IN MY DREAMS (Ep. 3)
Title: Collector
Author: Shannon
E-mail: slaygirl2000@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Roswell is not mine. However, should Brendan's ass ever become available, I would like to lay claims on it, assuming someone else hasn't already (if you have, can we share?)
Rating: R
Category: there's still M&M, but mostly I/A (in an implied sort of way, just read)
Summary: This is the third episode in my version of season 3. When Isabel is abducted the rest of the group mobilizes to save her before it's too late, while Isabel experiences a rather unpleasant deja vu.
Spoilers: Everything that's happened so far in the series, nothing that I write is based on anything I've heard for S3.
Distribution: If you want it take it, but let me know please.
Feedback: YES!!! Feedback is greatly appreciated (thank you for all the wonderful comments I've gotten so far). While you're at it, could you do me a favour and tell me if you'd like some episode(s) to be NC-17? Cuz I'll write it, but only if people want it.
Author's Note: This is the third episode of In My Dreams. You should really read the first two parts first, especially the second. See Ep 1 or 2 for air date explanation. Do not despair if everything doesn't make sense right now - it's part of season, and stuff shouldn't make sense right away (*evil grin*). Explanations will always come in future episodes, though feel free to send any questions my way.
Air Date: October 23, 2001
Max rolled over in his bed with a groan. When he had finally fallen asleep it had been past 4:00 in the morning, and now 7:00 was here all too soon. He had tossed and turned all night, worrying everyone's safey, amongst other things. When he saw Kyle with Maria, he couldn't help but think what if it had been Liz? Liz. Max sighed and rolled over again. There was the other source of his insomnia. He still didn't know exactly what was going on between them. Officially, they were together, I think, but you couldn't tell it from the way she acted around him. Every time he started to get through to her, she'd close herself off again. He could understand her hesitancy to trust him, but it was still driving him insane. Not like I don't deserve it, he thought. And there was still the whole Kyle thing. He believed her when she said she didn't sleep with him, but try as he might, he couldn't come up with one damn reason why she would pretend to when she obviously still loved Max. He had tried asking her about it a couple of times, but she quickly changed the subject, with a mixture of fear and guilt in her eyes, and Max hadn't pressed her. He knew he wasn't in a position to be demanding explanations, but damnit he wanted one. What was so bad...
"Max?" Liz's tiny voice coming from his bedroom door broke Max out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?" he said gently, looking over at her. She hestitated for a minute, as if trying to find the right words. Finally, she spoke.
"Isabel's gone."
Michael awoke to the tickle of hair on his chest. He looked down at the slumbering figure still lying on top of him on his couch, and smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Maria snuggled closer to him if it was possible, but continued to sleep peacefully. Michael closed his eyes again, just enjoying the feeling of Maria in his arms, and ran his fingers lightly through her silky blonde hair. If it was up to him they would stay this way forever. Yeah, Maria quiet, something inside him joked half-heartedly. But Michael knew that if it came down to it he would give his arms and legs and anything else they might like to take from him just to hear Maria yell at him again. Just then Max walked through the door. He was just trying to be quiet, but Michael could see he was on the verge of flipping out completely. Of course, Michael had only just woken up and was angry at his moment having been disturbed, so the first thing he asked was, "How'd you get in?" Max silently held up the key to the apartment Michael had given him well over a year ago. "Oh right. Well, what's so important that you barge into my home at 7:30 on a Sunday morning?" Michael demanded. Stupid key, he cursed silently, then, He's an alien, jackass, he would've gotten in anyways. Michael turned his attention back to Max, continuing to glower at him.
Max took a moment to thank every God he could think of for the blanket covering Michael and Maria. "How is she?" he asked.
Michael's eyes softened, and he studied him for a minute. "Fine, but that's not what you came to ask me."
Max nodded and began pacing the room, finally stopping in front of Michael, who hadn't moved since his entrance. "Have you seen or heard from Isabel? Do you have any idea where she might be? Liz woke up this morning and Isabel was gone."
Michael's eyes widened in fear. "Gone, like..."
"We don't know that yet. I'd just like to find her," Max interrupted, trying not to let his worry seep into his voice. It didn't work.
Michael looked at him uncertainly. "Have you tried Alex's grave? I know she spent a lot of time there this summer. Maybe she went back. It was stupid, but it's an Isabel thing to do, especially since it's in direct violation of your orders."
"Of course," Max muttered. "Thanks. If I don't find her there, I'll be back here in half an hour." Max opened the door to leave.
"Be careful," Michael called. Max turned back to face the couple on the couch. He hadn't noticed how much Michael's arms had tightened around Maria during their conversation. It almost looked like he might crush the tiny girl, but she just kept on sleeping, snuggling deeper into his chest. Max hesitated for a minute.
"Michael?"
"Yeah?"
