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Chapter -20- END GAME

February 5, 2024 - 06:15 am "New Atlantis" Standard Time New Town, New Atlantis Dome ...

** Rufus sniffed at the air** then continued through the alleyways. He stopped at a corner and narrowed his gaze, ears perked. He sniffed again, peering around the bend at two men in uniform with weapons.

The lettering on the back of their vests had, "C.S." in bold, and, along their left pant leg, it read, "City Security," in white.

He walked carefully on the pads of his hind paws until he towered over them from behind. "Excuse me," said Rufus in a soft snarl.

The werewolf reached over their shoulders and snatched their weapons, pulled them firmly towards one another, then bit through both straps and jerked the guns away. He tossed them over his shoulder. The futuristic-looking rifles clattered on the pavement.

Both men whirled about. One went for his sidearm, the other tried swinging his right fist.

Rue caught the first man's punch in his padded palm. With his other paw, he reached over and clutched the handgun and squeezed until the man groaned in pain. Rufus could hear the man's finger break in the trigger guard.

The officer's eyes welled up with tears of pain. "F...fucking freak!"

"Aw, now that's not right..." Rufus clenched his other paw over the second man's fist. The guard sank to his knees in pain. "I dun' go by my middle name."

"I thought it was Tucker?" asked a woman from behind. Then, in a softer voice, she added, "Watch my six, Patty. I'm going to make sure he's not getting himself into trouble."

"Parker?" Rufus sniffed but kept his eyes on the men in front of him.

"Yup." Topaz approached Rufus from behind then folded her arms and looked at the two men he was handling. The first man joined the second one on his knees, both of them suffering the pain of having their hands crushed in the werewolf's enormous paws. "Lot of power in your forearm. That from jerking off? Oh, wait, I guess the accurate term would be pawing off?"

Rufus continued to keep the men in the vice grip. He pulled them, by their arms, further into the alley. "We got a problem, sister. I was lookin' for you. We were attacked. They shot the lantern then attacked with some sorta' rifles that shoot energy discharges. All I could see was the blastin' that lit up the sewer. For some reason, they didn't see me in the dark. They got Evan and Johann and I made a dash into an air vent. Johann seemed particularly upset. Said it was th' old North American Grand Justiciar. Tha' guy is apparently perdy tough. The boys told the bad guys they were alone, so they were taken hostage. I tried following but I lost the trail up here. All these electric vehicles smell the same. I'm glad ya found me, Parker."

Topaz moved around behind one of the men, took his head in her arms then said, "This one doesn't look like he'll talk so..."

"No, wait!" exclaimed the man.

Topaz paused, released his head, turned to the man's teammate, and then quickly snapped the second guy's neck. "Okay. You killed your partner but you get to live to die another day." She turned back to the first guard and side-nodded to Rufus.

The werewolf released the surviving guard's fist.

The officer dropped to the ground, panting from pain then said, "Before all of this, I used to be a police officer in New Jersey. I saw this guy kill four other officers by picking them up like toys and throwing them into a wall. You people are monsters."

Rufus leaned over the man and snarled. "I've seen cops skip due diligence. I've seen power hungry, jack-booted thugs, with badges, who shoot and kill people; they take their boot gun and put it into the dead person's hand, post mortem. Just to close a tough case, while the real criminal skips town. Sunuvabitch, you're gonna lump all supernatural people in one category? I can do it too. In my eyes, you people are monsters."

"He attacked us because they threatened to arrest him for kicking over a dumpster!"

Rufus eyed the man on his knees. "This guy that could kill with strength ... was he black with long American Indian hair? Frickin' tall with broad shoulders?"

"N...no, he was a scrawny white kid. Maybe nineteen years old, and barely five-foot-three. He took me by the throat and lifted me up in the air. I reached for my boot gun and shot him. Weeks later, a recruiter found me and I began training. Then I started hunting you people for a living."

"Oh boy." Topaz sighed. "Okay. You begged for your life a minute ago. You feeling brave again or are you ready to talk? Where does Falcon take prisoners with abilities?"

"Governor Falcon puts them in his lab to study what makes them different from us. Some say he does something to them so they don't die but they don't cause trouble. All I know is it's been peaceful until you freaks showed up."

"How d'you know we're not escapees?" Rufus smirked.

"You'd know where Falcon keeps those people if you were," said the guard. He favored his hand then stole a glance at the dead man at his side. "Jesus."

Topaz put her hands on her hips. "Look at your pal, dumbass. That wasn't a sleeper hold. At least not one your buddy will wake up from. Where's the lab?"

"Relax, Topaz," Rufus murmured from the side of his muzzle.

"I don't know that sort of stuff!" he cried. "Lady, they don't tell everyone everything, after all!"

She glared at the man with a cold gaze. "Fine. You're not helpful anymore."

The guard's eyes widened, knowing it was his turn. He brought his good hand down to his hip holster but his sidearm was missing. His eyes remained wide, his pupils dilated with fear.

Topaz reached behind her back and held up a handgun. "Looking for this? I steal things for a living. I used to resent it but now I kinda' like it again."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he chanted, fearing the end. "I don't want to die. I'm just twenty-one years old."

"Two years of doing this stuff and you haven't met anything you can't handle?" Topaz asked. "Doing dangerous work for a living has consequences. If it's any consolation, we're not here to kill the families and children that live here. Just any guards that get in our way. We plan to rescue our friends and leave. Sorry you got in our way."

"No, wait! I don't care what happens to everyone else, I just don't want to wind up like Rick."

Topaz glanced over at the man face down on the pavement. "God, you whine like a pussy." Her cold brown eyes panned back to the gun in her hand. She disengaged the safety. "Fine. I'll make it so it doesn't hurt. If reincarnation is real, do yourself a favor and don't come back as a huge whiner." She put the gun to the side of his head.

"No, wait!"

"Turn around, Patty!" Topaz glanced over her shoulder then back at the man and squeezed the trigger. The weapon silently discharged. He dropped to the ground, convulsing.

"I reckon tha' escalated quickly. Not, uh, the outcome I'd expected, though."

Topaz thumbed the safety. "Huh. Multishot Taser? That's new." She looked the weapon over again then figured out how to withdraw the battery from the handle. "Oh, wow. Get outta' town, this is cool. Electro-laser that doesn't create a sonic boom when it heats the air."

"What is it?" asked Patty, approaching the others.

She began tinkering with it. "It looks like it shoots a two-stage focused discharge, laser then energy." She continued toying with it, removing the slide from the top. "I see two..." she trailed off, then said, "which somehow turns the air to plasma and guides a lightning bolt to wherever the laser touches."

"Havin' fun, Parker?"

"This is prototype stuff. The problem with weapons like this that are invented on the surface ... they drain right away." She held the battery up in the morning light of the fake sunrise. "It doesn't say the output on the label." She put it back into the handle and a number on the side of the weapon showed, 'twenty-four' in a small LED panel.

"Is that a lil' screen thing?"

"Digital display. Didn't notice that until now."

"Me neither."

"Twenty-five rounds per battery pack - not bad at all." She stuffed the gun into her belt and searched the bodies for additional batteries. "Rufus, we got attacked, too. Eric said he'd hold them off, and to get Patty to safety. God only knows where the others are."

"Dayum. So what's our plan?"

Patty folded her arms and cut back in. "Mister Darken, you said they took Evan and Johann, too?"

"Ah ... yeah, darlin', I'm sorry. They attacked in the dark. Couldn't fight'em. I'mma get'em back. We're gunna get everyone back. I promise."

Patience swallowed down her emotion and nodded. She picked up one of the electronic rifles lying in the alley. She unattached the broken gun strap, from where Rufus had bitten through it, and brought her left hand beneath the barrel grip. "We'll get them back. But right now ... all we have is Topaz's transponder. We'll just follow it to the artifacts and do what we came here to do."

"You know how t' handle that?"

Patience gawked at Rufus. "As I said in the Bathysphere, I'm Russian and African. Trust me when I tell you that I've handled an assault rifle before. My father demanded I know how to protect myself. Let's go and finish what we've started. Perhaps we can find bargaining chips or stumble onto where they're being kept."

Topaz glanced up at a flash in the sky. "You can't even seem the dome from inside. Looks like a normal sky ... a cloudless sky. But that was definitely a flash of lighting." It happened again then she pointed to a building in the distance. "I found Reno and the others. Should we help them?"

"Reno, Karla 'n Fox," Rufus said. "We need help more than they do. Let's try 'n get started looking for the artifacts. Where's yer transponder?"

Topaz sighed again. She pulled out the small tracking unit and handed it to Patience. "Here." Paz walked to the edge of the alley and peered out into the empty street.

A sign overhead, with an arrow, read, 'Route 1, towards Alpha Towne,' and pointed towards what looked like a commercial district with tall buildings. She put her finger into her ear and said, "Fox? Come in, babe. We're seeing lightning up on a tall building in the distance. Are you okay?"

X

---

X

** "Reinhardt,"** Karla folded her arms. All around her, men lay in silence. Some were half lodged inside the rooftop of the building. One had a rifle sticking out of his skull where his ears used to be.

Several more men began pouring through the door leading to the rooftop.

Fox put his hand to his ear. "Hey, Paz, we're fighting the guy Johann used to work for. He boasted that he got Eric; I thought Eric was working with you ... you okay?"

Topaz's voice came over Fox's headset, but was audible to Karla and Reno as well. "We're going for the artifacts," said Paz. "Apparently it's not too far from our location. We met up with Rufus. Johann and Eric ... Evan, too ... they're all captured. They're picking us off down here. It was ugly. I don't know if we have enough of a team to win this thing anymore."

"They picked off the young and inexperienced. We're the power players, Paz - we can do this. We'll meet you soon, just gotta finish this guy off," Parker said over his headset. "I have my tracker - we'll head to the same place. Stay safe."

Karla cut in. "Lance would say we got a bunch of queens on the chess board, so we can still win the game. But don't think we're beat, girl. We're queens, not drama queens."

"She's right, Paz." Parker put his foot up on a guard's chest and flipped off of it. A bolt of plasma raced beneath Fox and struck his attacker. He put his foot out and struck the gunner in the face. Both men went to the rooftop.

"Nice, kiddo," Reno said, delivering a punch to another guard.

Fox adjusted his headset then put his finger back on the transmit button. "I love you. Keep an eye out for Vincent." He released the talk key, ducked another shot from off to the left somewhere, then performed a somersault, using both feet to strike an off-balance attacker.

"You, too, Fox. Stay safe." The connection ended.

Karla ground her teeth together. "Reno, I'm tired of these guns." She disappeared then reappeared two feet away; a bolt of energy passed through the open air where she stood seconds prior. "Fry'em all. On my mark."

"Okay," he said then tensed his hands into fists. "Ready."

"Three, two, one ... _now." _Both Karla and Fox vanished.

Reno tensed his body. An electromagnetic pulse emanated from him, striking everything around him. A high power static wave followed the pulse, knocking everyone down on the roof.

Karla and Fox reappeared adjacent to Reinhardt. "No more playing around. I'm going to rip your head off your shoulders for Johann."

