Ardeth couldn't stand Catlanda being treated that way as he stepped forward. He growled as he balled his hands in fists.

"Leave her alone!" he cried at him.

The man looked up at him and smiled before he climbed to his feet. He began to walk towards him, still carrying the dagger.

"So you want to take me on now? After the other two had failed? I seriously doubt you will stop me," the Time Traveller snarled at him.

Ardeth sighed as the two faced each other. The others in the group began to move towards them. Ardeth held out a hand.

"Stop! Let me take care of this. After all, it is my fight," the Medjai told them.

The group stopped, watching the two walk around in circles before the Traveller decided to strike first. Ardeth didn't have a chance as the man grabbed his arms and pulled them around a tree, tying them together on the other side. The Traveller also bound Ardeth's feet to the ground.

"Ardeth, no!" cried Rick as he moved torwards his friend

"Stay back O'Connell!" Ardeth yelled back

Hhe struggled against the binds and the American stopped. The Traveller turned to face Ardeth once again as he held the dagger up against the sunlight.

"You will die, along with the others," the Traveller told him with an evil smile.

He jammed the dagger into the Medjai's thigh and another was put into his shoulder. Ardeth winced greatly as he felt the pain now coursing from his leg and arm. He could feel the blood flowing down his leg and his shoulder as well. The Traveller quietly laughed as he drew closer to Ardeth.

"You will be begging me for death once I am done with all of you," he whispered to the Medjai.

"Never," whispered Ardeth.

"Fine then. If I cannot do anything with bringing her child into this world, then I will have to do something with you instead," he growled.

It was then that he kneed Ardeth hard in the groin and he gasped out in pain. He did it again and Ardeth gasped once more. The Traveller continued on with what he was doing before deciding to stop with the kneeing and instead punched and kicked Ardeth near his groin a few times. Ardeth was badly shuddering from the pain the daggers were causing him, as was the torture the Traveller was giving him at the moment.

It was then that Ardeth passed out from the pain, his eyes rolling back into his head and he hung limply from the tree. The Traveller laughed as he backed away from the Medjai and faced the rest of the group.

"They are finished! Without them, this planet will fall!" he cried as he punched Ardeth in the stomach one more time.

It was then that everybody couldn't stand it any longer. Alex, Jake and Rick pulled out their guns and shot at him. He fell to the ground once the bullets hit him as Cody, Monica and Evie hurried over to Ardeth. Catlanda managed to stand up with some help from Jackie and she hurried over to the group.

"Hold onto him while I get these out," Catlanda told them.

"Won't that hurt him even more?" asked a surprised Cody as he fumbled with the binds around Ardeth's legs and hands.

They were done quicker than he first thought. Especially since Michelle decided to come over and help him with the jackknife she carried with her.

"It has been done before without hurting the person. I have helped my father a few times before with his injuries. This will be no different," she replied

MIchelleslowly started to pull out the daggers. She grunted softly as she carefully pulled out the first one from his thigh. Then she began on the shoulder and carefully getting that one out. Monica and Evie slowly helped him to the ground. They looked to see the Time Traveller disappear into thin air.

"What happened to him?" wondered Evie.

"He left before anymore could happen. He saw that he was no longer in control and that he was outnumbered because of it," Catlanda replied. "He cannot be hurt by mortal means but he is not our priority at the moment. Frank and Ardeth are. They need help."

"We better take them by car for two reasons. First; the paramedics were get scared if they saw these two since they are identical to Nick; and secondly; we can't wait for an ambulance. They need help immediately and waiting could do them more harm than good," Letty told them.

The others nodded as they took the two up to the cars as quickly and carefully as they possibly could. They started off towards the hospital.

00000

Nick laid in the bed as Sarah and Patrick hovered next to him, staring at the IVs that were hooked up to him and at the obvious injuries that he suffered. Another one was set up to help him breath. She held his limp hand as she put her forehead on the back of it. Patrick put a hand on her shoulder, while trying to fight back the tears. Jules, Rae and Matt stood by the door. They all sighed.

"I hate to see him like this. I really do. This man is seriously injuring these three. He knows what he's doing," Rae sighed.

"He wants to kill these men. That's what he's doing Rae. They will die if they can't do anything to stop him and it looks like the Traveller will win. There is no way these guys can defeat him," Matt solemnly told her.

The two female doctors both sighed, knowing that he was probably right. It was then that they heard yelling come from near the elevator. The three ran over to see Ardeth and Frank being brought in by the others. Both were bleeding profusely as they were placed onto gurneys.

"What happened?" demanded Jules.