"I envy you." Michael looked up in surprise. Of all the things he had been expecting Max to say that was definitely not one of them. He nodded, and Max walked out the door.
Isabel regained consciousness with a stabbing pain in the back of her head. Through the haze she recognized she was in a portion of the ruined Granolith chamber. At first she assumed the pain was from whatever had knocked her out the night before, but as the fog cleared around her brain she realized it was more likely from the sharp, pointy wall of rock she was chained to. 'Chained' being a term she used loosely. She wasn't sure exactly what to call the five metal bands that kept her wrists, ankles, and waist firmly against the structure. Manacled, shackled, bonded? Isabel tried to find the right term to describe her current position. Then she growled. "Snap out of it, Evans, you're stuck on a wall. Just calm down and get out of here." She closed her eyes, and tried to focused her energy. However, when she tried to use her powers to free herself, the jolting pain that accompies a severe electric shock coursed through her body, originating at the five pieces metal that had her securely fastened to the wall, causing her to scream out in agony.
"Nifty little trick, isn't it?" a voice said in an almost British accent. Isabel's head shot up at the realization that she wasn't alone in this cave-like structure. The creature which stood before her was nearly 7 feet in height, had a lean build, and shaggy hair that was a sort of brownish green. It would have looked human if it hadn't been for the pure black eyes. You know, and the hideous claws where it's fingers should be. Now I know where Tess got it from. Isabel shuddered, but forced herself not to look away. "Who are you?"
It gave her a grin of pure evil, no trace of real amusement in it. It stood in front of her and looked at her steadily. "A friend. Or I could be."
"Thanks, but I prefer to be able to take my friends out in public. Who are you really?"
"Garok, personal servant to His Majesty Khivar. You, my dear, have not fulfilled your end of the bargain."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Isabel said, keeping the fear out of her voice. Khivar? Oh God.
"Oh, but you do. Queen Ava promised to deliver the three of you along with her son. Yet she returned nearly emptied handed. Khivar wants his other prizes."
"I'm not going with you. You can kill me, but I'm not going back there," she said determinedly.
"You will die either way, I would think you might like to live long enough to at least see where you came from,"Garok hissed at her.
"Not really."
"I was prepared for this. Which is why I will offer you a deal. Bring Zan to me, and you will be free to live once we return home. He of course will be executed, but you my dear, may continue with a long and happy life."
"I'm not going to give you my brother."
"I believe you will."
"Why would I?"
Garok's grin grew even more evil as he looked at her. Isabel was terrified of what he was thinking. "Because I can give you something you thought you'd lost."
The first thing Max noticed when he reached Alex's grave was that Isabel, though not there now, had been recently. The second thing he noticed was her blood.
"Oh God," Max cried, leaning over the stain. "Liz!" She came running over. "Call Michael, tell him and Maria to get here now!" He was now pulling his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth, muttering something completely incomprehensible to Liz.
"Max what is it? What happened?" she asked, desperately trying to get him to calm down. He wordlessly pointed to the ground. "Oh God," she whispered as she saw the blood.
"It's all my fault. We have to find her. What if it...? What if she's...? Oh God." Max dropped onto the ground and put his hands in his heads. Not his sister, he couldn't lose her. He couldn't be responsible for another death. He was beginning to understand a bit of how Michael had felt when he had killed Pierce.
"Max, Max, Max!!!" Liz shouted. He finally looked up at her. "Look we are going to find her. Isabel is NOT dead, do you understand me? Now we can either get everyone to look for her and find her before anything severe does happen, or you can sit here and wallow. But I'm telling you right now, you brooding over your inability to protect everyone all the time isn't going to help Isabel. Max?" Liz finished her rant, and Max looked at her for a minute. Then he cracked a tiny half-smile.
"You sound like Maria," he told her, standing up.
"Yeah well, speaking of people we have to go find, like NOW..." Liz began, looking Max straight in the eye.
"Right," he said, as they climbed into the new SUV his parents (after much coaxing by their children) had bought him and Isabel to replace the wrecked Jeep. "Call Michael and tell him to stay at his apartment with Maria. Then call Kyle, and tell him and his dad to meet us over there. We'll figure out where to start looking for Isabel." Liz nodded, and started making the calls as they drove.
The nervous group sat anxiously in Michael's now cramped apartment.
"Where do we even start?" Maria asked.
"I think we should try the Granolith chamber. There's a good chance that if that's where it's hiding out that it would take her there," Max said, trying to stay calm and rational. Truthfully, he was on the verge of breaking something. Had he been at home he would have by now.
"What do we do, just storm the place?" Michael asked impatiently.
"No, we have to be careful. We don't want to do anything that might get Isabel hurt," Worse, he added silently. "We go in together, then split up into 3 teams. Hopefully, if it's there we can surround it. Michael and Maria, Kyle and the Sheriff, and me and Liz. One person with supernatural powers with each ordinary person."
