Julie blinked a few times, as if it somehow make her ears work better.

"What?" she whispered.

"I think you better run the test, we'll discuss it then..."

"We'll discuss it now."

"No.  Go get her... go on.  Please."

Julie turned and hustled up the stairs.  "Elizabeth!"

She caught her before she could get out the front door of the restaurant.  She was holding the door.  It was bright outside, the sun shimmered off the wet streets, and shining off the droplets of water left on parked cars.

"Elizabeth, wait!  Talk to me, what's going on?"  Julie took her by the arm.

Elizabeth stopped, and with one final look at the outside world, let the door swing shut.

"Come on, sit down."

"I sensed she was here," Elizabeth mumbled.  "We share the same blood."  She sat down at a table and looked down at her fidgeting hands.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. It's like I know but I can't remember.  Little pieces come to me, then they just..."

"What made you run out like that?"

"I'm not sure.  It was like I recognized her, but through someone else's eyes."

"You said she was the perfect human.  Does that mean she's genetically engineered or something?"

"I don't think so.  She can do the things I can though, only more."

"Do you think you're related to her somehow?"

"I think so."

Julie nodded.  After a few minutes she headed back downstairs.  Diana was pacing around the room slowly, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"What was that about?"

"Later."

Julie grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around.  "We'll discuss it now!"  Suddenly she felt her outburst was in error as she looked into the steady blue gaze that was levelled at her.  She lowered her voice several decibels.

"Tell me what you think, then we can do a genetic test."

"I think she looks a lot like my mother.  I think that when the Visitors couldn't use me they decided to make another one like me, took my genetic material and created Elizabeth."

"But Robin..."  She stopped and sighed.  Robin being her birth mother meant nothing; she as a doctor, should know that.

"Do the test, then we'll talk about it.  No sense getting upset over something that may be a non issue."  She took a deep breath to slow her breathing.

"Are you some sort genetically engineered human? Maybe a soldier?"

She smiled. "No.  How I came to be this way is a very long and complicated story."

"Elizabeth said that you have abilities like hers."

"Probably."

"Prove it."

She sighed.  "I don't know if I'm up to it right now.  The conversions  and deep freeze have me a little thrown off right now."

"I don't care."

The steel began to visibly lace up her spine.  "No, fuck it.  I'm not here to do tricks for you."  She started to walk towards the stairway that led up to the restaurant.

"I can't let you leave."

"Do you really think you can stop me?"

"Come on... this isn't going to get either of us anywhere.  I thought you wanted my help."

"Wanted, not needed."

"You want me to understand your situation, try to understand mine for a second.  We'll do it later, okay?"

She was already half way up the stairs.

"If you leave you'll never know about Elizabeth."

"I don't think I want to know."

"Yes, you do."

"There are those empathic abilities again."

"Okay, no more questions for today, I promise."

Diana stopped and slumped her shoulders.  "All right.  It's just been a long day, Dr. Parrish."

"I know.  Would you... would you like something to eat?  I'm a little hungry myself."

"Ok... sure."

"And call me by my first name.  Dr. Parrish always makes me want to look around the room for someone else."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't sure what was appropriate.  This language is new to me, I don't have a lot of practical application."  She stepped back into the room.

"Did they teach you English?"

"No, they programmed it in me, with the conversion chamber.  One of it's few good practical applications.   What are we having to eat?"

"I'll order something.  There is one more thing.  I'd like to give you a physical, just to be sure you're all right.  We don't know what they've put your body through when you were in the Mothership."  Not to mention it would help alleviate her own worries."

"That's fine. Right now?"

"Whenever you want."

"Okay, but to eat could we have something... gentle.  I don't know how long its been since I've eaten solid food."

"Okay, I understand."

Julie ordered a mild pasta dish for them, and then did the physical exam.

Everything seemed in order, aside from some minor bruises and abrasions.

"Where did you get that?" Julie asked, noticing a long scar that ran down the side of her ribcage.

