A/N: Apparently, some people are complaining about my use of Annette for Annie's full name. Tough noogies, because that technically IS her full name whether or not the show actually uses it. (Seriously, how can "Annie" be short for "Anne" when it consists of LESS letters?)
PART 2
The morning sun shined bright over Pittsville Gardens, and the temperature was already rising with the humidity from yesterday's rain permeating the air. The weatherman had reported that heavy rains were slated to return later tonight, and so everybody was out doing errands while they could.
So it was that no one questioned the person who approached the modest suburban house at 10894 Lipman Street. She was a pretty-looking Oriental woman who wore a simple black suit and shades, and her facial expression was one of no-nonsense. Approaching the front door, the woman knocked sharply and stood there on the front step.
A moment later, the man of the house answered. "George Mack, correct?" the woman plainly said, not wasting a moment.
"Well... yes," George replied.
The woman pulled out her wallet and flashed a badge. "Grace Lasky, FBI. I'm conducting an investigation and I'd like to ask you a few questions."
George's eyes perked up. "Of course. Come in," he hurredly said as he let Grace into the living room. The woman then noticed Barbara sitting in front of the TV, clipping coupons from the newspaper. "Honey, this is Agent Lasky of the FBI. Agent Lasky, this is my wife Barbara."
Barbara sighed as she politely waved. "Hello," she greeted. Being visited by people from the FBI was nothing new to her. Lord only knew how many had interrogated her following her family's involvement in Danielle Atron's plans. However, this agent was a new one to her, and so she humored her presence.
"So, Agent Lasky, how can I help you?" George asked. "Do you want something to drink? It is gonna be humid today, what with all the moisture from yesterday evaporating and the greenhouse effect trapping the heat in-"
"No thank you," Grace politely replied. "So, tell me... what do you know about Danielle Atron?" George's smile quickly vanished. "From personal experience, what was she like?"
"Let's see..." the father said with a hesitant air. "Brilliant woman, but very short-tempered. She was the kind of woman who took her 'Progress At Any Cost' credo seriously... too much so," he angrily answered. "She rigged contests and swayed voters left and right just to get what she wanted. She... she was going to kill me and my family, possibly the whole nation for money and power. She..." George was ranting and breathing heavily.
"Please, George, remember your heart problems." Barbara placed her hand on George's shoulder, calming her husband down. Turning to Grace, Barbara smiled. "Forgive him, ma'am. He tends to overreact whenever that old memory is brought up."
"I can imagine," Grace simply said, unflinching. "Now, getting back on topic, I've been studying up on Atron's psych profile. Like you said, she's a brilliant woman, said to have graduated high school at age 14. However, she's also quite egomaniacal and dominating. The kind of woman who can't feel comfortable in any situation unless she's got total control over it. I don't need to remind you of how she snaked her way out of a life sentence."
"Are you kidding? The public backlash was a nightmare!" Barbara protested. "For the crimes she committed against both my family and the people, two years was nothing."
"Well, since she blew up PV-Chem, lack of evidence was a deciding factor," Grace continued, "but I'm almost positive that Atron got to the parole board somehow. They wouldn't have been so sympathetic otherwise" The FBI agent leaned forward. "I want to make sure Danielle Atron faces justice, so I'm trying to build a solid case against her. Anything about her that you feel can help my case would be appreciated."
"Hmmm..." George rubbed his balding head. "Well, last I heard, she gave up on corporate tyranny and went into the private sector. Some kind of consultant job, I think." He shrugged, but kept an angry scowl on his face. "I honestly don't care what she's doing, so long as she stays the hell away from my daughter."
"Your... daughter?" For a moment, Grace's professional face faultered, but she quickly recovered in front of the parents. "Your daughter wouldn't happen to be named Alex, would she?"
"You know her?"
"Only in passing, given the media circus that surrounded her the day of the trial," Grace explained, though that wasn't quite true. "Is she home?"
"She said she was spending the night with her sister," Barbara explained. "What's it to you?"
"Since she was the key witness at the trial, and given all the trouble Atron went through to capture her, Alex might know something you or I don't," Grace explained. "Any chance I can meet up with her?"
"Well, she does have that job at the mall's movie theater," Barbara answered, "so you could see about meeting her there. I don't think she's gonna tell you anything your superiors already know, though."
"And besides," George replied, "after everything she has been through, if Alex knew anything else that was important about Atron or GC-161, she would've told us about it already."
Pittsville Motel, Annie's room...
"No, Alex. Absolutely not." Annie crossed her arms. "I am not having this argument with you again."
"You can't honestly think that," Alex said as she looked up from the textbooks she was mentally levitating. She had been spending the last hour demonstrating her powers to Annie as she took notes. "Mom and Dad are gonna figure it out again eventually, so wouldn't it be better to tell them about me while we're all, I don't know, not facing certain death?"
"Not if it means putting them at risk, which you've been doing a lot of as of recent," Annie argued. "Keep that rate up, and you're gonna be digging us all an early grave."
Alex snorted. "Pessimist! I swear, you're worse than Robyn sometimes!"
"I'm not pessimistic, I'm realistic. There's a difference," was Annie's final retort on the subject. "Anyway, all your metakinetic and metamorphic abilities check out. You seem to be improving with forming shapes while morphed."
"I've been practicing. Still trying to master solid shapes, though."
"Well, have you tried packing your liquified molecules tighter?" the elder sister suggested. "Generally, denser molecules result in stronger, more solid formations."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," she said, "but I'll keep it in mind."
"By the way, how's your shoulder?"
"Surprisingly better," Alex answered. "It was barely hurting when I woke up."
"Can you move it?"
Alex flexed her arm, wincing slightly as she moved it. "Still a little sore, but at least it's usable again."
"Hmmm..." Annie rubbed her chin. "An injury like that wouldn't up and vanish overnight, you know." She looked up at Alex. "Perhaps your powers may have had a hand in your speedy recovery."
"Eh..." A simple shrug was Alex's response, though she briefly winced again at the soreness from the motion. "Anyway, as much as I'd like to hypothesize with you all day, I have a life, and part of it involves my job. And with my jeep impounded, I need to leave now if I'm gonna make it for the first wave of matinees."
"At least let me call you a cab. I'd rather you not morph your way to work. There's no telling who'd catch you on arrival, and I think you've attracted enough attention already." Annie pulled out her cell phone and began dialing. "I'll give you money for the fare. Just promise me you won't do anything reckless today, okay?"
"Okay, Annie," Alex replied with a smile. "I promise."
