I don't own Roswell or any of its franchise.
A/N What's this? I updated pretty quick this time, didn't I? Hehe, I decided I didn't want to leave you hanging for too long. There is a bit of torture in this chapter, but it's not too graphic and never from the actual victims point of view, so it shouldn't be too gruesome to read even for those squeamish of you. I hope it doesn't seem too choppy, but I really wanted something out fast and this is the end result. Thanks for the lovely reviews as well, they're the main reason I couldn't stop writing this really long chapter!
Unbetaed, but if you catch some mistakes, I'd love to correct them if you tell me about them (:
Last Time on TATT: The hybrids and Kyle take care of the Dupes and plan to handle Pierce. Liz grows weary of all the secret keeping around her and makes a bad decision. Max gets reacquainted with the White Room…
CHAPTER TWENTYFOUR
Isabel's POV
Isabel was in a fairly decent mood for once, which was surprising to her since her brother was about to embark on one of the most idiotic plans of all time. She'd tried convincing him to figure out something else, anything else, but even after she'd all but pleaded with him as he changed his clothes, Max didn't listen.
None of that explained her fairly positive mood, but it was simple really. Isabel was picking up an extra shift; evidently Liz had wanted a night off for once, and the sight of Alex sitting by the counter, doing homework always cheered her up.
And it doesn't hurt that he always lights up when he sees me, Isabel thought as she walked over to the counter to get her order pad. "Hi Alex."
It was when Alex barely looked into her eyes with a thin smile on his lips, and the quick rush of disappointment rushed through their bond that Isabel remembered that Michael and Max weren't the only ones dealing with an irate human. "Hello Isabel," he muttered, tearing his gaze away from her and with it gone, Isabel's mood plummeted once more.
"D-Do you need anything?" Great Isabel, Isabel thought sarcastically to herself, why don't you stutter some more and get him to see what a great catch your hybrid behind really is.
Alex blinked as he slowly looked back up at her, looking as if he tried with all his might not to look her into her eyes. "I would like another soda, thanks."
Eager to do something, anything to get back on her once upon a time boyfriend's good side, Isabel all but ran to the soda machine and grabbed the biggest glass she could find and filled it to the brim. Agnes sauntered by and snorted at the beverage which was running over the sides of the glass, staining Isabel's fingers with its yellow color.
"Move along, Agnes," Isabel warned the older waitress, not really in the mood to be ridiculed at that point in time by the diner's resident black cloud of doom, "nothing to see here."
A moment later, she finally managed to hand over a perfectly cooled and filled glass of orange soda, feeling as though it was the biggest thing she'd ever procured for anyone. "It's on me," Isabel added with a beaming smile when Alex fumbled with his wallet to pay.
"Oh, I can't let you-" he started, but Isabel just waved off his objections and rushed over to a couple that had just entered the Crashdown to take their order. On the way, she noticed Michael sitting in the booth they all usually sat in, staring holes in the back of Maria's eyes as she dashed around with practiced ease and completely ignored him – even though he'd obviously tried getting her attention for a while.
Deciding that the couple, who were busy kissing each other, could stand to wait a little, Isabel made her way over to her fellow time traveler. "Hey Michael, what can I get you?"
Michael waved her off, not taking his eyes off of Maria as he spoke, "I'm sitting in Maria's section. I want her to take my order, Iz. Sorry."
Isabel shrugged and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as her heart went out to him at the almost desperately longing gaze he was sporting. "I'll tell her to-"
"No, don't interfere," Michael interrupted quietly, "She's pissed and it's not without reason so I'm just gonna sit here and wait until she's ready. I'm not gonna push her…"
Isabel glanced back over her shoulder at Alex, who was sitting calmly with his now half-full soda. He looked gloomy and just the thought of it being her fault made her chest ache uncomfortably. "Yeah, me neither," she muttered at Michael, giving his shoulder one last squeeze before finally going over to take the very affectionate couple's order.
The rest of the shift passed by with its usual mix of rushing around or doing a whole lot of nothing, sending former, snobbish friends their much deserved glares when they tried to assert their popularity over Isabel's as she waited on them. It gave the Antarian princess quite a good feeling to quell any and all attempts of the teenage girls to discredit her and make her feel like a loser.
Like any of that even matters to me anymore, Isabel thought as she'd just "accidentally" tripped over thin air and spilled quite a bit of coke on the one girl, who'd she'd heard mutter stuff, not only about Isabel herself, but about Alex as well. Apparently, the gangly teen just sitting minding his own business was enough to get him on the bully's radar. I've killed more people than I could ever have imagined and now I'm supposed to be devastated by a pack of little kids trying to make me feel intimidated. As if…
Since it was a school day the next day, Isabel's shift was short and she followed a neutral looking Maria into the backroom to change out of her uniform. Just as she was about to go against Michael's wishes and ask if the blonde had any intentions of forgiving him, it happened.
It was something that she'd hoped never, ever to feel again; a stabbing, piercing wave of raw emotion crashed into the very core of her being with the strength of a hundred tsunamis.
