Ally must have fallen into a deep sleep. For when she opened her eyes, she was in the passenger seat of an Audi. She looked over to the driver's side, frightened. When she saw Brennan grinning widely at her, that fear melted away. It was then Ally became aware of the pulsing music coming from nearby. She looked around, now confused. "Where are we?"
"Galaxie, a dance club. We all figured you could use a little stress relief."
"You couldn't have woken me up first?"
"And ruin the surprise? No way!" Brennan opened his door. "Come on, the others are already inside."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Music of the typical modern club genre seemed to throb from every corner. Smoke machines added an eerie effect. Colorful lights strobed from above, providing the only light, and masses of people strutted to the beats. Ally was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with Brennan as they weaved through the crowd.
"I don't see the others!" Ally shouted over the noise.
"They're around here somewhere!" Brennan shouted back.
~Allison...~ Ally heard.
She froze. "Don't call me that!"
Brennan turned to look at her. "What?!" He shouted.
"I said--" ~Allison...~ Came the voice again. It definitly had not been Brennan the first time. "Don't forget me!" She said instead.
"I won't." Brennan promised, looking a little surprised she'd even thought such a thing. "I just wanna go up to the balcony and see if I can find our friends. You stand right here and keep looking. That way I can see you and you can see me."
Still freaked out about the voice, Ally just nodded and followed him with her eyes.
The smoke and lights must have played tricks on her mind, because as she watched, for the briefest instant, she thought she'd seen Brennan's form replaced with that of a tall woman with blood-red-colored hair. After that instant however, it was just Brennan's handsome form.
~Allison...~ Came that same--and now nearly familiar--voice. ~Allison...Allison..Allison, Allison,AllisonAllisonAllison--~
Ally turned in circles, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. She looked up to the balcony. "Brennan!" She shouted. But he was nowhere in sight. She'd lost him and now he wasn't re-appearing where he'd promised. "Brennan?!" She called again. "BRENNAN?!"
A minute went by without any sign and Ally was frightened. She began to run towards the stairs. "Brennan?! Brennan? Brennan! BRENNAN!"
~Brennan's gone Allison. We took care of him.~
The voice was clear as day now and Ally now tremmbled with both fear and anger as she turned around.
Standing in the middle of all the chaotic dancing, were Ally's mother and father, in all their glorious spitefullness.
"What do you mean "took care of him"?" Ally seethed.
~Well, he's sick dear, just like you. He's going someplace where he can't spread it to others. The same place you're going.~
"I am NOT going ANYWHERE with you! Let Brennan GO!" She ordered, marching right up to them.
~Allison, you do not speak to your mother that way.~ Her father lectured.
"DON'T CALL ME ALLISON!" She screamed.
~That is enough, young lady! You'll behave now and come with us like a good girl, and not make a scene.~ Her mother reached for Ally's arm.
Ally backed off and raised a flaming fist, ready to use it.
~How dare you raise a hand to your mother!~ She fumed.
"Bring Brennan back here NOW!" Ally demanded again.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Meanwhile, Emma had picked up Ally's emotional distress and raced to the firebug's sleeping quarters. Ally was right there, asleep in her bed, but obviously in a disturbing nightmare. Then Ally cried outloud for Brennan, and something about bringing him back.
"Adam, Brennan," She called into her ring, "You'd better get to Ally's room, now!"
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
~You leave us no choice.~ Ally's father said with a sigh.
Ally was confused by this until she was grabbed from behind and spun around. She was face to face with the red-haired woman she'd simply thought an illusion before.
"We need to have a little chat." The strange woman said, just before she took Ally's head between her hands.
Excruciating pain and screaming followed for Ally.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Ally's terror very much frightened the trio witnessing it in reality.
"Adam, what the hell is going on?" Brennan demanded.
"I think her mind is under attack. She's being fed false images to distract her and it's frightening her. If we can't wake her she could die of that fear!"
