Part 34 - Bleeding Daylight
~ "Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight.
~ Gotta kick at the darkness 'till it bleeds daylight."
_______ 'Lovers in a Dangerous Time', Barenaked Ladies
Tess took a deep breath as she finished telling the others what had happened, and looked around the waiting room. Kyle had dropped back to his seat, groaning. Typical. Liz was looking over at Max. Also typical. Max and Maria were both staring at her, identical frowns on their faces. Although, actually, when looked at more closely, Maria seemed to be only halfway focused on Tess - her attention was obviously elsewhere. Max, on the other hand, was giving Tess his undivided attention. It was starting to make her a little nervous actually, and she started to shift awkwardly from one foot to another.
"Yeah, so they said that they were going to get Isabel back from Kivar," she repeated. Still no response. Still the stares from Max and Maria. "Just for the records, I told him that they shouldn't go alone. But you know how Michael gets." Maria snorted derisively at that. Yeah, she knew how Michael got.
"Kivar has Isabel, and Michael and Alex are planning on just walking up and getting her away from him?" Kyle looked over from where he was sitting. "Well, sounds like a plan. 'Cause it's not like he's an evil overlord bent on world domination and killing you all or anything."
"Not helping, Buddha Boy," Tess said quickly.
Sighing loudly in frustration, Maria turned her full attention to Max. "He's gone. I can sense Michael, but he's far away. So we can't stop the two of them before they leave on their fool's quest." Maria clenched her fists and gave a groan of annoyance. "I could expect something on this level of stupidity from Michael, but Alex? He's usually saner than this."
Max shrugged. "It's Isabel. Alex doesn't actually think sanely where she's concerned." He turned away from the group and sat down in the corner, trying to think this through rationally.
Liz looked with concern at Tess, then walked over to sit next to Max. "You know that Michael's just trying to do what he thinks is right, don't you? He's just trying to keep you and Isabel safe," she said tentatively, awaiting the inevitable explosion that came whenever Max became impatient with Michael.
Tess walked over and stood in front of them. "Liz is right. Michael didn't want you to have to leave your mother." Her voice got gentler. "Your mother should come first."
Max looked up at the two girls in surprise. "I'm not angry with Michael. This isn't the smartest thing in the world, but it's what he does. He jumps in first when he thinks we're in trouble." His mouth twisted into a half-smile. "Old habits die hard." His eyes flicked quickly to Maria, then back again. "The thing is, we have to break that habit. Michael has too much to live for this time to keep risking it for us."
"So, what do we do?" Kyle asked. As all eyes turned to him, he shrugged uncomfortably. "I mean, we're down three right now. Isabel's taken by Kivar, Michael and Alex are going up against him to get her back, and they're out there without any back-up. We're not going to just leave them there, are we?"
"No way. We're going after them and we're bringing them home. And then we're going to review the whole sticking-together rule again for those in the class who are a little bit slow." Maria's voice was a mixture of anger and concern. Yeah, sure. Michael doesn't even want me being threatened by pillows, but it's okay for him to go off and fight Kivar almost on his own? Someone's sense of perspective is seriously out of whack.
Max sighed. "Hold on minute, Maria," he started to say.
"We don't have a minute, Max." She tried to keep her voice down. Screaming about alien matters wasn't that great an idea, even if they were in a room to themselves at the moment. "Something's wrong, Max." She waved her hands around, trying desperately to think of a way to explain something that she couldn't even understand fully herself. "Something's wrong with Michael."
Max's gaze on her sharpened. "What do you mean? Is he hurt?"
She bit her lip as she shook her head. "Nothing's wrong with him physically. It's what I'm getting from him emotionally that has me worried." She hesitated, trying to decide how much to share. "He's scared."
"Makes sense, going up against a big bad evil alien," Kyle pointed out, stopping when Maria turned to glare at him.
"It's more than that. He's scared of something more than just fighting Kivar. I don't think that's what has him afraid at all, actually." She shut up then. In some ways, Michael's fear didn't seem like it was enough for someone about to fight the alien responsible for getting them all killed once before. But in another way, his fear seemed too much. It was all confused, and she couldn't get it straightened out in her mind. All she did know was that there was something wrong. So they had to get there and help him out. They could yell at him and Alex later. "Look, I get that you need to stay with your mother. The rest of us can go after them."
"Stay with my mother and do what?" Max muttered angrily, looking down at his hands. "She hasn't regained consciousness. And we can't heal her without the antidote........" He looked up then, thinking. Noticing the way that Maria was biting her lips nervously, he tried to give her some comfort, speaking louder. "Michael knows what he's doing, Maria. This is what he's good at."
He met her angry look evenly, watching as she bit back whatever it was she'd been about to say. Finally, she answered, trying really hard to keep from screaming. "So, the mighty king has spoken? We just leave them there?"
Max leaned back and closed his eyes. He really hated being the king. Strange how much he'd liked it the last time around. Maybe he'd learned something. But whether he hated it or not, he was in charge, and he had to make a decision here.
The Zandar part of his mind knew it was a simple decision to make. Michael knew what he was doing. He had gone into this dangerous situation to retrieve Isabel, knowing the risks, and prepared to take them in order to protect his king. He's sent Tymrath into scores of similar situations and never thought twice about it. And Tymrath had come back every single time. The king simply couldn't go risking his own life, and the lives of others needlessly. Because it wasn't only his own life he had to think about. There was Tess, Liz, Maria, Kyle - all waiting to hear his decision.
That was the decision Zandar would have made. It was logical, rational, and undoubtedly the correct one to make. Max knew that.
Not to mention the fact that his father was going to be there soon, wanting to see his children and find out what was wrong with his wife. Bad enough that Isabel wasn't there. What would he think if both of them were missing when he arrived?
Max opened his eyes and instantly met Liz's. She was looking at him with so much worry and concern, obviously trying not to say anything to interfere with his decision. Max knew that if it was here being threatened by Kivar, he would have gone after her, too, the same way that Alex had gone to save Isabel.
And Max knew that he couldn't do what Zandar had done. Not in this case. Maybe there would be times when he would have to send Michael out into life-threatening situations for the greater good. He honestly hoped not, but he had to look at things realistically. It was possible. But not now. Kivar was here, and Michael was in trouble. Max knew that if Maria said it, it was true. Michael needed them, and Alex and Isabel were in danger, too. Whether it was the right thing to do or not, Max couldn't just leave them there and not try to help. He reached over for Liz's hand. They'd come for him in the White Room, after all, even though the smart thing would have been to just leave him there and get out of town themselves.
"I'm not sure I'll ever be good at this king thing," he whispered quietly so that only Liz could hear him. She squeezed his hand in response. Then he looked up at Maria. "No, we don't leave them." He heard Tess let out a breath in relief. She would have stayed if he had told her, but he knew that she wanted to go after the others just as much as Kyle and Maria did. "If Michael's in trouble, then we go to help him. And we get the antidote for my mother." In that second, Max realized something about himself and his kingship. He understood that the only people he was really concerned about protecting were his family here on earth. Like he'd told Isabel, they were counting on each other, and that was what was important. He frowned. That might be a problem later on. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he went on. "At least Tess and I are going. The rest of you should stay here."
"No way," Liz replied, just as Maria leaned back and sneered at him. Max was caught off-guard by just how Michael-like that expression was.
"And how are you going to keep me here?" Maria asked combatively.
Tess looked from Max to Maria, a little nervously. "Michael specifically told me not to let you go after him, Maria. He'll be okay."
Max nodded in understanding. "Michael would kill me if I let anything happen to you, Maria. I'm not taking you into anything this dangerous."
Maria pursed her lips and nodded. "And I ask again, how are you going to stop me?" She saw the looks Max and Tess exchanged and went on quickly. "And even if you use some alien power thingie to keep me here, I'll just follow after you as soon as I can." Her voice got a bit smug. "Plus, how you gonna find them?"
That stopped him. Max turned to Tess. "Tess?"
She was staring at Maria, a mixture of annoyance and amusement on her face. Finally, she turned to answer Max. "They just told me they were going after Isabel." Tess shook her head. "I don't have the slightest idea where they went."
"See?" Maria tried not to gloat too much. "I can find them. I can track Michael. You won't find them without me, Max, so I guess I'm coming."
"If she's coming, so am I," Liz broke in quickly. "They're my family, too."
Max tried to control his frustration. Maria was right - they wouldn't find them in time without her help. Michael really was going to kill him. "Fine. If," he pointed his finger at the two girls seriously, "you promise to stay behind Tess or I at all times. And when we tell you to lie low, you do it."
"No problem," Liz said instantly, Maria nodding agreement behind her. Max turned his attention to Kyle.
"Maybe you should stay, let your father know what happened when he comes back."
The words were barely out of his mouth when Kyle interrupted him. "You think I'm staying here to explain how the rest of you just went wandering into a Skin stronghold without him?" Kyle shook his head in disbelief. "Not going to happen, my alien friends. When that conversation occurs, I want all of you with me to deal with the wrath of Dad. There's strength in numbers."
