Notes: The characters from "Forever Knight" belong to Sony Tri-Star. The characters from "Xena Warrior Princess" belong to StudiosUSA and Renaissance Studios. The characters from "Smallville" belong to the WB, and DC Comics. The characters from "Mutant X" belong to Tribune and Marvel Studios. The characters from "Dark Angel" belong to their copyright holders. All other characters are fictitious and are of my creation. Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com.

Prologue [A rise overlooking the reconstruction of the Amazon village]

Gabrielle, Bard-Queen of the Amazons, writes....

It's good to watch this scene unfold in this fashion. For several weeks after the battle between David and Velasca, the village had remained in ruins. Now, as with the phoenix, new structures have appeared to replace the destroyed ones. Soon, we'll be able to move in again...

In this scroll, I tell the tale of how tragedy almost derailed our friends' dream before it began...and how, after so very long, a little girl lost was at last found again.

(Additional Note: The dream flashback in this chapter occurred at the end of "Return to Nurrengaard" DC 2.3)

Chapter 1 [Smallville, Kansas]

The late summer night blanketed the town in the heartland. After the heat of the day, the cool breeze had relaxed the inhabitants, allowing them to sleep. One notable exception was going on over on the western side of town. There, in a small rented room, a young woman thrashed back and forth on her bed. Her cheeks were flushed with a crimson hue and her brunette hair lay damp and plastered against her face.

As with other nights during the past two weeks, she had the same nightmare. Over and over again, she saw herself as a little girl of about eighteen months in a very dark place. Surrounding her were these monsters...hideous and slightly hunched over with menacing looks on their faces. She felt herself being carried by an adult woman with a sad smile and long brown hair. After that, she and the lady were ripped from each other. The latter was tied to some stone slab. Then, a large demon loomed over the lady with an elaborate dagger poised to stab her. Watching the whole scene, a man with dark hair and a beard sat on his throne.

Then the ruckus started as two intruders bullied their way into the area. One was short and well muscled with long brown hair and a deadly ax. The other was just under six feet tall with dark brown hair and fired his bow repeatedly, emptying his arrows into the monsters. In response, the dark haired man rose from his perch and blasted these two with energy from his hands.

"Unca!" she heard herself cry out.

At that moment, "Unca" rose from the floor. His mouth was contorted in a ghastly grin, and his right eye was closed. A deep throaty chuckle escaped his lips as he started to exchange blasts with the dark bearded man. From him, she could feel something wicked and cruel emanating throughout the room. His right hand sent a glowing burst into his adversary knocking him into the way of the descending blade.

"This isn't over...Dubois," the dying man muttered and gasped his last breath.

****

The radio's alarm buzzer jolted Miranda Arighatto awake. Sitting up in bed, she could feel herself shaking and the sweat across her brow.

"Why do I keep dreaming this same scene over and over again?" she wondered, wiping her face off with a blue hand towel by her bed. Staring in the mirror, she examined her face and felt the familiar scar on her chin. For as long as she could remember, the two inch long scar had elicited questions from her classmates and now, her co-workers at the Talon. Somehow, I know the dream is tied to this scar. How? And who is this Dubois guy? That's a new twist. Okay, Miri, get a grip. You have to be at work in an hour and a half. With that admonition, she jumped into the shower and steamed away the feelings for the day at least.

****

[The Talon]

Right at 5:15, Lana Lang let herself into the little café inside of the former Talon movie theater. Despite the struggle to convince Nell and Lex Luthor to keep this place open and running, she felt that the sense of nostalgia, not to mention the sounds of happy customers and the busy register, made everything worthwhile. For the past two and a half years, she and Lex had worked together to insure the café's success, surpassing her own wildest dreams in the process.

After graduation, everything had changed. While the Talon had provided her with a focus during school, it was time to move on. Nell would be back from Metropolis in a couple of days to resume day to day operations so that she could leave for college.