It was no sooner than 40 minutes when Alex stepped out of the taxi and into the Pittsville Mall, with two donuts in one hand and a small coffee in the other. She quickly made a beeline for the food court, where a scowling man in a suit was waiting.
"You're late, Mack," he snapped as Alex approached him, "What, may I ask, have you been doing?"
"Sorry, Mr. Chaps," Alex apologized. "Anyway, I know I'm late, but I can explain. My jeep got towed last night and then I slipped on the curb and injured my shoulder and then-"
"Time is money, Miss Mack," Mr. Chaps tersely replied. "And if you're going to waste my time, then I suppose I shouldn't waste my money on you."
Alex bowed her head and moaned. "I'm sorry, sir."
Mr. Chaps then looked over Alex with disdain. "And you do realize we have a dress code on the job, Miss Mack," he said as he pointed to Alex's clothes. She was still wearing the dingy t-shirt and torn jeans she had put on yesterday, and hadn't been able to get home to change since then. "This unsatisfactory appearence will be noted on your next paycheck."
Alex moaned louder. "Yes, sir."
"Anyway, I want you in your uniform and at the ticket stand in five minutes. Customers or no, you have an obligation to the theater and this mall." Mr. Chaps turned and marched away, pausing only to glare at Alex from the corner of his eye. "I recommend you have your so-called breakfast finished by then, as well."
"Yes, sir." Alex saluted, forgetting about the powdered donut in her hand. The next thing she knew, she felt a large stain of powdered sugar glistening on her forehead, earning her several laughs from some of the nearby mall patrons. Grumbling in annoyance (she had long ago grown used to humiliation, so as to reduce glowing fits), Alex took a napkin and wiped the sugar off, then quickly scarfed down the donuts before leaving towards the movie theater.
Roughly seven minutes later, Alex was standing behind the ticket booth of the theater, wearing the theater's uniform red vest and tending to a pair of customers. They were a young man and woman who seemed to be a romantically-involved couple.
"Here you are. Two for 'Heartfelt Crush'," Alex said as the pair took their movie tickets and paid her the money. "Thank you, and enjoy the film." As the couple entered the theater, Alex looked back at them. Maybe I should tell them that it's a horror movie and not a rom-com. After a few seconds, she shook her head. Eh... They paid the tickets, so it's their loss. "Next, please." The next person in line approached her. "Welcome to the Pittsville Cineplex. How may I help you?"
"Well, I thought we could catch up, you and me." Alex looked up, and nearly lit up in anger when she saw Grace standing in front of the glass window. "You do remember me, right, Alex?"
"What do you want?" Alex tersely spoke to the agent.
"I saw you earlier in the food court, and..." Grace paused to fix her shades. "I figured I'd catch you there, but you didn't seem to notice." Alex scowled. "You probably don't think much of me since... what happened."
"No, I don't," Alex bitterly answered back. "You used me just so you could make a few bucks, plain and simple."
"You think I enjoyed betraying your trust?" Grace removed her shades and looked towards Alex. "Trust me, if I could, I'd go back and stop myself from ever getting involved with Vince."
"Well, you sure missed the horse on that one," Alex finished, not even making eye contact with Grace. "Now please exit the line. You're holding up the paying customers." Grace looked behind her, saw nobody, then turned back and shrugged. "Yes, I know there's no one in line, but it's the principle that I'm enforcing."
Grace turned back to Alex and raised an eyebrow. "Is it always this busy?"
"Considering the current economy, I'm lucky to be scraping by on minimum-wage," Alex simply replied, still not looking at Grace. "Times change, I guess."
"People can, too." Grace walked away from the ticket stand and left the mall. As she approached her car, she felt that familiar nagging feeling of being a heel come back in her mind. Which was completely justified, given her past with Alex.
Years ago, Grace had gotten roped into helping Vince find the long-rumored "Kid" under the promise of more than enough money to pay her FBI academy dues. Though she quickly identified Alex and befriended her, she was goaded by Vince to expose Alex in front of Danielle Atron by faking a horse-riding accident, hoping that Alex would use her powers out of reflex and save her.
Alex had secretly overheard their plan the night before, so she didn't react to Grace's spill and Vince was left with nothing. Grace would've been, too, had Atron not taken pity on her and compensated her "wasted" time with double the money Vince would've paid her. It got Grace through the academy, but she couldn't help but feel guilty for taking the dirty money.
But in the short time they had with each other, Grace thought Alex was the kindest, most well-meaning girl she knew, and Grace spent many nights mentally berating herself for betraying that trust out of greed. When she learned of Atron's true colors and how she nearly killed Alex, Grace swore she would do all in her power to protect Alex from that evil woman. However, Grace knew it would be a long time, if ever, before Alex would begin to trust her again.
Getting in her vehicle, Grace started up the car and left the parking lot. She had a few more leads to follow on before heading back.
Somewhere across town, on the north end of Pittsville Gardens, the silent, subdued architecture of Sedgewick Chemicals Inc. chugged at the pace of a busy corporate facility. Unlike its former competitor in Paradise Valley, Sedgewick did not hold any sort of iron grip on their town and its people. After Atron's arrest, all the chemical plants and other similiar facilities nationwide were placed under heavier scrutiny, but so long as they prided themselves on playing by the rules, Sedgewick had no reason to fear any Federal investigations.
As the people traveled to and fro, no one paid much attention to the nondescript van parked on a small road overlooking the truck depot's loading docks. From his vantage point, Vince Carter watched the company trucks go in and out, occasionally pausing to growl at the sight of one of the workers, a tall, rather dull-looking young man in a trucker's uniform. His specific name was David Watt, an old co-worker of Vince's from their PV-Chem days and (in his opinion) a Grade-A imbecile of the highest calibur. Being the driver responsible for Alex's accident and all the trouble it had caused him and Atron since, Vince hated Dave with a passion.
Grabbing his cell phone, Vince checked the time and hit speed-dial. "This is Vince. I'm in position overlooking the loading docks," he announced. "I have Simon and Garth driving the transport en route. ETA 30 minutes."
"Anybody at the docks?"
"Two guards. They're no threat."
"Keep watch on them."
"Understood. Vince out." Vince hung up and went back to observation.
Back at the mall...
Alex was currently sitting in the theater's employee break room. Normally, she would be busy chatting it up with some of the other theater workers about this and that.
However, what was on Alex's mind right now was Grace Lasky's recent appearence. She was among the last person she had ever hoped to see again, and now that she had told Grace off, Alex couldn't help but feel like a jerk. Sure, she used me, but I don't know if I can really blame Grace for falling for Vince's sweet-talk, she told herself. Heck, for that kind of money, even I probably would've at least thought of turning myself in. She sighed. I guess it's tough to have a conscience sometimes.
