The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 26 - pg. 19 - 12 / 9 / 20

This is the place to post all your General Roswell fanfiction. Any Canon fics, which pick up directly from any episode of the show and that focus on Max/Liz, Michael/Maria, Isabel/Alex or Isabel/Jesse, Kyle/Tess, or all the couples together! Rule of Thumb: If Max healed Liz in the Crashdown in September 1999, then your fic belongs here. If it picks up from the show in any way, it belongs here.

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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 11 - pg. 11 - 10

Post by Timelord31 »

so glad to see
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 11 - pg. 11 - 10

Post by Misha »

Hey!

It's short, but the next chapter should be here in the next couple of weeks :mrgreen:

Part 12 : Secret Lives
June 2004 – the Compound


1 : Jake


"Doesn't Danny remind you of someone?" Dave said with a smile, as the newest hacker in the compound went through line after line of never-ending code.

Jake sighed. "Well, since you're the only one I ever sit and watch writing code, it's not exactly hard to guess,” he joked, staring at the kid. He had no idea what the kid’s program would do, but he knew Dave had a personal interest here. He liked all his Network Keepers well enough, but none of them had ever been rewarded by an invitation to work in Dave’s office and show off for his best friend.

"Fair enough," Dave said with a smile of his own. He was in such good spirits, Jake could have gotten anything out of him without Dave being the wiser. "He was wasting away in one of those rotten apartments kids his age think are expected of hackers.

"Along with the hygiene?" Jake asked.

In Jake’s opinion, hackers divided in two groups: those who took it seriously, and those who took it stupidly seriously. The first was the type Dave looked into. The second was the variety whose intensity clashed with having a life. The main real difference was that hackers who respected themselves still had a life out in the real world. They had a family and friends they cared for, dressed comfortably and took baths. They were professionals. Just like professional thieves, as opposed to street thugs.

"Yes, along with the hygiene,” Dave chuckled. He stared at the kid as intently as Jake was. “He's kind of bold and says what he thinks when he should zip it, but well—he's used to interacting with monitors instead of people.

"Let me guess, he doesn't play well with others..." Jake suggested wryly.

Hackers of any kind were competitive by nature. Show-offs, as Ray called them. But some of them could work really well as part of a team, attacking like a wolf pack.

Some of them, like Dave himself, did not like to share. They saw the value of the group attack, but while he would use others as bait or diversion, he liked to go in, take the prize, and get out. Alone. The problem was, Network Keepers were by nature a group, and Danny there did not look like he would want to sit tight and wait for others.

"Richard has asked me if I could transfer him to somewhere else,” Dave said. That the compound's administrator had made such a request was rare. Richard was good with dealing with people down here. “Daniel's causing bad vibes with the other Keepers"

"He's only been here for two weeks!” Jake marveled, astonished. Usually Keepers behaved a little longer, still basking in the glory of being there. Of having met Dave. Of being inside 'the big thing'.

"He wants to work with me, directly. So, I was considering what to do, since Susseth will kill me if I let him.”

"Wouldn't he have access to too much information if he were tagging along with you?" Jake pointed out.

Dave's eyes lost focus, as they usually did when he plotted.

"I need to keep a leash on him, Jake. He's too smart for my own good. He's already going through Level 6 codes that shouldn't have been vulnerable. He's pointing out little cracks here and there. Granted, it's taken him over a year to find this much, but left alone for another year..."

"So, what? You want as a security watchdog?"

"Yes, and another code architect, actually. Daniel has ideas that I don't, a flexibility I thought I would never see. He can help me just as much as I can help him."

"Sounds like a deal," Jake said, looking intently at the young face currently glued to the monitor. "I take it he said yes."

Dave didn't look all that happy. "He said he wanted to 'try it' for a year. After that, all bets are off. So much potential to get wasted! God, he's not even nineteen!"

"That's what I said when you tried to persuade me to start on this little empire of yours. That didn't stop you."

"Well, yeah, but you had no idea what the hell I was talking about. I talk to Daniel, and everything makes sense in a way it hasn't in a long while," he said excitedly, his eyes seeing far more than Jake ever would. "He follows my plans, and solves details I usually don't pay attention to. If only he didn't lack vision," Dave whispered, no doubt thinking hot to make Daniel see what he saw.

"He's not you, Dave. He's got a family, a sister, and probably parents somewhere. He doesn't know what it feels like to be responsible for someone's life or death, or to be used because someone thinks they know better," Jake reminded Dave quietly. His friend's eyes clouded at that.