That in mind, Brennan moved to grab Ally to rouse her, but Emma hastily stopped him. "It won't help."
"Emma's right. It's the same as with Henry Voight. Whoever has a hold of her has her believing it's all real. We can't reach her from out here." Adam explained.
"Which means I'm going to have to try to link with her and guide her out." Emma finished.
Brennan nodded. "So get with the link already!"
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Ally felt like she was being pulled apart, and there was nothing she could do, because her powers would not appear. She cried out to anyone who'd listen, but she wasn't in the dance club anymore. Her parents were no longer there either, they'd all disappeared the moment this woman had touched her. It was just her, the strange woman, and the surrounding blackness.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Suddenly a bright light flashed past Ally's line of vision and the woman faultered in her assult. Ally immediatly shoved the woman away and her hands started to slowly glow red.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
"Adam, she's going to set the place on fire!" Brennan warned.
"Hurry Emma!" Adam pleaded.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
~Ally...~ "Ally stop!"
Suddenly things were bright again and Emma was there.
"Emma!" Ally cried. "Oh Emma, they took Brennan!"
"No they didn't, Brennan's fine." Emma told her.
"Hey!" Cried the strange woman. "Stay away from her!"
Emma took one look at her and with a flash of light, the strange woman was knocked backwards. "Ally, this place isn't real. You're actually asleep at Sanctuary. This woman has invaded your mind."
"Wh-what? Invaded?"
Emma slowly walked over to Ally and spoke kindly. "You're just having a nightmare. Everyone is safe, including Brennan. You can see for yourself if you just follow me out of here."
"LIAR!" The woman shouted, though her voice faultered. "I have Brennan in my custody, and if you don't do what I tell you--oof!" Emma had looked at her again and with three more flashes of light, the strange woman flew back hard.
"Come on Ally," Emma urged. "Time to wake up."
Ally took one last look at the strange woman before taking Emma's hand.
The woman screeched out at them. "You can't hide from---"
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
"ASHLOCKE!" Ally shot straight up from her bed, breathing and sweating heavily.
"Easy! Calm down. Ashlocke's not here." Brennan was standing at the foot of her bed.
"No!" Ally went on. "She--that woman, she's with him. I know something and she was after it. For him. It's not about what I am, it's what I know!"
"What do you know, Ally?" Adam asked.
Ally leaned back, frustrated. "I don't know."
Everyone shared in her frustration.
Adam sighed. "Alright, you said "she", "she's with Ashlocke". Did this woman have hair colored red? Icy Blue eyes?"
Ally nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Remember that mutant profile I wanted to look into? Her name's Marnie Neuman and she's a psionic. She can enter unconscious minds and manipulate them, changing dream and thought patterns to get any information she wants."
"You're saying Marnie was the one hacking into Ally's head?" Brennan assumed.
Adam nodded. "I'm guessing something happened during the eight months you can't remember, some information Ashlocke finds valuable to him. Whatever it is has been locked away from even you." He explained to Ally.
"Like what?"
"I'm not sure, but it's a good bet we should find out first."
"What if Marnie comes after her again?" Brennan asked.
"There's nothing she can do unless Ally's unconscious."
"Well I can't stay awake forever, Adam."
"No but now that you're aware of her, and as long as you don't come into physical contact with her, you can fight back."
"I'm totally helpless if we're physically in the same place?"
Adam nodded again. "And you're unconscious, yes."
"She's a psionic like me." Emma explained. "Any Psionic's powers are that much stronger at close range."
"Hey if she was able to get into Ally's mind so quickly and easily, AND she's working for Ashlocke, what's to stop her from trying to find out the location of Sanctuary from one of us?" Brennan asked.
"Nothing." Adam said, matter-of-factly. "But hopefully, our previous encounter with Henry Voight and the knowledge she's out there, will give us protection from any attempts she may make."
"Guess we're not looking at a decent night's sleep for awhile." Emma noted.