The regally-dressed man narrowed his gaze. "Hmm ... I have no idea why Falcon wants the three of you alive." Reinhardt tilted his head. "My mistake. All of you, except for Mister Nevada, get to leave here alive." The ex-Grand Justiciar put a finger to his ear then sighed. "Fine. Now stop taking that tone with me, Aris. I am busy with these children." He shook his head, released the button on his earpiece and sighed. "My only interest is to find the one who killed my brother and put that man into a shallow grave."

Karla smirked. "He got his ass handed to him by a female. And he screamed like a bitch, like a little sissy."

Reinhardt ground his teeth together. "I understand you have a complex involving rape, Karla. When the time is right, I will find you. And I will make you helpless. I will defile you, and tear you down emotion by emotion. I will ruin you. I will take everything you love from you. I will leave you dying on the floor, a broken shell of a female. Not this day, but when the time is right. I promise you will suffer. You will beg on your knees for even a single moment of reprieve, you stupid fucking whore."

Karla glared at him with an icy gaze. "Come and get it, bitch. You'll be seeing your brother real soon."

"I've crushed stronger supernaturals than you, Keturah."

"Oh, you know my birth name. Isn't that nice."

"Do you ever shut up?" Reno said to Reinhardt. "What are you waiting for? Put your dukes up or sit down. I'm tired of your bullshit."

"You're the weakest lightning wielder I've ever seen, fool. You're nowhere near as powerful as Nathanial Carrington. He was the most powerful lightning-smith I've ever known, yet we killed him. So know your place."

Parker looked over at Karla and Reno then back at Reinhardt. The three moved in, surrounding the man. The Master Thief spoke in a casual tone, as he and his friends closed in slowly. "Wow, Reinhardt St. Leonard. You and your brother are older than I was lead to believe," Fox said. "Sinopa estimated Sire was over nine hundred years old."

"We were born seventh century Anno Domini, you incestuous little freak. Your mother was an animal creature, wasn't she? Yes, you're a whole family of freaks."

"Well color me impressed," Karla replied with a smirk. "So you're almost a thousand years older than me. God, you're so cool. Can I have your autograph? Preferably now, since you're going to be dead in a minute."

"I doubt it."

Karla lifted her fist and caused it to glow a vibrant pink. She drew her arm back then launched her fist into Reinhardt's face. She passed right through him and stumbled. "Ugh! I hate psychic projections!" Karla gave a tug at the hem of her skirt then turned to face the man again. "So, what was your original name? And for that matter, what was Sire's original name?"

"Why does it matter, stupid girl? You don't speak Greek, or Latin."

"Latin?! Of course I do!"

Reinhardt sneered, bottling his rage. "You speak sermo vulgi at best. I will take my leave, now. You are free to leave. Reno Nevada will be staying down here. But Falcon has plans for you, whore. And the filthy, disgusting twins may go with you. The rest stay here. However, the next time I see you, succubus, you will meet the same fate as my brother." He faded away.

Nevada rubbed his bald head with a sigh. "You speak what, Karla?"

Karla glanced back at Reno and Fox with a shrug. "Vulgar speech of the masses." She sighed then approached Fox. "Point us in the right direction so we can meet up with the others."

Parker nodded and pulled his tracking device from a pocket. He switched it on with his thumb and waited for the small computerized device to boot. Meanwhile, he knelt down and picked up one of the rifles shorted out by Reno's attack.

"So they got guns that do what I can do, huh?" Reno grinned. "I wonder if they're manufacturing them down here."

After toying with it for a moment, Fox figured out how to release the battery in the handle and read the label. "Huh. Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik. That's a German defense company. They've made everything from bomb fuses and spray-tasers to ... well ... trains. As in actual steam locomotives." Fox walked to the edge of the building and gazed into the distance. "Seems as though the industrial complex is still under construction; Falcon must be getting his prototype weapons shipped in. I thought the guy was based out of California. I wonder how big his operation really is. I mean, why go with a hundred 'n fifty year old German company?"

Karla folded her arms. "Experience and distance from everything else. That way no one asks too many questions. Can we go now?"

"Yeah." Parker dropped the weapon and gazed down at a six inch computerized screen on the transmitter. "We're close." He walked back to Karla and Reno. "Real close. About a mile from the transponder. It's pinging a clear signal."

"Outstanding. Boys, I'm ready to end this nonsense." She reached for Fox's free hand then teleported Reno to her side and snatched his hand in her other. The trio disappeared.

Moments later they reappeared in a street. She turned to Fox and, without releasing their hands, asked, "Well?"

"Uhm." Fox stared at the display then said. "I suppose it's underneath of us, because it says we're here."

Karla released their hands then took the transponder. "One sec, gents."

"I could really go for coffee right now." Fox sighed. He looked up at the faux sky then arched his spine and stretched his limbs.

Karla pointed at the shop across the street with a bastardized version of the Starbucks logo. "If we win, you can have all the coffee you want. One second."

Reno rubbed his palms together. "Yeah, bud, let's get this whole thing over with and go home."

Karla glared at a nearby manhole cover. It disappeared. She glared with a look of concentration then said, "Okay, found a wall. Metal lid is gone. Need another." The succubus turned around and spied one further up the street. It disappeared. A moment later it reappeared, awash with blood splashed across it. "Ugh. Found a person, but no walls. Get ready." She vanished. A moment later, Reno and Fox disappeared.

The trio materialized in a sublevel laboratory. A man in a white lab coat lay on the floor in a fetal position.

Karla looked the dead man over then frowned. "Aw nuts, it wasn't Falcon. That's a shame. That'd have been too easy, and..."

"Oh my God," erupted Reno. He broke away from the other two and hurried over to a glass tube in the wall.

Floating within the nutrient bath was Nichole Parker.

Nevada put his hands on the rounded glass and looked her over. "She's alive! Karla, Fox, we gotta get her out of there."

Karla rubbed her chin. "Hey, we know that chick, too," she said, pointing to another nearby glass container built into the wall. "Remember? She was shooting at you, then you guys started yelling and flirting with each other until I showed up. She said she recognized me for saving her from a pervert, remember?"

Reno tore his eyes from Nichole's body to the woman in a nearby tube then he glanced back at his motionless fiancée. "Yeah. She called herself Agent Samantha Summers. Agent of what, I have no idea."

Fox approached Summers' container. "She works for Gregory Watson. Uhm ... I think she started working for Homeland Clandestine shortly before his department laid off nearly the entire division."

"How in the hell do you know that?" Karla asked.

"Nanobots," Fox said, adding, "Her name is on file; her file is loaded into this tube thing. I can access all the files from right here. I can get them both out of there, too. They'll need clothes ... or some sort of towel at the very least."

Fox moved back towards the body of his aunt and folded his arms. "All this time I'd heard from reliable sources that she was killed by Rick Peterson. That guy was basically studying under my dad years ago. Pretty good abilities but he wasn't a supernatural. Eventually there was a huge fight between those two and Peterson allied himself with Falcon to get back at my father. I can't believe she's alive." He put a finger on the headset. "Topaz, you there? I've got great news."

"Busy, babe. Can't talk just yet."

Fox sighed. "I wish I was able to help her. Anyway, she'll be glad to hear about Aunt Nicky."

Reno's eyes zeroed in on Nichole left hand. He pressed his forehead against the glass tube to get a closer look. "She's wearing the ring."

"Yeah," Karla murmured, "And that's all she's wearing. I'm surprised Falcon left it on before putting her in there."

Nevada narrowed his gaze. "The fact he saw her undressed is more than enough of a reason to kill that man."

Fox frowned. "Apparently fabric doesn't hold up very well when the neutrient bath changes viscosity. These nanobots are unbelievable, Reno. I'm interfacing with the machines, just standing here. Her file says she was put into cryogenic stasis for a while, then it claims she was brought back to life. The nutrient bath is like a synthetic womb that can change from liquid to solid and back. That means anyone else we find down here could be rescued, too. I see a file for Collobulous, Donovan, Lance's spy named Patrick; I see some guy named Jarth Myrell, some guy named Jasper Cunningham..."

"That guy," Karla spat. "I have unfinished business with that loser. Is he in stasis?"

"No, it says he has a pod he uses, but he's currently listed in the active director matrix. It says he's part of some kind of military funded program that ran during the 1990's. He was a genetically enhanced experiment volunteer. It says he has a daughter named Lara. Her genetics were unstable because his had been altered so much. At seven years old she began turning into some sort of ... creature. Jesus, there are pictures in the database. I can see them."

Reno swallowed. "I saw Lara beneath the Pages Lost nightclub. I left her down there, trapped. It's been on my mind. I feel like I left her to starve."

Fox shook his head. "Then stop worrying. Her file says she doesn't need to eat. Her metabolism is self-sustaining."

Reno glanced back at his fiancé in the tube then ran his hands up over his forehead. Nevada turned to Fox and said, "Nichole and Samantha need our help, guys. Get them both out of there."

"Reno, wait." Karla put her hand on the ex-inspector's shoulder. "What if Summers starts attacking you again."

"I'll stun-gun her ass if she won't listen to reason." Reno turned back to Fox, shrugging off Karla's hand. "Okay. Nanobot boy. Prove they're real."

Fox offered an awkward chuckle. "You're the one who gave'em to me. Prove it?" He shook his head and waved a hand at each tube. Both computer systems built into the stasis pods began displaying various words on the screens. The computers started to go through their routine of waking up the subjects within.

Water drained out of the tubes, gurgling through hoses at the bottom. Both women slumped to the bottom of each chamber, their faces supported by suction cups with cables.

Fox waved his hands over the cylindrical chambers again, and said, "Now I'll use the nanobots to chew down the raw elements of the glass."

The glass panels melted much to Nevada's surprise.

"See, Reno? That container was legit."

"Christ. Karla, have you ever seen anything like that?"

"Nope. Not in real life, anyway. Pretty impressive."

"I'll say." Reno waited until the glass was completely gone, then he took Nichole into his arms, and eased a plastic apparatus from her nose and mouth, carefully. Once free, he settled to the floor and held her in his lap. "C'mon, baby. Wake up."

Karla and Fox helped Summers down and laid the other woman onto her back. Fox stood up and looked back over at his aunt. "How is she?"

"Her heart is beating. She's breathing. We need to get her out of here."

Fox nodded. "No argument here."

Topaz, Rufus and Patience hurried into the lab from the far end. Topaz saw the two unclothed women then her eyes zeroed in on the one in Reno's arms. "Holy shit, is that Aunt Nicky?" She rushed over and dropped to her knees next to Reno. "Oh my God, is she okay?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "We just got her out of that stasis thing. God only knows why they were in there." He licked his lips then said, "See if you can find everyone else. And those artifact things."

Rufus and Patience moved towards Karla and the three fanned out, exploring the rest of the lab together.

Topaz nodded to Fox then pointed to a nearby computer terminal and said, "Get into that system and do whatever it is that you do." She then turned to Summers and pulled the young woman over near Reno and Nichole. "I saw a dead scientist across the room. We can use their labcoats for now." She walked over to the body, winced at his injury then stripped off his lab coat. "He's been gutted. What happened?"

