"MJ, time to get up." His sister called the next morning.
"Leave me alone." He called back.
"Yeah, not happening." The teen said entering the room before opening the curtains and letting in the bright sunlight. In response MJ hid under the duvet.
"You need to get up." Kara persisted.
"Leave me alone."
"You can't hide in here forever, at some point you are going have to face the world. Might as well be today." Kara said. This time she was met by silence. "Fine, I'll be back later." She said walking to the door.
"Kara." He said emerging from the duvet just as she got the door.
"Yeah." She said turning back to him.
"I'm sorry for everything I said to you."
"It wasn't your fault." His sister said.
"But it was still me saying it." He pointed out.
"You were being controlled." Kara reminded him sitting on his bed.
"It was still me."
"Maybe, but you were still a victim. But that doesn't mean you can hide away. You have a lot of apologies to make. Mom and Alex being right at the top if the list."
"How can I? I mean I don't deserve their forgiveness. Necklace or not I'm a bad person."
"Having bad parts inside you doesn't make you a bad person." His sister said. "Do you think aunt Kara is bad because she gots nuts on Red K?"
"No."
"Then how is this different?"
"The things I did-"
"You'll be forgiven for. But you need to apologise."
"What if they don't want to forgive me, I'm not sure I'd forgive me?"
"Mom is well, your mom, of course she'll forgive you." Kara pointed out.
"I told her she wasn't my mom." He reminded her.
"No matter what you say she will always be your mom, which is why she stayed in here all night, in pain, to make sure you were okay."
"Alex and aunt Kara?"
"May need time and work, but you can do it, but not from bed. So get dressed then we'll go out and think of a plan."
"Why are you helping me?" MJ asked.
"Because you are my brother." Kara said. "And a lot of what happened wasn't your fault."
"And the stuff that was?"
"We'll figure out a way to make it up to everyone."
"Thanks." He said.
-00
"Hi Alex." Diz said as he sat down opposite the teenager who was sitting in a coffee shop.
"Hey. What are you doing here?" Alex asked looking up from her phone.
"Kar told me to come."
"You dating again?"
"Kind of. It's complicated." He said.
"So why are we meeting here rather than at my place?" Alex asked him.
"No idea. Kar said something about neutral ground." Diz shrugged as Alex saw her two cousins enter.
"Did you know he was coming?" She asked Diz.
Turning he saw Kara and MJ and said.
"No. Just thought it was Kar." He replied.
"Hi." The teenage Kara greeted as she sat at the table.
"Hi." Alex said less than enthusiastically. "What's going on?" She asked as MJ stared at his hands.
"Well, you two need to talk." Kara said. "So here we are."
"There's nothing to say." Alex said.
"Well then you two can sit silently, while I get some drinks." She said grabbing Diz's hand, before taking him to the counter.
"You actually have a plan?" Diz asked Kara.
"No. But I was hoping if they were stuck here together they may talk. "
"Think your plan just walked out." He said noticing Alex leave.
"Damn it." She said going to the table and grabbing her brother. "Let's go."
"Where?"
"After Alex."
"Why are you pushing this? She doesn't want to talk to me."
"Then change her mind." His sister said.
"Don't think that will be easy."
"Never said it would be." Kara said unsympathetically as she lead the two male teens towards the metro.
00
As the teenage Alex reached the subway platform she saw the train leave and she muttered in frustration before walking to the far end of the platform hoping the next train would arrive soon. But as she reached the end of the platform she turned and saw the trio of teens approaching and started looking for another way off the platform. Seeing none she went back to waiting for the train.
"Why'd you run off?" The teenage Kara asked as she approached her cousin.
"Why can't you just leave me alone. That's what you want anyway."
"No it isn't." Kara said confused.
"You don't have to lie anymore." The teenage Alex said.
"What are you talking about?" Kara asked before noticing her brother fidgeting. Turning to him she asked. "MJ?"
"I may have said you didn't want her around either." He confessed.
"You know that isn't true right?" Kara asked her cousin as alarms started blaring.
"What's going on?" Alex asked looking round.
"Let's get out of here." Diz said leading the group towards the exit, but just as they got to the emergency stairs there was an explosion from the stairwell and then several from along the platform causing the tunnel to start collapsing. Moving closer to the others Alex erected a forcefield round them.
00
"Hey." The older Alex said looking up from a file. "I didn't think you'd be in today."