"In our case, supernatural powers and a gun," Kyle added.
"Hey, but me and Liz have been healed too. We're not exactly ordinary anymore," Maria piped up, more afraid than offended.
"Yeah, but you guys haven't tapped into them like I have," Kyle said.
"Yeah, why is that anyways? I thought that retreat was for Buddhism, not 'Promote Your Inner Alien 101'?" Maria asked, earning her a glare from Michael. She just ignored him.
"While I was meditating one day, I realized that with all my energy concentrated, I could levitate things. Change them even. I decided that I should keep on practicing them. After all the stuff that happened last year I realized there are a lot of bad aliens out there," with the glares coming from the others Kyle quickly added, "present company excluded of course, and I'm gonna half to fight them for a long time. So if I have some of the powers they have, at least it's a level playing field. And maybe I won't have to go through everything that I did again." Kyle finished, as the others in the room nodded in understanding.
There was silence for a minute, then Max spoke up, "Well, we're wasting time. Let's get moving. Do not separate from your partner. Everybody take the cars you got here in. Let's hurry. I am not going to lose my sister." With their mission decided, the group solemnly headed out the door.
He can't. He can't mean what I think he means, there's no way. Isabel feebly tried to maintain her cool exterior despite what Garok had just told her. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice much shakier than she had intended.
"Your little friend, Alex I believe you call him. Pitiful creature really. But I know where he is," Garok taunted her.
"So I do I, 6 feet under," Isabel spat out with rage. Her entire being was shaking with rage. How dare he! Kill her, torture her, anything, but to give her this false hope, to make her think Alex was still alive, still out there somewhere. God what if he really was? Stop that! She told herself. Alex is dead, it's a trick, a scam, a clone, something, but it's not really him! Don't believe this, this thing! She was beginning to grow hysterical, desperate with fear and hope.
"I assure you, it's quite the opposite," he smirked at her.
"Why would I trust you? You brutally attacked innocent people for no reason! You killed one of our friends. You nearly killed one of my best friends! Why the hell should I believe a word you say?" Isabel shrieked. It's not true, it's not true, please let it be true, it's not true...
"I had a very good reason for attacking those people. How else was I supposed to understand this language? We don't have English on Antar. Besides, their blood had some vital nutrients I need to survive. We're not evil you know. Khivar simply has a strong ambition and an agenda different from yours." Oh, so gag me! Isabel thought. But he continued despite her obvious suffering. "As for that friend of yours, Brody, he had, become a liability. And the blonde one got in the way. That's all. But none of this has affects what I am offering you. And it is a fine offer. A chance at a life with the one you love, a life you thought you had been denied. And all it will cost you is your brother."
"Why me?" Isabel asked. "Why did you take me and not one of the others? Why doesn't Khivar care if Michael returns home?" These things didn't make sense to her.
"Khivar has no interest in Rath. He was an unworthy opponent in his last life. The larger priorities are and your brother, but especially your brother. He chose you to deliver Zan to him as he felt you would be the most easy to persuade."
"Why?" Isabel asked a second before it hit her. Her mouth dropped slightly in horror as she realized why she had been chosen. She did not wish to hear what Garok said next, but she was powerless to stop it.
"Because, Vilandra," Garok said emphasizing her name, "you have betrayed your brother for love before. It should be easier the second time around." He smirked at her, she could tell even with her eyes squeezed tight to block out the tears. "Think about it." With that he left Isabel alone in the chamber.
Damn him. Damn that entire planet. Isabel swore silently to herself. Max or Alex. Alex or Max. Max's life or her's. How can he ask me that? How can I be expected to chose. I mean, one ALEX. But that way Max is dead. And I don't even know that he's telling the truth about Alex. Damnit, I won't do it, I won't betray my family again. But Alex... No. Isabel made her decision. She was not Vilandra, not anymore. She won't make the same mistake twice. She won't sacrifice her brother for love again. Even if this was different, it was the same in too many ways for her. Even if it was for Alex... "Damnit Max, where the hell are you when in need you?"
"Hey Is," Max said, a relieved smile on his face. Isabel jumped at the sound of his voice, or she would have if it hadn't been for the bonds holding her to the wall. Liz and Max immediately set about trying to find the mechanism to free her. "What took you so long?" she hissed at him.
"You snuck away in the middle of the night. We didn't know you were missing until Liz woke up. And it's not like it was the first time you've pulled your disappearing act over the last couple of months. You're coming close to challenging Michael's record for running away," Max whispered while he worked. Isabel would have liked to protest, but she knew it was true.
"Yeah, well she can have it," came Michael's voice.
"You found her thank God," Maria said as she and Michael walked into the chamber. Max explained they were looking for something to release the binds. "Why can't you just use your wacky powers to get her out?"
