"Don't worry, Max. I got this."
The Max in question...was Maxim Brown. Rembrandt's son on various alternate Earths. Rembrandt's son. Going by Max on this world, he and a group of black clad troops surrounded Quinn Mallory, Jules, and Rebecca Pryce. They thought the two had been Yuzaki...a bad sign if ever there was one. Now Max turned around in response to an unseen speaker.
The troops parted. Quinn looked past them. He wondered who it was.
His eyes widened.
"Randy?" Quinn uttered.
He came closer. It WAS Randy Heim. The last time Quinn had seen Randy it had been on Alexandrian World. He had had short dark cropped hair. He still did. He also had a beard. He was dressed in black as well, no sleeves shirt and dark jeans. he took in the scene in front of him. His eyes fell on Rebecca. He arched an eyebrow.
"Oh. It's you," Randy said. He turned his sight on Quinn. His cold dark eyes softened. "Quinn?"
"Long time," Quinn said. "Alexandrian World." He managed a smile. "Where's Melissa? Rembrandt?"
Randy's eyes went cold again.
"I see we need to talk."
WHAT IF YOU SLIDE TO A DIFFERENT DIMENSION? A PLACE WHERE YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON, IT'S THE SAME YEAR, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS DIFFERENT?
WORLDS WHERE...
...THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ENDED DIFFERENTLY...
OR
...THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IS IN FULL SWING...
OR
...THE ALEXANDRIAN EMPIRE STILL REIGN?
OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN INFINITE WORLDS, INFINITE POSSIBILITIES...AND MANY ENEMIES...
THE WAR HAS BEGUN...
WHAT SIDE WOULD YOU BE ON?
AND...WHAT IF YOUR KEY TO GETTING HOME...WAS LOST?
SLIDERS: ALTERNATE SPIN-SEASON 8
EPISODE 2: NEW DAWN
"You what?!?"
Randy didn't even flinched as Quinn yelled at him. He stood on the other side of the table, his arms crossed pover his chest. It reminded Quinn of how Randy was when the group found him after the defeat of the Kromaggs, a cold savage on Dark Sliders World. Quinn didn't find that to be a good thing.
"They made their choice," Randy said. "I encountered Cassandra and she mentioned a vision. A vision of us working together to save the worlds. All of them. I thought she was wrong. But...I was."
"We're talking about Cassandra," Quinn said, leaning over the table. "When we were here last, they tried to take us down. Something they continued to do every time they saw us."
"Things change," Randy said.
"But some things remind the same."
A figure stood next to Quinn. A flash of jet-black hair was a sign that Rebecca stood next to him.
"It's all about the worlds," Rebecca said. "Who will run them all?"
"And it should be you?" Randy challenged.
"Not at all," Rebecca replied. "I just want to take advantage."
"And I," Quinn said, "only want to find my friends and go home." He narrowed his eyes on Randy. "Now...where are they?"
Randy's forehead wrinkled up.
"I...don't know," Randy said.
"You don't know?" Quinn asked.
"The Great Egghead?" Rebecca asked. "I don't think so."
Randy narrowed his eyes on Rebecca. "Believe it." He turned to Quinn. "They had a choice. There was too much danger out there--"
"What else is new?" Quinn cut him off. "There's always danger! You beat the odds!"
"But it's growing," Randy said, He turned back to Rebecca. "Right?"
Quinn looked at Rebecca. She now glared at Randy. Reluctantly, she nodded.
"I picked a side," Randy said. "Rembrant and Melissa didn't agree. Rembrandt wanted to keep looking for you."
"And you let him," Quinn said, feeling his anger growing.
"Meanwhile, you are nice and comfy here," Rebecca said, her eyes taking in the office they were in.
"If you think that," Randy said, "you don't know me."
"Oh, really?" Rebecca challenged. She put her hands on the table leaning forward. "So...Ethan here with you or did he..."
Rebecca paused. Quinn watched Randy's face reddened. That resulted in Rebecca throwing Randy a smirk.
"I rest my case," Rebecca said.
"They're not alone," Randy shot back. "Remmy met a Jared double who's good at sliding."
"How good?" Quinn demanded.
"Good enough."
"You turned your back on them!" Quinn snapped.
"No!" Randy yelled back. "I'm focusing on the greater good."
"Stop it!"
Quinn turned around. Sitting in a chair by the door was Jules. He was balled up on it, his eyes watering. Quinn saw the pain in them as he stared at the trio.
"Thomas is dead!" Jules yelled. "Dead! He's not coming back! He didn't do anything to anyone. Get over the snarking and do something."
Rebecca looked over at Randy. "Same."
Quinn looked at Rebecca. "Shut up, Rebecca."
What could Quinn say? Jules was right. They had barely escaped Dark Sliders World. Betrayed by Zoe...whom turned out to be Randy's Logan St. Clair, Rebecca happened to have an escape plan. In the escape, Thomas, Jules's friend from his days in the slidecage, was killed.
