Firewall - Giant Lizards and Brain-Sucking White Creatures

TV-PG L

Something was wrong with Will. I knew that much. All our missions after his encounter with Kali had gone haywire for some reason or another. Magnus had originally kept him off the mission list for the first week or two, and then added him in again. Big mistake.

On his first mission, he had forgotten his specially engineered weapon after he volunteered to use it to capture a viscous abnormal cave bear that had been plaguing the nearby woodland areas. None of our conventional guns would work; the bullets didn't penetrate deep enough and the stun blasts got absorbed by the creature's body fat. We eventually took it down by entangling it in a nearby unused power line, and Henry shocked it. It had been taken down by the electrocution, but not before each of us had a fair amount of scratches and bruises. The bear was so powerful it could knock us into a tree with one swipe. Our clothes were in shreds and Kate even had a dislocated shoulder. Will apologized significantly and we all forgave him, but Magnus stopped giving him crucial roles in our missions.

The next few missions went by with only minor mishaps: slightly inaccurate intel, uncharged weapons, things like that. We were all getting pretty impatient and worried about him by the time the next mission rolled around: an escaped shipment of worms in an old warehouse. The worms were Red-List abnormals, originally being sent to street gang on the other side of Old City. The worms secreted large amounts of this gas, that, when inhaled, caused you to see things that weren't really there. Not things like tables or cars, but shadows in your peripheral vision, just noticeable enough to distract you. We suspected this was why the gang wanted them, as a distraction for robberies and stuff. We arrived at the warehouse, and Magnus gave Will the simple job of alerting us if the gang showed up while they tried to contain the worms. She told Will he was good at this job because he had good eyesight and the best observation skills of any of us. He might be able to block out the shadows and see what was really there. He watched from the rooftop and we heard nothing on the radios from him. The gang jumped us, firing at us from the tops of crates and boxes. We retaliated best we could, but were caught by surprise. The men shot Henry in the leg a few times, and I would have died ten times over if I was human. Magnus received a long scratch across her arm as a bullet grazed her, and Kate got hit on the head with a wood plank. We finished recapturing the worms after tying up the gang and reviving Kate. Henry and Declan took the worms to the Sanctuary while Kate turned in the gang. Magnus and I headed up to the roof to see what had happened to Will. We found him, asleep, on one of the benches.

Everyone was wary after that. We all cared about him deeply, but it was starting to get hard to not be mad at him. We knew that wasn't rational, like he had wanted to become host to the Makri, but it was still hard to stay patient with him. He wasn't helping either, he would lash out at us for the smallest things and other times he would fall into a deep depression or slip into a trance. Gradually, we just stopped planning lunch with him and our nightly watchings of Stargate SG-1 ceased to exist. Kate and I took up Firefly again. Henry watched various movies he rented, such as The Green Hornet, sometimes inviting us but never Will. I doubted Will even knew we were doing it. He had his own problems to deal with. He was having trouble sleeping, and when he did his dreams were riddled with snippets of the great mystery: what had happened when he died. Magnus was the one whose perception of him was the least changed. We all agreed he should be taken off the mission list for his safety and ours. He had become a liability. Magnus, however, thought otherwise. She wanted to give it more time.

Being taken off the mission list was about the worst thing anyone could imagine, besides being expelled from the Sanctuary Network or dying. You got stuck with all the boring stuff: paperwork, feeding the tame abnormals, cleaning.

On the ride over to the place of our next mission, he seemed in a better mood than he had been all day, so we actually talked and laughed with him. It was glorious, like we had our Will back. I was beginning to believe he would stay like this, that the worst was over. We arrived at the warehouse. Will's job was to stake out the place from the car and warn us when the salamander was coming. Henry would prepare the net beforehand and draw it in. Kate, Declan, and I would distract it until Henry could drop the net and electrify it. We took our places: Kate and Declan on the floor, me on top of a stack of crates, Magnus on top of a large storage container. Henry waited in a hallway nearby for Will's signal. When Will had a visual, Henry would set up the net and lure it to us. It all went well until Henry left. We waited for him to come back. And waited. And waited. Suddenly we heard the loud scuffle of shoes in the hall. Henry and Will burst in, right after the salamander. The net was nonexistent. Kate and Declan fired, and I fired carefully aimed shots around the creature to keep it in one place. We had to keep it right where it was until Henry got the net up. Will took cover in a corner and Henry fired the first two pegs for the net, and then the other two. Magnus stepped forward and ordered, "Everybody get back!" She fired her weapon and a silvery net shot out, one corner on each peg. "Clear!"

