e420

ROSWELL: THE FINAL CHAPTER

Episode 420

“Making a Stand”

Written by Kristin, Jeslyn, Liz Park, Shira, Annie, and Simon

Edited by Lisa, Lizzy, Mark, and Tiff

Playlist:

1. “White Flag” by Dido

2. “Eat You Alive” by Limp Bizkit

3. “Someday” by Nickelback

4. “Gravedigger” by Dave Matthews

5. “Slower” by Mineral

6. “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes

7. “Falls On Me” by Fuel

Roswell Sheriff’s Office, 8 a.m.

Jim pulled up in his SUV and got out, his usual cup of coffee in one hand and a copy of The Roswell Daily in the other. It was a typical day at the Roswell Sheriff Station; the sun was already beating down on the desert town, even though it had barely begun to break over the fulgor horizon.

He walked inside prepared for a brand new day, but something was amiss already . . . and oddly familiar. In the corner of the sheriff station, Sheriff Hansen was talking to a stranger in a black suit. It could be an FBI agent, a detective, or even a car salesman; but Jim had a feeling it was the former. The situation was deja-vu all over again. Just around this time three years ago, he was the one trying to deal with a strange man in a black suit, that man being Agent Pierce.

Jim walked directly up to Hanson and the stranger, greeting them both with a glance before removing his hat. “Good morning, Sheriff. Anything I can help with here?”

“Well Jim, this is Mr. Franks with the FBI,” Hansen began to explain, but before he could continue, they were interrupted by the secretary at the front desk.

“Excuse me Sheriff, sorry to interrupt, but we just got a call . . . there is a . . .” The secretary looked at Jim knowingly. “There’s a small scuffle going on down at the Crashdown Café. Should I send Williams, or will you handle it?”

“You’re obviously busy Sheriff . . . I’ll handle it for you,” Jim offered, sipping on his coffee lazily, trying to appear more bored than insistent.

“Yeah ok,” Hansen began. “Take care of that, and on your way out, could you show Mr. Franks the door? Our work is done here.”

“Yes, sir,” Jim said, nodding towards the door, pointing out its location for the Agent. He had shown more than a few FBI agents out of the station and he would be happy to show yet another one all the way out of Roswell, New Mexico.

The agent walked in front of Jim to the parking lot and around the side of the building towards his typical unmarked car. They were so predictable.

Jim donned his hat. “Well Mr. Franks, as happy as we all are to have so much more tourism business here in Roswell, I don’t see why the FBI needs to keep showing up unannounced in this station and in my town,” Jim said, making it perfectly clear that the FBI was not welcome here in Roswell.

The agent stopped, looking at Jim silently.

Jim continued, “So, why don’t you take yourself, and your little buddies, and go on back to the hole where you came from, comprendé?” Jim pointed to the agent’s car impatiently.

Before Jim could expect a response from the agent, the agent grabbed Jim’s arm, throwing him up against the side of the station, pressing Jim’s face against the rough brick wall.

“You listen to me Valenti, I know who you are. I know all about you, your friends, and what you’ve done. And for the record, we have a few of your kind in custody right now, so if I were you, I would mind my own damn business, comprendé? That is, if you want the them to remain safe and unharmed.”

The agent then let go of Jim, walking stiffly towards his vehicle and getting in. Jim was tempted to arrest the man or even worse, but instead recomposed himself and dusted his hat. “We’ll see about that!” Jim muttered, donning his crumpled headgear before the agent’s car sped off.

Jim climbed in his vehicle and grabbed his cell phone. The number he dialed was automatically branded in his head after all these years. Phillip Evans picked up and Jim kept it short and to the point. “Phillip, its Jim. You and Diane need to call Amy Deluca and the Parkers. Head over to the meeting place right away. Something going on.”

“No problem, Jim, we’re on our way.”

~.~.~.~.~

1.

The sound of several pairs of footsteps reverberated off the pod chamber’s walls. No one was speaking, at least not yet. There were many questions, but nobody knew where to begin, or if they should even speak at all.

Serena was the one to break the silence, pacing restlessly. “We have to do something. I can’t stand not knowing if they are okay, ya know? We need a plan . . . that’s my father out there in the hands of the FBI. Is it even possible to find and lose your father in the very same day? How can I find my father and lose him in such a short span? That’s not fair!” she cried, looking around to the group insistently for help.

Liz stepped forward, reaching out to stop Serena, grasping her by the shoulders and taking a deep breath before speaking. “He’s my father too. Not to mention that my mother is also there with him, wherever they are. But we will get them back, trust me,” Liz said, putting her arm around Serena’s trembling shoulders. Liz led her over to the corner for some privacy. Kyle watched them before averting his eyes.

Serena sat down next to Liz, still holding her hand. “Liz, I’m sorry. I’m just so scared. I mean, I just had so many questions finally answered in my life, so many new doors opened and now I feel like I am about to lose everything all over again. I just feel so helpless . . . so scared.”

Liz could imagine what Serena was going through. She had been there before, if not more than once. Being a part of the alien club also included the constant fear of losing everything and everyone close to you. Liz had lived in great fear of losing not only her parents, but also Max and all of her closest friends. This was, for lack of a better word, normal.