HELP ME!
The cry for help raced through her and caused Isabel to stumble forward into the still opened locker in front of her as she battled the overflowing nausea that the possibilities of the distress call invoked.
"Isabel?" Maria sounded frantic, and a small part of Isabel really wanted to just reassure her old friend that she was fine and that there was no reason to worry, but the bigger, more realistic part that had lived through wars, knew better and just couldn't muster up any real comfort for the human- Especially since she was busy trying not to gag out all of her sudden fears.
A second later, the door to the backroom slammed open and Michael stormed in with a stone faced Kyle trailing after him. Evidently, he didn't need his powers to realize something was really off to put that expression on Michael's face.
"Iz?" Michael's hands went to her face and she felt him deliberately lift her up and as their eyes met, Michael used their ability to talk without being overheard.
'What's wrong? I felt something horrible, but it was too vague for me to get a handle on. Is it Max?'
Isabel nodded, her tongue suddenly too dry to function properly as her very imaginative mind began assaulting her with unbearable images of what had made her proud brother plea like that.
'He's in trouble Michael,' she sent back even as her mouth gasped out the same words audibly.
Isabel didn't let Maria's confused, and Kyle's more relevant questions bother her, nor did she acknowledge Michael's continued attempts at probing into her mind, she was busy being consumed with pure, unadulterated fear for Max. And then, Michael was pushed away as familiar cool hands settled on her face in much the same way, Michael's had been only seconds before.
"Breathe Isabel," Alex's soothing voice echoed all around her, chasing away the mocking fantasies that kept on trying to drown her senses to drag her down fully into despair. "Breathe!"
Only then, did the beautiful hybrid realize that she'd forgotten all about breathing in her desperate state of mind and she took in a lungful of air with a gasp.
Isabel calmed a fraction and locked eyes with the one human she loved above any reason, considering he'd been killed so early on in their previous life. Alex's eyes were dark with worry and his own concern for her and she tried with all her might to send some semblance of cautious calm through their connection, but to her surprise, Alex frowned with frustration and shook his head.
"Don't try to calm me down like an upset kid," he ordered, forcing his own anger back at her and she blinked as something seemed to burst like a bubble within him and a moment later, she was hit with a wave of his emotions that went way over the normal standard and then everything turned blissfully dark.
Maria's POV
The second that Isabel bowled backwards, looking for all the world like she'd just croaked, all hell broke loose.
Michael growled and within the span of two seconds, Kyle had slammed Alex into the small cluster of lockers that stood up against the wall into the diner. "What the fuck did you just do?" Michael's voice was guttural with rage and his eyes were narrowed ominously in a way that really shouldn't be sending pleasant tingles down her back.
Kyle stood right by the angry hybrid's side and that left Maria to take care of the downed female left unnoticed on the floor. She looks really pale, Maria observed, automatically checking to see if she'd sustained any bumps on the head since Alex had been removed so fast that he'd barely managed to stop the girl's fall. She seemed like something terrible happened and I really hope it's not something too horrible to any of us…
Maria breathed a small sigh of relief when Isabel's eyes began to flutter in the next moment, realizing that she'd been more scared than she cared to admit. Who'd have guessed I'd be starting to see Queen Amidala as my friend?
Isabel's eyes slowly opened and the look in them touched something within Maria, it was soft and full of joy at seeing her, and then in their next breath, Isabel's eyes widened as everything seemed to crash into her all at once. Another breath and a quick look over Maria's shoulder and Isabel was jumping to her feet and sent Kyle and Michael stumbling into the opposite wall with one raised hand. "what the heck are you two doing?" she hissed, stepping in front of a pale faced Alex, who looked immensely relieved at seeing her, not only wide awake and a whole lot less panicky, but angry and ready to protect him from the two angry males, who were busy straightening back up after her unexpected attack.
"He hurt you!" Kyle said, looking eager to get back into the fray, but Isabel's glare stopped him cold, just as it did Michael, who was not trying to avoid the disappointed look that Maria was sending him.
"He was comforting me," Isabel stated coldly and walked backwards a few steps to be within touching distance from the still shaken looking Alex, "he'd never hurt me and you two should know better than anybody!"
Maria rolled her eyes mentally; here they go again with their secrets and coded messages. I swear someday I'll-
She was pulled out of her bitter planning when she heard that they were now in the middle of discussing what to do and how to find Max. Huh, Maria realized with a start, seems like I was out a lot longer than I thought.
"-find him if we don't go out and look for him!" Isabel whisper yelled, trying not to gain attention from Jeff Parker, who'd just walked by the door on his way to the kitchen apparently.
Michael ran a hand through his shaggy hair, "it's no use, if that worked we'd have found him when Khi-"
"Kids tried to bully him, right?" Kyle interjected quickly, sending a look at Maria and Alex, who in turn shared their own look. Obviously that hadn't been what Michael had been about to say. Too tired to protest any more, Maria pretended that she hadn't heard and just kept listening in on the more and more absurd suggestions at locating Max.
