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From: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com (arfic-l-digest) To: arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: arfic-l-digest V1 #41 Reply-To: arfic-l-digest Sender: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk arfic-l-digest Thursday, September 27 2001 Volume 01 : Number 041 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 00:07:41 +0000 From: "Mandi Ohlin" <weird_web@hotmail.com> Subject: (arfic-l) "Sharp Edges" (1/?) Title: Sharp Edges Author: Mandi Ohlin Rating: PG (language and violence) Fandom: Witchblade(the TV series)/BtVS Category: Crossover/Action/Humor Archive permission: If you want it, wait til I get it done and revised and please ask. Summary: Sara Pezzini's latest murder case is a weird one... and her only lead is a bleached-blond vamp in search of a runaway. Timeline: After "The Gift"; post fifth-season BtVS. For Witchblade, after "Periculum." Pretty much deviates from continuity after that. Disclaimer: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and all related indicia belong to 20th Century Fox (although, IMO, Joss Whedon deserves the rights). "Witchblade" (the TV series) and all related indicia is property of Top Cow Productions and I think TNT has a hand in that cookie jar. No profit is being received from this piece of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended. Author's Notes: *sigh* And yet another in-progress fic is added to my list. This has been in idea mode for a few months now, and when my demons for this fic finally started helping me with the writing of it, I immediately took the opportunity before they went comatose and/or whiny again. I'd appreciate a little feedback, since I really don't know where it's going. At the very least, I'd like suggestions for a new title. Oh, who am I kidding? I *LIVE* for feedback! It's the only reason I didn't give up fanfic years ago to concentrate on original stuff. Send it my way, please! Sharp Edges by Mandi Ohlin Part One It had come for her at last. And there was no place left to run. The girl halted in the center of the alley, fixing the dead end with a furious glare as if that would move it aside. The solid wall before her didn't even flinch beneath her gaze. Not that she expected it to. For all her so-called "power," she was helpless. She had always been helpless, fragile, in the line of fire. That was nothing new. In the past year of her life, she'd constantly found herself chased or captured, treated like a commodity - as a hostage, as a tool, as a midnight snack. So she wasn't entirely surprised to find herself in this situation once again. But this time, there was no protector to save her. ~left them all behind~ She could hear its approach, and turned slowly to face the shadowy figure advancing towards her. Light flickered over its form at intervals, each time illuminating a different face. A woman with curly blonde hair and an insane glint in her eyes. A middle-aged man in a suit and tie, his human form flickering into a snakelike demon. A dark-haired man in a black trenchcoat, his handsome features rippling to reveal yellow eyes and fangs. The mouth of the alley was clearly visible past him, and she was surprised to see a man standing there, watching impassively. He was her father's age, with thinning black hair and a look of disapproval on his face. As she stared at him, the alley became cold. "Help me!" she cried to him. But he shook his head, taking a drag on his cigar before throwing it away. The smoke curled up from the discarded cigar, forming the shape of a bull before it - and the man - disappeared. ~you can't trust him~ Her pursuer advanced, its shadowy form becoming less human and more bestial, until it approached her on all fours, its muscles tensed to pounce. It was still too dark to make out any features. She flattened herself against the wall, desperate for some help, any help. Her dreamself imagined a protector between her and the monster: a small blonde woman, her petite stature concealing her strength and speed as she faced off against the creature. But it was only a dream within a dream, a memory. This time, she was alone. The creature knew this, and reveled in the scent of her fear. Just as it reached the edge of the light, it crouched down and launched itself at her, all claws and dripping fangs. She shrieked and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the claws that would tear her flesh apart. Instead, the creature's roar was cut off by a shriek, followed by a gurgling squeal. Surprised, she opened her eyes to see the predator speared through the belly by a long blade. It slid off the blade and fell to the pavement with a dry, cracking sound, crumbling into rubble. There was no blood, no flesh, just a lump of broken stone instead of a body. The only evidence that it had once been alive was the black blood remaining on the