. Everyone trained. If you weren't training you were wasting your time. That was the Zimwarn's Warrior philosophy.

Honestly, Lorne disliked the culture of his homeworld. Zimwer sounded like a miserable place. These Usurpers worried that Lorne might come to take over the throne someday. The reality was that Lorne was perfectly content living his life as a human on the little rock called Earth. It may have seemed backward to those of Zimwer, but to him, it held a special charm.

"It looks like we've moved on from mashed peas and carrots." Lorne joked as he announced his presence to his wife.

Mary was suddenly surprised. She quickly turned around to see her husband standing there smiling at her.

"Lorne, oh darling, you're here finally!" Mary ran to him and flung her arms around him. The crackers and boiled squash on the fork were flung from her hands. Mary started to cry as she nestled her head into her husband's chest.

"I was so worried that I would never see you again. I thought you would just march off to war. Oh, Lorne, I've been so worried!" Mary continued to cry. Lorne held onto her and let her cry all she wanted. The two children looked at their father confusedly.

"I'm here sweetheart, I'm here. We can have a whole week together isn't that nice." Lorne asked in a soothing way.

"Just a week?" Mary cried.

"It's the best I can do sweetheart. I'm sorry. I wanted to give you so much more." Lorne gently replied.

"No, of course, a week, I'll take it. Thank you for coming back to us! I don't mean to be selfish. I just didn't expect two years to go by so soon." Mary said.

"Time flies whether you're having fun or not." Lorne joked.

Mary wiped her eyes and pulled Lorne to his children. The last time Lorne had seen his children, they were still in their swaddling clothes. Now, look at them. They had learned to walk while he was gone. Peter and Georgiana both had a mouth full of teeth. Not all of their teeth had come in but most had already come in.

Seeing his children, Lorne smiled but couldn't help thinking about how much he had missed and how much he was going to miss. They would grow up never knowing their father. He would never know them. He could save the world but he couldn't be a father to his little ones. A sigh escaped Lorne's mouth. Realizing the sympathetic look he was getting from Mary; Lorne shook his head and took a deep breath. Suck it up, man! Lorne thought to himself as he grabbed another fork and some squash to feed his kids. Lorne smiled in a silly way at his kids as he began to feed them. "At least I have a week with them." Lorne consoled himself.