Fox glanced back at her and said, "Karla was using sewer covers to hunt for the lab to see how deep it was. Then we teleported in. The manhole cover materialized inside of his torso. God only knows where the other lid is ... probably stuck in a wall somewhere."

"Oh," Topaz murmured. "So that's what that thing was ... I saw a big black round piece of metal sticking out of the ceiling in the other room. Mystery solved."

Reno pointed to Summers. "Give that one the coat. I'll give Nicky the shirt off my back."

Topaz brought the lab coat back to Samantha Summers and put it on the woman then buttoned it up. The coat came to the mid-section of the young woman's thighs.

"She waking up yet?"

Paz frowned. "No, not yet, Reno. Keep your shirt on, cop. Literally. I will find something for Aunt Nicky to wear. I'm not giving her the bloody shirt and pants from the dead guy. I'll find another lackey and steal his duds. Be right back, you guys." Topaz left the room, heading back the way she came in to the lab.

Fox turned back to the nearest computer terminal and began typing on the keyboard. After a moment, he said, "Wow. The Active Directory is huge. Hold on, I'm going to search the personnel for ... how about that. Your brother, Reno. One sec." He punched in another command then stepped back. A green light illuminated a webcam above the display. Seconds later, Vincent's face appeared on the screen.

"Fox?"

"Vincent!" Parker laughed. "We're here to rescue you, man! Me, Topaz, Reno ... Everyone. We're all here!"

"Rescue?" Vincent offered an awkward chuckle. "You know I can leave whenever I want. Funny you say that, though. Falcon just left here."

"Really?" asked Fox. "What'd he say?"

"He said you guys were all here. He told me that I should take a vacation and go with you guys. So far as I can tell, we're free to leave."

"Great," Fox said with a grin. "Bring some clothes. We found Aunt Nicky. And some other chick. And we're trying to find Evan, Johann and Eric Loupe. And Eric's uncle. And Rufus' pal, Collobulous." Fox glanced over his shoulder and asked Reno, "Am I forgetting anyone?"

"No one else matters," Reno murmured, holding Nichole in his embrace. He shifted his weight a bit and ran his fingers through her hair, still wet from the nutrient bath. "God I've missed you, baby."

"Where are you?" asked Vincent, then he added, "Hey, I heard Reno's voice. Hey! You found Nicky?"

Reno glanced up at the panel, out of Vincent's line of sight. "You didn't know she was down here?"

"No, of course not. Or I'd have brought her home to you a long time ago. So far as Rufus' friend, I was told we had to put him into some sort of suspended animation because he has the same plague that killed Jon Parker. Falcon claims it's deadly to the rest of us. He said he's studying it because it could become a threat to anyone with abilities. It was apparently made a really, really long time ago and it only attacks our kind. If we let him out before Doctor F. can find a cure, then we'll all die from it."

"Just get down here with some clothes, Vince," said Reno.

Fox paused, still going through files on the laboratory computer. "Hey, look at this. Hold on, I can get into the security footage."

The screen became partitioned, showing Vincent Nevada on the left, in a bedroom. The right side of the screen depicted an image of Collobulous in a cryogenic stasis pod, frozen. Adjacent to Bull, Doctor Falcon appeared to be putting Evan, Johann and Eric into nearby pods, hooking up hoses to their faces.

Fox swallowed, mouth dry and eyes wide. "Shit. Vincent, can you see this?"

"No, it's not showing up on my side. What are you seeing?"

"Your boss hooking up all our friends to some sort of tubes. Hold on, I'm trying to figure out where it is compared to our location." He began typing. Fox reached for a trackpad and flicked his fingers over it then pulled up another display on the screen.

"Someone needs to get them," Reno murmured.

"I'll go. It's not far." Fox paused then said, "Wait a minute. Karla and Rufus just entered the room."

Vincent frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know where you guys are but ... can you come get me?"

Fox responded with a similar frown then nodded. "Yeah, man. I guess Rufus and Karla can handle themselves. They're tough. One sec." Parker began clicking on the trackpad again. "God this terminal is a piece of shit. Doesn't even have proper wireless access. One sec." Fox continued to use the trackpad, opening up various User Interface menus.

"You'll get it, hon," said Vincent.

Fox replied with a thin smile, working around the UI to figure out his options. He tightened his left hand into a fist with a bright grin. "This is the menu I need."

"I thought you could interact with any computer, no matter what?"

"Doesn't matter, we're good to go, babe. I found out where you're located. I'll come and meet you in a few minutes then I can bring you back to this location. From there, we'll leave together. We need those artifacts, though."

"Whatever we have to do," Vincent said, then he added, "Reno, I love you, bro. I'll see you as soon as possible." Vincent ended the connection from his end.

Fox turned back to Reno and said, "I'm going to go find Vince. I won't be long. I'll bring him here with some extra clothes for the girls. Then we can do whatever we've got to do and get the hell out of this place."

"Sounds like a plan." Reno glanced up from Nichole and asked, "Are you two banging?"

"W...what?"

Reno shrugged, sighed, and then shrugged again. "Are you dating my brother?"

"W-, well, uh, you know that my sister and your brother are an item."

"Yeah. She told me. But are you and him an item, too?"

"What makes you say that?"

Reno chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing. I don't give a shit. I just wanna see the boy happy, and wanted to give you a hard time - it might have bugged me ten years ago but ... who knows. Maybe I grew up. Maybe those cop-sensitivity courses helped. Maybe it's because I know you, and that you're a good person. Hell if I know, but it doesn't bother me, now."

"Is it because he called me 'hon' - how did you know?"

"Nah, that wasn't it. You're just ... running off to help him when your sister and your aunt are down here. And you got all excited to talk to him. And you called him 'babe.' Hell, he's the first person you looked up in that big list on the screen. It just ... sounds like you're in love or something."

"Uhm. This is really awkward."

Reno snorted. "I'm not a homophobe. I don't give a damn. I mean, I'm not into dudes or anything, but if he is ... then he is. I just want to see him happy. He's my kid brother. I'm a bit on the protective side. But yeah ... I knew. You rushed to him on that computer the way I rushed to Nichole, here, and you were pretty happy to see him. Like ... happier than Evan gets to see Johann, so ... happier than a best friend."

"Did, uh ... did I really get like that?"

Nevada rolled his eyes with a half-hidden grin. "Just ... go. Bring him here safely, alright? Then we can all get the hell outta here together. I don't even give a shit about the stupid artifacts at this point. I just want to go home with my girl."

"Reno."

Nevada glanced up at his name, seeing Topaz across the room.

"I found that gypsy girl. The young one that you were friends with a few months ago."

"You found Abby Chase? You're sure?"

"I guess, I don't know her name, really." Topaz glanced to Fox, seeing his expression. "What?"

"I just spoke to Vincent. I'm going to go and get him, because he apparently doesn't know about this particular lab. He didn't know that Aunt Nicky was down here, either. He's gonna bring some clothes. I'll be right back."

Topaz lit up. "Sure. Give him a ... nevermind."

"Kiss from you?" asked Reno.

"I, uh..." She shook her head as if to deny it.

Fox shrugged. "He knows."

Reno looked back down at the sleeping woman in his arms. "Yeah. I know. I don't care. So what're you waiting for? Next Christmas? Go get'em, Fox." Nevada lifted his eyes back to Paz. "Where's the girl you found?"

"We can't wake her the same way," Topaz said. "She's frozen in there. Like, completely ice. The display on her pod thing reads negative two hundred degrees Celsius."

"You mean Fahrenheit?" asked Fox.

"No. Celsius," said Topaz. "That's pretty cold. That's really, really damn cold, now that I think about it." She licked her lips and said, "She's in a room with a few other people that are frozen in their glass pod-tube-things. I don't know what the fuck Falcon is doing down here but..."

"It's okay. We'll rescue anyone we're able," said Fox. "Maybe there is a way to release everyone at once. Like a master command or something."

Paz shook her head slowly. "He's got Rick Peterson in one. I saw that guy's dead body. But the machine says he's alive in frozen stasis. Eric's uncle is in another. Then there's a few people I don't recognize."

Nevada ground his teeth together. "I'm gonna kick Falcon's ass. Fox found him on security, putting Evan, Johann and Eric into tubes."

"Jesus."

Fox cut in. "I saw Karla and Rufus walk into the room behind him. I'm not sure where Patty is but, well, anyway I think it's safe to say that Falcon is in serious trouble, heh."

Topaz approached Reno. "I'll watch her. You've got the fancy powers. Go make sure that Falcon gets his ass kicked."

Reno smirked. "You're the badass that he threw around." He drew Nichole closer, wrapping his arms completely around her. "I've seen you fight. You go help them. You deserve a rematch. Besides, I don't want to short out all those pods and wind up killing everyone in stasis. I'll stay right here with Nichole."

Topaz tightened her jaw then offered a look of displeasure and dissatisfaction. "Fine. That guy is out of my league, though." She offered a wan smile at Fox. "Go get our boy. Keep him safe, babe." She then pointed to another door across the room. "Did they go this way?"

"Yeah." Reno grew quiet again.

Fox headed back through a different door, leaving Reno alone with Samantha and Nichole.

Topaz Parker hurried up the hall, leaving Reno and the rest behind. She looked from left to right then made her way into another lab. "Okay, where are they," she whispered to herself.

Meanwhile...

Karla Howard stood in a room at the far end of the underground facility. She began pacing in front of Aris Falcon, arms folded. "I don't know if I can do another deal with the devil," she said. "But I need those pills."

Rufus looked up, flat on his back, beneath Falcon's foot. He struggled, with his paws on Falcon's calf, but couldn't pull the man's leg from his torso. "Karla, gimmie out of here! Teleport me, dammit!"

"Hold on, Rue-bear. This guy could kill our friends at the push of a button. We've fucked up and now he's trying to let some of us go. You're butting in on delicate negotiations, babe."

"There's nothing to negotiate," Falcon said, using the augmented strength taken from Collobulous to hold Rufus down on the ground with ease. "I keep everyone here. You, the Parkers and Vincent can leave. Vincent is free to come back and continue his work with me in the future. You get those pills."

Karla clenched her fists. "You're lucky I can't teleport you, dickhead. You do not get to keep my baby's daddy. Eric comes with me. Why are you keeping these people? What the hell is your problem?"

Falcon eyed her for a moment then tilted his head and, in an uncharacteristically serious tone, he said, "Most of you have become infected with the disease that killed J.C. Parker. I'm freezing the lot of you until I can find a cure."

Karla balked. "Don't give me that fake bullshit!"

"Bullshit?" Falcon snorted in amusement. "My dear, you've spent too much time with Nathanial Carrington. You sound just like him."

"Why let me go?"

"Because," Falcon said. "I've come to learn that you can sexually cure any and all diseases. I now understand it's your body's defense against contracting one. But did you know that your ability has evolved? You can now cure others. Sex will cure your partner of any diseases they have. You're also the oldest known of any succubus or incubus."

Karla folded her arms. "Yeah? Is that so? Well, thanks to you, I'm probably the only one left."