Time was running out. Max turned to Maria. "Let's get going." She nodded.
Max went to open the door into the hallway and started out. Looking down the hallway, he saw something that made him grab Liz's hand and pull her quickly in the other direction, the others following closely.
"Max, what is it?" she asked as they burst through some side doors outside.
"My dad," he answered shortly. "He just got here." Max tried to bury the thought of his father's expression. There was nothing he could do for his mother right then except get the antidote.
Max decided to take his chances with the possibility of action. They'd been reacting to Kivar's games for long enough.
-----------------------------------------------------------
In the car, Max concentrated on following Maria's directions to the outskirts of town. She seemed to have no doubts concerning her ability to follow Michael's psychic trail. When they would reach a crossroads, Maria always knew which way to go.
Liz was starting to feel nervous. Maria was being way too quiet. Liz knew her friend was concentrating on sensing Michael, but still, a quiet Maria was an unnatural entity. And the silence in the Jeep was starting to get deafening. When Kyle finally spoke, Liz practically jumped out of her seat from the surprise.
"You all realize that Dad's going to be totally pissed with us, right?"
Liz turned in the front seat to look at him, sandwiched between Maria and Tess. "Kivar has Isabel prisoner, and you're worried about your father being mad at you?"
Kyle nodded, a look of surprise on his face. "Well, yeah."
Liz simply shook her head in disbelief. Tess piped up. "He's right." She turned to Kyle. "You understand that I'm going to totally put all the blame for this on you, right?"
"Wouldn't expect anything else." Kyle put his arm around her and looked up at Max with concern. He could only imagine what must be going on through Evans's mind right then. Max's expression was one of calm determination, but Kyle finally knew him well enough to realize how much of that was an act, a way of dealing with things without breaking down. Or not dealing with. Kyle just wasn't sure that was the best way to go.
"Anyway, I was thinking about us all getting matching ID bracelets," Kyle continued. "Ones with the message 'I will not wander off on my own.' Maybe that will stop Alex and Michael next time they get a brilliant idea like this."
"Not likely to work with Spaceboy," Maria said bitterly. "Turn right, Max."
Max followed her directions. "Tess, you're sure that Skin said there was an antidote?"
"That's what Alex said."
Max nodded absently, focused on the road and his own thoughts. Liz turned back to the front and placed her hand on his knew, gently patting it, reminding him that she was there. Max's mother might be dying, his sister was abducted by their worst enemy - there was no way to make this situation better.
"What I don't get is how Michael thought he'd get away with this," Kyle pointed out something that had been bothering him. "He must have known we'd come after him."
Maria shook her head, giving a short laugh. Max answered, "No, he wouldn't."
Liz frowned. "Kyle's right. Did Michael really think that we would let him do something so dangerous without trying to help?"
Max sighed. "Of course he did. I let him do things like this all the time before. Which way now, Maria?"
She frowned slightly in concentration. "Left."
"Okay." He looked at Liz out of the corner of his eye. "I would send Tymrath out on the most dangerous missions, and I never sent someone after him. He wouldn't expect things to be any different now. The only one he'd expect to come after him would be Maria, and he probably figured I'd lock her up in a closet or something to keep that from happening." Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Max could see Maria's attention focus on him at that. He continued quickly, before she had a chance to question his statement, the side of his mouth twisting up sarcastically. "The king had to be protected at all costs. Let Tymrath do the dirty work."
"Stop." It made Liz nervous when he talked like that. She didn't know how Maria handled it. "You had faith in Tymrath's abilities."
"I was smug and over-confident," he corrected her absently. "And we all got killed."
"Well, that isn't going to happen again," Maria burst out angrily. "And the little alien angst-fest is just going to have to wait until after we get Michael, Alex, and Isabel out of there." She glared at them all pointedly. "Understood?" As they all nodded agreement, Maria sat back in her seat, still trying to sort out the mixture of emotions she was receiving from her teela-mei. Anger, hate, fear, panic, pride, apprehension, excitement (that last worrying her the most) - they all mixed with an almost overwhelming urge to lash out at something. Looking down at her hands, Maria was surprised to see that she had clenched her hands into fists, almost as if she was also trying to keep herself from losing control and hitting something. Taking deep breaths, she forced her breathing to slow down and slowly let go of her fists. She had to keep some objectivity and distance. Michael might need her to be able to bring him back from wherever he was going emotionally, and she couldn't do that if she was swept up right alongside him. "Drive faster, Max."
------------------------------------------------------
"So, what's the plan?" Alex asked with curiosity. They were almost there.
Michael sighed impatiently. "What's Kivar going to do with Isabel?"
Alex tensed at the question. "Why........"
"Just answer me, Alex." Michael sounded tired. "Don't think about it too much. Just answer."
Alex's hands tightened on the steering wheel, but he answered. "He'll have her show him where the Granolith is. He'll take her with him, he'll hurt her, and then he'll kill her." His jaw tensed as details of those dreams went rerunning through his head. He brushed them away - there wasn't time for them right now. But they did give him an idea, a much too vivid idea, of what Kivar had in mind.
"That's what I figured." Michael leaned his head on his forearms, resting them on the dashboard. "Not much time for us to come up with a plan, is there?"
Alex looked over nervously. Michael seemed distracted, as if he wasn't paying complete attention to what was going on there. On what was going on now. "Hey, buddy, this would be a really bad time to have one of those alien flashbacks of yours."
Michael blinked in surprise, turning to Alex. He almost looked like he was going to laugh for a minute. "Don't worry. I'm just thinking." He rolled his eyes. "I do that sometimes."
"Maria would be very proud of you," Alex said gravely.
"Whatever." Michael returned his attention to the problem at hand. He could see the factory now. There were some smaller buildings, storage sheds, around it, along with a small grove of tress. Maybe they'd been part of a park or something for employee's lunch breaks. Tapping his fingers impatiently, Michael tried to figure out what to do. "They know we're coming anyway," he muttered quietly.
"Yeah," Alex replied slowly. "That was the point of letting Eustan go, right?"
Michael nodded. No time to come up with a really good plan. Isabel didn't have the time. It clicked then. Kivar knew they'd be coming. He knew that Eustan would spill and let them know where he was hiding, and he knew that there was no way that Michael would just let him take Vilandra..... Isabel, he corrected himself irritably. Kivar was practically inviting him to show up.
"Fine." Sometimes he preferred the direct approach anyway. Michael looked up at the factory they were quickly approaching. "Alex, pull around and park behind that shed," he pointed.
Alex didn't look terribly thrilled, but he did as he was told. "So, what's the plan?"
"Wait here," Michael said, starting to open the car door. He stopped when Alex grabbed his arm in a firm grasp.
"Isabel is in there. You're not leaving me out here." Alex's voice held a note of steely determination. He wasn't going to back down on this.
"I know. I wasn't going to try." Michael respected Alex's relationship with Isabel. If someone tried to take Maria away from him...... "I'm just checking something out."
Alex studied him closely, then apparently decided to believe him, because he let go of Michael's arm. He watched as Michael swiftly left the car and ran up to the side of the building.
---------------------------------------------------------
When Isabel woke up, the first thing she noticed was how comfortable she felt. Not just physically, but emotionally, too, as if she were exactly where she belonged and where she was meant to be. Without opening her eyes, she smiled as she felt the hand tracing its way down her cheek. Kivar. She'd missed this so much. His touch felt just as good as it had before.
This is wrong. This is very, very wrong. STOP IT! She ignored that little voice. It was too hard to listen to it, and why bother when everything else felt so incredible?
Opening her eyes, she blinked and drew back a bit from the smiling face of Deputy Hanson. Looking around, she saw that they were along in a bare room. The only furniture was the bed she'd been resting on. There were no windows, and only one door. Confused, she turned back to Hanson, who looked amused.
"I know, it's not exactly the face you were expecting, Vilandra." He ran his hand through her hair, pulling her gently closer to place a tender kiss on her forehead. Isabel found herself melting into his embrace, getting closer. With each touch from him, that little voice inside her head was getting quieter and quieter. "But it's the best I could do. Things will be better when we get home."
"Home?" she whispered. Images of a house competed in her memory with those of a palace under an alien sky. He ran a hand down her back, distracting her from thoughts of which memories were really her home.
"Home. Back to Antar. Where we belong." He placed his hand under her chin, tilting her head back so that she was looking directly into his eyes, drowning in them. "I came here for you, Vilandra. I've been looking for you for such a long time. Now all we need is the Granolith and we can go home." Isabel couldn't look away from his eyes. They were all she could see, his voice all she could hear. "You do know where the Granolith is, don't you, Vilandra?" There was a command in his voice, and she nodded quickly, eager to please him.
"Yes, I can take you there."
Her heart sped up at his smile. "Good. Then we can go back and we can be together, the way we were supposed to be."
Before she could respond, someone opened the door and rushed in. Kivar sighed as he looked over at the man who entered. Isabel was certain he was a Skin, but she didn't recognize him. Kivar got up and walked over to him.
