"A gift," came a voice, so clear and so sudden that Vinny couldn't keep himself crying out in surprise, not at all gratified to learn that he still had a tendency to squeak when under pressure.
"W-what?" Jon stepped back with Vinny, "Who's there?"
"Aw, c'mon, Jonny Boy," drawled the voice, "Don't tell me you don't recognize an old friend."
The air shimmered before them, which would have been pretty impressive if Vinny hadn't just turned into a Junior Adonis via climax.
A figure emerged from the haze, followed by four more.
"Oh, no fucking way..." Jon split into one of his patented grins, "Tyler?"
"And the rest," muttered Brett, "For what it's worth."
"Welcome to Next Level," drawled Carl, crossing the tiled floor in two strides of his mammoth legs to sweep Jon into a bro-hug, clapping him on the back, "Whatever the hell that turns out to be."
"But I don't get it..." said Jon, "What happened to you guys? To us?"
"To us?" Antonio's lips quirked almost as he was considering smiling for a change, "Genie in a bottle. To you..."
"We happened," Mike said, a little abashed, "Sorry Vin, I know I kinda freaked you out."
"Sorry..." Vin recalled the voice from the back of his head, the soft stream of apologies as he'd been wracked by changes he hadn't...and, really, still couldn't...understand, "Man, don't apologize. Sure, I was kinda freaked out..."
"Freaked out?" Jon chuckled, "Bro, we were hugging each other while you came all over my front, I think freaked out is an understatement."
"Lay off," but Vinny couldn't help but smile as he felt his face flush, "Mike...thanks. I feel...I can't even describe it, but I'm not regretting it."
"Good..." Mike ran a hand through his hair, nodding, "Good. I'm glad."
"Let me guess," Jon looked over at Tyler, "I have you to thank for...me?"
"Figured you deserved it."
"Huh..." Jon hesitated, "Why?"
"You really gonna look a gift horse in the mouth?"
"This one...maybe." But Jon leaned back, as if he'd thought better of it.
"But there's more," said Mike, "I mean...if you guys want it."
"What else could there be?" Vinny asked, "Stacks of cash, dancing girls, mansion in Malibu?"
"You know, that might actually be a thing we can do," said Brett, "Possibly."
"So, you're saying..."
"I guess you'd call them superpowers," said Antonio, "Mind reading, flight, shape shifting..."
"Don't leave out immortality," said Carl, adding, "Never fucking DYING," with a grin, just in case they didn't get it.
"We can give you guys that too," said Mike, "I mean...if you want."
"If we WANT? Bro, are you kidding? Of..."
"Wait, wait, hold up. Like, just a second," Vinny laid a hand on Jon's arm, as if that would stay him.
"What do you mean, just a second?"
"Well, I figure SOMEONE has to be Devil's Advocate here..."
"Someone, maybe, Vin, but...come on. You're gonna need a microscope to find the catch here."