Author's Note: Elsewhere will have one final chapter before the winter break, entitled "Upon this Rock"
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(The Past)
Fredrick kicked Tess away, scrambling away as the corpse of his sister-in-law stared at him, confusion clear in her eyes.
"Fredrick…" Tess asked, taking a step towards him. "Why are you acting so irrationally?"
"Irrational?" He said, nearly manic. "Irrational? You…are…dead."
"And you are going crazy…that is no reason to be rude." She said, taking a step closer. "You have suffered greatly…"
"STAY BACK!" He roared.
And to his shock, she did.
Not because she wanted to.
But because the other corpses within the morgue had rose up as one and restrained her.
He stared at them, their lifeless eyes watching him, waiting for his next command. He gave a slight wave of his hand, and the dead bodies slowly backed away, giving him space.
"I…I don't understand…" He took a step back, almost tripping before a cold hand caught him, helping him stand. "How is this…"
"Use that wonderful brain of yours, Fredrick." Tess said simply. "You already know the answer."
Fredrick took several breaths, considering the situation. "Ocram's Razor…the simplest answer is always correct. Start there, start there…" Fredrick began to pace. "You are real…I felt this…" He waved at the corpse that had helped him up, "…thing's hand on my arm." He rubbed his forehead. "They do what I say…why…why would they do this…" He looked up. "Dance."
To his amazement, Tess and the corpses began to do the 'Thriller' dance.
"You do what I command…" He looked at his hands, considering all of this carefully, the implications mindblowing. "No…more than that…" He looked at the dancing dead. "Stop." But while they did stop, instead they began to play patty cake. "You do as I think…why is that…" His brain abuzz with theories, he moved towards one of the corpses, a 17 year old girl, the victim of a hit and run. "Who are you?"
The teen looked at him. "Who…am I?" She asked.
"You don't know who you are…but you do, Tess." He rubbed his chin, the corpses releasing his sister-in-law. "Why…why would you know that? What makes you so special? Is it because you know me? That doesn't make sense. And why would you know what I can do…and know that I know…" He looked up. "Unless you're Tess…only because I wish you to be." He ran his fingers through his hair. "But there is more…isn't there…you said I was crazy…" he began to go through all his knowledge, all his training. "When someone goes through a traumatic event, it is common for them to find ways to cope. Some block it, some develop mental disorders…" He whipped around, pointing a finger at Tess. "Dissociative identity disorder."
Tess clapped her hands slowly. "Got it in one, Fredrick."
Fredrick shook his head, chuckling weakly. "I've…gone crazy. My family was murdered…I somehow can resurrect the dead…so I have developed multiple alter egos in order to cope." He licked his lips voice growing a bit more manic. "But…but to keep myself from going truly crazy, to allow myself to function, my dominate self, Fredrick Frauzen…Fredrick Frauzen, Fredrick Frauzen…" His entire body twitched. "I…have made it so that these personas are based upon those that I have lost…and now…I have placed one of those personas in you."
Tess bridged the space between them. "A family is but one organism, Fredrick. Different facets of one grand being. Is it any wonder your brain is doing the same thing?"
He shook his head. "No…no this is not good, not good at all…" He rubbed his temples. "By creating you, I freed myself for but a moment. But when the other personas begin to arrive, I'll suffer…I've treated patients like this, and it is a horrible, horrible thing…"
Tess turned his face towards her cold, dead eyes. "Then make more of us?"
"How?" Fredrick asked. "The rest of the family is dead."
Tess smiled. "Who said we needed their bodies in order to bring them back?"
^&^&^&^
(The Future)
Patrick whispered softly to Sophie as he made his way along the street. He knew this was probably a mistake, taking the baby into the sewers, but he had to risk it. Here, atleast, she would be with him, under his protection. It would keep is mind better at ease than leaving her somewhere for the man in black to find her.
So, this was how he found himself running through the sewers in rain boots and his pajamas, a black baby sling holding his tiny daughter close to his chest. While he was freezing his butt off, the baby was toasty warm, Patrick remembering to bundle her up before he left the apartment.
He cocked his guns as he slowly made his way through the sewer, taking a sniff. Through the hidous stenches that hung all around him, he could detect Ami's scent, clear as day, as well as the man in black's.
He was getting closer.
The advantage was on his side, for the moment. The man in black was fighting against a struggling Ami, and from his own experience of getting the scrapper to go to one of Bob Bishop's meetings, she could go as limp as any toddler, then kick up a fuss.
Sure enough, round a bend, he could hear her scream and hissing, the man in black grunting as he struggled to drag her along. Peaking around a corner, he watched as Ami scratched the man's face, only to cower away in horror, staring at her fingernails with dread.
Patrick readied his gun, waiting for the right shot…
"Waaaa Waaa Waaa!"
He stared down at Sophie as she let out a cry of protest, wanting attention.
And she got it.
The man in black turned his head toward Patrick.