"Not true. Justus Loupe did order my people to kill most supernaturals but there are still a few left. I know of at least one incubus and succubus by name, still alive. They're living in Micronesia."

Karla shook her head. "Justus didn't do shit. Johann has been spending time with him. He said it was you and you're buddies. Guess what? We killed Sire. We'd have killed Reinhardt, too, but we haven't yet found the host body. I hate astral projectionists."

"I never ordered supernaturals to die," said Falcon.

Karla eyed him for a moment then frowned. "Huh. You seem like you're finally telling the truth. Fine. Who did?"

"It's what the old Grand Justiciar did for a living, Karla. He hunted down supernaturals who broke the laws and killed them. He took great pleasure in it. When his usefulness runs out, I'll put him into stasis as well. Is Sire really dead?"

"Yup. He couldn't stop us. Neither can you."

Falcon eyed her for a moment then frowned. "Damn. He was far more useful than his brother. Very well. Are you going to take my offer?"

"No. We _all _get to leave!"

Falcon glanced down at Rufus. "I get this one."

"No. We'll kill you and take everything including the artifacts. You shouldn't have that shit anyhow."

"Karla ... why do you think you can negotiate this? If I killed all of you, you'd never have that child."

Karla swallowed back her displeasure at the thought of losing the baby. "Are the others dead?"

"I told you, I'm studying them. They're in suspended animation."

"You had that girl, Summers ... she's not even one of us. Why did you have her in a stasis thing?"

Falcon quirked a brow. "Karla. She's not in stasis. She was awake. Her heart is beating. If you saw her, then you've seen Nichole Parker is alive as well. Nichole died; just like Vincent. I've brought her back to life using technology from the First Age. I've only frozen certain people. Leave, Karla. Take the Parkers, take Vincent, and leave. I'll allow you to go without being attacked."

Karla balled her fists up.

"Go on." He picked Rufus up by the throat and held there werewolf off to the side in his left fist. The large humanoid wolf struggled but couldn't break the powerful grip.

Falcon pointed at a cabinet and said, "They're in there. Go on. Take one. Tell me if that isn't the exact same feeling you feel when you feed on sexual juices. That will prove I'm a man of my word. I can either send them to you once a month to keep you away ... or you can have a Mass Spectrometer analysis done and get them manufactured on the surface. It doesn't matter to me. I'll give you a print out of how they're created if you need one. But I suggest you stay as far away from me as possible if I let you leave here alive. Your werewolf friend can't hurt me. You can't teleport me into a wall, and we just saw how your telekinetic punch had little effect on my new strength ability. How's your hand?"

Karla opened and closed her right hand a few times. "It still hurts where you caught my fist and twisted my arm," she muttered. She started to walk towards the cabinet. She paused, looked back at Rufus with a sad expression, then started walking towards the cabinet again.

"Karla, darlin', you can't let this guy live!"

"Rufus, baby, please ... I have to think about my family right now." She glanced at Falcon, remembering that he may not have known Lance's current name. "I promised 'Methos' and Jon that I'd keep the twins alive no matter what. I promised Donovan that I'd keep Eric safe. And I promised Eric that I'd keep this baby safe. Look, this isn't an easy decision to make, Rue-bear."

"Karla..." Rufus struggled in the doctor's grip, trying to wiggle free. "If you make a g'dayum deal with the devil, you'll never be happy. That shit'll eat you up inside. You'll always know that'cha betrayed the rest of us and left us to die."

Karla swallowed down the sensation of grief nesting in her heart. She reached for the cabinet door and opened the door.

"Karla, please don't do this to yourself. Don't betray us."

She grasped the single plastic container on the shelf and opened the bottle.

"God damn it, Karla. Use yer head! He's trying to subdue anyone with the ability to fight'em. You with pills, the twins with Vincent ... snap out of this shit, girl!"

Karla swallowed down the emotion and used a finger to dig out one of the pills then put it into her mouth. She swished it around with a bit of backwash then swallowed down the pill and the saliva.

Falcon rolled his eyes. He looked up at Rufus, pinned to the low ceiling, and whispered, "Be quiet dog creature. You're just as annoying as your sister, Peri. If Karla really is grieving about her decision, then she's at the first stage - denial. Nothing you say will matter, because she's denying every bit of it."

Rufus tensed up. "You know what happened to Peri Lynn? Where the fuck is she, you bastard."

Falcon cut his gaze to Karla, who had her back to them. He drew Rufus down from the ceiling then thrust him back up against it again, breaking the werewolf's left shoulder. Aris narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Quiet, you. You'll be seeing her soon enough, along with your friend with the strength."

"You sunuvabitch."

Karla turned back to them both, eyes wide. "Jesus. That kicks in faster than taking a hit of the 80's. You improved the formula. It's just like the real thing, now."

"It dissolves almost immediately. The tongue is a muscle. It takes effect quickly," Falcon told her. "Just like swallowing the real thing, yes?"

"Uhm ... yeah. Actually." She stowed the sensation of the rush, so as not to be hyper. "Eric Loupe goes with me and you do not tell him, nor the twins, or Vincent, what we discussed. And you do not kill anyone else. I want them back when you're done with them. Remember. I don't age. And I hold grudges for a long time."

"Karla, please," Rufus begged. "Please. Don't do this."

The demoness' eyes welled up with tears. "Rufus ... I've always been selfish and I've always looked out for myself. But this child ... I need this child. And this child needs his father. I can't barter for any more than that. I need these pills, Rufus. I need to have a normal relationship for the first time in my life. Please ... please understand."

"Karla ... if he wins ... what about all the stuff we've been told by the others? They said Falcon's going to fuck everything all up. Innocent people're gunna continue to die."

Falcon rolled his eyes. "That's why I told her to stay far away. By all means, she can live her life. Since she sleeps with Eric, he won't catch the disease either. I'm satisfied to let them both leave. All I need is a blood sample."

Karla's eyes widened. "You are? I mean ... you're going to let me take Eric?" She swallowed then said, "I still call bullshit on that disease thing. That may work with Vincent but it won't work with me. _You _gave that shit to Jon Parker."

"You slept with Topaz," said Falcon. "That's why she doesn't have it anymore. That's why she's not a carrier, anymore. But no. I didn't give it to Jon Parker. I injected Topaz with a needle that rendered her unconscious and temporarily shielded her from spreading the disease. It was a test run to see if it would work in human trials in a live subject. It protected her for a while but ... the fact her brother never got it from her is proof that my experiments were going in the correct direction. I created a treatment to quarantine the disease temporarily. A cure is in sight."

"But all those things you said to her," Karla snapped.

"I said things to scare her and keep her from wanting to come back. I wanted her to feel helpless against me."

"No, you used her as a carrier to give it to her father, because she can't get it."

Falcon laughed. "You're wasting my time, girl. No. Topaz can get it. She got it from her father before coming to me. Her brother was the resistant one. I need those two alive. Thankfully, you took it from her, when you fucked her. That's your _evolved ability, Karla my dear. Jon Parker was given that disease directly from Greg Watson; he used Fara Parker to deliver it. In fact, Gregory _hated Jon Parker. He has his reasons. Something about Parker being responsible for the death of Krys Monroe. The real Krys; not the one who I grew in a test tube a few years ago."

Karla gawked. "What? Watson injected Jon with your stupid disease over a lover's quarrel?"

"Indeed, Ms. Howard. Gregory harbors a lot of hate. In fact, he's engaged to marry Fara Parker, now. She has a lot of money. Guess he's marrying into wealth. The American dream. Now. You have your pills. Eric is in the next room. The code to open his stasis pod is your birthdate."

"What? All Hollow's Eve, 1599?"

"No, girl. Your real one. Not the one you tell people."

Karla blinked. "How could you possibly know...?"

"Go, now. It's on a time sensitive lockdown procedure. In a few minutes, the freezing process will begin. You'll have to push your finger on a small needle. Blood will draw into a small glass vial. When it fills to the line, the chamber will open. But you need to hurry, because if the timer counts the rest of the way to zero, it will instantly bring him down to nearly negative two hundred Celsius."

"Karla..."

"...Rufus."

Falcon eyed her. He watched her stand still, trembling. "You're running out of time. Either save your dog, or save the father of your unborn child. Make a decision!"

Karla balled her hands up in frustration. "God dammit!" The tears came again. "Rufus ... I..."

"Just go, Karla. Just fuckin' go."

"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

"Doesn't matter, Blondie. Apparently I won't feel but nuffin in a few minutes."

Falcon pointed to a door on the west side. "Go. Before you're out of time."

"What about Evan and Johann and Patience?"

"They went in first. Eric was the last. That means he'll be the last to freeze. It's too late for the others right now. You're running out of time. Don't be a simpleton. Go. Your birthday and your blood will open the lock." Again he saw her stand there, looking indecisive.

Tears ran down her face. Her sad green eyes lifted to Rufus, pressed firmly against the ceiling above Falcon's hand. Her lower lip trembled. "Why my blood?"

"I need your blood to create a 'cure-all' to diseases that we may encounter, preserved in the city below the ocean floor. No one knows what was left over from the First Age. Now go, or live your life as a single mother."

Karla made a dash towards the door on the west side.

Meanwhile, Falcon carried Rufus over to a computer terminal. He lowered the werewolf somewhat, switched Rufus to his other fist then, once more, he lifted Rue up.

Darken grunted, feeling himself pressed against the sublevel laboratory ceiling, only seven-and-a-half-feet high. "You're a bastard. A lyin' power-stealin' piece of shit. Karma, pal. It's gon' catch up with you, an' it'll suck."

"Quiet, dog." Falcon used his free hand to type on a keyboard, overriding the lockout sequence. He input Karla's birthday as the new password. He clicked an option in a checkbox adjacent to the window, then clicked 'user blood donation lockout access,' on the bottom of the window.

"Where's my sister, Peri? She been missin' since 1999. You have her? Is that it?"

"I've had her about that long, yes. You know, Mister Darken, I'm not quite sure I can use another werewolf in my studies." Falcon smiled up at Rue.

"With God as my witness, you better hope you don't drop me, son, cause I swear on the blood of Jesus Christ, I will end you. Even if it takes all the way to my final breath. I will find you and I will rip your throat out and feed you yer own heart, so help me God Almighty."

Falcon rolled his eyes. "Peri was equally useless. After all, it seems inconvenient to become an animal. Don't worry, though, your friend Collobulous isn't dead. He's frozen. The thing is, he was useful, at least, so I'm keeping him."

"I cain't believe you'n the goddamn Grand Judge of the EC were in on this shit together. I cain't believe you let that bastard kill so many people. You dickless, spineless..."

"If I freeze natural-born esoteric people, Reinhardt has no reason to kill them. I am collecting and preserving them. I'm keeping them safe, Mr. Darken."

Rufus looked down at the computer screen beneath him. He watched the security feed. Karla, on the screen, helped her boyfriend from the tube and drew the man into her arms.

Aris glanced back up at Rufus, still pinned to the ceiling. "What? Are you surprised that I told Karla the truth? Yes, it was the Grand Justiciar who had your kind nearly wiped to extinction. And his brother convinced the Governments of several countries to lend men, train them and help to prepare the mission."