Liz squeezed Serena’s hand as she talked. It was somewhat comforting to know that Serena had the same fears, but at least now, she had a sister to share it with.

“Serena, I know that you are scared, trust me I do know, I am just as scared as you are. But one thing that I know for certain is that we must stay calm. I know my parents, our dad, and I know that they are strong. And I know that none of us in this room are going to let anything bad happen to them. But we need to be strong to beat this thing, and we can help each other do that… if we try.”

Serena let out a small smile and wiped a tear from her eye, thanking Liz for her support. “So we can figure this thing out, right?” Serena said, looking around at the group. Not only had she entrusted her life with them in the past, but now the future life of her newfound father hung in the balance.

“There’s no doubt,” Michael replied, Maria looking up at him knowingly.

“Okay. Then let’s get this show on the road,” Serena said. She hugged Liz, the newfound bond of sisterhood slowly sinking in.

~.~.~.~.~

2.

In an underground military compound, far beneath a government sector of Washington D.C., a group of agents sat huddled around Jeff and Nancy Parker, whose hands and feet had been cuffed. Agent Colton looked down at their unconscious bodies, his narrowed cobalt eyes brimming with curiosity at the idea of what his two hostages might be able to divulge.

The two groggily began coming to. Colton watched as their eyes feebly scanned the dimly lit room. Despite the glare of the light bulb they sat under, there were no lights elsewhere, so he knew that they could see very little, if anything.

“Where am I?” Jeff said, trying to stand, but an agent stepped forward, pushing Jeff back into his seat forcibly.

“Mr. Parker,” Agent Colton began coolly, without preamble, “I’m only going to ask you this once. Tell me everything you know about the aliens… now.”

“Aliens?” Jeff said, feigning confusion. “Ha! I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now let my wife and I go,” he demanded.

“The first thing you need to know here, Mr. Parker,” Colton explained condescendingly, “Is that you are not in charge of this operation. I call all the shots around here and you will answer all of my questions truthfully, or pay the price.”

Nancy gulped.

“Bull crap!” Jeff spat. “I don’t care who you are or what you want to know. You’re not getting anything from us!” Jeff spouted, squinting at the agent’s shadowy figure, his words dripping with venom.

“The second thing you need to know, Mr. Parker . . .” Agent Colton spoke firmly and without emotion, “Is that any disobedience has consequence in this room.”

He snapped his fingers, and two of his agents forcibly lifted Jeff from the chair he was sitting on. Agent Colton took a seat on the now empty chair, and smirked coldly while the agents tied Jeff’s cuffs to the wall. Colton was about to speak again, when Nancy broke the silence.

“Stop, please don’t hurt my husband,” Nancy pleaded. “Jeff, maybe it’s okay, we could just…”

“No!”

“But…”

“Nancy, don’t answer any of his questions. He’ll only use the answers to hurt innocent people,” Jeff demanded.

“Including us?” she countered defiantly.

“Enough!” Agent Colton ordered them both, “I still call the shots in this room, but you made me realize something, Mrs. Parker. As for who will answer my questions first, I place my bets on you.”

“If you lay a finger on her, I swear I’ll…” Jeff started, but Colton cut him off.

“You’re hardly in a position to be making threats,” Colton balked. “I’ll get my answers, and I’ll get them no matter what it takes.”

“No,” Nancy pleaded, “Please don’t hurt us! We haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Your love for your husband, Mrs. Parker, is endearing… and also your weakness. If you don’t answer my questions truthfully,” Agent Colton informed her pointedly, snapping his fingers with a wicked smile. The two agents that had tied Mr. Parker to the wall stepped toward him again and began rolling up their sleeves. Agent Colton spoke again. “Then I’ll have no other choice but to see that your beloved husband suffers… any kind of punishment that I see fit.”

“No!” Nancy pleaded again, “Please, don’t. We can find some other way, a compromise…”

“Nancy!” Jeff spat. His look was unquestionable.

Nancy started sniffing, holding her tears at bay. Agent Colton knew she was giving in. The other agents waited impatiently for a sign to begin their battering.

“Defy me, and all I have to do is say a word,” he told Mrs. Parker. “And your husband will suffer for your actions. Is that what you want?”

“No,” she uttered shakily, her eyes filling with tears. After a moment, she added quietly, “What do you want to know?”

“Nancy!” Jeff started, but an agent quickly gagged him with a towel.

“We know your daughter Liz is one of these aliens and this,” he informed her, holding up a slip of paper. “This is a certificate stating her marriage to Max Evans. Now, Mr. Phillip Evans, he is an alien also, true?”

“Mmm!” Jeff tried to yell, but could not make out any intelligible words.

“What difference does it make?” She scoffed, wiping her eyes. “And why would you even presume to think such a silly idea in the first place? My daughter is not what you say she is and I should know I gave birth to her for Christ’s sake!”

Agent Colton motioned to the other agents and Nancy spoke up quickly, “Honestly, I gave birth to my daughter at Roswell Memorial Hospital, and I have the birth certificate to prove it! Please don’t hurt my husband. I’m telling you the truth!”