"I was stabbed."  Her mind flashed backwards to that time long ago.  Bodies were rushing around her, smoke swirled with the sand, and then she felt it.  A pain, sharp and searing in her side. She slumped forward and fell to her knees.  She could see her lieutenant in front of her, screaming at her to get up, to move or she would die.  Blood poured out onto the sound like some waterskin had been punctured.

She shook her head a little and looked at Julie.  "Am I all right?"

"Everything seems fine."

She nodded and pulled her clothes back on.
 

That evening Diana stayed at the Club Creole.  Ham Tyler stayed to watch her.  Julie knew Tyler, and knew he didn't trust her and wanted to keep an eye on her.

Around 3 a.m., back at her own apartment Julie  found herself waking up for some unknown reason, and after tossing and turning decided to leave.

She drove around the city for a while, a little aimlessly, until she found herself back at the Club Creole.

The lights were on and Ham Tyler sat inside, lazily paging through a newspaper.

"What are you doing back here?" he grumbled, only glancing up from his paper.

"I couldn't sleep.  How's our guest?"

"Asleep the last time I checked.  Have you told anyone else about her?"

"No."

"Not Donovan?"

"Haven't spoken to him."  She sat down across from him.  "What are you thinking, Ham?"

"I'm thinking that the Visitors have gone through a lot of trouble for her.  It was even important enough to make that lizard bitch commander look like her and we still don't even know why.  If they want her, then so should we.  But..."

"But?"

"Watch her.  I don't like someone who isn't giving us the whole story.  If she turns out to be any type of threat I want to whack her right away."

Julie could only nod.  "I understand.  We're walking a fine line right now, I know.  I think I can get more out of her in time."

"Maybe we need to vary the people who talk to her."

"Why?"

"Because.  Like it or not, you're a bleeding heart, always have been. You could get caught up in this.  When you look at her, you see the image of the woman who tortured you, who converted you, and I think there's a part of you that doesn't want to punish her, but redeem her.  You want to believe that there's good in everyone.  And you want to believe that the woman sleeping downstairs is good."

Julie leaned back in her chair, her jaw tensing a little.

"That is the craziest damn thing I've ever heard.  You're saying that I'm letting my guard down because of who she looks like?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"And I guess you're method of 'shoot first, ask questions later' is better?"

"This is war, Julie, not summer camp."

She pushed back her chair abruptly, and stalked away.  Picking up his glass of water he took a long swallow, then let go of a long exhale.

Julie found herself following the winding staircase that led to the hidden rooms below Club Creole.  She expected the lights to be off but they were burning brightly.  Their guest was missing.

In a burst of panic she lunged for the hidden exit that led into the alleyway.  She pushed open the heavy door and felt the chill of air assail her.

Her quarry was sitting placidly on the steps, looking up at the dark sky.

The young doctor could feel her heart stop its hammering.  She took a deep breath.  "What are you doing out here?"

"I was looking at the stars.  I thought maybe I could figure out where I am.  I never did pay much attention to my astronomy lessons."  She turned towards Julie.  "Shouldn't you be at home?"

"Yes.  I couldn't sleep."

"I'm just sitting here.  You know, I'm curious about some things.  Your technology, you're only slightly behind the Visitors, and there are less of them, but yet they have beaten you so resoundingly.  Why is that?  Didn't anyone fight them when they came?  Did they promise you something?"

"Just friendship, and power to some.  They lied about their intentions."

"So by giving power to some, they managed to control many.  You were deceived then, but that is no longer true.  But I see your people continue to co-operate with them.  Not just power mongers like Bates, but regular people.  Why?"

"I don't know.  Everyone is just trying to secure their own little piece of happiness, families, what have you."

"The Visitors are already in control, why go against the status quo.  And if everyone follows the rules, everyone will live, even if those making the rules are slowly pushing you towards a cliff.  At least animals have the sense to stampede, your people don't even seem to have that."

"I wouldn't say that, they're just scared."

"They have nothing, no one to believe in."

"I guess not."

