His Holiness

“Nick, don’t go out tonight… Just stay in the hotel and maintain some kind of peace for us… Nicky, we don’t want you getting lost. We don’t have time to bail you out of hot water. Tomorrow is a big day, Nicky. Blah-blah-blah-bite my balls you fun-sucking trolls,” Nick ranted with a squeaky voice that represented the true irritation he held for the rest of his band-mates. He waved his hands with flamboyant movements as he angrily mimicked his dear friends that had requested, no, more like demanded he stay away from the streets of New York for the evening as he sauntered back into his hotel room. Thinking about slamming the door, he hesitated and popped his head into the hallway. He could hear the Mission Impossible Theme running within the confines of his unusual mind, knowing that if he saw a flaw in their plans of his confinement that he would bolt. But, instantly, four bodies stepped from four various rooms and pointed toward his room with strong insistence and fixed scowls. Nick scowled deeper than the four combined with a huff of annoyance, slipping back inside as the ‘Nazi guards’ posted outside his door for any signs of ruckus.

Already well into adulthood at the prime decade of his twenties and the older four continued to treat the youngest Backstreet Boy as if he were a mere toddler. It was just too unfair. They had just started their Never Gone tour after a five year hiatus. He was raring to see the world again, anxious to see what changed during life on the road. Possibly get into some trouble, but nothing life threatening or too illegal. Yet, like the other stops in various cities, he was put under a strict grounding by his eldest friend and father figure - Kevin.

“At least the Old Cranky Bastard didn’t take away my life support,” Nick muttered, plopping himself down in front of the large screen TV he had ordered specifically for his private hotel room. If he wasn’t allowed out to experience reality, then surely he could live his fantasies through his various game systems. And, at least then, Kevin didn’t have a chance in limiting his fun. He could be whatever he wanted. And tonight he decided to be a Mercenary showering the ill reputed in a blood bath of terror and revenge.

“That which does not kill me will be the basis of my revenge!” he cackled evilly, remembering a key phrase that Kevin usually grunted whenever Nick stepped on his toes through the basic movements of their choreography. He wasn’t accustomed to what it meant exactly, but he knew it meant business.

Serious business.

But, the basis of his revenge was short lived as glitches began to attack the picture of his heroics. His character soon slowed to the pace of a snail before freezing in place. Quickly, Nick attempted to tap against various buttons to hopefully cause even a slight seizure in his character. Any means of motion as he attempted to continue through the hazards of the game. Underneath the hardest levels, a check point just mere kilometers away, and the screen went black.

“HOLY HELL! YOU SON OF A EVIL COMPUTER CHIP!” Nick howled with sheer pain, banging his controller against the soft carpet as if that might help his crisis. But it proved fruitless as a cool sweat beaded against the hairline of his forehead. He couldn’t lose this game. He had been working diligently on the plot for months now. Furiously, he scrambled to his feet and paced relentlessly for any idea. Biting hard on his bottom lip, Nick groaned with disbelief.

He needed a miracle.

“A miracle…” he murmured, spewing his thoughts aloud for any source of help. “A holy freaking cow miracle… BRIAN!”

Nick rushed out of his bedroom and ran full force down the hallway. He didn’t care about the other hotel visitors, more concerned about the task at hand. This was a life or death situation and he needed to strike the fear into the disgustingly evil piece of machinery that lay gasping for breath in his hotel room. He needed a man of the cloth and knew where to find one. Sort of. So, furiously, he began to pound on the hotel door while hollering for his man of the cloth.

“You’re holy right?!” Nick instantly demanded of his best friend when the door finally opened.

“Holy?” Brian questioned in surprise, stumbling backward as Nick pushed his way through. “Leigh made sure to buy me new underwear before we left… So, I don’t think I’m—”

“The Bible!” Nick grinned with a whoop of delight. Flopping over his friend’s bed, he snatched up the written word with relief. Evil always ran away from the wrath of God and what could be more Godly than the written word that fell from His lips? But, his plan needed something else - something classic from the various movies about vanquishing the devil. “Now I need…”

“Nicky—”

“WATER!” Nick shrieked, noticing the bottle of Avian on Brian’s dresser. Holding the Holy Bible tightly to his chest, he crossed the length of the room and snatched the already opened bottle. He sniffed the cap for a moment and squinted for any signs of saliva before glancing back to Brian. Blatantly, he questioned, “Do you backwash?”

Brian choked, “Do I what?”

“I’ll just take this for a precaution…” Nick decided, stepping back to his friend to yank a few strands of hair from his head. Brian winced in pain as Nick grinned devilishly, pushing the hairs into the bottle. He shook it furiously with pride, pushing it into Brian’s hands. “Say something holy.”

“What in God’s name—”

“Bing! Holy water in the express lane!”

“Holy water?” Brian groaned, not that he received an answer. Instead, he had to follow Nick back the hallway, practically running to keep up with the younger man’s long strides. Rubbing his unruly blonde locks as he stifled a tired yawn, he was curious to say the least with Nick’s rambling. He just hoped it wasn’t another ploy that could cause Kevin’s disgruntled mood to remain quite permanent.

“You are the Bible Boy, remember?”

“Nick, I just don’t understand…” Brian trailed, watching Nick fall to his knees in front of the ‘dead’ game system. Unloading the items collected from Brian’s room, Nick made the sign of the cross against the game system and shook the ‘holy water’ harder before twisting off the cap. Brian furled his dark blonde brows with confusion, leaning against the doorway in disturbed awe.

“The evilness of your ways is no longer wanted here. This is a holy place for the extreme gamers of the world. We will not stand your taunting. We will not let you block us from the victory of finishing our games! And God wants you gone!” Nick finally started to chant, closing his eyes as he summoned all the power of God and his ‘Bible Boy’ that he could withstand.

“Nick!” Brian laughed in sheer amusement. “What the Hell are you doing?!”

“THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!”

“Nick!”

“SHUT UP! THIS IS WHAT THEY SAID ON THE EXORCISM!”

“The Exorcism?”

“IT WAS EVIL!”

“What was evil?”

“THIS IS EVIL!” Nick screamed, tossing more water against the hardcover of his game system. “THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU! THE POWER OF CHRIST FREAKING COMPELS YOU! YOU EVIL PIECE OF SHIT THAT HAS TAKEN HOLD OF MY GAME SYSTEM AS IF IT WERE YOUR PRIZED SNICKER’S BAR!”

Brian held a tight hand against his mouth as he continued to watch Nick’s pseudo exorcism of the ‘evil’ game system. It was ridiculously amusing to see Nick so overpowered, honestly thinking that he could cure the overpriced game by the power of God. And, though Brian always trusted his deepest and darkest problems in the hands of God, he knew there had to be a logical explanation to the cessation of Nick’s game. So, listening to Nick attempt to perform an exorcism, he glanced around the luscious hotel room for clues. Quickly, he noticed the problem.

“In the name of the FATHER—”

“Nick—”

“The SON—”

“Nicky—”

“And the HOLY GHOST!”

Brian plugged the power cord back into the outlet.

Nick glanced up in shock as he heard the distinct sounds of firearms and screaming men, blinking away the water he had been flinging in every direction. He looked to the TV to find his save point within clear sight and then back to his best friend. A shocked awe settled against Nick’s usually robust nature as he stared at Brian, convinced that his best friend had the golden touch of God Almighty. And immediately, Nick collapsed against Brian’s feet and started to kiss his sneakers. “God Bless you, Holy Man!”