A few minutes later, Maria had had just about enough of being ignored and raised her hand pompously, and started speaking coolly to the others. "I realize that as a lowly human I couldn't possibly add to this oh-so-productive conversation that's been going on these last few moments, but," here Maria's glance went to Kyle, who seemed to wilt under the quick glare, "since Valenti here is allowed to speak up amongst the so-called-cool crowd, I'm gonna speak too. Any of you ever thought about grabbing Liz?"
At the looks of confusion, Maria barely managed to force back her eye roll. "Does Liz, or does she not, share a huge bond with the missing Max? Couldn't she be the key to locating him since she's probably curled up in a ball right now, feeling confused and scared out of her intelligent little mind? Just a suggestion…"
The looks that Isabel, Michael and Kyle shared would've earned a proud chuckle from Maria if she wasn't feeling so tense at that point in time. They looked like they'd been slapped in the head with a brick for only one moment longer, before Kyle spun around and led the way upstairs to the Parker's apartment.
Maria grabbed Alex's arm and followed suit, not needing a mirror to know she had a very determined look on her face. They're not leaving us out of this anymore, I'm sick of it!
As soon as she stepped into Liz's room and saw the frozen trio in there, looking confused as to why the clever brunette weren't there since they needed her, Maria got a bad feeling. She walked past the other people and started looking around.
"Where's Liz?" Michael asked, looking at the clearly unoccupied bed as if she'd magically appear if he stared at it long enough.
"Mr. Parker just said she wanted a night off," Isabel muttered, glancing out of the open window to see if maybe the girl was sleeping on the small terrace.
"She left earlier," of all people, it was Alex, who seemed to know something and Maria was the first by his side as he continued quietly, "I saw her leave and asked her what she was up to. She said she was going to do some research for some biology project she was working on, which I thought was weird since we don't have a project right now, but it's not unusual for Liz to want to work ahead so I just thought that she-"
"Thanks Alex," Kyle interrupted, smiling a bit guiltily at him, finally seeming to realize that he'd actually crossed a pretty big line when he'd attacked Alex earlier.
"It's clearly a lie," Maria stated even as she started walking around with the air of someone who was used to spend time in Liz's neat room. "She's up to something and I've got this weird feeling that it's got something to do with Max."
At the mention of Max's name, the tension came crashing back into room and Maria stepped out the window, following a part of her that told her to do so even as she made sure to take in every little detail of the space before her.
There was a niggling feeling of déjà vu inside of her and Maria had a brief flash of a weary looking Liz talking about a hidden journal, before she found herself standing in front of the place where she just knew there was a loose brick and before she hesitated enough to talk herself out of acting on it, Maria reached out and a moment later, she was standing with a bulging, brown journal in her hands.
Immediately, Maria opened it up to the last page and gasped at what she found written in hurried scribble.
-I don't know why I feel so odd about this, but something's telling me that Max and the others aren't telling me everything. I feel like there's this compulsion on me to find out as much as I can, since it's obvious that no one is willing to tell me or Maria or Alex anything. So, I'm going to hide in Max's Jeep as soon as I finish this entry. Hopefully it'll bring me some clarity, something that I feel that I've been missing since that day where he brought me back to life…
"What does it say?"
Michael's murmur next to her, startled Maria and she closed the journal with a snap. Every word that Liz had written resonated within Maria; she felt exactly the same and it was only the right opportunity that had given Liz the chance to act first.
"She's with Max," Maria decided that was the least worrying aspect of what she'd just discovered, but as soon as the words left her mouth, Michael paled drastically and looked over at the window where Isabel stood watching them with worried eyes.
Okay, I may not have been right about that, Maria thought, biting her lower lip with increasing worry as true fear bowled into her from Michael's side. Evidently he'd forgotten to monitor their bond for the time being.
"He's with Pierce then," Maria heard Kyle mutter from behind Isabel. Judging from the flinch the unknown name brought forth in all the Czechoslovakians – and Kyle – Maria figured that whoever Pierce was, it wasn't a nice person.
"Do you think…?" Michael began, before looking briefly down at Maria, who finally exploded.
"Hold up!" She screeched, holding up a hand to make her point, "If this Pierce person is bad, I deserve to know everything and so does Alex! Right, Alex?" she looked beseechingly over at Alex, who stood quietly in the back.
"Calm down," Isabel softly said, but it only served to incite Maria's rage even more.
"No, I won't calm down! Now talk before I start screaming my head off."
Kyle looked like he didn't really know whether to scowl or smile, so Maria sent him a sneer that quickly brought an end to any expression on the young man.
"For Heaven's sake, Michael," Isabel finally exclaimed, her hand massaging her temples wearily, "tell her something so we can get on with saving Max and Liz from that monster."
Michael sighed and then took a deep breath before he launched into a story about how this Pierce guy was the slightly dopey Deputy Fisher in disguise – something that really freaked Maria out, considering her mom had flirted quite severely with the guy just the other day.
"-and now he's somehow managed to get a hold of not only Max but Liz as well. There's no doubt that he's hurting them." Michael trailed off quietly, seeming to expect an explosion of epic proportions from her.