Declan started across the room toward us. The creature spun around towards him. Using its tail like a whip, it tried smacking Kate. She dropped from a run into a roll, the tail flying over her head, and landed back on her feet. Frustrated, the salamander aimed its tail at Declan instead. "Declan watch out!" Magnus called a warning but was too late. The creature smacked Declan across his side and sent him flying into some barrels and boxes. He lay there stunned. "Henry Phase Two!" Magnus ordered. Down below, Henry shot two more pegs onto the floor. Magnus switched the mode on her weapon. Henry released the first two pegs and the net fall on the newest, trapping the salamander under metal webbing. "Cover!" Magnus warned. She activated the net and it surged with blue electricity. The creature let out a cry and then collapsed. "Declan," Magnus said to Henry and Kate. They ran over and supported him as he tried to get up.

"I'm all right," he protested weakly.

"No, he's not," Kate yelled to Magnus. I jumped down off the box pile and lifted the now harmless net off the salamander. I carried it to the car and loaded it in the secure transport container. I turned back and saw Will and Magnus talking as Henry and Kate supported Declan to the car. Will looked sad, and Magnus looked almost angry.

We got to the Sanctuary safely, and I helped Magnus patch up Declan's arm. It turns out it was broken, and we set it in a cast and a sling. We had just finished when Declan said, "You can't avoid this forever; it'll only get worse." I knew immediately what he was talking about. Will had had his chance at redemption but failed, though maybe not through any fault of his own. Magnus was loathe to take him off the mission list, he would be crushed. Declan and everyone else wanted it to happen a long time ago.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything for the pain?" she asked, coming over with her tablet computer under her arm.

"I want to know your plan," he said.

"What makes you think I have one?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Magnus, the rumors I'm hearing from other houses are far from good." Just then Henry came in.

"And he was on the mission list because…?" Henry asked.

"Henry, please, not now," Magnus said.

"Asleep on a stake-out, no heads up on the salamander," he pointed at Declan's arm, "Declan's broken arm." He looked at Magnus expectantly.

"Oh, it was an occupational hazard," Declan said.

"It turned out all right in the end, didn't it?" Magnus said with a smile. No, Declan has a broken arm! I thought, but I kept my mouth shut. Henry voiced my thoughts for me though.

He gestured to Declan's arm again. "Arm!"

"Yes, I know he's not been himself lately, but that doesn't mean we condemn him," Magnus said.

"Oh, Doc, I'm not mad; I just want to know what's going on. It's been like two weeks of this," he said.

"Henry," Magnus said, "Mumbai, was…was a lot for anyone. I thought after a few weeks putting him back in mission mode would help him refocus."

"Yeah. Worked like a charm," Henry said.

"The man was taken host by an abnormal spider, died and came back from the other side, come on, he's more than earned a bit of leeway," Declan pointed out.

"I know, it's just…It's getting worse. Temper's all over the place, he's not sleeping, he's not talking to me or Kate, Big Guy stopped smacking him in the head," Henry listed.

"I know," Magnus said.

"What do we do?" Henry asked.

"Be patient. But don't treat him with kid gloves, makes him crazy."

"Okay, done, anything for the guy," Henry said. He got up to leave. "He's off the mission list, right?" We all looked at her.

She glanced at all of us staring at her, and said, "I'll talk to him."

Henry inclined his head. "Thank you." He stepped towards the door and another thought occurred to him. "How do you like the new Magnuslinger?" he asked.

"The weapon, yes," she replied with a smile, "the name…" She tilted her head as if to say Well…

"Yeah, well, it's a work in progress. I'll email you the options."

"Thank you," Magnus said in fake relief.

"Magnus," Declan stood up after Henry left.

"Will's not the only one off the mission list," she told him, "You'll be alright in a few weeks."

"There are issues we need to address," Declan said. He followed her to the door. I peeled of my gloves and tossed them in the garbage.

Following, I heard Magnus's reply, "I'm fully aware of the situation, Declan, and I appreciate your concern."

"What if you lose? You're back in charge but only by a thread. People think we simply got lucky."

"Do you think this is the first time I've made unpopular decisions? The threat Forsythe posed has been eliminated, Bertha's alive and in containment, I think we're fine."

"I disagree," Declan said forcefully, "Yeah you shot out Wexford, but he didn't act alone. He had support."

"Which evaporated when he became unstable."

"Yeah, some would say the same about you. I've just mean your next move's important."