"T' hell with you."

Falcon chuckled. "Who'd have thought that so many governments would go to such great lengths to disavow themselves of global genocide? They fired every last soldier involved in hunting the supernatural people last summer. Some governments even wanted to kill the soldiers to make sure it never got out. I stepped in and rescued these people. I've since given them homes here. They're all safe. They brought their families. A whole city of grateful people from all over the world, from all walks of life."

"Y' better kill me right now. Break my neck them remove my head. Cause if I get outta yer grip ... I'm will find a way to come back, save all m' friends, 'n kill yer ass. Then I'mma lif' my leg and piss on yer corpse."

"Mm, spoken like a true animal. An animal that needs to be put down."

Rue's ears laid flat on his head. His whiskers eased back along the contour of his muzzle. "Yeah. I'mma animal, and I'm proud of it. Hell, after I gear your cuts out with my teeth," he trailed off then snarled, showing his fangs, "I might take an arm bone er' a leg bone home, cause that'll be all that's left of you. I'll chew it up 'n burry it, motherfucker." The fur of his tail and pelt bristled up.

"You're rambling. Is that what I sound like when I rant? If so, I'm terribly sorry."

"You jus' like to hear yourself talk. You better kill me, since I'm so useless. Else I'll make good on my threat, so help me God."

"Yes, yes, you've already said the bit about God, fool. Oh, don't misunderstand me, Mr. Darken. I said I can't use you in my studies. I never said you're not useful. I'll throw you in the arena against Nichole Parker."

"Say what?" Rufus eyed the man beneath him for a moment then said, "Reno's girl?"

Falcon dropped Rufus on the floor then put his foot on the back of the werewolf's neck. "She's here. She's alive. After my last experiment, Lara, was killed, I brought her disfigured body back to life using First Age technology, and then I put her into stasis. To date, she's the only one who can surviving at those temperatures. She escaped, and I buried her for the safety of everyone. Now I've shifted my focus on building a new fighter. A new combat champion imbued with multiple powers. Of course, I had to have her reprogrammed by Sire and it took months of psychological rewiring, so to speak. A lot of times I had to drive current into her hippocampus to ... how you say ... format her memories."

"What...!"

"Perhaps you're useful after all. It's nice to be able to boast to someone who has no choice but to listen."

"What'n the hell did you do to Reno's girl?"

"Nichole Parker has become exceptionally powerful. With her, I managed to marry incredible strength with that of grace and agility. She even has the ability to emulate certain powers used against her for short periods of time. She even has a low level ability to heal injuries. Oh, and she has the ability of sustained flight for brief periods of time. From Donovan, she gained shadow mastery but she hasn't quite grasped it yet. She has no one to teach her. The sheet is somewhat extensive, truly ... I'd love to see how she fares against the likes of a survivor. Like you."

Rufus squirmed about aggressively, beneath the foot on his neck. "You're a sick sunovabitch."

"Oh, Rufus, stop with the potty mouth and shut up before I change my mind and kill you after all."

"Then do it! I ain't fighting her. You're all I am interested in!"

Falcon ground his teeth together then pulled Rufus away from the floor by his neck.

Rue gasped for breath.

Aris held the werewolf by the throat with one hand and drew his other back. "Fine. I won't waste my time on a useless creature." He made a tight fist with his free hand and drew it back, letting the werewolf take a moment to eye the weapon of his impending undoing.

Rufus sucked in a shallow breath and held his head up with pride. "Then let mah last words be ... fuck you, Doc."

"Fine." Aris launched his fist towards the werewolf's face.

Rufus vanished, leaving Falcon to punch overtop his other hand, striking the bulkhead above the computer terminal. His fist sank into the reinforced metal plate, leaving an enormous hole in the metal.

Aris narrowed his gaze. He ground his teeth together and clenched his hands into fists. "Karla ... you clever bitch." He turned back to the terminal and punched in an activation code for Nicky Parker.

Falcon picked up a microphone and spoke into it. "Do whatever it takes to ensure the twins and Vincent Nevada leaves alive. Put the others in stasis then find the werewolf and kill him; do it with extreme prejudice. You'll have to remove the head from the body to be sure he's dead."

X

---

X

** Nichole opened her eyes** and sat up with a gasp. She looked around, seeing Samantha Summers unconscious a few feet away. She turned around, face to face with Reno Nevada. "...Reno?" She had vague memories of him.

"Baby, you're okay!"

Nichole stood up, glanced down at her nude form, then looked back at Reno. "Get up."

Nevada blinked at her tone. He got to his feet. "Uh, yeah, sure. You alright?"

"What are your abilities?"

"Huh? How'd you know I have abilities?"

"I can sense them. Yours is beyond measure, almost like an aphrodisiac. What is your ability? I can't seem to understand the sensation."

Reno blinked. "You can what? I ... I, uh, do this thing with electricity."

"Hmm. I don't have that one and I cannot tap in and take it like I have with others. Why is that? Were you not born with your ability? Is it possible it is somehow incompatible with me? No matter, Doctor Falcon will have to experiment on you until we figure it out." She pointed at Samantha's stasis pod. "Get in there. I'll hook you up and we can take it from you later on."

"Say what?!" Reno quirked his brows, offering an incredulous expression. "Babe, we're going home! We're in this crazy underwater city dome thing. It's time to go back to San Francisco. The DEA can't wait to have you back. I can't wait to have you back! We can finally get married like we've been talking about!"

Nichole pressed a button on one of the terminals and said, "Snipes, Cunningham, seal off all access to Epsilon Lab. Don't let anyone out unless it's me or unless Doctor Falcon says otherwise." She released the talkback button then turned to Reno and smirked at him. "Those two are my best deputies. Snipes used to work out of San Francisco, of all places. Home sweet home, huh? Cunningham is a big brute but he's loyal and even spent a little time as a double agent. He tried to bring us people from USPRI to access their classified files. He worked under Greg Watson up until the building exploded in South Africa."

Reno glanced down at Samantha, on the floor, then back up at Nichole. "What about this one? She's human. Why do you guys have her?"

"Get into the stasis pod, Nevada."

Reno bit his lower lip then approached her. He put his hand out. A soft white beam of light lanced from his palm and struck her in the forehead. It didn't harm her. Instead, he relaxed his body and focused on the gentle current. "Nicky?"

The current stimulated her hippocampus, bringing back some buried memories. A complacent expression covered her face.

"Baby?"

"Yes, Reno?" she said in a gentle tone.

He bit his lower lip then looked down at Samantha on the floor. "Tell me about Agent Summers. How did she get here?"

"Some immortal man brought her. He has no powers, but he's a brilliant scientist. He's the one behind everything. He recruited Falcon, the St. Leonard Brothers, that traitor Justus Loupe. I had high hopes for the man, yet, since meeting him, all he could manage was _that_human."

"What was his name?"

"I do not know his name," she murmured.

Reno, seeking to keep the dialogue going, said, "I saw your body. And I knew it wasn't you. It wasn't right. And then I was told you were killed by some guy name Rick Peterson. But here you are. Nichole, we can finally go home. Please, baby. Come home with me. Everything will be fine. We'll get some counseling and whatever they put through your head, well, we'll work through it. We're a team, Nicky. Remember?"

"Are we?" She scoffed. "I saw surveillance of Karla sucking your cock in your apartment. A little young, isn't she?"

"You had died, I was grieving and drunk. And she's over four centuries old. None of those things excuse my behavior, but I was thinking of you when it happened."

"I know. I heard your voice. The surveillance had audio. Was that the only time?"

Reno looked down and frowned. "I won't lie. It happened more than once. But after I learned Vincent was alive, I held out hope that you'd be alive too, Nichole. I told the succubus I was done feeding her."

Nichole scowled and looked away. "I repressed all the good memories, Reno. But I remember the hurt."

"I'm so sorry. Please, Nichole, you have to know that it wasn't something I'd intended to..."

"Shut up, Reno. I'm over it. I'm not angry with you anymore. I understand. I even forgive you."

"You do?" His eyes flitted to Summers, unconscious on the tiled floor. "Why don't we all get out of here together?"

She pointed at Samantha on the floor. "She has fast reflexes for a human, though. Perhaps Falcon will enhance her the way he did with Wilhelm and Jasper. Like I said earlier, they're my two best. If you do get past me, you probably won't get past the both of them."

Nevada frowned. "Nichole ... stop this mess."

"I need your electricity ability. Get in the stasis pod, Reno. It won't hurt."

"What the heck are you talking about, Nicky? C'mon. Let's get you out of here and go home!"

Nichole tightened her jaw. She approached Nevada, breaking the electric current he'd been filtering into her head.

He started to take a step back. "Nicky, wait, what are you doing?"

She took Reno by his shirt and threw him across the room. The ex-inspector hit the wall and slumped to the floor with a groan.

"I said get into the glass tube! I need your ability!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked. "Are you a clone like Monroe? Don't you remember me?"

"You're a cop and you've been causing Doctor Falcon a lot of problems. I'm his enforcer. If you break laws in New Atlantis, he sends me to find the problem and stop them. Come to think of it, how'd you get here? Did Falcon bring you here? Where is the doctor now?"

"Who knows, who cares? Hopefully he's dead. Nicky, come on, it's me! It's Reno! We're getting married, remember? You and me, girl. What the hell did he do to your head?"

"I don't remember anything about marrying you but only a very select number of people in this city are allowed to have abilities. You're not one of them. How'd you get here?"

"We arrived in a submersible and broke in. I came to rescue you! You're coming with me. A little counseling and you'll be good as new. C'mon. Vincent is bringing you clothes to wear, then we can go topside and..."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She drew her fist back and launched a powerful right hook at Reno.

He disappeared.

Nevada appeared a few feet away, shaking the sparks of his teleportation from his fingertips.

She turned about then attempted to catch him with a roundhouse kick. Again, he disappeared then rematerialized a few feet away.

"Stop running away, Reno! If you want to take me with you, you have to defeat me in combat. As enforcer, I'm undefeated so far. In fact, I am Doctor Falcon's only unbeaten enforcer."

Reno balled his hands into fists. "I can't believe he's done this to you. This is bullshit. I'm going to kill his ass."

She stared at him for a moment. "What is it with you and that word?"

"So you do remember me? Yeah, babe, I say 'bullshit' all the time. It's like my catch phrase." He reached his hand towards her. "C'mon, baby, please remember."

Nichole backed up two steps then dove at him. She powered through the air in completely sustained flight.

Again, Reno teleported on a bolt of lightning. He reappeared across the room, panting.

"You look winded from performing the teleportation maneuver repeatedly."

"I don't use that one a whole lot," he said then cleared his throat. "Are we done? Can we go home now, Nichole? Your brother was murdered by Falcon. You can't possibly want to work for that guy."

Much to his surprise, she disappeared.

"What the hell?"

Without warning, she reappeared all around him, six copies in total.

Nevada looked around at the six Nichole Parkers then ground his teeth together. "That projection trick; like that other guy on the rooftop."

"I take it to the next level," she said then drew her fist back and hit him from all sides simultaneously.