blade, and that, too, crumbled off the metal like dust. Stunned, the girl looked up to see her savior. The armored woman was not the protector she knew. This woman was taller, with long dark hair. The blade seemed to be an extension of her arm. It retracted smoothly, disappearing into the armor. As she turned, her expression was one of surprise. ~not as alone as you think~ And then the dream ended. ***** The young girl rolled over, staring at the neon sign outside the motel room window. Fuzzily, her brain registered the reality of her surroundings, the cheap motel room, that damn neon sign flickering outside. Even with its dull red light, she could tell that the sky outside was no longer pitch black; morning had come, gray and pale. She turned over again, trying to burrow beneath the sheets. Sleep never seemed to come nowadays without another of those dreams, the ones that seemed dead set on warning her that she was in danger, that she was alone with no one to protect her. She'd left all potential protectors behind. It was for their own good. She just had to keep telling herself that. One last thought drifted through her sleepy mind as sleep reclaimed her. _So who was that woman?_ ***** For the first time in weeks, Sara Pezzini awoke from a dream fairly peacefully - which meant she didn't practically jump out of bed upon awakening. Her eyes snapped open, and she lifted her head from the pillow, a sleepy and perplexed look on her face. Now that had actually been a mild dream compared to the usual. Although that was probably deceiving. She stared at the bracelet on her wrist. The crimson eye of the Witchblade was alive with shifting, flowing light. "Are you trying to kill me?" she asked it. The Witchblade, naturally, did not answer. Sara groaned and buried her face back into the pillow, trying to recover a few more hours of sleep. Her alarm clock went off a second later, and was promptly silenced as it went flying across the room. ***** The first rays of morning sunlight streamed in through the windows, squeezing in through the nailed-up boards to illuminate the still figure lying on the concrete floor. One pale hand was caught in the beams, and a second later, the hand in question was on fire. "Bloody hell!" Spike could go from "Inanimate State" to "Alert and Cursing" in under a second, and this particular morning was no exception. Being sober for a change helped. He leapt smoothly to his feet and bolted for a dark corner of the room, plunging his hand into the bucket of dirty rainwater he'd set there to deal with a leaky ceiling. It wasn't like he could call the super; the building he'd holed up in was condemned. As his hand cooled, he glared fiercely at the bright crack in the far wall. He'd been able to patch up the openings the night before, but he must have missed one. Or it was just his luck getting worse. He was starting to wonder if it could get any worse. That kind of thinking always led to trouble. ***** Kenneth Irons stood at the window, watching the sun rise. Clouds were rolling lazily across the sky, doing their best to blot out the golden splash of dawn that was peering over the horizon. They would most likely succeed, he mused; the forecast called for thunderstorms. Which was nothing new. It had been raining on and off for the past week, shrouding the city with a gray, damp veil. This was the first sunrise to shine through the cloud cover in several days. Irons took a deep breath and let it out slowly, keeping his attention fixed on the eastern horizon. There was something reassuring about the sight of the morning sun, but for the life of him he could not determine why. The weather never bothered him. It was a minor detail whether it was raining or snowing, sunny or overcast - it didn't really affect business. Unless you were a weather forecaster. He shifted, feeling uneasy. Since the Periculum, many things had become unclear. Sara's dreams had become vague and difficult to remember - not for her, but for him. He'd woken before sunrise from a particularly vivid dream - - and for the first time, he could not recall even a bit of it. It was as if the Witchblade was pushing him away, keeping him out of the loop. Worse, there were portents on the horizon. Certain planets were aligning, and coupled with the weather conditions, the signs of Something Significant were popping up all over. The few prophecies Irons could find were too vague, and none were complete. He had pieced together all the warnings, but he had yet to find out what the signs meant. For the first time in many years, Kenneth Irons had almost no idea what was about to happen. He didn't like it one bit. ***** tbc... - -- Mandi Ohlin (Mandolin) member of the SisterHood of Evil fanfic fanatic and nitpicker extraordinaire "THIS is the crack team that foils my every plan? I am deeply shamed." --Spike, "BtVS: Something Blue" http://www.weirdweb.net _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 