Aftershocks (Part 3 of the Alti Returns Trilogy) By David J. Duncan June 2001 Note: The characters from Forever Knight belong to Sony Tri-Star. The characters from Xena Warrior Princess belong to Universal, StudiosUSA, and Renaissance Studios. The characters from "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns" belong to Universal. All other characters are fictious and of my own creation. Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com. Spoiler Alert: "Send in the Clones", "Adventures in the Sin Trade" Parts 1 & 2 Prologue-The Royal Hut, Amazon Lands, c. 82AD Gabrielle, Bard-Queen of the Amazons writes.... After defeating Alti in Egypt for the second time, we thought that she wouldn't surface for a while. And, for sixty years, this was the case. Then, the shamaness once again popped up in the future time of our friends, David and Angela Dubois, causing them, their allies, and us a great deal of trouble. Somehow, she had managed to duplicate Xena and me to use in her evil scheming and the resulting situation would set off changes for everyone associated with us in that reality.... This is the scroll describing the last battle with Alti, those changes, and the reappearance of the Enforcer, Bertrand du Dijon.... Chapter 1 (Redoing "Send in the Clones"--a junk yard--Brooklyn or Queens? 1998) Xena toiled over the makeshift forge, grinding away at a piece of scrap steel with the magical grinding device. Sparks flew everywhere as the project took shape. For all of the crap that she had put up since waking up in that strange place, this weird energy had its perks. "Imagine having this power source on my campaigns," she savored. "I would have taken the entire world." Standing close by her friend, Gabrielle wondered what her friend was up to. Since waking up in the strange white room with those people, one calamity after another had befallen her. And then, that doctor had turned the local warlords on her! What was their name...police? There was something familiar about that woman from the laboratory, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Worse still, the Warrior Princess was starting to reexhibit her darker tendencies. "That's it!" the Bard yelled. "Xena, what are you doing?" "I'm makin' a weapon," her friend slurred, pulling the device's cord, and holding the sword up in the air. The sun caught it, making it glisten. "Yeah, that looks about right!" "So, what do we do now?" the poetess probed. "Lemme think, will ya?" Xena snapped. Ever since she had busted her companion out of the local prison, the blonde had driven her crazy with her endless questions. Suddenly, a Thunderbird careened around several corners, slamming to a halt about thirty feet from them. The doors opened and out spilled the three groupees who had observed them from the start. Xena snarled, "Not you three again! Beat it!" The lab assistants, two women and a man, retreated to a safe haven behind a nearby junk pile. Having watched all of the warrior's exploits on TV, they knew better than to cross her. Worse still, they knew that their boss had infected her with the bad memories of her Conqueror days and that these weren't the original warrior and bard, but rather, clones grown in a laboratory. Then, the driver's side door slowly eased open and out stepped a tall, husky woman with really intense eyes and long brown hair. Despite her modern trappings, she was known to the two companions almost immediately. "Alti," Gabrielle stated. The reincarnated witch stepped up to her and shoved her closer to Xena. "Quiet!" she ordered. "Yeah, what is it now?" the warrior inquired, sheathing the newly minted blade. The former shamaness grinned menacingly, "You must remember all of the conquests as well as the thrill of the bloodlust and the spoils. Side with me and it will be yours once again!" Xena's head swum with images and flashbacks to when she lead her army across the Antique world. Amplified by Alti's urging, the thrill of the advance was overwhelming. Gabrielle stared into her companion's eyes and pleaded, "Xena, you can't go down that path again after what we've been through!" At those words, the positive memories flooded across the warrior clone's consciousness. She saw herself fighting evil in all of its forms. Moreover, it was the joy of this voyage which yanked at her heart and soul. For a long minute, the two conflicting forces clashed in her psyche. The warrior held her head and gritted her teeth before letting out a pained wail. "Xena, are you?" Gabrielle probed. "Shut up!" the enraged warrior bellowed, backhanding her companion into a nearby heap of scrap. Alti cackled with satisfaction. This would be worth everything she had put up with from these two. "Finish her!" she advised. "Yesss!" the Thracian clone hissed and advanced on her friend. Her sword was raised high overhead. The bard-clone jumped to her feet and raised her scythes just in time to block the fatal sword thrust. For five minutes, the two women matched blow for blow. Then, Xena feinted, causing Gabrielle to overcommit. The former used this opening to slam the other with the knob of her sword handle, dropping her unconscious to the ground. The warrior stared at her unconscious opponent, once again feeling the warring feelings inside of her head and not knowing what to do next. "Finish her!" Alti bellowed impatiently. "Nah," Xena disagreed. "Let the fool live. If she's smart, she'll stay out of our way!" Alti shook her head furiously. As much as she disagreed, she couldn't risk alienating the clone at this point. "Very well. Come with me." Xena cautiously climbed into the Thunderbird's passenger seat, not knowing what to expect next. "How does this thing work?" she asked. "Leave the driving to me," the other woman informed her. "Just sit back." With that, the car took off and sped away from the scene. For five minutes, the scene was quiet. Then, the three lab assistants emerged from their hiding place, moving close to the fallen Gabrielle. "Is she...?" the man, a twentish bookworm with glasses and a dark goatee, asked desperately. "I don't know!" the tall woman wailed, shaking the bard-clone's body. "Gabrielle, wake up!" The third one, a stalky dark haired woman, poked their creation in the shoulder as well. Finally, the poetess stirred, "Uhhh...Francesca...Got to...find Francesca...." and slumped to the ground. The three assistants looked at each other bewilderedly. Who was Francesca? "Cy...Cybelle...Rogers...Dave...Angie....Somehow...Am...herst, Massachusetts...Cybelle's...there," the bard-clone stammered and lapsed back into unconsciousness. "Oh...kay!" the tall woman exclaimed. "What do we do?" "What else?" the shorter woman indicated, pulling out her cellphone. "What's the area code for that city?" The man flipped through his pocket calendar until he came to the area code map. "Amherst's in western Massachusetts...and the code is 413," he indicated. "Are you sure?" the tall one disagreed. "Sure, the university's there," he yelled. "Look..." "Hold it down," the shorter woman directed. "I've got the operator! Yes! Can I get information for Amherst from you?" "Certainly, ma'am," the operator told her. "Whose number are you looking for?" "I need the number for Cybelle Rogers please," she indicated, looking franctically at the unconscious bard. "It's an emergency." "There's a number for a Matthew and Cybelle Rogers. Shall I put you through for an extra fifty cents?" the representative answered. "Yes! Thank you!" the woman replied and listened as the connection was made and the dial tone sounded. Chapter 2 The sun shone warmly down on the Rogers home in Amherst. Outside, Matt stood by the grill, watching the chicken grill over the open flame. Inside, his wife, Cybelle sat and talked to her brother, Dave Dubois, his wife, Angie, as well as the former two's cousin, Francesca. "I'm glad that you could all make it up here for some peace and quiet," the hostess smiled. "Believe us," Dave sighed. "After that last mission, we needed some time off." "You can say that again," Angie indicated, rubbing her right temple. A sudden flash of pain coursed through her head. "Are you okay, Princess?" he asked. "I...I..don't know. For some reason, there's something going on...with Xena," the oncologist stated. Then, Francesca grabbed her head, "Arrgh! Mama Mia! What?" Dave stared at Cybelle. After what they had just been through two days earlier in the Egyptian desert, this was an unwelcome event. The priestess nodded and ministered to the other two women. "Turn on the television. See if there's anything related to this mess on the air." He turned on the appliance and immediately saw the media telecast of the carnage in the greater New York metropolitan area. "What in the name of...? Sis, take a look!" "Goddess preserve us!" she exclaimed. "What could do that?" "Xena..." Angie sighed. "But, she's still with me, so...." The siblings looked at each other confusedly. Now what was going on? And how would they get to the bottom of it with Angie and Francesca being in pain? Then, the phone rang interrupting their thoughts. Cybelle answered it, "Hello? This had better be important." "Y...Yes, Ma' am. You don't know me, but my name's Jenny. I'm calling from New York...." the tall girl indicated. The priestess stared once again at the TV. What was that girl doing calling her in the midst of that battle zone? "How did you get this number? And what are you doing out in that carnage?" she asked. "Well, a friend asked me to call...you. Here she is...." Jenny continued nervously. "Cy..Cybelle?" Gabrielle gasped weakly. The priestess nearly dropped the receiver. Turning back to the couch, she saw Francesca struggling to sit up. "Hang on, my friend. We'll be there shortly." "Th...Thank you," the bard-clone sighed and slipped back into unconsciousness. Jenny grabbed the phone again and probed, "So, what do I...?" "You stay put and keep a careful eye on her. I'll be there shortly," Cybelle instructed, hanging up. Walking over to Francesca, she asked, "How are you doing?" "Not well," the Italian literature professor indicated. "But...I'll survive. It's Gabrielle. Somehow, she's in pain. But if she's inside of me, then who?" "Can you get Matt to check on Jonathan, Deirdre, and the twins?" Angie queried. "Sure....See you in a few minutes," Francesca agreed. Cybelle ran into the bedroom and changed into her emerald robes. Then, she reemerged into the