"It's so hard to believe that in just a week, Clark and I will be going to Tucson again," she sighed deeply and shook her head. Just another way that everything had changed, she supposed. Just two months earlier, she and Clark had arranged a visit to the Arizona and a personalized orientation. Once they got there, everything went to Hell as a rouge group called the GSA attacked, kidnapping Dr. Angela Dubois, Dr. Adam Kane, and herself and holding them at a place called Genomex. Despite the situation, Lana had held her own and forged a bond with Dr. Dubois, who she discovered was also Xena, the legendary Warrior Princess. Most shocking of all, she discovered why Clark had been so mysterious as he used his powers in front of her for the first time to save her life.

Upon their return, the two teenagers had explained everything to the Kents and almost everything to her aunt. With the help of the Duboises, they convinced the latter group to let them study there.

Admittedly, the Kents were a little dismayed at first at Clark's decision to reveal his true nature to her. However, Lana was adamant that she would keep his secret no matter what and made that very clear to his parents.

At that moment, a knocking at the door broke her reverie. "Huh? Oh, Miri!" Walking over to the door, she allowed the slightly older woman into the place. "How's everything going? Did you get any sleep?"

"Some," the other conceded, letting out a yawn. "I had that dream again."

Lana shook her head as she started a coffee pot going. Her friend had graduated a year ahead of her, but she was so mysterious. For years, her parents hadn't been able to have kids or adopt one for various reasons. Then at the age of nine, Miranda, or Miri as she liked to be called, appeared in Smallville, and, as with Clark, she remained secretive. Rumors had swirled about the girl, but both Lana and Nell had always liked her. Still, these chronic visions had always bothered her one way or another. "Are you ever going to tell me about them?"

"If you're ready to listen," Miranda finally relented, accepting the steaming cup from her friend. "I see myself as a toddler in this dark place with monsters all around me. There is this woman with long brown hair holding me. Then, she's about to be sacrificed by the monsters. Suddenly, these guys burst in. There's a fight...and something weird happened to the taller of the two intruders. He changed somehow."

"Changed?" Lana wondered. "As in physically?"

"No," Miri continued, sipping her coffee. "This is gonna sound really crazy."

Lana shrugged. "Try me. We live here, remember?"

"Well, the guy shuddered and started to snarl like a rabid dog or something. Then, he got up with this slasher type look on his face, ready to kill."

Lana nodded, feeling an incredible sensation of deja vu. "This guy. What did he do?"

"Okay, he was slurring in this deep Southern accent and firing some sort of energy pulses at the monsters," Miri noted. "Why?" Seeing Lana's eyes widen, she asked, "What is it?"

"Was there anything else?" Lana pressed.

"Yeah. I kept calling out to him as "Uncle". Also, as the head monster died, he called the guy...."

"Dubois," Lana guessed.

Miri almost dropped her coffee. "That's right! How?"

Lana got up and began to straighten up the counters before the rush came in. "The man...was he almost six feet tall with dark brown hair?"

"Yes," Miri agreed in confusion.

"And the brown haired woman, what was her name?" Lana continued.

The older woman scratched her head. "It's so fuzzy, but I think I remember...Amanda. No, that wasn't it."

"Angela, right?"

Miri stood up. "Yes. That's it, but how could you have known?"

Lana sighed. "You know how we've always wondered about our real parents and all that? You remember when Clark and I went to Arizona?"

The other nodded. "Sure...and that was some adventure from what you told me. Funny, I remember feeling flashes of pain for some reason during that time. In fact, that's when I started having the visions again. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Miri, I can't swear to this, but I think I know your uncle. He's a professor at the university where Clark and I are going," Lana postulated.

"What if you're wrong, Lana? There are a lot of Duboises out there!" Miri protested, starting another of her meditative techniques.

"True, but I think that there aren't that many David Duboises out there who look like your dream man, can do what he does, and have the same issues. His wife's name is Angela. Kind of cuts down on the possibilities, doesn't it?" Lana explained.

Miri paced about the room. For the past fourteen years, she had wanted to know who her true family was. Now, after so much questioning, the answer might be in front of her. "Can I meet him?" she asked.

"Actually, they're coming here to help Clark and me move in a few days. Let me talk to Clark and maybe we can arrange something at his folks' house," Lana agreed.