10:13:35 +1200 From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) All That Glitters (6/20) This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_01FD_01C14806.3C320800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable All That Glitters (6/20) by Anne Olsen Disclaimers in Part 0 Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz **** Part Six As Beckett ushered Adam down the long hallway, the Australian tried = again to contact Megabyte. He hoped that as he had his back to the man, = Beckett wouldn't be able to notice the telepathy. Adam could sense that = Megabyte was nearby, but couldn't raise a reply. Megabyte was definitely = unconscious. Drugged, judging from the conversation he had overheard = earlier. Adam was careful not to drop his mental shields too far. He didn't want = the other Tomorrow People in the same situation that he, Megabyte and = whoever this Max was, were in. He had felt Ami try to initiate contact = with him a number of times since leaving the UFO Centre but had managed = to block her.=20 Beckett opened the door to what looked like some sort of office and = shoved Adam, not too gently, through. A man was sitting at the desk, = talking on the phone. His back was to Adam, and the Tomorrow Person = could only just hear what was being said. "Yes, I've sent the information a short time ago, Trent. It should be in = your inbox now. Yes, I've received what you sent me as well. As far as I = can tell our problems don't look as dissimilar as I first thought. I can = see our arrangement is going to work out very satisfactory for both of = us." The man paused for a moment before continuing. "Yes, I'm sure we = can keep to the same arrangement I enjoyed with your predecessor. = Remember if you need any help dealing with the man responsible for his = death, you know where to come." The man spun round in his chair, a cruel smile lighting up his mouth, as = he noticed Adam. "Trent, my delivery has arrived. I will contact you = after I have tested the next phrase. Goodbye."=20 Adam felt the colour drain from his face as he recognised the man = sitting at the desk. It was a man he had hoped none of the Tomorrow = People would ever see again.=20 "Well, Adam, we meet again. How many years has it been? Seven?" He's = trying to gauge my reaction to seeing him again, the Australian = realised, knowing full well that he wasn't hiding his shock as well as = he should have been able to.=20 "Not long enough, obviously." "Now Adam, is that a very nice way to greet an old friend? I suggest for = your own good, and the good of your friends, that you try and keep = things civil. It's never a good idea to upset someone who has the power = of life and death over you." Adam bit his lip, and tried to control himself before replying. "Where's = Megabyte?" he demanded. "What do you want with Max? As I told one of = your men, he's not a Tomorrow Person. You've got no reason to hold him. = Let him go." Masters laughed, sending a shiver down Adam's spine. "I see you haven't = changed young man," he said. "I seem to remember you saying the same = thing about your friend, Megabyte, when we first met. Let him go he's = not one of us, you said. And what happens? The brat holds a gun on me, = and then teleports his father away before I can have the satisfaction of = killing him. No, I haven't forgotten what happened last time we met. In = fact I've been looking forward to meeting both of you again for some = time." Adam sat down in the chair Beckett pushed him into, and tried to compose = himself. He was feeling scared, both for himself, and for the other = Tomorrow People. He wondered if he dared to contact Ami and the others, = but then thought against it. Better not to take the chance. At the = moment he'd concentrate on finding where Megabyte and Max were being = held. Hopefully Megabyte wouldn't be feeling the effect of the drugs for = too much longer, and then they could teleport out of here, taking Max = with them. "Okay," he said slowly. "Obviously you don't want to believe me about = Max, but it's true. He's not a Tomorrow Person. What are you planning to = do with us, anyway?" "Let's just call it an experiment, one that I have been working on for = sometime. You're very privileged, you and your friends, you know." = Masters paused for a moment. "How many of you teleporters are there now, = by the way? Beckett here reported a young blond girl teleporting at the = UFO centre. I'd like to also give my regards to Lisa, and that young = British boy. Wasn't his name Kevin?" " I haven't seen Lisa for quite a few years," replied Adam honestly. = After her mother had been kidnapped and threatened by Masters, Lisa had = severed all contact with the other Tomorrow People. She had blamed = herself for what had almost happened to her mother and was scared that = next time she might not be so lucky. Adam had gone to her home to talk = to her