Again, Tess' POV
I saw them coming, as i knew they would. It had all been laid out, and yet, it was still unavoidable. I quickly get up, handing the baby to Isabel, whose astounded that I know where to go. I stand in front of them, with my hand spread open.
Out of Tess' POV
Isabel reaches for Tess, trying to reel her in. "No!" She snaps. Tess yanks her arms away, pushing Isabel and the baby behind her. "I have the offensive powers, you, run!" She orders. Isabel hesitates for a moment, then begins to back up, slowly. As she does, the troops open fire. Isabel ducks, covering the baby. Tess bounces the bullets off with an invisible force. Then quickly turns to Isabel, grabbing her as they run down the hall.
As they run Tess tells Isabel. "I knew this would happen." She says slightly out of breath. Isabel is shocked. "What, how?" She questions. "I don't know, I just do! In here!" Tess leads them to a darkened room. The door shuts behind them, as the troops march past, unseen. "Tess." Isabel whispers. "Look." She flicks on the lights.
They both gasp at the enormous object sitting in the room. "It can't be... how did they get it here?" Tess asks. Isabel just stands with her mouth gapping open. "My ship?" Tess walks to it. Isabel close behind her. "Is it working?" She asks. Tess shrugs. "It wasn't when I left it. I don't know." She explains.
Placing her hand on a small sliver circle, that begins to glow. A door is created. "Well, wanna see inside?" Tess asks as Isabel smiles. "Okay." They both duck under the small sized door. "Over there is the nursery. Put the baby in the chamber, then lock it. Humans can't get inside it." Tess explains. "The onboard... I guess you could call it computer, feeds him and stuff, so that I can fly..." Tess taps on the panel, it makes a few sound. "There." She says proudly. "He's all set."
"He's safe here, all alone?" Isabel inquires. "Safer than if he was with me." Tess assures. "Good, then we're free to get the boys. And leave, with this ship, right?" Isabel says, her big plan seems more like a big dream.
Tess contemplates what to tell her. "Iz." She begins. "That isn't a plan. That's something you think of, then find something better, because it'll never work." Tess said, flatly. Isabel was offended. "Hey! At least I've got something, what do you have!" She snaps. Tess stood up. "Our technology, our history, our language, all locked up in my brain. We have a way to get out of here, to be safe, like Max and Michael wanted." Tess said.
Isabel's eyes narrowed as something dawned on her. "They're dead, aren't they?" She looks up at Tess, about to cry. Tess looks away. "That's why you didn't want to try and get them, because you already know they're dead!" She screams. Tess covers Isabel's mouth. "Sh!" She hisses. "This might look cool, but it's not sound proof!" She snaps. Isabel hushes herself. "They're not dead, but..." Tess trailed off. "But what?" Isabel broke out. "They're damn close. I don't know if we could save them." Tess explained. "And if we try, we'll die, I saw it." Tess reminded. "Are you sure that's what you saw? You saw us die?" Isabel questioned. "Well, no. I saw the troops grab us, you scream, then me, then everything went black. I assumed-" Isabel broke in. "Assuming gets us no where. The fact still remains that you have no idea what will happen, only a hunch, and hunches can be wrong." She says, plainly. Tess sighs, realizing that if she doesn't agree, Isabel will try it herself.
"Fine, but I'm setting the ship to leave in 1 hour. If we're not back it's sending my son home." As Tess taps on the main panel, Isabel studies her. "Why did you come back?" Isabel asks. Tess continues to type as she answers. "To get revenge." She says plainly. "Why didn't you?" Isabel asks again. "I... you four are all I have." Tess comments, finishing. "Let's go." She says, leading Isabel to the doorway. "Before we go, see if you can reach either of them, Max or Michael, okay?" She orders. Isabel nods, closing her eyes.
