Max and the others run

"Maxwell." Michael coughed. "I can't." He stuttered again. His voice was painful. "Okay... in here." Max said, leading them into an alley. "M-Maxwell." Michael cried in Pain. "Let me see it." Max said, pulling his friend's shirt up. "Oh my God..." Tess gasped. "Is it bad?' Michael asked, coughing in pain. Max searched his friend's eyes. "No." He lied. Michael laughed, while couching. "You're lying." He smiled, with a great deal of pain. "It's not her fault." Michael began. "I know." Max nodded" Agreeing. "It's her past. I should have seen it coming. She's been acting odd for awhile... I-I should have..." Michael began to doze off. "I'm going to heal it okay?" Max said. Michael nodded, weakly. "You have to look at me." Max began. He placed his hand over Michael's wound. A white light appeared under his palm. "Ah!" Michael cried. "It's working. You have to trust me!" Max pleaded. Michael yelled out again. "No, stop!" Tess wailed. "I can't it hurts!" Michael yelled. Max stopped. Michael's breathing calmed down. Max looked at the wound. "It's closed. Not healed, closed?" He was puzzled. Tess spoke up. "It's an alien wound... Isabel hurt him... it has to heal on it's own." Tess explained. Max and Michael looked at her. Max got even more puzzled look on his face. He stood up and faced Tess. "How did you know that?" He asked. Tess shrugged. "How do you any of this? How is it that you're the only one with all these handy little facts?" He asked with a nasty tone. Tess backed up, shrugging. "I-I Nasado told me." She suggested. "No. Why would he tell you these abstract little facts, why not tell you things he knew you would need, what, what is it?" He asked. Michael stood up with pain. He took Max's arm, trying to stop him. "Look, Maxwell. It ain't her fault." Michael said. "Look. All I want is an answer about how you know all this." Max explained. Tess stopped. "I know because I remember them, okay?" Tess said, frustrated. "How?" He demanded. "I don't know I just started to remember stuff. I can't help it... I just know stuff, okay?" She was angry.

Underground

The sewers were seemingly empty. With the exception of a drip here and there... the sound of water hitting the floor.

Isabel walks past a couch. Rath is gone, Lonnie is no where to be seen. Isabel takes a quick look around, then speed walks over to Jesse. She checks his pulse, sighing as she feels he has one. "Thank God..." She breathed, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm so sorry Michael, Max..." She muttered to herself. She turned to Jesse. "Wake up!" She said, briskly. Jesse began to stir. "Huh, whoa-?" He said, groggily sitting up. "Isabel?" He blinked hard trying to straighten his vision. "Yeah." She said, helping him up. "You need to get our of here, find Max... tell them I'm not against them... that I'm trying to get Nicholas... Max will know what you mean." Isabel assured. Jesse shook his head. "No. Wait. You're my wife, and I want some answers damn it!" His voice gets loud. Isabel shuddered when his voice rose, covering his mouth with her palm. "Sh! They'll hear you!" She hissed. "Who? The others, that looked like you and Michael?" He asked. Isabel nodded. "You have to get out, find Max, tell him what I said, please." Isabel begged. "No. I can't leave you. I'm not going with out you." He said, harshly. Isabel rolled her eyes. "Look, not trying to sound mean or anything, but you don't have a choice. If they see you're awake, or alive they'll kill you, and then I'll die too, so just go, while they think I'm out." Isabel led him to the exit. He looked at her as if he was waiting for a kiss. She just looked at him, not getting it. He seemed shocked, only then did she get it. Uneasily, and almost guilty like, she kissed him on the cheek and hurried him away.

On the streets

Michael was still coughing really badly. He was slid up against the wall, with his hand pressed down on his wound. Max was squatting beside Michael, looking at his wound. "Why did she do it?" He asked. Tess was backed away, feeling her welcome was wearing thin. Michael painfully sat up. "She didn't mean to hurt me like this." He coughed. Max turned his face, staring at his friend's face. "Huh?" He asked. Michael couched more briskly this time. "I saw it in her eyes. She gave me a look, it was-" He stopped looking at Max, not wanting to tell him a certain detail. "What?" Max insisted. "Um, it was the look that she gives me, when we... um you know, and she knows it's gonna be 'painful'..." Michael breathed hard, sliding into a much lower position, against the wall. "Oh..." Max was shocked. "So she didn't mean to hurt you?" Max asked. "I think I was just supposed to get pushed way, but she was a little to rough." He said, trying to laugh, but his wound kept him from doing so. "Max." Tess whispered. He stood up, turning questioningly to Tess. "Huh?" She was giving him looks. Her eyes seemed to point to her side. But her words seemed to send a message of help, where as her tone was strangely empty. "I. Need. Your. Help." Tess looked again beside her. Max's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "Max!" Tess shrieked. "No! Tess!" Max reached for her, but another set of arms grabbed her by the neck, jolting her and the child. "Yo! Back off!" The voice commanded. Max's muscles tensed and his eyes narrowed. "So, it's you. I always knew you weren't dead." Max said, feeling very out numbered but trying not to show it. "Um. Whateva!" The voice called back. "You touch one hair on her or his head and I'll-" Max began. "You and da big words, but dat's all dey are, is words! You forget, I'm da man!"