"NO!" Isabel quickly protested. "When I tried that before I got electrocuted by these things. I'm pretty sure the same would happen if one of the guys tried." Everyone nodded, better safe than crispy fried, and went back to looking.
"Found it!" Maria called as she pressed the small silver button she found in the wall. The cuffs did release. Unfortunately, a high pitched shrieking noise also sounded throughout the cave. Everyone quickly covered their ears, groaning in pain. Just as suddenly as the noise started, it stopped. However, Garok now stood in the chamber with the others.
"Greetings. I'd say I come in peace, but that wouldn't be true." Everyone was shocked by the appearance of the new arrival.
"This is what you people really look like?" Maria asked, her voice barely disguising her disgust for the solid black eyes, and the hideous claws. Michael shot her a look. Garok merely lauged.
"Not all of us. Just the servants bred to do the king's dirtier work." Garok saw Michael's hand flex as he prepared to use his powers. "Violence? So soon? If you insist." Before Michael could act, Garok sent a bolt of energy which caused Michael to fly across the room. Max took this momentary distraction to hit Garok with a bolt of energy of his own. It knocked Garok off his feet, but he recovered quickly and was standing again. He fired back at Max. Maria and Liz were now crouching behind Michael, who attempted to do the same thing Max had moments before. However, this time Garok was expecting it, and used his own powers to send it back towards Michael. Just before the bolt hit, Kyle, who had just arrived with his father, threw himself and the green energy shield in front of them. The energy was again deflected, and made a direct hit to Garok, who was again knocked off his feet. However, this time he did not get to recover as Valenti immediately fired three rounds into his chest. Garok sat partially up and quickly took check of the situation. Valenti, Kyle, Maria, Michael and Liz were all in one corner of the room. On the other side was Max. Isabel stood in the middle, she hadn't moved during the entire battle. And then, he began to laugh. Isabel looked around uneasily.
"You can still do it, Vilandra. Take out the others, give me your brother, and you can be with your beloved again. I can even erase your memory of what has happened here, so that you may live guilt free. Just one shot, Vilandra, is all it will take."
Isabel looked over at Max, who was clearly confused. Then she looked at her group of friends huddled in one corner of the room. Kyle was obviously drained, he wouldn't be able to put up the forcefield to protect them. She turned to Garok, who smiled at her encouragingly. Finally, she looked at the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered, nearly inaudibly. Then she began to gather her energy. In the back of her mind she could hear the others begging her not to. Slowly, she raised her hand, pointing it at the group in the corner. She idly wondered why Max hadn't physically stopped her yet, then figured Garok must be holding him in place. Good she thought. She felt her power reach it's peak, prepared to release it, and then suddenly turned her hand, letting it all fly at Garok. He was too stunned to defend himself, and was dead within seconds. A collective sigh of relief was heard throughout the chamber, then Isabel crumpled to the floor with exhaustion.
Isabel was lying on her bed that night when she heard the knock on her door. "Yeah?" she called. Max poked his head in. "Can I come in?" he asked tentatively. Isabel had explained to him earlier about what Garok had wanted and the offer he made her. Max knew how hard that must have been for his sister, though in a way he had no clue. "Sure," she replied, not looking at him.
"Listen, Isabel, I know you don't really want to talk to anybody right now, but I just wanted to tell you, I know you're not Vilandra. I know you think that the reason I didn't stop you when you made us think you were going to kill, well everyone, was because Garok used his powers to keep me rooted where I was, but Isabel, he didn't. I didn't believe for a second you would really do that. You're Isabel now not Vilandra. You made the right choice this time. And I trust you." Isabel was silent for a bit. Max got up to leave.
"Max?" She sounded like a lost little girl.
"Yeah?" he said, sitting back down on the edge of her bed.
"What he said, about Alex, do you think it's true? That he's really alive? That he's on Antar?"
Max hesitated before answering. "I don't think so. We are talking about the word of an evil alien bounty hunter here. Not a reliable source. And besides, the whole deal was probably bogus. I don't think Khivar would let you go off with some other guy once you returned home. He was probably just saying that to turn you against us." Max hated having to hurt his sister like this, but he knew it would hurt more if she continued to believe that Alex was really alive, only to find him gone again.
Isabel sniffled. "You're probably right." With that she turned away from him, and Max took this has his cue to leave. When she heard the door shut behind him, she reached her hand under her pillow and pulled out the note she had found there when she returned home. The handwriting was eerily familiar to her, and the piece of paper contained four simple words:
Don't give up hope.
Yeah, so that's the first little mini-series of the season done. I hope you liked it. Stay tuned, lots more to come! By the way, I have no idea why I made Garok sound British (he's a real alien, not a human-host type deal) but to me that's just the way I thought he would talk! Anyways, see you next episode.