"Currying political favor? I'd rather drink coffee." I stifled a laugh. Magnus's hatred of the 'horrible brown sludge' was a well-known and well laughed over fact around the Sanctuary. In fact, Kate once made a point of buying a whole crate of coffee and brewing it. She left steaming pots all over the Sanctuary. It took days to get rid of the smell.

"Besides, there's a far more pressing question that needs answering."

"The counter-wave off Pakistan."

"Three land-based earthquakes each perfectly timed to stop a massive tidal surge from hitting the Pakistani coast? Zero abnormal activity on any scans, millions of lives saved, and no explanation! It wasn't Bertha, but it was something equally as powerful. Maybe more so."

"In the meantime," Declan said, "The conference call, tomorrow?"

"I'll be on my best behavior," Magnus said, "Promise!" The elevator doors opened. "Kate," Magnus said as we stepped inside. Declan stopped in front of the doors.

"You're in or out," Kate said to him.

"As if I had a bloody choice," Declan said with a small smile. The doors closed, and Kate stood up from leaning against the wall.

"I need money," she said to Magnus, smiling.

"Ah…" Magnus said, "How much and what for?"

"A lot," Kate said, and then quickly, "But for a good cause. I got a line on an ex-Cabal spook who was really high up on their operations before we took 'em down."

"And he knows something about the Pakistani counter-wave?"

"Not exactly," Kate said, "He claims to know of an abnormal who could have caused it."

"But he won't talk unless we pay him," Magnus said with a slight smile.

"With a Samsonite full of case. It's part of the whole new post-Cabal economy. A whole lot of info on the market if you know where to shop."

"Fine," Magnus said.

"So are we talking about the Cayman's account or the one in Geneva?"

"Neither," Magnus said.

"Oh, the private bank in Malta, excellent choice." Magnus opened her mouth to say something but Kate cut her off. "Oh, come on, you're surprised I know where all your money is?"

"No, only that it's all still accounted for," Magnus said, smiling. Kate laughed and I grinned. It was great to see Magnus and Kate getting along so well. I had heard from Henry that when Kate first arrived, they had disliked each other immensely. The smile faded from Kate a little as we kept walking.

"Umm, by the way, you are taking him off the mission list, right?" Magnus closed her eyes, sighed and didn't answer. "Right?" Kate asked. Magnus kept walking, and Kate and I fell behind.

We turned the other direction to our own rooms, which were right next to each other. We had recently had the electrical circuit essential to our old section of the residential level short out. Henry was too busy and the repair too time-consuming, so we had all moved to another section. Kate and I had become good friends here, and so we took rooms next to each other. They were even adjoined, but I kept that door triple-locked, just in case. She's a professional con-artist, remember? I'd been in her new room only once (before she made a mess again) and I saw she had the door padlocked with a strong sturdy chain. It became a game between us. She would padlock the door with a thick chain, and then at some random time I would open the door, breaking the chain easily. She'd already spent a fortune in chains and padlocks, but luckily our pay for working at the Sanctuary was pretty high. And our room, food, water, and electricity were provided for us. I just hoped the door wouldn't break. We'd have a fun time explaining that one to Magnus.

We stopped in front of my door, the one three doors down and around a corner from Will's. "She took him off the mission list," I told her quietly, my hand on the doorknob, "but she wasn't happy about it." Kate nodded sadly.

"It's for the best," she said. I nodded.

"It's just so unfair. He dies to save lives and he gets taken off the mission list in return."

"I know," Kate said, her face taking on a rare caring look, "But he'll get better." She clapped me on the back with forced cheerfulness. "Goodnight Tayla."

"Goodnight."

Once I got into my room, I pulled off my jacket and hung it in the closet. Something fell out of the pocket. I bent down to pick it up. Squeak. I held Edward's yellow squeaky ball up to the light. It reminded me of him and what he had sacrificed for us. Sure, he had been dying anyway, but his real self had shown through when he offered to keep the ship in place while we escaped. I gave it a slight squeeze (squeak) and placed it in one of the drawers of my dresser. I could faintly hear the sounds of Magnus and Will talking, and on the other side of the Sanctuary Henry huffed and groaned as he carried the salamander to a secure cell. It was only eight o'clock, too early to go to bed, so I picked up my book. I hadn't had much time to read it, so I was only on chapter four. I settled onto my bed and opened the book. About half way through the chapter, my ears picked up a faint humming noise coming from Kate's room. I blocked it out, annoyed, but it just got louder and louder. Now a true buzz, the noise had an eerie aura to it. What in the world was Kate doing?