Quinn frowned. They had been so busy trying to escape from Edward Albright and their men that they forgot about Richard and Ivy. He could only hope they were all right.
The door opened next to Jules. Quinn looked over at it. He stared at the curly-haired blond girl and glared.
Cassandra stared back at the scene in front of her. She was dressed in a black tanktop and black jeans. An arched eyebrow was the only move her face made.
"Not Yuzaki," Cassandra said.
"Obviously," Rebecca said.
"You would be surprised," Cassandra replied.
"Not really," Rebecca shot back.
"Why does everyone keep thinking we're Yuzaki?" Quinn asked.
Cassandra looked past Quinn, her eyes on Randy.
"You didn't tell them?" she asked.
"No time," Randy said.
"How about you do it?" Rebecca asked.
"We're at war," Cassandra answered. "The Yuzaki are at war with this world. And it's all your fault."
Richard Hall's hands balled into fists.
Ivy's dead body was still on the ground. Meanwhile, Mr. Stone was a few feet away. Richard had punched him, sending the sicko with Richard's face flying into creates.
He headed for him. He was ready. He was ready to give the killing blow. For Kat. For Maggie and Mallory. For Ivy. For his dad.
Suddenly, a light hit his face. Richard threw up his arm. He narrowed his eyes to see who had a light in his face.
"Freeze!" yelled someone.
"Nice work, Grant." the all familiar voice of Edward Albright announced. A moment later, Richard saw Albright by a moving Mr. Stone. He could even make out a grin. "At least, we captured one of the assets we need."
"Crap," Richard uttered.
"Ready? Go!"
Ethan Bradshaw narrowed his eyes. Max lunged at him immediately. He swung at him with the sword he had in hand. Ethan threw up his sword to blcok the thurst.
Max continued forward, pushing his blade down. Ethan grunted. He felt the foward push, causing him to fall back.
"Gee, Ethan? What's wrong?" Max asked. "Too busy with your...Genius...to keep up with the proper workout routine?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He jerked back suddenly. Max's eyes widened in surprise. Ethan saw his opening and took it. He fell to the floor and threw his leg out, tripping Max. Max fell to the mat. Max stared up.
"Touched a nerve?" Max asked, smirking.
"You wanted me to learn the routine?" Ethan asked. "I did."
"Good for you, Off-worlder," Max said.
Ethan glared. "Dude, get over it."
"Get over what?" Max challenged, standing up. "I have served my government for years. It is an honor for everyone. We would not even be constant alarm if it wasn't for the Yuzaki infection." He glared. "An infection that started with off-worlders."
Ethan said nothing. Max rolled his eyes.
"Fine," Max said. "I will give you this much. Unlike your man, you have emerged yourself in our culture. In three months, you have managed to climb our ranks. Even Cassandra respects you. She...don't respect anybody." He managed a grin. "As do I."
"You what?"
Ethan turned around. Cassandra stood in the door. She crossed her arms over her chest and approached.
"Well?" Cassandra asked.
"Nothing," Max said.
"You."
Max smirked. "Me."
Cassandra looked at Ethan. "I--"
"That's it?" Max asked.
Cassandra stared at him. "Were you expecting something?"
Max's face darkened. "Riiiight. I guess not." He looked at Ethan. "Later, Ethan."
Max walked out of the gym. Ethan watched him go. He turned to Cassandra and found her face hardened.
"Don't," Cassandra said.
"I didn't--" Ethan started.
"You didn't have to," Cassandra said. "I have visions, remember? That...and I am good at my job."
"It's pretty obvious though," Ethan commented.
"Well, it's obvious you and Randy aren't without your own problems," Cassandra said.
Ethan's face darkened. "We're fine."
"When he isn't in his lab."
"Helping your world."
"Indeed."
Cassandra headed toward the door. She paused at the door. She looked back at Ethan.
"Speaking of which," Cassandra said, "Randy's in his lab now...along with your Quinn...and others." She smirked. "Shall we go?"
The bright glowing lights blinded Quinn instantly. His eyes closed. His arms came up to shield him.
"And done. You can come in now."
Quinn opened his eyes. He stood in a tall clear doorway that resembled an airport x-ray machine. It had scanned him. Apparently, he was okay. Meanwhile, Randy stood in front of him waiting.
"And you are not Yuzaki," Randy declared.
"How are you even sure?" Quinn asked jokingly.
"Alarms didn't go off," Randy replied dead-pan.
"Can't have that," Rebecca said.
Quinn looked over at Rebecca. She was by a table, staring with Jules. Randy had brought them to his lab. Quinn stepped into the room, letting himselves take everything in.
White. Clean. The room was full of plenty of knick-knacks. Rebecca was over at one table. Quinn found himselves wandering to another table. He saw what he recognized as Randy's prosthetic on one table. He also saw a set of what looked like robotic gloves. He also saw another device that loooked like a remote.
Quinn grinned.
A timer.
He turned and faced Randy.
"So you had all this," Quinn said, "and yet you couldn't have tracked the others?"
Randy crossed his arms over his chest.