"Please do," Miri concurred, tying on her apron and getting ready for the customers. "I would really like that!"

Lana smiled warmly. For once, she was going to do something for her friends instead of the other way around.

Chapter 2 [Tucson]

Dave walked across campus feeling a bit depressed and moody. Oh sure, his plans for the upcoming semester were proceeding along well and everything was going all right. The day was bright and sunny with a nice breeze. Francesca would be meeting him in about an hour for lunch. In just a couple of days, he and Angie would be heading for Smallville to meet up with Clark and Lana. Everything seemed to be coming together.

Yet that day, August 10th, had always been a difficult one in the Dubois family. Fourteen years before, his sister-in-law, Terri, had taken her daughter, Miranda, shopping for clothes. The department store in question bustled with shoppers of all kinds. For an hour, the two looked at cute dresses, trying to make up their minds. Then, tragedy struck. As Terri turned her back for a minute, a medium built man grabbed the little girl.

The frantic mother gave chase, quickly catching up to the kidnapper.

The man pulled a gun and shot her in the chest before he escaped into the parking lot, taking the little girl with him.

For Randy Dubois, Dave's brother, it was an excruciating night. Already reeling over the kidnapping, he sat with his wife as the latter slipped away in a hospital bed. "Find our baby," she whispered with her dying breath.

For years, Steve Petersen pulled every rock and stone looking for her yet he always came up empty. Despite these failures, he had sworn to both Randy and Dave that the Bureau would keep looking.

Once in his office, Dave plopped himself into the soft chair. Opening the top drawer, he pulled out a picture of Miranda and him taken just a week prior to the kidnapping. Seeing her face brought the old feelings of guilt and he heard the Child growling in his head. A tear creased his left cheek. Some day, Miri. Some day, I'll find you, Sweetie.

Then, a knocking came from the door. "David, it's Eve. Can I come in?"

"All right," he sighed, placing the picture on the desk and watching the Religion professor enter the room. "What can I do for you?" he asked, forcing a smile onto his face.

She took the guest chair and assessed him for a moment. While he always had something on his mind, her friend seemed so sad on that particular day. During her meditation, she felt his pain and the need to help him. "What is it, David?"

"Just another of my anniversary days," he groused, sipping on a cup of cherry tea.

"What kind of anniversary?" she probed, looking around the office for a clue. Then she spied the picture. "Who is that? Can I see?"

For a moment, he almost said no, but slowly, he handed it to her.

Watching the effort that this action took, she knew this was very dear to him. Noting the little girl in the picture, she complimented, "This is your niece, isn't it? She's beautiful."

"Thank you," he expressed, releasing another deep sigh. "You know, I went through the Pit after her and got her back. But, I can't find her here!" He slammed his fist on a corner of the desk, scattering papers everywhere. "Where is she, Eve? Why can't we find her?"

How I wish I could tell him that Miranda's alive and in Smallville. "You will," she maintained. "Be strong."

He snorted. "I always have to be strong. No letdown for me. If I do, whammo! The Child takes out everything in his path. Eve, every year it gets harder for us to have hope."

She nodded. "I know, but you have to hang on to your faith. Pardon me." She embraced him and urged, "It's all right. Let it out before it forces the change."

Surprisingly fast, his guard dropped and the tears flowed. For several minutes, he released his emotions in a big burst. Then, as quickly as the emotional monsoon had flared up, it abated. "Thanks. I'm sorry you had to see that."

She smiled and rubbed his shoulder. "That's what friends are for. You've come so far, and been such a help to me. It's my pleasure to help you too."

"I agree. At some point, I'm going to run across her, and..." he started, a vision interrupting his train of thought. In his mind, he saw his young friends, Clark and Lana, holed up in an office area with two other girls whose faces he couldn't see....

"What is it?" she asked fearfully, not knowing what to expect.

"I just had a vision of our two new students. They're going to be in trouble," he revealed. "It's in the future. Somehow, I know that much."

"Well, you and Angie are going to be there on Friday," she told him. "Hopefully, you'll be there in enough time to prevent any trouble."

"I hope so too," he concurred, taking a gulp of tea. "I hope so too."