In her mind
Nothing. Complete and utter silence. "Michael!" Isabel's voice echoed. "Michael!" She sounded again. Finally a voice called back. "Isabel?" It questioned. It was Michael. "Where are you?" She asks the empty whiteness. "In a dark room, with no windows..." He called back. "Is Max there?" She asked. There was no answer for a moment. "Michael!" Isabel demanded. No answer again. "I'm sorry... Iz they got him!" Michael yelled. "Got him?" Isabel questioned. "We woke up in a van, Max used what was left of his energy and gave it to me, before I could refuse, then pushed me out of the van... he didn't get out." Michael explained. "No." Isabel whispered. "Then where are you?" She asked. "In a room, hiding, in the base they took Max too- where are you?" He questioned back. "I'm in Tess' ship, at the base, we're coming Michael, stay put!"
Isabel's eyes open fast. "What? What happened?" Tess asked. Isabel studied Tess. But Tess already knew. "I'm so sorry!" Isabel cried. They hugged each other. "No the important thing is to get Michael, where is he?" Tess said, trying to keep focused. Isabel shrugged. "I only know that there aren't any lights."
Tess' eye widened. "What? Well there are only two rooms that don't have lights on right now, we ran right past him!" Tess shouted, surprised, and feeling kind of stupid. "Oh my God!" Isabel would have laughed at the irony, but couldn't. "Stay here." Isabel said, running out.
She ran out into the hall. Looking to her left she saw another room that had no lights on. She smiled. "Michael!" The doors burst open. "Isabel?" A voice questioned. She wrapped her arms around him. They kissed. The lights flickered on. Sparks flying every direction, coming off them like beams from a sun. They embraced each other. "Oh God, I thought we told you two to leave!" Michael snapped, lovingly. "I know, but I couldn't, not with out you!" Isabel kisses him again, then runs back to the next room. "Holy shit!" Michael says, looking at the ship, as Isabel leads him inside. Tess is standing right where Isabel left her. "Max?" Tess looked to Michael. "I know." she said, answering her own question. "No. He's alive." Michael corrected. Tess' eyes watered. "I know! Okay! I know. But I, we can't... you'll all die! I can't live knowing that I was the one who sent you!" Tess begged them to stay. "Tess. It's Max. He'd do the same for us, please." Isabel pleaded.
After what seemed like forever. Tess sighed, agreeing to their demands. "Fine, but the ship leaves in 40 minutes, with or without us." Tess reminded as they ran out into the hall, the ship closing behind them.
They battled several waves of troops. But between the three, they we're able to escape with minor cuts and bruises. Finally, Michael stopped at a door. "In here!" He called. They turned. The lights we're red, pointing at a table. They scanned the room, no one was there, except the body on the table. Everything was silent. They could have heard a pin drop.
As they begin to approach the table, sounds of heals clicking on the tile floor got their attention. "He's dead." The voice sneered. They all looked towards the voice. "Who the hell are you?" Michael snapped. "I'm the main doctor, the one that 'studied him'. We knew you'd come to collect one of your own..." He says, slyly. "No." Isabel begins to cry, shaking her head in disbelief. "How do you know our language?" The Doctor asks. "Your- what?" Michael is pissed off. "You killed a King! The Antarian race will crush you!" Tess blurts out. The doctor steps back, a little taken. "A King was sent as a soldier to conquer Earth?" He asks, smirking thinking it's a bluff. "Conquer-? What the hell are you going on about! We never wanted to come here, idiot! Your race is sooo vastly different from ours! We crashed moron!" Tess bashed his intelligence. "Really? Then why do you look like humans?' he asked. "Alright, that's it!" Michael raised his hand, he shot a energy wave at him, but nothing happened. "You see those lights?" The doctor pointed up. "They have a special ray in them, they disintegrates your gifts, so they are rendered useless while under them." He smirked. "Fine, then. I'll just have to kill you will my bare hands!" Michael lunged for him, but Tess and Isabel grabbed him.
"No." Tess stepped forward. "He's lying." She explained. "H-how do you know-?" The doctor studied her. "I read your simple human brain, you're bluffing, trying to find out our weakness'." Tess smirked. "Not a bad plan. And I must commend you on your acting, very good. But I can feel him, he's alive." Tess said, dangerously.