"Greater good, Quinn," Randy said. "All the sliding you've done and yet you don't understand that?"
"I understand that when you go into trances, you can see every angle," Quinn challenged. "Think you could have seen that?"
Randy narrowed his eyes on Quinn. Quinn didn't care. He glared right back.
"Greater good, right?" Quinn continued. "Doing whatever it takes, right? To save the worlds? To find our friends? Do you have what it takes?"
"No..."
Quinn looked back at the doorway. Light shined as Cassandra walked through it. She was not alone. Ethan Bradshaw was with her. Since Quinn had seen him last, Ethan had curly hair and a goatee. Cassandra's blue eyes were on Quinn though.
"...but we will," Cassandra finished. She looked at Randy. "And what we need...is a manta ship."
"A what?" Rebecca uttered.
Cassandra looked at Rebecca. "A manta ship."
"Are you serious?" Rebecca uttered.
"Did I stutter?" Cassandra countered.
"But...but weren't they destroyed in the slidecage?" Jules asked.
"Not all of them," Cassandra said.
"You have no way to know that," Quinn said.
"And you have no way NOT," Cassandra said. "Besides we now have two experts on the subject of sliding." Her forehead wrinkled up. "Surely between the two of you...you can track one down."
Quinn looked over at Randy. He frowned. Randy's eyes...were on Ethan. Ethan meanwhile looked back as well. There was something...unsaid going on.
"But that's just it," Quinn said, his eyes on Randy. "It's not like we haven't done this before. Granted it takes time...but it's possible. Maybe...someone should focus."
Randy's face darkened. "I am focused."
"Not on this," Quinn said. "That's for sure."
Randy openly glared. Quinn didn't care. When he had gotten separated from the others on Alexanderian World, he had landed on an earth that was like home. He had been missing for the right amount of time. He had been with Wade. They were engaged. He had thought he made it, and had to leave again to find the others.
On that Earth...there had been no others.
Still...he had managed to invent equipment again. And like a ship following the North star, the device appeared to be homing in on the others. Until Zoe strunk. but Zoe...was Randy. And Randy was Zoe.
"Hold on, Quinn," Ethan said.
"Nah uh, Loverboy," Rebecca said, heading in front of Randy. "Quinn is right."
"What would you know about right?" Ethan demanded.
"She's been right so far," Quinn said.
Rebecca looked at Quinn. She grinned.
"And to think I was going to use you as a bargaining chip," Rebecca commented.
Quinn grinned. "Aren't you glad you didn't?"
"And this is who you're working with?" Randy asked, stepping forward. "She has tried to get rid of us more times than I could count."
Quinn looked at Cassandra. "I could say the same about your friend." He looked at Randy again, ignoring the icy glare Randy was giving. "However...they're both right. A war is going on. The Yuzaki are out there. Stone is with Albright, but we know he'll come after us. Then Zoe..."
The glare left Randy's face. It was replaced by sadness in Randy's eyes. He looked away.
"Yes," Randy said. "Her."
"She betrayed us," Rebecca said. "That makes her a loose cannon."
"And a loose cannon," Quinn said, "is a dangerous thing."
Randy looked over at Quinn.
"Agreed," Randy said.
"I'm not leaving my friends out there to that," Quinn said.
"And I"m not leaving Earth Prime vulnerable to attacks," Randy said.
"And other worlds," Cassandra added.
"No one has forgotten about that," Rebecca said, glaring at Cassandra.
"Some of us just want our worlds left alone," Cassandra shot back. "I think we all understand that. Or we could always go ask Edward Albright..."
Rebecca's face clouded. "Richard..."
Randy's face darkened. "Speaking of betrayal..."
"Enough!!" Ethan cut in.
"Yeah," Jules added.
"I would think you guys could get it together long enough to solve the problem," Ethan snapped. His eyes fell on Randy. "All of you."
Randy frowned. "What is that supposed to m--"
Too late. Ethan stormed out of the room. Randy ran after him. Quinn didn't know what to say. He looked over at Rebecca. She had a big smirk on her face.
"Ah...terrible in paradise!" she exclaimed.
"Not now," Quinn said. "Okay, Cassandra, about this manta ship..."
"Ethan, wait!"
Ethan kept on walking. Randy felt his temper flaring up. He pushed it down as he chased Ethan down the hall.
"Ethan!" Randy yelled. He was directly behind him, and yet Ethan still didn't turn around. Randy reached for Ethan's shoulder. "Ethan--"
Ethan swung away from Randy.
"Don't touch me!" Ethan snapped.
"What is going on with you?" Randy asked.
"As if you care!"
"Wouldn't ask if I didn't."
Ethan glared. "Could have fooled me. You're always in the lab...inventing."
It was Randy's turn to glare. "I'm sorry. Do you want another Yuzaki to just randomly show up here. Kill a few people. Be a spy like last time."
"No!"
"Then what!"
Ethan just stared. Randy realized he had yelled. He ran a hand through his hair.