living room and created a cloud portal. "Come on. The bus is leaving!" For their part, the Duboises jumped readily into the passageway followed closely by their guide. ******************************** "So, what did she say?" the male assistant demanded. "She'll be here shortly. Whatever that means," Jenny indicated. "This is too weird," their companion added, rubbing her head. Then, in the corner, she saw smoke rising. "Guys, check out the smoke! What's burning?" The three stared at the fog forming in their midst on an otherwise clear day. From it, Dave, Angie, and Cybelle stepped onto the scene. The priestess surveyed the territory and asked, "Where is Jenny?" The tall girl shuffled forward and nervously stammered, "I...I'm Jenny. Sorry to disturb you, but..." "Cybelle! Dave! Look, it really is Gabrielle!" Angie exclaimed and rushed over to her friend's side. From within her head, Xena urged, "Angela, let me speak through you." The oncologist agreed as she stooped over the bard's body. Then, through her, Xena's voice asked, "Gabrielle? Are you all right? Who did this?" The bard squinted. For some reason, she knew this woman leaning over her. But, there was no mistaking the voice. "You did...Xena," she whispered. Before anyone else could respond to that comment, Dave felt a familiar psychic residue and growled, "Sonnuva! It was her! How the Hell did she get free again?" he snarled. Turning to the confused assistants, he growled, "It was Alti wasn't it?" "Dave, they're scared enough! Stop it!" Angie, now back in control, told him. The man replied, "Th..That's all right. Yes, he's right. Somehow, our director is Alti reincarnated." "But, she's dead!" Cybelle protested. "It can't be!" "She was here," Dave insisted. "So, how do you...?" the man asked. The medievalist snickered, "She didn't touch you, did she? Trust me, once she does, you'll feel it when she's around." "And she touched you?" Jenny asked. "She sure did," Dave remembered. "Took a piece of me before I took it back." Turning to his companions, he added, "We need to get back home. I need to talk to Nick and Alyce immediately about this. Not to mention your grandfather, Angie. Alti's going to make tracks there looking for him and the box," he noted. "Indeed," the priestess agreed. "I will be happy to return you out West. Help me with Gabrielle." "Sure," Angie agreed. Then, stooping over her friend's form, advised her, "Hang on, Gabrielle." "Come on!" Cybelle advised, waving her friends on towards the portal. Dave looked around at their surroundings. Something wasn't right...but now wasn't the time. Rushing for the portal, he joined the ladies inside of the fog. Cybelle, due to her distraction, slowly began to close the portal. However, before she could finish the task, a breeze blew past them and through the spiritual causeway. "What in Althanor was that?" she wondered. But, it was gone. Dave looked around again and tapped his sister's shoulder, "Let's go, Sis. If it's anything, we'll deal with it when we get back to Tucson." With that, he followed his wife into the mists. The priestess nodded and directed, "You all. Go on and be well. Take care and we'll find Alti." She stepped into the mists and was gone. The three assistants looked at the spot dumbfoundedly for the better part of twenty minutes. Finally, deciding that they wouldn't be doing any further good there, they left the junkyard and headed back for the city proper.... Chapter 3 (Tucson) Meantime, the media wave surrounding the events in the Big Apple hit Tucson like a mach truck. Everyone in the Old Pueblo whether at home, at work, or on the road found a TV set or an Internet connection for immediate updates. At the University precinct, the day shift shook their heads in wonder. While they were grateful that the carnage had not happened there, nobody should have gone through what the folks in New York did. In his office, Miguel Ramirez shook his head in wonder. While he didn't approve of vigilantism, Xena had seemed to work within the bounds during her time in the Old Pueblo. Why would she go off the deep end now? "I have no choice. I'll have to put out an APB," he realized. In the bullpen, Don Schanke and Natalie Lebeau sat at the former's computer, studying the updates as they flashed across the screen. "I can't believe it, Schank," she murmured. "Neither can I, Natalie," he agreed. "I know she's intense, but to take apart a downtown area like that? If I were putting money on it, I'd say Dave would be the more likely candidate for that dubious honor. Man-o-man, this is going to put us in a bind." "There's got to be something else to this," the coroner insisted. Just then, Tracy Brown swooped into her chair across from Schanke and stared at her friends. "I knew this would happen," she muttered. "Put a lid on it," he advised. "Why? Didn't I say she was a menace?" the detective recalled. "And everyone told me to be quiet." "This doesn't make sense. Angie and Dave were nowhere near there," the ME stated. "Before we go making annonouncements, I'm going to get to the bottom of this mess. Coming, Schank?" "Absolutely," he agreed. "We'll take my car. Let's roll." "And what do I tell Ramirez?" Tracy inquired incredulously. "Tell him we're on a case," Natalie yelled back as they left the bullpen, leaving their friend to watch the store and stew in her juices. ****************** Across town, Nick sat on his couch, pensively staring at the television screen in front of him. The destruction and horror sickened him. Who would have done such a thing? Then again, who was capable of such violence? He immediately realized the two candidates- either Xena or his good friend, Dave Dubois, in one of his enraged states. "I hope it's not either of them!" he sighed and took a draught of cow blood from the glass next to him. Glancing upstairs, the vampire-detective determined not to awaken his elderly guest who napped in the guestroom. Alexander O' Connell, the elderly archaeologist and his longtime friend, was visiting from Britain and getting reacquainted with his granddaughter, Angie, as well as the vampire. "How much water had gone under the bridge since that night?" he wondered. Then the phone rang. "Miles," he answered. "Nick, it's Captain Ramirez. Got the TV on?" Ramirez asked. "I do, Captain. What is going on?" Nick inquired. "It seems that eyewitnesses have identified the source as Xena. Listen, Miles, I know that you've contacted her in the past. Do you know where she is?" the captain probed. The detective considered the question for a moment and answered, "No, Captain...not at the moment. I have had contact with her in the past, but we just happened to run into each other." Ramirez chuckled into the phone. "All right, Detective. I'll buy that for now. If you do happen to run into her, you'll have to bring her in. There's an APB out on her and her friend, the blonde. Comprende?" "Si," Nick replied and hung up. It was as if his worst fears were being answered. If he or any other TPD officer tried to arrest the Warrior Princess, it would be a blood bath. Worse still, Dave would never allow Angie or Francesca to be brought in without a fight. And in full "Child mode," he doubted that anyone could budge the professor. "Excuse me, Nicholas?" the elderly archaeologist inquired, shuffling down the stairs. "Whatever is the matter?" The vampire looked nervously over his shoulder at his friend and lied, "Nothing. Why?" The old man snickered and continued, "Now, Nick. I know when you're lying to me. Remember when you denied being a vampire? I found out differently, remember?" "You did indeed," Nick admitted, remembering how as a teenager, his guest had discovered his secret. Fortunately, he had kept it from everyone else. "Now, what's going on?" the other repeated. Then, he looked at the screen and exclaimed, "My word!" The image of Xena's wrecking a police barricade made him livid. "No, it can't be. She's a good person now! There is no way she would have...." Nick stared at the other in confusion. Had the professor met the warrior? "You know her?" "We met back in 1937. She and three companions...let's see...her companion, Gabrielle, a sorceress, and another man. The sorceress was always serene. She could whisk us from place to place with some sort of cloudy portal and worked with herbs and chants. I remember the man as well. Heaven help me, he was a terror! I remember him storming about. He scared Uncle Jon nearly to death and from what Mum and Dad told me, took on a whole army of mummies almost single handedly," Alex recalled. The detective smiled and stated, "You met Cybelle and Dave then." "You know them?" his guest interjected. "Sure. The so-called madman is your granddaughter's husband, David Dubois. The priestess is his sister, Cybelle. They are Lorenzo's grandchildren," the vampire explained. "Of course, that remains a secret." "Absolutely," Alex agreed. "I owe them all my life. But, in Xena's case, she was always focused and in control. In fact, if I didn't know better...." "What?" his host asked. "Go on." "Well," the other continued, fingering the medallion of his necklace. "I would figured that the witch, Alti was behind this, but she's dead. Pray you never run into that one, Nick. She's evil incarnate. I'll be happy when your friend, Alyce, takes this necklace to the museum. Wearing it is getting a little too dangerous for my taste." The detective shrugged and took another draught from his glass. "I can sympathize. As for Alti, we met about two years ago, she and some of Xena's other foes attacked here. Dave and I confronted her in the library and it wasn't a pretty sight. We defeated them, but for Dave, it's been a fight ever since. I remember her touch making me relive old nightmares." "I know," his friend shuddered, recalling the attack at Thebes. "Nobody should have to go through that." Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was almost 9:15. "Has the sun set yet? I would like to talk with Angie and David." "Absolutely," Nick agreed and stared out the window. The sun had already sunk below the western mountains and the light grew dimmer by the minute. "Let's go. We'll use the Caddy." ******************* FBI Headquarters in San Francisco bustled with activity over the mess in New York. As with their Tucson counterparts, the agents watched the updates, talked on the phones, and were briefed on every detail. In the midst of this business, Steve Petersen sat at his desk, holding his head in his hands. "Dave, I listened to you....I trusted you. Damn, I had her and I let her go!" he hissed under his breath. At that moment, his boss, William Monroe, rushed up to the desk and asked, "Excuse me, Agent Petersen?" "Yes, Sir?" Steve inquired. "Pack your bags, Son. Since you've dealt with this woman before, I'm giving you this assignment," the superior indicated. "But, that wasn't direct contact, Sir," Steve indicated. "I saw her...even tried to talk her into giving herself up. But that was it." Monroe studied the man in front of him. Usually, this agent was really forthright and on the ball...the best of his younger personnel. However, he seemed to be hiding something and, even after two years, the report on that Tucson mess still bugged him. Somehow, Petersen was linked to this Xena person. Accordingly, he felt compelled to give the assignment to the younger man. "You have your orders, Agent Petersen. I've been in contact with the Tucson Police and the Arizona State Police and this time...you will have their full cooperation. Bring that woman in. Understand?" he indicated. "Yes, Sir," Steve accepted. "I'll be on the 6PM flight tonight." "Excellent. I'll look forward to you first progress report. Good luck," the superior concluded and hurried away. ******************* LaCroix sat in the radio booth, preparing for his daily Nightcrawler broadcast. For most of the day, he had watched the media circus coming out of the Big Apple. Yes, life was indeed good. The accursed Thracian witch had finally gone berserk; ruining whatever credibility she had built up during her recent adventures. Drinking from the goblet to his left, the former general chuckled, "This is indeed going to be interesting. Whatever will she do now?" Despite this stroke of fortune, something still bothered him about the situation. While it looked like Xena, fought like Xena, and damaged goods like Xena, she was too maniacal to be the Warrior Princess. "It's almost as if she's under a spell. She hasn't been like this since...Gaul...." With that, his mind flashed back.... **************************** [Eastern Gaul, 65 AD] An icy cold wind ripped across the plains of eastern Gaul, chilling the soldiers in the Imperial legion stationed there. Men shivered in their shelters as they awaited their orders or their next tour of guard duty. In his tent, Lucius of Pompeii checked his equipment and uniform. As always, they were in exquisite order. On the eve of his first battle as a general, he was charged with protecting Roman interests against the barbarian incursions. In particular, it was rumored that Xena was in the area with a hastily raised group of allies. The Emperor's orders were clear: protect the border no matter what. While he knew that the Warrior Princess had long abandoned her marauding ways, the leader also recognized that she was still a fierce threat to Imperial security and thus, needed to be dealt with. Lucius knew he couldn't allow her to advance past his legion. "May the gods give me strength," he muttered. "You'll need more than that," a strong male voice informed him from behind. The general turned to see Ares, god of war, observing his preparations. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked. The raven-haired man grinned. Lucius was the best of the rising military leaders in the Roman pantheon. If he succeeded here, he would achieve fame throughout the Mediterranean world. If he succeeded that is.... "My dear Lucius, are we so overly wrapped in our role that we have gained some humility?" Seeing the other's poorly concealed scowl, he continued, "No, I suppose not. Well, your test rides this way." "So, she comes, does she?" the general smiled. "She'll find us ready." Ares laughed hysterically at this statement. "Did I say something amusing?" the other wondered to himself. As sudden as the laughing fit started, Ares ceased it, returning his face to its normal grim countenance. "Actually, to say you're prepared for Xena is amusing. You have no idea of what you're up against. Especially since she's riding here under a full head of steam. Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." "Sow the...?" the imperial leader wondered. Then, it struck him. "The barbarians." His mind flashed back to the battle of the North. At that field, his army slew the main vanguard of the German defenders and looted, pillaged, and destroyed without mercy. The war god nodded, "Yes, when you butchered those tribes north of the Rhine, you brought her wraith down on Rome itself. But, she'll settle for you. I'd retreat if I were you...." With that, he vanished back into thin air. "Retreat?" Lucius scoffed. "I think not...." And walked out of the tent to survey his troops one last time before the battle. ********************************************* Back in the present, LaCroix experienced a brief shudder. Whatever had triggered the outburst on the east coast would affect them in Tucson. Call it the insight of an elder or whatever you'd like, but the former Roman knew that there was more to this situation than readily met the eye. Like it or not, he would have to side with that accursed librarian once again. If not for the sake of the city or his children, there was Livia's safety to consider. And after all, wasn't family always the most important thing in the world? Chapter 4 Meanwhile, Cybelle's portal opened within the Duboises' apartment, allowing Dave, Angie, Francesca, and the priestess to carrying their injured friend to the guest room. Gabrielle could barely keep her eyes open. "Xena....Gotta find...Xena," the Bard-clone murmured. "Can't leave her...with...Alti...." "Rest, Gabrielle," Angie advised. "As your doctor, I'm telling you to lie still." Francesca clasped the Potadeian's hand firmly and turned to her cousin. "Angie, if there's anything I can do..." "Thanks, but she'll live," the oncologist assured the other woman. "Still, that's a nasty bruise. Now, to calm her nerves." Reaching over her shoulder, she drew the sword and changed into the Warrior Princess. "Gabrielle, I'm here," she declared. "Xena? You're here....I knew Alti couldn't keep us...apart," the Bard-clone smiled. "That's right. She can't. Rest now," Xena told her. "Xena, that was...Angela, wasn't it?" Gabrielle whispered. "Right," the warrior agreed. Then, the poetess turned her head. "Francesca. Thank you." The literature professor embraced her friend. "I owe you my life. It's me that should be thanking you." Just then, a knock came from the front door. "Let me get it," Dave stated. "Cybelle, can you bring the girls back here? Xena, stay here with Gabrielle until I give you the all-clear sign." "Right," the warrior agreed. The professor hustled out of the room, closing the door behind him. Rushing across the room, he asked, "Who is it?" "Dave, it's Natalie and Schanke," Natalie answered. "Please let us in." "Sure," Dave agreed and opened the door. "Come in quickly." The detective and coroner hurried inside. A quick look around the room told the newcomers that everything seemed in order. "So, where are they?" Schanke asked. "In the guest room. Xena and Francesca are tending to Gabrielle," Dave explained. Natalie scratched her head confusedly, "Wait a minute! Did you say that Francesca and Gabrielle were in the room at the same time? That's not possible." "Up until an hour ago, I would have agreed with you. Unless it's back in ancient Greece, it shouldn't be possible," their host mentioned. "So how?" Schanke inquired. "We're not sure," Xena noted, walking into the room. "Francesca and Gabrielle are still in the same body." "How's Gabrielle?" the coroner inquired. "She took a hard blow to the head and claims that I gave it to her," the warrior related. "Angela, David, and Francesca found her in New York. Until then, we were in Massachusetts." "At Cybelle's house," Dave collaborated. "Then how...?" the detective persisted, rushing over to the guest room door. "Coming in!" he said, opening it. "Stand back!" Gabrielle's voice commanded. Schanke stood speechless at the sight in front of him. On the bed, Gabrielle lay resting with a poultice on her brow. Yet, somehow, the Bard also advanced on him with her staff raised to do battle. "Hey! It's okay! Xena, tell her!" he yelled. "Gabrielle, that's enough," the warrior advised. "Fine," the poetess relented. "Sorry, she's been through enough." "So, how?" Natalie probed. "This is amazing!" "It's almost as if they were cloned. So, if there are two Gabrielles...." Dave started. "Then, there are two mes as well," Xena completed the thought. "And the other one's with Alti." "Man-o-man! So, your evil twin is the one who destroyed a good portion of the Big Apple! Wow! But, who's gonna believe it? Geez....I'm not sure I completely believe it." the confused detective gaped. "We'll have to get both of them together," Dave realized. "Well, do we ask her nicely to come out?" the ME probed. "No, she'll come to us," Xena stated. "We still have the chest and the necklace." "Meaning what?" Schanke asked, still not getting the point. "Meaning those are the things they took from her back in Egypt," Natalie told him. "After they came back, they had the items with them." "Her ashes are in the chest and the necklace can stop her. And they're at the museum," Dave noted. "We'll have to tell Alyce to be ready for anything." At that moment, another knock came from the door. "Now, who is it?" the professor wondered, the irritation starting to seep into his voice. "Calm down, David," Xena directed. "Come on, Gabrielle. Let's conceal ourselves for now." The Bard agreed and followed the warrior's lead into the back room. Dave walked over to the door and did a psychic sweep. The cold spot on the other side of the door told him that it was Nick. The other presence was that of an elderly man--Grandfather O' Connell. "Great, Nick...can you both come in quickly?" he asked his friend, opening the door. The vampire detective nodded and guided the elderly archaeologist through the door. After closing it, he turned back to his friend and asked, "Dave, what's going on?" "Confused? Hell, welcome to the Club!" Dave shook his head. "We have two Xenas and two Gabrielles running around. And, oh yeah, Alti's back...just to make sure that life doesn't get too boring." "The witch is back?" Alex gasped. "Not exactly," Xena proclaimed from the back room, opening the door and sticking