Diana turned and appraised her out of the corner of her eye.

"Are you serious about winning this war?"

"Of course."

"You seem like you're not totally committed, part of you is, but not the whole of you.  I can sense it."

"How do you know?"

"I can sense many things."  She turned her face back to the stars.  "Your people don't need any help, they could do it themselves if they wanted."

"Of course we could, but I don't think that's what everyone wants.  People like Bates, they --"

"People like Bates fold easily."

"What are you planning?  I can see wheels turning?"

"Wheels?"  She stood and stretched.  "Let's go inside, I believe there's a blood sample you need to take from me. You are doing the genetic test today, correct?"  She walked past her and into the building.

Julie followed, feeling a headache coming on.
 

"No."

"Do you belong to any military organization within the Alliance?"

"No."

"But you work for the Alliance?"

"Yes."

"Doing what?"

"Planetary government."

"What do you do in planetary government?"

"I'm not going to answer that question."  Diana took a sip of her water and folded her hands on the table.  She looked across at her questioners: Julie, Donovan, Ham, Elias, Willie and Robin.  Willie hadn't asked a question yet, only added what knowledge he had of what the Visitors termed as the Alliance.

"Answer the question," Donovan said.

"I wasn't aware answering was compulsory."

"Just answer the question."

"Fuck you," she said politely.  That had to be her favorite word in the English language, it had so many uses and it really upset people, like it was right now.  Donovan's face was flushing red with anger.

She had been staying at the Club Creole for a week now, and her hosts (or captors) and still weren't sure what course to take.  This was the first time they had questioned her as a group.

"Let's move on.  Why did the Visitors capture you?"

"I'm not sure.  Information, possibly a tactical advantage over the Empire."

"You must have a lot of knowledge about the... Empire."

"I do."

"Planetary governorship?"

"Exactly."

"Could you contact them?"

"I'm not sure how I would get a message to them but I'm certain there has to be a way."

"Did you receive our message?"

"Yes."

Julie leaned forward.  "How?  It was done with a radio transmission, it would have taken years to travel the distance to your home world."

"Then why'd you send it?  We picked it up on a monitoring probe we dispatched to this area."

"Couldn't we use the same probe to send a message back?"

"Possibly, but I'm fairly certain the Visitors destroyed the probe, besides, those weren't designed to have a very long lifespan."

"How fast could your people get here if we did contact them?"

"I'm not going to answer that question."

A stony silence fell over the room and she began to drum her fingertips on the table.

"Next question?"

"Why are you so cautious about the answers you give?"

"Wouldn't you be?  I don't know you.  Next question."

"If you do get to know us better, will you answer more questions then?"

"Maybe."

"I'm concerned with the name differences here.  The Visitors call you the Alliance, you call it an Empire.  The second word has some negative connotations for myself and the others here I'm sure.  Maybe it's just a
language problem, I'm not sure."

"We're very traditional in our titles and names.  Our government was originally founded on a monarchy, with one family ruling above all others.  The titles and the names have remained the same."

"Do you have a title?"

She paused and drew a breath.  "I... can't answer that."

Ham leaned forward in his seat. "I'm confused, you sought Julie out for help.  Now what do you want, do you want to go home? Do you want to help?"

"To help if I can, and yes, I would like to go home as well.  But I need more information before I can make a decision.  You have understand, we're very cautious about interacting with other worlds, so I'm naturally feeling
cautious about you."

"Julie told us you have abilities similar to Elizabeth's."

"At times."

"How about now?"

"All right."  She scanned the room and saw a glass of water sitting on a nearby table.  It flew into the air, careening right at her.  She caught it inches before her face, the water sloshing around in the glass.  She emptied the glass in three long swallows, the tossed the glass over her shoulder.  It spun down and landed neatly on the floor, sitting down perfectly as if it had been set there.

"Wow," Elizabeth breathed.  Diana looked up to see her standing in the doorway.  "If it had been me I would have smashed that glass on the floor.  Will you show me how to do that?"