"Yes, Eustan? What is it?"
The Skin looked at her with apprehension, then back at Kivar. "There might be a problem," he gulped nervously.
"A problem?" Kivar asked silkily. He didn't sound at all worried. "And what might that problem be?"
Eustan was wringing his hands, looking like he wanted to bolt rather than tell his news. "Well, it's Tymrath."
Isabel sat up straight. "Tym?" she whispered quietly.
Kivar looked back at her sharply, waiting until her eyes met his again, unable to look away. Finally, apparently satisfied, he gestured impatiently to Eustan. "What about Tymrath?" His eyes never broke contact with hers.
"Well, he knows where you are." Eustan was backing away, towards the door.
"Ah," Kivar said. He didn't sound worried at all. Actually, he sounded extremely satisfied with himself. "That means we should be expecting a visit from him."
"Tym's coming?" She frowned. "No, that's not right." She smiled proudly as the thought finally formed. "Not Tymrath. Michael. Michael's coming here."
Kivar's eyes narrowed and he walked back to sit next to her again, taking both her hands in his own. "Tymrath will be coming here, yes, Vilandra. Do you want to go with him?"
Yes, whispered that voice. She wanted to go back to him and Max, to her family. Before she could answer, Kivar went on. "Remember that he and Zandar are the ones who killed you before, Vilandra. They'll just do it again. Do you really want to go back to the people who killed you, who never really loved you?" As he spoke, the memories came rushing back to her, so vividly that it felt like she was really back there, tied to the pillar in front of the throne. Zandar watching without expression. Tymrath walking out and killing her. She could almost feel the energy blast tearing through her, the hate in his eyes the last thing that she ever saw.
"No," she threw herself into Kivar's arms, shaking with the pain of the memory. "No, I don't want to die again. Please, Kivar."
"Shh, don't worry." He rubbed her back gently. "I promise you that if you come with me I won't let them anywhere near you again." He looked up at Eustan. "Why don't you go take care of the lab before our guests show up?"
Eustan nodded, eager to get away from Kivar, but before he could leave, Isabel looked up. "The antidote? Nicholas said that you would give it to me."
"Of course," he agreed, standing up and pulling Isabel with him. "Eustan, get the princess the antidote for the human."
"Right away, my lady." Eustan bowed as he left the room. Isabel froze where she was. Fragments of conversation flashed through her mind, interrupting her thoughts of Kivar.
"Only the best for my lady. Isabel?"
"Ummm?"
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
" My lady?"
"Always," Isabel whispered, voice gaining firmness as she went on. "You're stuck with me forever."
"Vilandra?" Somehow, Kivar didn't think she was talking to him anymore.
Isabel tried to pull her hand away from his. This was wrong. This was all very wrong. She didn't belong here. She didn't belong with him.
Yes, you do. The foreign voice, Kivar's voice, in her head was so loud that it drowned out anything else she might have been thinking. Mental images of her time with Kivar back on Antar washed over her, overwhelming her with their intensity. She pulled away from him, sinking to the floor as she put her hands over her ears, vainly trying to block them all out.
Kivar just watched coldly as she fought a losing battle against his control.
---------------------------------------------------------
Alex was starting to worry about Michael when he heard a tapping noise on the window. Jumping, he looked over to see the alien standing there. Alex hadn't even heard him coming up. He quickly got out of the car. "Well?"
"There's a back door to the factory," Michael said eagerly. "It's blocked off, but I got it open. Of course, they probably know it's there, but it's a little better than walking straight in through the front door." He rocked back a little, apparently having a hard time standing still. "I picked up five people, or aliens, in there."
"Five? Isabel would be one."
"Then Kivar, our old friend Eustan, and likely Nicholas," Michael broke in quickly. "I'm not sure who the fifth is." He smiled, eyes gleaming. "Not that it really matters."
"Well, if it's another evil alien, then it matters," Alex pointed out slowly. He really didn't like that look in Michael's eyes. He seemed way too excited about this. Rushing in to what could possibly be an ambush by Kivar definitely did not ran high up on Alex's list of things to get excited about.
Michael waved a hand dismissively. "Five's better odds than I thought there's be. Let's go."
"Hold on." Alex reached out a hand to stop Michael, but some instinct made him pull back at the last minute. He wasn't sure that Michael should be touched at that moment. Michael turned and looked back at him. "What's the plan?" he asked again.
"The plan? The plan is that we go in there and get Isabel out. That's the only thing to remember. Whatever happens, you keep going to get Isabel out of there. If anyone gets in our way, I'll take care of it." It was like when he was sent to get Aveen out, only with better odds. And with Kivar at the end of the course.
Alex backed up a bit from the sudden predatory glint in Michael's eyes, only to back into the car. "Take care of it how?"
"However I have to." He started to walk towards the building, but was stopped when Alex stepped in front of him. "What?" he snapped.
"Are you sure about this, Michael?" Alex laid a gentle emphasis on the name. For the first time, he was starting to grow concerned about Michael's state of mind. There was just something off about him. It's the eyes, he realized. There was an underlying cold excitement in the eyes that he'd never seen in Michael's eyes before. At least not in real life. He had seen them before, in those nightmares.
Michael took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he looked back at Alex, his eyes had regained some of his essential Michael-ness. He lowered his voice. "I am not going to let Kivar kill Isabel. There is no way in hell that I am going to watch her die again." He looked away, into the distance, back towards Roswell. "I'm not going to let any of you die this time around. Not Isabel, not Max. Not Maria." That last was said with clenched teeth. Twice that day Kivar's Skins had threatened Maria. It was going to stop now. "Kivar's not going to win this time around."
"I get that," Alex answered in a matching quiet voice. "But we don't want to lose you in the process, either."
Michael frowned at the other boy, then smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "You won't. Maria won't let me be lost." He gestured towards the factory. "Can we go get Izzy now?"
Alex nodded, trying not to notice how his heart was speeding up and how sick to his stomach he suddenly felt. It didn't matter how scared he was. Isabel was in trouble. End of story.
-------------------------------------------------------
They went around to the half-hidden door and silently entered the factory. "Stay behind me," Michael whispered. Alex nodded quickly. Duh - like he was actually going to go first into a building full of evil aliens. Five or five hundred - it didn't really matter from Alex's perspective. He liked watching sci-fi movies, not being in one.
From the instant they entered the building, Michael reached out with his sense, trying to remember all his lessons from his training. Of course, he was ignoring one of the primary ones - don't enter a situation you know full well is a trap. The others would be disappointed in me. He brushed away the thought. They didn't matter to him. And anyway, in this case, he didn't have much of a choice. Letting Kivar leave with Isabel wasn't an acceptable option, and the longer he had her, the more chance that he could get her back under his control again. Michael understood why Alex had tried to pull him back from the brink outside, but he doubted that he could make it through this without relying on his instincts and memories of Tymrath. He needed Tymrath for this. There was no way he was going to fail his family again.
They walked down empty hallways. The place was huge. Five aliens could easily hide in this place indefinitely. There was no sigh of Isabel or Kivar. Just empty hallways and empty rooms. Nothing to see there, except the occasional scaffolding to show that there had been some plans for renovation at one point before the place was abandoned and Nicholas moved in.
A slight tingling on the back of his neck was the only warning Michael had. It was enough. Spinning around as he raised his hand, he let go of an energy blast. It met Nicholas's in mid-air, the two blasts colliding and exploding, making the hallway shake for a second. Alex had to grab the wall to keep from falling. Michael didn't even sway on his feet.
"Nice. Much better," Nicholas said, clapping as he walked out from the shadows. "Someone's been practicing."
"Valar, Nykal," Michael spoke evenly. He even managed a slight smile. "Tor'lag." Hello, Nykal. It's been a while. He laughed briefly. "Or not. I guess it depends on your point of view." Alex regained his balance, and looked around, desperately searching for something heavy to hit the Skin with. Nothing seemed available. Figured.
"Well, well." Nicholas's eyes widened in surprise. "And you've been taking lessons in Antaran. Now where would you have found a teacher for that down here?" He tilted his head to one side in mock curiosity.
Michael fought the urge to blast the pipsqueak out of the hallway, preferably in tiny little pieces. Not yet. "Actually, I remembered it." Without waiting for an answer, he moved so that his body was between Nicholas and Alex. "Alex, go get Isabel."
Alex shook his head, not caring that Michael couldn't see him. "I'm not leaving you here with the evil alien spawn."
"Don't worry about me." Michael's attention never wavered from Nicholas. "Nykal and I have some unfinished business. The little matter of his killing me." Michael smiled again, a baring of teeth. When he went on, his voice was sharper, more commanding. "Alex! Remember the priority. He's just trying to keep us here to give Kivar more time with her."
"Well, that's not all I'm here for. I'm also here to kill you both," Nicholas replied smugly.
Alex didn't really want to leave, but Michael was right. This was just another distraction. And deep down inside, he knew that time was running out for Isabel. Every minute that went by, he could feel her slipping away from them. So he slowly backed away, hoping that he could find Isabel quickly and that Michael knew what he was doing.