"Alex!" shouted one of the boys from the concession stands. "Phone call! It's your dad."
"Coming!" Probably gonna talk me into bringing him some fast food for later, she theorized as she took the phone. At this rate, the cardiologist is gonna tear him a new one come his next check-up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Alex," George greeted. "Are you busy?"
"I'm on my break, so I can't be long."
"Great! Listen, Sedgewick's swamped me with some extra work and I'm not going to make it home until late tonight."
"What about Mom?"
"She's got a late night as well. The PR department just called her in for an emergency meeting," George continued. "You're at the mall, right? Well, can you do me a favor and deliver a Burger Fool combo meal to me, please?"
Alex rolled her eyes, not at all surprised. "Now Dad, remember your heart."
"C'mon, Alex. What your mother doesn't know won't kill me." George almost sounded like he was pleading. "Please?"
Alex politely laughed at her dad's plight. "All right, Dad. You should have it around five. Deal?"
"Great! I'll tell the guard at the front desk that you're coming, and he'll let you in. And Alex..." he trailed off before whispering, "let's keep this between us, okay?"
"I promise, Dad." As if I don't have enough promises to keep already, she silently added. George hung up, leaving Alex to get back to work. Alex checked her watch. It was 1:30. Hour and a half to go, she calculated as she left the break room and got back to the ticket booth.
Showtime, Vince thought with a grin as a black shipping truck began making its approach towards the truck depot.
The truck slowly backed into the loading dock as a supervisor marched up to the driver's side door and began shouting, "Hey, pal, let's see some ID." The driver didn't respond. "You hear me?" he continued, "We need some ID, or else-"
The driver suddenly drew a handgun. Before the supervisor could respond, the back of the truck opened and revealed ten armed and ill-tempered punks, who quickly grabbed the supervisor and threw him to the floor, handguns trained on his head. The passenger-side door then opened, and out stepped Simon.
"Nice job, Garth," Simon said to the driver, who apparently was his top man. "Alright, Simon says that we do this like Vince planned." Simon, Garth, and eight of the punks entered the facility, leaving a pair of guards behind. Inside, the punks branched off and began shooting wildly into the air. Some of the researchers in the halls quickly took shelter in nearby rooms, and the punks quickly took up guard positions outside to keep them from running in or out.
After about two minutes, Simon and Garth were the only ones left in the mob. "Garth, man the front desk and keep up appearences," Simon said, "I'm gonna ace the security."
"Right." Garth ran off, leaving Simon to run down the hall towards the security office. The two men at the monitors were already held at gunpoint by a pair of punks, and they looked ready to shoot.
One of the punks looked up to Simon. "No alarm's been triggered... yet," he said. "So, what now?"
"Simon says take them away," the leader ordered. Both punks proceeded to grab the two men and drag them out of the room. Simon took a seat in front of the monitors and brought up his radio and a wooden baseball bat. "Security's out, Boss! You've got the floor," he announced before proceeding to smash up the consoles and monitors.
As soon as he heard his radio crackle to life, Vince released the parking brake on his van and began driving down towards the back entrance, a smile on his face. He had spent all night hammering this plan into his "partners", so he expected nothing short of a flawless execution as he went down to play his own role in this heist.
Carefully parking his van, Vince stepped out of his vehicle and strode through the truck depot, pausing only to steal a glance at Dave, who was closing his eyes and cowering as a pair of punks laughed and fired their guns at the ground near him. As such, Dave failed to see Vince as he marched up to the punks and glared at them. "Don't fire those here!" he snapped. "We're trying NOT to raise a scene." The two punks whimpered apologies as Vince walked away and entered the plant.
Dave's face suddenly went quizzical. That voice sounds familiar, he thought. He didn't get to think long on it as one of his attackers kicked him in the stomach.
While all this was going on, over at the front desk, Garth quickly shoved the knocked-out guard into a broom closet and fastened his stolen uniform upon himself. He needed to at least look professional enough to deter any visitors. As he took his seat, Garth flipped through a small set of index cards. "Sorry, sir, but no one is allowed in or out," he recited off one card. "We are currently running... um... lockdown drills." Garth smiled at the irony in that statement, but it quickly vanished when he saw a taxi pull up to the doors. He needed to play the part now.
The cab's door opened, and Alex stepped out, clutching a bag of fast-food items. After paying the fare, the cab drove off and Alex stepped inside. "Oh, hey!" she said as soon as she saw Garth and approached him at the desk.
Garth forced a smile. "May I help you?"
"Yes, sir. I'm Alex Mack, and I'm here to run something up to my father, George Mack," she explained. "He should've told you I was coming earlier."
"Alex... Mack, is it? Uh... hold on." Garth looked down at his computer, supposedly to check online records, but really to check an index card for the needed excuse. After a bit, he looked up and smiled again. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but there's no record of such a request being made."
"Well, that's not right." Alex peered over the desk. "You sure about that?"
Garth quickly blocked the cards from view. "Dead sure," he replied. "May I ask that you leave?"
"Why?"
"We're practicing... lockdown drills."
"Then why is the front door unlocked?" Alex pressed. "I've done lockdown drills at school before, and they usually entail that all the doors get locked."
"Uh... yeah, that's it!" Garth smiled. "Forgot to lock that door! Anyway, thanks for saving my job, but could you please leave?"
"Fine." Alex simply smiled politely and went back outside. As soon as she was out of view, her smile faded into an expression of confusion. Alex stood there in silent thought for a brief minute, then shrugged and walked away from the door. Well, Dad's meal isn't getting any warmer, so I'm getting in there somehow.
Still clutching the combo meal, Alex ran towards the back truck depot. For Alex Mack, there was more than one way to get inside a building... and not always through the doors.
Whistling a little tune, Vince strode through the facility. With the cameras and alarms silenced, he had nothing to fear as he wound his way through the corridors and stopped outside a workstation in the R&D area. After nodding to the punks standing outside, they cleared out and allowed Vince in, locking the door behind him. "Who's there?" he heard a voice shout. "What's going on, you devils?"
Vince smiled as he looked down at his addressor, George Mack, who at the moment was tied to his chair thanks to his earlier guests. "Of all the places to reunite. How're you doin', Mack?" he casually greeted, as if he was addressing an old friend. "You're looking a little out of shape there, not that you were in any to begin with."
"You..." George scowled. "I... I remember you! You're... Vince, right?" he asked.