Well, he's gonna be disappointed, Maria thought even as she was battling herself to keep from doing just as everyone expected from her. If Pierce hurts one hair on her head, I'm gonna kill him. No, I'm gonna sick my mom on him and then I'll sit back and watch the real agony begin!
"Maria?" Alex's whisper of her name brought the admittedly dramatic girl back to her senses and she looked up at her tall childhood friend. He smiled briefly and nodded over at the trio, who were busy muttering amongst themselves. "They're gonna go after them. It seems like they know where this secret base is, so…Anyway, we're supposed to stay behind."
"No way!" The words left her lips before she'd even fully formed the words mentally, and within a span of two seconds, Maria had placed herself firmly in front on Liz's window to keep them all from leaving. The startled looks she was receiving didn't deter her in the least. "You're not going anywhere without me!"
Michael's sigh of frustration was nothing compared to the small burst that rushed from his end of the bond to hers, but it only managed to increase Maria's stubborn streak. "Maria, be reasonable; it's too dangerous to come with us. You're only hu…" he stopped short and Maria laughed a cold laugh that seemed to have an effect on not only him, but the others as well.
"Only human, you mean." Maria said after she'd caught her breath. Then she looked over at Kyle, who actually refused to meet her gaze and instead, Maria looked back up the guy she had some very strong feelings for. "I'm not the only human that's going with you. Again it seems like Kyle's got a free pass to tag along even though he's just as pathetically human as I am."
"That's not what I meant," Michael objected, taking a small step forward only to stop dead the moment that he realized that Maria stepped backwards at his advancement. "Maria, it's too dangerous; I couldn't live with you getting hurt. It'd kill me more than anything else could. I love you."
Maria huffed; trying not to think too much about the pleasant feeling his words awoke inside of her. "Right now, you've got a funny way of showing it. If Kyle goes, I go, it's as simple as that; no," Maria continued after one more quick look of disgust in Kyle's direction, "screw that; I'm going no matter what!"
"Stop acting like a child! I'm not letting you go anywhere!" Michael roared, at the end of his rope and he walked closer with thin lips and an angry expression on his face that actually managed to make Maria a little bit nervous.
Before she listened too much to the more rational part of her, Maria's hand had moved and the sound of the slap she'd just given Michael echoed in the sudden silence. No one moved for a long moment, and Maria forced back the feeling of regret she'd had the instant her hand had connected with his skin.
"You may not trust this lonely overly dramatic human," Maria glanced harshly over at Kyle and Isabel before she continued, looking Michael straight in the eye, "but Liz is my best friend and I'll be damned if I don't help save her. She's been there for me more than anybody else and despite my feelings for you, I'm not gonna obey you like some little scared girl. I'll do just what she'd do for me. I'll grab Alex and follow you in the Jetta, because I know he's just as willing to save his friend as you are to save yours. Right, Alex?"
Alex nodded and stepped up next to her, not even speaking but his meaning was clear. He was going too.
Michael looked down at her for one long beat of silence; the mark from her fingers on his cheek almost glowing in the light from Liz's room, but Maria refused to feel guilty. She refused! Then, Michael broke their stare to look over at Isabel and Kyle and Maria bit her lip again. If he's gonna do some Czechoslovakian mumbo jumbo on me, I'll never forgive him…
Michael sighed heavily and looked down at the ground after another brief, tense pause, looking as though his world was crumbling around him. Isabel sent him an understanding look, glanced up at Alex with a look of confusion in her gaze before finally focusing on Maria, who still didn't know what was gonna happen.
"Can you get your mom's car without raising any suspicion? We'll need it for where we're going…All of us."
Maria barely held back a childish whoop of triumph as she nodded eagerly and it didn't take long before they were all seated in her mom's beat up car. Hang on Liz, Maria thought, speeding out of Roswell after pausing long enough to pick up a bewildered, but willing to help Tess, hoping that none of Kyle's father's deputies were out on the prowl that night, we're coming. Just please hang on…
Pierce's POV
"This must be what it feels like when a child gets his most anticipated wish and realizes that it's just not as good as it's supposed to be." Pierce said, not taking his gaze from the sight in front of him.
The sight being Max Evans, or whatever name he went under since that obviously couldn't be his real name given his origins, strung up by chains from the ceiling of the White Room, undergoing what in layman's terms was called torture.
Although, Pierce thought with an inwardly grimace, that is such a crude word.
The women next to him shuddered almost unnoticeable, but Pierce didn't let on that he'd caught it. After all, it's not that long ago she was the one all but living in that room, he thought, this time allowing a small, satisfied smirk to sit on his lips. He could allow himself to be gracious in his victory.
"I have the files you asked for Sir," she stated, handing him a bunch of papers with that slight tremor in her fingers that she hadn't been able to lose since said visit in the White Room.
"Thank you, Kathleen," Pierce took the files with a small smile and briefly looked through the one on the top, labeled Isabel Evans. It barely took a minute for him to realize that there really wasn't a lot to go on. He looked back up at Kathleen, who was trying her best not to look affected by the sight of Max's torso being cut with scalpels.