Setting down Mockingjay on my bed, I crossed over to the door. I undid the three locks: the door knob key, the chain, and the sliding bar. I knocked politely before shoving the door open. It burst open with a small bang. Kate looked up from her magazine as I surveyed the mess. A huge chain snaked across the floor, broken in half. Each link was as big as my fist.

"Where ever did you get a chain like that?" I asked, momentarily forgetting the buzzing.

"Oh, just around," Kate replied vaguely. My ears detected the buzz again and I remembered why I'd come.

"Are you running a really old computer or something?" I asked, looking around the room.

"No, why?" Kate sat up.

"Don't you hear that?" I asked, still searching for the source of the noise.

"Shhh," Kate said and listened hard, "You mean that faint buzzing? It's coming from outside in the hallway somewhere." The noise got louder and softer and then faded away. Kate shrugged. "Maybe Henry's working with some new tech," she offered.

"Yeah, maybe," I said, unconvinced. I stepped over the broken chain and back into my own room, closing the door softly behind me. With the annoying buzz gone, I could hear perfectly again: the tapping of keys in Magnus's office, Will closing a medical bottle of some kind, Henry and the Big Guy walking through the hallways. I hopped up on my bed again with my book and finished chapter four. I pulled on some nightclothes and snuggled into my nice warm bed. I reached over and switched off the light, but I could still vaguely see everything. Tucking the covers more firmly around me, I fell asleep.

The next morning was bright and sunny, and for some reason I was very happy. I took a brisk early morning walk around the grounds and stopped by the conference room on the way back. Kate was already there, having gotten up at four to give the ex-Cabal agent his money and find out what he knew. Magnus walked in shortly thereafter, asking, "So, are we financially ruined?"

"With your net worth, we'll limp along another…three hundred years," she replied getting up from her chair. She held up a flash drive as she crossed over to a computer. "This was worth it." Magnus and I crowded around to look. "So," Kate began, "Counter-wave earthquakes originated on land, correct?"

"Yeah, they had to, in order to blunt the wave that was headed for Pakistan. Satellite tracking confirms the epicenter's here, along the Iranian border."

"I know I don't pay attention in class, but bertha is a sea-dwelling creature only, right? A land based earthquake isn't her MO?"

"Absolutely not," Magnus shook her head. Kate smiled.

"Then this could be huge."

"2005 Indonesia. Big hush-hush Cabal operation goes down. The bad guys are tracking an unidentified abnormal in the underground caves near Cartersuro. They get a fix, they move in, next thing you know, boom, instant strata volcano, no seismic warnings. 400 Cabal agents vaporized. The entire area is a disaster zone."

"Yes, Marapi, the volcano was considered extinct."

"Which means whatever they were tracking set it off," Kate said.

"Possibly," Magnus said, "I've heard the rumors. I thought the Cabal were testing a weapon."

"Well maybe they were trying to capture something. And it didn't like it. And I'm thinking, whatever did this, maybe it's somehow connected to Bertha, in that whole woo-woo theory you have."

"And then Wexford bombs her island—"

"She sets off a massive tidal wave—" I said.

"And mystery monster jumps in, launches the perfect earthquake to stop the final wave, saves the day," Kate said.

Magnus looked thoughtful. "It's a start," she said, "But we need more. Proof that this other creature actually exists."

"You got it," Kate said, following her to the door, "So the Copenhagen account?" I laughed as I headed down to the Shu. George Cabalus was still down there. Magnus had checked up on him recently, but he was sullen, wary, and unresponsive to her. She had suggested I try, but I didn't think it would work. I mean, I'm the one who tricked him so we could capture him! Nevertheless, I entered my security passcode and the door slid open. He made no move to get up, just sat there, hunched over on his bed, head in his hands.

"I know how disconcerting this must be for you," I said, my voice unnaturally loud in the otherwise silent room. He didn't respond and I shifted uncertainly. Finally he looked up, his eyes covered in the film of unshed tears.

"How do you stand it?" he whispered, "I killed someone…and I liked it. And then I…I" He buried his head in his hands again, shoulders shaking. I reached out and touched his arm.

"But under it all," I said softly, "Under what they've made you into, is still you." I took a device similar to mine and held it out to him. He looked at it puzzled. "This will help. You'll never have to kill again."

He took it wonderingly, running his hands over its smooth surface. Noticing mine, he slipped his arm through it and brought it up to his shoulder. I hit the on switch, and he visibly relaxed.

"Better?" I grinned.