"I'm not doing this to redeem myself in some twisted way," he said seriously. "I'm doing this because he's talented enough that, left unwatched out there, not only can he be turned into my adversary, but his talents can also be wasted. If he can go this far without anyone being the wiser, imagine how far he would go with a little help from someone who has already been where all the ideas are just barely out of reach. I can show him the world."

They both contemplated Daniel's hunched formed as the kid's fingers flew over the keyboard.

"What's he doing?" Jake finally asked, contemplating life with Daniel in it.

“Wreaking havoc on McKay’s files.”

They both looked at each other, and smiled.



2 : Dave
August 2004 – the Compound


“So they agree that Zan needs to expand his horizons? They'll let me get them out of the compound?” Dave eagerly asked, the red light on the speaker seeming ominous. Langley never liked to do videochat, and frankly, neither did Dave. Calls were risky enough as it was.

“Van’s second in command says it might help them get their memories back,” Langley said cautiously. It was no secret Luke had no appreciation for the shapeshifter, and it was the same from Langley’s side.

"I'll take whatever excuse I can grab," Dave said, a bit too truthful for his own good.

“Memories are a fragile thing,” Langley warned in no uncertain terms. "If they think you or anyone else messed with Zan’s mind, you won’t live to tell the tale. The Rebellion means business. They can’t afford to lose Zan, even if Zan is already dead. They’ll take Max if that’s what it takes.”

“I know…” Dave murmured. It was at times like this that he wondered if he should send Max and friends packing to some remote island where no one would ever find them. He chuckled inwardly. It didn't matter what he thought, it never did. Van would find Max, one way or another. One could not hide the mighty King of Antar forever. No, Dave thought, the only way to deal with this was to train Max and the others. Get them ready for what was to come. Because once Max was on that throne, or at the very least leading the Rebellion, his word would become law.

“There is another matter…” Langley said gravely. “I’ve located all the Agents that were responsible for Max’s capture. Luke wants to execute them as soon as he’s available. He’ll need a place to stay for him and his men. A way to get around.”

Dave swallowed hard. “I can provide most of it. I’m not sure how familiar they are with Earth, though.” Their command of English was almost perfect, but Luke and Van had been the only aliens Dave had ever talked to. He didn’t know what to make of the rest of them.

“I’ll take care of that,” Langley said, not sounding cheerful at all. “They’ll need a base, somewhere they has easy access to transportation, where they won’t be noticed for… eccentricities. Where they can come and go without raising a red flag.”

“I think I have the place,” Dave said after a moment. “A warehouse on the outskirts of Manhattan hardly anyone knows about. I’ll have it furnished and ready in a month.”
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 12 - pg. 12 - 2 /

Post by xmag »

Hmm, it's been a while but that kid, wasn't that his sister that Michael had gone to, in a previous part? I wonder if the kid is a good guy or a bad guy. It's hard to tell. It looks like Dave admires him but is also wary of him and not just because of his intelligence.
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 12 - pg. 12 - 2 /

Post by Timelord31 »

great short update.. you know me.. I always need more
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 12 - pg. 12 - 2 /

Post by Michelle in LA »

The next chapter is back in her hands now, and it is bound to aggravate blood pressure, ulcers, and any other stress-related sports you participate in. Everything is up in the air, characters are coping, and we've got almost a full house.

So the ball is back in Misha's court... and we are at the mercy of Our Mistress of Pain. :mrgreen:
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 12 - pg. 12 - 2 /

Post by Misha »

:lol:

I've missed you!!

Yes, I have the chapter back! I should post it before Friday :mrgreen:

xmag! Yes, that kid is the one with the sister, the one who Dave went to see at his apartment, the same one who stole a lot of money from him since book 1... Danny has been busy all these 8 years :twisted:
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 12 - pg. 12 - 2 /

Post by xmag »

Misha wrote::lol:

I've missed you!!

Yes, I have the chapter back! I should post it before Friday :mrgreen:

xmag! Yes, that kid is the one with the sister, the one who Dave went to see at his apartment, the same one who stole a lot of money from him since book 1... Danny has been busy all these 8 years :twisted:
I don't like this little devil at the end of that sentence, it means bad things, ouch.
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 12 - pg. 12 - 2 /

Post by Misha »

Well, in his defense, Danny is also the guy who rescued Dave a few chapters back 8)
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 12 - pg. 12 - 2 /

Post by Misha »

Here we go! :mrgreen:





Part 13 : Warehouse
November 2nd, 2011 - New York


1 : Michael


It had been a long time since Michael had exploded something, and today seemed perfect for breaking his good behavior record. Holding Luke against the wall of the deserted public bathroom was the next best thing.

"What is going on?!" he demanded, his fingers tingling with unused energy as Luke's feet dangled a few inches above ground.