“Sir?” one of the agents spoke up holding a fistful of Jeff’s shirt in his right hand.

“Do it,” Agent Colton ordered, “Unless the lady here tells me what her daughter is doing back in Roswell.”

Nancy looked at him worriedly, wringing her hands repeatedly before sniffling a couple times. She blinked, once then twice and finally shook her head. She didn’t know. He snapped his fingers and she spoke again.

“Please, I don’t know,” she pleaded truthfully while the agents neared her husband, one of them reaching way back with his fist.

“I don’t know why! Really! She didn’t even call, she just showed up!”

Colton gave a nod to one agent. Muffled thumps of fist slamming into Mr. Parker’s gut sounded loudly and his wife flinched as if she had been the one being hit. Mr. Parker mumbled several curse words to no one in particular, flailing the loose end of his gag about as if to whip someone to death. Agent Colton motioned the agent to back off.

“Are you sure you don’t know why?” Agent Colton retorted disbelievingly. “I highly doubt your daughter didn’t tell you what brought her and those other aliens all the way back to UFO-central.”

She looked at her husband, taking a shaky deep breath when he gave her that reassuring look that said everything would be okay. She shook her head, but her eyes remained on her husband. If anything, he wouldn’t let her lose hope and Agent Colton could sense that. He smirked angrily and nodded his head towards the agents. The agent grabbed the captive by the shirt again.

“Stop it!” Nancy demanded, “I really don’t know the answer, please stop hurting him, please!”

Jeff cried out repeatedly as three agents came at him from all sides. Nancy feared that Colton no longer cared if she knew the answers he wanted to hear or not. The agents kept on beating Jeff and she kept pleading and begging… but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

“Please!” Nancy begged between sobs, to no avail.

Jeff’s loud wails, however, were not going totally unheeded. Where the walls were very thin around this corner of the compound, the howling cries of his torture fell pleadingly on an unlikely pair of sympathetic ears.

~.~.~.~.~

2.

Liz pulled away from Serena and looked at everyone else. She remembered being in many a hopeless situation before, although few seemed as bad as this current crisis. Reaching for some remainder of hope within her and the rest of the group, her eyes landed on Max’s. She felt relieved when she saw the reassurance in those chocolate brown depths. There was no way that they could sit here in the cave idly and do nothing for her parents . . . she knew that with all of her heart. Although she didn’t know how to turn the crisis to their favor, she knew the first step she had to take. Demanding words flew out of her mouth without a second of hesitation.

“We have to go back!”

“What!?” Michael and Maria both exclaimed, but the question came out in almost a near exhausted whisper.

“It’s the only way,” Max offered, immediately agreeing with Liz.

“Liz, that's crazy,” Kyle tried to reason, looking towards Serena, who right by Liz's side.

“No, she's right. The Parkers' may still be in the Crashdown… we have to go back,” Serena said in Liz's defense.

Isabel nodded as she paced. “We brought them into this… all of our parents. We have to at least make sure that they're safe.” She walked right up to Max. “What if they go after Mom and Dad? Could you live with that? ‘Cause I know I couldn't.”

“I realize what you guys are saying,” Hanley said. “But do you know what the chances are that they're even still in Roswell? Those Feds aren't going to just hang around in a city filled with people and hold potential aliens hostage at a frequented diner.”

“But you can find out where they are, can't you Will?” Raeve asked, sympathizing with the group, who all looked torn at the thought that all their parents could be in harm's way. “You can get in and infiltrate the system. You've done it before. You got into the special unit before and found out tons of info and I bet they still don't know it was you.”

Hanley raised a guilty look towards Max and then looked away shaking his head, running a shaky hand through his hair. “I'm not going anywhere, not unless you can promise me that you'll stay here, Raeve.”

“What? Why?” Raeve asked, confused.

“Because I'm not leaving Max again. He was nearly caught by the hands of the enemy back there and it was only because I wasn't there… I'm not going to not be there again.”

Raeve gave out a long sigh, mumbling, “You always were the sentimental one,” she raised her voice. “That was in Roswell, Hanley. That was in the lion's den… we're in this cave now, in the middle of nowhere’sville USA. They'll be fine here while we take care of business.”

“Who's to say that we have to stay here anyways?” Michael chimed in. “We're not all defenseless infidels; you know we should be out there fighting.”

“No offense... and I mean this in the best way possible,” Raeve started. “But you're a loose cannon. And not just you Michael... all of you. You let your emotions control you, and that's not your fault. You're human. But in a situation like this, the years and years of experience come in handy, and that's just something that you don't have.”

Michael started to say something barbed, but Maria beat him to the chase, stepping in front of him. “Alright, excuse me, Miss Obi Won Kenobi, but believe it or not, we've been dealing with all of this crap for quite a long while now and we have more than a few tricks up out sleeves. Your brother over there isn't the only one who's infiltrated the FBI, okay? This man, right here…” She gestured back towards Michael. “Has done it too and he didn't even have to shape shift… he just changed his fingerprints and got in just fine. We rescued Max from the FBI that way. So don't tell us that we don't know how to take care of ourselves, we've done a pretty damn good job so far with the help of my mom’s old car, I might add!”