"Of course." She stood up and walked around the table, addressing her questioners.

"This is a very difficult situation, we're talking about bringing my people into a war.  I have to be absolutely certain I'm doing the right thing at the right time.  You would feel the same way.  On a planetary scale, this would be an unprecedented event.  Conflicts are usually resolved between the combatants, there is never off world intervention other than sanctions or embargoes.  This would create a military and diplomatic precedent that I must approach cautiously."

"Politics," Donovan snorted.

"No," she said harshly. "Jihad. Besides, I don't see your people up in arms about it, you've created a comfortable little place here.  It's going to be an effort to convince my people that this is not some collaborative situation."  She saw Tyler snort and a small chuckle escaped from his lips.

"Am I right?" she asked.

"You have a point."

Donovan glanced at the others.  "We need to discuss this."

Diana took that as her signal to leave.  She joined Elizabeth in an adjoining room.

Donovan was a little surprised at how they had completely lost control of the situation, how she had just answered what she had wanted and walked out.   He shook his head a little and turned to face the others.

"Well, any thoughts?"

Robin looked up and took a breath. "I think we should give her chance, besides, she might be able to help Elizabeth."  She looked around a little anxiously.  It was the first time she, as a resistance member, had been
included on a decision making meeting and was determined to appear adult and thoughtful.

Elias nodded.  "It's a hell of an opportunity, we can't pass it up.  Do we know why can she do these things like Elizabeth?"

Julie swallowed hard. "No, not yet."

"It's a damned if we do, damned if we don't situation." Tyler said.  "She's already here, I just don't want anyone getting their hopes up of being saved by some space calvary."

"For once we agree, Tyler.  WHat's been done is done.  I'm willing to take a chance on anything that might give us some sort of edge.  There must be some truth to what she's been saying, otherwise they wouldn't be hunting her like they are.  I think as soon as things calm down we should move her out of the city."

Julie bit the inside of her cheek.  She wasn't sure why but she didn't like that idea.  She stayed seated as everyone shuffled out of the room.  She was startled a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see
Donovan.

"Everything OK?"

"Ask me again later." She flashed him a little smile to let him know everything was okay.

Elizabeth was sitting in another room, a small room usually used as a spare bedroom or storage room.  Diana sat next to her on the cot.

"You're trying too hard.  The trick is to not look out, look in.  That's where you'll feel it.  Everything, people, objects have something like a unique energy signature, you can feel it affect you.  Close your eyes."

When she did, Diana passed her hand briefly before her eyes.

"Did you feel that?"

"Yes."

"What did I do?"

"Waved your hand in front of me?"

"Exactly.  Open your eyes.  It's that easy, that's a start anyway."

There was a knock at the door and Julie poked her head in.

"Am I disturbing anything?"

"No.  Are you here to take me out back and shoot me?"

"No, it looks like you'll be staying."

"That's great," Elizabeth smiled.  She stood up, "I'll be right back."

Julie stepped aside to let her pass and then looked at Diana.

"Looks like she's taken a liking to you."

"She's a nice girl.  Do you know anything yet, from the test?"

"Not yet."  She stepped inside and closed the door. "I think we should keep this between us until we know something for sure."

"I agree." She patted the bed next to her.  "Sit down, Doctor... Julie, I mean.  I want to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"Nathan Bates.  Has he said anything to you yet?"

"No, he hasn't been in the office."

"I don't trust him.  He's going to start questioning you about what happened to me."

"I was planning to tell him you escaped in the garage."

She shook her head.  "I don't think he'll buy it.  I'm worried.  I think you should quit Science Frontiers, it's too dangerous."

Julie looked into the steady blue gaze and almost considered it, then laughed a little at herself.

"I'll be fine, I can handle Bates."

"Don't underestimate him.  I'm just concerned, I think you're risking more than you're gaining by staying there."

"I've been saying that for ages," Ham commented dryly.

They both looked up to see him standing in the doorway.

"Julie mentioned you have some good fighting skills, I take it you have combat training?"