her head out. "By the way, Nicholas, it's really me." "She's been with me all day," Dave added. "Watching Alti and her double rip apart New York." "You want proof? Look in the bedroom, Nick," Schanke indicated. The former Crusader followed his friend's suggestion and discovered the two Gabrielles within the chamber. "Amazing! There are two of you. But how?" he demanded. The injured Bard-clone forced her eyes open. "N...Nick...I don't know...Ever since Xena and I awoke in that room with all of the strange metal things, we've been chased and hounded," she complained. "Were the metal things whirring and have lights? Did you have sticky stuff on you?" Natalie asked. "Yes, the things were like that. And we had these circular pads on us with string-like things coming out of them," the wounded woman replied. "Also, there were these hard clear coverings...." With that, she lapsed back to sleep. "So, what do we do?" Alex probed. Nick nervously glanced out the window. Somewhere out there, the various police agencies were marshalling their forces in preparation for their pursuit of his friends. As one who had often run from the authorities, he had acquired a sense of descretion. Soon, they would have to find a way to clear the warrior companions and defeat the shamaness. "Hey, Nick, what's up?" Natalie inquired. "You're brooding again...." "Oh, I'm just thinking of all of the times I had to run from the law over the centuries," he replied. The coroner pondered his point for a minute. He had definitely had to start and drop enough lives over the course of time. And, how many times had LaCroix framed him in the process? Somehow, he had to find a cure and become mortal so that his life on the run would end. Then, her mind snapped back to the matter at hand. "Sorry. So, what do we do now?" "We have to keep clear of our cohorts until everything comes together. At least, keep Xena and Gabrielle hidden," the vampire detective stated. "She can stay here or with me," she agreed. "Hopefully, she'll be feeling better by tomorrow." "Nick," Alex pointed out. "The exhibition doesn't start for another three days! How are we going to keep them hidden until then?" "Yeah, that's a good point," Schanke piped in. "Besides, both Tracy and Ramirez are going to be expecting answers. And then, there's the FBI...." "FBI?" Nick jumped. "When were they called in?" "Ramirez was on the phone with them today. Since it's a national case, they're taking over," his souvlaki-loving friend indicated. "Which means that they'll send the agent with the most familiarity...Steve," Dave frowned. "And I asked him to trust me about Xena. Somehow, we have to convince him." "When Cybelle gets back, I'll ask her to take me and Gabrielle to Althanor," the Warrior Princess suggested. "Since he knows about me and Angela, Steve will check all of my...er...Angela's spots. Trust me, it's the only way. I'll let her call her superior and let him know." Dave nodded. While he didn't like letting Angie out of his sight during a time like this, it was the only way that the situation would work. Meantime, the evening seemed peaceful and serene. But to everyone inside of the apartment, it was the calm before the storm. Chapter 5 Night cloaked the city of Toronto. Even as the city bustled with activity, the waterfront area lay dormant allowing for people to come and go as they pleased. Within the gloom, Alti sulked moodily. Ever since receiving word from the anonymous source, she and the clone had kept a close eye on things. Glancing at the Xena-clone brought a smile to her face. Yes, duplicating the Warrior Princess had been a stroke of genius, and watching her carve a bloody swath through New York thrilled her to no end. If only she had the power from her previous incarnation, she would have gained power incarnate. Now, she could only play the part of the warrior. For most, her ability would have been an enviable role. However, for someone who had known the ways of the shamaness, this state was a reduction in status. Then, from the shadows, a hoarse voice called, "You are the one they call Alti?" The witch turned and replied, "I am. You are the one who contacted me?" "I represent the group who did so. Now, come," the figure beckoned. "If you're lying," she warned. "Why would I lie? My companions and I went through a lot of trouble to contact you. Trust me, once you hear what we have to say, I think you'll want to work with us," the figure responded. "Is your friend with you?" "She is," the former shamaness indicated, pointing to the cloaked figure behind her. "Very well. This way," the guide advised, holding the door open behind him. "Come, they are waiting for you both." The two women followed closely behind the representative. Alti felt an icy breeze and sensed several "cold" spots of a similar nature to what she had sensed in Arizona around the detective, Miles, and the Roman, LaCroix. After several twists and turns, the group entered an open chamber. At the room's center, several more people sat around an oak table. Off in the far corner, another man stood mysteriously aloof, shrouded in the shadows. The man or what seemed like a man sitting at the table's head greeted, "Welcome and thank you for accepting our invitation." "And what do you want?" Alti snapped. "Your help with our common adversaries. Certainly you are acquainted with the Warrior Princess and her allies?" the red-haired female sitting halfway between the table's ends probed. "I've known Xena for many millenia. As for the blonde, the Duboises, and the priestess, I have endured their presence," Alti hissed. "And their vampire allies?" the negro male inquired. "If you mean the detective and his master, yes. I would relish the opportunity to avenge myself on them. Unfortunately, I have lost much of my power," the witch commented tersely. "You mean the abilities you held in your previous incarnation?" the leader posed. Pointing his remote control at the TV and VCR to his right, he started the video files. The screen replayed the battle at the library. "Where did you get this?" Alti demanded. "We have our sources," the leader informed her cryptically. "And would you like your power back?" Alti snickered incredulously, "And you can do that? My body was reduced to ashes!" "Yes, the remains were recently brought back to the University of Arizona a few days ago along with a certain necklace. The fools brought them together once more," he continued. "Would you reclaim them?" the shadowy observer baited, stepping into the light. Bertrand du Dijon had watched the debate with interest up to that point. Now, he wished to test this woman. "Of course!" she insisted. "And, you would help me, I suppose?" "As long as you keep your end of the bargain," the Burgundian stated. "Which is to take out those accursed mortals once you're back in your proper state. Once we're finished, you are to keep the secret of our community safe." "And their vampire allies?" Alti pushed. An Asiatic member at the table indicated, "If you deal with the Duboises and their allies, we will deal with Brabant, Lucius, deCharme, and Hunter." "Of course, if you can defeat Dubois, I'd like to see it," Dijon scoffed. "He has cost me several of my best Enforcers. Beat him if you wish. Take his power if you can get it. However, I get to kill him!" His eyes glowed with a blazing anger. The witch nodded. Yes, these allies would prove far more useful than the last bunch she had teamed with. "Very well. Meet my ally." She signalled to the cloaked figure. Taking off her robes, the Xena clone revealed herself to the group and set off a level of consternation around the room. Dijon tensed and spat, "You...would bring HER here? I will kill you myself!" "If you can," the witch laughed. "Relax, she's a clone of the original Xena. A creation of mine." "A clone?" the redhead asked. "Yes, I grew her myself," Alti bragged. "However, I learned that the police destroyed my equipment...." The leader, for his part, admired the woman's handiwork. Yes, having Xena, even a copy, was a sizeable advantage. And if they could bring Alti back to her full power, they might just succeed. "This definitely has possibilities." "I don't like it," the Burgundian snorted. "But, I'll go along with it!" "In the meantime," the leader chuckled. "How would you like to guest lecture on the next day?" He held up a folder. Alti took the file and read through it. There was enough documentation in it to choke a horse. And it seemed that there was an opportunity to speak on shamanism in the ancient Steppe. How ironic indeed. "And you can arrange this?" she asked. "We already have," the Asiatic female replied. "We will strike in three days. Is that satisfactory?" "Very satisfactory," Alti cackled and looked at Dijon with a sarcastic air. "Very satisfactory indeed." Aftershocks (Part 3 of the Alti Returns Trilogy) By David J. Duncan June 2001 Note 1: The characters from Forever Knight belong to Sony Tri-Star. The characters from Xena Warrior Princess belong to Universal, StudiosUSA, and Renaissance Studios. All other characters are fictious and of my own creation. Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com. Note 2: To see the previous two parts of the trilogy, "Protecting One's Legacy" and "Dancing Before the Music Starts", go to my site (http://Dante_6.tripod.com/stories/dubois.html). Spoiler Alert (for the Xena folks): "Send in the Clones", "Adventures in the Sin Trade" Parts 1 & 2 Prologue-The Royal Hut, Amazon Lands, c. 82AD Gabrielle, Bard-Queen of the Amazons writes.... After defeating Alti in Egypt for the second time, we thought that she wouldn't surface for a while. And, for sixty years, this was the case. Then, the shamaness once again popped up in the future time of our friends, David and Angela Dubois, causing them, their allies, and us a great deal of trouble. Somehow, she had managed to duplicate Xena and me to use in her evil scheming and the resulting situation would set off changes for everyone associated with us in that reality.... This is the scroll describing the last battle with Alti, those changes, and the reappearance of the Enforcer, Bertrand du Dijon.... Chapter 1 (Redoing "Send in the Clones"--a junk yard--Brooklyn or Queens? 