"Much," he replied with the first smile I'd ever seen him do. "Who was the woman who took blood from my arm?" he asked.

"That was Dr. Magnus," I told him, "She runs this place, the Sanctuary. She made us these devices." I held up my arm and pulled the sleeve to reveal the VPFBD again. "I'll talk to her about getting you some better quarters." He nodded and I left the room. I went looking for Magnus, but she wasn't in her office. Or her room. Or the conference room. Then I remembered she had that big meeting with the other heads of house today. I headed to the main lab since it had the most pull down screens. Sure enough, there she was with Declan by her side. All the heads of house, including Wexford, were listening to her speech about Big Bertha. I waited at the edge of the room for her to be done.

"The magnetic resonance pattern we're coating her with is keeping her in a permanent state of calm. She's happy," Magnus told them.

"All tests of the new system showed no flaws or weaknesses," Declan added, looking up at all the heads.

"Since the death of the Makri there have been no reports of aberrant behavior of any abnormals worldwide. We believe Bertha is now fully secure," Magnus said, before getting cut off by Wexford.

"I believe there is a far more pressing matter that we need to address," he said, cocking his head in a lizard-like manner, "regarding your continuing role as Head of the Global Sanctuary Network."

"Terrance," Magnus sighed, "please. If you're planning another coo, can you please do it when I'm not on a call?"

"So now you're speaking for everyone?" Declan asked him, trying to keep Magnus from alienating herself from more heads, "Mate I'd say you have no more run support than she does."

"I doubt that," Wexford replied icily, "All we did is dodge a bullet this time by keeping Bertha alive."

"Bullet? Why you obnoxious piece of—" Declan began, but was quickly cut off by Magnus. They made a good team against the other heads; they kept each other in check.

"I am beyond sick of this gamesmanship!" Magnus said, eyes flashing, "Gregory Magnus founded this organization to help abnormals. To protect them, to understand them. My father taught me that we had more to learn by protecting life, all life, than by simply destroying it. That's why I kept Bertha alive. And that's why we need to discover the power behind the Karachi counter-wave."

"You did act independently," a woman said from the right side of the circle, "and you did lie to us about keeping Bertha alive. But you also took complete responsibility for your actions. You almost gave your life to save hers. As you once said, it's what happens after a crisis that matters."

Magnus and Declan looked at each other uncertainly. "There's been a vote," the woman continued, "We wish you to remain Head of the Global Sanctuary Network. The vote was unanimous."

"With all due respect," Wexford said angrily, "I was not part of that vote."

"It was reserved for Heads of House only," she replied with no outward expression, "Your position as Head of the New York Sanctuary has been rescinded."

"Excuse me?" Wexford said.

"Also a unanimous decision," the woman finished.

"You fired on an unarmed civilian ship with the full knowledge there were people on board. You failed to report to international authorities and gave no regard to the danger of Sanctuary crews."

"Very well," Wexford said, unable to fight all the Heads' decision.

"I trust this puts this matter at rest?" the woman asked, "There are far more pressing matters at hand." Magnus was smiling now.

"Thank you, everyone," Magnus said, making eye contact with all but Wexford. They all muttered goodbye in their native language and the screens went black, one by one, until only Wexford was left. He offered no goodbye and his screen went black after one last icy look at Magnus, which I don't think she noticed. She turned and smiled at Declan. "Cheeky bastard," she told him, guessing that he had known the outcome of the vote and had a part in it beforehand.

"Guess my work here is done," he said as they walked out of the room together.

"Magnus," I called, and she turned, motioning for Declan to go on without her. "I spoke with George earlier."

"How'd it go?" she asked, a look of concern spreading over her face.

"Fine. Good, actually. I gave him his VPFBD. He should get a room on the residential level now."

Magnus nodded. "Agreed. It's good that he finally has someone he can trust." She smiled at me.

"Anyway, catch you later. I'm off to see if Henry's got that virus software update ready yet," I said.

"If you see him, tell him there are donuts in the kitchen," Magnus called after me. I laughed and headed for the kitchen. Knowing Henry, he had already sniffed them out and had snagged one already. Sure enough, I met him just coming out of the kitchen and he held a donut in one hand and his tablet computer in the other.

"Hey," I greeted him, "I was going to tell you there were donuts in the kitchen, but…"

"Yeah, I could smell those from a mile away," he answered, "I thought I'd have a snack while I cracked down on that security camera system check and the virus software."