"Sorry," Randy said. "I didn't mean to y--"
"Yes, you did," Ethan said. "So did I." He continued to stare at Randy, his gray eyes full of sadness. "We've become our doubles on Alexanderian World."
Randy frowned. He remembered their doubles on that world. His double invented devices for the government. Ethan's double was bitter and did nothing much.
"Well, you do work for the goverment," Ethan said as if reading Randy's mind.
"But I make time for you," Randy said.
"Do you?" Ethan challenged.
"I'm not cheating on you," Randy said seriously. "Not that we were ever sure if he was..."
"You know I love you," Ethan said.
Randy reached out for Ethan. He grabbed him in his arms. Ethan didn't pulled away, making Randy smile a little.
"Look," Randy said, "I love you, too. I want to be with you all the time. But there is a lot of things I have to ready. You know the Yuzaki will try again. We're lucky they didn't take anything last time."
"Do what you do," Ethan said. "But...live a little."
Randy frowned. "Like you. Always training."
Ethan shrugged his shoulder. "While you're adorable when you're in a trance...I can't stand still. Could get boring."
Randy grinned. "I bet."
"Besides," Ethan continued, "remember when we got here? How people stayed away because this wasn't our Earth?"
Randy nodded. He did. All too well. It was like they were evil aliens trying to take over the world.
"But," Randy said, "we proved we were useful. Now...we got to keep going. Is that okay?"
"Of course!" Ethan exclaimed. He leaned closer. "Just...please....make time for the little things. Like..."
Ethan's lips connected to Randy's lips. Randy felt his body immediately start to warm up. A smile even crept up on his face.
"Now that's something I would love to do."
Randy pulled away from Ethan. He turned around. Quinn stood behind him, his arms over his chest. His glance was like a teacher waiting for the students to calm down.
"But Wade isn't here," Quinn said, the pain flashing in his eyes. "She's home. How about we work on our journey to get there?"
"Oh?" Randy said.
"Starting," Quinn said, "with finding the manta ship."
Quinn continued putting in the calculations. He could feel his eagerness starting to show. Then he would have to push it down again.
Quinn looked over at Randy. They had both chosen different workbench in his lab. In the last few days, it wasn't much else except Randy's trances and his thinking.
Most of Quinn's thinking was centered on Wade. Beautiful, patient Wade. Wade...doing on Earth Prime what she did when she used to slide. She gave him inner strength. She gave him strength to carry on.
Quinn also thought about Rembrandt. It had been a little over a year since they separated on Alexandrian World. They had found out about an assassination attempt on the Emperor. He went to talk to Randy's double...a tinkerer for the government to see if maybe he had leads to get them home while Rembrandt went to investigate Maximillion Arturo, a highly respected citizen on that world. They hadn't seen each other since.
Was Rembrandt okay? Was Melissa Clark okay? It was hard to believe that Randy's ex would go anywhere without him. Obviously, they had a falling out. She didn't seem to like the idea of Randy and Ethan being together. Now, she and Rembrandt were with a double of Jared Heim, Randy's brother. Were they okay?
The device beeped. the screen lit up. Quinn smiled as he saw it begin to count down.
Hopefully...soon...he was about to find out.
Quinn turned around. Randy had turned around as well. He held up the device he had. Quinn's timer was shaped like a flip-up cell phone. Randy's timer was shaped like a smartphone.
"Oh," Quinn commented.
Randy frowned. "Same."
"Apparently, we both are still at the top of our game."
"Indeed."
It was Quinn's turn to frown.
"And yet you have been here for months," Quinn said.
"For the record," Rnady said, his face darkening. "I don't think this is a good idea."
"I disagree," Quinn said. "The manta ships are semi-organic. Something like that will stand out among the tracer."
"I meant more about what might be at the end of the vortex," Randy said.
"What else is new?" Quinn countered.
Rebecca Pryce felt her anger grow.
This was insane.
She had lost her trump card. She knew Zoe with her ability to create slidstorms was going to make her important to all parties in this sliding war. She had lined her cards up right. With Zoe, Rebecca no longer needed Quinn Mallory. She was ready to hand him over to Eric Price and the dark sliders as a bargaining chip they could use on Edward Albright. She would have a powerful ally. But...everything went to hell due to Zoe's betrayal over Rebecca not...'volunteering'...her info over who Zoe really was. Here she was tearing his room apart. Her goal: to find her NEXT trump card.
Rebecca glared at the room. Like its user, the bedroom hid its secret well. Then her eyes fell on the drawer again the wall.
She mentally kicked herself.
Of course.
She was on the draw in an instant. She leaned to the bottom, aimed at the lower drawer, opened it, moved the underwear (hmmm, boxer briefs), and found her prize. A smirk fell on her face.
Yesss!!
"What are you doing?"
Rebecca stood up and turned around. Ethan stood in the door, Cassandra behind him.
"Trusting my hunch," Rebecca replied. She threw them a smirk. "And I was right!"
"Okay, you leave--" Ethan started, heading toward her.