"Say hello to Kivar and Vilandra for me!" Nicholas said, waving cheerfully as he left. Suddenly, he found himself sliding backwards down the hall, not stopping until he hit the wall. Shaking himself from the impact, he slowly got to his feet, watching as Michael advanced steadily towards him. "You remember everything now, do you?"
"I remember." With a wave of his hand, he sent Nicholas flying through the air, hitting the wall again.
"Then you remember me beating you." Michael saw the hand rising in his direction and jumped to the side. The blast singed his side. Perfect, the same side as Kivar shot. Michael gritted his teeth. He'd just have to ignore the pain until later. He could do it.
The next blast from Nicholas hit Michael in the leg. Dropping to the ground in pain, he clutched his leg as he waited for Nicholas to come closer. As soon as he was close enough, Michael spun out, putting his weight on his arms as his legs swept under Nicholas, knocking him to the ground and then swinging his legs down on the smaller alien's body, noticing with satisfaction the way Nicholas grunted in pain at the impact.
Getting to his feet, Michael yanked Nicholas up by his shirt and pinned him to the wall, using his powers to keep him there. Before he could reach over to hit him with a direct bolt of energy, Nicholas managed to bring up his arm and throw Michael back. Flying through the air, Michael went right through an open doorway and into a nearby conference room, landing next to a large table.
"You're definitely doing better," Nicholas said. Michael got up, reaching back to touch his head gingerly. When he brought his hand back down, he could see the blood on his fingers. It wasn't much comfort, but Nicholas wasn't looking too great either. "But not good enough." Eyes lighting up eagerly, he used his powers to shoot the table towards Michael. Michael didn't have time to react before he was being crushed between the table and the wall.
Okay, that hurts. A lot. Michael could feel that he was about to lose consciousness, and he fought off the pain as best as he could.
--------------------------------------------------------
Max led the way up to the factory's main doors. Maria had found the way without hesitation. Now they just had to find the others. He looked back at the four behind him. He wished they'd been able to contact Valenti, but the best they'd managed was to leave him a voice mail message. The sheriff would have been a comforting presence. "Maria, you sure you won't wait...." his voice trailed off at the fierce look he received from her. "Never mind." He looked at Tess. "Tess, you and I go first." She nodded in understanding.
The five walked down a hallway. Max was trying to get an idea of which way to go to find Isabel, but he was coming up with a blank. He knew she was there somewhere, but he couldn't get anything more definite than that. Well, they'd just have to keep looking until they found her or the others.
Liz looked over at her best friend, noticing how tightly Maria was clenching her fists. She reached over and pulled at Maria's hands, ignoring the way Maria tried to pull them back. "Maria, you're going to be drawing blood in a minute. What's wrong?"
Maria gave a quick look around. The others were just a few steps ahead of them, but far enough that they wouldn't hear her if she whispered. "It's Michael. He's so angry. And I think he's fighting someone."
"You can sense him fighting?" Liz wasn't sure why this connection kept surprising her, but it was just so intense. She wasn't sure if she should be scared or looking forward to the day when she and Max had a connection that strong.
Maria nodded. "I can feel how close to the edge he is." She looked at Liz. "Something's wrong." She repeated with utter certainty what she had told them earlier.
Before Liz could answer her, the two girls were both seized by a strong hand and pulled into a side hallway, door slamming shut behind them to keep them separate from the others. Maria was instantly thrown dismissively to one side, leaving Liz to look at their attacker.
"Lonnie." Liz backed away from Isabel's dupe carefully, noticing the dazed expression on Maria's face. Liz hoped that Maria hadn't hit her head when Lonnie threw her aside. She'd been through enough already for one day.
"Well, if it ain't the king's bitch." Lonnie laughed as he looked down at the smaller girl. "Now this is an unexpected treat. I'm gonna like killin' ya."
Liz looked around desperately as Lonnie raised her hand, but didn't see anywhere to go. She didn't think she could outrun an alien energy blast. But before Lonnie could attack, a form came running down the hallway from behind Liz, pushing her out of the way. Liz could only watch in shock as Alex appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and hit Lonnie hard. Apparently, it surprised Lonnie just as much, because the girl went falling to the ground, released energy hitting the ceiling instead of Liz. None of them noticed the creaking noise that followed the impact.
"Liz, are you okay?" He kept his attention carefully on Lonnie, though, to see if she was going to try attacking again.
Lonnie rubbed her cheek gingerly, wincing. Then her eyes focused on Alex.
He got a sinking feeling in his stomach as she smiled at him.
-------------------------------------------------------
All of Nicholas's attention was focused on the table, trying to crush Michael with it, to cut him in two. Michael didn't seem to be able to push it back with his power. Fine. He'd just try something different. Looking at the heavy table, Michael imagined the thousands of fine lines that he saw when he blew up rocks. Then, he released his powers.
The table exploded into hundreds of smaller pieces, flying through the air, away from Michael. Nicholas flinched as some of the pieces hit him. Good. Using his distraction, Michael mustered what strength he had left and shot Nicholas backwards through the air.
And through the wall.
Michael blinked in surprise at that. He hadn't realized he had that much strength left. "Wow." He walked over to the gaping hall in the wall and stepped through, back into the hallway, looking for his adversary.
Nicholas was still moving, struggling to get to his feet. Brushing himself off, he glared defiantly at Michael, raising his hand. Michael could feel the energy forming in the air between them. "You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered. What did it take to stop him? He was like the Energizer Skin. Looking around, Michael noticed that Nicholas had come to a rest not far from one of those scaffoldings. Moving swiftly, before Nicholas could release his next energy blast, Michael used his powers to drop down the scaffolding on Nicholas.
And watched in satisfaction as one of the pipes hit Nicholas in the back, turning him instantly into a pile of dust.
"One down." He dropped to the ground. Every single inch of his body hurt. His side was scorched, his shoulder was still sore from earlier, and he was starting to get dizzy from the head wound. The sense of being beaten senseless brought back too many memories. He could almost believe that Hank was going to come swinging at him at any second.
"No." No time to think about that now. Michael forced himself to get to his feet again. He had to keep going, before the adrenaline wore off. Besides, he won. He was still standing. He let himself take a moment to just immerse himself in that energy, the rush that came with winning. Rath was right - it was intoxicating, all that power rushing through his body. Then, Michael went on. One down.
Kivar still to go.
------------------------------------------------------
Alex gulped nervously as Lonnie looked him up and down, eyeing him in a fashion that was making him very uncomfortable. "Well, well, Opie. Who'd a thought you had it in ya? I'm going to be all bruised tomorrow." She liked her lips. "Course, Kivar said that you liked it rough. Does my twin know this side of ya, I wonder?"
"Shut up," he whispered, fist still clenched tightly. "You don't know anything about me."
"No? Maybe not." Lonnie slowly got into a crouching position, looking like a wild animal about to attack. Her smile slowly returned. "But Kivar does, and he tells me everything. So what about it, Opie? Wanna try again?"
Alex looked at the girl on the floor. Under the piercings and the tattoos, under the attitude and the clothes, she still looked like Isabel. When he'd come down the hallway, he'd seen someone about to attack Liz, and stopping them had been instinct. But now, looking at Lonnie, she looked too much like Isabel. And hitting her - it just reminded him too much of those nightmares Kivar gave him, nightmares that made him sick. He couldn't do it. It would be too much like hitting Isabel.
Seeing his fist slowly unclench and fall to the side, Lonnie's smile grew even wider. She got the rest of the way to her feet and raised her hand. "No? Oh, well. Kivar wants you dead just as much as he wants Maxie-boy gone. Say bye, Opie."
But before she could attack, Lonnie went down again. And this time she stayed down as Maria hit her over the head a few times with the heavy pipe she'd found in a corner pile.
"I am getting so sick of people pushing me around today!" Maria screamed, hitting Lonnie one last time to make sure she was down. "Was there a memo or something? Beat up Maria DeLuca Day?"
"Maria." Liz looked the pipe away from her. "I think you've got her."
"Fine." With one last kick, Maria looked from Lonnie's unconscious form to Alex. "Told you that the next time I'd save you, didn't I?"
"Never doubted you." Alex gave her a quick hug. Then he pushed her away and looked at the two girls with a frown. "Hey, what are you two doing here? You were supposed to stay at the hospital."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Maria rolled her eyes at Alex. She was getting tired of the overprotected males in her life. Like dealing with Michael wasn't enough.
Liz gave a brief smile. "We all came when Tess told us."
"Okay, so where are the others?"
"Lonnie locked them on the other side of the door." Just as Liz said that, the door blew open, showing Tess and the others behind her.
"Liz!" Max ran over to make sure she was safe.
Ignoring the two of them whispering, Maria fixed Alex with a stare. "Where's Michael?"
Alex fidgeted uncomfortably. "Last I saw, he was fighting Nicholas."
"He was what? Didn't Nicholas kill him the last time around?" Kyle was worried. "Let's go back him up."