We arrived at his lab and he set the donut (now with a big bite out of it) and the tablet down on a desk. He took all the computers out of sleep mode and reached for his donut again. The last one showed Will's bed in the infirmary, where the Big Guy was supposed to be watching him.

"Holy hell!" he exclaimed, donut bits flying everywhere. "Magnus!" He grabbed a nearby radio and told her gibberish, something about white beings from Mars sapping Will's brain out, but she got the message. I grabbed a gun off the table and took off toward the infirmary, Henry not far behind. We met Magnus and Kate on the way, and we all skidded to a halt in front of the observation window. Two white creatures stood over Will, slipping some sort of device over his head.

"Dear God," Magnus said.

"What the hell is that?" Henry gasped.

"No!" Magnus yelled. Through the glass, the creatures stopped what they were doing and looked at us. "Quickly," Magnus said, hurrying around the corner to the door and entering her passcode. The creatures almost immediately disappeared as we came through, Magnus, Kate and I forming a triangle, covering each other's backs. Henry sealed the door at Magnus's direction.

"What'd they do, teleport?" Kate asked looking desperately around for the pair.

"No, not possible, the EM shield's up," Henry said. Magnus spotted a slight movement and shot, following it across the room. Just then, Kate got knocked down by my side from an unseen blow. Henry was thrown into a wall and the door opened. A few seconds passed and nothing happened. They must have gotten through. Henry poked his head outside as Magnus ordered, "Check him." Kate ran over to the Big Guy, who was lying on the floor.

"He's okay," Kate reported, relieved. Magnus and I rolled Will over, still dead to the world from whatever sleep-inducing drug Magnus had prescribed him. "What the hell were they?"

"Absolutely no idea," Magnus replied.

Kate and I left to retrieve our weapons from the armory. I took a stunner, because I knew Magnus would want that, but I stuck a real gun in my belt. We were just rounding the corner and Kate was loading her gun when Magnus came out of the elevator.

"Stunners and tranqs only," she said, "And I want a round-the-clock watch on Will."

"Henry and the Big Guy are with him already," she informed her as she continued to load up her gun with regular bullets.

"Roof to catacombs, we're finding these creatures. And I want all Henry's tracking devices modified for their cloaking ability."

"Already relayed the order to Henry," I said, looking up from my tablet computer.

"You think they're still here somewhere?" Kate asked.

"Sure of it," Magnus answered, "Whatever they came here for, we interrupted them. You and Tayla can start the search, but without Henry's modified trackers you'll be flying blind. Be careful!" We both nodded, and she took off for the infirmary again. We went up and down three whole floors without even a trace. All my vampire traits were useless. They made no noise and left a slight scent everywhere, making it impossible to locate them. Henry eventually came with the trackers, but they went haywire too. He also came with the bizarre news that the creatures were after Will's memories. That made no sense whatsoever, so I decided to ask Magnus later.

Eventually we all met in the main lab. Henry, saying he had a plan, brought some weird looking instruments over to the table.

"So, it's all about overload with these guys," he said. "They emit this smell. Once it gets in your nose it's just like…god, it drives you crazy."

"But I don't smell anything," Will said, "Can you guys?"

Magnus and Kate shook their heads, but the Big Guy replied, "Makes my eyes water."

"A little," I answered, "but it doesn't bother me. I mean, I can't smell anything, but it's not a super-nasty smell. Not like the one you get when you open a moldy sour cream container."

"Oh, yeah, it's so bad right now I couldn't track a pastrami sandwich in the deli at lunch hour," Henry said. I looked at him, surprised. It was really that bad?

"Okay, so your noses are useless, none of our tracking systems work, we compensate…how?" Will asked sensibly.

"Modified chronographic scanner," Henry picked up a device off the table, "typically used to detect chemical weapons traces. Now, I've altered the sensors to pick up the densest concentration of, well, invisible fugly. He handed us all our scanner-sticks. "Bit of a trial and error with the calibration, kind of like tuning a guitar with your nose."

"Which looks good on your résumé," Will pointed out as he examined his scanner.

"Alright, coordinated search, stay in radio contact. Bring them back unharmed," Magnus said. "I bet you're dying for a rematch," Magnus smiled at the Big Guy.

"Understatement," he growled. We all moved off in separate directions, Magnus with Will, Kate with Henry, and the Big Guy and I on our own. I moved silently through the Sanctuary, holing my scanner out in front of me. Oddly, I encountered nothing. The entire hour my scanner only beeped once, and the signal quickly faded away again. Were they avoiding me? Just then I heard the sounds of a scuffle two floors above me. I ran up the stairs just in time to join Kate and Henry rounding the corner. We all spotted the unmoving body of one of the creatures on the ground. Kate covered it with her stunner. Another lay less than two feet from Magnus.