Vince laughed. "Same old George, I see. Still fat and still slow," he replied. "Anyway, I figured that while everybody's running around like headless chickens out in the halls, you and I could talk business. I mean, we both worked for Atron once upon a time, right?"
"I've got nothing to discuss with you, you slime."
"Oooh, a little feistier than I remember. I like that you've grown a bit of a spine," Vince said as he drew a gun and casually aimed it at George, "but do keep the insults civil, okay? Now, I'm here because I want something you have. Care to guess what it is?" George shook his head. "It's a series of research files on a very specific project you once worked on. The kind of hush-hush project that can be worth millions to the right people... or billions to one very specific person."
The researcher's eyes went wide in realization, then turned steely in defiance. "If you're talking about that project, then I'm afraid all information on it has since been erased."
"A likely story. That's okay, though." Vince pulled a chair out and sat on it across from George, gun still aimed at the researcher's head. "I've got time. You, however, may not if you don't change your mind quickly."
At least Dave'll let me in, Alex thought to herself as she walked around the back driveways of the facility. He always sticks up for me... sometimes without me even knowing it. From what he had admitted to her, it was on her first day of High School when Dave managed to figure out for himself that she was the child he inadvertantly doused with GC-161. Rather than turn her over to Atron, Dave kept the knowledge to himself (being too nice a guy to let Alex suffer at his boss's greedy hands). But when Alex was captured by Atron, Dave shared the info with the authorities, which ultimately led to Atron's arrest.
Dave risked so much for me, and he barely got so much as a thank you for it. I know Dad got him his job here out of gratitude, but... Alex looked down at the lunch bag in her hands. Oh, well. I can at least cut him some fries like usual. Less calories for Dad that way, and Dave always appreciates the gesture.
Alex approached the truck depot, but doubled back when a pained yell echoed from around the corner. "C'mon, guys! Stop it!" yelled a voice in a whiny tone. The sound of laughter and more whimpering followed, and Alex suddenly felt worried. Morphing at a whim, she slithered around the corner and "looked" at where the sound was coming from: it was that of Dave being pushed and shoved around by a pair of punkish men... Simon's men.
Aw, not these guys again, Alex groaned. Have they no shame? Slipping behind a crate and reforming, Alex sat down and began to think. Okay, something definitely stinks here, she realized. First I get turned away at the door and now these guys are here smacking Dave around like a sack of potatoes. Whatever's going on, I want in. But first...
Putting her hat brim-forward, Alex telekinetically threw the fast-food over by a large oil drum, then latched onto the closest thing she could see: a metal wrench. With another thought, Alex willed it over to the drum and rapped it loudly against the side. At once, the two punks looked up and ran to investigate, leaving Dave by himself.
Alex crept over and watched with a small smile as the punks dumbly looked at the dropped wrench on the ground, then hungrily at the food. Picking up a pair of crates with another telekinetic gesture, Alex flung them at the punks, hitting them in the heads and knocking them out cold.
The threat quelled, Alex ran back to Dave, who was cowering in the corner of the loading docks. "Hey there, pal," Alex greeted with a smile. "Are you okay?"
Dave looked up and managed a grin in response. "Oh, hey Alex," he said. Dave then frowned. "I-I really don't think now's a good day for me to sneak you in."
"What's going on?"
"Th-those guys just barged in and... well..." Dave shrugged. "I honestly have no idea what's going on, but I think everybody inside is in trouble."
"That's an understatement," Alex replied. "Anyway, call the police and tell them about this. Just don't mention me."
"Okay." Dave nodded and began to run off, while Alex ran through the door and into Sedgewick's main halls. "Go get 'em, Alex!" Dave cheered before leaving the truck depot to find a payphone. It was times like this that being considered the dummy worked in Dave's favor. He got to hear secrets that others let slip, thinking he was too stupid to tell anybody. But Dave was no dummy. He was just a simple-minded guy with a good heart and some common sense.
Now if only I could remember that voice, Dave thought, still trying to figure out the identity of the man from earlier.
I know who he is, I swear, but... C'mon, Dave! Think!
Back inside the R&D labs, Vince and George were still in the middle of their face-off. "Where are the files?" Vince asked once more.
"I don't have them," George bravely argued, "and I definitely wouldn't tell you where to look."
"True, but I know that there's no way you would throw away over three years of hard work. Even if you did turn it all over to the Feds as evidence, surely you couldn't resist the temptation of making personal copies." Vince glared straight into George's eyes. "And you definitely wouldn't keep them out of your sight. Now, either tell me where they are, or I tear this room apart for it."
"Go to hell!"
Vince stood up. "Well, it's obvious you're not telling, so I guess I will have to start digging. Boys!" The two punks from outside marched into the office. "Spread out and search the office." The two punks saluted and began rummaging through George's carefully-organized office space. Vince also took part in the mayhem, though George never left his sight as he glared out the corner of his eye.
For ten excruciating minutes, they ripped through everything like a hurricane. Eventually, one of them shouted. "Hey!" Vince and his partner ran over to check. "This photo frame looks funny," he said as he held up a framed photograph that was sitting on George's desk. It was that of Alex in a graduation gown from High School, and the back part looked bulkier than that of an average photo frame.
Vince grinned as he popped the back off the frame, revealing a small pocket flash drive held in foam insulation. "Call it a hunch, Mack," Vince said, "but I believe this is what I think it is."
"Don't act so smug!" George shouted. "For all you know, it's just... bedroom photos of me and the Mrs. in there."
"Sorry, but I can't ever imagine you taking... bedroom photos." And now I'm gonna have THAT grisly image in my head all day. Vince shuddered at the thought. "Anyway, why don't we crank up the PC and see for ourselves?"
Elsewhere, in one of Sedgewick's boardrooms, eight members of Sedgewick's Public Relations staff sat huddled in the corners of the room, guarded by a pair of punks. Both the hostages and their guards were equally testy and annoyed with each other, which didn't allieviate anybody's fears any.
"Look, this isn't going to be much longer, is it?" one of the PR men asked. "We have a bar mitzvah in an hour and the caterers will be angry if we're late."
"Shut up!" came the punk's response.
"And can you start bringing some groups to the restroom?" another one asked.
"How about bringing us some sofa cushions, too?" a woman spoke up.
The punk rolled his eyes. "I swear, these pests are always complaining." Turning to his friend, he slapped him on the shoulder. "Look, escort some of them to the restroom and I'll watch the others."
"No way, man!" his partner refused. "I ain't babysitting them on the potty. You do it."
"I'm the one in charge of this area, and I say you escort them."
"Fat chance!"