Reno vanished once more. The lightning bolt caused her to squint. Nevada reappeared across the room.

All six of her fists met, creating a cacophony of sound. The clap of thunder caused Reno to flinch. All six forms of Nichole turned towards Reno and began to approach him.

"I could get used to having a bunch of you," he joked. "Hell, it could be fun. But I'm not going to fight you. You need to remember me."

One of the versions of Nichole knelt down and picked up Samantha Summers and pushed her back into the stasis pod. Another manifestation of Nichole helped the first, putting the female agent back into stasis. The other four projections approached Reno. "You're wearing yourself out with teleportation. You won't last much longer."

Reno looked into their eyes. Of the four approaching him, three seemed to be looking straight through him. Only one actually made direct eye contact.

He put his hands out and created an arc of lighting that struck two of the physical manifestations. They disappeared. The woman at the center of the group flinched as though it caused some measure of pain. She groaned and brought a hand to her head then shook off the odd sensation.

Nevada did it again, creating a bolt of lightning to another approaching version of Nichole that looked straight through him. He hurried over towards where the two were putting Samantha back into stasis.

One of the doppelgangers punched a code into the control panel on the side. A fresh pane of glass slid down, covering Summers' body. Nutrient bath solution began pouring in. It drenched the lab coat that was covering her body.

He held both hands out and struck the two versions of Nichole with a strong bolt of current. They dematerialized. He hurried to the control panel and began punching in buttons on the display. "Argh! How do you get her out?"

"Reno, you're going to join her. Stop acting like a child and accept my help. Get into the stasis pod I came from. It won't hurt. Don't be childish. Besides, I need your compliance. I don't want to kill you because I want your ability. It's most impressive."

"Yeah? Come take it from me. I won't fight you."

"Then this will be easy." She turned to face him and thrust her palm into his gut. The strike launched him clear across the room. Reno struck a bulkhead and dropped back to the floor with a grunt.

"Bullshit," he muttered, partially dazed. He saw her approach from the corner of his eye.

She drew her fist back again. Reno brought his palm up and charged his hand instinctively then intercepted her next punch with his palm. The charge fed back into her hand and threw her back. She glanced off a wall and dropped to the floor on her hands and knees.

"God, I need that ability," she said, getting back to her feet. "That one's impressive." She waved her hand. A crude splotch of shadow struck Reno, throwing him to the left.

He skidded across the floor and rolled onto his back. The stunned ex-inspector sat up and got to one knee. "Damn. That's Eric's ability."

"It came from Donovan Loupe, actually." She dove at him. Again, she flew through the air in a sprint of sustained, self-powered flight. She held her right fist out and struck Reno.

He went clear across the room then sprawled out across the floor. Nevada got up, shaking his head to get at himself.

She picked up a computer chair in the corner and hurled it at him.

Reno put his arms up to block the incoming chair. He inadvertently created a solid bolt of lightning between his hands. As they came up together, the beam sliced through the chair with ease.

"Oh, I need that ability," she said as if jealous.

Reno looked down at his palms, then at the chair. He tightened his hands into fists again. "Why the hell do you want to fight so much? Come on, Nickums. Don't you see how crazy this is? We're supposed to be getting married. Don't you remember? And now you're fighting me, stark-ass naked in a lab in a secret-damn-city under the ocean. What the hell is wrong with this picture? You should be helping me get Summers and Abby Chase out of here. You're a cop, too. DEA. Federal employee. Please, Nicky. Get it together. Come home with me."

"Oh you'd like Abby Chase's ability. The Satarma Dhartime makes her stronger than she realized. It's too bad she hadn't yet manifested her true potential. Then again, she's rather young, isn't she? She possesses the evil eye of the Phuri Dae and is quite impressive. She can bring the demonic shilmulo to their knees. She has powerful white-lighting techniques that all but rendered my abilities useless against her. She can use Kundalini to make people fall in love. She can use psychic attacks to ruin a person's luck, in a matter of speaking, so that you're cursed to failure in everything you do in life. Abigail is impressive. But she may never have the chance to learn it. She did have the gift of sight, though. It's a shame she never saw the stun baton coming from behind."

"Yeah, sight, I had that one for a little while," Reno murmured, trying to use dialogue to prevent the duel. "You have to touch something or someone for the gift of sight to work."

"Reno, if you won't shut up and get in that stasis pod, I will kill you. Falcon can bring you back the way he brought me back. We'll keep you in stasis and take your ability that way. God I hope I'm compatible with that one. That's the only reason we keep your brother around, although he has no idea I'm here."

Nevada held his hand out and created an electric field between his palms. "I can't fight you. But I can hold you off as long as I have to." Reno turned his palms towards her, putting a field between them.

"You're naïve." She walked back to a terminal on the wall and punched in a series of buttons. "Doctor Falcon thought you might show up one day with your ability. I never knew it would be you, per say ... but he said, should I ever come up against someone with electricity mastery, I have options. I can control them by turning the room into a reverse Faraday cage."

She pressed 'enter' on the panel. The room hummed softly and Reno groaned as though instantly having a headache. His shield fizzled out.

"It cancels out any electrical field or electron build up, rendering you discharged." She approached him again then took him by the throat and carried him to the remaining empty stasis pod in the wall. Nichole shoved him into it and held him still while her other hand moved to the control panel.

"Nicky..."

"Hush. It won't hurt, Reno. You all have weaknesses. The twins can be stunned with sonic sounds that disable their equilibrium. Loupe can be burned with high power focused light in his shadow state. Everyone has weaknesses. You're no different."

"Why are you doing this?"

She typed six buttons in then waited while the glass began to reform. At the last second, she pulled her hand back then folded her arms.

Inside, Reno began banging on the glass. Gas filtered into the stasis pod. He continued to fight the effects and pounded on the glass, but his powers were rendered discharged from the humming walls.

After a moment, Reno slumped in the pod. He brought his hand down against the reinforced glass panel one last time then fainted.

She approached him and lowered to one knee, placing her palm against the glass, nearly face to face with him. "I cannot wait to throw my first lightning bolt ... sweetheart."

X

---

X

** Rufus Darken** hurried through the street. He took to all fours, galloping hard down the pavement. A police car pulled out from an intersection. It blocked his path.

He put his front two paws on the hood and bound over it easily. Two more cruisers pulled in front of him. Men began filtering into the street.

Blocked in on all sides, he came to a halt and stood up on his hindpaws. Rue curled his upper lip, with a menacing snarl. Men approached from all sides with cattle prods, and some sort of prototype Taser pistol.

A red dot appeared on his stomach then a bolt raced from one of the handguns. It caused him to convulse but the werewolf raged through it and pounced on the man who fired the weapon.

Rufus opened his enormous maw and closed his jaws over the man's neck then jerked his head from left to right quickly.

The man's cries were brief. Rufus lifted his head and bared his bloody fangs, standing over the man with the broken neck. He threw his head upwards and howled.

The group of approaching men backed away, losing confidence in their weapons.

"That's right!" the werewolf shouted to their surprise. "Back off! Back the fuck off! I'll kill all if you if ah have ta! Back it up! Keep going! Take cover behind yer crappy lil' electric cars! Call for reinforcements!" He paused with a smirk then narrowed his gaze. "Or you can let me leave! That's right. I want outta yer shitty little paradise!" He ended the last word on a throaty growl.

"Kill him!" said someone from behind one of the electric cars.

Rufus' ears laid back and he snarled again. "Fine. Have your yer way." The werewolf charged. He bound over the eastern blockade of two cars, snatched up one of the men by their throat then jerked his head from left to right, instantly breaking their neck.

Rufus turned hard, and threw the body into a group of men, bowling them over.

"We need reinforcements!" shouted someone.

Rue scampered away and took off down the road. He cut a hard right and dove into an alley. At the end, he made a left, then went up another street, crossed it and disappeared into another alley.

Rufus glanced back over his shoulder, sniffed at the air then un-shouldered a satchel of clothes. He grit his teeth together, reverting back from his werewolf form.

A furry pelt began to shed rapidly. It fell to the alley in an oval around his feet.

Darken used a foot to shove they black fur towards a storm drain at the center of the alley. He winced and dropped to his side from the pain of a rapid reverse transition.

Weakly, he pulled clothes from the bag and began pulling them on. First, the shirt, and then the pants. He barely had time to fasten them by the time the city security guards crossed his path.

He expected them to attack but they didn't. Four men ran passed him, shouting, "He want this way!" Two more dropped to Rufus' side. One said, "You saw that creature? Looks like he threw you down and kept going. You're lucky. Did you see which way he went?"

"Yeah," Rufus said, panting to catch his breath. "He turned at the end of the alley and headed up the next street. I hit my face when I went down. Might have bit my tongue."

"That'd explain the blood on your face. We're going to get you to the hospital. What's your name, son?"

"Tucker. I'm new here. I, uh ... thought we came here to get away from things like that?" he lied.

The officer spoke into his shoulder-clipped radio receiver. "Charlie, call for an Ambo." The officer looked back down at Rufus Tucker Darken and said, "Alright, Tucker, you're okay. That's the first attack we've ever had. And it won't happen again. Have you picked a job yet?"

"Pardon?"

"If you're new, you're given a grace period before you have to pick a job. Have you thought about joining the security force to help protect people from freaks like that?"

"I dunno if that's for me, hoss." Rufus groaned and rubbed his face to get the blood off his lips. "I understand they have submarines that run imports and exports. I've always wanted to be a sailor. At least by doing that job I can help insure that freaks never sneak back into the city." He reached a furless human hand back and rubbed his sore shoulder gingerly.

"You've got a point. I know a guy who works on those subs. He says he enjoys seeing exotic cities from time to time. Maybe I can get you onto his boat after you get a little training." The officer held two fingers together and began moving them from left to right. "Follow my fingers with your eyes ... alright ... and back..."

"I got a bit of a headache, though." Rue shifted his eyes from left to right and back.

The officer gave Rufus a pat on his bicep, opposite of the injured shoulder. "Okay, Tucker, there doesn't seem to be any signs of a concussion. Looks like you got really lucky. Just try to relax. The ambulance will be here shortly."

"I dun't have any insurance."

The officer chuckled in a good-natured way. "That's not how things work here in New Atlantis. Every citizen has free healthcare. There are no such things as rent or mortgage here. There's no point. Just lean back and breathe normally. The EMTs will be here shortly." The officer withdrew a card from his shirt pocket and handed it to Rufus. "Here, Tucker, call me when you're on your feet and settled in. I'll introduce you to my friend that works on the subs."

"Thanks, sir. I rightly appreciate it." Rufus put the card into his pocket, knowing it was his only way off the dome in the near future. For now, he'd have to lay low, train to be a sailor and wait for the opportunity of escape to present itself.

X

---

X

EPILOGUE

---

** Greg Watson cut his gaze to a glowing light** on sonar.

A man at the helm saw it, too, and alerted the captain.

Watson took a deep breath so as not to fidget. "Could it be them? I was with Rufus when we stole a submarine from that dome in the past. Before it was moved to this new location."