"Why?" Kara asked.
"The whole MJ situation."
"I'm not going to deny I am angry at MJ right now, but I'm not going to let that tear us apart." Kara said. "How is the investigation going?"
"Which one?"
"I assumed the Jess one was taking all your focus."
"Yes, but not in a good way."
"What does that mean?"
"Jess could have been anyone, any age. She managed to manipulate MJ into doing some terrible things and they are the things we know about. I keep focusing on all the things we don't know about."
"Has MJ said anything?"
"About Jess? No. He spent the night apologising. And when he wasn't doing that he was so withdrawn." Alex said before asking. "How's Alex?"
"I don't know. She says she is okay, but I don't know, something still feels wrong."
"You think MJ has done something else?"
"I don't know." Kara said. "Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I'm not sure the full truth has come out yet."
"I'm with you on that. But we will figure this out." Her sister said. "How did Alex take Martin telling you?"
"Says she knows and they are fine."
"That's good." Alex said before adding. "I really am sorry."
"It's not your fault." Kara replied.
"It is. I'm his mother and I missed it. For months." Alex pointed out as Rose knocked on the doorframe.
"Ma'am, there is an alien attack in the park."
-00-
"How long can you keep this up?" The teenage Kara asked as various parts of the underground structure collapsed on top of the invisible forcefield.
"Not long. My record is an hour. But nothing this big."
"Let's make it smaller then." Kara said moving closer to her cousin motioning the boys to do the same.
"What happens when you can't hold it?" Diz asked.
"Either it crushes us and we die, or it disappears and everything else crushes us." The teenager said.
"So we're screwed." Diz said.
"Pretty much." The teenage Alex said frowning with concentration.
"I've used my necklace, your mom should be here soon." Kara said before noticing the spaces in the cavern were starting to flood with water.
"If it works." MJ said pessimistically.
"Seeing we are trapped at least you two can work things out." Kara said looking from her brother to her cousin. "I mean you have nothing better to do." Kara pointed out.
"Pretty sure Alex needs to concentrate." Diz said.
"Like he said." Alex said frowning.
"Seeing there is a good chance we are all going to get crushed you want to go out owing Alex an apology?" Kara asked her brother, ignoring Diz and Alex.
"No, but I'd prefer my apology not to be the reason we die." MJ said.
"I'm with MJ." Diz said noticing the water level rise.
"Where's the water coming from?" Alex asked noticing it too.
"There's probably a burst water main." Her cousin said. "But this will protect us." She added pointing at the invisible forcefield. But noticing her teenage cousin starting to panic she kicked her brother and indicated he should do something.
"It was me." MJ suddenly said. "Well I was there and didn't stop it."
"I know." Alex said trying to stay focused.
"How?"
"The way you stand is kinda unique."
"Why didn't you say anything?" MJ asked.
"Because I didn't know know, and I really hoped I was wrong." Alex said trying to concentrate on the forcefield.
"You weren't." MJ said. "I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about?" Kara asked her brother. When he didn't respond she repeated. "MJ what are you talking about?"
"The group that pushed Alex in the water, the night she nearly drowned. I was part of it."
"What were you thinking?" Kara asked her brother.
"I wasn't."
"She could have died." Kara went on.
"I know that."
"And you didn't think that something might be wrong with you then? What if-" Kara ranted only for Diz to cut in.
"Kar!"
"What?" Kara asked, not happy at being cut off.
"Alex really needs to concentrate." He pointed out.
"Sorry." The older teen said before looking back at her brother. "What else did you do?"
"That's kinda a long list."
"Well we have until we are crushed to death or drown so start talking."
"Really think you need to let Alex concentrate." Diz said. "Let's get out of here, then you can kill MJ."
"Fine." Kara said before a very uncomfortable silence descended.
After a few minutes MJ looked at his cousin and said.
"Alex?"
"Yeah." She replied, her voice sounding strained.
"I'm sorry. For everything."
"I know." She said wondering how much longer she could hold on for.
"Anything we can do?" Diz asked her.
"No. But there's one more thing I can do." Alex said frowning hard.
She then managed to shift the forcefield leaving her cousins inside, but her outside, where the cold water rose round her.
"Alex no." Kara screamed trying to get through the forcefield. Ignoring the screams Alex focused on moving the protected bubble through the fallen debris, propelling the other teens to what she hoped was safety, moments before another beam came down on her crushing her.