1998) Xena toiled over the makeshift forge, grinding away at a piece of scrap steel with the magical grinding device. Sparks flew everywhere as the project took shape. For all of the crap that she had put up since waking up in that strange place, this weird energy had its perks. "Imagine having this power source on my campaigns," she savored. "I would have taken the entire world." Standing close by her friend, Gabrielle wondered what her friend was up to. Since waking up in the strange white room with those people, one calamity after another had befallen her. And then, that doctor had turned the local warlords on her! What was their name...police? There was something familiar about that woman from the laboratory, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Worse still, the Warrior Princess was starting to re-exhibit her darker tendencies. "That's it!" the Bard yelled. "Xena, what are you doing?" "I'm makin' a weapon," her friend slurred, pulling the device's cord, and holding the sword up in the air. The sun caught it, making it glisten. "Yeah, that looks about right!" "So, what do we do now?" the poetess probed. "Lemme think, will ya?" Xena snapped. Ever since she had busted her companion out of the local prison, the blonde had driven her crazy with her endless questions. Suddenly, a Thunderbird careened around several corners, slamming to a halt about thirty feet from them. The doors opened and out spilled the three groupees who had observed them from the start. Xena snarled, "Not you three again! Beat it!" The lab assistants, two women and a man retreated to a safe haven behind a nearby junk pile. Having watched all of the warrior's exploits on TV, they knew better than to cross her. Worse still, they knew that their boss had infected her with the bad memories of her Conqueror days and that these weren't the original warrior and bard, but rather, clones grown in a laboratory. Then, the driver's side door slowly eased open and out stepped a tall, husky woman with really intense eyes and long brown hair. Despite her modern trappings, the two companions knew her almost immediately. "Alti," Gabrielle stated. The reincarnated witch stepped up to her and shoved her closer to Xena. "Quiet!" she ordered. "Yeah, what is it now?" the warrior inquired, sheathing the newly minted blade. The former shamaness grinned menacingly, "You must remember all of the conquests as well as the thrill of the bloodlust and the spoils. Side with me and it will be yours once again!" Xena's head swum with images and flashbacks to when she lead her army across the Antique world. Amplified by Alti's urging, the thrill of the advance was overwhelming. Gabrielle stared into her companion's eyes and pleaded, "Xena, you can't go down that path again after what we've been through!" At those words, the positive memories flooded across the warrior clone's consciousness. She saw herself fighting evil in all of its forms. Moreover, it was the joy of this voyage which yanked at her heart and soul. For a long minute, the two conflicting forces clashed in her psyche. The warrior held her head and gritted her teeth before letting out a pained wail. "Xena, are you?" Gabrielle probed. "Shut up!" the enraged warrior bellowed, backhanding her companion into a nearby heap of scrap. Alti cackled with satisfaction. This would be worth everything she had put up with from these two. "Finish her!" she advised. "Yesss!" the Thracian clone hissed and advanced on her friend. Her sword was raised high overhead. The bard-clone jumped to her feet and raised her scythes just in time to block the fatal sword thrust. For five minutes, the two women matched blow for blow. Then, Xena feinted, causing Gabrielle to overcommit. The former used this opening to slam the other with the knob of her sword handle, dropping her unconscious to the ground. The warrior stared at her unconscious opponent, once again feeling the warring feelings inside of her head and not knowing what to do next. "Finish her!" Alti bellowed impatiently. "Nah," Xena disagreed. "Let the fool live. If she's smart, she'll stay out of our way!" Alti shook her head furiously. As much as she disagreed, she couldn't risk alienating the clone at this point. "Very well. Come with me." Xena cautiously climbed into the Thunderbird's passenger seat, not knowing what to expect next. "How does this thing work?" she asked. "Leave the driving to me," the other woman informed her. "Just sit back." With that, the car took off and sped away from the scene. For five minutes, the scene was quiet. Then, the three lab assistants emerged from their hiding place, moving close to the fallen Gabrielle. "Is she...?" the man, a twenty-something bookworm with glasses and a dark goatee, asked desperately. "I don't know!" the tall woman wailed, shaking the bard-clone's body. "Gabrielle, wake up!" The third one, a stalky dark haired woman, poked their creation in the shoulder as well. Finally, the poetess stirred, "Uhhh...Francesca...Got to...find Francesca...." and slumped to the ground. The three assistants looked at each other bewilderedly. Who was Francesca? "Cy...Cybelle...Rogers...Dave...Angie....Somehow...Am...herst, Massachusetts...Cybelle's...there," the bard-clone stammered and lapsed back into unconsciousness. "Oh...kay!" the tall woman exclaimed. "What do we do?" "What else?" the shorter woman indicated, pulling out her cellphone. "What's the area code for that city?" The man flipped through his pocket calendar until he came to the area code map. "Amherst's in western Massachusetts...and the code is 413," he indicated. "Are you sure?" the tall one disagreed. "Sure, the university's there," he yelled. "Look..." "Hold it down," the shorter woman directed. "I've got the operator! Yes! Can I get information for Amherst from you?" "Certainly, ma'am," the operator told her. "Whose number are you looking for?" "I need the number for Cybelle Rogers please," she indicated, looking franctically at the unconscious bard. "It's an emergency." "There's a number for a Matthew and Cybelle Rogers. Shall I put you through for an extra fifty cents?" the representative answered. "Yes! Thank you!" the woman replied and listened as the connection was made and the dial tone sounded. Chapter 2 The sun shone warmly down on the Rogers home in Amherst. Outside, Matt stood by the grill, watching the chicken grill over the open flame. Inside, his wife, Cybelle sat and talked to her brother, Dave Dubois, his wife, Angie, as well as the former two's cousin, Francesca. "I'm glad that you could all make it up here for some peace and quiet," the hostess smiled. "Believe us," Dave sighed. "After that last mission, we needed some time off." "You can say that again," Angie indicated, rubbing her right temple. A sudden flash of pain coursed through her head. "Are you okay, Princess?" he asked. "I...I..don't know. For some reason, there's something going on...with Xena," the oncologist stated. Then, Francesca grabbed her head, "Arrgh! Mama Mia! What?" Dave stared at Cybelle. After what they had just been through two days earlier in the Egyptian desert, this was an unwelcome event. The priestess nodded and ministered to the other two women. "Turn on the television. See if there's anything related to this mess on the air." He turned on the appliance and immediately saw the media telecast of the carnage in the greater New York metropolitan area. "What in the name of...? Sis, take a look!" "Goddess preserve us!" she exclaimed. "What could do that?" "Xena..." Angie sighed. "But, she's still with me, so...." The siblings looked at each other confusedly. Now what was going on? And how would they get to the bottom of it with Angie and Francesca being in pain? Then, the phone rang interrupting their thoughts. Cybelle answered it, "Hello? This had better be important." "Y...Yes, Ma' am. You don't know me, but my name's Jenny. I'm calling from New York...." the tall girl indicated. The priestess stared once again at the TV. What was that girl doing calling her in the midst of that battle zone? "How did you get this number? And what are you doing out in that carnage?" she asked. "Well, a friend asked me to call...you. Here she is...." Jenny continued nervously. "Cy..Cybelle?" Gabrielle gasped weakly. The priestess nearly dropped the receiver. Turning back to the couch, she saw Francesca struggling to sit up. "Hang on, my friend. We'll be there shortly." "Th...Thank you," the bard-clone sighed and slipped back into unconsciousness. Jenny grabbed the phone again and probed, "So, what do I...?" "You stay put and keep a careful eye on her. I'll be there shortly," Cybelle instructed, hanging up. Walking over to Francesca, she asked, "How are you doing?" "Not well," the Italian literature professor indicated. "But...I'll survive. It's Gabrielle. Somehow, she's in pain. But if she's inside of me, then who?" "Can you get Matt to check on Jonathan, Deirdre, and the twins?" Angie queried. "Sure....See you in a few minutes," Francesca agreed. Cybelle ran into the bedroom and changed into her emerald robes. Then, she reemerged into the living room and created a cloud portal. "Come on. The bus is leaving!" For their part, the Duboises jumped readily into the passageway followed closely by their guide. ******************************** "So, what did she say?" the male assistant demanded. "She'll be here shortly. Whatever that means," Jenny indicated. "This is too weird," their companion added, rubbing her head. Then, in the corner, she saw smoke rising. "Guys, check out the smoke! What's burning?" The three stared at the fog forming in their midst on an otherwise clear day. From it, Dave, Angie, and Cybelle stepped onto the scene. The priestess surveyed the territory and asked, "Where is Jenny?" The tall girl shuffled forward and nervously stammered, "I...I'm Jenny. Sorry to disturb you, but..." "Cybelle! Dave! Look, it really is Gabrielle!" Angie exclaimed and rushed over to her friend's side. From within her head, Xena urged, "Angela, let me speak through you." The oncologist agreed as she stooped over the bard's body. Then, through her, Xena's voice asked, "Gabrielle? Are you all right? Who did this?" The bard squinted. For some reason, she knew this woman leaning over her. But, there was no mistaking the voice. "You did...Xena," she whispered. Before anyone else could respond to that comment, Dave felt a familiar psychic residue and growled, "Sonnuva! It was her! How the Hell did she get free again?" he snarled. Turning to the confused assistants, he growled, "It was Alti wasn't it?" "Dave, they're scared enough! Stop it!" Angie, now