"Head up onto the deck and stand by, agent," said the captain. The man turned back to one of the other officers. "Sound the alarm and stand by. Someone call up to the Skipper."

Watson hurried down to the main deck and made his way to the railing. He glared at the choppy dark water. It sparkled like a sea of black diamonds in the waxing moonlight.

A voice came from behind. "What do you suppose has happened?"

The agent glanced over his shoulder and eyed Justus Loupe. "So let me get this right. You're also Eric's ancestor?"

"Indeed. If he's on that incoming vessel, do not tell him you spoke to me. I would like to watch them first before I intervene. Unfortunately I'm not sure we'll be pleased with the outcome."

"Why would you say that?" Watson asked. "You know something I don't?"

"I spoke to the Oracle. She mentioned a new fork in the road because Falcon was too powerful to defeat by the time they attacked him. She also said you would have to face your most secret of sins. So prepare yourself for judgment."

"Whatever."

"I'm merely the messenger," said Justus. "She also told me that I was tricked. Sire wasn't behind this mess. Falcon's right hand was apparently someone I trusted. And those three men worked for someone else that I trusted. I hope to learn their identity when the vessel breaks the surface."

"You think it's our people, too?"

"Gut feeling."

"Same," Watson murmured, holding tight on the railing. "Will this crazy water ever calm down?"

"According to the Oracle, the waves are only the beginning. It's far worse on the coastal areas. If you get seasick easily, then prepare yourself to return to port. You may have to be airlifted. The waves are too powerful for ships to navigate within six miles of landfall. The fact it hasn't stopped suggests that Falcon still has all the necessary artifacts to proceed. He doesn't have them all, so he's cutting corners. It's the corner-cutting that is causing this ... chaos. Forgive the alliteration. It wasn't necessarily intended. The fact remains, based on the clues all around us, Falcon may not have been stopped after all."

"That guy is getting crazier by the day," Watson snapped.

Another voice came from off to the left. "Who're you talkin' to, Agent Watson?" Jules Guillot approached the man and turned to the turbulent night sea. "Word is this might be them coming back. Everyone's on high alert just in case."

Greg glanced to where Justus stood a moment prior but the shadow master was gone. He licked his lips then turned to Jules and said, "I was talking to myself. I hope it's them. It's a submarine incoming."

"We commandeered a sub from the dome once. I heard you did, too."

"Well, it's possible it could be an ally."

"Non, agent. It has to be them; if it were a US sub, there'd be identifier codes, mon ami. Surely it's our people."

"Yeah. I hope so."

"You're a good guy t' greet 'em when they arrive."

Watson glanced down at the water. "No, I'm not. Just ... do me a favor and take care of Jon's wife. Okay? Treat that girl right. He and I didn't see eye to eye but he had good taste in women. He looked at more than outer beauty. If Sinopa is anything like Fara, then she's a really genuine person and deserves to be loved."

"Oui, my petit renard is a classy gal. Whatever's botherin' you ... be a man and bottle it up. No sense to carry around emotional baggage. It'll eat'cha up."

"Yeah. I guess." He looked down at their shadows in the moonlight then back towards the water.

A submarine broke the surface. Spotlights from the nearby cutters lit up the water from several angles.

A moment later, a hatch opened with a clang. Fox Parker climbed out, paused, then looked around as if to see if it was safe. He turned around, opened his stance for balance, and reached his hand down.

Topaz Parker climbed up from the hatch, moved to the left then mirrored her brother's posture for balance. They both reached in and helped Vincent Nevada out.

Watson vaguely recognized the boy. "That's the Nevada kid, right? Oh, good, it looks like they might have actually rescued everyone." He watched as Eric Loupe came out next.

Out on the sub, Eric turned around and lowered to one knee then reached his hand towards the hatch for Karla. However, she materialized on the back of the sub, further down from the rest, arms folded.

The succubus looked around, putting a hand up to shield her eyes from the spotlights.

Eric stood up and reached for Topaz's forearm for balance. No one else emerged from the submarine.

Watson nudged Jules then said, "That's it? Shit. Follow me." He made his way up to the helipad and pulled out a flare. The agent lit it and waved it. The brilliant red light hissed in his hand.

A moment later, Karla spotted it and teleported everyone from the back of the sub to the helipad near Watson. He turned to the five and said, "Where's everyone else?!"

Karla approached Watson, drew her hand back and smacked him across the face. She shoved him away from the group and, in a quiet voice, said, "You fucking rodent. You murdered Jonathan Conner Parker? He was trying to keep those artifacts away from Falcon. He and the kids stole them to keep millions of people safe."

"Karla I," he brought his hand to his face.

"Shut up, moron," she sneered. "Twelve and a half years ago, jackass. Remember now? You and your stupid girlfriend kept going. You pulled those power core things out of the ground without the artifacts stolen by the Parker family. It caused earthquakes in Denver and Richmond. Dozens of people were killed ... then you blamed Parker and fucking injected him with some sort of First Age virus?"

"Karla, I was emotional and they manipulated me."

The succubus glowered at him. "You miserable piece of shit. You're lucky I don't tell those kids what you did to their father. You're lucky I don't tell Sinopa what you did to her husband. You miserable bastard. We lost everyone. I need someone other than myself to blame, so you're it. The five of us barely got out of there. The rest of them are gone and we couldn't stop that prick - your old buddy Falcon - from moving forward with whatever he was doing."

"Jesus Christ," Watson said, gingerly favoring the side of his face. "What the hell happened down there? I thought it was going to be easy because Sire was dead."

"No," she snapped. "Sire's goddamn brother, the Grand Justiciar, Reinhardt Christophe St. Leonard, in all his god forsaken glory, was behind Falcon," she said, spitting the man's name.

"Christ Almighty, are you serious?"

Karla's tone was as seething as the anger in her eyes. "I couldn't save any of them. I even tried to help Rufus at the end but that piece of shit, Reinhardt, attacked us. I had to put Rufus on the street and get the rest of us out of that lab. We had to fight tooth and nail all the way to the submarine port. Then, suddenly, all the fighting stopped and they let us leave. But we lost everyone else." Her voice raised to a shout, "EVERYONE ELSE!"

Watson frowned and reached for her as if to offer a hug. "Karla," he said loud enough for the rest to hear. "I'm sorry, just..."

"No!" she shouted and shoved him back. "Don't you dare fucking touch me! If you want to make things right, which you_ can't_ ... then you can fly us to Paris and drop us off. All of us, including Jules and Sinopa. Then you can have my boat delivered to the Marina Zeas in Piraeus where I'll pick it up. You can pull your head out of your ass long enough to find Athens, right?"

"I understand, Karla. I'll see what I can do, okay? Look, can we just talk about this and..."

"Shut up. A man as connected as you shouldn't have any problems don't what I've asked. And, finally, you can have Reno's car delivered to my mansion in Paris. The one Topaz bought me this past Christmas. Are we on the same level? And if you don't do all those things," she trailed off, looked around, then leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "Then I'll tell everyone that you used to bat for the wrong team back in 2011, and that you killed Jonathan Conner Parker by injecting him with some bullshit a few months ago. I'll tell them that you manipulated Fara Parker to cheat on him then you and her delivered the injection that killed him."

He opened his mouth then closed it and frowned, unable to think of anything to say.

She rolled her eyes. "Huh. And they call me a demon. That makes you The Devil, asshole."

"Karla," Watson swallowed with a frown. "Fara didn't know what was in that syringe. I told her it would take his power away and he'd live a normal life. Then she could choose between him or me on an even playing field. I told her we had to do it so that she knew she wasn't going to regret the decision to leave him later on. We injected him in June. It took about six weeks to break him down. At first, his powers completely disappeared. He couldn't pull heists, so he used the children. He told everyone else he'd retired from doing heists. Fara is innocent in this."

"Oh, so you're a murderer, a cheat, confused about which side you're on, and a liar. Awesome. I'll have Topaz give you the address for Reno's car. Make the calls. We'll be taking that airlift as soon as it arrives. I don't want to see your face ever again."

Greg ground his teeth together. "So why aren't you telling everyone what I did in the past? I was just as manipulated by the situation as the rest of you. I had no idea what I was getting myself into."

"As Nathan would say, if he were here, bullshit Watson."

"Sounds more like Reno, I..."

"Shut your mouth. I didn't say you could speak, piss ant."

"Karla..."

She clenched her hands into fists. "You switched to our side and you risked your life to help us more than once. So I'll let you leave here with your dignity. But always remember that I know your dirty little secret. I know you killed Conner and I know why."

"Karla!"

"Stay. The fuck. Away from us. Forever." Karla turned away then froze. She smirked, turned back to him and added, "Oh, and just to make you feel bad, because you totally deserve to feel like hell, we came across another woman. Samantha Summers. Was she one of yours?"

Greg's eyes widened. His heart rate accelerated and he swallowed, visibly upset. "She was a probationary agent, brought on a few weeks before the attack against the esoteric community. The President disbanded the agency and all-but-shut it down. She was out of a job and lost track of us. All she wanted to do is make a difference and save lives."

"Yeah well ... your blundering caused her life to be added to your list of screw-ups. I hope you feel personally responsible for everyone that went down there. Where is Lance?"

"Wait, you're not going to tell him are you?"

Karla scoffed. "I just told you I'm keeping that little tidbit of blackmail between us just in case I need to have something over your head. Where's Lance?"

"He's somewhere on the ship."

Karla smirked. "Tell him to pack his bags. He's coming with the rest of us to Paris. And tell him I'll need to talk to Natalia Kincade's family about moving to Europe as well. Now get going."

Watson started to cross the deck.

Topaz, on the other hand, was in high spirits for having saved the people that mattered the most to her. She saw Watson walking by and opened her arms. "Hey, agent! We fought our asses off and made it out of there!"

Karla saw her approaching the agent and teleported herself between the two of them. She turned to face Topaz and said, "Stay away from that man, honey." She waved a finger and Watson vanished.

He reappeared by the door, leading into the cutter ship.

The succubus turned back to Topaz and frowned. "Sorry. I told him I'm mad at him for not helping us. That we needed every last bit of help, and where he had the power to send us with a combat insertion team, he just stood on the sidelines like some sort of damned cheerleader. I want him to feel bad so ... just let him go. He's going to get Lance, call for an airlift and get us to Paris. Then he's going to have my yacht shipped somewhere away from the Atlantic coast so that it won't be destroyed."

"Do you think the waves will stop?" Paz asked.

"I don't know, pumpkin. That's why I'm having the yacht sent to Greece. It's far enough from the Atlantic Ocean that we won't have to worry about it. How he gets it there is his problem and he really doesn't wanna make me any more upset. Let's get you kids home to the city of love."

"What about regrouping?

"In time, honey. I need to put all of this behind me for a little while and have this baby first."

Eric sighed and glanced out over the water, moving near Karla. "I'd like to find this man, Justus Loupe."

Karla nodded then looked over at Fox and Vincent. "And what about you boys? What's on your list of things to do for a while?"

Vincent put an arm around both Parker twins. "I want to feel like I have a normal life for a little while. I know it won't last forever. But we can hone our abilities. And we all know I'll eventually find the people in that dome. Worst comes to worst, we find out how to cure them then I'll bring them all back."