Title: Collector
Author: Shannon
E-mail: slaygirl2000@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Roswell is not mine. However, should Brendan's ass ever become available, I would like to lay claims on it, assuming someone else hasn't already (if you have, can we share?)
Rating: R
Category: there's still M&M, but mostly I/A (in an implied sort of way, just read)
Summary: This is the third episode in my version of season 3. When Isabel is abducted the rest of the group mobilizes to save her before it's too late, while Isabel experiences a rather unpleasant deja vu.
Spoilers: Everything that's happened so far in the series, nothing that I write is based on anything I've heard for S3.
Distribution: If you want it take it, but let me know please.
Feedback: YES!!! Feedback is greatly appreciated (thank you for all the wonderful comments I've gotten so far). While you're at it, could you do me a favour and tell me if you'd like some episode(s) to be NC-17? Cuz I'll write it, but only if people want it.
Author's Note: This is the third episode of In My Dreams. You should really read the first two parts first, especially the second. See Ep 1 or 2 for air date explanation. Do not despair if everything doesn't make sense right now - it's part of season, and stuff shouldn't make sense right away (*evil grin*). Explanations will always come in future episodes, though feel free to send any questions my way.
Air Date: October 23, 2001
Max rolled over in his bed with a groan. When he had finally fallen asleep it had been past 4:00 in the morning, and now 7:00 was here all too soon. He had tossed and turned all night, worrying everyone's safey, amongst other things. When he saw Kyle with Maria, he couldn't help but think what if it had been Liz? Liz. Max sighed and rolled over again. There was the other source of his insomnia. He still didn't know exactly what was going on between them. Officially, they were together, I think, but you couldn't tell it from the way she acted around him. Every time he started to get through to her, she'd close herself off again. He could understand her hesitancy to trust him, but it was still driving him insane. Not like I don't deserve it, he thought. And there was still the whole Kyle thing. He believed her when she said she didn't sleep with him, but try as he might, he couldn't come up with one damn reason why she would pretend to when she obviously still loved Max. He had tried asking her about it a couple of times, but she quickly changed the subject, with a mixture of fear and guilt in her eyes, and Max hadn't pressed her. He knew he wasn't in a position to be demanding explanations, but damnit he wanted one. What was so bad...
"Max?" Liz's tiny voice coming from his bedroom door broke Max out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?" he said gently, looking over at her. She hestitated for a minute, as if trying to find the right words. Finally, she spoke.
"Isabel's gone."
Michael awoke to the tickle of hair on his chest. He looked down at the slumbering figure still lying on top of him on his couch, and smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Maria snuggled closer to him if it was possible, but continued to sleep peacefully. Michael closed his eyes again, just enjoying the feeling of Maria in his arms, and ran his fingers lightly through her silky blonde hair. If it was up to him they would stay this way forever. Yeah, Maria quiet, something inside him joked half-heartedly. But Michael knew that if it came down to it he would give his arms and legs and anything else they might like to take from him just to hear Maria yell at him again. Just then Max walked through the door. He was just trying to be quiet, but Michael could see he was on the verge of flipping out completely. Of course, Michael had only just woken up and was angry at his moment having been disturbed, so the first thing he asked was, "How'd you get in?" Max silently held up the key to the apartment Michael had given him well over a year ago. "Oh right. Well, what's so important that you barge into my home at 7:30 on a Sunday morning?" Michael demanded. Stupid key, he cursed silently, then, He's an alien, jackass, he would've gotten in anyways. Michael turned his attention back to Max, continuing to glower at him.
Max took a moment to thank every God he could think of for the blanket covering Michael and Maria. "How is she?" he asked.
Michael's eyes softened, and he studied him for a minute. "Fine, but that's not what you came to ask me."
Max nodded and began pacing the room, finally stopping in front of Michael, who hadn't moved since his entrance. "Have you seen or heard from Isabel? Do you have any idea where she might be? Liz woke up this morning and Isabel was gone."
Michael's eyes widened in fear. "Gone, like..."
"We don't know that yet. I'd just like to find her," Max interrupted, trying not to let his worry seep into his voice. It didn't work.
Michael looked at him uncertainly. "Have you tried Alex's grave? I know she spent a lot of time there this summer. Maybe she went back. It was stupid, but it's an Isabel thing to do, especially since it's in direct violation of your orders."
"Of course," Max muttered. "Thanks. If I don't find her there, I'll be back here in half an hour." Max opened the door to leave.
"Be careful," Michael called. Max turned back to face the couple on the couch. He hadn't noticed how much Michael's arms had tightened around Maria during their conversation. It almost looked like he might crush the tiny girl, but she just kept on sleeping, snuggling deeper into his chest. Max hesitated for a minute.
"Michael?"
"Yeah?"