a few months later and found both Lisa and her mother gone. The = neighbours had no idea where they were, but thought it might be = somewhere overseas. All attempts made to find her had come up with = nothing, and she ignored all telepathic communications as well. After a = few months, Adam, Megabyte and Kevin had decided to respect her wishes = and gave up trying. Kevin, in particular had been very upset by Lisa's = decision, as he had really connected with the older girl. "What about the others?" asked Masters. "Who was that blond girl? I = don't remember seeing her before." Adam sat back in his chair, saying nothing. There was no way he was = going to betray his friends. Mentioning Lisa had been different = altogether, if the Tomorrow People couldn't find her, he doubted that = Masters would have any more luck. Wherever Lisa was, at least she was = safe, which was more than he could say for himself at the moment. Masters glared at Adam, "Still the determined one, I see. We'll discuss = the rest of the teleporters later, when you've had time to realise the = futility of your silence." He walked around the side of his desk so that = he was staring straight into Adam's eyes, as he spoke.=20 Masters glanced at his watch. "We'd better fit the devices while there's = still enough sedative in their system to stop them teleporting. Tell = Doctor Brooke-Smythe to meet us in the laboratory." The last statement = was directed at Beckett who nodded and headed out the door. "What devices?" asked Adam, not sure he really wanted to hear the = answer. Part of him wanted to teleport away right now, the other part = needed to find Megabyte and Max first. Besides Adam couldn't just leave = Megabyte and Max in Masters' hands. He couldn't just look after his own = welfare, put himself first. As a Tomorrow Person he really didn't have = that option. Masters chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough." ********* Kevin paused as he heard Ami's voice in his mind. [So General Damon = thinks Millie's accident wasn't an accident?] he asked telepathically. [It gets worse,] continued Ami. [He also has a theory that whoever has = Adam and Megabyte took Max because they though he was Adam. Apparently a = report came into WorldEx about a boy healing someone by placing his hand = on her.] [Max healed someone using some sort of psychic power?] asked Jade. [That = would explain the vibes Megabyte and I got when we first met him.] Isabel and Michael looked at each other, and Michael laid a warning hand = on Jade's shoulder. "Who are you talking to?" he demanded. " Did you say = *General * Damon? I thought you said you people are peaceful. What are = you doing confiding in the military?" He stepped back and raised his = hand, acting almost as though it was some kind of weapon. [Talk to you later, Ami] said Kevin. [I think we've got a problem here. = Come to Roswell when you've finished talking to the General.] [Is everything okay, Kevin?] Ami wondered what he meant by a problem. [Yeah, don't worry. Just got to explain a few more things, I think.] = Kevin reassured her. [I'll be with you shortly. I just want to say hello to Millie, and pop = in to pick up Megabyte's cellphone from Jade's Mum. General Damon wants = me to take it in case he wants to contact us.] [ I forgot about Mum,] remembered Jade. [Tell her I'm okay, and I'll = talk to her later.] Jade knew what would happen if she popped home to = see her mum now. There was no way that Penny Weston would let her come = back to Roswell. She was pleased it was Ami going to pick up the phone = and not her. Michael interrupted again. "Are you people listening to a word I'm = saying?" he asked, starting to lose patience. "Hold it a minute, Michael. It sounds as though they might have some = more information about Max." Isabel sounded as though she was prepared = to listen to what Kevin had to say, which was more than Jade could say = for Michael. She decided she liked Isabel. Michael she wasn't too sure = of still. He seemed to think the whole world was out to get him for some = strange reason. Jade shrugged. That was his problem, not hers. As long = as he was prepared to help them get Megabyte and Adam back, he could be = as strange as he liked. "Thanks, Isabel." Kevin paused before continuing, almost as though he = wasn't sure of the right words to use. "Michael, you're not like us, are = you? I mean you seem to be able to hear some of our conversation, but I = get the impression you can't hear all of it. A bit like a one sided = phone call." His question took Jade completely by surprise. What on = earth was Kevin talking about? Maria dug her elbow into Liz, and dived straight into the conversation. = She looked very annoyed, to say the least. Obviously she'd had plenty of = dealings with Michael and his rather tactful ways before. Or maybe her = look was due to the fact she wasn't prepared to sit and listen to Kevin = try and explain things? Jade wasn't really sure. All she knew was as she = waited for the blonde girl to speak; she was starting to feel annoyed = herself. All this talk wasn't exactly helping Megabyte and the others = was it? At least it seemed as though someone else here was beginning to = feel the same way she was. "Okay, we could spend all day here working out the difference between = you Future People and aliens, but I get the impression Max, Megabyte and = Adam would like us to rescue them sooner rather than later" Jade nearly choked on her hot chocolate. This wasn't exactly what she = had been expecting Maria to come out with. She put her cup down and = waited to see what else was coming because it certainly didn't sound as = though the girl was finished, not by a long way. In fact she sounded as = though she was only getting started. "Isn't that right, Liz? Alex? Also could you guys stop using telepathy = or whatever as it's really rude for us mere humans who can't hear any of = it." Maria stood there glaring at both Michael and Kevin, trying to = pretend she couldn't see the filthy looks her friend was giving her. "Aliens? Yeah right." Jade tried to keep the amazement out of her voice. = "Where are the green glowing eyes and the dark glasses?" She remembered = what Adam and Megabyte had told her about their experience at Cheyenne = Mountain and blushed. "Oh, okay a different kind of alien then." Jade = decided to get straight to the point. "Michael, are you an alien? Is = that what Maria's trying to say?" It would certainly be an explanation = as to why he seemed to be able to overhear their telepathic = conversation. "Gee thanks, Maria," said Michael, with a sarcastic tone that would have = made Megabyte proud. "Feed them the whole alien story why don't you? = Don't you think we've got enough problems without you putting that = nonsense into their heads?" "So are you an alien,Michael?" Kevin repeated Jade's question. "If you want to believe that I'm some kind of alien, that's your = problem, not mine." "You must admit, Maria has got a point," said Liz. She sounded worried. = Maybe she was as concerned about Max as Jade herself was about = Megabyte.and Adam. "About the sooner rather than later thing I mean. I = think the guys need our help now. The more time we waste talking, the = more things could be happening to them." Jade opened her mouth to add something to the conversation when she felt = a sharp pain in her arm. Judging from what she was picking up from = Kevin, so had he. "What's wrong?" Michael sounded concerned. "I felt a prick in my arm, like a needle," explained Jade. "Kevin?" The British boy nodded. "So did I. Must be Adam or Megabyte. Maybe we = should try and contact them again. Do you feel up to a mind-merge?" Jade nodded. She still felt a bit shaky physically after her exposure to = the taser weapon, but it hadn't seemed to have affected her telepathic = abilities at all. Kevin turned to Isabel and Michael, an idea forming. "Hey I know you = guys have some psychic ability, maybe if you joined in the mind-merge, = we might stand a better chance of reaching them." "I don't have any psychic powers, and I'm not alien, I've already told = you that," snapped Michael. Jade gave Kevin a questioning look, wondering why he asked Isabel to = join the mind-merge with them. After all Michael was the only alien here = wasn't he? Did he think the girl had psychic powers, was that it? She = noticed no one else in the room seemed to have noticed his slip, and = made a mental note to ask him about it later.=20 Isabel nodded. "Look Michael, what harm can it do? I'm not sure I can = help but I'll join in the link as well if that's okay with you. After = all Max is my brother." Michael looked hesitant. He still doesn't trust us, Jade realised. Mind = you, if the situation were reversed would you? Maybe that whole alien = story was true even though he had denied it emphatically? After all he = seemed to be reacting to the idea of General Damon being involved as = though he had certainly something to hide. As Michael turned away from = Kevin his gaze met Maria's.=20 "Come on Michael, this is Max's life we're talking about here. Somewhere = along the line you've got to learn to trust someone. I'm sure if the = situation were reversed, Max would do it for you." As Maria spoke, = Michael's intentions seemed to visibly waver. Michael thought for a moment and then seemed to reconsider, though it = was obvious he was still reluctant by the tone in his voice. "Okay," he = said. "I'm in. I'm warning you though, the first sign of something = screwy and I'm out of here. Fast." *********** End of Part 6 - ------=_NextPart_000_01FD_01C14806.3C320800 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> All That Glitters (6/20) by Anne Olsen Disclaimers in Part 0 Feedback to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nzPart">anneo@paradise.net.nz</A> **** Part