Karla looked away so that Vincent wouldn't see her moue of disgust. "Yeah, sweetpea. Cure'em." She looked at Eric and shrugged, whispering, "Of freezer burn. God he's so naïve." She cleared her throat then turned back to Vincent and nodded as Jules approached the group. "Hey, flyboy ... isn't that what Sinopa calls you? You want to help us make another attempt in a couple of years? They're not going anywhere. Everyone is frozen. Sinopa can help us when we go back. I just gotta do the baby thing first, and some training is in order. Maybe we can even find and recruit some more supernatural survivors."

Jules chuckled. "Sinopa did once say I was supposed to be 'instrumental' in helping somehow. Mes amis, you can count me in whenever you're ready to go out there!"

"Then the day isn't totally lost," Karla said. "Everyone ... as the leader, I say we all go home, play family and practice our abilities. And we'll try again after I have this baby. Remember to stay off the grid. I'll keep my place the only public address available. That way we can monitor who might try and look in to see what we're up to. We're all getting airlifted back to my place in Paris. We should stay there together for a little while. Further from the coast, the better. Paris is still a few hours inland from the Atlantic Ocean. And from what I hear, Spain is taking the brunt of it, France is largely all right. We need to survive this. We need to find other esoteric people, like Kalen Kincade. We need to try again, even if it takes a while."

No one else spoke.

Karla put her hand out, palm down. "I know it's hokey but ... this is something Evan and Johann would have done."

Vincent reached into the circle and put his hand atop Karla's.

Topaz and Fox put their hands in, next.

Eric put his atop of theirs with a firm nod. "We all have friends and family in there. Brothers, uncles, friends - people we've grown close to. Jules?"

Jules nodded firmly. "I'm in." He put his hand into the circle atop of theirs, then his other hand. "And for Sinopa, back in sickbay. Her fourth tail is nearly about to emerge. They have her on some sort of ... Staydol or Epidural or something. Considerin' their limited supply of drugs aboard, it's prolly' Morphine."

Lance approached the group. "What's going on? Where is everyone? Watson said I should get up here immediately." He looked at those assembled on the deck. "We lost everyone else??"

Jules side-nodded for Patterson to come closer. "Elle est ce qu'elle est. I'm told they're in stasis. We'll get the rest of our people as soon as Sinopa heals up 'n Karla has her baby. We vowed to train and better ourselves. Then ... one day in the future ... we're goin' back there and we're getting our friends and family."

"And those artifacts," Fox said.

Karla glanced up at Lance and said, "Get your damn hand in this circle. And call Natalia's house and tell Kalen we'll need his services and abilities soon."

"Karla," Lance approached from the side where there was room to join the group. "I'm not sure how a vampire can help."

"Haven't you ever seen him fight?" Karla replied with a smirk. "Plus he's hot."

Eric eyed her. "Hey, now."

Karla smirked. "Oh hush. You have no room to be jealous. You're the only man to give me a baby. No one else has anything on you and your super sperm. Lance, hand."

Lance reluctantly reached into the group and put his hand atop of both Jules' hands. "I see Sinopa is in on this from her bed, hmm?"

"Oui."

Karla glanced up at Lance and said, "We'll need Steven and Fox working together to figure out how to get our people out of cryogenic suspension. I'm not even sure about how to do it. But I don't see why not. And if it's possible, Steven and Fox are the ones who will be able to figure it out together."

Lance nodded slowly. "What about a time frame? Obviously after the baby but ... how long are you thinking?"

"Not sure," said Karla. "It seems that dickhead has plans that may cause problems to the Atlantic coasts. We couldn't stop it in time. It's too late. We all fucked up. But it doesn't mean we're beaten. I say we wait and watch and see what the hell he's up to. I have my kid, Topaz has one, since it's apparently part of the plan, and then, when Aris' guard is down, we go back and hit him again. God only knows what he's doing down there."

Vincent offered a wan but hopeful smile. "Obsessing over archeology. He'll be harmless once he finds a way into that city. He's not exactly a patient person. Anyhow, I'm confident we'll get everyone back, including my brother."

Karla frowned. "Can we trust you, Vince?"

"Of course. He lied to me. Nichole was down there. He captured Reno, which was never part of any deal I'd have made. I'm angry but I'm going to keep playing innocent since we all know one thing for sure..."

"And that is?" asked Lance.

"Dr. Falcon can't reproduce or steal my ability of controlling radiation. So he needs me to handle those stolen power cores that came from beneath Denver and Richmond in 2011. Without my ability to control radiation, it would cause more quakes. He thinks I'm important to the safety of his city, so that it won't be shaken to bits when he tries to access whatever is beneath the Ocean Floor."

"Whatever you do, young man, do not help Falcon put those cores into place. It will allow that city to be opened. Pretend to try and help. But do not control it. Let Falcon run into obstacles. Let him shake his domed city to death. Even if you can do it, pretend it's beyond your ability to control. Do you understand me?"

Vincent looked at the others and bit his lip. "Yeah, okay. You can count on me."

Fox frowned. "Won't that cause more quakes when Falcon tries to force things?"

"Yes. But with any luck it will slow him, or perhaps stop him all together. It's better to have earthquakes that buy us time than for the man to access that city and get his hands on the technology buried and forgotten there."

Vincent frowned. "Can, uh, we stop doing the hand thing now?"

Lance sighed and dropped his hand from the group. Everyone else followed suit. "We also need a Justiciar, now that Johann was captured. The good news is that Falcon doesn't have them all the artifacts yet, or there wouldn't be all this nonsense. He's impatient. Also, one of the main artifacts hasn't been born yet. He somehow needs to genetically create a person whose biometrics are able to open the gate to the First Age city beneath the ocean bed."

Topaz folded her arms. "The old Justiciar, whatever his name was, was behind the death of all the supernaturals."

Karla scoffed. "Reinhardt." The succubus turned to Lance. "I trust you, now. So what happens if Falcon starts making shortcuts?"

"Mm, things will proceed just as they did in Richmond and Denver on August 23rd2011. Falcon is rushing in without all the safeguards in place. And when that happens, it creates problems. If he can't waltz in through the main doors, then he'll find a back way in ... and I have a feeling that the shortcut will involve problems that are way over our heads. While it's toeing the EC laws for Sinopa to live here, she's only ever been helpful. And there is no longer a supernatural community to enforce the old treaties. So ... it's up to her to stay. Jules?"

"Oui, she'll stay. She's done her job and returned the artifact to the Empire of Japan. Now she's free to stay if she so chooses. She has children here. I'm sure she wants to stay a long while."

"We'll need someone as powerful as her," Lance murmured. "And the rest of you will need to better yourselves and your abilities. Total mastery or we won't be prepared to do what needs to be done. It's hard to believe that everyone else was killed or captured. There's only a handful of us left. We should keep an eye out and watch for people around the globe that manifest. With the right team, I can get us to Falcon with a better tactic. But ... with no time to plan tonight, this strategy was doomed from the beginning. And now we've learned our lesson ... you don't rush into something like this."

"It's not a lesson," Karla said. "We lost people close to us. This wasn't some sort of school assignment, Lance."

"When you're as old as me, and you've seen people come and go as I have ... you tend to see your defeats as lessons learned. This was a lesson. We cannot allow failure again. Next time, we go with a real plan."

Karla rubbed her face then pushed her hair back. "Still ... it's difficult to believe that just a few months ago Reinhardt was up here, acting as Justiciar. It takes a long time to build a city that size. How did they do it so quickly?"

Lance furrowed his brows. "Karla ... one of his abilities is that of advanced astral projection. He's been in two places at once for many years. For all we know, they started construction on that dome using First Age technology and have been building it since at least forty-to-fifty years. It would explain why planes and ships were taken down in the Bermuda Triangle. They may have been building the city and didn't want anyone to know, so they defended the area with supernatural abilities. It's possible. Anything is possible. All I know is that it's finished now, and they're using it to full effect. And with Falcon's financial ties to bank owners in Europe, they have almost unlimited funding. Rich families who have their hands in legal government money printing can pay for things and fudge their ledgers so no one knows it."

Vincent frowned. "Sounds like some sort of Illuminati conspiracy."

"You wouldn't be far off, young man." Lance glanced back at the water with a forlorn expression. "This is a very large undertaking that we're trying to come up against."

Karla sighed and rubbed her face. "Then we're all in this together. And soon we'll finish this once and for all, okay? Right now ... we're all tired. Let's all pack so we can go home."

Everyone began to split apart, moving away from one another.

Eric approached Karla and, in a soft voice, asked, "What happened in there with Falcon?"

"Excuse me?" she whispered in reply. The couple walked away from the others, keeping their voices low.

"You said you tried to rescue Rufus and you sent him up to the street level but we lost track of him. You and Rufus were confronting Falcon. Then you split up and came to rescue me. Rufus went missing, you lost track of him. What happened? Did you let Rufus try to hold that man off while you came for me?"

Karla licked her lips and looked down at the deck. "Falcon gave me the pills we'll need so that I won't have to feed on others anymore. You know I already wasn't at full strength from having sporadic sex a few times a week, just us; not to mention being pregnant. I was in no condition to fight a battle like that."

"What happened with Falcon? He gave you the pills, so ... he let you go?"

She glanced furtively over her shoulder at the rest of the group then turned back to Eric and nodded. "I'm no better than Watson. You and Rufus are the only ones that know. I abandoned everyone. I hope I'm a better wife and mother than I am a friend. Don't let me ever abandon my children. Make sure I do the right thing and put them first, okay?"

Eric drew her into his arms and kissed her nose then her forehead. "Children, huh? You want more than one?"

Karla chuckled softly, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. "Let's have an army, raise them as warriors, and go kick the shit out of Falcon and his stupid city."

Eric shook his head and rested his chin on atop of her hair. "Karla ... we don't even know if I'll wind up being immortal like Donovan and Justus. I still age right now, so far as I can tell. And if you're already talking about sending your kids to fight a man like that ... you're already not putting their safety first."

"You're right," she sobbed softly. "What's wrong with me? How could I want to turn my own kids into infantry? They'd wind up dead. Maybe we just wait this out and hope Falcon just ... goes away."

"Karla, we'll be okay. We're safe. We made it."

She sniffled softly. Emotions overcame her, thinking back on all the people she failed just to get a bottle of pills and a ring on her finger. "God ... what have I done, Eric?"

"The only thing you could do. You put your family first and you survived to fight another day."

Karla swallowed back the urge to break down in sobs. She took a deep breath, choking back the hurt and the brewing inner turmoil that stirred within her. "I abandoned them all. We couldn't even save your uncle. I'm so sorry. Do you hate me?"

"No." He held her close, looking out over the dark, turbulent ocean. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly against her ear. "I love you."

Karla feigned a weak smile, pressed against his chest. She tried not to think about the feeling of numbness in her stomach. But it was there, gnawing away at her from the inside. In a muffled tone, she replied, "I love you, too."

_BOOK 7, "Dawn of Progeny" found here: _** https://www.sofurry.com/view/677164**

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