Adam nodded grimly. "Fill in Jesse and Shalimar. We should all get to work on helping Ally recover her missing memories."
"Galaxie, a dance club. We all figured you could use a little stress relief."
"You couldn't have woken me up first?"
"And ruin the surprise? No way!" Brennan opened his door. "Come on, the others are already inside."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Music of the typical modern club genre seemed to throb from every corner. Smoke machines added an eerie effect. Colorful lights strobed from above, providing the only light, and masses of people strutted to the beats. Ally was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with Brennan as they weaved through the crowd.
"I don't see the others!" Ally shouted over the noise.
"They're around here somewhere!" Brennan shouted back.
~Allison...~ Ally heard.
She froze. "Don't call me that!"
Brennan turned to look at her. "What?!" He shouted.
"I said--" ~Allison...~ Came the voice again. It definitly had not been Brennan the first time. "Don't forget me!" She said instead.
"I won't." Brennan promised, looking a little surprised she'd even thought such a thing. "I just wanna go up to the balcony and see if I can find our friends. You stand right here and keep looking. That way I can see you and you can see me."
Still freaked out about the voice, Ally just nodded and followed him with her eyes.
The smoke and lights must have played tricks on her mind, because as she watched, for the briefest instant, she thought she'd seen Brennan's form replaced with that of a tall woman with blood-red-colored hair. After that instant however, it was just Brennan's handsome form.
~Allison...~ Came that same--and now nearly familiar--voice. ~Allison...Allison..Allison, Allison,AllisonAllisonAllison--~
Ally turned in circles, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. She looked up to the balcony. "Brennan!" She shouted. But he was nowhere in sight. She'd lost him and now he wasn't re-appearing where he'd promised. "Brennan?!" She called again. "BRENNAN?!"
A minute went by without any sign and Ally was frightened. She began to run towards the stairs. "Brennan?! Brennan? Brennan! BRENNAN!"
~Brennan's gone Allison. We took care of him.~
The voice was clear as day now and Ally now tremmbled with both fear and anger as she turned around.
Standing in the middle of all the chaotic dancing, were Ally's mother and father, in all their glorious spitefullness.
"What do you mean "took care of him"?" Ally seethed.
~Well, he's sick dear, just like you. He's going someplace where he can't spread it to others. The same place you're going.~
"I am NOT going ANYWHERE with you! Let Brennan GO!" She ordered, marching right up to them.
~Allison, you do not speak to your mother that way.~ Her father lectured.
"DON'T CALL ME ALLISON!" She screamed.
~That is enough, young lady! You'll behave now and come with us like a good girl, and not make a scene.~ Her mother reached for Ally's arm.
Ally backed off and raised a flaming fist, ready to use it.
~How dare you raise a hand to your mother!~ She fumed.
"Bring Brennan back here NOW!" Ally demanded again.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Meanwhile, Emma had picked up Ally's emotional distress and raced to the firebug's sleeping quarters. Ally was right there, asleep in her bed, but obviously in a disturbing nightmare. Then Ally cried outloud for Brennan, and something about bringing him back.
"Adam, Brennan," She called into her ring, "You'd better get to Ally's room, now!"
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
~You leave us no choice.~ Ally's father said with a sigh.
Ally was confused by this until she was grabbed from behind and spun around. She was face to face with the red-haired woman she'd simply thought an illusion before.
"We need to have a little chat." The strange woman said, just before she took Ally's head between her hands.
Excruciating pain and screaming followed for Ally.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Ally's terror very much frightened the trio witnessing it in reality.
"Adam, what the hell is going on?" Brennan demanded.
"I think her mind is under attack. She's being fed false images to distract her and it's frightening her. If we can't wake her she could die of that fear!"
That in mind, Brennan moved to grab Ally to rouse her, but Emma hastily stopped him. "It won't help."