"Hold on." Maria closed her eyes and reached out along the link to Michael. She gave a gasp as she was flooded with a surge of emotions. Excitement and satisfaction seemed the strongest. She opened her eyes and looked at the others. "I think Michael won. He's okay." Physically, at least. There was still something underlying his emotions that she didn't like.
"Okay, that's good." Kyle let out a breath of relief. He'd gotten used to the cranky alien.
"Hey, look!" Tess pointed behind them. While all of their attention had been focused on Maria, Lonnie had regained consciousness and was running down the hallway.
"She might know where Kivar has Isabel." Without a second thought, Alex took off after Lonnie, followed closely by Tess. Before they got too far, the ceiling, weakened by Lonnie's blast, gave way and caved in behind Alex and Tess, cutting them off effectively from the others.
Kyle saw a beam from the crawl-space falling down directly in the direction of Liz. Picking her up, he threw her to one side and tried to follow. Not quickly enough, though, as the beam fell on him.
Everything went dark.
----------------------------------------------------------
Alex stopped, gasping for breath. Somewhere along the way he'd lost Lonnie, and now, looking behind him, he saw that he'd lost the others as well. That was probably not a good thing. He thought briefly about going back to find them and make sure they were okay, but then he felt something. A little tinge in his subconscious, an instinct, whatever you'd want to call it. But whatever it was, it was telling him that Isabel was close. So he went on down the hall, finally coming to a closed door.
Okay, the smart thing to do is definitely to go back for the others, he told himself sternly. Get one of the nice strong aliens to help you out here. But despite what he told himself, he saw his hand going out to open the door. Because Isabel was on the other side. She was calling to him, deep inside his soul, and he had to go to her. So he turned the doorknob and walked in, a calmness forming around him. For the first time since that car nearly hit Maria, he wasn't afraid.
When Alex entered the room, he immediately saw that there were only two other people present. There was Hanson ( Kivar), pulling Isabel to her feet from the ground. She let him pull her up lifelessly, and allowed him to pull her around to face Alex. Alex's calm nearly slipped when he looked at Isabel's face. Her eyes were so blank - it was like there was nobody there at all. For a second, he was afraid he was too late, that they'd lost her after all. But then he remembered the feeling he'd had only a minute earlier. Isabel had called him to her, so she wasn't completely gone.
"Look at his, my dear," Kivar drawled out mockingly. "We have company, Vilandra. Isn't that nice?" He positioned Isabel in front of him, arm tightly wrapped around her waist.
"Just let us go," she told Alex, voice dead.
"You heard what she said," Kivar said triumphantly. "Vilandra's made her choice, and surprise, surprise. It's not the pathetic human." His voice turned hard and threatening. "Get out of our way."
Alex ignored Kivar. He wasn't important, not to Alex. Isabel was who was important. "Isabel, I know you're still in there. Somewhere."
"Let us go," she repeated in that same vacant tone. He didn't see anything in her eyes, no recognition. Alex took a step closer.
"I know how you feel." Alex spoke only to Isabel, knowing that somewhere deep down, she could hear him. "It's like drowning, right? That's how you put it. But you can fight it." She shook her head slightly. "You can, Isabel. I did it, and so can you. Think about what you have here, Izzy. Think about how much we all love you. You're Isabel Evans. You're stronger than him." He jerked his head in Kivar's direction, but never stopped looking at Isabel. Was he imagining it, or had he seen something flicker in those eyes? "Hold on to me, Iz. Remember the connection. Hold on," his voice dropped, as he held out his hand. He stood there, holding out his hand to her, hoping that she could sense him reaching out to her, that she could use the connection as a life-line to pull herself out of her mental prison. He had faith in the strength of their bond.
From a distance, Isabel could hear him talking, but it was hard to concentrate on anything but the images Kivar was sending her. She could almost see other ghostly images, memories that were vague and confused. A green teddy bear. Sitting on a rock, looking up at the night sky. They started to gain clarity. Dancing in the desert under the stars. "If I'm holding onto you, maybe you won't get lost." But I am lost, Alex. I am so lost. And I don't know if I can find my way back. Alex? And with the name, came such a feeling of love, so very strong. But was it strong enough?
Slowly, Isabel's hand rose from her side. She held it out to Alex, not touching his. They were too far away from each other for that. But something incredible happened. Alex was never completely sure if he really saw it or if it was just his imagination, but it seemed that for a moment a shining white light streamed from his outstretched hand to Isabel's. And in that instant, he felt even more connected to Isabel than he had up to then.
"That's enough of that," Kivar said impatiently, reaching down and pulling out his gun with his free hand. "Tymrath's not around to save you this time." He aimed at Alex, who didn't even flinch. He never looked away from Isabel.
And couldn't stop a huge grin from spreading over his face as he mentally felt something snap. Isabel turned, breaking free of Kivar's grasp and kicking him with all her strength. His gun fell to the floor and she kicked it aside before proceeding to throw Kivar across the room. "I told you I was stronger now," she hissed down at him. She ran over to Alex, hugging him tight.
"Alex." She relished the feel of his arms around her again. When she'd come back, she could feel the connection with Kivar breaking. It simply couldn't exist alongside the one she shared with Alex. She was free of him. No more Kivar in her mind.
"Hey, Izzy. Welcome back." His smile told her that he understood. Then, he looked over her shoulder, noticing that Kivar was starting to move. "I think we should get out of here."
"Good idea." Grabbing his hand, she pulled him back out into the hall, away from that room.
For a few minutes, there was silence in the room. Then, "Ow!" Kivar got to his feet slowly, rubbing his head. "That was interesting." Smiling a little, he looked around the room for his gun. Before he could find it, though, he heard the new arrival enter the room. The smile grew wider. "Hello, Tym."
Michael entered the room, closing the door gently behind him and leaning against the wall. "Hello, Kivar."
--------------------------------------------
Liz blinked around in the faint light. They were in a small space, surrounded by fallen plasters and beams. Then she noticed the form next to her. "Kyle!" She heard a faint groan in response and felt a wave of relief. He wasn't dead. She shifted over next to him. "It's going to be okay, Kyle. Just hold on."
"Wasn't actually planning on going anywhere, Liz," came his faint response. "You know, since there's the little matter of this beam on top of me. Where's Tess?"
Liz looked around. "I don't see anyone but us. I think Tess was farther up the hall. She's probably fine, Kyle."
"Good." His voice was still faint, but held the undeniable hint of relief. "I really didn't want to have to explain to Dad why I let a roof fall on her."
Liz gave a brief laugh. "Coward."
"That's what Tess says." His voice was getting fainter.
Liz looked around at the situation. Nothing was on top of the beam, so she guessed it was safe to move it without worrying about making the rest of the building fall on them or anything. She pushed with all her strength, and after a few minutes, had the beam off Kyle. She moved over to him, looking to see what injuries he had. "Where does it hurt?"
"Just everywhere." He tried to smile, but closed his eyes at the pain. "Seriously, I just think it's where the beam fell."
"Your chest, then." Liz gently started to push up his shirt.
"You know, if you're trying to make King Max jealous again, you might want to wait until I can participate more fully."
She shook her head down at him. "Thanks for the offer, Kyle, but I'm just seeing if you're bleeding." She put the shirt back down. No signs of that. Hopefully there wasn't any internal bleeding.
"What now?" Kyle opened his eyes again, which Liz found a good sign. She wanted him awake and alert.
Liz took a deep breath and looked around, trying to block out her worries about Max and Maria. "Now I find us a way out of here."
----------------------------------------------------------
In the green light on the other side of the debris, Maria looked at Max. He was using his force field to hold up the beams threatening to fall on them. "How long can you hold them up?"
"No idea. Let's try to find a way out of here before we find out, huh?" He kept an eye on Maria. "Anything more from Michael?"
She shook her head. "Things are the same. He's upset." She looked around for a way out. "I think he's trying to keep me out."
"He's trying to keep you safe, Maria. He didn't want you here."
"Yeah, what's up with that?" She had Max as a captive audience at the moment (not like there was anywhere he could go, after all), and she wanted an answer. Plus, she tended to talk when she was nervous or scared. "Why is everyone so suddenly being all worried about me?"
"I don't know, Maria. Maybe because a Skin tried to kill you twice today?"
"Okay, the first time doesn't count. He never meant to kill me, and it was only a distraction. It could just as easily have been Liz he pretended to almost hit if she'd been the first one out. And it's not like I'm the only one who's been in danger today." Maria held up her hand, counting off on her fingers. "Alex was almost shot by Kivar, who seemed to take him personally, and then almost got blown up by Lonnie. Liz was also almost killed by Lonnie. Michael was shot by Kivar, even if it was only a graze. Isabel was abducted. And your mother......." her voice trailed off, wincing. "I'm sorry, Max. I probably shouldn't have brought that up, huh?"
Max focused his attention on the shield. "It's okay. It's not like I've forgotten about it. But we're going to get that antidote."
"Of course we are," Maria said with total conviction. "But my point is, we've all had a sucky day. I've gotten off light in comparison."
