The building stood before them. Scaffolding covered the large hole that Ali had made on her first visit. She was eyeing the damage with a strange look that Sophie couldn't decipher. The three extra aliens Tilda had sent for security hissed uneasily, as if they sensed something as well.

"Come on," Ali finally said, leading the way.

Sophie followed Ali and Hermes, glancing at Jake as she did. The look on his face said that he had also been watching Ali and was equally stumped as to the expression on her face.

"She almost looks happy," Jake murmured in Sophie's ear.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, that was the same look she had when she came over to talk to you."

"You were awake?" Sophie asked.

"I knew that Ali wanted to talk to you, so I just closed my eyes when she got closer," Jake said by way of explanation, "Anyway, that's just my thought."

"But what would she be happy about? Surely she isn't excited about killing my brother?"

"No, it was when she was looking at the damage she had caused earlier. When I first saw her looking, I thought she was looking on with guilt, but now I'm not too sure."

"Are you guys coming? Or do you still want to talk?" Ali asked, from ahead.

Sophie glanced up and saw that she and Jake had slowed down as they talked, leaving them far behind Ali and Hermes, who were already climbing underneath the scaffolding to get into the building. Sophie picked up her pace, with Jake right behind her, and decided that, for now, she would dismiss Ali's reaction.

Ali and Hermes lead the way through the hallways, both of them seeming pretty sure on where they were going. The sound of voices quickly reached them and Sophie was able to recognize where they were going; the lab where her brother had been working on his Ali clones.

Thomas was talking to two scientists and there were two men standing off to the side, obviously on guard. They stiffened when they caught sight of Ali and then paled when Hermes, along with the other three aliens, stepped in.

"Um, Thomas, sir," one of the guards said.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Visitors to see you," the guard replied.

Thomas, at first, didn't break off his conversation, rather, looked up with enough acknowledgement to let them know he knew they were there, but that he would finish his conversation first. The words he had been saying at the time, however, dried up in his throat when he saw who was standing in his door way.

Ali smirked. "Well hello, we just fancy a word with you."

The four aliens jumped forward, each one aiming at one of the four other people in the room. The two guards cried out as the aliens came upon them and tried to draw their weapons. But the aliens were faster and pounced with unmatched grace. Fountains of blood squirted out and the guards cried out in pain as their stomachs were sliced open. The two scientists backed up as the Hermes and the other alien approached them, fear evident in their eyes. However, the aliens didn't kill them, only forced them further away from Thomas, leaving him isolated.

"So, this is it?" Thomas asked, smirking, "You're going to kill me now?"

"Not yet," Ali said, stepping forward.

Sophie and Jake tried to follow, but they were blocked off by the two aliens that had disposed of the guards.

"What's your plan?" Thomas asked.

"I know that you have tracking devices installed in the clones you created," Ali said, "That way you could track them down if they ever did escape."

"Yeah, so?"

"So you're going to tell me where the last clone is," Ali said.

"What if I choose not to give you the information?"

"Then you'll die."

"But you need me to get it."

"No, not really, I found the other one on my own. You'll just be making it easier on me if you cooperate."

Thomas shook his head. "Why should I? You're still going to kill me."

"You're right, I am," Ali replied.

Thomas glanced around Ali and his eyes met with Sophie's. She could see the terror in his eyes and when she tried to look away, she found that she could not.

"Sophie," Thomas said, his voice strained, "Don't let her kill me!"

Sophie stared at her brother. "What do you want me to do?"

"I'm your brother, we're family!" Thomas shouted.

"I was wondering how long it would take for that statement to come out," Ali said. She looked over her shoulder and addressed Sophie. "You realize this was his plan all along. The only reason he was nice to you was so that when I came to kill him, you wouldn't be able to stand by and watch him die."

"That's not true!" Thomas insisted, "I—"

"I know," Sophie said.

Thomas and Ali stared at her in shock.

"You do?" Ali asked.

"I've always known that there had to have been some kind of reason for the kind behavior."

"And you still want me to spare him?" Ali demanded.

"Yes, of course," Sophie said, "What he said is true; he's my brother and my family."

"I grow tired of this," Ali said, "We have more important business. Are you going to tell me where the clone is or not?"

