Zhandia woke with a groan, her hand moving to the lump forming on the
back of her head.
'What had happened?' she wondered as she slowly sat up. The last thing she remembered was Maria...
Maria! Everything began flooding back to her. The guys that had knocked her out and took Maria. Why
didn't they take her as well?
'They didn't know who or what you are,' she reminded herself. They took Maria because of her
connection with the royals. Oh it was all her fault. If only she had used her powers, she could have saved
her and Maria. But she had frozen in place, struck motionless from the horrible images she received from that
one man... Images of torture - torture to aliens and humans alike.
She heard a noise from behind her and wondered if they had returned for her. She turned ready for
a fight, only to spot a familiar jeep. They would definitely despise her, once they found out what happened
to Maria.
She stayed in her sitting position, wishing she had never stepped a foot onto Earth. Her mission
was a disaster from the moment it began. She failed her people.
****************
"What is that over there?" Alex reached around Liz to point to something sitting a short
distance away from where they stopped the jeep.
"It had better be Maria! And if it isn't, they have some explaining to do." Michael growled, his
expression furious. That was Michael for you, thought Alex who sat in the middle of the backseat, to the
right of Michael. Anything that happened was met with anger by Michael. It was the only emotion he
seemed comfortable with.
All seven of them piled out of the cramped jeep, their eyes trained at the still figure. As they made
their way over, the form began moving as it stood up to reveal their identity to the wary seven.
"Zhandia? What is she doing here with Maria's car? And where is Maria?" Kyle asked the others.
They had no answers to those questions, but soon...
"Where's Maria?" Max's calm voice addressed their would-be 'adversary'.
"I am not sure..."
"You lie!" Michael interrupted her, as he strode up to stand next to Max. He balled his hands into
fists, ready to strike first and ask questions later.
"Michael..." Isabel laid a calming hand on his arm.
"I am not lying! She followed me out here to try and apologize for what had happened. Before we
knew what happened, a man came out of nowhere and captured us. He said he was with the FBI and was
looking for her and her friends. Next thing I know, I am waking up here with a lump on my head. That is all I
know."
The faces on the Pod Squad were grim as they heard the news. Maria was in the hands of the
wrong people. They had to get her back!
"Your Highness, are you okay?"
****************
Zhandia turned to watch Tarik approach, not missing the dumb-founded looks on the others' faces.
It didn't matter now what they knew. Her mission was finished. There was no way they'd help her. But she
couldn't leave before she helped Maria. It was her fault.
"What are you doing here, Tarik? You should be getting things together."
"You were successful?" Tarik looked mildly surprised at that.
"No, our people are doomed... I have failed." Her voice was laced with the hopelessness that she
felt. "But there is something...." She trailed off, reaching up to press the lump on the back of her head.
"You are not well! It is my fault, Your Highness... Please forgive me."
"What is your fault? Tarik, what did you do?!" Zhandia narrowed her eyes at him, dread filling her
whole body. Did he have something to do with what happened? She heard him mumbling about drastic
measures.... "Tarik! Please tell me it wasn't you...."
"I planned for this Maria girl to be taken... But these people are not the ones that I dealt with."
"How could you, Tarik?!--"
"--You did what?! Where's Maria?" Michael was being held back by Alex and Kyle. Max was
watching Zhandia and Tarik as if they were dangerous creatures.
"Max... We should be looking for Maria." Tess walked over to him, finally emerging from the back
of the group.
Zhandia froze, spotting the woman who casued this. The woman that killed her and took her place
on Earth and in Zan's life.
"You! You traitorous murderer! How dare you?!" Zhandia yelled at Tess, taking a menacing step
forward only to be subdued by Tarik.
"Your Highness! You must not. Think of the mission... We must go home..."
Zhandia shrugged off his touch, turning her blazing eyes at him. "No! We must go and save
Maria-"
"Don't you even dare think of it. If it wasn't for you two... Maria wouldn't have been here and
captured. You've done enough for one lifetime. Why not go home where you belong?" With those words,
the group got into the jeep and sped off, leaving the two aliens in a cloud of dust.
"What have we done, Tarik...?" Zhandia gave a shuddering sigh, thinking of poor Maria.