"I envy you." Michael looked up in surprise. Of all the things he had been expecting Max to say that was definitely not one of them. He nodded, and Max walked out the door.
Isabel regained consciousness with a stabbing pain in the back of her head. Through the haze she recognized she was in a portion of the ruined Granolith chamber. At first she assumed the pain was from whatever had knocked her out the night before, but as the fog cleared around her brain she realized it was more likely from the sharp, pointy wall of rock she was chained to. 'Chained' being a term she used loosely. She wasn't sure exactly what to call the five metal bands that kept her wrists, ankles, and waist firmly against the structure. Manacled, shackled, bonded? Isabel tried to find the right term to describe her current position. Then she growled. "Snap out of it, Evans, you're stuck on a wall. Just calm down and get out of here." She closed her eyes, and tried to focused her energy. However, when she tried to use her powers to free herself, the jolting pain that accompies a severe electric shock coursed through her body, originating at the five pieces metal that had her securely fastened to the wall, causing her to scream out in agony.
"Nifty little trick, isn't it?" a voice said in an almost British accent. Isabel's head shot up at the realization that she wasn't alone in this cave-like structure. The creature which stood before her was nearly 7 feet in height, had a lean build, and shaggy hair that was a sort of brownish green. It would have looked human if it hadn't been for the pure black eyes. You know, and the hideous claws where it's fingers should be. Now I know where Tess got it from. Isabel shuddered, but forced herself not to look away. "Who are you?"
It gave her a grin of pure evil, no trace of real amusement in it. It stood in front of her and looked at her steadily. "A friend. Or I could be."
"Thanks, but I prefer to be able to take my friends out in public. Who are you really?"
"Garok, personal servant to His Majesty Khivar. You, my dear, have not fulfilled your end of the bargain."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Isabel said, keeping the fear out of her voice. Khivar? Oh God.
"Oh, but you do. Queen Ava promised to deliver the three of you along with her son. Yet she returned nearly emptied handed. Khivar wants his other prizes."
"I'm not going with you. You can kill me, but I'm not going back there," she said determinedly.
"You will die either way, I would think you might like to live long enough to at least see where you came from,"Garok hissed at her.
"Not really."
"I was prepared for this. Which is why I will offer you a deal. Bring Zan to me, and you will be free to live once we return home. He of course will be executed, but you my dear, may continue with a long and happy life."
"I'm not going to give you my brother."
"I believe you will."
"Why would I?"
Garok's grin grew even more evil as he looked at her. Isabel was terrified of what he was thinking. "Because I can give you something you thought you'd lost."
The first thing Max noticed when he reached Alex's grave was that Isabel, though not there now, had been recently. The second thing he noticed was her blood.
"Oh God," Max cried, leaning over the stain. "Liz!" She came running over. "Call Michael, tell him and Maria to get here now!" He was now pulling his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth, muttering something completely incomprehensible to Liz.
"Max what is it? What happened?" she asked, desperately trying to get him to calm down. He wordlessly pointed to the ground. "Oh God," she whispered as she saw the blood.
"It's all my fault. We have to find her. What if it...? What if she's...? Oh God." Max dropped onto the ground and put his hands in his heads. Not his sister, he couldn't lose her. He couldn't be responsible for another death. He was beginning to understand a bit of how Michael had felt when he had killed Pierce.
"Max, Max, Max!!!" Liz shouted. He finally looked up at her. "Look we are going to find her. Isabel is NOT dead, do you understand me? Now we can either get everyone to look for her and find her before anything severe does happen, or you can sit here and wallow. But I'm telling you right now, you brooding over your inability to protect everyone all the time isn't going to help Isabel. Max?" Liz finished her rant, and Max looked at her for a minute. Then he cracked a tiny half-smile.
"You sound like Maria," he told her, standing up.
"Yeah well, speaking of people we have to go find, like NOW..." Liz began, looking Max straight in the eye.
"Right," he said, as they climbed into the new SUV his parents (after much coaxing by their children) had bought him and Isabel to replace the wrecked Jeep. "Call Michael and tell him to stay at his apartment with Maria. Then call Kyle, and tell him and his dad to meet us over there. We'll figure out where to start looking for Isabel." Liz nodded, and started making the calls as they drove.
The nervous group sat anxiously in Michael's now cramped apartment.
"Where do we even start?" Maria asked.
"I think we should try the Granolith chamber. There's a good chance that if that's where it's hiding out that it would take her there," Max said, trying to stay calm and rational. Truthfully, he was on the verge of breaking something. Had he been at home he would have by now.
"What do we do, just storm the place?" Michael asked impatiently.
"No, we have to be careful. We don't want to do anything that might get Isabel hurt," Worse, he added silently. "We go in together, then split up into 3 teams. Hopefully, if it's there we can surround it. Michael and Maria, Kyle and the Sheriff, and me and Liz. One person with supernatural powers with each ordinary person."