Six As Beckett ushered Adam down the long hallway, the Australian tried = again to=20 contact Megabyte. He hoped that as he had his back to the man, Beckett = wouldn't=20 be able to notice the telepathy. Adam could sense that Megabyte was = nearby, but=20 couldn't raise a reply. Megabyte was definitely unconscious. Drugged, = judging=20 from the conversation he had overheard earlier. Adam was careful not to drop his mental shields too far. He didn't = want the=20 other Tomorrow People in the same situation that he, Megabyte and = whoever this=20 Max was, were in. He had felt Ami try to initiate contact with him a = number of=20 times since leaving the UFO Centre but had managed to block her. Beckett opened the door to what looked like some sort of office and = shoved=20 Adam, not too gently, through. A man was sitting at the desk, talking on = the=20 phone. His back was to Adam, and the Tomorrow Person could only just = hear what=20 was being said. "Yes, I've sent the information a short time ago, Trent. It should be = in your=20 inbox now. Yes, I've received what you sent me as well. As far as I can = tell our=20 problems don't look as dissimilar as I first thought. I can see our = arrangement=20 is going to work out very satisfactory for both of us." The man paused = for a=20 moment before continuing. "Yes, I'm sure we can keep to the same = arrangement I=20 enjoyed with your predecessor. Remember if you need any help dealing = with the=20 man responsible for his death, you know where to come." The man spun round in his chair, a cruel smile lighting up his mouth, = as he=20 noticed Adam. "Trent, my delivery has arrived. I will contact you after = I have=20 tested the next phrase. Goodbye." Adam felt the colour drain from his face as he recognised the man = sitting at=20 the desk. It was a man he had hoped none of the Tomorrow People would = ever see=20 again. "Well, Adam, we meet again. How many years has it been? Seven?" He's = trying=20 to gauge my reaction to seeing him again, the Australian realised, = knowing full=20 well that he wasn't hiding his shock as well as he should have been able = to.=20 "Not long enough, obviously." "Now Adam, is that a very nice way to greet an old friend? I suggest = for your=20 own good, and the good of your friends, that you try and keep things = civil. It's=20 never a good idea to upset someone who has the power of life and death = over=20 you." Adam bit his lip, and tried to control himself before replying. = "Where's=20 Megabyte?" he demanded. "What do you want with Max? As I told one of = your men,=20 he's not a Tomorrow Person. You've got no reason to hold him. Let him = go." Masters laughed, sending a shiver down Adam's spine. "I see you = haven't=20 changed young man," he said. "I seem to remember you saying the same = thing about=20 your friend, Megabyte, when we first met. Let him go he's not one of us, = you=20 said. And what happens? The brat holds a gun on me, and then teleports = his=20 father away before I can have the satisfaction of killing him. No, I = haven't=20 forgotten what happened last time we met. In fact I've been looking = forward to=20 meeting both of you again for some time." Adam sat down in the chair Beckett pushed him into, and tried to = compose=20 himself. He was feeling scared, both for himself, and for the other = Tomorrow=20 People. He wondered if he dared to contact Ami and the others, but then = thought=20 against it. Better not to take the chance. At the moment he'd = concentrate on=20 finding where Megabyte and Max were being held. Hopefully Megabyte = wouldn't be=20 feeling the effect of the drugs for too much longer, and then they could = teleport out of here, taking Max with them. "Okay," he said slowly. "Obviously you don't want to believe me about = Max,=20 but it's true. He's not a Tomorrow Person. What are you planning to do = with us,=20 anyway?" "Let's just call it an experiment, one that I have been working on = for=20 sometime. You're very privileged, you and your friends, you know." = Masters=20 paused for a moment. "How many of you teleporters are there now, by the = way?=20 Beckett here reported a young blond girl teleporting at the UFO centre. = I'd like=20 to also give my regards to Lisa, and that young British boy. Wasn't his = name=20 Kevin?" " I haven't seen Lisa for quite a few years," replied Adam honestly. = After=20 her mother had been kidnapped and threatened by Masters, Lisa had = severed all=20 contact with the other Tomorrow People. She had blamed herself for what = had=20 almost happened to her mother and was scared that next time she might = not be so=20 lucky. Adam had gone to her home to talk to her a few months later and = found=20 both Lisa and her mother gone. The neighbours had no idea where they = were, but=20 thought it might be somewhere overseas. All attempts made to find her = had come=20 up with nothing, and she ignored all