"I told you, General, I don't know." Luke sounded sincere. His terrified eyes looked sincere. Yet this was the only alien Michael had access to—an alien who had come here with the express intent of taking them away from home. So he was going to get his answers or Van was going to lose one trusted rebel.

"The Unit took an alien, one of yours, just now. So your people are as much in danger as mine are."

Luke tensed at that, his fear replaced with dread.

"What did he look like?"

Michael turned to Ray, who waited by the melted bathroom door. No one was interrupting this meeting.

"Tall, thin, black hair. He said he was blinded."

"Long hair?" Luke pressed.

"Yes, quite long, in fact."

"No… Not Van." All energy left Luke's body as he slumped in Michael's grip.

"The Rebel leader?" Michael asked, just to clarify.

Luke nodded grimly. "Would they kill him? Your human enemies?"

"They would have done it right there if that's what they wanted," Ray answered, getting closer. "Listen, a car was blown out in the middle of Manhattan. A diversion that big can only mean they were desperate. If Max was with Van, why would they get separated?"

Luke frowned for a moment, and then sighed. "If Zan was in danger, Van would have taken it personal. If there's one fear that haunts Van, it is losing his brother."

"He's not his brother," Michael said through clenched teeth, the light overhead flickering slightly. Ray glanced at him, warning him to keep his cool. Michael relented, barely. "This Van of yours has no idea what Max's life has been like—was never here running from the Unit! They're not brothers in any sense of the word."

"Until Zan fails his test, we will consider him Antar's King, and we will act accordingly."

I don't care what your test says, Michael thought, wanting to punch something, or someone. But right now, as long as Luke thought of Max as his king, he would use all his resources to find him.

"The way I see it, is this," Ray said, placing his hand on Michael's shoulder so he would lower Luke, "We have too many people missing. Jake told me you were going to a safe location when you left the hotel," he said to Michael.

Michael nodded. "It was an abandoned warehouse outside of Manhattan."

"Where would Van take Max?" Ray asked Luke.

"The original plan was to keep Zan safe at the top of the Empire State Building. I don't know what happened that would make them move, but the most logical place to go would be our headquarters, also outside Manhattan. If Van got caught, the Guards would still be taking Max there."

"What Guards?" Michael asked.

Somewhere, in the place where all his Antar memories resided, the name rang a bell. A strong one. The Invisible Guard. Of course.

"Shapeshifters. Four of them. If they're following protocol, three would stay with Zan, one would stay with Van. The Rebellion can't afford to lose him any more than we can afford to lose the rightful King."

Michael breathed easier at that. "So they're not completely alone."

"They both have plenty of resources. They're Antar's future, both of them."

"Not if they don't come out of their present alive," Michael pointed out. "I can follow Max through our connection. It's not strong, but it's something. How do we find out where Van is?"

"The very nature of the Rebellion makes it impractical to have tracking devices on our own. If anything, the Guard who stayed with him might be our best hope."

"We'll track the Unit," Ray said, thoughtful. "The Network will be back in a matter of hours. What will your people do once they get to headquarters?"

"They can't do anything but stay there, unless Zan tells them differently."

"Protecting Zan might be their orders, but Van being captured changes the game," Ray pointed out. "For one thing, Max will tell them to do something. We need to contact them as soon as we can, pool our resources, and get everyone to safety."

"My phone isn't working," Michael said.

"Dave brought the Network down this morning. We don't know why," Ray explained. Luke looked at him, and then to Michael.

"He did it for us. We found a hacker trail on our signal, and followed it back to Dave's Network. For years now, Dave has giving us access to Zan's location through his phone, and we were afraid it could be used by a third party."

Ray's eyes opened in dismay. "Michael, burn your phone."

Michael didn't have to be told twice. He took it out and broke it into all its components with his mind, the zillion pieces falling to the floor two seconds later. It was all so painfully obvious he wanted to scream. Instead, Ray gave him his phone and extended his hand for Luke to give up his own device. At the very least, Michael could fry something.

"You were right," Ray said, "Someone did find out how to track us all down with our phones. That's how they knew Jake was at the airport, you were at the hotel, and that Max was in a car in downtown Manhattan. It all makes sense, now."

"That's highly unlikely," Luke said, surrendering his phone with a shake of his head. Michael disposed of both phones in a heartbeat.

"Dave left enough of the Network intact so the Keepers could build it back. It had enough power so you could still follow Max's location, right?" At Ray's question, Luke nodded reluctantly. "So, all it really takes is a skilled hacker to use it to track our phones. The Unit could have that resource. The Daves of the world are limited, but certainly out there."

Outside, someone cursed at the closed door. Michael's mind ran with this new information, a plan of action taking form. Get Max, get Maria. His heart ached at the thought, a headache threatening to form.