Raeve looked past Maria to Michael. “What is she, your spokesperson?”

“Hey!” Max exclaimed. “That's enough!”

Michael pulled Maria back to his side as Max stepped up to the plate.

“This is what we're going to do,” Max started, turning towards Hanley. “You're going back to Roswell… you'll shape shift, find out what you can about where they took the Parkers. And when you come back, I want you to be able to guarantee me that the other parents are somewhere safe.”

Hanley nodded. “Fine, but if I'm making you a promise, then you better make me one.”

“Which is what?” Max asked, wondering what Hanley had in mind.

“You,” he gestured to the entire group, “Formulate a plan of attack in the next hour. A good one, not some cockamamie shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later idea.” He looked over towards Michael and Maria. “You say you can take care of yourselves… here's your chance to prove it.”

Maria's lips quirked in an almost devilish smile as she leaned her head back against Michael's chest. It was Calypso who spoke just then. “We will.”

~.~.~.~.~

“Now, what a brilliant plan I suggested. Good job Hanley. Wonderful idea,” Hanley muttered to himself, parking Michael’s bike a few blocks down from the Crashdown, feds all over the place. “Heading right back into the lion’s den and all. What an absolutely friggin’ brilliant plan…”

Nonchalantly, he climbed off the bike, taking a glance in each direction. No one looked familiar yet, but he knew it would take more than a few minutes to locate one of the big-shot agents from the earlier today. After all, he should know standard procedure by now. Especially after a major operation like this mornings, there would definitely be some agents wandering about.

Continuing down the street, Hanley kept one eye peeled. Every minute or two, someone would pass by that caught his eye, but he had to be sure before he made his move.

Ten minutes flew by as Hanley roamed the sidewalks, perusing the various shoppes. And then he saw him. Clean cut, suit, stance and all, air of importance. He had found himself an agent, wandering over by the UFO museum. “Either buddy boy gained a little weight or his jacket was cut a little tight, cause no one could mistake the holster under there,” Hanley thought to himself. “Gotcha sucker.”

Making his way across the street, Hanley lurked behind the man, watching as the person surveyed his assigned area. Like clockwork, the agent made his rounds right down the dark alleyway. “Perfect,” Hanley whispered, following the other man.

“Hey, Jack,” Hanley called out when they were a little deeper into the alley.

“It’s Ted,” the guy retorted, expecting to see another agent as he turned around. The second he did and saw Hanley, his instincts seemed to alert him to err on the side of caution. Quickly, he reached towards his holster, but didn’t draw his weapon. It was Hanley’s voice that stopped him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Hanley warned, matching the man’s voice, pitch perfect.

“What the hell,” the guy muttered under his breath, grabbing the handle to his revolver.

“What the hell,” Hanley mimicked; trying to unnerve the man a bit before he grilled him.

The agent’s eyes grew wide as he finally whipped out his gun.

Hanley held up one hand. “Now what did I say about that?” he scolded sarcastically.

Pointing his gun, the agent started to look a bit nervous. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

“Just a guy who wants to know where you people took the Parkers,” Hanley told him point-blank. “And you’re going to help me, whether you like it, or not.”

The other guy took a few steps back. “You’re one of those… one of those freaks,” he stammered, searching for his radio. “Take one step and I’ll shoot!”

Hanley thought about this for a split second, deciding on what the best course of action would be.

“Then you would be shooting yourself,” he said.

Before the agent could react, a bright light emerged from Hanley’s raised hand, blinding him. He tried to cover his eyes, but it was too late. By the time he was able to see clearly again, Hanley, posing almost as his twin, was at his side, ripping the gun from his hands.

“Now, I’ll only ask nicely one more time. Where are the Parkers?”

The guy started shaking, and Hanley knew he was afraid. He’d have to be scared with his own gun pointed at him, unless he had a death wish. However, the man didn’t say a word.

“Dammit,” Hanley swore under his breath. “Now, you’ve gone and made me grouchy.”

With that, he touched the back of the agent’s head, knocking him out instantly. The guy collapsed to the ground like a wet rag. Reaching down to check for a pulse, Hanley let out a sigh over the steady beat he felt. The guy would be okay. Passing his hand over his forehead, he altered the agent’s memories, replacing his face with another’s. He’d have one hell of a headache when he woke up, but be okay nonetheless.

With that easy step being out of the way, Hanley began the real task at hand, searching the guy for information. He managed to locate a set of credentials, another gun, a radio, and a slip of paper. The credentials identified him as agent Ted Dye. But the most important information was on the paper. Scribbled in almost too neat handwriting was the name Dimitri, follow by the word cave. Then, towards the bottom, in a totally different handwriting, was marked Sector C6.

“Oh man,” Hanley flinched. This was not good. So not good. Yet, he didn’t have much time to dwell. A noise came from the radio beside him.

“Omega, this is base. Do you read?”

Hanley quickly picked up the radio, clearing his throat. “This is Omega, go ahead.”

“Is your station secure?”

“Yes,” he answered clearly. “No sign of any disturbance in the area.”

