by Anne
Disclaimer: The characters of Adam Newman, Megabyte Damon, Kevin Wilson, Ami Jackson, Jade Weston, General William Damon, Colonel Masters, Millie Damon and Caroline Damon belong to Roger Damon Price, Thames Television and Nickelodeon. So do any other names or events linked to the Tomorrow People TV series.
Max Evans, Liz Parker, Maria DeLuca, Michael Guerin, Isabel Evans, Alex Whitman, Kyle Valenti, Sheriff Jim Valenti and Milton belong to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and WB. All other concepts and events linked to Roswell also belong to them.
The characters of Joe Dawson and James Horton (who appear in name only) belong to Panzer/Davis, Rysher/Gaumont Television. So do the concepts of immortality, the Watchers and the Hunters.
The characters of Geoff Anderson, Gil Hawkins, Jim Beckett and Simon Trent belong to me and should not be used without permission.
Sheriff Valenti broke the silence in the room after Brooke-Smythe's statement. He pulled his phone out, dialled, then shook it. "Damn," he said. "No signal. Wonder why?" He glanced a couple of times at Jade and then back at Damon, still standing over Masters' body. "You okay, Bill?"
Damon seemed to bring himself out of the world he'd retreated into since the shooting. The angry look of mere minutes before had been replaced by one of regret or maybe even guilt. He nodded. "Go get some help quickly before it's too late. I'll look after things here."
"You sure?" Valenti seemed hesitant.
"Sure. Don't worry. I'm not going to shoot anyone else if that's what you're worried about." He dropped the gun that was still in his hand onto the floor beside Masters still form, as if to reinforce his intent.
"Masters threatened Megabyte," pointed out Max. "Think about how you'd feel if it had been Kyle."
Max could have sworn he saw Valenti's expression change for an instant to one almost mirroring Damon's own just before he had shot Masters. He looked again and it was gone as the man composed himself. Where was Kyle? Had something happened to him as well?
"I'm going to find a real phone and call for an ambulance," Valenti announced. "Do what you can for Jade, and I'll get help as soon as I can." His voice softened. "How is she?"
"She's hanging in there, but I don't know for how much longer," replied Adam. "I think the only reason she's still with us is the telepathic connection she has with Megabyte. Once that goes…" The Australian shook his head, his face grim.
"I'll be as fast as I can," promised Valenti as he headed for the door.
Max stared at the departing figure and back again at the young girl lying in Megabyte's arms. If only there was a way to remove his headband, he'd be able to try to heal her. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Damn these headbands, he felt so useless. He couldn't just sit there and watch Jade fade away, not when he should be able to do something to help her.
"Jade! I heard gunshots just after she teleported." Isabel sought her brother out as she entered the basement room, her relief that he was okay soon turning to horror as she noticed Jade lying crumpled against the very friend she'd been looking for. "What happened?"
"She's been shot," replied Megabyte dully. "Masters tried to kill me, and Jade…Jade took the bullet instead. This is all my fault. If only I'd been able to shoot him, if only…"
"Stop that, Megabyte," admonished Adam. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have killed him, none of us could have. You can't fight something that you have no control over. Besides the gun was empty, Masters was just playing a very sick game with you. If you start feeling guilty now, he's won."
Damon put an arm around his son, but Megabyte brushed it away. "It's not your fault Megabyte. You couldn't have known that Jade would teleport in like that." He glanced back at the body of the man he'd killed. "Even though Masters is dead, I'm not sure I should have killed him. Maybe that's one of the reasons why Tomorrow People can't kill, to stop this kind of thing from happening. I should have let Masters stand trial, it would have been better." He shrugged. "Still I can't undo what's been done. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"Yeah, but it doesn't help Jade does it? At least you still had the choice to kill. It wasn't already made for you." Megabyte still didn't sound convinced.
Isabel leant over to Max, whispering to him quietly. "Why don't you heal her?"
Max pointed to the headbands that he and Adam were still wearing. "I can't get this off. The device to remove it has been damaged, and I don't know what to do." Max could see his sister's mind racing, as she tried to search for a solution, any solution.
"What happens if you try to just pull it off?" she asked.
"There's some kind of device attached to it that sends a feedback loop through it. From what I've tried so far, it doesn't look good."
"So we need to bypass the device somehow or…"
Max jumped suddenly as Alex appeared out of thin air in front of him, with a dark girl he hadn't seen before. This must be Adam and Megabyte's friend Ami, he reasoned as she spoke.
"Jade, how's Jade? Megabyte?"
"She's fading Ami. I don't know how long I can hang on to her." As the young man spoke, Jade writhed and then lay still. Megabyte closed his eyes in concentration and fell silent again.
Obviously trying to keep the link between them open, Max thought. He put his hand towards his head. Maybe he should just try to remove the thing anyway. After all he couldn't just sit there and do nothing.
He felt a hand come up to stop him. Adam was looking at him, a look of pain of his face. "Don't," he said. "It's not going to help Jade if that feedback circuit kicks in. There must be another way. I just wish I knew what it was."
"What about telekinesis?" asked Ami. "What if I tried to remove it that way?"
"Yeah, but what if you accidentally blew it up while you were looking for the release button?" pointed out Alex.
Michael came over and joined them, one eye on his friends, the other on Damon. Obviously he wasn't as sure of the man as Valenti had been. "That should keep them in one place for a while," he said, indicating Brooke-Smythe and his companions. He'd just finished tying the men up with some rope he'd found in the room next door.