Max stepped closer. "Zan." Max breathed, dangerously. "No!" Zan yelled, pulling Tess by the neck. Tess screamed, used her powers to burn Zan's hand. She broke free long enough to give the baby to Max. Zan snatched her again, and pulled her back. "Want da Queen? Yous gotta do somethin for me, kay?" Zan said, with a quirking better-than-thou attitude. "Anything." Max said, with out thinking. "Gets Lonnie and Rath's asses here. I'll need dem when I take back da power!" Zan laughed. Max tilted his head to the side, and looked at Zan, confused. "Huh?" He sounded. "But I'm the King?" Max questioned, extremely confused. "Dat's what she's been tellin you, isn't it?" Zan smirked, looking at Tess. Max looked into Tess' eyes, she looked guilty. "I- I don't understand?" Max said, stepping closer.

At Tess was being held from Behind by the neck, her POV

My heart pounded. My skin felt hot. I could see and feel his hurt. But he really had no idea what was at stake. How could he, he doesn't even know. He doesn't remember any of it. "Max!" I call. Zan yanks me back another step or two. I gag a little. "M-Max! I-I didn't lie! You are the King!" I say, as I am pulled out of sight.

Zan takes me away, too quickly for Max to follow. He wouldn't because of the baby and Michael. "Zan, please." I beg, hearing myself say his name only makes this harder. "I beg you, please." I whisper. He leans in , touching my cheek. I pull away. "Not me." I say. He looks cold, upset and hurt. His eyes are like Max's, but harder, less emotion. I look away, squinting into the distance, past his shoulder. He grabs my chin and forces my face upon his. "Z-Zan" I mutter as he kisses me. "I'm not Ava!" I push him off me, wiping my mouth off. "I'm not your bride!" I snap. "I know." He smirks. "Then, what the hell?" I ask. "Oh, c'on . I ain't no fool, I knows you wants da man dat really remembers you. I wouldn't mind havin ya around!" He announces. I cringe at the though. "That's disgusting!" I gag. He rolls his eyes. "Yous always were a one man, type of gal. I loved dat bout you!" He slyly comments.

"Come on, what's this all about?" I say, pushing him off me again. "You know what's da matter. Fore I died, I had de seal. I want it back." He sounds. "I can't help that." I say. "Yes. You can." He says. "Yous actin as Queen now, you can give it back to me." He says. "I won't. I love Max. Him and me are King and Queen now. And even if you did get it back, what's in it for me, I wouldn't be Queen anymore, Ava would." I remind. "So? Yous still queen material?" His argument is weak, and he knows it.

He may talk like an idiot without an education but he's really got the intelligence and wit of a King. I know this, and I won't be fooled. "I know we were the second set of Pods, and that we we're only the royal four because you died… I get it. But I'm sorry Zan, nothing I do is gonna make that change. I'm sorry." I say repeating my apology. He looks at me, obviously not happy. "Yous made love to him, didn't ya?" He asked, tilting his head. "Yes." I squeak. "Dat feel good?" He asks. "Yeah." I snuff. "Dat's what you remember, isn't it? Dat feelin of love, and completeness, isn't it?" He says, smiling. He knows my answer. "Yes." I squirm. "De reason I ask is cause he'll never member all dat. So why bother wastin yous time on him? He ain't ev'va gonna wanna be da King, not really." Zan smirks, running his hand up my thigh. I take his hand with mine, firmly. "I may not be your Queen, but I am powerful, more powerful than you know." His hand is burned badly. He takes it off, healing it with his powers. "I'll never tell Ava, if you promise to leave." I say. He looks up. "Ava?" He says weakly. At this point I know now, that he believed her to be dead. "Yeah?" I say, unsure. "Dat means she really is still alive, dat Lonnie and Rath didn't kill her?" He squawks. "No. She is still alive." I say, sympathetically. "Zan…" I say softly. "Why didn't you and Ava ever hook up?" I ask. He looks up at me, his eyes are beginning to fill with emotion. "W-we um, dat is… me an her we never, cause we um…" Zan trailed off. "You and her always felt distracted from each other?" I asked. He nods. "Yeah, how'd you know dat?" He asked, child like. "I know because me and Max have the same problem. I think maybe it was a defect from our Pods." I say, shrugging, sadly. "Oh…" He says, looking down. "You like brunettes?" I asked. He looks at me, strangely. "Huh?" he asks. I shake my head. "Never mind." I say.