As they argued, Barbara just sighed and kept her head down low, trying not to attract attention. It wasn't easy, given the unwelcome company, but it got the desired effect as no one so much as glanced her way.
Suddenly, a strange hot flash rushed over her body, and before she knew it, Barbara was moving involuntarily. The sudden inertia nearly made her vomit as she hazily felt herself melting down towards the floor and jerk into the nearby air vent. Out of the corner of her mind, Barbara could hear a voice. "Please, Mom, just hang on."
Then, just as quickly as it started, it ended as Barbara found herself sitting in a supply closet, dazed and disoriented. Looking up, she tried to figure out where she was, but nearly panicked at seeing Alex's face looking back.
"Wha... what the..."
"Mom, it's okay! Mom!" Alex grasped her mother's hands. "It's me. I'm here, okay? It's me."
"A... Alex..." Barbara gasped. "How... how did you..."
"It's obvious when you think about it. Long story short, the antidote didn't work," Alex quickly replied. "Anyway, I came over to run some food to Dad when I heard of this. What's happening?"
"I... I don't know," Barbara shakily replied. "We were in our meeting when those men arrived and-" A sudden shock came over Barbara's thoughts. "Alex, I... where's George? Where is he?"
"Just stay here. It'll be okay."
"But Alex-" Barbara's protest went unheard as Alex remorphed and slipped back into the vents.
Back outside the meeting room, the two punks were still bickering with each other when one of them turned their head and noticed the hostages. "Hey, something's funny over here!" he shouted. "Weren't there seven of them?"
"I dunno." The other punk shrugged. "What's it to you?"
"I think you idiots need to go back to school," a new voice called out from the doorway, "starting with kindergarten."
"Who's there?" The duo turned towards the door, just in time to see the fleeting image of Alex dash out of sight. One punk quickly gave chase, leaving the other by himself to watch the hostages. "Oh, sure. NOW you go out and check. Hypocrite!"
However, as he poked his head out of the room, the loud sound of gunfire echoed down towards him, followed by what sounded like... a zap of electricity? And a loud thump on the floor. Now concerned, the punk left to check into the noise.
Once he left, Barbara poked her own head out of the supply closet. The area clear, she stepped out and ran over to the others. "It's okay, Marlene," she said to the first hostage as she helped her up into a chair. "Everything's gonna be fine."
"Fine?" Marlene complained. "What makes you so sure?"
An awkward smile crossed Barbara's lips. "I... I just know."
Out in the hall, the punk finally managed to find his friend, slumped against the wall and unconscious. There were a couple bullet holes across from him, and his gun sat in a nearby trash can. "Dammit, Deke! You can't do anything right, can you?" he shouted, but to no response. "Deke? Deke, wake up!"
He suddenly heard a noise and spun around, just in time to spot Alex as she was trying to creep behind him. Without a word, he went for his gun and fired a shot. Alex dove out of the way and kicked him in the shin, making him flinch in pain. Before he could fire again, Alex reflexively fired a zap and struck him in the chest, dropping him to the ground unconscious.
Alex groaned as she stood up. She wasn't an inherently violent person, but she couldn't let herself or anybody get hurt. Besides, he shot at me first, she told herself. That was justified self-defense. Anyway, I need to find Dad and make sure he's okay.
Alex began running down the halls in search of her wayward father. Seriously, why does it seem like I'm always stumbling into trouble? she thought to herself in annoyance. Alex Mack: Always in the wrong place at the wrong time...
Story of my life.
"Yes, officer. With guns," Dave said into the receiver of the payphone. He was currently explaining the severity of the situation to the police. "They've got hostages too. I barely escaped, but please hurry! Wait, what?" Dave strained his ears to listen. "Okay, I'll stay where I am. Thank you."
Hanging up, Dave looked back at the Sedgewick facility and took off his hat to wipe his brow. I wish I knew what was going on in there, he thought to himself. I haven't been this scared since that time Vince threatened me with... wait! Dave's eyes went wide as he suddenly realized who that voice was. Oh my god!
Dave grabbed the payphone again and hit the zero key. "Operator, put me back on with the police!" After about a minute, he was patched through. "Yeah, it's me again! Listen, I think I know who's at the Sedgewick break-in!"
Driving down the streets of downtown, Grace was suddenly alerted to her cell phone ringing. Stopping at the curb, she quickly picked it up and answered. "FBI, Lasky," she responded calmly. Her stoic face then turned to shock. "What?"
"Just what this guy said, ma'am," replied the officer. "When he mentioned that man, I remembered you coming around talking about him earlier, so I figured you'd want a heads-up."
"Are you kidding? I'll be right there!" Hanging up, Grace drove off the curve and barreled down the streets as fast as she could legally get away with.
Grace was confident that her best chance of indicting Atron was through Vince. Having served as Atron's chief enforcer for years, Vince knew some of her dirtiest, darkest secrets that could surely put that woman away for life. Vince had not been seen in three years, having left town sometime before the fall of PV-Chem, so this sudden report of him possibly being sighted at Sedgewick Chemicals was a stroke of chance. On her badge, Grace was not going to let this chance slip away from her.
Of course, she had her own reasons for putting Vince away as well...
"The password, please," Vince testily threatened as he glared at George. On the computer monitor was a password prompt for the flash drive.
"Now why would you think I'd tell you that, Vince?" George once more argued. "The whole point of the password is to keep people like you out of those files."
"Fine then. I'll just guess." Vince sat down at the computer, though he still kept George in his view. "Now, call this a hunch, but if you were going to set a password, then it'd have to be something memorable. The kind of word you'd never forget." As Vince pondered, his eyes drifted across the graduation photo of Alex. After a moment of thought, Vince typed in a word: ALEXANDRA.
Password incorrect, the computer replied on-screen.
"You get three chances in all," George explained, "and I would never pick a password so obvious."
"Of course you would, but there'd have to be a gimmick, too," he continued. "To keep the answer from being figured out so quickly. Let's see..." Vince rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Oh, I've got it! It's 'Alexandra' backwards, isn't it?" George didn't reply, which, unfortunately, clinched Vince's theory as he typed again: ARDNAXELA. Again, it was incorrect, and Vince started to sweat. "One chance left, then what?" he asked George.
"The flash drive self-deletes," George stated matter-of-factly. "So tell me, Vince. Are you really going to gamble your prize on this password?"
Vince suddenly turned towards George... and smiled evilly. "I was close on that one, wasn't I? The backwards clue, I mean?" he replied. "You're trying to make me doubt myself into screwing up, aren't you? Well, I'll give you credit for the attempt, but here's something you should remember next time you try to make a bluff."