"I get that Van would want to talk to Max alone, but why Liz?"

The question rang in the bathroom as Luke's eyes turned to resigned. "Jade."

"Who?"

"Liz's bodyguard. He's been her Guard for the past few years. He's been… eager to talk to her for a while now. It's hard to be an invisible guard to someone who doesn't know you exist. Especially someone as important as Zan's human wife."

"You're talking about your Queen, soldier. Never forget that."

Luke's shoulders went rigid at the reminder of Michael's upper rank. Rath had never really paid attention to that, because he'd been a General long enough to get used to it.

“We need to regroup,” Ray said, breaking the awkward silence. “If your men were taking Max to your headquarters, we’ll go there first. Everyone else will converge at their designated place. Where is your headquarters?”

As Luke gave him the address, Ray’s eyes went round. “That’s supposed to be abandoned,” he said, with rising eyebrows.

“That’s the idea. It’s supposed to look that way.”

“Well, what do you know, I sent everyone directly to you. I thought it was a safehouse that no one had used in years. It’s not even in the system anymore. It’s nice to have a bit of good luck in the middle of all this mess.”

Luke stared at him, shaking his head. “It won’t be good luck if everyone is shot first and asked questions later.”


2 : Jesse

The taxi left in a cloud of dust. Night was upon them, and the place where Ray had sent him and Isabel looked deserted.

“Looks like we’re the first to arrive,” Isabel said, getting closer to him. The place was a small, abandoned warehouse that looked like anything could be inside: from drugs, arms, and dealers, to—well, drugs, arms, and dealers was as far as he wanted to take it, at the moment.

“Maybe we’re at the wrong place,” Jesse hesitated, looking around. “It doesn’t look like one of Dave’s usual hideouts.”

“Well, this is New York and Ray had to come up with a place that was not compromised on the Network.” Isabel could be highly persuasive when she wanted to—and she usually wanted to—but something about this didn’t sit well in Jesse’s stomach.

Cold winds made the empty warehouse more inviting. He checked his phone and sighed when it still read “no network found”.

“You would think the Keepers would be better at this,” he said, pocketing it again.

“Don’t let them hear you,” Isabel warned. Jesse knew that messing with a hacker was a sure way of making one’s cyber life miserable, indeed. Of course, all you need is Dave for that to happen, Jesse privately mused.

Isabel moved first, walking straight to the front door as if she owned the place, or as if the gravel path was a fashion runway in the middle of Paris. Isabel always moved like a princess: confident knowing she owned the world, and that nothing would stand between her and what she wanted.

Not exactly the Disney version, he chuckled to himself, but then again, he’d never married her because she was a damsel in distress. Or because her brother had a claim to an entire planet.

He caught up with her in three easy strides, and placed his hand on her waist. They walked together to the door, and listened.

“I don’t sense Max or Michael inside,” she said after a moment. “Should we knock?” she asked, unsure.

“Either this place is empty, or someone else has already arrived. Might not want to give them a heart attack by suddenly breaking and entering,” Jesse said, knocking a moment later.

Nothing happened.

“Okay, let’s get inside before we freeze,” Isabel said, reaching for the handle. She frowned when found it locked, and then shrugged as she mentally unlocked it.

“Remind me why we didn’t pursue a career in crime?” Jesse asked playfully.

“Why, my lawyer advised me against it,” she answered with a wide smile.

The door opened with an awful screeching sound that made them both wince. Inside was darker than it was outside, and the echoing sound of the opening door told them little was stored there.

So much for drug lords, Jesse absently thought as he moved to step inside first.

“Allow me,” Isabel said, taking the lead.

It was a given of their relationship that she was the one who was protecting him, not the other way around. She had the powers, she had the training, and she certainly had the attitude. But, he thought with a smirk, I get to guard your heart and your soul. For all of Isabel's outward confidence, deep down she still doubted herself. He didn´t understand why, and had learned a long time ago to not ask too much about it. Isabel had secrets, even after their shared life together, secrets that in the darkest part of the night made her turn to him and ask him to tell her he loved her. He always obliged, no questions asked, but one of these days he was going to find out what was eating Isabel for so long.

She looked blindly for any form of switch on the wall. "Come on, come on," she muttered, while he waited right at the door. A few windows high on the wall seemed to be the only source of light while he waited for Isabel to do her magic tricks, as Kyle mockingly called them.

"Here you are," she said with a smile in her voice, the sound of a switch followed by nothing but darkness. The lights were useless, and probably the entire electrical grid was off. "Okay, I'm beginning to see why you think this isn't one of Dave's usual spots."