“Good,” the voice came again. “We are moving out. Interrogations ETA one hour. Over.”

“See you there,” Hanley replied. “Over.”

When he was sure that nothing else was to come through the radio, Hanley switched it off. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the other agents found Ted Dye missing, since he wasn’t going to be making it back to headquarters. That meant that Hanley had to clear out as soon as possible.

First thing he did was toss the two guns into the dumpster. No need to allow the bad guys to be overly armed. Then, he waved his hand over the slip of paper, changing the message so no one could be sure just how much information had been gotten from this guy. Tucking the credentials back into the agent’s pocket, Hanley placed the note on the guy’s chest before reverting back to his usual form.

“By the way,” he said, looking down at the unconscious man on the ground. “We prefer the term ‘not of this earth,’ just for your information.” With that, Hanley turned on his heel and made his way back to the bike.

When the agent woke up a few hours later at the prodding of several other agents, he had no idea what happened to him, other than a note saying ‘Thanks Teddy, XOXO’ lying on his chest.

~.~.~.~.~

4.

Ava glanced at her wristwatch. “It’s been over thirty minutes since Hanley left,” she interjected, her words falling on deaf ears.

“Alright, but let’s just say what if all our… you know…” Kyle trailed.

“No it would never get that far, it’s not a matter of if… as long as we take action now,” Max said. “We’ll have to infiltrate their location, basically a rescue op,” he added simply.

Serena spoke, “What if they are being guarded?”

“Got that covered,” Michael pitched. He waved his hand over his shirt, momentarily showing it change into a black suit.

“Creepy,” Isabel added. “But I like it.”

“Thirty minutes?” Ava said again, looking around at the unheeding faces.

“It’s only a matter of when,” Michael finished, looking at Ava only momentarily. “And the sooner, the better. Because we’re not getting any younger here, and the Parker’s… well they’re already old.”

“Hey!” Liz said.

“Agreed,” Raeve added. “Serena, Max, Michael… all good points. Didn’t think I would be impressed, but now we just need to put all these pieces together, and sometime today.”

“I’m up for whatever, Queen Latifah,” Kyle sneered.

“What was that?”

“Oh, I said I’m up for whatever, clean it up.”

“And that last part again?”

“Clean it up?”

“Uh-huh…”

Ava was tired of all the bickering and could only think of one solution. The time had come for her to put her two cents in.

“But we can’t jus’ go in like that,” Ava insisted. “Like the Han-man said, we gotta have a plan. Not an idea, a plan.”

“Like what – blowing up their currently unknown, unobtainable base?” Michael scowled from his perch against the wall.

Ava’s eyes narrowed. “No,” she drawled. “I was thinkin’ more like you line all the agents up in a row and blast ‘em to death then we bury them out in the sand.”

Michael pushed away from the wall and assumed a defensive stance. “How do you know about that?”

Ava rolled her eyes. “C’mon. I’ve been with you guys day in, day out for the past month. Yous really like to rehash the past.”

“Look, rehashing the past – or whatever – is going to get us nowhere,” Max stepped in, looking from Michael to Ava pointedly. “Right now that’s not our concern. Our concern is getting Liz’s parents back.”

Isabel nodded, looking up at the group. “Max is right. This bickering is getting us nowhere. We don’t even have the semblance of a plan.” Jesse placed a hand on her back, rubbing it reassuringly.

Michael drew out his hands, signaling he was open for ideas. “Got a blueprint?”

Isabel sighed. “No.”

“No? Well, that’s wonderful. Why…”

“Michael, shut up!”

Michael whipped his head around to see Maria glaring at him. “You’re not helping. Picking a fight with your allies is pointless, haven’t I taught you anything? If you’re going to bitch at Isabel for not having a plan, you’d better have one ready and waiting yourself.”

Michael scrunched up his eyebrows, opening and closing his mouth as if he wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. Realizing his safest option was the opposite of what he was doing, he stepped back, allowing Max’s form to take center stage.

Max glanced to Maria, acknowledging her actions with silent thanks. Then, taking a small step forward, he composed himself, addressing the group.

“So far all we’ve ever done whenever facing the FBI is run. We ran all across the country and they still found us. For some reason, we thought we were safe in Boston, untouchable even. We were wrong. And we came back to a different world because of these naiveties.” He glanced to Liz, taking her hand and squeezing it for all to see. “Right now, Hanley is risking his life to find Liz’s parents. And Liz’s parents didn’t ask for any of this…” An uncomfortable silence fell upon the group as they shifted nervously. “None of us did. But it’s time for us to stop running, to face the FBI head-on and fight back. Not with guns or weapons or blast-o rays, but with our intelligence. Because we can change the course of history, we can decide our fate and the fate of others, and we must, to survive.” As he spoke, he looked around the room, pausing on each face.

“What I need to know is who is with me on this?”

A silence fell over the group as they regarded one another with silent stares.

“It’s all or nothing,” Max offered.

Isabel was the first to speak up. “I’m with you,” she looked up at Jesse who smiled and kissed her hand.

“Me too,” he confirmed, nodding at Max.

