Mulder sped the jeep down the road towards the lodge. Neither one of them had said a word, nor did they need to. They were still connected by the bond that Alpha had created. It was strange that a bond that was designed to hurt them both actually seemed to be bringing them closer together. Stray thoughts had been bouncing between them since the bond had been created, but the feelings that they had were what really raged through. It was comforting to feel what the other was feeling without the usual interference of that unwritten rule that they had almost always followed. They never shared what they felt deep down.

The comfort continued as twilight finally came. Scully had now spent the past ten minutes trying to figure out why she and Mulder had given up so easily, especially Mulder. There was no explanation for it. Scully knew that she would have, very reluctantly, given in eventually, but Mulder would have had to have been dragged away. They both knew this to be true, yet neither could fathom why they had left. It was this same wondering that Scully had experienced earlier that day when she had found the brochure. She'd had it the whole day, was even curious about it when Alyssa had found it, yet never acted on the impulse to check it out. It was as that thought crossed her mind that they both instantly knew why they had left. Alyssa had made them go and they didn't even bat an eye as they had left her.

Mulder cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. The sensation was similar to, but not quite like, what Pusher had done to him. The only difference was that Alyssa had been less intrusive, yet more forceful, and she did not need to use any sort of vocal command. As angry as he was at himself for not staying, because of his connection to Scully he was slightly reassured by the fact that, no matter what, he would not have been able to resist.

Mulder turned to Scully who, before he could say a thing, was already pointing out a point in the road where he could turn around. They didn't have to say a word.

Xxx

Mulder and Scully pulled up to the cabin to see a sight neither one of them would ever forget. Before them stood Alyssa and Alpha burning brighter than the sun, yet neither was actually on fire. The light that came from them and between them was an electric blue. They stood there, each focused on the other, as energy bounced back and forth between them. Huge sparks would fly to the side, igniting patches of earth here and there. The light that surrounded Alpha was an intense dark blue, while an intense blue-white light surrounded Alyssa. Though they didn't move, it was apparent that their minds were locked in a contest of wills.

It was Mulder who spoke first. "It's like they are…"

" . . . Feeding off each other's energy."

"Yeah. The energy in the air is almost tangible."

Scully shared in the awe and wonder that Mulder felt and for the first time understood the fascination that he had always wanted to share with her. The moment, though, only lasted long enough for the reality of the situation to hit them both. It looked as if Alyssa was losing. The light around her was growing ever so slightly dimmer. The sparks of energy that struck the ground around her were becoming large and more frequent as her ability to absorb and redirect them weakened. There was only one way that Alyssa could possibly win now. So taking the chance that she might be right, Scully took off towards Alyssa hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't get herself electrocuted in the process.

Xx

Alyssa was trying to split her attention and do two things at once. On one front she was attempting to overpower her opponent by continually breaking down the walls of Alpha's mind so that she could destroy her from within; yet she battled to keep herself together so that she would live long enough to do it. It was just too much for her to handle. Her head pounded from the barrage that it was receiving. It was like she was working against a physical force and she found herself taking a step back. It was after another step back that she made what she believed to be her final decision.

Alyssa stopped trying to hold herself together and directed all her energy into one focused surge of energy. She visualized a high intensity laser searing its way through ice and used that image to focus the power of her mind and energy at Alpha. Alyssa slowly gained the ground she had lost, but it didn't seem to be enough. She was beginning to feel as if this battle would never end when she felt a sudden surge of energy envelop and reinforce her own. She could feel Scully slowly begin to focus her own mind on giving her as much strength of will as she could and through Scully, she felt Mulder do the same.

With the force that she now had Alyssa pushed forward and finally broke the barrier of Alpha's mind. Stray thoughts assaulted her as she made her way to the core. There was one thought in particular that took her by surprise, but she didn't have time to think about it if she were to press her advantage now. She had reached the core and Alpha was literally blown back 50 feet as the full onslaught of three minds assailed her.

The last rays of the sun slowly slid beyond the horizon as the three slowly approached Alpha's limp form. Smoke slowly rose from her body as stray sparks popped here and there all around her body. Alpha was still breathing as Alyssa bent down beside her.

"Was it worth it, Alpha? Was trying to get back into the good graces of The Syndicate really worth your life?"

"Of course it was," she whispered, "They are the salvation of this world.  Besides," she smiled. "I may not have been able to sufficiently torture Scully, but it was fun while it lasted."

The madness she saw in her eyes made Alyssa shudder down to the depths of her soul. Rolling her on her side, Alyssa pulled Scully's gun out from Alpha's belt and pointed it at her head.

"Tell me who I really am, Alpha, and I'll make this quick."

"Why should I? What good would it do you when, even though you have healed your wound, you will die anyway?"

Alyssa looked down at her chest and felt the spot where the bullet had exited her body. She hadn't realized what she had been doing as she had tried to contain her bleeding. All that remained was a large scar that tingled at the touch of her fingers. As miraculous as that was she knew that Alpha as right.  She wasn't going to live. Alyssa had crossed a threshold and used up more energy than she should ever have. What she had tried to avoid by limiting the use of her power, had come to pass. The small flicker of hope that had appeared at realizing she had healed herself lasted only long enough for her to make this realization.

It didn't matter though. That stray thought had shattered everything she knew to be true about her origins. She had in fact been stolen as a child and altered to meet the needs of the damned Syndicate. Telling her she was a clone was their way of controlling her. Keeping her leashed.  She had been fooled yet again by that Morley-smoking-bastard who had lead her to believe that she had been created solely from Mulder's DNA. It had been nothing more than another way to manipulate her and gain more leverage against Mulder should they ever need it.

Alyssa cocked the gun. She knew that Alpha was too arrogant, too insane, to ever tell her the truth about whom she really was. There was no point in holding back. If Alpha wasn't stopped here and now, she would only recover and come after Mulder and Scully again.

"If you kill me, you'll never find out who you are."

"You're right," Alyssa said, pulling the trigger. "I won't."