Chapter Thirty Three

Max ran through the crowded hallways to get to Liz's lab. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest as he ran harder. He had to get to Liz. He dreaded each step but anticipated the sight that he was going to see. Would Liz be behind the door when he opened it? Or would he find a broken lab? He finally reached her lab and swung open the door.

" Liz? " he called as he stepped through. " Liz! " The lab seemed in perfect order, nothing seemed out of place. He could feel his heart sink and new sense of dread went through him. They have Liz. His breathing got more desperate as the room spun around him. How could he have let this happen? Why did he let her come to work today when he knew that something was going to happen? He had a bad feeling about today but he still let her come to work. Max almost punched the door open when his head started spinning violently.

" Max! " screamed Isabel as she ran over to him. He was now kneeling on the floor holding his head.

" Maxwell " said Michael as he knelt beside him on the floor.

Kyle and Serena could only stare down at him as Max tried clearing his head again.

The pain was intense and he couldn't help the thoughts that were going through his head. This vision was too much for him. After a few more moments Max could finally stand up again.

" What the hell just happened? " asked Michael

" It, it's Liz "

" Where is she? " asked Serena. " Did they get her? "

" No "

" What Max? " asked Kyle " Where is Liz? "

" She's with my son, " he said looking up at the four of them.

~~~~~~~~~

" Jeez " said Maria as she woke up. She clutched her head. These damn aliens must have used their powers to knock me out, she thought. She was in a padded white room. Her heartbeat was in major acceleration as she realized she was in a room similar to that room Max was in so long ago. Looking over her were her parents. " Mom, dad " she said as she looked up at them Then she saw Brody unconscious next to them.

" Maria? " asked Amy Deluca. Her eyes were red and puffy. " What are you doing here? "

" What am I doing here? What are you doing here? "

" They think we're valuable to them, " said Valenti as he held Amy. He had the same expression on his face, he looked tired and his eyes were swollen.

" Valuable? " asked Maria looking at him with fear stricken eyes. She knew exactly what he meant.

" They're taking all the humans, " said Valenti.

" But how can they fit all the humans in this place? " asked Amy

" I don't know mom " she gave Valenti a knowing look and tried to stay calm. She was with the group of people that didn't have any powers what so ever. Were they going to ransom them for Michael, Max, Thaman and Isabel to surrender? Or did they just want to kill them? No, she thought. They were useless to them if they were dead. That would mean that they would be on a rampage and not surrender. Oh God guys, she said in her head. Come get us quick. This was such a bad situation. She couldn't explain to her mom why they were chosen to be here because of the ears that would be hearing.

" What are we going to do? " asked Amy shaking.

" Someone's going to help us, " said Valenti.

" Yeah mom, someone's going to save us " said Maria reassuringly. Even though she too was on the verge of hysterics.

~~~~~~~~~~~

" Why didn't Thaman stop this from happening? " asked Kyle angrily. " Why wasn't he there when Maria and my parents were taken? "

" Kyle, this isn't Thaman's fault " said Serena.

" I don't get it. Where the hell is he? " asked Michael. " Why doesn't he just show himself? "

Max and Isabel sat silently in the front.

" Well, what are you guys going to say? " asked Kyle very agitated.

" Kyle calm down, " said Serena holding his hand. " Let's just find Liz first and think. Max's son is with her. Doesn't that account for anything? "

" Why does he have Liz? " asked Michael " Is he going to kill her for stealing his dad away from his mom? "

" She didn't sound like she was in danger Michael, " said Max.

" Does that mean that he has Maria and the Valentis? " asked Michael.

" Liz didn't mention them. She said that he needed to take her to some place safe "

" The UFO Center? That's not exactly safe, " said Michael.

" I don't think Max's son would have taken him there if it wasn't, " said Serena.

" Besides, its the only place we can go to for answers about where Maria and the Valentis could be " said Max.

" How do we know this isn't a trap or something? " asked Kyle.

" It's not. Liz sent me that message from her head. She wouldn't lie to me "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" So how did you meet Thaman? " asked Liz calmly. She was sitting at a table across from Ryu.
" When I was a little boy "
" A little boy? "
" Yes. Our time goes by faster than on Earth " he said. " For every year it's two years on our planet "
" So you're 16? " said Liz with a smile on her face.
" Yes " he said. " Does that amuse you? "
" It's weird actually, " she said laughing a little. " You're almost the age I was when Max and I "
" Started loving each other " he finished.
" You know all about that " she said blushing.
" Thaman told me about it and my mother told me about it as well "
" How did your mother describe me? "
" Probably how you would guess "
" That I was evil and a tramp "
" Not exactly in those words " he said laughing " But yes in a way "
" So how is it that you didn't grow up hating me or Max? "
" Thaman " he answered looking down at the table. He seemed to think recalling it to himself in his mind.
" How did Thaman do that? "
" Since he was part of the Elite Five, he knew all the secret passages to the castle. Some of these passages are not even known to my stepfather or my mother. He used them to get to me and he helped raise me. I was taught to
fight and learned about my father and what my mother had really done to get pregnant with me. It was not something one wants to hear. That your mother only conceived you to be used as a tool " he said sadly.

Liz looked at him sadly. She couldn't imagine how much that must have hurt him. To know he wasn't born out of love, but out of competition. " It must have been hard for you. I am sorry you had to go through that "

" My life has not been all bad, " said Ryu smiling at her. " I had someone to guide me and told me of something I can hope. That I would, some day, save my father and his beloved. It gave me a much grander purpose "
" You're amazing Ryu " said Liz looking at him impressed. Thaman's influence on him was amazing. He knew that Ryu would not be this way without Thaman's help. " You don't know much I appreciate that from you. I always dreaded the day I would meet you "

Ryu looked at her questionly. " You thought I would try to kill you, " he said reading her mind.

" Not that " said Liz seriously. " That you would reject me. That you would hate me for taking your father away from your mother "

Ryu looked at the table again. " It does sadden me that my father never truly loved my mother. I have both looked forward to and dreaded the moment I would meet my father. I do not know how he will react to me. I would not want to burden him with the memory of my mother. I know I will constantly be that to him " he said sadly.

" He won't do that Ryu " said Liz putting her hand on Ryu's. " Max loves you. He would never blame you for what you are "

" Well that remains to be seen, " said Ryu. " You seem to want to ask me something. What is it? "

" Why did it take this long before Thaman could come back to Earth? "
" Because he didn't want to leave me alone with them. He wanted me safe and I told him that the only possible way was that I help him steal the Granolith and come here to Earth with him "
" So you wanted to come? "
" Yes "
" Why? "
" Because I wanted to meet you and my real family "

Author's Note: This chapter is very slow compared to the others. But I thought it would be appropriate to explain some of Ryu's history and why he doesn't feel like killing Liz. In case you were wondering where in the world I got Ryu from… I got the name Ryu from the Egyptian Sun God. I know his name is Ra or Amon Ra. But I was watching a movie once and in their language they called him Ryu. I thought " Hey that sounds pretty neat ". Ishtar is also a Goddess' name. I think it's Babylonian or something like that. I'm not sure which nation she came from. That was just in case you were wondering.