telepathic communications as well. = After a=20 few months, Adam, Megabyte and Kevin had decided to respect her wishes = and gave=20 up trying. Kevin, in particular had been very upset by Lisa's decision, = as he=20 had really connected with the older girl. "What about the others?" asked Masters. "Who was that blond girl? I = don't=20 remember seeing her before." Adam sat back in his chair, saying nothing. There was no way he was = going to=20 betray his friends. Mentioning Lisa had been different altogether, if = the=20 Tomorrow People couldn't find her, he doubted that Masters would have = any more=20 luck. Wherever Lisa was, at least she was safe, which was more than he = could say=20 for himself at the moment. Masters glared at Adam, "Still the determined one, I see. We'll = discuss the=20 rest of the teleporters later, when you've had time to realise the = futility of=20 your silence." He walked around the side of his desk so that he was = staring=20 straight into Adam's eyes, as he spoke. Masters glanced at his watch. "We'd better fit the devices while = there's=20 still enough sedative in their system to stop them teleporting. Tell = Doctor=20 Brooke-Smythe to meet us in the laboratory." The last statement was = directed at=20 Beckett who nodded and headed out the door. "What devices?" asked Adam, not sure he really wanted to hear the = answer.=20 Part of him wanted to teleport away right now, the other part needed to = find=20 Megabyte and Max first. Besides Adam couldn't just leave Megabyte and = Max in=20 Masters' hands. He couldn't just look after his own welfare, put himself = first.=20 As a Tomorrow Person he really didn't have that option. Masters chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough…" ********* Kevin paused as he heard Ami's voice in his mind. [So General Damon = thinks=20 Millie's accident wasn't an accident?] he asked telepathically. [It gets worse,] continued Ami. [He also has a theory that whoever = has Adam=20 and Megabyte took Max because they though he was Adam. Apparently a = report came=20 into WorldEx about a boy healing someone by placing his hand on = her.] [Max healed someone using some sort of psychic power?] asked Jade. = [That=20 would explain the vibes Megabyte and I got when we first met him.] Isabel and Michael looked at each other, and Michael laid a warning = hand on=20 Jade's shoulder. "Who are you talking to?" he demanded. " Did you say = *General *=20 Damon? I thought you said you people are peaceful. What are you doing = confiding=20 in the military?" He stepped back and raised his hand, acting almost as = though=20 it was some kind of weapon. [Talk to you later, Ami] said Kevin. [I think we've got a problem = here. Come=20 to Roswell when you've finished talking to the General.] [Is everything okay, Kevin?] Ami wondered what he meant by a = problem. [Yeah, don't worry. Just got to explain a few more things, I think.] = Kevin=20 reassured her. [I'll be with you shortly. I just want to say hello to Millie, and = pop in to=20 pick up Megabyte's cellphone from Jade's Mum. General Damon wants me to = take it=20 in case he wants to contact us.] [ I forgot about Mum,] remembered Jade. [Tell her I'm okay, and I'll = talk to=20 her later.] Jade knew what would happen if she popped home to see her = mum now.=20 There was no way that Penny Weston would let her come back to Roswell. = She was=20 pleased it was Ami going to pick up the phone and not her. Michael interrupted again. "Are you people listening to a word I'm = saying?"=20 he asked, starting to lose patience. "Hold it a minute, Michael. It sounds as though they might = have some=20 more information about Max." Isabel sounded as though she was prepared = to listen=20 to what Kevin had to say, which was more than Jade could say for = Michael. She=20 decided she liked Isabel. Michael she wasn't too sure of still. He = seemed to=20 think the whole world was out to get him for some strange reason. Jade = shrugged.=20 That was his problem, not hers. As long as he was prepared to help them = get=20 Megabyte and Adam back, he could be as strange as he liked. "Thanks, Isabel." Kevin paused before continuing, almost as though he = wasn't=20 sure of the right words to use. "Michael, you're not like us, are you? I = mean=20 you seem to be able to hear some of our conversation, but I get the = impression=20 you can't hear all of it. A bit like a one sided phone call." His = question took=20 Jade completely by surprise. What on earth was Kevin talking about? Maria dug her elbow into Liz, and dived straight into the = conversation. She=20 looked very annoyed, to say the least. Obviously she'd had plenty of = dealings=20 with Michael and his rather tactful ways before. Or maybe her look was = due to=20 the fact she wasn't prepared to sit and listen to Kevin try and explain = things?