| PART TEN Scene: The summit is over. It went pretty much like it did in the show, except Brody wasn’t there (Larek was there, but not in Brody's body). Lonnie and Nicolas DID have their little talk in the tunnel (about killing Max) and the four who went to the meeting are returning to those who didn’t. "What’s up with you? You just threw away our only chance of ever getting home!" Alex, Ava, Michael, and I were waiting anxiously for their return when we heard raised voices from the main tunnel. Michael and I looked at each other before running out to where the noise came from. Alex and Ava were right behind us. "What’s going on?" Michael demanded, jogging over to the others. Rath was right in Max’s face and a worried Tess stood there looking on. Lonnie was watching with a disinterested expression. "The man here," Rath began, throwing his thumb towards Max, "just ruined our only chance of ever getting home." Max looked at Michael. "They wanted the granolith. That was the deal." "I knew it," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. Michael took my hand and when I looked up to him, he gave me a pointed look. What was going on? "It’s a good thing we came to New York to tell you about my vision," Michael said, stressing to me the "my" part. Then it dawned on me. Michael told Max he found out from a vision. This way, I wouldn’t have to answer any questions. I smiled a "thank you" to him. "We’ll find another way home," Lonnie said. I looked up at her and saw Lonnie and Rath exchange a look. "Anyone up for Chinatown?" Rath said turning back to everyone. "NO." Everyone turned to see who said that. It was Ava. She was shaking a little, but was looking straight at Lonnie and Rath, a determined and angry look on her face. "What was that?" Rath said, turning to face her and crossing his arms. "I’m not gonna let you do it. I won’t let it happen again," she replied. What was going on? "What makes you think anything’s gonna happen?" Lonnie asked, stepping closer to Ava. Ava stood her ground. "I’m not gonna let you kill them … like you killed Zan." I gasped at the last part and looked at Max. He was taken aback and his eyes were locked on Lonnie and Ava. Rath scoffed. "That clean air out west must have screwed your brain," he said, motioning with his hands. "Chinatown has food. We’re going to get food." "NO." This time the voice sent chills through my body. I felt Michael stiffen next to me and I knew he recognized it too. Nicolas stepped out of the shadows about 20 feet behind Ava. "No one’s going anywhere," he continued. "This ends here." Suddenly over a dozen guys stepped out of the shadows behind him. I knew they had to be skins. My heartbeat sped up. "That’s cool," Rath said. I turned to look at him and saw him sneer. Lonnie was grinning devilishly behind him. Oh shit. They’re working together. I almost forgot. Michael pulled my arm and started backing away from Lonnie and Rath. His hand was raised in warning. Ava and Alex came to the side with us. Max and Tess were on the other side of Lonnie and Rath, doing the same thing. Nicolas continued towards Lonnie and Rath, occasionally looking towards Max or Michael. "When I tell you to, I want you to run," Michael whispered, pulling me behind him. "I’m not leaving you," I whispered, grabbing hold of his jacket and peeking around him. Nicolas’ skins were getting closer. I was terrified, but I couldn’t run. There were too many of them to take on their own. My palms were starting to warm up. I guess my defense powers were kicking in. It was then that Nicolas reached Lonnie and Rath. "Let’s get this thing started," he said. And as if on cue, the skins launched themselves at Max and Tess, who were inching their way towards Michael, Ava, Alex, and I. Michael and Ava turned and with amazing efficiency they killed two oncoming skins with fireballs. But more were right behind them, coming straight to where we were standing. I instinctively raised my hand. Michael threw it out of the way without even looking. He was still focused on the oncoming skins. "They can’t know," he said over his shoulder to me. "Go! NOW!" "No Michael, I can help." Two more bursts of power shot from his hand and two more skins poofed into dust. It was then that Max and Tess reached Michael and Ava. They stood like a wall in front of Alex and I. All their hands were raised and they continued to dust the skins. Nicolas, Lonnie, and Rath were standing behind the diminishing rank. They were grinning and were obviously prepared to take on my friends. "Alex, get her out of here!" Michael yelled. And suddenly Alex’s arms were wrapped around my waist and he was