****

Across campus, Angie sat in her office with a stack of unread reports on her desk. As with her husband, she felt the effects of the anniversary poignantly. Their niece was a source of joy, always bubbly and warm. Every year, it was tough to get through the day, supporting him as she dealt with her own feelings. Still, she needed to get through the day no matter how tough that proved.

At that point, a knock came from the door.

Forcing her professional façade to the surface, she called out, "Yes?"

"Angie, it's Natalie. Can I come in?" Natalie LeBeau requested.

"Sure. It's open," she agreed, relaxing into her chair.

The coroner walked into the office and shut the door behind her. "What's up?"

"Oh, the usual stuff," Angie supposed.

Her visitor chuckled. "You have that look of Nick's when he's hiding something. C'mon, Angie. You and Dave have been depressed the last couple of days. What is it?"

"I suppose Nick senses it too, huh?"

"Actually, he and I both thought I should drop by," Nat revealed. "I expect Dave to have his mood-fests, but you?"

Angie shook her head sadly. "This is a hard day for both of us, Natalie. Did we ever tell you about how Dave saved Karen, Miri, and me from Lousain the first time?" Seeing the other nod, she continued, "Today's the anniversary of the day Miri disappeared."

Natalie's jaw dropped. "Oh. Angie, I'm so sorry."

"That's okay," she excused. "I think I'm going to book off early. Do you think that Nick and Alyce could drop by? Or maybe we could go over to the Loft? Eve's going to be watching the twins. I don't want Dave to be alone tonight, and I need some friends around us."

The medical examiner hugged her friend reassuringly. "He wanted to invite you all over to his place. Steve warned me that this was one of those red flag days, but didn't tell me why. He knows, then?"

"He's used every connection to try and find her," Angie told her. "As usual, he's the most loyal friend one could want, Natalie."

"I couldn't agree more," Natalie concurred, a smile coming to her face. "Hey, let's go out to lunch on me. You look like you need it."

"Okay," Angie agreed and stood up.

Then the phone rang.

"Who?" she wondered, picking up the receiver. "This is Dr. Dubois."

"Dr. Dubois, hi, this is Lana Lang from Smallville. I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Lana wondered.

Despite her mood, Angie was glad to hear from her friend. "Of course not. What's on your mind? Do you have a question?"

"Well...actually, I might have a bit of a weird situation here. There's somebody here who is having visions of a dark place," Lana started. "A place with trolls and some black haired guy with a beard."

The description forced chills up and down Angie's spine. "Lana, what else was there?"

"She's right here. I'll let you talk to her," Lana indicated.

"H...Hello," another female voice came over hesitantly.

At the sound of the voice, Angie tensed even more. It was so hauntingly familiar. "Hi, with whom am I speaking?"

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Ma'am. My name is Miranda Arighatto, and the visions are mine," Miri responded.

Angie signaled to Natalie to sit back down and collected herself. While she was in no mood for a hoax, she knew that Lana wouldn't do something like that. For her own sake, she needed to know more. "That's okay, Miranda. What else can you tell me about your visions?"

"Well, it's pretty much as Lana said except for four things. I see a really short determined guy with a beard, and an ax. Then, there's a sad woman who's comforting me against the monsters. I'm only a baby in this dream for some reason. Finally, there's this guy who's shooting the beasts with a bow. The bearded guy hits him with some bright light. There's a demon who stabs him with some knife. I call him "uncle" and..."

Angie's face turned white. Somehow, the woman was describing the scene from the Pit. "What happened? It's okay, but I need to know."

Collecting herself and glancing over at Lana and Clark, Miri continued, "He changed. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life. His eye closed and he snarled with this deep accent...Southern accent. He blasted the bearded guy into the way of some sacrifice-looking event. He died instead of the woman. Can you tell me what it means?"

Angie sobbed loudly, trembling. "Oh, goodness."

Natalie jumped up, wondering what was going on, and wanting to help.

"I'm sorry, but I need to know what that means," the young woman pushed. "Why do I have these dreams?"

Angie started to hum the lullaby she sang so long ago in that dark place.

