"Oh common, stop with your oh poor Liz and Maria. Don't you all want to know who's fertile? Don't you want to know who will help start our army? I know you are all dying to know. Well according to our results only Liz is fertile right now. Maria should be fertile in a few days."
Liz felt like someone stabbed her in her stomach. She knew what this meant. Max also was petrified of this news. All eyes were on Liz. All of her friends were looking in sympathy, but Darran was looking like she was steak and it was dinnertime.
"What your not excited that Liz is soon going to be pregnant? Oh common, let's celebrate life people!" Darran shouted sarcastically.
"What are you going to do to her?" Maria quietly spoke up.
"What you kids don't know about what you call, what's that expression? Oh yes, the birds and the bees. Well first the man…" Darran started to say.
"You know damn well we know about sex! What she was asking is how you're going to force her to become pregnant!" Michael shouted in Maria's defense.
"What you want me to give away all of my plans? Well, while we are all being honest with one another. We already know that Liz and Max are together so naturally it will be their child. We don't want to take any chances so we are going to take what's necessary from each of you. Naturally we are going to alter a few things to make sure the baby is as good as it can be and then reinsert in Liz." Darran explained.
"Yeah but what if we don't want to play along with this?" Max finally spoke.
"Well Max, if you don't we will not only hurt the others but we will force you to do it anyway. And no funny business from you guys. There are skins like me all over this building, and if we have to we will eliminate all of you." Darran warned.
The group looked around at each other. Everyone was scared, but none more than Liz. This wasn't the way she wanted to become a mother. And now the thought of carrying this child with the intention of it destroying millions was sickening.
Max overheard Liz's thoughts and could help but agree, but he had to be strong for her. 'Liz don't worry, we'll figure something out.'
"Okay Max, time to get some of your little friends." Darran said. A couple guards grabbed Max.
"Max!" Liz screamed. Max in turn screamed back, "Liz!" Liz collapsed on the floor when she saw the heavy door close shut. She just sat there and grabbed her legs and hugged them to her chest and cried.
Maria and Alex got up and sat next Liz. They stroked her hair and whispered that they loved her and things would be all right. Isabel, Michael, and Tess just looked at each other. Kyle just sat there looking at the ceiling. He couldn't handle this.
Liz brushed Maria and Alex off her and screamed back, "No it's not going to be all right!" and promptly sat on the other side of the room. Liz didn't mean to be rude to them, she knew they were trying to help, but she couldn't take false optimism.
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The guards shoved Max into a room. They gave him a cup and told him to do what he was told. Max refused. He didn't want to do anything to help them in their plan. Losing his patience Darran sent Max a bolt of energy sending him onto the floor. All Max could think of when he saw the bolt heading towards his stomach was 'Liz!' The last thing Max remembered seeing was the light on the ceiling, then the world went black. Max could hear the soft music filling his head.
"Deliver me, out of my sadness.
Deliver me, from all of the madness.
Deliver me, courage to guide me.
Deliver me, strength from inside me.
All of my life I've been in hiding.
Wishing there was someone just like you.
Now that you're here, now that I've found you,
I know that you're the one to pull me through.
Deliver me, loving and caring.
Deliver me, giving and sharing.
Deliver me, the cross that I'm bearing.
All of my life I was in hiding.
Wishing there was someone just like you.
Now that you're here, now that I've found you,
I know that you're the one to pull me through.
Deliver me, Deliver me, Oh deliver me.
All of my life I was in hiding.
Wishing there was someone just like you.
Now that you're here, now that I've found you,
I know that you're the one to pull me through.
Deliver me, Oh deliver me. Won't you deliver me."
Sarah Brightman-Deliver me
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Max awoke lying on a table. His first thought was 'Liz? Where is she? Is she okay?' He looked around and saw Darran with a smug face. He held a cup in his hand that was almost filled. He shook it back and forth in front of Max's face mockingly. Max knew what this meant. They had gotten what they wanted while he was asleep. 'I failed Liz.' Max felt such a burning hatred towards Darran it was almost blinding. The guards grabbed Max back toward the big room.
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Liz sat there wondering where Max was. 'I hope he's okay.' Just then heard the door opening and saw Max get thrown into the room. Max immediately ran to Liz's side. Guards came into the room with needles. They each grabbed one of the royal four and injected a shot into their arms. They tried to get out of their clutches, but were unsuccessful.
Darran chuckled. "My friends, those shots you just received will ensure you won't try anything funny. I'm not dumb, I'm sure with all the time I've given you together that you've attempted to come up with some lame excuse for a plan to get out of here. Well, sorry but no dice. Those shots have temporally taken away your powers."
Isabel, Michael and Tess' eye's widened. They had tried to come up with some time of plan to get out, but the skins had covered their bases too well. Now that they didn't have their powers, any hope of stopping them were futile. Max wanted to cry. He felt so helpless. 'How could I have let this happen?' Liz heard his thoughts and looked over at him with a puzzled face. Before Max could explain Darran spoke.
"Well, now that is over with time to go onto the next phase. We've already collected what we wanted from Max, now it's time for Liz. Oh and please Liz don't try and put up a fight, Max already tried and failed and I don't feel like wasting any more of my energy blasts on anyone today."
Liz understood now what Max was thinking. 'Are you okay?' Liz thought. 'Yeah, I'm sorry I failed you. They were stronger than I thought.' Max thought back. 'Max, it's not your fault. You could have been killed. Please, I'll get through this. As long as I have you I'll be okay.' Liz thought back with a smile on his face. Max smiled back too.
A skin soldier came into the room and said, "Darran, sir, I need to speak with you immediately."
"Excuse me everyone, I guess we'll have to delay the baby shower." Darran walked out of the room and said, "This better be good, can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"
"I'm sorry sir, but we have the results of who the legendary hybrid is. You won't believe this." The soldier said as he handed Darran the results. Darran looked at the data and his was shocked.
"Damn it! This screws up what I had planned. Thank you soldier good work."
"Sir, can't you still go ahead as planned. This way the child is even stronger." The soldier pointed out.
"Yes, but if she learns what she her potential is before the child is born then we are all in trouble. All the shots we could give her would never cover over that type of power. She must be eliminated now!" Darran explained. The soldier ran off to tell the rest of the new plans.
Darran re-entered the room. His eyes went straight to Liz. This little girl stood in the way of his mission. This little girl could defeat him. Darran decided that that would not happen. She has to be taken care of now. "Well, well. Seems that all this time I've been honest with all of you of my plans and you don't give me the same respect. Well the tests came back on the hybrid. Liz, Liz, Liz. I'm disappointed in you. Here I was thinking you were the sensible one. Well I can't have you sticking around learning about yourself." Darran said with a devilish smile
"What are you going to do to her?" Maria asked.
"Boy you humans are dumb. I'd love to make a reproduction of you Liz. Who cares about an army of hybrids when I can harness your power? However I don't think your going to exactly help me out, so that leaves me no choice but to kill you." Darran said. He raised his hand ready to fire. Max saw this and panicked. Max ran and pushed Liz away from the bolt that was hurdling towards her body. However Max's body caught apart of that energy which sent him flying across the floor. Liz looked up half expecting to be dead, but saw Max's motionless body laying on the floor.
"Max!" Everyone cried out.
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