"This can't be all there is. Are the other files just as unsatisfactory? I thought you knew better than to let me down like this."
Kathleen gulped. "I did my best Sir, but since that Nasedo character took me, I really didn't have a lot of time to-"
"Spare me the excuses, Agent Topolsky," Pierce didn't sneer, but it was pretty close. To cheer himself up, he looked back at Max. A little while later, he felt at ease again and set down the files on a nearby table. "How are things progressing with Miss Parker?"
It was as if the thing acting like Max Evans could actually hear him, because as soon as Pierce spoke Liz's name, he looked up from his stare at the white floor and right into Pierce's eyes, completely disregarding the white clad doctor, who was busy running a razor sharp scalpel down his torso for the tenth time.
The blood gushed out and it was obvious that the perturbed human wasn't completely happy with his victim being so calm and collected and had cut just a little deeper than was perfectly necessary.
Max's eyes were dark, almost black and the lack of any expression on his face actually managed to send something akin to a shiver down the back of Pierce's spine, but he shook it off, not willing to let his momentary weakness be seen even though it was impossible for the captured alien to see him behind the glass.
I'm the winner here, Pierce thought vindictively as he straightened himself up.
"Sir," Kathleen's voice brought him back to the here and now and he looked at her, trying not to let his unsettlement of Max's behavior show on his face. "Liz Parker is just a child compared to that one in there; she's hurt and in a lot of pain and I…Honestly, Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I can't see the benefit of torturing Liz."
Pierce smirked and slowly looked back at Max, narrowing his eyes when he saw that the alien hadn't moved his head an inch. Unable to take that attitude anymore, he reached out and pressed a button. There was a pause inside the White Room and the man, who'd been calmly taking his so called care of Max, stopped immediately and looked over at the place where he knew his superior, was standing.
"Take a break and go focus on the female." The effect of those words was instant; and not entirely what Pierce had expected.
Max stiffened and his already dark eyes darkened even more and the snarl on his lips made him look almost feral; his fingers clenched in his bindings and as if in slow motion Max somehow managed to rip through them, cutting up his wrist with no regard for his personal safety and all of that happened even though it was supposed to be impossible – the first thing Pierce had had done was inject Max with the power suppressing serum that they'd developed during their experiments on the original aliens in their possession.
Pierce had only just pressed the alarm button when Max had unceremoniously snapped the neck of the middle aged man, who'd been delighting in his pain for the last several hours and as four suit wearing agents stormed inside the White Room to subdue him, Max's head was turned towards where Pierce was still standing immobile, somehow paralyzed by the pure hate poured out of those dark eyes.
"If you lay one more finger on her, I will kill you in the most hideous way imaginable," Max growled even as three of the agents kept beating on his already abused body. It was as if he didn't feel any of it as he continued threateningly, "and I've got a lot of imagination – just ask your Agent Topolsky."
Finally, the fourth agent had determined, just as everyone else, that beating Max Evans into submission was a dead end and took out his personal tazer that was issued to all federal agents and planted it straight into Max's throat. The insane looking alien teenager dropped like a sack of potatoes, thrashing violently in the process.
Not admitting it out loud, Pierce silently enjoyed the view for a few more moments before turning back to an extremely pale looking Kathleen. "Now that is taken care of, I will let you go in search of our departed doctor's second in command to take over his responsibilities. I'm sure he's just as inventive as his predecessor."
"Sir…What about Liz Parker?" Kathleen's voice stopped him just as he reached the door to the hallway.
Smiling slightly, Pierce turned around and said calmly, "I'll handle the little Miss Parker in the interim, don't you worry, Agent Topolsky."
With one final nod, the Special Unit's leader made his way down the hall and stopped in front of the guarded door where he knew he'd find Liz Parker, chained to one of the interrogation chairs; her broken arm still uncared for simply due to the spiteful part of Pierce. As long as Max Evans wasn't cooperating, she wouldn't be getting any medical help.
Besides, he thought running a hand through his already smooth hair, making sure his attire was as flawless as always, it's not like she won't be needing it again later anyway if Max keeps beings so self-centered.
Just as he reached out to open the door, nodding briefly at the guard standing at attention next to it, Pierce was suddenly filled with the memory of Max's guttural threat; "if you lay one more finger on her, I will kill you in the most hideous way imaginable."
It took a little while, but eventually Pierce fought down the unexpected quiver those words brought him and he took a deep breath and entered the room with one thought only.
I'm not going to let that creature intimidate me; I'm the master in this scenario.
0o0o0
Pierce exited Liz Parker's holding cell with a mix between a satisfied and weary sigh. He wasn't entirely happy about having to curb his natural tendency to go all out on the obviously brainwashed girl, who'd turned traitor to her race, but he had enjoyed using all of his abilities to hit her where it hurt most; her mind.