"That's it! How? I...." Miri wondered. Then, it hit her. "You...you were the woman with me!" Realizing this, she began to cry herself.

"Miri-Ma?" Angie asked, not wanting to believe it despite the fact that all of the clues were sitting right in front of her.

"That's right, but only my real father and uncle knew that nickname! I can't believe it...Auntie Angie is that you?"

The doctor broke down, crying a few tears of happiness. "Yes, Sweetie, it's me. Oh, you don't know how happy this is going to make your uncle and me! Are you in Smallville? Is there anyway you can stay there for a couple of days?"

"Sure. You are coming then?" Miri wondered.

"We'll be there sooner than you think," Angie assured her. "Trust me, you won't be able to keep your uncle away now even if Hell were in our way."

Recalling the vision, she shuddered. "Can I talk to you again?"

"I'll call you tonight, okay? Can you put Lana back on? And Miri, we love you."

"I love you too," the girl noted, handing the phone back to Lana.

"Dr. Dubois?" Lana asked. "Is she your niece?"

"It seems that way. Listen, are you going to be at home? I want to call back tonight."

"Miranda and I'll be at my aunt's house," the prospective student agreed.

"Great. Oh, this is going to make Professor Dubois so happy!" Angie exclaimed. "Well, I got to tell him the news. Can you have Clark keep an eye on her?"

"We both will," Lana concluded. "I'll look forward to your call." With that, she hung up.

Angie slowly hung up on her end and looked at Natalie.

"What is it? What happened?" the coroner demanded. "Who was that?"

"It was Miri. Somehow, she's found us. She's in Smallville and waiting for us," Angie declared, laughing.

"Are you sure this isn't a hoax?"

"Nobody knows about the Pit in such detail-certainly not a girl of that age. Natalie, she described it in such detail. She knew the lullaby and Dave's pet nickname for her! I...I can't..." the oncologist continued, breaking down with tears of joy. "C'mon, we need to find Dave and Steve!"

Natalie agreed and followed her out of the office, smiling at the prospect of good news.

****

[Smallville]

Lana hung up the phone. "I'm so happy for you, Miranda!" she cheered, hugging her friend.

"I...I can't believe it!" Miranda exclaimed. "After all of these years. Listen, both of you, I am so grateful that you both were there for me through everything. You don't how much it means to me."

Clark and Lana glanced at each other knowingly before returning their gaze to her.

"Oh, I think we do," he stated. "But hey, you're going to have two families now, right?"

"I guess." She winced, knowing how her stepfather could be. Despite her age, he still treated her like a child during his sudden intrusions into her life. "He isn't going to like this."

"Well, it's not for him to say," Clark advised. "You're old enough to make your own decisions. Besides, the Duboises are your original family."

"They're going to call again tonight. Can you come over for dinner tonight, Miranda?" Lana requested.

"You bet I'll be there. Well, I need to practice my martial arts for a while. I want a clear mind when I speak to my uncle. Thank you, Lana." With that, Miranda put away her apron and walked out of the Talon.

Lana embraced him, her eyes twinkling up into his. There was a special magic in the air at the Talon once again. Accordingly, they decided to enjoy it together for the moment, basking in its special nature.

Chapter 3

[Genomex]

Mason Eckhart sat behind his desk, pensively plotting his next move. For the past few months, most of the GSA's efforts had been directed at keeping the FBI at bay. The Dubois fiasco had cost the agency a great deal in terms of secrecy and credibility. Worse still, the repeated efforts to find Adam's accursed hideout had failed, causing him a great deal of stress. For some reason, his memory of certain events remained hazy. His efforts with the agency's counselors were getting results, but it was going so slowly.

Then a buzzing came from his intercom. "Yes?" he asked impatiently.

"Mr. Eckhart, Lionel Luthor's here to see you," his assistant informed him.

A smile creased his face. Luthor was one of his biggest supporters throughout this recent mess. "Please send him in."

As the doors slid open, he rose from his chair to greet the visitor. "Lionel, how are you?"

"Fine, Mason. Your call sounded urgent," the businessman replied.