pulling me towards the nearest tunnel. I fought at first but then started to run with him. At least this way I could protect him. Our hands were locked and we ran goodness knows how far. We turned when we reached dead ends, and I briefly wondered if we’d ever find our way back out. I can’t believe I left them. They had to be ok. He had to be okay. Suddenly I heard footsteps behind us. Glancing back I saw two skins sprinting after Alex and I. "Shit," Alex said through his panting. He must have just noticed too. There was a light ahead and suddenly we were in one of the main tunnels. And there were no other tunnels to run into. I pushed Alex against the wall on one side of the tunnel we’d just emerged from. I went to the other side and we pressed ourselves against the wall. Alex looked around and noticed part of a metal rail and picked it up, holding it like a baseball bat. The power in my hands was ready to explode. The skins burst out of the tunnel and right past us, looking left and right. Alex stepped forward and swung the rail, breaking the seal and dusting one skin. The other turned to us and raised his hand. Mine was already raised and a shot of power burst forth. The skin flew across the tunnel and fell on his stomach. Damn my aim. That burst should have killed him. I grabbed Alex’s rail and ran to the fallen skin. I raised my arms above my head and struck his lower back, breaking the seal. "We should hang on to this," I said, holding the rail. "That’s fine with me," he said, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. We stood there a moment catching our breath. "Liz!" I looked down the tunnel and saw Michael running to me. Thank God! "Michael!" I yelled, running towards him. I jumped into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck. His arms went around me, crushing my body to his. I buried my face into his neck and tried not to cry from relief. "Thank God you’re ok," he said, stroking my lower back. I grinned and pulled back to look at him. Then he kissed me. And in that moment the world didn’t matter. Time stopped and it was just us. But something wasn’t right. He was so forceful. Too forceful. And the way he pressed my lower body into his. Something wasn’t right. I pushed back, studying his face. Then it hit me. "You’re not Michael." He grinned slyly. That horrible smirk that only Rath could make. He morphed right in front of me. Changed back into his mohawked, tattooed, disgusting self. I started to back up but he grabbed my arm. "Let her go," Alex said from the side. Rath looked at him and snickered. "You know you can’t do anything." He raised his arm. No! I thought. Not Alex. Suddenly I remembered the rail in my other hand. I pulled my arm back and swung. Rath turned and caught my arm just as the rail was inches from his temple. He bent my wrist back until I screamed in pain and had to drop it. Alex stepped forward and punched Rath in the side, who in turn looked at him and raised his arm again, fury on his face. "No!" I yelled, twisting my body and pulling Rath around so his burst hit the wall. "Alex, run!" I yelled, still struggling with Rath. "I’m not leaving you with him." "Don’t worry so much," Rath snarled, pulling me towards him so my palms were locked against his chest. "She might actually like it," he finished before forcing his lips on mine. "Get off her!" Michael. The real Michael. My heart swelled in relief. I heard footsteps behind me and I knew he wasn’t alone. If only Rath would let go of me. If only my power would recharge faster. "You just hate that I can give her what she needs," Rath said. Then he ran his hand down my back and cupped my rear, pulling my lower body even closer to his. I clenched my eyes shut and gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the bulge in his pants. "Don’t touch her!" Michael yelled. "She’s a prude, she needs it." My eyes popped open. Lonnie and Nicolas suddenly stepped out of a tunnel about 10 feet behind Rath. My anger boiled and I would have kneed him if only I’d been capable of some kind of movement. I felt my power building. I was almost ready. "Like I said before, I’ll do her," Rath said, squeezing my butt and sniffing my neck. My anger seethed through me as my defense powers took over. The power grew and pulsed in my hands until finally I released. Rath and I flew through the air in separate directions. I hit the ground hard on my left shoulder and felt the wind get knocked out of me. Instantly Michael was over me, pulling me up gently. Max stood in front of everyone, his green shield protecting us from Lonnie and Nicolas. "Are you okay?" Michael asked, stroking my