“Well, you know me,” Michael spoke up after a short pause. He glanced to Maria who was nodding.

“Wherever Space Boy goes, I go.”

“Hey, I signed up for this long before your little… never mind, tangent...” Raeve waved her hand in a geometric pattern, moving the discussion on.

“I guess I’m with you too,” Kyle said pensively, staring at the ground. “I can’t stand by and watch any more innocent people get hurt.”

Serena glanced longingly at him before sighing, “I’m here for anything you need me for, Max.”

“Alright, now all we need is the plan,” Max announced. “Now that we’re all on the same ground--” Max glanced to Kyle who was shaking his head.

“What?” Max asked.

“Of course you are,” Kyle said sardonically, directing his words to Serena.

“What are you talking about?” Serena pulled herself up higher, her shoulders tensing.

“That’s bull,” Kyle muttered.

“Excuse me?” Serena’s head swiveled as she threw a pointed look at him.

“You’re not here for anything Max needs you for,” Kyle said louder. “You’re not even here. You’re not human. You’ve been lying to all of us,” he continued, a disgusted look forming on his face. “You can’t be trusted.”

Serena gaped at him. “And why can’t I be trusted!?”

“You cover up who you really are, just like the rest of them. I thought I knew you--”

“The rest of them?” Serena’s voice rose and her look grew thunderous. “If you hate being around me so much, then what are you still doing here?”

Her retort didn’t elicit an immediate response.

“Okay,” Michael drew out the word, clapping his hands together hastily. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…”

But Serena wasn’t finished. “Really, Kyle, grow up. There are more important things to deal with right now.”

“Like the fact that you’ve lied to me this entire time, pretending to be human when you knew damn well you weren’t? Got any other secrets in there you’ve been hiding? Should we interrogate you about Nicolas? See what Gandarium does to you?”

“Screw you!” Serena exclaimed, taking a step forward, her face dark with anger. “Take your personal vendetta and shove it up your--”

“All right!” Isabel broke in, holding her hands out to both parties, effectively stopping their fracas. “Serena’s right. There are more important things to deal with right now, and you guys arguing isn’t one of them.”

“But,” Kyle began, but Max stopped him with his outstretched hand.

“Right now this isn’t the time to be fighting,” Liz chimed in, glancing at Serena in show of support. There will be plenty of time to figure out the truth, Kyle. We need to focus on getting my parents back alive and safe and this,” she gestured to them, “This just isn’t helping.”

“So can you guys put a lid on it until this is over?” Isabel glanced from one to the other, looking for a sign they agreed.

“Fine by me,” Kyle ground out tightly, his jaw clenched.

“Whatever,” Serena waved her hand, taking a stance next to Ava.

~.~.~.~.~

6.

Michael paced up and down along the middle of the chamber, impatience tattooed across his face. Tension seemed to be swirling through the air about him. The others remained loyal to Max, they were still waiting, as if they expected something to happen to them first. Never the reactive type, Michael couldn’t wait any longer.

“Maxwell, why are we just waiting?” he asked, anxious to get out of the chamber and do something useful. “We can’t just stay here with the FBI out to get us and your parents’ prisoner. They’re looking for us and we’re just sitting here, waiting for them to come find us like sitting ducks.”

“I know that Michael,” Max countered, “And I want to do what you say, but what can we do? At the moment, this is the safest place there is, and we still have no plan. If we leave now, then we’ve got nowhere else to go, then we are sitting ducks.”

“What’s better, sitting here like fish in a barrel, or going out there and getting rid of the problem? I’d rather be out there kicking some agent butt rather than in here waiting for them to realize where we are.”

“They might not find us here at all,” Max reasoned. “And if they do, then we’ve got the upper hand.” He paused.   “I want them gone too; Michael, but what’s better – letting them stumble into a well-planned trap, or letting them set one for us? We don’t know where they are, we don’t know what they’ve got planned. They’ve probably got the whole town bugged.”

It was true, he also wanted the FBI gone, but the risk to the others, to Liz – he couldn’t put them in that kind of danger, not like that.

“Well, that’s where we’re different Maxwell. You think that waiting here and hiding is the way to beat them, I reckon that the way to win is to get them before they get us.”

Max didn’t reply. He didn’t want to blindly refuse Michael’s argument, it was a good one – he didn’t need, or want, a conflict with him either but he also didn’t want to charge into a situation more dangerous than the one they were already in.

A long silence hung in the air as Max contemplated what to say.

And then there was a voice. “I dunno about you peeps, but I agree with Mike.”

The group turned to face Ava, whose unexpected voice could have awoken even the most concentrating individual.

“I mean, I don’t think that rushin’ out there with guns-a-blazin’ is a foolproof way of doin’ things, but I don’t much like the idea of jus’ sittin’ here, waiting for them to come get us either.” She looked at Max, and then to the rest of the group. “I mean, I’m part of this thing too, I gots some tricks up my sleeves, and I don’t wanna end up in the hands of those thugs anymore than you guys do. Someone’s gotta do sumthin and we just agreed that we’d all fight the FBI… so I say we fight.”