She walked up to his face, breathing up at him, looking into his eyes. Burrowing holes in his soul. She backed him into a corner, then took a deep breath. "Boo!" She snickered. The doctor jumped. He pressed a button on his wrist. The lights directly over the table were turned off, and the body began to move. Without taking her eyes off the doctor. "Take the King to his ship, we're leaving. As absolute ruler of Antar, while the king is absent. I declare war on Earth! May whatever God you believe in, have mercy on your souls." She smirked, turning with an attitude and leaving, following out right behind Michael and Isabel who had grabbed Max. Leaving the doctor quacking in his boots, looking like he made pee himself at any moment.
Isabel looked at Michael, who looked at Tess. "Your-?" They asked. "Um, no. But I'm a better actress then he was!" Tess laughed, they all smirked, giggling. "We will be, as soon as Max shows his face... his true face, the people will over throw what ever is left of Kivar's army, and we'll have control again..." Tess paused as they laid Max down on the ships bed. "I wasn't kidding about Earth, they will pay for what they did." She said, dead serious. "I don't think killing them all will solve anything." Isabel protested, as Tess started the engines. Tess smiled, evilly. "Who said I was gonna kill anyone?" She laughed as the ship began to start.
As they begin to leave
Tess steered the ship to the left, smashing the wall. "Hey!" Michael said, as the ship jolted them. Tess blushed. "Oops, my bad." She giggled, as she blew a huge hole in the wall with the ships weapons. Flying the ship, or with lightening speeds. "How did they fix it?" Isabel asked, looking around. Tess shrugged. "Good ol' fashion hard-work, I suppose. They probably didn't even know it was broken." She admits.
"Wait." A voice called from the back. Isabel turned, Max was sitting up. "What?" She asks her brother. "We can't leave." He says. Tess keeps going, ignoring his calls. "Tess! Stop?" Michael says, confused. She continues to ignore them. "Hey, what is this? Stop the ship!" Isabel pulls at her shoulder. Tess jolts her back with her powers, never lifting a finger.
She stares ahead as she speaks to them, who stand behind her. "We're not going back. Understand? The king is absent from duty. I am ruler, and I say we leave!" Tess snaps. Isabel smiles. "No. He's okay, see. Look." She says guiding Tess attention to Max, who sat up, looking fine. "He's really not." Tess assured. "What are you talking about?" Max asked, confused. "I feel fine." He assured.
Tess reconfigured the controls. So only she could control the ship. It was set on its destination, Antar.
Standing up, and turning slowly around. "I don't care, what I have to do to get you back there. If I have to drag your dead and beaten bodies myself, I will. But not one of you are leaving." She says flatly, cold and harsh.
They stand, utterly amazed at her tone. Gazing at each other, and her. Each contemplates attack, but they all know they wouldn't last. Michael is slightly behind her now. He makes a move to grab her. With out facing him. "Don't even think about." Tess says, knowing his motions. "You wouldn't get more than one foot, before I'd have you crushed in two." She says harshly.
Finally Max stands up to her. "Tess! I am King and you will listen to me!" He says, demanding. "You, King? Since when? Huh? When you were sucking face with Liz, or pretending to be human? You're no King! The only reason your King is because that seal on your brain says so!" She snaps. "I-I don't understand? I thought you were on our side?" Isabel weeps. Tess turns to her. "Idiot. I'm on our people's side. I chose to return you three to save them. I'm sorry if your petty needs are to grand to see that an entire world has been suffering, awaiting Zan's return!" She stomps her foot. The hole ship gets jostled, the baby begins to cry. Max makes a motion to get to him. Tess raised her head, defensively. "Make a move, and I'll kill you. I may need you, but I never said you have to be alive, catch my drift?" She says slyly.