"Shit." Patrick muttered before diving behind the wall as the man pulled out a knife and threw it at him. He heard a thud, and Ami came racing towards him, blood leaking from the wound on her cheek.
"RUN!" She shouted, grabbing his hand and dragging him away from the fight. Behind them, the two could hear the man and black storming ever faster towards them, not burdened down in unyielding clothing or fears for the howling infant.
The man in black was close enough to touch their shoulders when a blast of wind struck their faces. Ami and Patrick staggered for a moment, turning in time to watch another person fly…literally…into the man in black, sending him into a wall.
"Come on!" A voice called out, Patrick and Ami giving each a look before diving into the side tunnel. The flying man was on their heels, hovering over the foul water. "We need to go."
Patrick looked down at the speaker, amused. "We've been saved by a kid."
"The name is Rebel." Micah Sanders' said sternly. "And if you want to live, you'll follow me."
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(The Present)
Helena shook her head in disgust as she paced the hospital floor. Vic sat nearby, watching with mild amusement, Sarah busy reading a magazine.
Carter had taken them to a hospital filled with Alliance paid doctors. They were use to dealing with powers, and Carter knew that there was a very good chance powers would come to play this time…especially if Gabriel was as strong as Vally claimed him to be.
"Claire…what do you mean you aren't coming?!?" Helena practically screamed.
On the other end of the line, Carter's half sister Claire Bennet let out a weak laugh. "I kinda made other plans?"
"What plans?"
"…I'm joining the carnival?"
If Helena had teleporting powers, she would have been at Claire's side to beat her upside the head in an instant.
"I want to make sure I have this straight…your brother is about to welcome his first born son, your nephew, into this world. He wants you to be here, to share in this moment…he sent a limo to your dorm to pick you up and take you to the airport, along with any number of guests who want to see Paris before their vacation is up…and you aren't coming….because you want to hang out with Carnies?!?"
Claire became defensive. "Listen…I understand this is important, but I am trying to figure some things out…"
"And that's just as important?" Helena challenge. "Yes, I guess it would be…if this weren't the 12th time you had done something stupid like this!!!"
"So suddenly all my decisions are stupid?"
"Only 90%." Helena said glibly.
Claire grit her teeth. "You are not my mother…you don't get the right to lecture me."
"But I am Carter's mother, so that gives me the right to inform you of this: you're cut off."
"What?" Claire asked, startled.
"You really think Noah is the only one helping you go to college…paying for everything? Carter has had a hand in that, Claire…he didn't get to finish college, and he doesn't want the same for you. Your brother has given a lot to you…done more than you'll ever know to help you…and this is how you repay him?" Helena's tone was cold as an artic morning. "You are cut off. I will cancel your credit cards, stop paying for your books and for your dorm…all that free spending money Carter was giving you…its now gone."
"You can't…"
"Claire, as far as I am concerned, you are a spoiled little brat that never learned to grow up and deal with real life. All you do is find ways to avoid responsibility for your actions. Well, Noah may bail you out, but my son will not. He will be so busy with my grandson he won't know for months you aren't receiving payments." She smiled. "Happy Thanksgiving."
Sarah turned a page in her magazine. "And that is why I hate her, mom…why Carter needs her when I am the only half sister he needs…I will never know."
^&^&^&^
Red flames danced in all around them.
Madrid let out a cry as she fell against the bed, panting. Her eyes glowed like rubies as the flames faded once more. Carter grunted with relief as he extracted his now shattered right hand, watching it heal.
"Almost there, Mrs. Daniels…" The doctor said nervously.
Madrid nodded. "You better hope so…"
^&^&^&^
"Vally, what are you doing?" Lee asked, walking up to the toddler.
Vally was standing on a chair, looking through the glass of the maternity ward, watching the newborns in their cribs. "I'm justa talkin' to the babies."
"Oh." Lee said, standing next to her.
"Listen up!" Vally stated, tapping on the glass. "You all think you are cute and special now, but my baby brother is coming! And Gabe is the bestest baby ever, and you better get in line!"
One baby blinked.
"I saw that!" Vally shouted.
^&^&^&^
"One more push!" The doctor cried out, Madrid screaming, her hair matted to her head, sweat pouring down her face. She gripped the bedframe, the metal groaning as she twisted it like butter. Carter watched on, eyes widening.
A new, tiny cry, filled the room.
"Congratuations, Mr. Daniels…you have a healthy baby boy." Carter was at the doctor's side in an instant, helping cut the cord before he followed the nurse who was cleaning the squirming newborn.
"Carter…say something!" Madrid called out, tired beyond belief.
"….We have a son." Carter said in utter awe. "We have a son." He turned, the bundle in his arms, the nurse having to help him towards the bed, his vision so clouded with tears.
Madrid held out her arms, accepting Gabriel from her husband. The baby's eyes were shut, his wispy dark hair covering his already tanned skin. She sniffed, letting out a happy laugh as Carter kissed her forehead.
"Hi there baby…" She whispered, Gabriel taking in tiny breaths. "Welcome to the world."