"No, I was just really pissed off that day." She favored him with a smile and laughed.  "Yes, I have combat training."

"Weapons?"

"Not yours."

"Then let's start there.  Follow me."

Diana gave Julie a little glance and followed him out the door.

Julie was a little surprised at Ham's offer but was pleased with the development  It wasn't like him to take such a leap of faith with someone.

Tyler sat her down at a table and placed a gun on the surface.

"This is a .45 calibre semi automatic.   This is what you'll be carrying while you're here."  He sat down, removed the clip, and slid back the slide action.  "I can't take you shooting but I can show you the basics."

Julie watched as Ham showed their guest how to operate the handgun.  It reminded her of her own induction into the resistance, she had been a city girl and hadn't known the first thing about weapons, it had taken her quite a while to get comfortable with the feeling of one on her hip.

When Ham went to leave she grabbed him by the arm and gave him a questioning look.  He just gave her a shrug.

"Anyone who tells Gooder to fuck off can't be that bad."

Julie gave him a little conspiratorial laugh and patted him on the back.  Overall, she was rather pleased with how things were going.  Besides, the more comfortable Diana became, the more information she would share.  It was
just a matter of waiting her out.
 

"Tyler!"  She jumped up and turned on the lights. She ran up the hidden stairwell and into Club Creole.

He was sitting at a table, working on something that looked like a detonation device.

"Tyler! Do you ever sleep?"

"What can I say?  I'm a workaholic."

"Julie! We need to stop her from going to Science Frontiers today. Something's going to happen. something's going to go wrong."

He never looked up from his work.  "How do you know?"

"I had a dream."

"You had a dream?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, can't you call her or something?" She glanced around and spotted a phone sitting on the bar and pointed at it.  "On that, call her on that."

He sighed and stood up.  "All right."  He dialed her number but there was no answer.  "She's probably on her way to work, she gets there at five some days.  We can call her in the lab when she gets there."  He sat back down and continued his work.

Diana glanced around and went back downstairs to change into some different clothes.  She put on a pair of dark pants and a dark sweater and waited downstairs.

The sun was just barely beginning to rise outside and she lied down on the bed and closed her eyes.

At six she awoke with a gasp, and with a glance at the clock ran upstairs.

"Ham Tyler!"

He groaned when he heard her voice.  He had been hoping she had just gone back to sleep and forgotten about the dream.  Without a word he got up and dialed Julie's lab number.

There was no answer.  He hung and dialed again.

Diana watched him intently.  "She's not there is she?"

He shrugged and hung up. "It could mean anything."

"I'm going down there."

"No, you're not."

"Then come with me."

"No one's going down to storm Science Frontiers, it's not going to happen."

"Then tell me how to get there, I'll go myself."

"You're not leaving."

"Watch me."  She turned to go and saw Ham draw his gun out of the corner of her eye.  She froze and stood still for a moment.

"I have to go, Tyler, I know it.  Julie's in trouble and it's because of me.   I'll take chance of you shooting me in the back if I have to.  Besides, I don't think ELias would be too thrilled if you blew me away right here a few hours before he opens."

"All right, but you do exactly what I say, got it?"

"Understood."

"We'll take the van.  Bring your gun. Meet me outside in five minutes."

When she came outside as instructed Tyler was there sitting in the van, talking on a radio.  When he saw he waved her into the cab.

"There's checkpoints in both directions, looking for you.  We're not going."

"We can go on foot, can't we?"

"No way."

She glanced down the street and something caught her attention.

"We need to steal one of those police cars."

"Oh?"
 

Before he knew it they were driving down the road in a police car, dressed in uniforms.  They were waived through each checkpoint, no questions asked.

When the got to Science Frontiers the facility was warming with police, black and whites everywhere.  Diana caught her breath and looked at him.

"No Visitors though, that's a good sign."  He pulled the car up to the front of the building and parked it. "You ready?"

Diana had put on the police issue sunglasses and put her hair up in a pony tail.  "Sure, hand me that stupid hat. Do I look like a cop?"

