The Origins and Foreseeable Conclusion,

NYC, February 2004,

It's cold as New York usually is in the winter and Agent Jay looks up at the stars his thoughts occupied by Laura. He shivers and hears his partner cough next to him, the guy should really quit the smokes before it does him in. Jay shivers and turns to his partner who has learnt to control his inner thermostat, "So what's a Spaldie?" He asks, "And what do it want?"

"Spaldie are a race of scavengers who rarely cause much trouble unless they have got organised," Kay answers putting his matchbox back in his pocket.

"You mean they could be working for someone or something bigger or badder?" Jay suggests catching up with the older man's train of thought. Kay has only been back in black for a few months and Jay already feels like a rookie and after being top dog for five years it isn't a feeling he likes.

"Exactly slick," Kay nods as they enter the smoky and dimly lit bar that reminds Jay of the cantina in Star Wars not that he would ever dream of telling Kay that. He hasn't seen such a wide range of aliens outside of the headquarters including his former partner frank the pug and a table of Spaldie aliens that look like they are made out of orange peel with orange bumpy skins wearing biker leathers like extras from a bad movie.

"Think we should welcome them into the 'hood?" Jay asks as they make it over to a newly deserted table that is still rocking from the sudden departure. A smirk crosses his face, "Lord knows I love it when they run."

With that he chases them with his gun in his hand and Kay close in tow luckily the alley behind the infamous bar is a one way deal but the Spaldie can jump. In seconds they have begun to scale the wall but the humans take the rickety fire escape screaming that they are under arrest and the long list of laws and treaties that have broken. The usual warnings issued they open fire.

Kay has faced the Spaldie before, a very long time ago, in the early eighties and they took someone very important from him. He pursues them with a speed and agility that shouldn't come as easy as he's got a few extra miles on the ole' clock as Jay orders for back up. When they make it to the fifth floor the sky is full of helicopters.

"There's no where to run sparky," he huffs as the perps are rounded up like cattle.

Jay and Kay share a knowing look and jump into the kid's shinny new wheels and head back to headquarters where they pass a crowd of worshipping agents to Zed's office.

"Well done boys that was quite the result," he smiles clapping them both on the back. "But then that's what I have come to expect from you two."

"We don't like to disappoint," Jay smiles feeding off the praise from the big man himself.

"c'mon partner we've got paperwork to do," Kay urges wanting to get out there as quickly as possible so that his old friend doesn't have a chance to say anything about his history with the aliens. "Never mind suspects to interrogate."

They get up and are about to leave when Zed says, "Kay, can I have a word?"

Kay nods shoulders hunched and hands deep in his pockets as the kid leaves them to have their, 'talk.' "I know what you're going to say Zed and it's not a problem." He says looking at the black coffee that boils in the coffee maker.

"Don't lie to me slim!" Zed says and Kay is a little taken back by the use of his old nickname, "Of course it's a problem, it wasn't just any agent it was W the fist lady of this operation." He argues and Kay can hear the raw pain in the man's voice, "She was one of us!"

Kay looks at him, "You miss her don't you?" He asks sincerely.

The old man looks distantly out of the large glass wall of his office, "I loved her Kay the way you loved Lirianna." He says turning around, "That's how I know how much this must be killing you because it's killing me and I'm just watching."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that," he says deeply apologetic. "I won't let it affect my work Zed."

A thin smile shows that Zed is relieved to hear that, "Then Godspeed."

Kay is always tickled by Zed's faith, all the stuff they have been through and he still has his faith. The injured Spaldie is already patched up and looking nervous in the interview room. He takes his seat next to the kid who has became quite the Agent although he'll never admit it out loud. "Let's get down to it, shall we?" He smiles.

Jay nods, "Who are you working for?" He asks.

The alien remains silent and Jay isn't sure that the dude speaks English but Kay seems to think he's understanding them. "We know you Spaldie aren't the smartest species in the known universe so to be as organised as you are at the moment you need a leader, who's that?" He asks.

The alien snarls showing jagged teeth, lots of them, "We won't tell you what you want to know human. He is a god he shall know of our betrayal if we tell, he is beyond you no longer held back by the limitations of your inferior race………………….."

"Skip it, who is this dude?" Jay says cutting him off but Kay seems to be following the motor mouth in front of them.

"You're talking about Alpha," he says and the alien nods. "Where is he?" He asks but the alien is obviously terrified of Kay's old teacher. "We can help you if you tell us what we need to know," he says.

"He's at the old warehouse by the river, the old steel factory." He mews and without another word they leave and race to the old warehouse with an armada of agents being that it's Alpha they have to take every precaution.

Kay knows the building too well as this was the place where he faced the Spaldie the first time all those years ago only this time Alpha isn't on their side. Alpha was his Yoda, his sensei teaching him to be the man he is instead of the country boy who took a wrong turn on his way to an important date.

"Are you ok, I mean he was your teacher, right?" Jay asks letting him know that he understands about Alpha.

"Ancient history slick," Kay says blankly but then he has never been one for show and tell or to air his dirty laundry in public as his mum used to say.

They enter the old factory full of ghosts and palates, the place is a hive of illegal activity with forklifts and conveyable belts. Jay stares at the large alien device that looks like a rocket constructed from spare odds and ends. Kay spots his old mentor standing on the upper level in his black suit.

"Hello Kay, I heard you were neutral but I guess after the trouble with Sereena they would drag you out of retirement," he says.

"Nice to know you've been keeping an eye on me, it shows that you care." Kay sneers at him holding his gun out in front of him ready to fire when or if he needs to.

"You were my favourite pupil," Alpha smiles. "Ah you're paired with Agent Jay I see."

"Good to know you remember me Alpha," Jay smiles, "You're under arrest for not staying dead even when I dropped one hell of a piano on you,"

"Ooh I am shaking with fear," he says his voice dripping with sarcasm, "You can arrest me and shut down my little organisation but it will not stop my plans for the foreseeable future."

"What plans would they be?" Jay asks.

Alpha smiles, "Oh now that would be telling, regardless to say it's going to be one hell of a party."

"Don't tell me the invite's in the post?" Kay says with the usual smile on his face.

"You're the postman you tell me," he sniggers. "Are you going to shoot me Kay?" He asks noting the gun in disbelief.

"Not today," Kay answers as they close his little operation and return the origins of the MIB in hope of finding out about the possible conclusion Alpha mentioned.