Rebecca held up a hand, blocking Ethan. "Randy said he wasn't keeping track of Melissa and Rembrandt. He told Quinn that. The truth? He could had led Quinn to them whenever he liked. He just didn't want to." She looked at Ethan, staring him down. "Did you even know?" Ethan's face darkened, proving she had hit her mark. She smirked. "Guess he couln't let Melissa go after all. And now...easy come, easy go!"
"What--" Ethan started.
Rebecca aimed the device at the drawer. Light hit it, causing the drawer to dissolve into a purple wormhole. Rebecca threw Ethan and Cassandra a trimuphant grin.
"Trumpted!!" she yelled.
She jumped into the wormhole. It quickly closed behind her.
Quinn made it to the top of the sand dune. He saw the artifact and smiled.
Half buried in the sand...was a manta ship.
Randy's eyes widened as he turned around the corner. His back hit the hard cold wall. He held up a laser. Then he looked around the corner. And that was when he saw them.
Yuzaki.
Randy could tell from their stance that they had not seen him yet. It was only Horus and Cyrus. One with blue hair and face markings. The other with fire engine red and face markings. There was no sign of their purple-haired leader Isis. For that...Randy was grateful.
Randy looked down at his timer. He wasn't sure when Quinn's timer would go off or where he was. However, his timer had five minutes on it. All he had to do was keep hidden until then and...
WHHHHHHHHIIZZZZZZ!!!
Randy turned quickly. He wasn't against a wall. It was a door, that separated. Randy's eyes widened at the sight that stood before him. The doors closed behind him, making Randy realize he had stepped forward.
"Professor?" Randy uttered.
"You got to be kidding me!"
Cassandra found herself glaring. Melissa Clark and Ben Loveland stood before her. Ethan and her had made it back to Randy's lab. On the way down the hall were their two associates. And of course, Max.
"No," Cassandra said. "Rebecca is gone."
"Well, I guess you are going to have to track her," Max said.
Ben looked at Max. He frowned. Next to him, Melissa did the same.
"Now, you're kidding, too?" Ben asked.
"Ain't that the truth," Melissa added.
"Meaning?" Max asked.
"Meaning," Cassandra said, "Those of us who had dealt with Rebecca know."
Max frowned. "Know?"
"Rebecca turns up when she WANTS to turn up," Ethan said. "It's not so much where she's at now...but who she's with."
Cassandra saw the pain on Ethan's face. They both knew the truth. Even as they talked, Rebecca was probably in front of Rembrandt Brown and Melissa Clark right now. Randy knew where they might be at and told no one...not even his boyfriend.
Could their relationship survive?
Suddenly, the alarms sounded through the room. Max grunted. So did Cassandra.
"Just what we don't need now," Max said.
"What's going on?"
Cassandra turned around. It was Jules. He looked understandably confused.
"Transdimensional entrance," Cassandra said.
"Wormhole," Ethan added.
"Crap!"
Cassandra looked back at Max. His hand was to his ear. More than likely, he was talking into the little receiver with another officer. His eyes widened. He looked over at her.
"It's a manta ship," Max uttered.
"What?" Ben said.
"Over Golden Gate Park," Max continued. "We need to go. NOW."
Randy set forward. His mouth was open. He had no words for the sight before him.
It was Professor Darnell Brown. He floated in a tube, a little muzzle over his nose and mouth for oxygen. His eyes were closed, oblivious to anything around him.
No one had seen Darnell in months. The last Randy had seen him he was starting to lose control of his powers. They were increasing to the point where they were overwhelming him. He had vanished on a world that knew about sliding and hated it...something Randy realized was being frequent.
The Yuzaki...had gotten him.
Seeing Darnell in the tube brought back another time, another place.
It was the Atlantian Kromaggs. They were amassing an army on one world. Maggie Beckett, Mallory, and Diana Davis had a little resistance stopping then so far. There he had encountered another being in a tube: Chad Owens.
Chad Owens was an experiment on one of the worlds Randy, Richard, Melissa, and Darnell had first slid to. His DNA spliced with DNA that turned out to be Kromagg, Chad Owens had Kromagg abilities. And that...made him a sliding telepathic atomic bomb. The Kromaggs had no problem sliding Chad into whole Earths, his powers burning out every mind that lived them, making them walking corpses.
Randy walked to the glass. He put a hand on it. His eyes watered.
"Oh, Lord," Randy uttered. "Not again."
WWWHIIIIIIIZZZZZZ!!!!
Randy turned around. The doors were opening. He quickly ran behind Darnell's tube.
Quinn came out of the manta ship. Luckily, it had been a smooth landing. Or it had felt like a smooth landing to him. He had picked Golden Gate Park. He only hoped the others...
Movement to the left made Quinn jump. Several black-clad men had guns trained on him. Quinn quickly threw up his hands. He looked to his right. There were more men there. He also saw Ethan, Cassandra, Max, and Jules. He made out doubles of Ben Loveland and Melissa Clark. Goth doubles at that.
"It's me!" Quinn announced.