"So much you're scaring me."

They stepped out of the car and walked into the building.

The lobby was swarming with police officers, they all seemed to be waiting for something and were hovering around the elevator.

"How long are we gonna have to wait around here?" Someone whined.

"Until Bates decides it's in his schedule to send the prisoner down."

"Jesus Christ, we could be here all day."

Diana looked at Ham and tilted her head toward the stairwell.  He nodded.

"I'll be in the car," he grumbled.

She went to the stairwell and found it being guarded by a Science Frontiers security officer.  She could sense there was a healthy sense of suspicion between the two entities they represented.  He widened his stance and crossed his arms.

"I need to secure the stairwell."

"No cops above the first floor.  The only reason you're here is because the Visitors won't take the bitch."

Any civility she had flew out the window and she shoved him backwards, quickly pulling him into the stairwell and closing the door behind them. She pulled her gun and stuck the barrel in his mouth.

"Where is she?"

"Fifth floor," he mumbled around the barrel.

She grabbed him by the collar and slammed his head against the brick wall, knocking him out, and began running up the stairs.

Julie waited in front of the elevator doors.  Her hands were handcuffed in front of her and she had three guards standing around her.  She looked up and could see her reflection in the chrome elevator doors.

She should've listened, she should have known she had pushed things too far.   She been almost arrogant, so self assured she wouldn't be found out.  She should've listened.

In the reflection she watched one of the guards turn his head.  "Hey, you guys were supposed to wait downstairs."  He took a step forward and was ripped off his feet.  Julie looked up and watched as the guards behind her drew their guns.  One was grabbed and whirled around, his shot going into the guard, then he was shoved sideways, careening into the doors to bang into his reflection.  He bounced backwards onto the floor and was motionless.

She turned slowly to see a female cop standing behind her wearing dark glasses.  She took them off and gave her a stony look.

"I told you--"

"You are positively insane!  How did you--"

"Ham's downstairs, let's go."  She took her by the arm and rushed them towards the stairwell.  When she opened the doors she heard several sets of feet rushing up the stairs.  She closed the door.

"Shit."

"The door next to you, it's a utility closet."

She pushed it open and they hurried inside, locking the door behind them.

They stayed still for a long time, only their breathing could be heard in the darkness as they listened to people storm down the hallway.

"I need to get out of these cuffs.  Do you have any keys on you?"

"I don't know."

"There should be some on your belt somewhere.  Nice outfit by the way."

"I think I look pretty good in uniform, thank you."  She fumbled through her pockets and found handcuff keys in a belt compartment.

"I'm not saying you don't," she replied, rubbing her wrists after they were freed.  "Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet, we're far from out of this mess. Here, take the gun, you can handle it better than me."  She moved closer to the door and listened.

"I think its clear." She opened the door and peeked into the hallway. Exiting the room quickly she went to the stairwell door to find it locked.

"We'll have to risk the elevator."

"No way, we're not taking the elevator.  That lobby is swarming with cops right now."  She stopped and cocked her head a little to the side.  "We're in trouble."  The hallway was lined with windows that looked into various labs.  They had appeared to be empty until several guards rose into view, aiming their weapons at them.

They stopped and Diana looked over at her.  "I think we can make it to the elevator," she said, as calmly as if she was talking about walking to the corner store.

"I'm willing to give it a try."

With a start they took off running.  Glass exploded as bullets tore through the windows, shattering them and scattering the crystal pieces into the air.

"I've got the doors," Diana yelled and on cue, the elevator doors popped open.  They jumped inside and the door closed behind them at an unusually fast rate.  As the doors were closing bullets pounded into the doors, leaving pock marks in their wake.

"Get us to the second floor.  Good thing the car was here, we would've jumped right into the shaft," she laughed.

Julie didn't think it was funny at all.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened to reveal Nathan Bates and Mr. Chang, who went for his gun.  Diana caught his arm before he could.  He swung at her with his left and she blocked it, then kicked him hard in the groin.
When he doubled over she grabbed him by his vest and spun him into the wall, in which he made a nice dent with his head.