"Wh-what's that?"
"Sometimes, the bluff is so obvious, it's hidden in plain sight." George's heart sank as Vince typed the password: ALEXANDRA BACKWARDS. A second later, a full folder of data appeared on the screen. "Paydirt!" Vince exclaimed.
"Alright, you won," George moaned. "You have my disk and the password. Now let me go."
Clicking off the computer and removing the flash drive, Vince turned back to George. "I'd love to, but I've got one other thing to do before leaving."
"You mean you're gonna-"
Vince pulled out a small pack of C4. "What happens to those in the halls is not my problem, but my own involvement requires complete confidentiality." Vince armed the detonator on the C4 and placed it next to the computer. "Nice knowing you, Mack," he said before leaving, with the punks following.
George watched fearfully as the timer began counting down from five minutes. With fearful memories of three years ago playing out in his head, George bowed his head and winced. He was expecting his end... and hoping for any sort of miracle.
Leaving the lab, Vince grabbed his radio and switched it on. "Vince here. I got the item," he announced. "What's your status, Simon?"
"Trouble," Simon called out over his radio. "The lookouts have spotted cops coming 'round, and I think there's an FBI car, too. I dunno about you, but we're bailing out while we can."
"Do as you must. Just make sure the security is out of order before you leave."
"Already done." Simon switched all the frequencies on. "Simon says it's time to go. Everybody back to the van." Every punk left who could move immediately began shuffling away from their posts and back to the truck depot.
Alex dusted her hands off as two more punks laid unconscious in the hallway. She had been dashing through the halls when she bumped into them. Rather than let them act, Alex took the initiative and dropped them with well-aimed zap shots. They were unconscious, but unharmed.
A sudden realization then crossed over Alex's mind. Both right now and last night, she was actively fighting back with her powers instead of simply acting in self-preservation. She was facing the possibility of her death, that of her parents and their co-workers, and even the exposure of her secret... and yet she wasn't caring. Like she actually enjoyed running about zapping grunts and saving people like she was some kind of...
Alex stopped herself in mid-thought. Whoa, let's not go down that road of thought just yet. I'm only trying to help Mom and Dad out of danger, not play M-Woman to stroke my ego, she told herself. Besides, I've never been a fan of spandex. Why can't more superheroes wear something business casual?
As Alex jogged around a corner, she crashed headfirst right into someone she hoped she'd never see again. "Hey, watch where..." Vince's eyes locked onto Alex, and his face immediatetly turned red in fury. "YOU!" he roared.
"Y... you!" Alex meekly responded, just barely morphing out of the way as Vince grabbed his gun and opened fire on her. She fled down the hall as fast as she could will her puddle-form to do so.
"Get back here, mutant!" Vince screamed as he and his partners gave chase. "After her! She's getting away!" He and his two cronies pursued the puddle, with the punks occasionally firing shots at it, though it was about as useless as throwing rocks into the bathtub. Alex skidded around a corner and quickly oozed herself into a small wedge against the wall. Naturally, Vince and his men ran by her without any clue.
Confident that they were ditched, Alex reformed and tried to catch her breath. As she slowly walked away, she suddenly felt a pair of hands grab her from behind. "Well, well, well. Look who I've found." Alex felt a chill go down her spine as she recognized Simon's voice. "Y'know, babe, we've really gotta stop meeting like this. Otherwise, people'll talk."
"Look, if this is about me zapping you, then I'm sorry for that."
"I've moved on past that, babe," Simon replied. Vince and his partners arrived. "Got your little friend right here."
"Good job, Simon." Vince bowed his head and glared into Alex's eyes. "I see you haven't changed much, Mack. Still too nosy and stupid for your own good. Seriously, whatever possessed you to come here?"
"I only came to deliver food to Dad," Alex spat back. She then looked at Vince oddly. "Funny, though. You don't seem too surprised about the powers."
"Heh. I never believed you ever got rid of them to begin with." Vince smirked, which made Alex nervous. "Take it from a military man. Once you've experienced power, no one in their right mind ever wants to let go. It's human nature."
Alex chuckled. "Jealous of me?"
"Not really. I've earned my power, so I don't need crutches." Vince turned to Simon. "Drug her and take her to the van."
Alex's eyes went wide. "D-drug me?"
"Of course," Vince replied. "Can't afford to have you running around any more than you already have. Now come along, little girl."
But Alex didn't look too scared. "Hey, Simon. Wanna go for a trip?" she suddenly spoke up. Alex squinted as she focused her mental strength on picking Simon off the ground, making him nearly panic as he felt his feet leave the ground. Alex then focused on herself and leapt five feet into the air before landing on the floor back-first... sandwiching Simon in the process. He laid there unmoving, looking like he had just been sacked by a linebacker.
Now furious, Vince and the others opened fire, but Alex focused more energy into forming a force-field in front of her, stopping the bullets from coming close. Still mentally holding the shield, Alex ran down a side-hallway as fast as she could, sweating profusely as she felt her physical and mental strength begin to wane. With all this action going on, it's any wonder I'm still moving, she realized.
As Alex turned the corner, the force-field left behind her dropped, allowing one of the punks to step forward. "After her!" he shouted.
"Forget it!" Vince grabbed the unconscious Simon's arm, making him reflexively wince as he gripped the burned area. "Let's just get out." No one objected as Vince led them to the truck depot, tossed Simon in the back hatch of the punks' truck, and ordered the others to drive the vehicle away.
Vince then got back into his own van and followed. In less than 30 seconds, the C4 will blow and everybody will be too busy investigating it to bother chasing us. Vince grinned.
Police, FBI, Military, all as predictable as clockwork. Just blow something up, and they'll be drawn to it like moths.
Rounding the final corner and gasping from her lengthy running, Alex barged into the workstation. "Dad!" she exclaimed as she saw George sitting in his chair all tied up.
"Alex?" George looked up to see his daughter running up towards him. "Goddammit, Alex, get out of here! That thing's gonna blow up in less than a minute!"
"What thing?" George nodded towards his computer, where the C4 ticked away, and Alex gulped. Alex looked around, but saw no place to throw the C4 into, and there was no time to undo the ropes. That left her with only one escape option for them both. "Dad, I know you're gonna be mad at me for this, but hold on."
Alex grabbed George's hand and morphed once more, this time liquifying him on contact and flowing into a single puddle. With her passenger, Alex made a beeline for the air-vent and flowed through, just as the C4 exploded and enveloped the office in vaporizing heat and flames. Alex was barely able to turn a corner to avoid the brunt of the flames as they poured in after her, though they lessened significantly as it dispersed through other paths in the ventilation system.