Max mulled it over a minute, unsure of what to make of her words. Then he turned to the rest of the group, looking from one person to the next.

“What do the rest of you think? I don’t think I should be the only one to make the decision here, not when there’s this much at stake. But I don’t want to force you into sitting here if you don’t want to either,” he spoke, looking around the group.

“I agree with Michael too,” Maria spoke up. “I mean, we haven’t got many options here, but it’s clear something has to be done. I say we go out there and do whatever we can.”

“Three to one so far,” Michael spoke. Max felt the dig, and turned to say something. Isabel, however, spoke up first, attempting to avert another argument.

“I don’t like the idea of sitting here, either. I mean, I know, it’s probably the best thing to do in terms of safety, but I don’t want to keep running, Max. We’ve all done enough of that already, and this is where I take a stand and fight.”

“I’m with Isabel on this one,” Jesse’s answer came. “I also lost so much because of this and I’ve finally got it back. I vote we fight for what’s ours, instead of letting them take it like last time.”

“This time it will be different,” Liz added, reminding the group. Max turned to her, his eyes searching hers for an answer. He began to speak; about to ask Liz what she felt was best, when he was interrupted. It was Serena who spoke this time.

“Okay, so I’m not the best person to ask ‘cause I’m not as familiar with them as you, but like Liz said, they’ve taken something from me too. I’m not going to let them take my father five minutes after I find him. I’m not going to lose him, not now. And I’m not going to sit here while they take him.”

There was a silence in which the group mulled over the situation so far.

And then Kyle spoke up. “As much as I don’t trust what she says, I feel the same,” he said, taking a stab at Serena, which she bristled at but ignored. “If this is going to happen, I don’t want to be the one to walk away from you guys; I’m no alien,” he said, taking another shot at her, “but I’m still part of this. And if it comes down to sitting here while the rest of you go out to save the world or whatever you’re planning to do, or going out there and helping, I vote for saving the world. Hell, I’ve already done it once, why not once more to make it stick?”

Raeve, next to Kyle, was the center of attention now. Noticing the group staring at her, her face adopted a sort of surprised contortion as she scrambled for what to say.

“I’m only a protector. I’m here to help you, I’m not really here to make the decisions,” she said, taking on the air of a diplomat rather than a decision-maker. “And at the moment, both sides of the argument seem pretty valid to me. I can’t really tell you not to do it, but I can’t say that you should, either. What I do know, is that the FBI will never go away unless we do something. If it were up to me, I’d probably take the aggressive route but I’m not the leader. Whichever way you choose is the one I go with.”

There was only one person left, Liz. Max turned to her, not speaking but at the same time, asking what she thought was best.

“Max,” she began, thinking of a way to put into words what she needed to tell him. “They have my parents…” She paused a few seconds. “But I know that whatever you choose is the right decision. Whether we stay here and wait it out or whether we go out there and take the FBI on, I know it’ll be the right decision. My vote goes to whatever you decide.”

Max looked down at her into her eyes. She had just told him that if he were to choose to stay here, even though her parents were out there, somewhere, she would stand by him, and that she knew that it would be the right decision, even if it didn’t work out at the end.

“So, fearless leader, what’s our course of action?” Michael chimed in, interrupting.

Max tore his gaze away from Liz, turning to Michael. “The group’s decided, we’re going to go out there and give them everything we’ve got.”

“Finally,” Michael exclaimed.

“But we can’t just run out there and expect everything to go our way. We need a master plan.”

“Like what though?” Isabel asked, growing impatient. The question was directed at both Max and Michael, knowing that to ask one over the other was never a good idea.

“I was thinking we split up,” Michael answered off the cuff. “We split into two groups so that if one group is caught, the other can try and help them out.”

“Michael, you know how dangerous it is to split up, it isn’t a good idea,” Max replied, again seeing fault in Michael’s plan. It didn’t seem as though he had thought it through much at all.

“And what have you got planned, Maxwell?” Michael demanded. “What other choice do we have? You’re always so fast to shoot down my ideas, but you don’t have any better ones yourself.”

Max stepped forward, rising to the challenge Michael had almost yelled at him. Isabel, seeing the conflict she had so narrowly avoided before was about to erupt again, stepped in. “We don’t need this right now; we have more important things to deal with than your petty quarreling.”

Max stepped down, acknowledging that Isabel was right. Isabel stepped up to him and tried to deal with the issue before it grew into a full blown argument, as it was sure to do with Michael.

“Max, Michael’s right about having to split up. It’s probably the best thing we could do. We can split into two groups with some of us with powers on each side that way we’re going to have the best protection. We can’t just sit here, we’ve decided this . . . and we can’t move as a single group either, it’ll be too obvious.”

“I know, Is…” Max sighed, “I just don’t want to put any of us in more danger than is necessary. We all know that we’re strongest as a group… splitting up lessens our power as a unit.”

“But what else can we do, Max? We don’t have any choice. Unless we do stay here, but that’s already been shot down,” Isabel replied.

Max sighed. She was right; Michael was too, and as much as he hated to admit it, they would all be better off in two groups rather than forming one big sitting duck. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, turning back to the group.