"Michael's just protective of the people he loves. You know that."
Maria narrowed her eyes at him. "It's more than that. What's up?"
Max shook his head. "I'm not having this conversation with you."
"Max..."
"I'm serious." Max's voice held a note of finality to it. "You have a question about how Michael's acting regarding your relationship, you talk to him about it. I'm not getting involved."
She frowned at his back, then let it go. He had enough to worry about. If it was her mother........
She heard a noise behind them.
----------------------------------------------------------
It took a while, but Liz finally managed to move the debris out of the way and crawl out into the hall. Blinking and waving away the plaster dust, she noticed a figure coming down the hall towards her. "Tess?" It was the small blond alien, but Tess didn't even answer. Liz got shakily to her feet and moved closer to the other girl. Tess didn't even seem to notice her - staring straight ahead, apparently dazed. "Tess? Are you okay?" Still no response. "Tess, Kyle's back there."
That got her attention. "Kyle?" Tess's eyes focused on Liz. "What happened to Kyle?"
Liz gestured back. "He's in there. Can you help me get him out?"
"Of course." Working together, the two girls managed to pull Kyle through the opening. When they were back in the open section of the hallway, Tess bent over him, worried. "What happened?"
"Lonnie made the ceiling go boom." Kyle managed a weak smile. "Hey."
"Hey." She leaned over and kissed his lips gently. "You better be okay, Buddha Boy. Who else am I going to blame for this whole thing?"
"What happened to Lonnie?" Liz asked, looking around nervously. It would be just their luck to have the crazed alien pop out from behind a corner or something.
Tess frowned in concentration. "She got away. Lonnie has left the building." Shaking her head quickly, she went on. "Where are the others?"
"Back there." Liz pointed to the destruction behind them.
"Okay." Tess walked over to examine it. Although they obviously needed to regroup, she was even more concerned about getting Max out so that he could heal Kyle. Kyle didn't seem to be in any mortal danger, but he was in pain, and she didn't like that. The injuries were too serious for her to heal, so she needed to get Max out here, fast. "Here goes."
Liz and Kyle watched as Tess very carefully used her powers to move the bits and pieces of the ceiling away, digging her way through until they reached Max and Maria. The five of them quickly moved away and down the hall to someplace more structurally secure.
"Heal Kyle." Tess looked at Max, holding on to Liz, impatiently. "Now."
"You better do what she says," Kyle murmured up at him. "She's pushy, you know."
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Max and Kyle exchanged a look of rare understanding, then Max leaned down to heal him. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to do it, seeing as how he hadn't been able to heal his mother earlier. But much to his relief, he was able to form the connection with Kyle easily. Liz gathered him in her arms when he leaned back from the healing, momentarily exhausted.
"Cool," was all Kyle was able to get out before he was practically smothered by Tess's hug. "I'm okay, Tess."
She pulled back and smacked him on the shoulder. "Don't you dare ever do anything like that again!"
"Guys," Maria said quietly. They all turned their attention to her. She was staring down the hallway in the direction that Alex and Tess had gone earlier. "Somebody's coming."
---------------------------------------------------------
Kivar got to his feet calmly. "I was wondering when you were going to show up."
Michael looked around the room, taking in the surroundings and then dismissing them as his eyes returned to the man across from him. "Prank phone calls? Putting flowers in her locker? Isn't that kind of petty?" Michael shook his head mockingly. "Really, Kivar. Couldn't you come up with anything better than that?"
Kivar laughed, spreading wide his hands in a deceptively innocent air. "Well, you know. It was fun. Had her pretty spooked, didn't I? Plus, you know how important it is to test the opposition for weaknesses." He shrugged. "And it's not like that was the only thing I was working on." Michael's eyes narrowed at the reference to the dreams Isabel and Alex had, but he didn't say anything. Kivar looked at Michael intently. "You look awful, Tym. Who was it? Lonnie? Nicholas?"
"It was Nykal." Neither man raised his voice, speaking in calm tones. "I didn't even know that Lonnie was here."
"She's somewhere around." Kivar's tone dismissed Lonnie as irrelevant. "So where is Nykal?"
Michael grinned widely. "Dead and dust." One down..... He started to walk casually around the room, prowling slowly closer to Kivar.
For his part, Kivar didn't look at all saddened by the news of his second's death. If anything, he looked proud. "Good for you, Tym. Glad that you won this time around. I always figured it was more luck than anything else before."
"Before." Michael stopped walking, looking away from the other. "I meant to talk with you about that." Shooting out his hand without even looking, he released a small focused blast of energy. Just enough to knock Kivar off his feet and make him fall to the ground with a small thud. Kill him, came the voice in his head. Not yet. He continued on in a conversational tone. "We never really had a chance to talk about it, did we? Before." That last was said with such bitter contempt. At that moment, the events of that other lifetime seemed much clearer than those of that very morning.
Kivar sat up, wincing. "What did you want to talk about, Tym? I'm open to any suggestions." He smiled. "How about Dagmar? Of course, from what I was told he crawled off into the desert to die. No big loss there." He looked at the lack of expression on Michael's face. "No? Okay. How about Zandar? Vilandra? The precious royal pair? All those wonderful secrets they never knew about you?" He tiled his head to one side, eyes bright with malicious curiosity. "And they still don't know, do they? For shame, Tym. Secrets, secrets."
Michael felt the old familiar burning in his hands. Let go. "Why aren't you scared?" He didn't get any sense of fear from Kivar. Simply amusement.
Kivar laughed. "Why should I be?" In a sudden swift movement, he reached over and grabbed the gun lying on the floor next to him. He stood up, but before the gun was even raised, Michael had casually, almost gracefully, held up his hand, palm stretched upwards. He smiled as he released his energy in a very focused manner. Kivar stood up on his toes, gun dropping from his hand as his entire body spasmed while the energy ran through him and he screamed in pain. Finally, Michael closed his fist, and Kivar dropped to the ground, panting. Michael walked over and pulled back Kivar's head by the hair.
"Scared yet?" he whispered.
----------------------------------------------------------
Alex and Isabel ran up to the others. "Max!" She ran to her brother's arms and hugged him. "I'm sorry. I tried to fight, but he was so strong. It was so hard."
"Shh, it's okay, Iz. You did fight him off." Max closed his eyes in relief and gratitude. It was too much already, the possibility of losing their mother. He couldn't have handled losing his sister, too.
"Yeah, I did." She pulled away, sounding proud of herself, then looked over at Alex with a smile. "With a little help."
"It was still your fight, Izzy." Alex pulled her back close to him, looking around and taking in Liz's dusty clothes and the strained expression on Maria's face. "Looks like we missed some of the excitement. Maria, are you okay?"
She was too distracted to even get upset at the concerned tone of his voice. "It's Michael. The connection......" She couldn't find the word to describe it, to explain what was wrong. "It's changing somehow." She looked directly at Alex, absolute terror in her eyes. "No, that's not it. It's him. He's changing."
Alex nodded. "Tymrath. He's trying to remember everything from back then so that he can fight Kivar."
"Which, since he's not here, is probably what he's doing right now." Tess didn't care what happened to Kivar, or Hanson for that matter. But she did care about Michael, and didn't much like the idea of him in a one-on-one fight with Kivar.
Max moved forward suddenly. "We have to find him. Now." A thought had just occurred to him, and it was bad. Very bad. "Before he does something he's going to regret."
Maria laughed bitterly. They were all taken aback by the anger in the sound. "Believe me, Max, killing Kivar isn't going to be something that Michael regrets."
Max shook his head. She didn't get it yet, and if she didn't, then probably Michael didn't either. "I'm not talking about killing Kivar."
Alex was the first one to put the pieces together. Kivar knew they were coming. He'd been waiting for them, waiting for Michael. "Uh, oh."
-------------------------------------------------------
Kivar flew across the room, hitting the wall face-first. When he turned around, he put up his hand to his mouth and wiped away the stream of blood coming from his cut lip. Michael was walking steadily towards him, ready to hit him again. Kivar started to raise his hand, but Michael grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him. He wasn't sure if Kivar had powers in this form or not, but he didn't want to take a chance on finding out. "That was for Zandar," he hissed. "And this is for Aveen." He kneed Kivar in the stomach, dropping him down to the ground.
"Aveen's death wouldn't have been necessary if you had just done what you were supposed to, Tym," Kivar managed to get out. He looked up that alien looming over him. His eyes gleamed up at Michael maliciously. "But hey, you did kill Vilandra. You got that much right, at least."
"SHUT UP!" Michael roared, throwing Kivar across the room with his powers, then keeping him there against the wall, arms and legs spread out, defenseless. He could have killed him already, but he wanted Kivar to hurt first. To be afraid. To have some small measure of the pain he'd given to the others. For Zandar, Vilandra, Aveen. For the damage he'd done to Alex, the innocence that could never be returned. For putting in effect plans that had put Maria in danger.
For what Kivar had done to him, so long ago on another world.