George, to his credit, said nothing as he felt his molecules shift every which way. Alex, on the other hand, was struggling to hold together as she felt herself tremble like gelatin. She had done so much with her powers in so short a timespan that she was running out of stamina. But if I reform in the vents, we'll be crushed, she realized. Putting every last thought of hers into forming into a solid ball, Alex barreled through one more turn before accelerating full-speed for an exit vent. 30 feet, 20 feet... 10 feet... 5... 3... 2... 1!
BLAM! The silver ball launched out of the vent like a cannonball and splattered right into the side of a truck. As the liquid substance oozed down towards the ground, it slowly reformed into a dazed George and a very woozy Alex. She was barely able to recognize her location as the truck depot before passing out. George, meanwhile, shakily got up and left the depot to find Barbara, his face utterly expressionless.
As the explosion went off, the police cowered back to shield themselves from any possible debris. A black sedan then pulled up and out stepped Grace. "Holy-! What happened?" she asked as she approached the Officer in Charge.
"Dunno, especially in this volatile place," he replied. "We were just about to breach when it went off."
"Well, don't just stand there!" Grace shouted back as she showed her badge. "There's hostages in there! We need to move now!"
"Alright, men." The OIC waved to his men, who nodded in unison. "You heard the lady. Let's move!"
At once, the officers and Grace barged in through the glass doors, guns at the ready as they poured into the lobby and spread out through the halls. Thankfully, no one was around to fire at them as they checked each of the rooms and recovered the hostages inside. They looked scared and distraught, but otherwise unharmed.
Elsewhere, Grace and a small group slowly approached the blown-up R&D area and peered inside the smoldering wreckage. "Damn..." Grace whispered as she surveyed the view. A creaking sound made Grace turn her head, and she saw the uniformed Garth creep out of a storeroom. "Hey, you! FREEZE!" Grace shouted as Garth ran off. He didn't get far when he tripped on a piece of debris and fell, allowing Grace to catch him. "Whoa, hey, where do you think you're going?"
"Let go of me, you broad!" Garth protested. "I have rights, you know!"
"We'll be the judge of that." Cuffing Garth tight by the wrists, Grace escorted him back out to the lobby, where the OIC and several officers waited. "Well, what did we find?"
"No dead bodies, thank god," the OIC replied with relief. "There were a few knocked-out stiffs in the halls, though. Several of the hostages identified them as their captors. I guess someone may have gotten loose and knocked them out. We'll ask them when they wake up, preferably with new 'bracelets'."
Grace pushed Garth forward. "I found this fine chap trying to flee the scene. Does he work here?"
The OIC looked at the punk detestfully. "I doubt it. One of the hostages mentions someone hitting him over the head and stealing his clothes."
Grace smirked. "I don't think those aforementioned rights are gonna be around much longer." Garth merely said nothing.
"One more thing," the OIC continued. "We've been asked by one of the hostages, one Mrs. Barbara Mack to find her husband." Grace's eyes lit up again. "About five foot nine, heavy-set, balding hair. We haven't found him yet, but-"
"Barbara!" George staggered into the lobby. "Barbara!" A pair of officers grabbed George and steadied him onto a lobby chair. "Excuse me, but I'm looking for my wife."
"Please, sir. Just sit down," one of the officers replied. "You're obviously not feeling too well."
"I don't care. BARBARA!"
Grace looked at George and smiled, then turned to the OIC. "Bring her to him, please?" The OIC left the lobby and went outside. A second later, he came back with Barbara, who quickly ran into George's arms and cried into his shoulder.
"Ohhh..." Barbara moaned. "I... I was afraid I'd lost you."
"You're not the only one," George replied. "Anyway, we need to get home... and have a word with someone."
The next hour was a whirlwind of police activity and questioning, mainly towards George as he explained how Vince Carter had tried to kill him in the explosion. Thankfully for Alex, they bought his story that his ropes weren't tied fully and gave him time to escape. He also withheld from mentioning the stolen flash drive, not that they'd be able to confirm its theft since the explosion destroyed his office.
Finally, though, he and Barbara were able to drive home. No sooner did they step through the front door than they saw Alex Mack sitting on the couch, watching a news report on the break-in. Alex looked up and saw her parents looking back at her, their gazes something between confusion and anger.
Alex grimaced. She knew what was coming. She knew it would've happened eventually, just like last time. She had just hoped it wouldn't have been like this.
"Alex," Barbara began cautiously. "I think you owe us an explanation."
"Can it wait until morning?"
Barbara glared. "Alex..." Sighing, Alex turned off the TV and turned to face her parents.
What followed next was the hardest explanation she ever had to give, about the antidote's failure and her keeping quiet about it and everything. George and Barbara only listened silently, their expressions constantly shifting between fear, awe, and betrayal.
"So, let me understand this, Alex," George spoke. "You're saying that, for all this time, the antidote didn't work... and you didn't tell us?" The normally soft-spoken father was practically fuming. "And after all the trouble your silence caused the last time? The first time I could understand. You were young and afraid, but now you've got no excuse for this one!"
"George..." Barbara put a hand to her husband's lap. "I know you're angry, and I am too, but let's keep calm here. Remember your heart problems."
"Goddammit, Alex, I asked you... I told you to tell me if there was any problems caused by the antidote. You know we raised you better than that!"
"There was no problem, Dad," Alex explained. "It just... didn't... work..." she trailed off awkwardly.
"Well, after how you kept these... symptoms a secret and how they almost got us all killed three years ago, we thought you would've learned your lesson about trusting us," Barbara explained. "We do love you, but we don't like being left out like this."
"Annie figured we'd give you peace of mind," Alex moped. "If you did know, you'd probably be worrying constantly about me."
"Now I am worried, Alex. Worried and angry, because now I can't even trust you!" George's face was turning dark red from how angry he was. "How do I know that my daughter's not doing something illegal with these... these things you do? What else are you keeping from us, huh? Huh? Huh... Huh..." George suddenly clutched his heart and spasmed in pain. "Huaarrghhh!"
"GEORGE!" Barbara screamed, quickly grabbing her husband's shoulder and trying not to let him crash to the floor. "Alex, help him up!" Barbara stared into Alex's eyes. Alex didn't respond. "Please, Alex?"
But Alex was absolutely paralyzed at the sight of her dad going into cardiac arrest. Before she knew it, she had suddenly morphed and slithered away. "Please don't run, Alex! Alex?" Barbara tried to chase after her daughter, but Alex simply flowed down the kitchen sink and out of the house. "ALLLLLEXXXXXX!" She was gone, well into Pittsville's sewer system.