hair away from my eyes. I nodded slightly, trying to calm the surges of power that continued to pulse through my body. "Did I … " I whispered, afraid to continue. "Yeah," he replied quietly, looking at me with sadness. He swallowed and looked up at his hand that was still slowly stroking my hair before looking back at my face. "He won’t bother you anymore." "Michael, we need you!" Max yelled. Michael looked over his shoulder and then back at me. I nodded and whispered, "Go." I sat up, already recovering from my fall. Alex came to my side then and pulled me behind a cement column. I peeked around the edge to watch the battle. Lonnie and Nicolas were furious. They stood in front of Rath’s fallen body. I could see the silver handprints I’d left from here. Max and Tess stood in front of Nicolas, already connected and ready to fight as soon as the shield went down. Ava and Michael stood in front of Lonnie, each filled with their own rage. The green shield fell and white light flew in all directions. It was so bright I had to shield my eyes and look away. I heard screams and bodies hitting walls. When it quieted down, Alex and I inched around the corner. Lonnie was down. Obviously dead. Flakes fluttered about. Obviously Nicolas was dead, too. Ava was lying on the ground not far from us. She was alive but her leg was twisted in a very unnatural way. Max and Tess were huddled around someone. "No!" I cried out, running toward Michael’s fallen body. I fell to his side and stared openmouthed at his wounds. He was still conscious and was struggling for breath. His eyes were locked on mine and I reached for his hand. My eyes filled with tears and I looked up at Max. "Hurry," I cried. "Please hurry." Max kneeled down on Michael’s other side and connected. He winced in pain and after a few moments he broke free, falling back and gasping for air. Tess dropped to his side and cradled him. "I can’t fix everything," he wheezed. "I’m too weak. I don’t have enough energy left." "Tess?" I asked hopefully. Then I realized that her hair was matted with blood where she had hit her head and a trickle of red was running down her arm. "I can't either, Liz," she whispered, her voice cracking in obvious effort. I looked back at Michael, tears running down my cheeks. He was still in so much pain. And he refused to look at me, didn’t want me to see him like this. And then I remembered. "Show me," I said, turning anxiously to Max. "Show me how to heal." "What are you talking about?" he asked. "Just do it!" I yelled. "No, Liz," Ava whispered, moving closer to us with Alex's help. "You can't handle it. It's too much." I looked back to her, tears streaking down my face. "I have to Ava. I have to try." She nodded solemnly, her own eyes watering. "Do it, Max," Ava said turning to him. "We’ll explain later, just trust us." Tess helped move Max closer and I leaned across Michael’s body, careful not to put any more pressure on him. Max and I connected and I saw how to move the molecules. How to take the pain onto myself and heal the wounds. The connection faded and I turned back to Michael. "Look at me, Michael," I pleaded, putting my hand on his chest. "You have to look a me, Michael." He squeezed his eyes tight and turned his face farther from mine. "Please, Michael," I breathed, trying not to cry. I knew my voice was shaking. He opened his eyes and slowly turned to me. I looked deeply into his beautiful eyes and we connected. *Flash* Michael finding out about Future Max, touched and moved that I did so much for everyone. His ribs. They were broken and pushing into his chest. I just had to move them a little and repair the bone. I gasped from the sudden pain in my side. It was like someone had torn me open. *Flash* Michael and I holding hands, walking back to the Crashdown as he wondered why I had such an effect over him. His collarbone was shattered. I could just pull those bone molecules back together. I groaned at the sudden ache in my shoulder. *Flash* Michael waking up with me in his arms, praying for night to stay so he could hold me longer. His heart. It was barely beating. So much damage. If I could just fix this tear... I could hardly breath. My heart was pounding, the blood rushing through my veins. My chest was tight. I broke the connection and fell to Michael’s side. My arms couldn’t hold me and my body hit the pavement. My cheek stung as it scraped across the cement. My eyes were locked on Michael and I prayed for him to move, to be okay. Michael looked over to me. He struggled to pull himself closer to me. I thought he was calling my name … I was so tired … He was ok … The world went black. |