Looking down at the device in his hand, Pierce smirked slightly; it was a fairly new invention, which looked like a more technical version of a virtual reality helmet for computer gaming systems. It had been an instant hit in the Interrogation Units across the country – at least in those divisions that were enough in the dark to justify scaring the life out of their hostages, Pierce thought, handing the device to the stone faced guard by the door.
As he slowly made his way back to the White Room to see how much Max had come to realize that actions really had severe consequences, Pierce thought back on the hour he'd spent with Liz Parker. First, she'd been crying and begging for help, mercy, anything really, but it hadn't lasted very long.
In fact, Pierce thought, placing his hand on the scanner by the entrance into that section of the base that held the White Room, she seemed to grow a spine surprisingly fast. These kids may be traitors and alien scum, but they sure do have guts.
The image of Liz's tear stained face as he'd removed the device from her head that had just shown her violent images of all of her friends and family dying, came to the agent's mind as he finally reached his destination. He ignored the small part of him that had repressed a shudder as Liz had spat at his feet and said just one thing.
"I can feel Max right now and no matter what's going to happen with us, he's going to make you hurt more than us; mark my words."
The certainty in the exhausted teenager's voice and eyes had hit something inside of the older man, but he'd shaken it off and slapped her hard, cracking her lip in the process.
"Sir," an agent stopped in front of him, looking a bit bemused as to why Pierce was just standing frozen in front of the White Room, "the hostile woke pretty soon after you left and no matter what we've done, he's shaken it off…except…" The younger agent trailed off and only continued when Pierce raised an eyebrow in question, "except for about ten minutes ago; he started roaring like some sort of animal and once again managed to get one hand free from his bindings despite it being broken. We subdued him with tranquilizers, but Agent Stevenson will need medical leave. I have to admit I'm confused as to why the serum isn't having much of an effect."
Ten minutes ago, Pierce frowned, looking down at his right hand, it was around that time I struck Liz. Can he somehow feel how she's been treated? The very idea seemed preposterous to the logical agent, but then he once more heard Liz's hoarse voice in his head.
"I can feel Max right now and no matter what's going to happen with us, he's going to make you hurt more than us; mark my words."
"I have no doubt that the serum is merely taking a bit longer to work on him than the original batch due to his human DNA," Pierce changed the subject, since he really hated not knowing all the answers. "How is the hostile doing now?" Pierce managed to force down the small shudder that had somehow escaped him and looked his subordinate straight into the eyes, giving none of his personal feelings away.
"He's somehow still awake and keep on muttering, "you promised," whenever he sees Agent Topolsky in the room. We had to send her away after the third time due to her still fragile emotional state." There was a small tone of disapproval in the younger man's voice; evidently, he wasn't approving of Pierce's decision to clear Kathleen for active duty after the last few months she'd had.
"Well, let's go in and see if we can't get the young man to think of something else than my agents." Pierce said and entered the White Room, enjoying the sight of the clearly injured alien for a second, before realizing with a start that the subject still wasn't even remotely broken.
Max Evans was glaring with cold eyes at him and once more it was like an invisible grip was taking hold of him and choking him. No human would ever look so dangerous, Pierce thought, forcing his feet to keep moving forward with a bit of an internal struggle that fortunately wasn't visible to the naked eye.
"Really Max, if you still have energy to pout like that, you should've let my men take more care of you." Pierce gestured to some of the cautious looking medics in the room, who approached the silent Max with hesitation as if he was a wild animal.
I'm not scared of you, Pierce thought out to the deceptively looking teen, I'm just protecting my country and I will break you. He rolled up his sleeves as he decided to get more involved in the process himself. A moment later, the White Room echoed with the sounds of knuckles hitting skin, but it didn't quite soothe the unnerved part of Pierce, since Max Evans never once broke eye contact during the violent treatment. It was like the young man was just waiting for an opportunity to strike out once more, like a patient rattlesnake.
I'm not going to be afraid of you!
Michael's POV
Maria was ignoring him and staring straight ahead as she drove towards the destination that Michael had told her to in an admittedly grouchy tone of voice. For once, it didn't hurt him since he too was busy ignoring her. At least on the outside…
I can't believe she can't understand how dangerous this is gonna get, Michael fumed as he mentally prepared himself for battle once more. I wish she wasn't so God damned stubborn!
Isabel sent her own looks at a silent Alex, who was rubbing his temples in what appeared to be a splitting headache and Michael tried calming down a little. It's not like I'm the only one with someone to lose on the line, he mused. The thought of Max and Liz entered his mind and his fists clenched automatically. It dawned on the large hybrid that despite his frustration with Maria, at least she was still safe and sound by his side.
It must be hell on Max right now, Michael sympathized with an internal wince, going through all of what we've already done only to have Liz targeted. If something like that happened to Maria… The very idea sent shivers of pure fear through him and he noticed Maria flinch and look back at him briefly. It would seem that he'd been broadcasting a little too clearly through their connection.
Michael didn't get a lot more time to worry about anything, because in the next minute, they reached the hidden base at long last. He and Isabel had already gone over what they knew about the place, skimming over the part of just where they'd learned all of their knowledge and they'd planned to split into two groups to decrease the chances of getting caught before they'd rescued Max and Liz.