She is facing them all. "You three could never understand the true importance of our roles. It wasn't just destiny that was needed. We had a people, and entire race of beings waiting for us, their savors, to help them. I tried and tried to get you to come, willingly. I tried to trick you into thinking there was no other way. But time and again, you chose your needs over our peoples. You think your heroes?" Tess looked at their blank faces. "Heroes implies action, while you did nothing." She stops. Isabel breaks in. "Excuse us! But we saved Earth and humans plenty of times!" She protests. "So? You saved Earth. You healed a few measly humans. I don't care. You neglected that fact that thousands upon thousands of your innocent people died, holding onto the grim chance that their King would return, and save them. You three disgust me." Tess makes a face, her hand still out-stretched towards them.
"We're sorry. We didn't understand." Michael begins. "Michel, just shut the hell up! I know, alright? I get it. I understand. I know what you feel, I know that you remember, I know what you harbor in your mind, so just shut up! Don't act dumb around me, it drives me nuts!" Tess snaps. Michael's jaw drops. Max turns to him. "You remember?" He asks, bluntly. "Yeah." Michael sighs. "What is that you remember?" Isabel asks.
Tess rolls her eyes. "Oh, now you want to know. When he spent night after night alone, neither of you, wanting, or caring what my brother was up too?" Tess snaps again. "Hey! That's not fair, you-" But Tess interrupts Isabel. "Fair? Who are you to talk of what's right? You sit here, still harboring anger that I killed Alex. When you choose to ignore all that you did, and pretend you're Isabel Evans. Well, Vilondra, hate to break it to you, but Isabel never existed." Tess stops, looking past her and Michael to Max. He had sat there, silently the whole time. "Well, your majesty? Are you going to forget this betrayal of a loved one, like you forgot hers? Or will you jump ship and pretend you never knew me?" Tess asked, pointing her hand at his face. Max just looked at her, piercing her with his stare.
"I never wanted to be King. Half of me still refuses to believe that I am what I am." Max begins. Tess' eyes soften a little, as he talks. "You've always been strong, brave and some how I never saw it." Max, looks up at her she is confused. "Saw what?" Tess asks. "Your slow decline into insanity. You sit there, day in, day out, never living. What good would we be to the people, if we're crazy when we got home? Like I said, I never wanted to be king, or to have special powers. All I ever wanted was a simple life, normal. To know who I was, and not have to pretend. But pretending is what I am good at." He stands up. Placing his palm against Tess'.
Tess' eyes widen, as something dawns on her. "No." She whispers, her hand still against his. Max just smirks, knowingly. "I pretended to be human. I pretended to be Max Evans. But do you know what the hardest thing I had to pretend to be was?" He asks, his voice drops. Tess shakes her head in disbelief, as Max continues. "The hardest thing was to pretend I didn't know, that I was weaker than you, than all of you..." He looks over at Michael and Isabel, then back at Tess. She shakes her head, deciding it's a bluff. Her palm against his, she attempts to shoot his hand off. Her power builds, but Max absorbs it.
"How did you do that?" Michael asks. Max is smiling. "Do you think that a King would be weaker than his soldier? Than a princess?" He asks, smugly. They are silent, stunned at what has happened. "Do you remember what I used to be famous for, when I was Zan?" Max asks. Michael and Isabel stare at him, but Tess looks up. "Your ability to heal-" She stops, rubbing her head. "No. That's wrong..." Something is becoming clearer to her. "You could fog people, manipulate them in ways I never could. You could pull off any kind of lie or bluff that way. It's how you gain control of Antar." Tess is shocked as she says this. "How could I have not remembered?" She says to herself.
Max smiles. He places his hand against her cheek. Their palms still touching. She looks up, sadly. "I had to…" He sighs. Tess lets a tear fall from her cheek. He kisses her cheek before the tears can slid off. She closes her eye as his lips are gently placed on her skin. "I love you." Max says. "I never loved anyone else." He assures. She looks up. "B-but Liz?" She stutters. "No. I never loved anyone else, no one but you." He assures. Tess lets out a soft sigh. Max hugs her. For the first time, she is the weaker one, and lets herself feel protected in his arms.
Isabel clears her throat. "Max… what do we do now?" She asks. Max looks at each of them, he is in control. "We go home."