But now that was all over. Michael rammed one arm across Kivar's throat, keeping him in place without even needing his powers. His other hand was raised over Kivar's heart, ready to burn. He could feel the energy singing through his blood, feel the tingles of anticipation. "You're done, Kivar. No more. You're not going to hurt any of them again." As his hand heated up, he looked into Kivar's eyes.
And almost backed up in surprise. There was pain etched into his face, yeah. Lots of pain. But still not fear. Why isn't he afraid? And then he got it.
Kivar could see the enlightenment flicker through Michael's eyes. "Go ahead, Tym. You know you want to do it. Kill me."
Michael shook his head, but he couldn't make himself let go of the body he was holding. The bleeding, bruised, human body. Not a Husk, not a shapeshifter. A human. "This isn't hurting you at all, is it? Not the real you," he whispered.
Kivar laughed. "Not a bit, Tym. Kill me, and I'll just leave this body and go back to my own back on Antar in the palace." His smile widened. "The one where you lived with Zandar and Vilandra. But that doesn't mean anything. Go ahead."
Michael tried to think about this, when every single instinct he had was screaming at him to kill the man before him. He needed to do this, to stop this. Why? That's why Kivar had only put up a token resistance. He wanted Michael to kill this body, wanted him to revert back to his training and his instincts. Even knowing this, he couldn't make his body relax, couldn't make his hands let the other body fall free. The heat in his hand was starting to burn through the shirt, although it hadn't touched the body yet. The human body, so easy to break, he thought, remembering Pierce's death so clearly.
"Go on, Tym," Kivar whispered smoothly. "We both know that you can't stop now. And we both know why." Michael closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing, to regain some control. And still he couldn't let go. "And why bother? For this human?" Kivar's voice dripped contempt. "I've been in his mind for quite some time now. He really doesn't have a very high opinion of you. I know that he's the one who locked you up in jail." Michael's eyes snapped open, gleaming with hate at the memory. Kivar managed a small nod. "You must have hated that. Being trapped." Michael's arm tightened on his neck as he remembered being trapped before, so very young, watching the blue flames around him. Still, Kivar managed to go on. "Do it. You can kill this human, and they'll believe it was self-defense. The town sheriff will even help you cover it up. And who knows? Maybe you can be fast enough to catch me here. At the least, I'll have to find another host body, and that could take months." Kivar's voice changed tone, becoming more threatening. "If I live, then I'll keep using this body to go after your precious little family. What choice do you really have?"
Michael narrowed his eyes, trying to decide.
----------------------------------------------------------
"So Michael kills Kivar. What's the problem with that? Isn't it better than Kivar killing all of us? Or you know, popping into our minds and trying to control us?"
Max gave Maria an impatient look. He had a feeling she was deliberately not trying to understand. "Because it's not Kivar. It's Kivar in Hanson's body. And I'm not sure that Michael's capable of making that distinction right now."
"And?" Maria crossed her arms and glared at Max. She was stressed enough to begin with, and the emotions that she was getting from the bond with Michael weren't making things any better.
"And if it's self-defense, that's one thing. Tragic, but nobody's going to expect Michael to just stand there and get killed." Max took a deep breath, looking to Alex for support.
"But if Kivar doesn't fight back and Michael kills Hanson's body, thinking that he's killing Kivar......" Alex trailed off. He could see that Maria was getting it now.
"Then he's killed an innocent person for no reason," Kyle finished it for him. "A stupid person, yeah. But still innocent. None of this is Hanson's fault."
Liz put her hand on Maria's arm. "What do you think that will do to Michael?" I mean, he practically fell apart after he killed Pierce, and that was pure self-defense. What would this do to him? Not to mention Hanson."
"So, what is he supposed to do? Let Kivar keep running around in Hanson's body?" Tess shook her head. "It's a bad situation, but Michael's not going to let that happen."
"Michael will kill him." Maria said flatly. "Like Tess said, he won't take that risk." She started to move. "We have to stop him."
"Hold on." Isabel moved to block her way.
"Get out of my way, Isabel," Maria said in a low, threatening tone. "I don't care if you have alien powers or not, I'm getting to Michael."
"I have an idea." Isabel took a deep breath. Maria looked ready to go through her if necessary in order to get to Michael. "We're going to get Kivar out of Hanson's mind."
"Great. That's the perfect solution," Tess said brightly. "How are we going to do that?"
Isabel looked over Maria's shoulder and smiled. "Actually, Alex is going to do it."
All eyes turned to fix on Alex, even Maria's. He gulped nervously. "I am? How exactly am I going to do that?"
"Simple. You're going to push Kivar out of Hanson's mind the way you pushed him out of yours."
Alex nodded his head. "Sure, simple. Isabel, are you insane?" His voice raised to a slightly hysterical pitch. "Sorry, Izzy, but I can't do that. I can't get into other people's minds."
"No, but Isabel can." Liz was looking at the other girl with admiration. "I think it's a good idea."
Isabel moved closer and took Alex's hand. "I can get into Hanson's mind. And then you can push him out." She went on nervously. "I'm pretty sure that I can take you along for the ride, but you're going to have to trust me. I have to be able to get into your mind totally, without any walls you might have build up. Otherwise, this won't work."
"You dreamwalk him, and bring me with you?"
"But I really doubt that Kivar's taking a nap right now," Kyle objected.
"That doesn't matter," Alex said absently, looking into Isabel's eyes. "Isabel's gotten into people's minds before when they were awake. We're going to have to come up with another name for what she does." He closed his eyes, trying to muster his strength. The idea of getting into Kivar's mind again, of letting Kivar into his own thoughts again - that was absolutely terrifying. Quite honestly, it made him want to scream like a baby and run down the hall away from them all. But he couldn't think of any other way. He opened his eyes, smiling gently at Isabel. She looked nervous, unsure of whether he'd let her in. "Okay, Iz. I trust you." He picked up her hand and kissed it. "Completely."
She smiled and leaned up for a quick kiss. Then she turned to Max and Tess. "I don't think Kivar will make it easy for me to get in. I'm probably going to need some help. Do you two think you can help me?"
"Do you need to get into our minds, too?" Tess asked, sounding slightly nervous.
Isabel shook her head. "No. I just need you to combine your energy with mine to help me bulldoze my way in." She looked over at Max. "Well?"
"Let's do it." Max took her hand and sat down, taking Tess's in his other one.
Alex sat next to Isabel, taking her free hand and then Tess's. The four of them closed their eyes.
Liz and Kyle watched, fascinated. Maria turned her attention to her connection with Michael. Whether this plan worked or not, she knew that it was going to take more than this to make things okay for Michael.
---------------------------------------------------------
Kill him. You can't take the chance. Michael knew that his instincts were right, but he also knew that this was the trap Kivar had set up for him. He couldn't do this - he couldn't just kill an innocent person like that. Hanson was no threat to him. But he also couldn't let him go. His control was slipping, and he recognized it. It was just a matter of seconds now until the energy burst out.............
Michael. He almost thought he heard Maria's voice, but he ignored it. She had no business being here, nothing to do with what was going to happen. He wanted her safe and separate from this.
Michael, she said again, with more insistence. He could hear the irritation and determination in her voice. It was like she was standing right there next to him, thoroughly annoyed at his attempts to ignore her. He knew that tone of voice very well. Like he could ever ignore her.
Michael, she said for the third time, and he got it. She was reminding him of who he was now. Michael, not Tymrath. Spaceboy. Michael Guerin. And with the words came flashes of memories. A handmade napkin holder. Painting the ceiling of his living room. "There's gotta be something better out there for me than Roswell, New Mexico." Playing basketball with Max. Making a birthday cake for Isabel. Being hugged by Tess. Watching a game with Kyle. Maria in the eraser room. Shaking Alex's hand in the healing circle. Giving Liz back her journal, the first sign he'd ever had that love was possible for aliens stuck on earth. Maria taking care of his injuries. "Brave. Handsome. Hero." The light of the tiasa. Maria. Always Maria. Maria and Michael.
And he took back his hand, letting Kivar fall to the ground. Looking down in surprise, shocked that he could do it. That he could stop.
The surprise was mirrored on Kivar's face. Hanson's face, even if he's not using it at the moment. Then it changed to a look of intense curiosity. "Who's in there with you, Tym?"
Michael felt his muscles tense up again. He didn't want Kivar knowing about Maria. He didn't want Maria ever coming to Kivar's attention.
But before he could say anything, Kivar clutched his head and started to scream.
-------------------------------------------------------
Alex opened his eyes finally. There. It was done. That was interesting, he thought wryly. The dreamwalk had started off pleasantly. He could feel Isabel's spirit all around him, holding him safe and carrying him into Hanson's mind. Then the not-so-pleasant part started. Alex had been mildly surprised at how easily he'd been able to distinguish Kivar's thoughts. Maybe he shouldn't have been. Maybe it was just that he wasn't thrilled with the idea of how familiar he'd become with Kivar's mind. At any rate, he'd been able to evict Kivar from Hanson's mind. It had actually been a little easier to kick him out this time and build the wall then it had been to do it in his own mind. Practice makes perfect.