"We were attacked in the park. The Time Traveller. He threatened Michelle and Cat before Frank and Ardeth stepped in. They got all of the attacks," Rick replied, breathing heavily.

"Oh no. That means all three of them are hurt! What are we going to do?" wondered Jules as she looked at the people around her.

Rick couldn't believe what he was hearing. One man took out three men who were in healthy shape. He even took out two at one time!

"If three men cannot take out this guy, what hope do we have? This guy will win," Rick said as Evie walked over to him, her mouth slightly open.

Cody walked up them as did Alex, Monica and Jake. They all stood there, not believing the facts presented to them: Nick, Frank and Ardeth were all injured by one man. One man who was more powerful and stronger than the three of them combined.

"What are we going to do now? This battle is done, it's over. Those three are in no shape to fight or do anything! And we can't do anything about it!" Monica asked as the sadness and despair were creeping into her voice.

"I don't know Monica. All three were injured pretty badly. Michelle's with Frank right now and it looks like she won't be leaving his side. At least not for a long while," Jake told the group.

"Cat's in with Ardeth and I think it's going to be the same with her," Evie said with a sigh. "Ardeth has been her father ever since she was a baby and he's always taken care of her."

"Catlanda, Michelle, Sarah, Patrick. They all saw these men as their father figure, whether it be for a few years or their entire life. They're devestated, probably more than we will ever know or realize," Jake said to her. "But Monica is right. How can this guy be defeated when the three men who are supposed to stop him are out for the count?"

"You are forgetting the second part of it Jake," came a sad and quiet female voice.

The group looked over to see Catlanda, her eyes red and swollen. Jake looked at her with some confusion in his eyes.

"Jake Shaw, these three men were chosen for this once they took in children. Us. We have been told that the three will either defeat or be defeated," Catlanda told the group, sounding very tired. "And it looks like they are going to be defeated. The Time Traveller will win and the world as we know it will fall into darkness."

She slowly walked into the room.

"The Time Traveller is powerful, as you have seen and I do not know how to stop him," she said as she sat down.

She put a hand up to her face as Evie walked up to her.

"Cat, how's Ardeth?" she asked as she knelt by her.

"Not good. The daggers almost pierced some 'arteries' I've been told and he suffered much bruising in his groin area. Much worse than the time Marok and I were captured and he came after us," Catlanda quietly told her. " I fear something will happen to him again. He's suffered so much already because of me."

Harriet walked over to them and also knelt by the pregnant woman.

"Catlanda, would you mind coming with me? I would like to perform a test and take your time coming. I'm in no rush to do it," Harriet told her.

She nodded as she stayed sitting for a few moments more before standing up and following the woman out of the room.

00000

Harriet prepared Catlanda for the test after she laid down on the table. Catlanda remained calm as she watched the doctor. Harriet looked at a screen nearby and so did the Medjai. What she saw amazed her.

"What is that?" she asked Harriet.

"That is the baby Catlanda. I wanted to make sure your child was alright after what happened just recently," Harriet replied with a smile. "And I wanted to see if the baby was a healthy one."

"I hope Ardeth lives to see it born," sighed Catlanda.

Harriet said nothing as she continued to look at the child being shown on the screen.

00000

Sarah walked out of the room to almost run into Michelle. They both were surprised.

"Michelle, how's Frank doing?" asked Sarah.

"Not good. His 'sprained' wrist turns out to be badly broken and the dagger did a nasty job to him as well. How's Nick?" replied Michelle.

"He's not doing good either. He got hit with a bat. Cracked several ribs, two of which nearly punctured a lung. He also got hit with a tranquilizer dart. They haven't figured out why the guy did that yet. Maybe it was to scare us. If that was the plan, it succeeded. Very well," Sarah replied.

"If we only knew how to defeat this guy," Michelle said with a sigh.

Sarah nodded in agreement as they began to walk down the hallway. Patrick met up with the two female teenagers. Noone said a word as they stared at each other and sighed. Each knew what the other was thinking as they began to head down the hallway.

They passed the room where Catlanda was resting. She looked out and saw them go by. She stood up and went outside to meet up with them. They headed down the hall and walked up to the respective rooms of their fathers.

00000

Catlanda walked in to see Rick and Evie by Ardeth's side. Michelle was met by the rest of the team while Sarah and Patrick saw the rest of the doctors. They all stared at the children.

"Catlanda, what's wrong?" asked Evie, curiously.

"The time is coming where the fate of us all is decided. I can feel it and the Spire has told me that this feeling is true," she replied.

"That means we're probably all going to die," sighed Rick. "The three who are supposed to do this can't possibly do it."

"We have to wait and see," Evie said to him.

TBC...