Tess, Kyle, and Alex went in search for Liz while Michael, Isabel and Maria went to go find Max. Being back in the place where a lot of things had started made Michael feel incredibly old all of the sudden. He glanced behind him and saw that Isabel was taking up the back, covering them in case of difficulties. She too was in combat mode and looked ready to do some serious damage. It seemed like old times in more ways than one, Michael reminisced uncomfortably. Except, the Maria I knew didn't walk down the hall muttering, 'I'm so so so screwed', whenever we infiltrated enemy compounds…
Before too long, Michael spotted that infernal scanner that had caused him so much trouble once before and he quickly hand signaled Isabel to keep Maria safe as he quickly changed his clothes into a black suit and slicked his hair back. A moment later, he was through the scanner easily since he wasn't really as inexperienced as he looked anymore and had, without any reservations whatsoever, killed the guards standing there. After disposing of the bodies by using some disintegrating technique that Sydney had taught him to master one memorable birthday, Michael signaled for the girls to rejoin him.
Fortunately, Maria hadn't seen the killing, focusing only on not getting caught by other errant guards that inevitably would have to arrive at some point, so Michael let out a breath of relief he didn't know he'd been holding. He wasn't sorry about the deaths he'd just caused per say, having been in the same situation too many times before to keep being merciful, but he'd hate it if Maria started fearing the darker side of him before she understood everything.
"Do you remember the way?" Isabel asked, still looking around for any potential threat. Michael nodded and quickly took point and did his best to shield the love of his life, who was now starting to get over her paralyzing fear and focus on her surroundings a bit more.
"There it is," Michael pointed at the door in the distance, where one other guard was posted. He was sitting by a chair, looking completely bored. Michael briefly felt for the unknown guy, considering his own experience of being a security guard, but he squashed it when he remembered the little fact that said guard quite possibly had been involved with Max's capture.
"Hello there," Michael sauntered up to the surprised agent, "we're a little lost and were wondering if- Okay, no need to get hasty." The agent had jumped to his feet and begun reaching for either his gun or his communication device to call for backup and Michael quickly sent out a small version of the blast that Tess had taught him, knocking the man unconscious in an instant.
"He's in there," Michael gestured to the door as he quickly bent down and took out the gun that the agent had been carrying and the communication device, which he switched off just in case.
Maria immediately went for the door, but Isabel was faster, shoving her out of the way with a small glare. "Think, Maria." She hissed quietly, "Max is being held captive in there, there's no way they're not armed."
Maria bit her lip, looking a little sheepish, but then stepped back so the two hybrids could handle the next part of the plan.
Isabel calmly opened the door with the key card that Michael handed her which he'd swiped from the still unconscious guard. The sight that met his eyes sent a hated image through his mind of the last time his leader and best friend had looked so thoroughly injured and it was obvious from the quick sight of Max's dark eyes and expressionless face that he'd retreated into that part of himself that no one who'd seen it before ever wanted to experience again.
"Fuck," the curse was whispered, but it still caught the attention of everyone in the White Room, including the man that had been the first man that Michael ever killed.
"Seize them!" Pierce ordered, looking remarkably nothing like his usual calm and collected self. Michael spared a brief smirk at the visual. I guess Maxwell got under the pretty boy's skin more so than last time around.
Soon after that thought had entered his mind, all deliberation fled his mind as struggles began breaking out all around him and Michael was busy trying to protect Maria, who somehow seemed to think that just because she was present meant that she had to participate in the whole thing by kicking some guy's shin and private area just like she'd done to him that one time.
Isabel managed to get to Max and released him from his bindings even as she lashed out and sent out a vicious pulse of raw energy that fried one of the medic's right where he was standing. Michael spotted another operative sneak up on her while she was distracted and turned to take care of him with one quick blast that sent the guy slamming into the opposite wall.
Then everything seemed to stop as Michael saw Maria move impossibly fast out of the corner of his eye towards Pierce, who'd raised his gun towards Michael when he'd been distracted and the next thing Michael knew was the phantom burning sensation exploding inside his chest even as he watched Maria slide slowly down to the floor, clutching her chest with a wide eyed look of confusion on her face.
"MARIA!"
Michael lost it and wave after wave of agony, fear and hate enveloped his very core as he ran towards her, trying to catch her before she slammed her head into the floor. All around him, a blistering heat erupted, sending the one remaining human screaming out the door with bursting blisters all over his skin, only to be shot in the head by someone from the hallway. Pierce was already lying dead on the ground with a shocked expression on his face, but Michael didn't care about any of that right then.
It would seem that backup had arrived, but it was too late; much too late.
Michael wept and screamed even as the usually so vibrant bond that tied him to the one person he didn't want to live without again began dimming at a rapid pace. "Please, Baby, please stay with me," he pleaded over and over again, completely blind to what was happening around him.