Still, there was that last whisper of thought he'd received from Kivar on his way back to Antar...............
He smiled at Isabel. Don't think about that now. "Are you okay, Iz?"
She smiled shakily. "Tired, but yeah." Isabel looked over at Max and Tess. They looked pretty worn-out, too. She turned back to Alex. "Did we do it?"
"Yeah." He got to his feet, then reached down a hand to help her up. "He's kicked out and won't be back. At least, not in Hanson." That was one thing he wasn't worried about.
"Hey, we better follow Maria," Kyle said, pointing at the girl who had already started down the hallway. Alex and Isabel recognized this as the direction they'd come from - the way to where they'd left Kivar.
When they entered the room, they saw Michael standing there, staring down in confusion at the form of Hanson, lying unmoving on the floor. He looked up when they entered, his eyes going straight to Maria, a frown forming on his face. "What are you doing here?" he asked angrily, ignoring the others.
"Helping you. Duh." She walked over to him and hugged him as tightly as she could. She felt like she'd come too close to losing him. Then she pulled back and gave him a closer look. "Spaceboy, you're hurt." She reached up and touched the wound on his head gently.
"It's no big deal. I'm okay," he hurried to reassure her. She didn't look convinced. "Maria, I didn't want you in danger."
"You needed me."
He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head. She was right. He had needed her. If he hadn't had the connection to her to follow back, he might have lost himself totally. Still...... "You were supposed to keep her safe and out of trouble," he said, glaring at Tess.
Tess shrugged. "Please, like you've ever had any luck controlling her." Michael could hear Maria muttering something indignantly about people controlling her, but he just kept holding her tightly. They could fight later. Tess walked over to Hanson, kicking his leg gently. "What's up with him?"
Michael shook his head. "I'm not sure. He just started screaming, then passed out."
"That would be when we pushed Kivar out of Hanson's mind," Alex said quietly. Michael's eyes met his instantly.
"Yeah? For good?" Alex nodded in response. "Great." Then Michael looked over at Max. "You came after me?" The expression of confused surprise on his face hurt Max to a surprising degree. Had he really given Michael that much of a feeling of being unimportant?
" We all came after you." Max put emphasis on the pronoun. Michael had to realize how important he was to all of them. "Maria said you were in trouble, so of course we came. For you and Isabel. Haven't we all lost enough already?"
Isabel stiffened in Alex's arms and turned to her brother. "Mom! Kivar promised me the antidote to save her."
"There is an antidote, Iz," Alex said comfortingly.
"Eustan!" Everyone turned to stare at Michael. He went on. "Eustan's the one who would know where the antidote is. I'll go find the little weasel. He has to be around here somewhere." He started to walk off, then turned back around, giving Liz a little smile. "Who wants to come with me? I don't want to get in trouble for wandering off alone."
"A little late for that," Kyle muttered. "When Dad catches up to us......" he trailed off at the looks he was receiving from the others. "I'll go with you. I haven't had much to do yet in this little alien adventure, except get hit by a falling roof."
"As they walked off, the group could hear Michael ask, "A falling roof?"
-----------------------------------------------------------
The six of them settled down on the floor of the room, waiting for Michael and Kyle to come back with the antidote. For the first time since walking into his kitchen hours earlier, Max let himself relax just a bit. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of Liz in his arms. If there really was an antidote, then maybe things would be okay. Maybe he could allow himself to hope a little for his mother.
"Max?" He opened his eyes at the sound of Liz's gentle voice.
"What?"
"Maybe you should heal Hanson." She pointed over at the unconscious form on the other side of the room. Max and Alex had placed him on the bed, but otherwise they'd all just ignored him.
"Why?" Tess burst out. At their looks, she went on defensively. "Well, excuse me for not being as touchy-feely as the rest of you, but he did try his hardest to get Michael locked up for murder. I'm not exactly the creep's biggest fan. And it's not like he's dying or anything."
"That was just his job, Tess," Alex pointed out calmly.
"Maybe, maybe not." Tess wasn't budging.
"We're going to have to do a lot of damage control when this is all over," Liz pointed out reasonably. "It might be easier if Hanson doesn't have all those bruises and cuts that he can't explain or remember getting."
Max sighed. Liz had a good point. "She's right, Tess." Tess rolled her eyes, but she didn't argue anymore. Max went over and healed Hanson. Feeling almost light-headed, he went back to collapse next to Liz. The day was starting to catch up with him.
Kyle came back in, carefully handing Max a vial and tossing a piece of paper to Liz. "Here you go. According to our friendly neighborhood Skin scientist, that's the antidote."
"And this would be?" Liz held up the paper.
Kyle shrugged as he sat down next to Tess. "It's a list of the ingredients. Michael wanted you to have it. I'm not sure why - he seemed certain that the Skin was telling him the truth. Maybe he just wanted you to know about it for future knowledge."
Isabel was quickly standing. "Max, we'd better get to the hospital."
He nodded agreement and was standing as a shadow fell over them from the doorway. Michael was standing there. He glanced over at Hanson's healed body, impassive face showing no reaction. Barely looking at the others, he went straight to Maria.
"Where's Eustan?" Tess peered behind him. Nothing.
Michael looked up from Maria to look levelly at Max. "He tried to escape. There was a struggle. Self-destruct button. He died." His terse explanation ended in a shrug.
"I see." Max's voice was non-committal. Michael simply raised an eyebrow in response. "We'd better get back to the hospital now. But first," he stepped closer to Michael, reaching out his hand, "let me heal that." Michael still had a cut on his forehead, and from the way he was walking, it looked like he had some other injuries, ones that couldn't be seen.
"No." Michael pulled back instantly, avoiding Max's hand and the hurt look on his face.
"Michael..." Max didn't understand why Michael wouldn't let him heal his injuries. Neither did Maria, but she could feel Michael's determination, so she jumped in.
"Max, you're pretty wiped out already. I mean, you held up a ceiling, you healed Kyle and Hanson, you gave your energy to Isabel to throw out Kivar." She looked at Michael out of the corner of her eye, seeing the look of gratitude he was giving her. "Michael just needs rest. I'll take him home and take care of him." She gave Max a stern look. "It won't help anything if you pass out from exhaustion."
"Or lose your powers like at Christmas," Michael added smoothly. "Lonnie's still out there somewhere, after all."
"They have a good point, Max." Liz tugged on his arm. "Let's just get that antidote to your mother, okay?"
"Okay." But before they could leave, they all heard a noise in the hall outside. As one, the four aliens turned, hands up and ready to blast.
"Oh, put them down," Valenti said grumpily as he entered the room, gun out. They did, all looking slightly guilty. Valenti looked around and saw Hanson's unconscious body. "What happened?"
"You got my message?" Kyle asked eagerly. His father just gave him a flat look.
"Yes, and we are all," his look now took in the whole group, "going to have a long conversation later about the not-wandering-off rule, which apparently none of you understand. But for now, I want to know what's going on."
"Kivar possessed Hanson but he's gone now, Hanson's unconscious, Nicholas is dead, Lonnie was here but now she's gone somewhere, and we have the antidote for Max's mother," Tess said with her most charming smile, hoping it would soften the sheriff. He almost smiled back, but then took strength. He was not going to let the kids start walking all over him.
"So the immediate threat is over?" He looked around, getting nods in response. "Okay, then you'd better all get back to the hospital. Your father," he said with a pointed look at Max and Isabel, "is going crazy worrying about where you are." They all moved to obey, but he stopped Kyle and Tess. "You two are coming with me. We have to deal with him." He gestured to his deputy. Damage control. Then he took a closer look at Michael. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," was all that Michael said in response. After looking at his face for a minute, Valenti simply nodded, respecting Michael's decision to deal with this in his own way. He knew there had to be a reason why Max was there and Michael still wasn't healed.
"I'm taking you home," Maria said to Michael. He simply nodded, which worried her. If he wasn't arguing with her, then he must be weak. But he refused to lean on her, insisting on carrying his own weight.
"Here, Maria," Alex tossed her his keys. "I'll go back with Isabel and the others. You can drive him home in my car."
"Thanks." Maria smiled warmly at her friend. On their way out the door, Max walked over, whispering seriously to Michael.
"This is never going to happen again, Michael. I mean it."
"What's never going to happen again, Maxwell? Kivar going after Isabel?"
"No, you going off on your own or with Alex and risking yourself like this without telling the rest of us what's going on." Maria opened her mouth to interrupt, but Max shook his head and cut her off. "No more secrets. That's what we promised. Not even to protect us. We talk first. Then, if you feel the need to do something incredibly dangerous and stupid, I can't stop you. But we at least talk about it." His tone of command was softened by the smile that he briefly directed at his brother. "I'm not willing to lose you again. Understand?"
Michael nodded slowly. "I understand."
"Good. Redarg, s'olat."
"I'll take care of that part," Maria said, leading Michael out of the room, followed closely by the others.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | Epilogue | Fic