"And you found the artifact," Cassandra said, grinning.
"Most people would call it a manta ship," Quinn said.
"Are we most people?" Cassandra countered.
"So are we going to explore the manta ship and all of its weaponery," Max asked, "or are you going to do snark all day?"
Quinn watched Cassandra throw a glare at Max. At the same time, he saw that her face redden a little. A smile crept onto his face in spite of himself. Who would have thought anyone would like or show jealousy because of Cassandra?
CRACK!!!
Quinn looked away from Cassandra. His eyes widened. His jaw dropped.
Ben's head was jerked to a sharp right. He looked like a fat giraffe as he fell to the ground. Melissa stood over him, her head tilted. She looked down studying him as if she saw him for the first time. She looked up, staring at Quinn with inhuman eyes.
"Liz," Cassandra uttered in shock.
Quinn narrowed his eyes on 'Liz.'
"Not Melissa," Quinn said.
'Melissa' smirked, her lips going very thin and her skin turning pale white.
"Very good, Human," she hissed, "and very late."
"Oh...my..." Jules muttered.
"Oh, no," Cassandra said.
Quinn saw the jet-black hair give way to purple. Then he knew.
"Isis," Quinn said.
"I sense nothing from him, Cyrus."
"And yet, Horus, I feel differently."
Randy tensed up. The last thing he needed was for them to figure out he was here. He hoped that his new telepathic blocker behind his left ear worked. He hadn't had time to test it out in the field against the Yuzaki.
"There you go again, Horus. Always trying to be involved in every stage of your experiment."
"Is not all life an experiment, Cyrus?" Horus asked. "Besides Kersh's journals have been an excellent source reference to what we will be need in order to successfully conquer these worlds again and repopulate them with Yuzaki."
"As if humans will let us," Cyrus said.
"As if these abominations will have a choice," Horus replied. "Besides...you know you miss training new soldiers."
"And you," Cyrus said, "miss creating."
"Project 251 is the first," Horus said. "However, I am sure the others will be successful."
Randy's eyes widened.
Others?
Suddenly, a figure jumped out at Randy. Horus snarled.
"Hello...Heim Prime," Horus said.
"Attack!" Max barked.
Isis's head whipped around in Max's direction. Suddenly, Cassandra and Max flew through the air. Isis smirked.
Laserfire rang out. Isis threw up a hand. The laserfire shot off away from her.
Ethan lunged at Isis. Isis swung away from him. Then she lunged forward, grabbing Ethan around the throat.
"Did you really think you were a match for me, Human?" Isis asked.
"Stop!" Quinn barked.
Isis stared over at Quinn.
"Perhaps," Isis said, "Where is he? Where is the Heim Prime?"
"Unavailable," Quinn said. "Guess you'll have to deal with me."
"This shall not take long," Isis said.
"You'll be surprised," Quinn shot back.
Suddenly, Quinn's body tensed up. He shot forward through the air. As quickly as he flew through it, Quinn came to an abrupt stop in front of Isis. She looked at Quinn with a trimuphant smile.
"I would disagree," Isis said. "Like my ancestors used to say...your mind is soft while my mind is a knife."
"Knife this."
Isis turned in time to get a branch in the face. Quinn fell to the ground. He looked over at Isis. She was unconscious with Ethan rubbing his neck. He looked at their savior. Quinn did the same. Jules grinned at them. He dropped the branch.
"Well...I didn't have a laser," Jules explained.
"Stilll...you rocked," Ethan said.
"You okay?" Jules asked.
"Yeah," Ethan said, looking over at Quinn. "You guys?"
"Yep," Jules said.
"Yes," Quinn said. "Let's see if Max and the others are--"
Then Quinn realized it. His eyes widened.
Isis...was gone.
Quinn quickly stood up. "Where did she go?"
Ethan looked by him. He jumped up quickly. His eyes dotted about.
"Good question," Ethan commented.
Quinn saw Max's men starting to stir. He could see Cassandra moving, Max doing the same next to her. Yet he didn't see Isis at all.
Then he heard it, his body gripping with fear.
The manta ship.
It was coming back to life.
"Did you think you could hide from us forever?" Horus asked.
Randy started to back away. He turned quickly. Cyrus stared back at him, his alien eyes full of glee.
"Ah, Heim Prime," Cyrus said, "how Isis will look forward to having you in our possession at last."
Randy pushed his fear down fast. Obviously, he had to work on the receiver again. Great. Next time...
But first there had to be a next time.
"She might have to wait," Randy said.
Randy aimed his laser. Suddenly, it flew out of his hand It landed behind Cyrus. Cyrus snarled.
"I do not think so," Horus said behind Randy, causing Randy to turn.
Randy smirked. "Well, I...do."
Suddenly, the air screamed with a high-pitched sound. Horus yelled and fell to the floor unconscious. Randy turned around to see Cyrus had also fallen. He turned off the device he had pushed in his pocket. He looked down at the Yuzaki and smiled.
"Good thing you don't evolve," Randy commented.