"Are you alright?" she asked Will.

"Are you kidding?" He threw up his hands. "I love being the bait!"

"He's out cold," Henry reported from beside the creature. He lifted his scanner-stick high in the air. "And the crowd goes wild! Three words please."

"Good work Henry," Magnus replied from bending over the other one.

"We got them?" Will asked.

"Yeah," Magnus answered, "but what have we got?"

Magnus, of course, jumped right on the task of analyzing them. The rest of us shut them in secure cells and waited for her test results. Kate and I stood by Magnus and the computer while Will stood on her other side.

"Their skin has an extraordinary reflective quality which they seem to be able to manipulate at will," Magnus told us, "much like a chameleon." She turned away from the computer to look at Will. "Coincidences are piling up too thick around here. The Makri, Bertha, the counter-wave, now this! I'm sure there's a connection but we just don't have all the facts."

"Whatever memories these guys are after must have happened to me when I…you know…" his voice trailed off.

"Kicked the bucket?" Kate cut in. "Bought the farm. Crossed over."

"Rode the pale horse," I offered.

"Are you finished?" Will asked.

"Pushed up daisies," Kate said, still thinking.

"It would also explain your extreme amnesia. Repressed memories trying to surface would wreak havoc with a conscious mind, wouldn't they?"

"Hey, I've tried everything," Will said, counting them off on his fingers, "Meditation, hypnosis, even drug therapy, which I hate…" He paused. "Whatever happened to me," he began with a glance at Kate and I, "on the other side isn't that easy to recall."

"Well, maybe it's nothing," Kate said, "Maybe it's a bunch of psycho mumbo-jumbo from your imagination."

"Psychologist," Will said, gesturing to himself.

"The memories will come when ready, if at all," Magnus said.

"What if it's something important?" Will asked, "What if it's something that can help you prove what started the counter-wave? Or Bertha's connectedness? I'm just saying, if my subconscious won't let me sleep, it's gotta be something big." Magnus gave a small nod.

"C'mon, let's go help the Big Guy put away the rest of that stuff," I said to Kate. She followed me out of the room and we got into the elevator together.

"So, you off to deplete the Copenhagen account and leave us all starving on the street after all this is over?"

"Maybe I won't need to," Kate replied, "But you'd make a good homeless person. People walk up to you, you slam 'em against a wall, let your claws show…you could get a lot of money."

"Not to mention caught," I said.

She shrugged and then whispered, "Depends on how good you are."

The doors opened and we walked down the hall to the armory. Our vests were still hanging out front, the sounds of grunting and shuffling inside. I pulled out a pair of grenades from one of the pockets.

"This was your vest, wasn't it?" I asked, "Why would you carry grenades to capture those creatures?"

"I like to be prepared," she answered, starting on another vest. We were done fairly quickly and went up to Henry's lab to see how he was doing. Magnus had given him the assignment of figuring out what is was and how to work it. As we approached we heard noises coming from inside: first crooning and then yelling.

"Ahhh! So not cool!" Henry told the device. "No power up command, no control interface, and somehow they're able to juice it up with a standard AC cable from our basement! I plug it in, it zaps me!"

"I think it's cute," Kate said, turning it over in her hands.

"That's great," Henry said sarcastically, "It likes you."

"Oh, come on, Hank," Kate said, "Be the genius. You said it was simple, right? Maybe you're just over thinking it. Try treating it nicer."

"I've tried nice. I've tried power surges. I've tried radio waves. I've tried sonics. I've tried air pressure! I just want to turn the damn thing on!" Kate frowned, and I knew what she was thinking. That's his version of nice? He slammed the table hard, and Kate dropped the device. It hit the table and sprung open, revealing spindly spider like legs. It glowed.

"Whoa," Kate said.

"Whoa," Henry agreed, "That's awesome."

I had just left when Magnus came over the speaker. "Fire on the secure level!" she said. I wondered what that meant. I headed for the conference room, where everyone else already was.

"This is an amazingly intuitive design," Henry was telling Will, "It actually seeks out brainwaves of a certain frequency."

"It can deliberately key in on EEG readings associated with deep memory," Magnus explained.

"What for?" the Big Guy grunted.

"Well, at its highest level? It would erase them by essentially overloading the brain with a massive jolt of electricity."

"Uhh…" Will said, alarmed, looking between Magnus and Henry.