Jesse finds Max

He had walked around for an hour, finding small clues here and there. Finally he came across an abandoned building with a narrow alley beside. He walks into the alley, and sees blood. "Oh… God." He mutters, thinking someone may have been killed. He looks up and sees a door has been kicked open. Jesse pokes his head in and sees a pair of feet sticking out from behind the corner. Jesse gulps, not knowing whose feet they are. He creeps up to them, finding Michael leaning against the wall, holding the baby with the last of his strength. "Michael!" Jesse announces. Michael looks up weakly, painfully putting the baby protectively behind his coat. He can't even stand. "Mike…" Jesse leans in. "I have to take the baby, I won't harm it." He says calmly. Michael strains to keep Jesse away, he doesn't really understand what's happening. Blood has begun to seep on to the floor. "Michael, what happened?" He asked. Michael opens his mouth, at first nothing happens, but slowly sound comes out. It isn't human sounding, strange echoes and static sounds are coming out from his mouth. "Michael?" Jesse says, unable to understand.
"M-Max!" Michael yells. Jesse whips around, ducking from Max who had come out of no where, swinging. "M-Max! It's me! Jesse! Isabel sent me!" He yells. Max stops hitting him. "Iz?" Max stops. "Yeah…" Jesse holds his nose and arm. "What?' max snaps. "He says, um…" Jesse begins. Max grabs him by the collar. "That um, she's not against you that she's trying to find… ugh, um, Nick?" Jesse couldn't remember the name. "Nicolas?" Max asks. "Yeah, that's it!" Jesse sighs. "Then why did she do that!" Pointing to Michael. "To her husband!" Max blurts out.

Jesse turns from Michael to Max. "Her what?" He asks. "Nottin." Max shrugs. "No you said husband…" Jesse reminds. Max looks everywhere except to Jesse. "She's married to Michael? How long?" he asks. "Um, for lets see… over, um, 55 years, way over…" Max says. "5o what?" Jesse is dumbfounded. "Well, actually technically we are only about 13 years old, so…" Max was thinking out loud. "Wow… cool, that's neat." He says to himself. "Hehe." Max laughs to himself. Jesse just blinks hard at him, not understanding. "Did, you smoke something today, or what?" he asks. Max realizes that he has been speaking out loud. "Oh, no. I haven't." Max says. "Alcohol and drugs over loud are senses and we blow stuff up, and see stuff. So obviously it's not healthy for us…" Max explains. Jesse just seems more confused. "So? Isabel is working something to find Nicolas, hmmm. Maybe she can heal Michael?" Max thought out again. "Heal? You mean get him to a doctor?" Jesse asked, pulling out his cell phone. Max sees it and grabs it, melting the entire thing into liquid. "Jesse." Max says in a dark over tone. "Someone drugged you, you're not thinking clearly…. You should go." Max explains. Jesse is too daze by all this to get it, and nods, leaving in a cloudy trance like state.

Lonnie and Rath come back to the sewers

Isabel could hear them coming. So she dove to the bottom of the entrance and acted as if she had just got there. "Ah!" She screamed. Lonnie and Rath jumped down. "What?" They asked. Isabel turns to them, looking truly pissed off. "Jesse isn't here anymore! Ugh! God can't we keep one single hostage! Ah!" Isabel throws a fit, and starts throwing things. Lonnie and Rath laugh and nod, thinking she's not all that bad. "Well, now ain't dat just peachy!" Lonnie smacked her thigh. "Well den yous won't mind if we show ya da surprise now?" Rath asked. Isabel turned, shrugging carelessly. "Nah." She said. "Dat's good." Lonnie says and another pair of feet hit the floor. "Nicolas?" Isabel says, surprised, as he walks up, seeing that no one else is here. "Their gone, God damn it! I ask for one simple thing! Man!" He yells. "Yeah, well." Isabel recovers from her shock. "We didn't exactly have much of a choice." She explains. Nicolas sees the puddle of blood from Michael. "You hurt one?" He asks. Isabel nods. "Yep." She says. "Good, that will slow him down, along with his wife and child, he shouldn't be too hard to get." He smiles. Then Isabel smile turning away as her smile fades to worry.