Randy walked past Cyrus. He grabbed up his laser. He made his way to the door.
He paused. He turned around to look at Professor Brown. His eyes widened.
Darnell was still there. He was still floating. However, there was one change that was hard to ignore.
Darnell's eyes...were open.
Darnell was awake.
Randy frowned.
What was he going to do?
Quinn made it into the lab quickly. He quickly looked around. He wasn't sure what to do.
"What are you doing?"
Quinn turned around. Ethan looked at him, his eyes searching Quinn's face for an answer to that question. His look matched Cassandra and Jules who were both behind him.
"You know Randy better than I would," Quinn said. "Would he have invented something against a manta ship?"
"Uh..." Ethan started.
"Nothing to worry about."
Quinn stared past the trio. Max had entered the lab. His face was full of confidence.
"Jets should be here any second," Max continued. "Nothing to worr--"
"You obviously haven't dealt with manta ships," Quinn said.
"And you haven't dealt with our military," Max shot back.
"If what just happened a preview," Quinn said. "I was underwhelmed."
Max glared. He took a step forward. Cassandra blocked his way.
"You're better than this," Cassandra said. "And...no time."
Max looked at Cassandra. Then he looked at Quinn. Then he looked back at Cassandra. the confusion on his face was evident.
"Tick tock," Quinn said.
"Agreed," Max said, moving past Cassandra and toward a monitor in the corner. "Time is up...for them."
Max turned on the monitor. Quinn watched it come to life. On the screen...was the sky. Suddenly, jets shot past it.
"What in the world--" Ethan started.
"Randy likes to monitor as much as possible," Max said, looking at Ethan. "Especially since the Yuzaki infection." He frowned. "I thought he would tell you."
"Apparently not," Ethan said, a hint of hurt in his eyes.
Quinn didn't know what to say. What could he say? It made him wonder what else Randy might not have told him.
Suddenly, the wall next to Max dissolved into a purple vortex. It whirred, a figure jumping out of it. As the vortex closed, Quinn saw it was Randy. He looked around the room.
"What did I miss?" Randy asked.
"Nothing much," Ethan said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just your secrets coming out. That's all."
Randy frowned. "Excuse me?"
"Lover quarrel later," Max said. "Manta ship under attack by trained soldiers."
"What?" Randy said.
Quinn saw the look on Randy's face as he looked at the monitor. There was a hint of relief on it. It was as if he was happy the line of questioning had stopped. A red flag went up in Quinn's mind.
"I found a manta ship," Quinn said, heading for the monitor. "What I didn't know was that Isis had snuck into your ranks."
"Snuck?" Randy uttered.
"Ranks?" Max muttered.
"Anyway," Quinn said, standing next to Randy, "she stole the ship. The air force here is dealing with it."
Max beamed. "Consider it dealt."
Quinn looked at the scene. The manta ship sped past. The jets gave it chase. They fired on it. The manta ship manuevered like a ballerina across a stage. Quinn's back tensed up. Would the jets get the ship?
Suddenly, a red vortex shot open. A massive one at all. Another manta ship shot out of it, firing on two jets. It hit its targets, destroying both jets.
Max's jaw dropped.
Quinn felt his jaw set.
The answer...as he watched the monitor...was no.
Randy ran for his bedroom. They didn't have much time. If he was going to slide out before the Yuzaki really did damage, Randy was going to need to be sure where Rembrandt, Melissa, and Jared were. He needed--
Randy paused in the ajar door. He stared at the demolished room in surprise. Who--
"You're too late."
Randy turned around. Ethan stood behind him. He hadn't even realized Ethan was following him. Ethan stared at him with an icy glance that made him feel uncomfortable.
"What--" Randy started.
"Rebecca came and took it," Ethan said, cutting Randy off. "I'm sure she's conning Remmy as we talk."
"Ethan--"
"Don't."
"I don't see why you are getting bend out of shape about this," Randy said. "I think you know me well enough--"
"Do I?" Ethan challenged. "Do I know you? Really?"
"How can you say that?" Randy demanded.
Ethan's face darkened. Randy reached for Ethan. He threw an arm up.
"No," Ethan said.
"Ethan, come on! It's not like I wouldn't keep track of them," Randy said.
"It's not that," Ethan said. "It's the fact you would keep it secret. You knew. You knew how to get to Rembrandt, Melissa, and Jared. You knew and YOU TOLD NO ONE!! Then you had that monitor and told...well, not me. Is there anything else you're hiding?"
Randy opened his mouth to speak. He shut it quickly.
"Good question."
Randy looked past Ethan. Ethan turned to look as well. It was Quinn.
"Quinn--" Randy started.
"No," Quinn said, anger crossing his face. "I asked you about Remmy and Melissa. You said nothing. NOTHING."
"I needed you focused."
"Because I wouldn't have been focused AFTER I found Remmy and Melissa? Bull!"
"Are we missing something?"
Randy looked behind Quinn. It was Cassandra and Jules. Cassandra took in the scene with curiosity.