They had traveled a lot, dealing with Dave's endless businesses and background checks and legal loops, and in not one of them had they stood in front of a disheveled room with no electricity, let alone no furniture. But then again, this was Ray's idea of a hide-out.

"A little bit of darkness is not going to stop us," Isabel said, walking three steps and extending her hand. A ball of light appeared, getting brighter by the second as Isabel pushed it higher with her mind.

A few chairs and a table were everything inside the 30 by 30 foot warehouse. Black and coppery stains had taken over the paint on the walls, and a good three inch layer of dust covered the floor in some places. No one had been here in forever.

"Something isn't right," Isabel muttered, shifting her eyes from her right to the left, carefully looking at every corner.

"Maybe we did get the wrong address," Jesse offered, not wanting to think how they were going to get a taxi all the way out here with no working cell phones.

"It's not that," Isabel said above a whisper, walking a couple of steps forward. Her light reached the ceiling, which was as dirty as the rest of the place. "Listen," she added a moment later. Jesse did, straining to hear anything out of the ordinary. A couple of seconds later, he shook his head.

"What is it?"

"No sounds," she said, her back still to him. "No insects crawling here... You would expect a rat or two."

"Charming," he said, walking to her side. "Maybe this place contained chemicals at some point." He shrugged. "We can either wait here, or walk our way back to the main road. Hitchhike or something. I bet the next train station isn't too far."

Isabel took off without saying a word, rapidly walking towards the center of the warehouse, her high heels a thunderous sound not to be messed with.

"What?" he asked, following her with confusion and a little bit of dread.

"We used this at the palace," she explained, now looking down at the floor, her ball of light descending to aid in her search.

"What palace?" Jesse asked, trying to remember anything relating to palaces. "Like, the Antar Palace?" he asked a moment later.

"Safehouses were built to not call attention, but..." she added, stopping at one point and slowly lowering to the floor. "They were also soundproof."

"What are you saying? That we walked into an Antarian safehouse?"

"There," Isabel said, pressing her lovely hand into the dirty floor. A whirling sound followed her movement, and for one moment, blue lines shone in all direction, as if Isabel had pressed a gigantic modem board.

"What are you doing?" he asked, turning to see around. Nothing had changed, nothing but... Where are the stains in the walls? Looking down, the dust had disappeared, along with the rust. They were still at a warehouse devoid of almost anything, but it was clean to a fault. The paint was new, the floor was spotless.

"Okay, we have to leave—now," Jesse said, reaching for her.

"No," Isabel said, her hand still pressing the floor. "Dave has a warehouse with Antarian technology. I want to know why."

"Hey, I'm all for honesty, but right now, this is the last place where I want us to be."

Isabel pressed harder to the floor until a crack formed around her hand. An instant later, a perfect square formed in white lines. "This is the real door," she whispered, her light getting dimmer, a sure sign she was diverting her energy somewhere else.

"How about if we wait for—"

He never finished the sentence. Behind him, someone took him by surprise, neatly pulling him back and strangling him at the same time. The only sound he could make was a barely audible grunt, his eyes going round at the sudden change in circumstances.

"Jesse!"

Isabel stood up, raising her hand, getting ready to blast anyone and anything into oblivion. They had been trained so well by Ray, that using their hands was no longer needed, except when they fell back into it under extreme stress.

"Let him go!"

The man behind him tightened his grip and panic bloomed unbidden inside Jesse's head. He struggled wildly, until a male voice said, "You keep moving, and I'll make sure you stop breathing."

"If you know how to run, now's the time," Isabel said, her rage starting to visible crackle in green lines across her fingers. If this was some burglar, homeless, thief or —as luck would have it— drug dealer, he was sure going to piss his pants and run.

"I know you," the voice said instead, slowly and deliberately dragging him into the shadows.

"Let. My. Husband. Go." Isabel moved with them, her light leaving no space to hide.

"You were the downfall of everything," the voice hissed, stopping Isabel cold in her tracks.

"That was a long time ago," she said, her hand still outstretched, even if no more lines crisscrossed it.

"What if we save ourselves the trouble of a trial and we finish here what should have been finished ages ago?"

Vilandra. Jesse didn't know much about her, except that Max and Michael always told her to let things go. And for a long time, Jesse believed that she had. Something terrible had been done by Zan's sister, something that had triggered the events that had ultimately landed her in his life. So whatever that had been, Jesse was grateful for it.

Whoever was gripping him by the throat didn't seem to appreciate that.

"Let Jesse go and I'll do anything you want," Isabel said, finally lowering her hand.

The pressure on his neck lessened enough for him to take a good breath. Through their connection anger and fear collided into guilt. That ugly secret that had eaten at her took center stage in her mind, and Jesse's knees threatened to buckle at the force of it.

