MIRRORS

Written By: Kal-El and LeeryAndPotter(yes, that's right...we're the same person. Just call me 'Peter', okay?)

Disclaimer: Max, Liz, Michael, Maria, Kyle, and Isabel belong to Jason Katmis and UPN. Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and all the rest belong to Kevin Williamson and the WB. I don't own either of them, so don't sue me.

Classification: M/L and D/J, maybe I'll throw a bit of Jen/Drue and Michael/Maria in too.

Rating: PG-13, if you can watch the show(s), you can read this

Spoilers: Max Evens and Dawson Leery meet at a musium in LA.

Editors Note: Once again, thank you Frances.

L.A....Los Angeles, California. Called 'the city of angels'.

Max is siting in the lunch area of the museum, eating a burger and still reading the article on the meteorite.

"I know what you are." Someone says, standing in front of his table.

Max looks up, curious.

"You're one of THEM, aren't you?" Dawson Leery asks him.

"I beg your pardon?" Max asks, a little worried.

"You know...them." Dawson continues. "The UFO freaks, the 'alien chasers'. It's amazing...a major scientific find, and people still treat it like the first act of 'Independence Day'."

Max chuckles.

"No, I'm not one of them." Max insures them.

"Where are you from?" he asks.

"Roswel, New Mexico." He answers.

Dawson grins.

"Please tell me that's a joke."

"Nope." Max says. "Trust me, the people who actually live there are nowhere near as weird as the tourists."

"For which I am eternally grateful" Dawson admits, and then reaches to shake his hand. "Dawson Leery."

Max shakes his hand.

"Max Evens. So, Mr. Leery, where are you from."

"Capeside." Dawson answers.

"Never heard of it" Max comments.

"It's in New England, not as famous as where you're from, of course." He says.

"Of course" Max smirks.

Max and Dawson are walking through the museum, looking at the paintings.

"I saw that one when I was in the tenth grade." Dawson comments. "It was at this slide presentation. Back then, I referred to it as a 'blob a paint'".

"Not an art buff, I take it?" Max responds.

"Suffice to say...my tastes have improved significantly since then." He answers.

"So, tell me Dawson...what are you doing so far from New England?" Max asks him.

"College. Just thought I'd start USC a few months early." He tells him.

"USC?" Max asks. "Isn't that a film school?"

"Yep." He answers proudly. "I've pretty much wanted to be a film maker for as long as I can remember."

"You're dedicated, I'll give you that." Max comments.

"How about you, Evens?" Dawson asks. "What are you doing so far from New Mexico?"

"I wanted to see that rock." He says, pointing at the magazine in his hand.

"You know, somehow I doubt that." Dawson comments. "You seem troubled by something, and I think I know what."

"What?" Max asks.

"You look like you have 'running away from a girl' syndrome." He answers.

Max gets a surprised look.

"Good call." He mutters. "How did you guess?"

"Actually, I sort of have that problem myself." Dawson admits. "So, does this 'mystery girl' have a name?"

Dawson smirks at him.

"How about yours?" Max asks, defending himself.

"I asked you first." He argues.

"You think you're smart, don't you?"

Dawson doesn't answer.

"Liz" Max gives in. "Liz Parker."

"Josephine Potter." Dawson responds. "But don't call her that to her face, if you know what's good for you...she prefers 'Joey'."

Max looks at the magazine in his hand and sighs.

"Miss Parker must really be something" Dawson comments. "The 'sighing depressingly' routine is usually reserved for the really important ones".

"Dawson?" he asks. "Have you ever been completely sure you belonged with someone, but something always got in the way?"

"Story of my life." Dawson answers, bitterly. "Be it art students, drug-dealing parents, or former best friends, something always gets in the way."

Or ex-wives from your home planet or mysterious lies that have no visible purpose. Max thinks.

"Okay, pop quiz..." Dawson says. "Most pathetic thing you've ever done to try and impress her?"

"No way." Max tells him.

"Come on." Dawson says with a grin.

"Ok" he sighs. "I...uh...hired a Mariachi band to play outside her window."

Dawson starts to laugh hysterically.

"You did what?" he asks, still laughing.

"How about you?" Max asks.