"Emma's right. It's the same as with Henry Voight. Whoever has a hold of her has her believing it's all real. We can't reach her from out here." Adam explained.
"Which means I'm going to have to try to link with her and guide her out." Emma finished.
Brennan nodded. "So get with the link already!"
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Ally felt like she was being pulled apart, and there was nothing she could do, because her powers would not appear. She cried out to anyone who'd listen, but she wasn't in the dance club anymore. Her parents were no longer there either, they'd all disappeared the moment this woman had touched her. It was just her, the strange woman, and the surrounding blackness.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Suddenly a bright light flashed past Ally's line of vision and the woman faultered in her assult. Ally immediatly shoved the woman away and her hands started to slowly glow red.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
"Adam, she's going to set the place on fire!" Brennan warned.
"Hurry Emma!" Adam pleaded.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
~Ally...~ "Ally stop!"
Suddenly things were bright again and Emma was there.
"Emma!" Ally cried. "Oh Emma, they took Brennan!"
"No they didn't, Brennan's fine." Emma told her.
"Hey!" Cried the strange woman. "Stay away from her!"
Emma took one look at her and with a flash of light, the strange woman was knocked backwards. "Ally, this place isn't real. You're actually asleep at Sanctuary. This woman has invaded your mind."
"Wh-what? Invaded?"
Emma slowly walked over to Ally and spoke kindly. "You're just having a nightmare. Everyone is safe, including Brennan. You can see for yourself if you just follow me out of here."
"LIAR!" The woman shouted, though her voice faultered. "I have Brennan in my custody, and if you don't do what I tell you--oof!" Emma had looked at her again and with three more flashes of light, the strange woman flew back hard.
"Come on Ally," Emma urged. "Time to wake up."
Ally took one last look at the strange woman before taking Emma's hand.
The woman screeched out at them. "You can't hide from---"
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
"ASHLOCKE!" Ally shot straight up from her bed, breathing and sweating heavily.
"Easy! Calm down. Ashlocke's not here." Brennan was standing at the foot of her bed.
"No!" Ally went on. "She--that woman, she's with him. I know something and she was after it. For him. It's not about what I am, it's what I know!"
"What do you know, Ally?" Adam asked.
Ally leaned back, frustrated. "I don't know."
Everyone shared in her frustration.
Adam sighed. "Alright, you said "she", "she's with Ashlocke". Did this woman have hair colored red? Icy Blue eyes?"
Ally nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Remember that mutant profile I wanted to look into? Her name's Marnie Neuman and she's a psionic. She can enter unconscious minds and manipulate them, changing dream and thought patterns to get any information she wants."
"You're saying Marnie was the one hacking into Ally's head?" Brennan assumed.
Adam nodded. "I'm guessing something happened during the eight months you can't remember, some information Ashlocke finds valuable to him. Whatever it is has been locked away from even you." He explained to Ally.
"Like what?"
"I'm not sure, but it's a good bet we should find out first."
"What if Marnie comes after her again?" Brennan asked.
"There's nothing she can do unless Ally's unconscious."
"Well I can't stay awake forever, Adam."
"No but now that you're aware of her, and as long as you don't come into physical contact with her, you can fight back."
"I'm totally helpless if we're physically in the same place?"
Adam nodded again. "And you're unconscious, yes."
"She's a psionic like me." Emma explained. "Any Psionic's powers are that much stronger at close range."
"Hey if she was able to get into Ally's mind so quickly and easily, AND she's working for Ashlocke, what's to stop her from trying to find out the location of Sanctuary from one of us?" Brennan asked.
"Nothing." Adam said, matter-of-factly. "But hopefully, our previous encounter with Henry Voight and the knowledge she's out there, will give us protection from any attempts she may make."
"Guess we're not looking at a decent night's sleep for awhile." Emma noted.
Adam nodded grimly. "Fill in Jesse and Shalimar. We should all get to work on helping Ally recover her missing memories."