Eckhart frowned. While he knew that his plans would benefit his visitor as well as himself, the GSA's contacts had informed him that Lex Luthor was a friend to both Clark Kent and Lana Lang, thereby creating a potential problem for any operations. "We're getting ready to launch an investigation of Smallville, Lionel. There's been a great deal of...shall I say...abnormal activity there."

Luthor allowed a smile to flicker across his lips. "Yes...well, it's a unique place. I have one favor to ask of you, Mason."

Guessing at the other's intent, the white haired man nodded. "I will order my men to stay away from your son and your operations of course."

"Thank you," the visitor replied pleasantly. While he enjoyed initiative on the part of his friends, he had to maintain the integrity of his operations. "And I appreciate your letting me know about this."

At that moment, Eckhart felt a flash of recognition pop into his head. "It's no trouble."

"Are you all right?" Luthor asked.

"Yes, in fact, I just remembered something I have to do," the administrator told the other man, a grin forming on his face.

In spite of himself, Luthor shuddered. Usually when Eckhart grins like that, someone is about to get it. "Very well," he excused himself, shaking the other's gloved hand. "You know where to find me if you would like assistance."

After his guest had left the area, Eckhart sat back behind his desk and rubbed his hands together. For some reason, the mental block in his mind had been suddenly lifted. "Griffin!" he hissed, realizing who had done this to him. When the opportunity arose, he would make that anomaly's life miserable to say the least. More importantly, however, valuable information started to come back to him...including the location of Mutant X's hideout.

Pressing the intercom, he ordered. "This is Mr. Eckhart. I need Mr. Samson, Ms. Peckenpaugh, and Mr. Tomko to report to my office immediately." Like a cat circling a mouse, his grin grew in anticipation. "Soon, Adam, I'll have you and your outlaw band," he vowed. "All of you."

****

[Mutant X Sanctuary]

Despite the fact that the previous week had been quiet, Adam Kane's nerves were on edge. It was like the calm before the storm. Due to a recent close call, the leader allowed Toni Quintana and Dave Dubois rig up an alarm to their machines in Arizona. If the security was compromised or files were downloaded to a computer with a GSA IP address, the alarm would be sounded in the desert. Much to his relief, the final connections had been made only an hour before and tested to insure they didn't compromise the firewall.

Around the Sanctuary, most of the lights were off. As he passed by the stairs, he noticed that Jesse was still working away despite the hour. Walking up to the next level, he asked, "Still at it, huh?"

"Yeah," the density mutant replied, turning from the monitor. "Toni and Dave have everything set. I was just running some sensor sweeps to make sure that everything was in order."

The older man wondered, "And?"

"Everything's great. It's nice to know that we have backup," Jesse stated prophetically.

As if on cue, the lights flickered and the computer monitors went dark. The backup generator kicked on, but then, it too went out.

"What in?" the younger man wondered.

"Get the others, now!" Adam yelled, realizing the cause. Somehow, the GSA had found them again. There was no time to lose. Pushing buttons wildly, he initiated a system wide wipe of the files.

Shalimar leapt into the area from the hallway. "Adam! What the Hell's going on?"

Around the corner, they could see Brennan bolt into the area; rapidly firing energy bursts at the intruders. "Who let them in here?"

"They broke in. Somehow, Griffin's mind block must have worn off," the leader supposed.

"Yeah, well, we're outnumbered, Chief!" the electrical mutant informed him, firing another burst and taking out the two GSA agents coming around the corner.

Then the rest of the invading force broke into the atrium, surrounding the platform where they stood. Off to the side, they could see Emma and Jesse being held under guard with the telltale governors on their necks.

Adam looked at the deletion sequence. Half of the database was gone, but how would they buy the time needed to finish the job and rescue their friends?

From the mass of his well-dressed shock troops, Eckhart strutted to the bottom of the stairs. "Adam, what was yours is now mine again. You've lost."

"Not yet," Brennan argued, shooting off bursts from his hands and taking out several more agents.

"As much as I admire the attitude, Mr. Mulwray, you're finished," the chief adversary disagreed.

As their enemies encircled them, the remaining three prepared themselves for the final assault.