He heard a throaty scream that wasn't his own, but took no real notice of it as Maria's gasping breaths turned more and more shallow with every intake of breath; a trail of blood ran down her chin from her mouth and further down onto his hands that were cradling her head as gently as he could. "Please Maria; don't do this to me now, not after all this, please…"
Suddenly, there were hands trying to separate him from his wife and Michael went ballistic. There was no room for rational thought when someone wanted to take his reason for being away from him. He growled and lashed out with another burst of blistering heat, until eventually someone simply pushed him off of Maria, smashing him into the ground.
The next thing Michael knew, he was being forcibly held down by a frantic looking Kyle and Alex, who looked like he wanted to puke. His eyes weren't on them for more than a few seconds before they found Maria again, barely noticing that an injured looking Liz was standing by the door being held up by Kathleen Topolsky and Tess as they all watched the dying Maria.
She was lying on the floor, still gasping violently in an attempt to stay alive and Max was leaning over her. Michael couldn't see what exactly took place, but he felt the ripples in the air that signaled the use of some pretty powerful healing. It shouldn't be possible, Michael thought as he weakly tried getting loose from his holders, if he's been injected like the last time, Max shouldn't be able to use any powers… Then Michael vaguely recalled how Max had forced them all to undergo training in suppressing the serum one long month so very long ago, in a desperate attempt of getting the upper hand against Khivar's forces. No one had really succeeded in their task, so that's why Michael was completely shocked at what was happening.
Even if he's managed somehow, he thought, not even daring to blink as Max's bloodied back trembled in front of him, obscuring any real view of what was happening; he's exhausted and hurt. He can't heal her as well as he could if he was healthy…
Never before had Michael lamented his own lack of ability with healing someone; he fervently prayed for a miracle and despite his disbelief, it seemed like Max was coming through for him regardless of his own obvious wounds.
He knew it'd worked even before Maria whispered his name underneath Max; he'd felt their bond thrumming to life with a burst of adrenaline rush that gave him the strength to shake off Kyle and Alex's hold on him and crawl towards Maria.
"Baby?" he whispered, unashamedly weeping at the sight of the nonexistent bullet hole in her chest that the massive quantities of blood couldn't hide. "Maria…"
Before Michael could take Maria in his arms, Max straightened up and shook his head with a familiar look on his pale face. It was only Michael's quick reaction that caught the dark-haired hybrid before he tilted backwards with a moan of Liz's name on his bloodless lips.
0o0o0
"So can I look forward to antennas or a third eye or something now?" The question came from a sleepy Maria, who was cuddled up into his arms as Kyle drove them back to Roswell. Isabel was driving behind them in Kathleen's car with Alex, Liz, Max and Tess.
"We'll talk about it later," Michael murmured soothingly, taking a firmer grip on her as she succumbed to sleep.
Michael sighed and looked back up, not looking back at the sight they'd left behind as they fled. Isabel had completely demolished the base after spending a little time in Pierce's office with Kathleen.
The first thing Michael had wanted to do after they'd placed a comatose Max in Liz's lap in the Jetta and he'd hugged Maria, was to go after the weary agent, who'd obviously sold them all out for her own life. But after some real hasty explanation on Kyle's part, it seemed like the agent had actually been working with Max the entire time. She'd apparently told him everything when they'd found her trying to free Liz after killing the guard.
"She agreed to hold out under torture as long as she could, before pretending to betray us to Pierce. She was supposed to work her way back into his good side and ruin the Special Unit from within, since we don't have Nasedo to do it for us." Kyle had smiled ruefully, "it would've worked too if Liz hadn't hid herself in Max's Jeep and blown the plan to bits."
Michael frowned as he glanced over at the quietly shivering agent, who sat next to him with a lost expression on her face. She did all of that for us and then Max went and got himself caught, she really must hate us all more than anyone right now.
In the end, Kathleen had taken Isabel to every computer and file cabinet in the place so she could melt them to oblivion before she torched the place to the ground. They decided to trust that the former undercover counselor was telling them the truth when she swore that no Intel about Max's captivity had been sent out before they'd showed up.
At least we got Pierce and ruined the base before that Skin lady could worm her way in, Michael thought, planting a soft kiss on Maria's brow. No matter what happens next, we're still on top compared to what happened last time in my book…
A little while later, both cars pulled into Tess' driveway and with a little effort they managed to get Max safely inside under the cover of darkness and then they all just fell into the nearest seat available, ready to take a much needed break from everything.
Michael took Maria to one of the unused guest bedrooms and quickly managed to manipulate some towels into bed sheets before lying down next to her still sleeping form with a sigh of contentment. He decided to worry about Max's state, about the possible repercussions of their actions the next day and just closed his eyes to get some hard earned sleep.
He smiled, already halfway sleeping when he felt Maria scooting closer to him with her own sigh of satisfaction.
TBC…
A/N And that's as they say it, that. I know I skimmed over Pierce's death, not revealing who killed him, but it will be touched in the next installment, I promise. I just hope you liked it and if not, tell me why so I can defend myself. I don't mind defending my views as long as it's not a flame fest. Flames aren't worth my time. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Until Next Time
Ditte Mai