"I've got it!" exclaimed Isabel. "What if I changed the molecular structure of the headband itself into something else? Then we could remove it no problem."
Alex was now standing next to Isabel, his gaze shifting between her and Jade. He must have known that Izzy was with Jade, Max realised and had thought the worst when Ami had picked up on the shooting.
"Isabel is… like Michael," explained Ami, noticing the quizzical look Damon was giving the tall blond girl.
Max nodded. "Could work," he confirmed, bending his head towards her.
"But what if it doesn't?" pointed out Adam. "Try me first, just in case."
Max shook his head firmly. "Makes more sense, if it's me. I still have my healing powers, you said you don't. At the moment I think I'm Jade's only chance."
Adam looked as though he was going to argue, but then after glancing again at Jade, backed down. "Just be careful, okay."
Isabel placed her hands just above Max's head and concentrated. Max felt a strange sensation run through him and swooned as he felt the nullifying effects of the headband dissipate. This must have been what Megabyte felt earlier, he thought, remembering how the older boy had reacted when his own headband had been removed. He put his hands to his head and gingerly removed the band.
Jade groaned and he knelt beside her quickly, placing his hands over the open wound. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine the damage undoing itself, the fibres of her skin knitting back together, becoming whole again.
Max felt himself begin to shake He opened his eyes as he tried to steady himself.
"What's wrong?" asked Adam.
Max frowned. "I still feel a bit weak from the headband, I think." Yeah that must be it. That and the fact that Jade's injury was a lot more serious than anything he'd healed before. When he'd healed Liz at the Crashdown all those months ago it had been almost straight after she'd been shot. Jade had been drifting in and out of consciousness for a good ten minutes, maybe longer.
Max placed his hands over Jade and tried again. Come on Jade, come on, he thought desperately. You've got people here who care about you. You can't just leave them. He could feel the perspiration dripping down his face as his energy levels began to drop.
Suddenly he was aware of someone placing a hand on his shoulder. Adam, although his healing powers had deserted him, was trying to support the young alien telepathically. Max noticed another presence alongside Jade's faint psychic aura. Must be Megabyte, he realised. Another presence entered the link followed closely by two more. Ami, Isabel and Michael were all joining in to help him save Jade.
It's working, he thought, relief flooding through him, as he felt the sudden surge of energy which was the sign his healing power was kicking in properly. Jade was becoming stronger, and slowly beginning her journey back from the twilight place between life and death.
As Jade herself connected with him, Max saw a series of images flash through his mind. They reminded him of the flashes he'd seen when he'd healed Liz, portions of her life replaying like a movie. Liz. Thank goodness she hadn't come with them. Once they got out of this mess, he'd tell her how he felt about her. Watching Megabyte and Jade had made him realise how short life was. They had nearly lost their future in an instant, never admitting how they felt to each other.
The images from Jade came faster and faster. Max saw a younger Jade leaning over a dog, tears streaming down her face, as an older woman examined the animal.
"Do you think I could be a Tomorrow Person?" Max could see through Jade's eyes Megabyte's expression as that question was asked.
"Megabyte! Wake up! Wake up!" The hissing from the boiler was getting louder and louder. It wouldn't be long before the room exploded around them…
"Teleported? Me? I teleported?" Jade gazed in wonder at the alien symbols on the walls around her.
"Get your hands off me. What have you done with my friends?" The large building looked very old, in fact it almost had a gothic air about it.
"Adam what's happening? Is Kevin okay?" The teenager lay on the sand, not moving. Adam turned his face towards her, a look of panic reflected in his brown eyes.
"What if General Damon doesn't find out what's wrong with them?" Max could see the same boy from the previous flash put his arms around Jade, trying to comfort her.
[Teleport, Jade. Go warn Adam and the others.]
Jade hesitated. [Megabyte…]
"I've found him," exclaimed Jade triumphantly. She focused on her friend and teleported…
Jade opened her eyes and her gaze met Max's and then Megabyte's. She gave a weak smile and struggled to sit up.
"Hey take it easy, kid." Megabyte had a big grin on his face as he put his hand out to support her.
Max could feel the relief flowing from the American Tomorrow Person as the echoes of the telepathic link faded. He sat back himself against the basement wall, feeling the cold concrete against his spine. He took deep breaths, trying to regain his composure. He felt very drained, but the look on Megabyte's face and the rest of those in the room mirrored his own, he was sure.
"Megabyte…" Jade started to say.
"Save it, okay. We'll talk later." Megabyte suddenly looked uncomfortable and seemed very interested in a mark on the wall just past Jade's shoulder.
Max noticed the shine in Jade's eyes as she followed her friend's gaze and grinned to himself. Yeah right, Megabyte.
Kevin stirred and looked around groggily. Where was he? As he tried to fight his way back to consciousness, he was dimly aware of someone leaning over him.
"He's coming around."
"I told you we should have used more of the drug. Beckett warned us that the dose wasn't enough. The Evans kid didn't stay under as long as he was supposed to remember?"
Kevin felt a needle slide into his arm and his eyes fluttered open again. Got to get help, he told himself. Got to get help. He looked around the room and saw the handle of a gun coming towards him.
As the darkness overtook him again he telepathed a frantic cry for help hoping that someone, anyone would hear him.
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