back in control, told him. The man replied, "Th..That's all right. Yes, he's right. Somehow, our director is Alti reincarnated." "But, she's dead!" Cybelle protested. "It can't be!" "She was here," Dave insisted. "So, how do you...?" the man asked. The medievalist snickered, "She didn't touch you, did she? Trust me, once she does, you'll feel it when she's around." "And she touched you?" Jenny asked. "She sure did," Dave remembered. "Took a piece of me before I took it back." Turning to his companions, he added, "We need to get back home. I need to talk to Nick and Alyce immediately about this. Not to mention your grandfather, Angie. Alti's going to make tracks there looking for him and the box," he noted. "Indeed," the priestess agreed. "I will be happy to return you out West. Help me with Gabrielle." "Sure," Angie agreed. Then, stooping over her friend's form, advised her, "Hang on, Gabrielle." "Come on!" Cybelle advised, waving her friends on towards the portal. Dave looked around at their surroundings. Something wasn't right...but now wasn't the time. Rushing for the portal, he joined the ladies inside of the fog. Cybelle, due to her distraction, slowly began to close the portal. However, before she could finish the task, a breeze blew past them and through the spiritual causeway. "What in Althanor was that?" she wondered. But, it was gone. Dave looked around again and tapped his sister's shoulder, "Let's go, Sis. If it's anything, we'll deal with it when we get back to Tucson." With that, he followed his wife into the mists. The priestess nodded and directed, "You all. Go on and be well. Take care and we'll find Alti." She stepped into the mists and was gone. The three assistants looked at the spot dumbfoundedly for the better part of twenty minutes. Finally, deciding that they wouldn't be doing any further good there, they left the junkyard and headed back for the city proper.... Chapter 3 (Tucson) Meantime, the media wave surrounding the events in the Big Apple hit Tucson like a mach truck. Everyone in the Old Pueblo whether at home, at work, or on the road found a TV set or an Internet connection for immediate updates. At the University precinct, the day shift shook their heads in wonder. While they were grateful that the carnage had not happened there, nobody should have gone through what the folks in New York did. In his office, Miguel Ramirez shook his head in wonder. While he didn't approve of vigilantism, Xena had seemed to work within the bounds during her time in the Old Pueblo. Why would she go off the deep end now? "I have no choice. I'll have to put out an APB," he realized. In the bullpen, Don Schanke and Natalie Lebeau sat at the former's computer, studying the updates as they flashed across the screen. "I can't believe it, Schank," she murmured. "Neither can I, Natalie," he agreed. "I know she's intense, but to take apart a downtown area like that? If I were putting money on it, I'd say Dave would be the more likely candidate for that dubious honor. Man-o-man, this is going to put us in a bind." "There's got to be something else to this," the coroner insisted. Just then, Tracy Brown swooped into her chair across from Schanke and stared at her friends. "I knew this would happen," she muttered. "Put a lid on it," he advised. "Why? Didn't I say she was a menace?" the detective recalled. "And everyone told me to be quiet." "This doesn't make sense. Angie and Dave were nowhere near there," the ME stated. "Before we go making pronouncements, I'm going to get to the bottom of this mess. Coming, Schank?" "Absolutely," he agreed. "We'll take my car. Let's roll." "And what do I tell Ramirez?" Tracy inquired incredulously. "Tell him we're on a case," Natalie yelled back as they left the bullpen, leaving their friend to watch the store and stew in her juices. ****************** Across town, Nick sat on his couch, pensively staring at the television screen in front of him. The destruction and horror sickened him. Who would have done such a thing? Then again, who was capable of such violence? He immediately realized the two candidates- either Xena or his good friend, Dave Dubois, in one of his enraged states. "I hope it's not either of them!" he sighed and took a draught of cow blood from the glass next to him. Glancing upstairs, the vampire-detective determined not to awaken his elderly guest who napped in the guestroom. Alexander Donnelly, the elderly archaeologist and his longtime friend, was visiting from Britain and getting reacquainted with his granddaughter, Angie, as well as the vampire. "How much water had gone under the bridge since that night?" he wondered. Then the phone rang. "Miles," he answered. "Nick, it's Captain Ramirez. Got the TV on?" Ramirez asked. "I do, Captain. What is going on?" Nick inquired. "It seems that eyewitnesses have identified the source as Xena. Listen, Miles, I know that you've contacted her in the past. Do you know where she is?" the captain probed. The detective considered the question for a moment and answered, "No, Captain...not at the moment. I have had contact with her in the past, but we just happened to run into each other." Ramirez chuckled into the phone. "All right, Detective. I'll buy that for now. If you do happen to run into her, you'll have to bring her in. There's an APB out on her and her friend, the blonde. Comprende?" "Si," Nick replied and hung up. It was as if his worst fears were being answered. If he or any other TPD officer tried to arrest the Warrior Princess, it would be a blood bath. Worse still, Dave would never allow Angie or Francesca to be brought in without a fight. And in full "Child mode," he doubted that anyone could budge the professor. "Excuse me, Nicholas?" the elderly archaeologist inquired, shuffling down the stairs. "Whatever is the matter?" The vampire looked nervously over his shoulder at his friend and lied, "Nothing. Why?" The old man snickered and continued, "Now, Nick. I know when you're lying to me. Remember when you denied being a vampire? I found out differently, remember?" "You did indeed," Nick admitted, remembering how as a teenager, his guest had discovered his secret. Fortunately, he had kept it from everyone else. "Now, what's going on?" the other repeated. Then, he looked at the screen and exclaimed, "My word!" The image of Xena's wrecking a police barricade made him livid. "No, it can't be. She's a good person now! There is no way she would have...." Nick stared at the other in confusion. Had the professor met the warrior? "You know her?" "We met back in 1937. She and three companions...let's see...her companion, Gabrielle, a sorceress, and another man. The sorceress was always serene. She could whisk us from place to place with some sort of cloudy portal and worked with herbs and chants. I remember the man as well. Heaven help me, he was a terror! I remember him storming about. He scared Uncle Peter nearly to death and from what Mum and Dad told me, took on a whole army of mummies almost single handedly," Alex recalled. The detective smiled and stated, "You met Cybelle and Dave then." "You know them?" his guest interjected. "Sure. The so-called madman is your granddaughter's husband, David Dubois. The priestess is his sister, Cybelle. They are Lorenzo's grandchildren," the vampire explained. "Of course, that remains a secret." "Absolutely," Alex agreed. "I owe them all my life. But, in Xena's case, she was always focused and in control. In fact, if I didn't know better...." "What?" his host asked. "Go on." "Well," the other continued, fingering the medallion of his necklace. "I would figured that the witch, Alti was behind this, but she's dead. Pray you never run into that one, Nick. She's evil incarnate. I'll be happy when your friend, Alyce, takes this necklace to the museum. Wearing it is getting a little too dangerous for my taste." The detective shrugged and took another draught from his glass. "I can sympathize. As for Alti, we met about two years ago, she and some of Xena's other foes attacked here. Dave and I confronted her in the library and it wasn't a pretty sight. We defeated them, but for Dave, it's been a fight ever since. I remember her touch making me relive old nightmares." "I know," his friend shuddered, recalling the attack at Thebes. "Nobody should have to go through that." Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was almost 9:15. "Has the sun set yet? I would like to talk with Angie and David." "Absolutely," Nick agreed and stared out the window. The sun had already sunk below the western mountains and the light grew dimmer by the minute. "Let's go. We'll use the Caddy." ******************* FBI Headquarters in San Francisco bustled with activity over the mess in New York. As with their Tucson counterparts, the agents watched the updates, talked on the phones, and were briefed on every detail. In the midst of this business, Steve Petersen sat at his desk, holding his head in his hands. "Dave, I listened to you. I trusted you. Damn, I had her and I let her go!" he hissed under his breath. At that moment, his boss, William Monroe, rushed up to the desk and asked, "Excuse me, Agent Petersen?" "Yes, Sir?" Steve inquired. "Pack your bags, Son. Since you've dealt with this woman before, I'm giving you this assignment," the superior indicated. "But, that wasn't direct contact, Sir," Steve indicated. "I saw her...even tried to talk her into giving herself up. But that was it." Monroe studied the man in front of him. Usually, this agent was really forthright and on the ball...the best of his younger personnel. However, he seemed to be hiding something and, even after two years, the report on that Tucson mess still bugged him. Somehow, Petersen was linked to this Xena person. Accordingly, he felt compelled to give the assignment to the younger man. "You have your orders, Agent Petersen. I've been in contact with the Tucson Police and the Arizona State Police and this time...you will have their full cooperation. Bring that woman in. Understand?" he indicated. "Yes, Sir," Steve accepted. "I'll be on the 6PM flight tonight." "Excellent. I'll look forward to you first progress report. Good luck," the superior concluded and hurried away. ******************* LaCroix sat in the radio booth, preparing for his daily Nightcrawler broadcast. For most of the day, he had watched the media circus coming out of the Big Apple. Yes, life was indeed good. The