"Do not worry... We will fix this."
'What had happened?' she wondered as she slowly sat up. The last thing she remembered was Maria...
Maria! Everything began flooding back to her. The guys that had knocked her out and took Maria. Why
didn't they take her as well?
'They didn't know who or what you are,' she reminded herself. They took Maria because of her
connection with the royals. Oh it was all her fault. If only she had used her powers, she could have saved
her and Maria. But she had frozen in place, struck motionless from the horrible images she received from that
one man... Images of torture - torture to aliens and humans alike.
She heard a noise from behind her and wondered if they had returned for her. She turned ready for
a fight, only to spot a familiar jeep. They would definitely despise her, once they found out what happened
to Maria.
She stayed in her sitting position, wishing she had never stepped a foot onto Earth. Her mission
was a disaster from the moment it began. She failed her people.
****************
"What is that over there?" Alex reached around Liz to point to something sitting a short
distance away from where they stopped the jeep.
"It had better be Maria! And if it isn't, they have some explaining to do." Michael growled, his
expression furious. That was Michael for you, thought Alex who sat in the middle of the backseat, to the
right of Michael. Anything that happened was met with anger by Michael. It was the only emotion he
seemed comfortable with.
All seven of them piled out of the cramped jeep, their eyes trained at the still figure. As they made
their way over, the form began moving as it stood up to reveal their identity to the wary seven.
"Zhandia? What is she doing here with Maria's car? And where is Maria?" Kyle asked the others.
They had no answers to those questions, but soon...
"Where's Maria?" Max's calm voice addressed their would-be 'adversary'.
"I am not sure..."
"You lie!" Michael interrupted her, as he strode up to stand next to Max. He balled his hands into
fists, ready to strike first and ask questions later.
"Michael..." Isabel laid a calming hand on his arm.
"I am not lying! She followed me out here to try and apologize for what had happened. Before we
knew what happened, a man came out of nowhere and captured us. He said he was with the FBI and was
looking for her and her friends. Next thing I know, I am waking up here with a lump on my head. That is all I
know."
The faces on the Pod Squad were grim as they heard the news. Maria was in the hands of the
wrong people. They had to get her back!
"Your Highness, are you okay?"
****************
Zhandia turned to watch Tarik approach, not missing the dumb-founded looks on the others' faces.
It didn't matter now what they knew. Her mission was finished. There was no way they'd help her. But she
couldn't leave before she helped Maria. It was her fault.
"What are you doing here, Tarik? You should be getting things together."
"You were successful?" Tarik looked mildly surprised at that.
"No, our people are doomed... I have failed." Her voice was laced with the hopelessness that she
felt. "But there is something...." She trailed off, reaching up to press the lump on the back of her head.
"You are not well! It is my fault, Your Highness... Please forgive me."
"What is your fault? Tarik, what did you do?!" Zhandia narrowed her eyes at him, dread filling her
whole body. Did he have something to do with what happened? She heard him mumbling about drastic
measures.... "Tarik! Please tell me it wasn't you...."
"I planned for this Maria girl to be taken... But these people are not the ones that I dealt with."
"How could you, Tarik?!--"
"--You did what?! Where's Maria?" Michael was being held back by Alex and Kyle. Max was
watching Zhandia and Tarik as if they were dangerous creatures.
"Max... We should be looking for Maria." Tess walked over to him, finally emerging from the back
of the group.
Zhandia froze, spotting the woman who casued this. The woman that killed her and took her place
on Earth and in Zan's life.
"You! You traitorous murderer! How dare you?!" Zhandia yelled at Tess, taking a menacing step
forward only to be subdued by Tarik.
"Your Highness! You must not. Think of the mission... We must go home..."
Zhandia shrugged off his touch, turning her blazing eyes at him. "No! We must go and save
Maria-"
"Don't you even dare think of it. If it wasn't for you two... Maria wouldn't have been here and
captured. You've done enough for one lifetime. Why not go home where you belong?" With those words,
the group got into the jeep and sped off, leaving the two aliens in a cloud of dust.
"What have we done, Tarik...?" Zhandia gave a shuddering sigh, thinking of poor Maria.
"Do not worry... We will fix this."