Author's Note: I own nothing.

44 Bad News Bares

"Cadet Armstrong! Cadet Wheels! Front and center!" The voice called across the training room Hellen and Manny raced forward to the front of the classroom where Magister Patelliday was waiting. They frowned, he had Allen and Cooper with him too. He shook his head as they tried to ask what was happening. He took them all into a room they'd never been in before. It was plush, with a long couch a very comfortable room. It sort of unnerved them more.

"Sit down please Cadets." They sat, all sharing the couch. Hellen bounced her leg until it blurred. Manny was fiddling with his mechanical hand. Cooper was picking at a fingernail. Allen leaned forward.

"Magister what is this about?" The Piscciss Volann sighed and sat down in the armchair across from them.

"One of the things you'll have to do in your line of work as Plumbers is deliver bad news. Like the kind I have for you today."

Jen frowned at her Grandfather.

"What happened?" He took a deep breath.

"Kiddo you should really sit down." She shook her head.

"I'd prefer to stand, what happened?" He shook his head.

"There's been an accident." Jen's eyes went wide. Max continued. "Viktor and Ethan were out on a supply run in Keystone. They were in a car crash. A trucker fell asleep at the wheel, he swerved into oncoming traffic." Jen had gone as pale as Ghostfreak.

"No." She shook her head and twirled the dial on the Omnitrix. In a flash of green XCLR8 was racing off down the road faster than Gwen had ever seen her move. Max closed his eyes, tears spilling from the corners. Gwen shook her head as Kevin pulled her close. Kevin found his voice first.

"Did they make it?"

"It's my sad duty today to inform you of the death of one of your team members." The whole Max Force was quiet. Hellen had gone so still she didn't even seem to be breathing. Patelliday looked up at them. "Ethan Valadis and his father were in an automobile accident while on a supply run in Keystone South Dakota." Hellen shook her head and the others sat stunned. Cooper leaned forward.

"When?" The blonde asked his voice shocked.

"About an hour ago. He and his father were out in Keystone getting basic supplies for the human Plumbers stationed at Mount Rushmore until the permanent base in Bellwood is finished. A large truck veered into their car going the other way. They were both killed on impact, along with the driver." Manny shook his head as Hellen grabbed hold of his nearest hand. Her voice cracked as she spoke up.

"Do the others know?" Magister Patelliday frowned.

"Jen Ten and her team were off planet at the time of the accident. Magister Tennyson has assured me that he will be the one to tell them."

Jen skidded to a halt near the flashing lights and sirens. She'd run all the way from Bellwood to Keystone and the Omnitrix flashed red and timed out leaving her running at her own speed down the street. She refused to believe it. It couldn't be true. She shoved through the crowd until she reached the site of the accident. There were three covered figures lying on the ground. She shook her head and made to race forward but was caught around the waist by one of the officers. A familiar voice spoke softly in her ear.

"You can't help him Jen." It was Pierce, wearing an ID mask to appear as one of the officers. If Jen was thinking clearly she would realize that the other police now at the scene were likely disguised Plumbers too but she wasn't thinking clearly her eyes were fixed on the smallest of the covered forms. She stamped down hard on Pierce's foot and brought her elbow into his sternum. He reeled back releasing her and she raced forward skidding to a halt and dropping to her knees by the covered form. She yanked back the sheet that covered him.

If it wasn't for the blood he might have been sleeping. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful but he wasn't breathing and there was so much blood. She reeled backwards staring down at his face. She didn't even notice Pierce pulling her back to her feet and ushering her away as one of the other police officers recovered the body. She was stunned, she didn't speak as she was loaded into the back of one of the ambulances. She barely noticed the two bodies loaded into the back as Pierce sat down next to her and carefully tucked a bright green blanket around her. All she could see was Ethan's blood covered face.

The ambulance set off, no sirens ringing out. Maybe that was why no one noticed when it changed halfway through town into an unmarked truck. It made its way out to the hidden base in Mount Rushmore and Pierce took off his mask. He bundled Jen out of the truck as several medical staff met them.

"She's in shock." His voice sounded like he was underwater to Jen, or maybe she was the one drowning. She certainly felt like it. There was a tightness in her throat she couldn't place or explain. She didn't really hear the medic say that her grandfather and cousin were already waiting for her in the med bay. She didn't even feel the tears spilling down her face.