“Alright, fine. We’ll split into two groups,” Max spoke, unpleased.

“Nice to see your being sensible,” Michael dug at Max, but as soon as he did, Isabel rounded on him.

“Don’t be so juvenile, Michael. We don’t need it. You know Max is concerned with the group’s welfare; he can’t just make a decision to split us up when we all know that we’re weaker that way. You should know that just as well as he does.”

The glint in Michael’s eye disappeared as Isabel spoke. He knew she was right too, and he knew that Max was only looking out for the group, although it wasn’t something he would say out loud.

“So who’s in which group?” Liz asked, wondering if she and Max may be split up, which was not something she was looking forward to.

“I don’t know…” Max sighed. He knew that if it were up to him, he’d place Liz in the group least likely to be in danger, even if he wasn’t in it. But the others, he had no idea. And then the presence of their protector caught his attention. “Raeve, any ideas? I don’t want to put you under any pressure but you know all our powers and how they’d best work together.”

Raeve considered Max’s words and mulled it over in her mind. Then, after a few seconds of deliberation, she spoke.

“Okay. I see it like this… Max and Michael, you should be together; your powers both rely on physical energy, but you also possess skills that lie in direct opposition. Michael, you’re the one who’s most able to strike out in danger and Max, you’re the healer. If someone is hurt, you can heal him or her. You two make an efficient strike-force.”

Max looked at Michael, who averted his gaze, it was obvious what Raeve meant; Michael was, as he had once feared, the dangerous one. He could destroy things as easily as breathe and Max was the one who could make it all better again. Michael swallowed hard and accepted it. It was his idea to split them into groups, and if he was to be grouped based on his dark powers, then so be it.

“Isabel, you and Ava both share the power to manipulate minds,” at this Isabel shifted uncomfortably, Raeve was obviously speaking of the mind warp. “You two should be in the same group so that your powers can amplify each other’s.”

Raeve turned to Liz next. “Liz, you’re able to see the future and although you have shown physical powers from time to time, they aren’t wholly reliable or cultivated yet. Maria’s got more physical powers, so you and she would be a good combination. You four will be in the first group.”

Liz and Maria were both less than happy with the pairing; things were definitely not back to normal between them just yet.

“I’m not being separated from Jesse,” Isabel informed. “He’s with us too.”

“Okay, fine, but he could probably sit out if he wanted. You and Maria can both use your powers to defend him, but you have to be careful,” Raeve acceded. “Now, Kyle and Serena. Neither of you have powers, so it’s not going to be a good idea to stick you both into one group.”

“I’m with Liz, then,” Serena spoke up, taking the opportunity to ensure that she wouldn’t lose the rest of her family too. She looked at Kyle, whose gaze quickly turned away.

“Alright,” Raeve stated, “Kyle, you’re with Max and Michael. I’m with them too, the four of us should be able to deal with anything that can be thrown at us. Are the groups okay?”

No one made any objection; all of them knew their assignment was for a good reason.

Taking the silence as a “yes,” Raeve continued. “Okay, I’ll lead the way, I’m the protector; it’s my job to make sure its safe.”

“Alright,” Max said, “Let’s move.”

Raeve stepped out of the pod chamber, leading the group out onto the escarpment. The hot morning sunbeams had warmed the desert floor quickly, and the slight breeze that was making its way to their elevation was a stifling ninety degrees already. Once everyone was out, she activated the door, sealing the chamber behind an invisible mirage.

Slowly stepping down the rock, she kept her senses alert for any sign of danger that the FBI may be nearby, but there was nothing. She continued to lead the group down the rock, pausing for a split-second every now and then to make sure it was still clear. It was entirely possible that snipers could be targeting them from downrange, so the extra caution was warranted.

It wasn’t until Raeve got near the bottom of the butte, that her senses started picking up something. Next to the van arrived an unmarked vehicle, and a small group of agents got out, inspecting the van. But before Raeve could warn the group, one of the agents saw their movements and went for his gun.

Raeve wasn’t going to let the agent shoot though. “Split up!” she yelled, making a break towards a boulder, the rest of the group dashing in various directions, both Max and Michael following the same path as Raeve.

The agent, aiming his gun at Raeve, almost didn’t see Michael as he raised his hand, the gun being ripped from the agent’s clutches.

“What the!?” the agent began, seeing the firearm fly from his grip and land on the ground just out of his reach. It took Raeve only a fraction of a second to use the opportunity to her advantage. She quickly made her move. Raising her hand, she used her powers to send the man reeling backwards through the air and crashing into the ground. The agent made contact with terra firma with a sickening thud, and didn’t move.

Another agent stepped forward now, being met by the icy glare of Isabel. She stood in his way, blocking his path to the others. The agent made a quick move for his firearm, but it took less than this for Isabel to wave her hand, sending him flying backwards into the dirt, just like his colleague.

This agent, though, was going to be harder to beat down.

Isabel took a slight step backwards as the agent’s form slowly got up again. A shadow appeared by her side, and turning quickly, Ava was there standing next to her.

“Need sum help?” Ava asked jokingly, knowing full well that Isabel could use the assistance. “I can distract ‘em