accursed Thracian witch had finally gone berserk; ruining whatever credibility she had built up during her recent adventures. Drinking from the goblet to his left, the former general chuckled, "This is indeed going to be interesting. Whatever will she do now?" Despite this stroke of fortune, something still bothered him about the situation. While it looked like Xena, fought like Xena, and damaged goods like Xena, she was too maniacal to be the Warrior Princess. "It's almost as if she's under a spell. She hasn't been like this since...Gaul...." With that, his mind flashed back.... **************************** [Eastern Gaul, 65 AD] An icy cold wind ripped across the plains of eastern Gaul, chilling the soldiers in the Imperial legion stationed there. Men shivered in their shelters as they awaited their orders or their next tour of guard duty. In his tent, Lucius of Pompeii checked his equipment and uniform. As always, they were in exquisite order. On the eve of his first battle as a general, he was charged with protecting Roman interests against the barbarian incursions. In particular, it was rumored that Xena was in the area with a hastily raised group of allies. The Emperor's orders were clear: protect the border no matter what. While he knew that the Warrior Princess had long abandoned her marauding ways, the leader also recognized that she was still a fierce threat to Imperial security and thus, needed to be dealt with. Lucius knew he couldn't allow her to advance past his legion. "May the gods give me strength," he muttered. "You'll need more than that," a strong male voice informed him from behind. The general turned to see Ares, god of war, observing his preparations. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked. The raven-haired man grinned. Lucius was the best of the rising military leaders in the Roman pantheon. If he succeeded here, he would achieve fame throughout the Mediterranean world. If he succeeded that is.... "My dear Lucius, are we so overly wrapped in our role that we have gained some humility?" Seeing the other's poorly concealed scowl, he continued, "No, I suppose not. Well, your test rides this way." "So, she comes, does she?" the general smiled. "She'll find us ready." Ares laughed hysterically at this statement. "Did I say something amusing?" the other wondered to himself. As sudden as the laughing fit started, Ares ceased it, returning his face to its normal grim countenance. "Actually, to say you're prepared for Xena is amusing. You have no idea of what you're up against. Especially since she's riding here under a full head of steam. Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." "Sow the...?" the imperial leader wondered. Then, it struck him. "The barbarians." His mind flashed back to the battle of the North. At that field, his army slew the main vanguard of the German defenders and looted, pillaged, and destroyed without mercy. The war god nodded, "Yes, when you butchered those tribes north of the Rhine, you brought her wraith down on Rome itself. But, she'll settle for you. I'd retreat if I were you." With that, he vanished back into thin air. "Retreat?" Lucius scoffed. "I think not." And walked out of the tent to survey his troops one last time before the battle. ********************************************* Back in the present, LaCroix experienced a brief shudder. Whatever had triggered the outburst on the east coast would affect them in Tucson. Call it the insight of an elder or whatever you'd like, but the former Roman knew that there was more to this situation than readily met the eye. Like it or not, he would have to side with that accursed librarian once again. If not for the sake of the city or his children, there was Livia's safety to consider. And after all, wasn't family always the most important thing in the world? Chapter 4 Meanwhile, Cybelle's portal opened within the Duboises' apartment, allowing Dave, Angie, Francesca, and the priestess to carrying their injured friend to the guest room. Gabrielle could barely keep her eyes open. "Xena....Gotta find...Xena," the Bard-clone murmured. "Can't leave her...with...Alti...." "Rest, Gabrielle," Angie advised. "As your doctor, I'm telling you to lie still." Francesca clasped the Potadeian's hand firmly and turned to her cousin. "Angie, if there's anything I can do..." "Thanks, but she'll live," the oncologist assured the other woman. "Still, that's a nasty bruise. Now, to calm her nerves." Reaching over her shoulder, she drew the sword and changed into the Warrior Princess. "Gabrielle, I'm here," she declared. "Xena? You're here. I knew Alti couldn't keep us...apart," the Bard- clone smiled. "That's right. She can't. Rest now," Xena told her. "Xena, that was...Angela, wasn't it?" Gabrielle whispered. "Right," the warrior agreed. Then, the poetess turned her head. "Francesca. Thank you." The literature professor embraced her friend. "I owe you my life. It's me that should be thanking you." Just then, a knock came from the front door. "Let me get it," Dave stated. "Cybelle, can you bring the girls back here? Xena, stay here with Gabrielle until I give you the all-clear sign." "Right," the warrior agreed. The professor hustled out of the room, closing the door behind him. Rushing across the room, he asked, "Who is it?" "Dave, it's Natalie and Schanke," Natalie answered. "Please let us in." "Sure," Dave agreed and opened the door. "Come in quickly." The detective and coroner hurried inside. A quick look around the room told the newcomers that everything seemed in order. "So, where are they?" Schanke asked. "In the guest room. Xena and Francesca are tending to Gabrielle," Dave explained. Natalie scratched her head confusedly, "Wait a minute! Did you say that Francesca and Gabrielle were in the room at the same time? That's not possible." "Up until an hour ago, I would have agreed with you. Unless it's back in ancient Greece, it shouldn't be possible," their host mentioned. "So how?" Schanke inquired. "We're not sure," Xena noted, walking into the room. "Francesca and Gabrielle are still in the same body." "How's Gabrielle?" the coroner inquired. "She took a hard blow to the head and claims that I gave it to her," the warrior related. "Angela, David, and Francesca found her in New York. Until then, we were in Massachusetts." "At Cybelle's house," Dave collaborated. "Then how...?" the detective persisted, rushing over to the guest room door. "Coming in!" he said, opening it. "Stand back!" Gabrielle's voice commanded. Schanke stood speechless at the sight in front of him. On the bed, Gabrielle lay resting with a poultice on her brow. Yet, somehow, the Bard also advanced on him with her staff raised to do battle. "Hey! It's okay! Xena, tell her!" he yelled. "Gabrielle, that's enough," the warrior advised. "Fine," the poetess relented. "Sorry, she's been through enough." "So, how?" Natalie probed. "This is amazing!" "It's almost as if they were cloned. So, if there are two Gabrielles...." Dave started. "Then, there are two mes as well," Xena completed the thought. "And the other one's with Alti." "Man-o-man! So, your evil twin is the one who destroyed a good portion of the Big Apple! Wow! But, who's gonna believe it? Geez. I'm not sure I completely believe it." the confused detective gaped. "We'll have to get both of them together," Dave realized. "Well, do we ask her nicely to come out?" the ME probed. "No, she'll come to us," Xena stated. "We still have the chest and the necklace." "Meaning what?" Schanke asked, still not getting the point. "Meaning those are the things they took from her back in Egypt," Natalie told him. "After they came back, they had the items with them." "Her ashes are in the chest and the necklace can stop her. And they're at the museum," Dave noted. "We'll have to tell Alyce to be ready for anything." At that moment, another knock came from the door. "Now, who is it?" the professor wondered, the irritation starting to seep into his voice. "Calm down, David," Xena directed. "Come on, Gabrielle. Let's conceal ourselves for now." The Bard agreed and followed the warrior's lead into the back room. Dave walked over to the door and did a psychic sweep. The cold spot on the other side of the door told him that it was Nick. The other presence was that of an elderly man--Grandfather Donnelly. "Great, Nick...can you both come in quickly?" he asked his friend, opening the door. The vampire detective nodded and guided the elderly archaeologist through the door. After closing it, he turned back to his friend and asked, "Dave, what's going on?" "Confused? Hell, welcome to the Club!" Dave shook his head. "We have two Xenas and two Gabrielles running around. And, oh yeah, Alti's back...just to make sure that life doesn't get too boring." "The witch is back?" Alex gasped. "Not exactly," Xena proclaimed from the back room, opening the door and sticking her head out. "By the way, Nicholas, it's really me." "She's been with me all day," Dave added. "Watching Alti and her double rip apart New York." "You want proof? Look in the bedroom, Nick," Schanke indicated. The former Crusader followed his friend's suggestion and discovered the two Gabrielles within the chamber. "Amazing! There are two of you. But how?" he demanded. The injured Bard-clone forced her eyes open. "N...Nick...I don't know...Ever since Xena and I awoke in that room with all of the strange metal things, we've been chased and hounded," she complained. "Were the metal things whirring and have lights? Did you have sticky stuff on you?" Natalie asked. "Yes, the things were like that. And we had these circular pads on us with string-like things coming out of them," the wounded woman replied. "Also, there were these hard clear coverings." With that, she lapsed back to sleep. "So, what do we do?" Alex probed. Nick nervously glanced out the window. Somewhere out there, the various police agencies were marshalling their forces in preparation for their pursuit of his friends. As one who had often run from the authorities, he had acquired a sense of discretion. Soon, they would have to find a way to clear the warrior companions and defeat the shamaness. "Hey, Nick, what's up?" Natalie inquired. "You're brooding again...." "Oh, I'm just thinking of all of the times I had to run from the law over the centuries," he replied. The coroner pondered his point for a minute. He had definitely had to start and drop enough