"In our case, supernatural powers and a gun," Kyle added.
"Hey, but me and Liz have been healed too. We're not exactly ordinary anymore," Maria piped up, more afraid than offended.
"Yeah, but you guys haven't tapped into them like I have," Kyle said.
"Yeah, why is that anyways? I thought that retreat was for Buddhism, not 'Promote Your Inner Alien 101'?" Maria asked, earning her a glare from Michael. She just ignored him.
"While I was meditating one day, I realized that with all my energy concentrated, I could levitate things. Change them even. I decided that I should keep on practicing them. After all the stuff that happened last year I realized there are a lot of bad aliens out there," with the glares coming from the others Kyle quickly added, "present company excluded of course, and I'm gonna half to fight them for a long time. So if I have some of the powers they have, at least it's a level playing field. And maybe I won't have to go through everything that I did again." Kyle finished, as the others in the room nodded in understanding.
There was silence for a minute, then Max spoke up, "Well, we're wasting time. Let's get moving. Do not separate from your partner. Everybody take the cars you got here in. Let's hurry. I am not going to lose my sister." With their mission decided, the group solemnly headed out the door.
He can't. He can't mean what I think he means, there's no way. Isabel feebly tried to maintain her cool exterior despite what Garok had just told her. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice much shakier than she had intended.
"Your little friend, Alex I believe you call him. Pitiful creature really. But I know where he is," Garok taunted her.
"So I do I, 6 feet under," Isabel spat out with rage. Her entire being was shaking with rage. How dare he! Kill her, torture her, anything, but to give her this false hope, to make her think Alex was still alive, still out there somewhere. God what if he really was? Stop that! She told herself. Alex is dead, it's a trick, a scam, a clone, something, but it's not really him! Don't believe this, this thing! She was beginning to grow hysterical, desperate with fear and hope.
"I assure you, it's quite the opposite," he smirked at her.
"Why would I trust you? You brutally attacked innocent people for no reason! You killed one of our friends. You nearly killed one of my best friends! Why the hell should I believe a word you say?" Isabel shrieked. It's not true, it's not true, please let it be true, it's not true...
"I had a very good reason for attacking those people. How else was I supposed to understand this language? We don't have English on Antar. Besides, their blood had some vital nutrients I need to survive. We're not evil you know. Khivar simply has a strong ambition and an agenda different from yours." Oh, so gag me! Isabel thought. But he continued despite her obvious suffering. "As for that friend of yours, Brody, he had, become a liability. And the blonde one got in the way. That's all. But none of this has affects what I am offering you. And it is a fine offer. A chance at a life with the one you love, a life you thought you had been denied. And all it will cost you is your brother."
"Why me?" Isabel asked. "Why did you take me and not one of the others? Why doesn't Khivar care if Michael returns home?" These things didn't make sense to her.
"Khivar has no interest in Rath. He was an unworthy opponent in his last life. The larger priorities are and your brother, but especially your brother. He chose you to deliver Zan to him as he felt you would be the most easy to persuade."
"Why?" Isabel asked a second before it hit her. Her mouth dropped slightly in horror as she realized why she had been chosen. She did not wish to hear what Garok said next, but she was powerless to stop it.
"Because, Vilandra," Garok said emphasizing her name, "you have betrayed your brother for love before. It should be easier the second time around." He smirked at her, she could tell even with her eyes squeezed tight to block out the tears. "Think about it." With that he left Isabel alone in the chamber.
Damn him. Damn that entire planet. Isabel swore silently to herself. Max or Alex. Alex or Max. Max's life or her's. How can he ask me that? How can I be expected to chose. I mean, one ALEX. But that way Max is dead. And I don't even know that he's telling the truth about Alex. Damnit, I won't do it, I won't betray my family again. But Alex... No. Isabel made her decision. She was not Vilandra, not anymore. She won't make the same mistake twice. She won't sacrifice her brother for love again. Even if this was different, it was the same in too many ways for her. Even if it was for Alex... "Damnit Max, where the hell are you when in need you?"
"Hey Is," Max said, a relieved smile on his face. Isabel jumped at the sound of his voice, or she would have if it hadn't been for the bonds holding her to the wall. Liz and Max immediately set about trying to find the mechanism to free her. "What took you so long?" she hissed at him.
"You snuck away in the middle of the night. We didn't know you were missing until Liz woke up. And it's not like it was the first time you've pulled your disappearing act over the last couple of months. You're coming close to challenging Michael's record for running away," Max whispered while he worked. Isabel would have liked to protest, but she knew it was true.
"Yeah, well she can have it," came Michael's voice.
"You found her thank God," Maria said as she and Michael walked into the chamber. Max explained they were looking for something to release the binds. "Why can't you just use your wacky powers to get her out?"