=20 Jade wasn't really sure. All she knew was as she waited for the blonde = girl to=20 speak; she was starting to feel annoyed herself. All this talk wasn't = exactly=20 helping Megabyte and the others was it? At least it seemed as though = someone=20 else here was beginning to feel the same way she was. "Okay, we could spend all day here working out the difference between = you=20 Future People and aliens, but I get the impression Max, Megabyte and = Adam would=20 like us to rescue them sooner rather than later" Jade nearly choked on her hot chocolate. This wasn't exactly what she = had=20 been expecting Maria to come out with. She put her cup down and waited = to see=20 what else was coming because it certainly didn't sound as though the = girl was=20 finished, not by a long way. In fact she sounded as though she was only = getting=20 started. "Isn't that right, Liz? Alex? Also could you guys stop using = telepathy or=20 whatever as it's really rude for us mere humans who can't hear any of = it." Maria=20 stood there glaring at both Michael and Kevin, trying to pretend she = couldn't=20 see the filthy looks her friend was giving her. "Aliens? Yeah right." Jade tried to keep the amazement out of her = voice.=20 "Where are the green glowing eyes and the dark glasses?" She remembered = what=20 Adam and Megabyte had told her about their experience at Cheyenne = Mountain and=20 blushed. "Oh, okay a different kind of alien then…" Jade decided = to get straight=20 to the point. "Michael, are you an alien? Is that what Maria's trying to = say?"=20 It would certainly be an explanation as to why he seemed to be able to = overhear=20 their telepathic conversation. "Gee thanks, Maria," said Michael, with a sarcastic tone that would = have made=20 Megabyte proud. "Feed them the whole alien story why don't you? Don't = you think=20 we've got enough problems without you putting that nonsense into their=20 heads?" "So are you an alien,Michael?" Kevin repeated Jade's question. "If you want to believe that I'm some kind of alien, that's your = problem, not=20 mine." "You must admit, Maria has got a point," said Liz. She sounded = worried. Maybe=20 she was as concerned about Max as Jade herself was about = Megabyte…and Adam.=20 "About the sooner rather than later thing I mean. I think the guys need = our help=20 now. The more time we waste talking, the more things could be happening = to=20 them." Jade opened her mouth to add something to the conversation when she = felt a=20 sharp pain in her arm. Judging from what she was picking up from Kevin, = so had=20 he. "What's wrong?" Michael sounded concerned. "I felt a prick in my arm, like a needle," explained Jade. = "Kevin?" The British boy nodded. "So did I. Must be Adam or Megabyte. Maybe we = should=20 try and contact them again. Do you feel up to a mind-merge?" Jade nodded. She still felt a bit shaky physically after her exposure = to the=20 taser weapon, but it hadn't seemed to have affected her telepathic = abilities at=20 all. Kevin turned to Isabel and Michael, an idea forming. "Hey I know you = guys=20 have some psychic ability, maybe if you joined in the mind-merge, we = might stand=20 a better chance of reaching them." "I don't have any psychic powers, and I'm not alien, I've already = told you=20 that," snapped Michael. Jade gave Kevin a questioning look, wondering why he asked Isabel to = join the=20 mind-merge with them. After all Michael was the only alien here wasn't = he? Did=20 he think the girl had psychic powers, was that it? She noticed no one = else in=20 the room seemed to have noticed his slip, and made a mental note to ask = him=20 about it later. Isabel nodded. "Look Michael, what harm can it do? I'm not sure I can = help=20 but I'll join in the link as well if that's okay with you. After all Max = is my=20 brother." Michael looked hesitant. He still doesn't trust us, Jade realised. = Mind you,=20 if the situation were reversed would you? Maybe that whole alien story = was true=20 even though he had denied it emphatically? After all he seemed to be = reacting to=20 the idea of General Damon being involved as though he had certainly = something to=20 hide. As Michael turned away from Kevin his gaze met Maria's. "Come on Michael, this is Max's life we're talking about here. = Somewhere=20 along the line you've got to learn to trust someone. I'm sure if the = situation=20 were reversed, Max would do it for you." As Maria spoke, Michael's = intentions=20 seemed to visibly waver. Michael thought for a moment and then seemed to reconsider, though it = was=20 obvious he was still reluctant by the tone in his voice. "Okay," he = said. "I'm=20 in. I'm warning you though, the first sign of something screwy and I'm = out of=20 here. Fast." *********** End of Part 6</DIV></BODY></HTML> - ------=_NextPart_000_01FD_01C14806.3C320800-- - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ End of arfic-l-digest V1 #41 **************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.