"Isabel!" he shouted, and in his mind he added, Run!

She looked at him. She'd heard him, or at least had felt his side of the connection, and almost imperceptibly she shook her head. "You want me, you want to judge what Vilandra did a hundred years ago, go ahead. But if it is justice what you want, then let him go. He has nothing to do with Antar, or royal lines, or palace intrigues."

Jesse's captor hesitated, but finally nodded behind him. Shoving Jesse aside, the man launched at his wife, all blind rage and brute force. For one agonizing moment Jesse was sure Isabel was going to stand there and be punished for a crime she had never committed, in a life that had never been hers.

Isabel caught the outstretched arm of her attacker and twisted for good measure. It was like watching a beautiful choreography take place in slow motion in front of him, a strange fascination at how everything Ray had taught them was aptly applied in clean, perfect moves. One moment the man had the upper hand, the next Isabel had maneuvered him to the floor.

And then he dissolved.

"Damn it!" Isabel shouted, turning to look at Jesse. "He's a shapeshifter!"

True to his name, the man took shape behind her. This time, she must have seen it coming by Jesse's expression. She turned, with her arms outstretched and pushed their attacker away from them some 20 feet into the darkness.

"Get out of here!" she yelled to Jesse, her eyes still in the direction where she had thrown the alien. She couldn't do shields the way Max could, but Ray had taught her and Michael how to use their telekinesis as a way to push everything away, effectively shielding them.

"You're coming with me!" Jesse shouted back, standing on shaky legs. "He's not worth it!"

"You don't understand," Isabel said with desperation, "Shapeshifters don't run. They stay until they finish the job."

"What is wrong with you?!" Jesse shouted in the general direction the shifter had disappeared. "She's not your princess! She's not Vilandra! You want revenge on a ghost! You want to kill a woman who's been dead since before I was even born!"

"Jesse," Isabel said, pleading with him to shut up. Fear poisoned their connection.

"Killing her won't mean a thing to anyone, least of all you!" he continued, ignoring her unspoken request.

He reached her side, glancing uneasily at every inch around them. She couldn't keep this improvised shield for long, so they both moved back as one, hundreds of drills helping them think clearly.

A man stood a good twelve feet from them in a blink of an eye. "What do you mean she's not Vilandra?"

The question puzzled him.

"She's not—"

"He doesn’t understand," Isabel said, and for one moment it felt as if she were talking to the shifter and not him.

"This man wants to kill you for—"

"Crimes against Antar," the alien finished for Jesse, still standing far enough to not be a threat but still close enough to become one.

Isabel turned to him, whispering, "If I’m not her, then Max is not Zan and who knows what they’ll do to him."

Behind them, their enemy watched with narrow eyes. "I ask you again, are you Vilandra?"


3 : Kyle

"Are you sure he's not Max?" Maria asked for the third time as they rode the subway.

"Yes," Kyle and Liz said at the same time. Liz didn't feel Max's connection, and Kyle couldn't read Max's mind. Whoever the guy half asleep between them was, he was definitely not their Fearless Leader.

"Okay, okay... he just looks so much like him," Maria said. "And, you know, the last time someone took Max's shape it didn't end well."

"Don't remind me," Liz said, her wrist firmly gripped by Max's impostor. Kyle had never gotten the entire story of how Nasedo had taken Liz hostage ages ago, and now was not the time to ask for details. "His name is Jade. He's with the Rebellion. He wanted to ask me something before we were ambushed near the hotel."

"How ironic," Maria said, "We were ambushed at the hotel, too. How did they know where we all were?"

Kyle barely listened to the girls, his mind being stretched as more and more people heard about the car explosion. The more minds thought about the same thing, the harder it was for Kyle to shut them out. His stress levels were so not helping with that, either.

"I need to call Sybelle," he murmured, absently biting his nails. "With all of Dave's technology, you'd think calling someone would be an easy thing."

"What?" Liz asked, effectively shutting up Maria.

"I just need to know she's safe, okay? You were missing, Max is still missing. Hell, even Dave is missing. I—"

"No, no, that's not what I meant. You're right, Dave's technology is not supposed to be down—" she looked at her phone. "We've been thinking the phones are useless, but this isn't just a phone…" her eyes rounded a second after. Kyle could hardly read Liz's thoughts at the dizzying speed they were jumping in zig-zag: "It's also a GPS! They're following us with them!"

"What?" Maria asked, reaching for hers. Kyle did the same, hoping against hope he could make a call now.

"It's how they know where we are! Think about it: Someone took Dave's Network down so we can't make calls, but that doesn't mean that maybe, somehow, our phones are not still working as beacons!"