"However," Henry assured him, "I have managed to drastically reduce the energy output."

"We think its other function is to stimulate the hippocampus in a positive manner," Magnus said eagerly, "to retrieve memories trapped within the subconscious."

"Uh, are you sure about this? I mean, didn't you just figure out how it works twenty minutes ago?" Will asked.

"Yes, but I think I have it down now," Henry said.

"He thinks," Will said.

"And I dropped it," Kate held up a hand.

"But it's fine," Henry said quickly.

"It's fine," Kate agreed.

"You don't have to do this, Will," Magnus said.

"Seriously?" Will asked, giving her a look. "Look, we need answers, let's do it." Henry placed the device on top of Will head. Will winced and we all stood up to watch.

Will's voice was flat. "I remember dying…" he began, "falling…landing…in an amazing chamber…there were two others…" he stopped talking. A minute later Henry ripped the device from his head as Will sat up suddenly. "Oh my God," he yelled breathlessly.

"Will!" Magnus said.

"He was there…"

"Who?"

"Your father!"

"What?" Magnus asked in disbelief. The next few minutes were a blur. Will answered the rampage of questions thrown at him. He even drew Magnus a symbol and told her some numbers that her father had given him for her. Magnus walked wonderingly over to her desk and picked up a small paperweight. The clear glass surface reflected the light as she turned it toward us. The symbol from her father was etched inside. "Gifts from my father," she said, a smile spreading over her face, "This one, for my twenty-sixth birthday." She looked thoughtful. "And," she said, motioning for us to follow her. She swept swiftly out of the room and we all hurriedly followed her. All of us crammed into the elevator, which creaked and groaned as we descended. The doors opened and we stepped out into the hallway. Magnus crossed over to the library and over to a high shelf. She climbed the ladder and searched the row of books.

"Let me guess," Will said, "The gift from your thirty-fourth birthday."

"Exactly," Magnus said, still concentrating on the shelf. From it she pulled a battered old book. "Here it is," she said, coming down from the ladder, "A rare first edition of Michelangelo's architectural designs."

"Okay, it's a paperweight and a book," Henry said as she neared us, "I don't see it."

"Yeah," Kate said, "I never met your dad, but is he always this cryptic?"

"Yes," Magnus, Henry, Will and the Big Guy said together.

"Last time we saw him it was about a year ago, before that a couple of decades," Henry told Kate and I.

"Well, at least he keeps in touch," I commented as Magnus opened the ancient book.

"Why make contact now?" Will asked, "I mean, we didn't even know he was still alive."

"Well maybe he's not," Kate said reasonably, "I mean, you did see him over…there."

"There has to be a connection," Magnus leafed through the book, "My father never gave me a gift without significance. He believed in the ancient power of crystals and that Michelangelo had somehow tapped into an incredibly advanced mathematical formula. She turned another page and my heart stopped. The symbol from Will's memory was right there, in the middle of an otherwise blank page.

"Hello, darling," Will said, proffering the paperweight to Magnus. She unfolded the page, revealing a grand map on our table. She reverently took the crystal from Will and placed it over an identical symbol in the middle of the layout of a city. She positioned it so the outlined etching of the symbol in the crystal lined up with the printed one in the center of the page. The crystal glowed, causing us all to take a step backward. Beams of light shot out from it to all around us, building a majestic city, with miniature buildings that ranged from knee-high to taller than us.

"Holographic?" I asked, reaching out to tentatively touch a nearby building. My hand met solid brick, like a real building would be made of. "It's real," I breathed.

"You have got to be kidding me," Kate said.

Magnus reached out and pushed a miniature blimp, changing its course easily. It didn't fall however, just kept flying in the new direction. The Big Guy stopped the train, and when he lifted his big hairy hand, the train chugged on as usual.

"Incredible," Magnus said.

"Did she just…did he just…?" Henry asked, pointing to Magnus and the Big Guy, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Just go with it Henry," Will said happily.

"Just go with…this is completely impossible?" Henry asked, still in awe of the buildings around us.

"Exactly," Will breathed. The Big Guy watched the train go by. "What is this place?" Will asked.

Magnus shook her head, looking at the city happily. "I've no idea. But this is of power and technology better than we've ever known. "

"Do you think it exists?" the Big Guy asked, still watching the train chug merrily along the track.

"If it does," Magnus said, "we have to find it, wherever it is." She gave a light laugh. "Thank you Father."

"I guess I'll be spending the Copenhagen account on something else then," Kate said. We laughed happily.