"NO!" Isabel quickly protested. "When I tried that before I got electrocuted by these things. I'm pretty sure the same would happen if one of the guys tried." Everyone nodded, better safe than crispy fried, and went back to looking.
"Found it!" Maria called as she pressed the small silver button she found in the wall. The cuffs did release. Unfortunately, a high pitched shrieking noise also sounded throughout the cave. Everyone quickly covered their ears, groaning in pain. Just as suddenly as the noise started, it stopped. However, Garok now stood in the chamber with the others.
"Greetings. I'd say I come in peace, but that wouldn't be true." Everyone was shocked by the appearance of the new arrival.
"This is what you people really look like?" Maria asked, her voice barely disguising her disgust for the solid black eyes, and the hideous claws. Michael shot her a look. Garok merely lauged.
"Not all of us. Just the servants bred to do the king's dirtier work." Garok saw Michael's hand flex as he prepared to use his powers. "Violence? So soon? If you insist." Before Michael could act, Garok sent a bolt of energy which caused Michael to fly across the room. Max took this momentary distraction to hit Garok with a bolt of energy of his own. It knocked Garok off his feet, but he recovered quickly and was standing again. He fired back at Max. Maria and Liz were now crouching behind Michael, who attempted to do the same thing Max had moments before. However, this time Garok was expecting it, and used his own powers to send it back towards Michael. Just before the bolt hit, Kyle, who had just arrived with his father, threw himself and the green energy shield in front of them. The energy was again deflected, and made a direct hit to Garok, who was again knocked off his feet. However, this time he did not get to recover as Valenti immediately fired three rounds into his chest. Garok sat partially up and quickly took check of the situation. Valenti, Kyle, Maria, Michael and Liz were all in one corner of the room. On the other side was Max. Isabel stood in the middle, she hadn't moved during the entire battle. And then, he began to laugh. Isabel looked around uneasily.
"You can still do it, Vilandra. Take out the others, give me your brother, and you can be with your beloved again. I can even erase your memory of what has happened here, so that you may live guilt free. Just one shot, Vilandra, is all it will take."
Isabel looked over at Max, who was clearly confused. Then she looked at her group of friends huddled in one corner of the room. Kyle was obviously drained, he wouldn't be able to put up the forcefield to protect them. She turned to Garok, who smiled at her encouragingly. Finally, she looked at the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered, nearly inaudibly. Then she began to gather her energy. In the back of her mind she could hear the others begging her not to. Slowly, she raised her hand, pointing it at the group in the corner. She idly wondered why Max hadn't physically stopped her yet, then figured Garok must be holding him in place. Good she thought. She felt her power reach it's peak, prepared to release it, and then suddenly turned her hand, letting it all fly at Garok. He was too stunned to defend himself, and was dead within seconds. A collective sigh of relief was heard throughout the chamber, then Isabel crumpled to the floor with exhaustion.
Isabel was lying on her bed that night when she heard the knock on her door. "Yeah?" she called. Max poked his head in. "Can I come in?" he asked tentatively. Isabel had explained to him earlier about what Garok had wanted and the offer he made her. Max knew how hard that must have been for his sister, though in a way he had no clue. "Sure," she replied, not looking at him.
"Listen, Isabel, I know you don't really want to talk to anybody right now, but I just wanted to tell you, I know you're not Vilandra. I know you think that the reason I didn't stop you when you made us think you were going to kill, well everyone, was because Garok used his powers to keep me rooted where I was, but Isabel, he didn't. I didn't believe for a second you would really do that. You're Isabel now not Vilandra. You made the right choice this time. And I trust you." Isabel was silent for a bit. Max got up to leave.
"Max?" She sounded like a lost little girl.
"Yeah?" he said, sitting back down on the edge of her bed.
"What he said, about Alex, do you think it's true? That he's really alive? That he's on Antar?"
Max hesitated before answering. "I don't think so. We are talking about the word of an evil alien bounty hunter here. Not a reliable source. And besides, the whole deal was probably bogus. I don't think Khivar would let you go off with some other guy once you returned home. He was probably just saying that to turn you against us." Max hated having to hurt his sister like this, but he knew it would hurt more if she continued to believe that Alex was really alive, only to find him gone again.
Isabel sniffled. "You're probably right." With that she turned away from him, and Max took this has his cue to leave. When she heard the door shut behind him, she reached her hand under her pillow and pulled out the note she had found there when she returned home. The handwriting was eerily familiar to her, and the piece of paper contained four simple words:
Don't give up hope.
Yeah, so that's the first little mini-series of the season done. I hope you liked it. Stay tuned, lots more to come! By the way, I have no idea why I made Garok sound British (he's a real alien, not a human-host type deal) but to me that's just the way I thought he would talk! Anyways, see you next episode.