****

[Tucson-About twenty minutes earlier]

Nick walked about his living room, taking in the sights of his friends' conversation and fellowship. The night had gone much better than he had anticipated. Although a bit of gloom still hung over the air, the mood was a productive one. The potluck meal had gone quickly. Deirdre meditated in the corner. Angie and Francesca talked with their new friend, Max. Dave and Toni Quintana tweaked her laptop connection.

Angie shook her head. Dave's been so absorbed in this project. I can't wait to tell him about Miri.

Finally, Dave stood and remarked, "It's done."

"You said it," Toni agreed, reaching for a glass of wine. "Between the laptop and your office computer, that was an afternoon that went fast."

"So, what does that thing do?" Francesca wondered. "I saw you two working in his office this afternoon."

"It's a relay alarm back to Adam's computer system in Sanctuary," the professor declared. "If security's breached, we'll know about it." Pouring himself a drink, he sat down next to his wife.

"I thought he was super paranoid," Max supposed. "How did you manage that one?"

"He trusts us," Toni informed him. "Besides, the only way that something would happen is if Eckhart were to break in."

"That's not likely," Angie doubted. Then clearing her throat, she started, "Dave, there's..."

At that moment, the recently installed light began to flash bright red.

"Ummm...like that?" Steve wondered.

Everyone stared at the alarm beacon. Sure enough, things had been too quiet.

"Damn!" Dave hissed, jumping out of the chair and raising his hand. From across the room, his bow and quiver flew into his waiting grasp. "Speaking of which..."

And I was so close to letting him know too, his wife thought, shaking her head. Let's get this resolved first.

"Maybe it's a false alarm," Francesca offered.

The medievalist grabbed the back of his neck as pain shot up and down his spine. "Arrggh...Not bloody likely!"

Angie grabbed his arm in a panic. "Emma?"

He nodded. "She's been taken. They put a governor on her."

Deirdre stood and stated, "Give the signal, Papa."

"In a minute, Kiddo," he advised. "Angie, why don't you and Francesca go home?"

The two female academics bolted out the door, making their way down the stairs to the car. Once there, they changed into Xena and Gabrielle.

"C'mon," the Warrior Princess urged, running back up the stairs.

"I'm right behind you," her companion assured her.

Less than a minute later, they rushed back into the room to find that the young priestess had already opened the portal. Nick, Max, and Dave were waiting for them.

"Hey," Max declared. "Now that they're here, can we go?"

"You bet," Dave agreed. "You all ready?"

"Let's deal with that slime," Xena remarked grimly, chakram at the ready.

"What do you need the arrows for?" Max wondered, looking at Dave's quiver.

"A flourish," he replied flippantly before jumping into the mists just behind Xena and Gabrielle. "Steve?"

"I'm right behind you, Bud," the agent assured him, checking his weapons. After giving Nat one last look, he vanished into the mists.

"After you," Nick said to Max.

"Thanks," she accepted, entering the smoky tunnel.

After the former Crusader had brought up the rear, Deirdre closed it behind them.

Chapter 4

[Mutant X Sanctuary]

Eckhart's forces continued to close in on Adam, Brennan, and Shalimar. To their credit, the latter two kept fighting, driving the agents back. However, they were starting to tire, having expended their powers over such a long period. Finally, their opponents overwhelmed them, knocking them to the floor before sticking governors on them as well.

"Finally," the administrator huffed. "Give it up, Adam."

"No way," the Mutant X leader denied. "I just wiped out all of the data and infected the computers with a virus. You've got nothing, Mason. There was also a homing beacon built into the system. Help's on the way."

"He's bluffing, Mr. Eckhart," Tomko retorted. "The system diagnostic from this afternoon showed nothing of the kind."

At that moment, two gunshots in the air interrupted the conversation.

"Who would?" Eckhart wondered, staring at the doorway.

From there, Steve walked in, guns held ready in both hands. "Good evening, everyone. Steven Petersen, FBI. Now, whatever are you Genetic Security Agent types doing here? I thought you were supposed to be shut down during the probe into your dealings."