"In 10th grade, I made a feature-length movie that was centered around our relationship."

Max starts laughing.

"Ok, you win" He admits.

They continue laughing for a few minutes, then Max changes the subject.

"So, do you believe what they're saying about this meteor?" he asks.

"It's possible." Dawson suggests.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you refer to people as 'UFO freaks'?" Max reminds him, cynically.

"I was referring to the once who think green, bug-eyes monsters are kidnapping some of us for probes" he informs him. "But I'm not narrow-minded enough that I believe we're the only intelligent beings in the universe."

Dawson turns to look at Max.

"I just don't think any has landed on Earth yet."

"What makes you so sure?" he asks.

"Because, if they did, they would probably have introduced themselves by now." Dawson continues. "Seriously, if I found myself on another planet, my first inclination would be to let the natives know I was there. Makes it easier to find out information once you've been accepted by the general population."

"Maybe they'd be scared?" Max says, his face getting a serious expression.

"Scared?" Dawson asks, his face displaying confusion. "What makes you say that?"

"Human history has proven that we're not really that friendly towards anything that is different than us." Max continues.

"Wait, wait a minute...you're not saying that you think..." he asks.

"I'm just saying it's possible, you never know." Max suggests.

"Listen, the only person I've ever met who could possibly be an extra-terrestrial is me." Dawson says, chuckling.

"What do you think they would be like, anyway?" Max asks. "Which director got alien visitors right?"

"Speilberg, of course" Dawson says, proudly. "ET wasn't a 'popcorn' movie, where you're worried about whether or not human kind survives, it's about friendship between the two races. Besides, sharp teeth and tentacles look inconcequensal compared to being able to heal with a touch. Am I right?"

More than you know, Dawson. Max thinks, smiling to himself.

Then, they see it. The meteor.

"Wow!" Dawson exclaims when he sees it.

The meteor was roughly the size of a basketball, not huge like you would expect. It didn't look like 'a rock' like they described either, more like a gem, only rougher.

"So this is it, huh?" Dawson asks. "I'm impressed."

It looked to be a mix of blue and silver, with a piece of inner metal appearing on the outside, with what looked like a whirl-wind shaped engraving on it.

An engraving Max evens recognized.

"Oh my god" Max whispers.

It is Anterian!

He looks over his shoulder, searching. Then he begins to walk closer to it.

"What do you suppose it's made of?" Dawson asks.

Max doesn't answer. But, as he walks towards it, the engraving starts to glow slightly blue.

And that is when the building starts to shake.

"EARTHQUAKE!!!" someone screams, as people start pouring out of the museum. The building is trembling, pieces of the ceiling collapsing.

Max, however, stayed inside.

*****

Out on the street, people who just left the museum started gathering.

"I knew there were earthquakes in California," one comments. "But I didn't think there were restricted to one building."

"We're still missing someone" the tour guide announces.

Max! Dawson thinks, and runs back inside before anyone can stop him.

Back inside the museum, Max continues to approach the meteor.

Oh god, I've caused this.

Obvious distress appears on Max's face.

Whatever this thing is, it's threatening people's lives, He thinks. I'm going to have to shut it down, then I'll worry about what to do with it.

Max raises his hand. It starts to turn blue, pulsating with his incredible powers. But before he can do anything, a piece of ceiling falls right above him.

With lightning-swift reflexes, he moves his other hand over his head. His solid-energy shield appears above his head, protecting him from the falling brick and plaster.

Collecting himself, Max goes back to the meteorite, attempting to use his power to stop the damage being done around him.

However, he doesn't notice the person running towards him.

Dawson runs through the collapsing building, towards where he last saw Max.

What the heck is he still doing here? he thinks.

He rounds the corner and sees Max approaching the meteor. Not thinking, Dawson runs towards him.

Max touches the engraving, and attempts to use his power to stop whatever is happening.

Unfortunately, at that precise moment, Dawson grabs his other wrist.

"Max!" Dawson exclaims. "We've got to get out..."

"DON'T!" Max exclaims, but it is too late.

A bright blue energy goes from the engraving, right into Max...and then into Dawson. Both of their eyes start to glow...

And then they scream!

That's when everything went dark.