The subway stopped, the doors hissing open. More and more people came, thoughts about work, lovers, and the damn car explosion drowning Kyle's own thoughts. Before he knew it, Maria took his phone from his hand and threw it along with hers out the doors before they closed.

"Yours is next, babe," Maria pointed out, signaling with her hand for Liz to give her phone up.

"We'll leave it here," Liz said, "We are getting off on the next exit."

"So, if the Rebellion is here, that means a bunch of good aliens, right?" Maria whispered, staring at Jade. "That's a good thing."

"It depends. Good to have in a fight, but afterwards—Maria, they're the Rebellion. They believe Max and Michael are Zan and Rath, and they're not going to take no for an answer."

Maria blinked, and blinked again. "Liz, this is Max and Michael we're talking about. Do you still think Max is going to choose some distant planet he doesn't even remember, over you?"

"No, of course not! But I don't think they'll have much of a choice," Liz said, biting her lip.

"Okay girls, next stop is coming. The question is where do we go?"

"That way!" both Maria and Liz said, pointing to different directions.

"Max is that way, I can tell something's wrong with him."

"Michael's that way. He can help us out with whatever is happening to Max."

"Since when can you tell where Michael is?" Kyle asked, baffled. Liz was always drawn to Max's whereabouts, no questions asked. But Maria?

"Look, I know he's pissed way off the scale, and he's scared, too. I don't know how, but for once I can tell where he is, okay?"

Kyle looked at both of them and the shapeshifter in between. Staring at Jade, it became obvious they had a more immediate problem in their hands.

"We're not going to get anything done until he's okay. So, ladies, we're getting off this tin can, out of the subway system, and into a taxi. Ray told us to go to that warehouse, so we should go there."

"But Max—"

"Michael wouldn't—"

"He's right," Jade said, for the first time uttering a word since Kyle and Maria had found him and Liz at the subway entrance.

"You're drugged, buddy, you don't get to vote," Maria said, glaring at him.

"You stick to the plan," he insisted, closing his eyes at the brightness of the light. "If everyone starts improvising, no one will be where they are supposed to be."

"See? I like this Max as much as I do the original already," Kyle said, standing up as the subway slowed down. "We're so getting out of here."


4 : Max

Part of him knew he was dreaming. Part of him knew this was real.

He stood on the balcony of his royal chambers, the view of Dimaras Rock stunning at this early hour. Not even a week had passed since his coronation, but a certain trepidation crept in at the back of his mind at thinking that this—all that his eyes could see and more—was his kingdom.

He'd always been an early riser. It gave him the chance to look at the sunrise and simultaneously look at the setting moons. It was as if night and day collided for just one moment, stars vanishing and light invading every single corner of the city.

It served as a reminder that not everything was in his control.

A nagging noise reached him, one he could not place. Insistent and jarring but too far away. Somewhere, something important was happening.

He tried to ignore it. Surely, his Guards would take care of that. They or Rath. Before breakfast was served, his Second in Command and best friend would already be sitting in front of him, going over the events of the day. Rath had served his father for a few years already, though only as one of his junior military advisers. Zan had known his father had been thinking about promoting him for several reasons, if only he’d gotten the time.

You see, Zan, because you need perspective, you need a young and old view of things. Always have advisers that are way off your age. And if you're lucky enough, one or two who will not be afraid of telling you no.

Rath was certainly not afraid. And from the first moment Zan had heard Rath talking to his Father, he'd recognized the value of it. What he had not recognized was Rath's jovial outlook on life outside his royal duties. And that, more than anything else, had led to their easy friendship.

But then again, there's nothing easy about his outlook on royal life… Rath was no slacker, and he certainly did not wake up early to contemplate the moon and the stars or the rising sun. Rath was Zan’s balance, his Mother had said when he'd appointed him his Second in Command. He was his balance in so many things, including his agenda.

Being king was not for the faint of heart, and getting into the "royal" routine was no easy feat. He'd been both bioengineered and groomed for it, of course, but he had not expected to assume the throne for many years yet to come.

He missed his dad.

He also feared his dad's shadow. He'd been his King before his father, and he had taught him well. Vilandra found the court affairs boring, politics just a mountain of unintelligible facts, people, and places. She was intelligent, of course, but she thought that these things were Zan's affairs only, and as far as she was concerned, one royal prince was all that was needed to oversee such problems.

Rath found her puzzling, and he couldn't blame him. Rath is far more suited to someone like Maria..

The thought was strangely dissonant. Before he had a chance to think why, the doors opened with the unmistakable smell of breakfast. His stomach growled in time with Rath's scowl at the food and the butler, who barely had time to say, Your Majesty, and disappeared.