Realizing that George's life was still at risk, Barbara grabbed the kitchen phone and dialed 911. Dammit, Alex! she sobbed to herself.
Why do you keep doing this to us?
It was raining outside again when Annie stepped out of the bathroom in her motel room, having just come out of the shower. Fastening her bathrobe, Annie sat down on her bed and switched on the TV. As she expected, news coverage of the Sedgewick break-in was on every channel. She eventually stopped on one channel and watched as the Sedgewick CEO stated his report to the press.
"I'm happy to report that the explosion was isolated within a small workarea, and that no harmful substances have been caught in the blast or leaked out to the surrounding area," the CEO announced. "We are grateful for the swift, decisive action of our local police and fire departments, as well as the FBI, for their efforts to contain the damage. However, we have reason to believe that a third party was involved in the rescue of our employees. Whoever he or she is, we hope that this unsung hero will accept our gratitude."
Annie suddenly looked up, somehow knowing that she was no longer alone in the room. "You sure do have a way of keeping a low profile, don't you, Alex?" She turned around to see Alex standing in the bathroom's doorframe, looking upset.
"I told them," she plainly said.
"What?"
"Our parents... I told them," Alex repeated. "Now Dad's in the hospital and Mom's never going to trust me again."
Annie scowled at her sister. "Exactly how did they find out?"
Alex took a deep breath, expecting the worst from Annie. "Well, when I heard about what was going on at Sedgewick, with the break-in and the hostages, I..." Alex shook her head. "I had to do something, Annie!"
"Why couldn't you just wait for the cops?"
"What are you, heartless?" Alex protested in disbelief. "There were innocent people in there. Heck, Dad would've been blown to bits if it wasn't for me, and here you are more worried about my secret than the fact that we could've been orphaned today."
"DAMMIT, ALEX!" Annie shouted. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you? You always have to stick your nose where it doesn't belong and for what? So you end up on someone's dissection table?" Alex was speechless at her sister's uncharacterisitic outburst. "I ask you... I tell you... I warn you about what happens when you act recklessly. I didn't make up those rules for no good reason, you know. They're there so that you, me, and everybody else doesn't get hurt or killed over seeing you make a few stray zaps. And furthermore..."
As her rant continued unabated, Alex felt herself steadily growing angrier towards Annie, until something finally snapped in her head. "SHUT UP!" Without warning, Annie was suddenly knocked off her feet and slammed against the wall. The normally calm elder sister winced in pain as Alex stood up, looking positively ballistic. "You think you can come back and act as though you still control my life?" she screamed. Annie tried to move, but she quickly found that she was being telekinetically pinned and thus was completely immobile. "I'm not a helpless little girl, not then, not now, and not ever! And yet you're STILL treating me like I'm a stupid little brat with an overactive metabolism!"
Annie gasped in pain. "I did it... to keep you safe..."
"That's no excuse anymore!" Alex glared. "I did what I felt was needed! If you don't like it, then you can just kiss my-"
"Alex... this is... a hotel room. Someone... might hear you," Annie groaned, afraid that Alex may have broken one of her ribs... or would soon do so. With a grunt of anger, Alex released her mental hold, allowing Annie to collapse to the floor. "I... was just... helping..." she weakly admitted as she laid there on the floor.
"I don't need your help anymore, Annie," she whispered.
"Alex..."
"Just go away." Alex slowly walked away, never once looking back. Without a further word, Alex strode out of the hotel room, down the hall, and into the stairwell. It wasn't until she was out in the parking lot amidst the pouring rain that the remorse finally kicked in. Alex collapsed to her knees and cried into the street.
From her room's window, Annie could see Alex on the ground in sadness. She considered calling out to her, but decided against it. Sighing, Annie bowed her head in shame as she saw Alex morph where she was and flow away.
Russo residence...
Robyn was sound asleep in her room when she heard a tapping at her window. Looking over at the window, Robyn saw Alex looking back at her as she sat perched outside, the rain pounding her back. "Just come in, Alex." Alex quickly morphed through the open crack into the room and reformed. "What is it?"
"Robyn?" Alex quietly spoke, which was not the kind of tone Robyn expected to hear. "Can I stay with you for a few days?"
"Why? What's wrong?"
"I... I don't know. I've had some problems at home and..." Alex trailed off. "I just need some time to think."
Robyn rubbed her chin in thought, then hesitantly shrugged. "Well, I suppose you can. Just let me make some room for you."
"Don't bother. I'll sleep on the floor." Alex morphed and sloshed herself into a corner of the room. "Good night," she gurgled bitterly. Robyn said nothing as she went back to bed, but she knew Alex long enough to know when something was wrong with her.
And somewhere else at the edge of town, another person watched the late-night news intently. What she had been seeing all day was not good news.
"The police has released new information regarding the Sedgewick break-in from earlier today," the newscaster announced as a stock photo of Vince appeared onscreen. "Testimony from one of the hostages has identified this man, Vincent Carter, as the leader behind the break-in. Carter is a known military criminal whose last known sighting was three years ago in the now-abandoned town of Paradise Valley. The police has requested that any information pertaining to Carter is to be reported immediately."
At that moment, Vince entered the room with a confident smile. "Well, I got the files like you wanted," he announced as he entered the office and slid the flash drive onto the desk. "Even after all these years, Mack is still a pitiful wiener of a man."
"And he was supposed to be dead before you left." Vince winced at the piercing words of his superior, who didn't even turn to face him as she sat there watching the TV. "If you had just simply shot him instead of playing mad bomber-"
"Maybe you should've done the same to that wretched mutant years ago," Vince argued back. "Then she wouldn't have bailed the old man out at the last second. Heck, you'd still be running Paradise Valley if it wasn't for her."
"Don't be dictating terms with me, Vincent!" she shouted. "Your goal was to get the files without anybody identifying you. Now that the authorities have Mack's testimony, it's only a matter of time before they start snooping around here. You know I can't afford to have any cops on me again." For a moment, there was tense silence between the two.
After a long pause, Vince spoke up. "Well, what about Alex Mack?" he asked. "It's obvious that she's gonna be a problem if we ignore her."
"That she will," she responded. "I personally would've hoped to wait a while longer beforehand, but after this fiasco, something needs to be done and now!"
"So what do you want done about it?"
The chair spun around towards Vince, revealing the cold, calculating figure of Danielle Atron as she glared into his eyes. "Find Alex Mack and bring her to me alive," she ordered. "I think it's time her and I have a little... heart-to-heart."
END OF PART 2