Eckhart scoffed. "Really, Petersen, you've been around your friend too much. Coming in here alone against us? You're a fool."

Hearing the mental alarm in his head go off, the agent hoped that everyone was in position. In the dim reflective light of the intruders' flashlights, he could make out Max skulking around the edges. Nick levitated along the west wall. He knew that Xena and Gabrielle were crouched in back of him, the former holding her chakram at the ready. Finally, Dave floated high above the scene, ready to fire as needed. "Who says I'm alone?" With that, he bent over low.

The warrior grinned and flung her weapon. The metallic disc ricocheted off of several metal panels and still more agents' heads before returning to her hand.

"Xena!" Adam realized.

"Yeah, it's me all right," she concurred, stepping into the open. "Come on, I can use a good workout."

Then the group heard a dark chuckling from above. "Hey, guys. We've got ya surrounded."

Looking up, they saw Dave levitating in midair; their flashlights revealing his dark grin. "Now, why did you have to screw everything up by showing up uninvited and all? Tsk, tsk! Hey, Steve, what do we do with uninvited nerds?"

"We throw 'em out on their asses," his friend concurred, glaring at their adversaries.

"Damn straight," Dave agreed.

"We have the numbers and there are only three of you against fifty of us," Eckhart bellowed.

"That didn't matter back at Genomex, Whitey," Dave disagreed. "And it won't matter now!" Taking aim with his bow, he fired a special shaft into the agents' numbers. "A present from me."

The projectile exploded in their midst, covering the area with a thick choking smoke.

The professor counted to five before yelling, "Everyone into the pool! The one who kicks the least amount of GSAss buys the first round back home!"

"You're on!" Max cracked, leaping into the fray. Moving quickly, she took out enemies left and right. Seeing an agent abusing Shalimar, she leapt to her fellow feral's side and smacked the agent holding her down. Nobody was going to beat on a like-minded genetic soldier like herself if she could help it.

Xena gyrated, flipped, kicked, punched, and cracked her way through the opponents. Before her, they fell like so much wheat.

Gabrielle's staff found more than a few heads.

Nick and Dave fought back to back taking out the remainder of the enemy.

After a few minutes, the GSA agents were out for the count, strewn across the floor like so many rag dolls. Unfortunately, Eckhart and his chief lieutenants were nowhere to be found.

"Are you okay, Adam?" Dave wondered.

"Yeah. You all really saved the day," he coughed.

"I'll say," Brennan agreed, wincing from having his hands bound.

"Hang on a minute," Xena advised and using her dagger, cut his hands free.

"Thanks," the electrical mutant expressed. "Adam, can you?"

"Just a minute," the leader agreed, fishing through the panel in back of him. There, he found a probe-like device. Walking down the stairs, he touched it to the governor's base, deactivating it and popping it out of his neck. Then he did the same for Shalimar, Jesse, and Emma.

"Thanks," Shalimar expressed, rubbing her neck. "And thanks, everyone. Max, you too, for the save."

"As if I was going to let some Manticore-reject beat on a sister like that," Max replied, a smile growing on her face. "Get real."

"Well, we have to get out of here. Everything's been compromised, unfortunately." Adam told them.

"At least for tonight, come back with us," Dave urged.

"You three can stay with me," Nick invited. "It's secure, and who's going to mess with the Elder of Tucson?"

"I thought that LaCroix was the Elder..." Emma interjected.

"Since we came back from Nurrengaard, things have been changing. You saw my new floating powers. Nick is now the Elder of the Community," Dave explained, glancing around. "Too bad about this place, though. I really liked it."

"We did too," Jesse agreed. "It was home."

"But, you can start over," Nick asserted. "We'll help."

"We can try," the new mutants' leader agreed. Looking around at the scattered agents around them, he asked, "What do we do with them?"

"Leave them to me," Steve asserted, getting on the phone to the local law enforcement. Maybe they might not be in jail for long, but he could get more evidence on Eckhart for the Bureau's case.

After all was said and done, the group grabbed a few things including a box of clothes for each Mutant X member. Then, Deirdre opened the portal, teleporting them away from the scene toward safety.

Onto the next part