"I can't believe you can run an entire planet on a breakfast like that, you need more protein!" Rath said, sitting down with the agenda for the day. "Your Majesty," he added before starting eating the very food he had criticized. Zan chuckled.

The insistent noise grew louder in the distance, and he ignored it. "You seem to be in good spirits," he said as he sat down, "General," he added belatedly, smiling. He and Rath had been friends long before he was king, and addressing each other by their title when they were alone felt stupid.

"Well, for once, I have one less thing to worry about. Here's the report on that thing the science council was seeking your approval for. I just cleared it up security-wise, and I'm sure you won't have trouble with it." Rath raised his agenda, and the information instantly appeared on Zan's own screen.

He frowned as he looked at it, his food forgotten for a moment. "Earth?" the word sounded alien and familiar at once.

"It's still in its first stages, but scouting this way has a lot of potential. Pretty neat to use the natives to do your work instead of going there, huh? They say it'll take decades to perfect it, but trials might start as soon as two years."

"Decades?" Zan asked, his eyes reading through the lines of technical specs, looking for the practical use. "Aren't they using it right now?"

"No. Decades," Rath insisted, raiding the sweet bread as if there were no tomorrow. "Anyway, since only a haman can be controlled—"

"Human."

"—I saw no reason to veto it for security concerns." A beat, "Since when do you know human is the right term? I thought you didn't care about this project or that planet—for that matter."

"But... you'll be using them, as puppets?"

"Relax, your Majesty. They can't use it on a citizen, not even on a Shifter, and that's all I care about."

"But—"

The sound got stubbornly louder, to the point he couldn't ignore it anymore. He turned and looked at the door that led to the hallway. Except that his room was no longer there. Instead, what was there was a door in a rapidly darkening alley, a brick wall in serious need of cleaning, and a smell he'd better not think about too closely.

Where was he?

"I got a car, how is he?" someone asked, and in the space of a blink, his whole world came crashing back to him. Out went Zan, and in came Max. It was like coming from one of his memory flashes, except weirder. This was hardly a new memory, but it had been at least a couple of years since those episodes had stopped, and having Zan's memories so fresh and vivid was disorienting.

For one long second he hadn't known he'd been awake.

"Zan, can you walk?" Liz asked. Except she was not Liz, and his mind had to scramble to make any coherent assessment of what was going on. Sirens blared not a block away, the sound that had so insistently anchored him to this world while his mind had been somewhere else. And the reason for the sirens had been an explosion.

Van.

He tried to get up too fast, and his own double caught him. "Van?" Max whispered, still blinking rapidly. Night was coming fast, and the chill of November seeped through his clothes.

"He's been taken prisoner, but he's alive. We have to move."

He felt disconnected from reality. He walked through the alley, he listened to people talking. He was aware of moving, but he wasn't really registering what was around him. He found himself in the back seat of a Jeep, one that was strikingly similar to his own car of so long ago. The two shifters were discussing their plan, but Max hardly understood any of it. He knew they were worried, he was worried, too.

The fog in his mind had not abated. That his spectacular memory retrievals had just made a comeback was even more worrisome. I thought that was over, the idea brought him despair. It was one thing to remember Zan, and an entire other to be Zan.

The car moved, the sound of sirens dying in the distance.

A woman and a man sat in the front seats, she driving, he talking. How many people have you been? Max wondered, trying to get a grasp of what the man was telling him.

Just like that, the world suddenly became sharp. The fog was gone, all his senses on alert. It all became painfully clear: Van's information about the assassination attempt. His sleepy spells. The fog in his mind, even the weird dreams.

"—and we don't even know what's happening to him!" the woman argued behind the wheel.

"It's Khivar," Max said with a certainty that was crystal clear to him now. "I think he's trying to take over me."
"There's addiction, and there's Roswell!"
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xmag
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Re: The Rebel *Sequel* (CC ALL, YTEEN) Ch. 13 - pg. 12 - 2 /

Post by xmag »

Damn, i had written a review and the board ate it :twisted: .

Okay, deep breath. I didn't expect that last sentence, why would Khivar want to take over Max? Unless he wants to awake Zan, because he wants to deal with his old enemy face to face, and not with a clone or an ersatz? That's how Khivar would perceive Max.

At least, Maria, Kyle and Liz are together and Kyle manages to be funny even during a mortal danger. But alone against aliens and agents from the Unit, that's not good.

I had forgotten about Isabel and Jesse, but they seem to be in one hell of a mess. I don't know how they will escape, the shapeshifter has too much hatred for Vilandra to give up.
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Michael : From day one, I knew you were the girl for me, I never wanted anyone else.
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