Thomas looked up at Ali, his face now unreadable. He nodded and spun around in his chair, propelling himself over to a row of computers. His fingers flew over the keys and a large map flashed up on the screen, with a red light blinking in the corner.

"There she is," Thomas said, "Not that far from here actually."

"Great, I want to get this over with," Ali said.

"A little warning, if I may," Thomas said, a smug smile appearing across his face.

"What are you smiling about?"

"That clone, it's the Fourth, isn't it?" Thomas's grin widened.

Jake paled. "No."

"What is it?" Sophie asked.

"We are so doomed," Jake said.

"Why?" Ali asked.

"Because the Fourth was the most advanced out of all the clones. And I had made a few modifications to her of my own. She is virtually indestructible," Thomas said.

"You have that much faith in a clone that wants to destroy you too?"

"Yes, I do. Because you won't be able to beat her," Thomas said with that smug look of his.

What happened next went all too fast. Thomas jumped up from his chair and swung at Ali, who stood unmoving. A long gash appeared on Ali's cheek and blood ran down her face. Sophie glanced at Thomas in surprise to find him holding a small pocket knife tightly in his hands, the blade already bubbling and dissolving. In the next second, one of the scientists pressed a button on a separate panel of switches which triggered a massive smoke cloud to fill the room. Sophie moved closer to Jake, coughing as the smoke filled her nose and mouth. The air was ripped with the sounds of screams.

When the smoke cleared, it became clear who the screams had belonged to; the two scientists lay dead, sprawled in their own blood. Ali, Hermes, and Thomas were nowhere to be found.

"Where'd they go?" Jake asked.

"You stay here with these three and wait."

"Where are you going?"

"To find my brother."

"You're not going to save him in time," Jake shouted after her as she ran out the door.

Sophie looked left and then right before taking the hallway on her left. There was a door at the far end that hung open and she had a feeling that was the direction her brother went. But when she got closer she was astounded to find that it was stairs that would lead to the roof. Nevertheless, she followed them up, hoping she wouldn't be too late.

Sophie flung the door open, her heart racing and her breath coming out in panicked gasps having run up the entire flight of stairs to the roof. However, she hadn't been fast enough.

Thomas was laying on his back, letting out gurgled and pained breaths, and Sophie soon saw why. His throat had been slashed, the wound bubbling and hissing. Ali was standing over him, the knife in one hand while the other was dripping with her blood.

"No," Sophie choked.

Ali's head shot up and her eyes met with Sophie. The satisfied, victorious look evaporated and was replaced with a strange look of guilt. Before Sophie could speak further or move, Ali dropped down swiftly and drove the knife into Thomas's heart, killing him instantly.

"What the hell were you doing?" Sophie demanded when she finally found her voice.

Ali didn't respond as she rose up from Thomas's now motionless body and moved to stand at the edge of the roof. "I'm sorry," she finally said.

"You were enjoying yourself, weren't you," Sophie asked, recalling the conversation from earlier.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"Sorry isn't good enough! I can't believe this, I know you said you enjoyed killing, but I never thought you would ever do something like this. I thought you were all about mercy, how can you just change that into someone who makes people suffer!"

"I need help," Ali interrupted.

"What?" Sophie demanded, she didn't want Ali changing the subject on her.

"I scare her."

"Who?"

"Tilda."

Sophie was taken aback. "What does that mean?"

"In all the time I've known Tilda, from the time she was Timothy to the time that she turned into a Queen, the only time I've seen her afraid was when my life was in danger. But never have I seen her terrified of me. She's seen the darkness in me and it scares her. I don't know what to do."

This was the first time Sophie had seen Ali show anything other than confidence so she was at a loss on what to say. "Look," she finally said, "Don't worry, there has to be a way to return things to normal."

"How?"

"You just have to remember the reason why you wanted to save people in the first place."

"I wanted them to think of me as something other than a monster; as a good person with good intentions."

"Then you just have to keep thinking that and then in no time you'll be back to the way you were."

"What's the point?"

"Huh?"

"Face it, Sophie, humans see me as one thing and one thing only; a freak."

Sophie smiled and placed a hand on Ali's shoulder. "Not all of them," she said.