"Oh," Cassandra said, looking at Quinn's face. "You know."
"Yes," Quinn said, his eyes narrowing on Randy, "I know."
Randy looked over at Ethan. Anything to avoid Quinn's glare. He felt his heart stop. Ethan's gray eyes had watered.
"We need to get out of here, guys," Jules said.
"Agreed," Quinn said. "My timer is still good. We--"
"Wait," Cassandra said. "My world--"
"--is burning," Jules finished.
Cassandra glared at Jules. "I'm not leaving. Ben. Max. No."
"We have to," Quinn said, touching Cassandra's shoulder. "Those manta ships are shooting everything in sight. And when they're done they're coming after Randy. We need to go."
"No," Cassandra said again.
"Cassandra..."
Randy felt their argument fall to the wayside. His eyes were on Ethan. Ethan stared at him, a tear falling. He reached for him.
"Ethan--" Randy started.
Suddenly, there was an explosion. Randy felt pain hit hin. He flew through the air. Then everything went black.
Quinn woke up to beeping. He did not know how long he was out. He knew his body hurt.
What...
Then he remembered...his whole body coming to life.
Randy's residence was nothing, but rumble. Quinn pulled out his timer as he struggled to stand. His eyes widened for a moment. Then he aimed at a cracked wall and pushed a button. The wall dissolved into a circle of purple light.
He looked about. All he saw...were bodies.
"Ugh!"
Quinn moved over to where he was sure had been Randy's bedroom. His eyes fell on Jules. He was making it to his feet with only cuts and bruises. He looked over at Quinn in concern.
"You okay?" Quinn asked.
"Yeah," Jules answered. "Just rattled."
"Good," Quinn said. "I made a vortex. Jump."
Jules stared in shock. "What?"
"Do you want to die here?" Quinn asked. "Jump."
"No!"
Quinn looked past Jules. Cassandra limped toward them. She had as cut on her forehead. Her eyes bored holes into Quinn.
"I'm not leaving Ben or Max," Cassandra declared.
"And you don't have time to argue," Quinn replied.
As if to make his point, another explosion sounded in the distance. Cassandra still glared.
"He's right," Jules said. "I...don't want to, but he is." He walked over to Cassandra and touched her shoulder. "Sometimes...you have to pick your battles."
Before Cassandra could reply, Jules grabbed her. Then he picked her up and walked out. Quinn grinned. then he turned around, his eyes still searching the room.
Quinn's eyes fell on Randy. He was on the floor. It appeared that he was breathing. Quinn leaded for him. He had cuts and bruises like Jules. He reached down and picked up his unconscious form.
That was when he saw it.
Ethan was a few feet away. He was unconscious. Quinn looked at him and saw a dark puddle next to him. He laid right in the puddle. Quinn's eyes widened as he realized it was blood. And the blood...was coming from Ethan.
"Oh, no," Quinn uttered.
Suddenly, a wall on the other side of the room dissolved into a red vortex. It whrred. A figure walked out. Quinn saw it was a Yuzaki with blue hair.
Quinn ran for the vortex. He jumped in.
Quinn landed with a thud. The vortex closed behind him. He looked around.
They were in an alley. Cassandra and Jules were a few feet away from Randy and him. Cassandra quickly narrowed her eyes on him.
"How could you?" Cassandra demanded.
"I did what needed to be done," Quinn said. "Good thing. A Yuzaki slid in."
"Oh," Jules uttered.
"But...all we have is that timer," Cassandra said. "And no way to go back to Randy's lab...if it's even still there. We're at square one again."
"Welcome to the club," Quinn said dead-pan.
"Uh...Quinn?" Jules asked. "Where's Ethan?"
It must have been written all over his face. Cassandra's eyes widened. Jules went pale, his eyes watering.
"Oh, no," Jules uttered.
"What...what is going on?"
Quinn looked at Randy. He put Randy down. That did not stop the confusion from leaving his face.
"One of the manta ships took out your room," Quinn explained. "Yuzaki started sliding in. I slid us out."
Randy looked around. "Where's Ethan?"
Tears ran down Jules's face. Cassandra looked away. Randy stared at her, his eyes widening. He turned to Quinn the anger becoming evident in his face.
"Where...is...Ethan?" Randy demanded.
"He...he didn't make it," Quinn said. "The explosion--"
"What?" Randy said, his voice higher.
"He's gone," Quinn said, reaching for Randy. "I'm so sorry--"
"Is this a joke?" Randy asked.
"Is everything okay over here?"
Randy frowned. so did Quinn. He turned around. There was a police officer behind them. He had a polite smile on his face.
"Uh...yes, Officer," Quinn said. "Just a fri--"
"Then my apologies," the officer continued, "but you are under arrest. The curfew we have in effect is for your own protection. The last thing you need is to get infected."
Cassandra frowned. "Infected?"
Suddenly, a howl echoed through the alley. It was followed by several more.
"Oh, great," the officer said, pulling out his gun. "I hope you have weapons."
THE-END
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