"Now Julie--"

Diana socked him hard in the nose and they brushed past him and continued down the hall.

"Wait," Diana stopped, went back over to Bates.  Julie couldn't see what she was doing.

"Come on, the second half of this floor is a self contained lab that can be closed off.  We can get in there and get out of one of the windows.

They rounded the corner and found clear double doors of Plexiglas that could be locked from the inside.  A very scared technician left with no encouragement, leaving the keys behind.

Julie grabbed the key ring and locked the doors. "They're bullet proof too."   She hurried over to the windows.  Diana grabbed a fire extinguisher and tossed it to her.  She caught it mid-air and tossed it through the window
looking outside and it crashed through it.

Every level of Science Frontiers had a small planted area that extended from every floor, hosting a variety of shrubs and flowers.  She stepped out onto that ledge and looked down.  Still far but better than nothing.

"Here."  She handed her the end of a firehouse that was attached to the wall, coiled inside a cabinet.  "You can repell down."  Diana glanced over her shoulder and saw a  bevy of blue jacketed men pounding on the glass
partition.  There was enough lab equipment that it hid them from their sight.  She sniffed the air.  "What's that smell?"

Julie raised her head.  "Gas.  Someone left the gas on in there."

Blue eyes lit up and she hurried back into the lab, flipping open every valve that was labeled as gas.  A hissing filled the room and she looked up at Julie and retrieved a shiny object from her pocket and held it up.  It was a silver lighter.

"I lifted it from Bates, I thought I'd might need it.  Go find Tyler, don't wait for me."

"But--"

"Don't wait for me! Go!" She walked to the drop off and waited for her to descend.  When she did she pulled the hose back up.  She walked back into the lab and went up to the locked doors.  She gave them a wave and stepped
back out onto the overhang.

The lock on the door began to turn slowly, then the doors sprung open.  She flicked open the lighter and struck a flame, which flickered up a bright orange.  She tossed the lighter into the lab and there was a roar as flame and gas met.

Grabbing the end of the fire hose she jumped, the heat licking her body as she fell.  The hose jerked terribly when she reached the end, causing her to lose her grip and she tumbled onto the green lawn.  She scrambled to her feet and saw Julie ahead of her motioning her towards a police car, and she saw Ham in the driver's seat.  She got in the back and turned around to watch another explosion rock the building as they drove away.

"Shit!" She leaned down in the seat.  "That Bates is a real ass."

"You should have let me take care of him when I had the chance," Ham said crossly to Julie.

"No kidding," Diana added.

The police were quick on their tail.  Tyler drove them right into the heart of LA, weaving through a maze of side streets.

"We need to ditch this car," Ham said.

Diana leaned up and pointed at an alley.  "Pull in there, stop the car."

Julie was a little surprised to see Ham follow the order without question. He pulled the car to a stop and they got out.

Diana took Julie's gun and walked into the street they had just turned off of. Tires screeched and a bumper stopped inches from her knees.  She aimed the gun at the driver.

"Get out."

It was a Science Frontiers vehicle.  The drive was wearing a blue company blazer, which Ham took from him before he handcuffed him to the police car's passenger door.

They sped off in the black sedan, both female passengers laying low.

"How'd you know that car was coming?" Julie asked.

"Precognition, that was the ability I was made for, the telekinesis is just a side effect."

"Precognition?"

"The ability to know what's going to happen before it does," Julie explained to Ham.  "That's why you took Nathan's lighter."

"I didn't know about the gas, but I knew at that moment I needed the lighter.  It works strangely like that, and sometimes it doesn't work at all."

"You were genetically engineered?"

"More like genetically planned.  No more on this subject, I've said enough already."

"Hold on." Ham suddenly swerved the car and there was a harsh jar.

"Reptilian roadblock, scaly speed bump now.  Looks like the boys in red are here.  We better get low fast.  I know just the place."
 

Continue to Part Three

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