lives over the course of time. And, how many times had LaCroix framed him in the process? Somehow, he had to find a cure and become mortal so that his life on the run would end. Then, her mind snapped back to the matter at hand. "Sorry. So, what do we do now?" "We have to keep clear of our cohorts until everything comes together. At least, keep Xena and Gabrielle hidden," the vampire detective stated. "She can stay here or with me," she agreed. "Hopefully, she'll be feeling better by tomorrow." "Nick," Alex pointed out. "The exhibition doesn't start for another three days! How are we going to keep them hidden until then?" "Yeah, that's a good point," Schanke piped in. "Besides, both Tracy and Ramirez are going to be expecting answers. And then, there's the FBI...." "FBI?" Nick jumped. "When were they called in?" "Ramirez was on the phone with them today. Since it's a national case, they're taking over," his souvlaki-loving friend indicated. "Which means that they'll send the agent with the most familiarity...Steve," Dave frowned. "And I asked him to trust me about Xena. Somehow, we have to convince him." "When Cybelle gets back, I'll ask her to take me and Gabrielle to Althanor," the Warrior Princess suggested. "Since he knows about me and Angela, Steve will check all of my...er...Angela's spots. Trust me, it's the only way. I'll let her call her superior and let him know." Dave nodded. While he didn't like letting Angie out of his sight during a time like this, it was the only way that the situation would work. Meantime, the evening seemed peaceful and serene. But to everyone inside of the apartment, it was the calm before the storm. Chapter 5 Night cloaked the city of Toronto. Even as the city bustled with activity, the waterfront area lay dormant allowing for people to come and go as they pleased. Within the gloom, Alti sulked moodily. Ever since receiving word from the anonymous source, she and the clone had kept a close eye on things. Glancing at the Xena-clone brought a smile to her face. Yes, duplicating the Warrior Princess had been a stroke of genius, and watching her carve a bloody swath through New York thrilled her to no end. If only she had the power from her previous incarnation, she would have gained power incarnate. Now, she could only play the part of the warrior. For most, her ability would have been an enviable role. However, for someone who had known the ways of the shamaness, this state was a reduction in status. Then, from the shadows, a hoarse voice called, "You are the one they call Alti?" The witch turned and replied, "I am. You are the one who contacted me?" "I represent the group who did so. Now, come," the figure beckoned. "If you're lying," she warned. "Why would I lie? My companions and I went through a lot of trouble to contact you. Trust me, once you hear what we have to say, I think you'll want to work with us," the figure responded. "Is your friend with you?" "She is," the former shamaness indicated, pointing to the cloaked figure behind her. "Very well. This way," the guide advised, holding the door open behind him. "Come, they are waiting for you both." The two women followed closely behind the representative. Alti felt an icy breeze and sensed several "cold" spots of a similar nature to what she had sensed in Arizona around the detective, Miles, and the Roman, LaCroix. After several twists and turns, the group entered an open chamber. At the room's center, several more people sat around an oak table. Off in the far corner, another man stood mysteriously aloof, shrouded in the shadows. The man or what seemed like a man sitting at the table's head greeted, "Welcome and thank you for accepting our invitation." "And what do you want?" Alti snapped. "Your help with our common adversaries. Certainly you are acquainted with the Warrior Princess and her allies?" the red-haired female sitting halfway between the table's ends probed. "I've known Xena for many millennia. As for the blonde, the Duboises, and the priestess, I have endured their presence," Alti hissed. "And their vampire allies?" the African male inquired. "If you mean the detective and his master, yes. I would relish the opportunity to avenge myself on them. Unfortunately, I have lost much of my power," the witch commented tersely. "You mean the abilities you held in your previous incarnation?" the leader posed. Pointing his remote control at the TV and VCR to his right, he started the video files. The screen replayed the battle at the library. "Where did you get this?" Alti demanded. "We have our sources," the leader informed her cryptically. "And would you like your power back?" Alti snickered incredulously, "And you can do that? My body was reduced to ashes!" "Yes, the remains were recently brought back to the University of Arizona a few days ago along with a certain necklace. The fools brought them together once more," he continued. "Would you reclaim them?" the shadowy observer baited, stepping into the light. Bertrand du Dijon had watched the debate with interest up to that point. Now, he wished to test this woman. "Of course!" she insisted. "And, you would help me, I suppose?" "As long as you keep your end of the bargain," the Burgundian stated. "Which is to take out those accursed mortals once you're back in your proper state. Once we're finished, you are to keep the secret of our community safe." "And their vampire allies?" Alti pushed. An Asiatic member at the table indicated, "If you deal with the Duboises and their allies, we will deal with Brabant, Lucius, duCharme, and Hunter." "Of course, if you can defeat Dubois, I'd like to see it," Dijon scoffed. "He has cost me several of my best Enforcers. Beat him if you wish. Take his power if you can get it. However, I get to kill him!" His eyes glowed with a blazing anger. The witch nodded. Yes, these allies would prove far more useful than the last bunch she had teamed with. "Very well. Meet my ally." She signaled to the cloaked figure. Taking off her robes, the Xena clone revealed herself to the group and set off a level of consternation around the room. Dijon tensed and spat, "You...would bring HER here? I will kill you myself!" "If you can," the witch laughed. "Relax, she's a clone of the original Xena. A creation of mine." "A clone?" the redhead asked. "Yes, I grew her myself," Alti bragged. "However, I learned that the police destroyed my equipment...." The leader, for his part, admired the woman's handiwork. Yes, having Xena, even a copy, was a sizeable advantage. And if they could bring Alti back to her full power, they might just succeed. "This definitely has possibilities." "I don't like it," the Burgundian snorted. "But, I'll go along with it!" "In the meantime," the leader chuckled. "How would you like to guest lecture on the next day?" He held up a folder. Alti took the file and read through it. There was enough documentation in it to choke a horse. And it seemed that there was an opportunity to speak on shamanism in the ancient Steppe. How ironic indeed. "And you can arrange this?" she asked. "We already have," the Asiatic female replied. "We will strike in three days. Is that satisfactory?" "Very satisfactory," Alti cackled and looked at Dijon with a sarcastic air. "Very satisfactory indeed." Aftershocks (Gen/über) By David J. Duncan August 2001 Note: The characters from Forever Knight belong to Sony Tri-Star. The characters from Xena Warrior Princess belong to Universal, StudiosUSA, and Renaissance Studios. The characters from "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns" belong to Universal. All other characters are fictious and of my own creation. Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com. Spoiler Alert: "Send in the Clones", "Adventures in the Sin Trade" Parts 1 & 2 Prologue-The Royal Hut, Amazon Lands, c. 82AD Gabrielle, Bard-Queen of the Amazons writes.... After defeating Alti in Egypt for the second time, we thought that she wouldn't surface for a while. And, for sixty years, this was the case. Then, the shamaness once again popped up in the future time of our friends, David and Angela Dubois, causing them, their allies, and us a great deal of trouble. Somehow, she had managed to duplicate Xena and me to use in her evil scheming and the resulting situation would set off changes for everyone associated with us in that reality.... This is the scroll describing the last battle with Alti, those changes, and the reappearance of the Enforcer, Bertrand du Dijon.... Chapter 1 (Redoing "Send in the Clones"--a junk yard--Brooklyn or Queens? 1998) Xena toiled over the makeshift forge, grinding away at a piece of scrap steel with the magical grinding device. Sparks flew everywhere as the project took shape. For all of the crap that she had put up since waking up in that strange place, this weird energy had its perks. "Imagine having this power source on my campaigns," she savored. "I would have taken the entire world." Standing close by her friend, Gabrielle wondered what her friend was up to. Since waking up in the strange white room with those people, one calamity after another had befallen her. And then, that doctor had turned the local warlords on her! What was their name...police? There was something familiar about that woman from the laboratory, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Worse still, the Warrior Princess was starting to reexhibit her darker tendencies. "That's it!" the Bard yelled. "Xena, what are you doing?" "I'm makin' a weapon," her friend slurred, pulling the device's cord, and holding the sword up in the air. The sun caught it, making it glisten. "Yeah, that looks about right!" "So, what do we do now?" the poetess probed. "Lemme think, will ya?" Xena snapped. Ever since she had busted her companion out of the local prison, the blonde had driven her crazy with her endless questions. Suddenly, a Thunderbird careened around several corners, slamming to a halt about thirty feet from them. The doors opened and out spilled the three groupees who had observed them from the start. Xena snarled, "Not you three again! Beat it!" The lab assistants, two women and a man, retreated to a safe haven behind a nearby junk pile. Having watched all of the warrior's exploits on TV, they knew better than to cross her. Worse still, they knew that their boss had infected her with the bad memories of her Conqueror days and that these weren't the original warrior and bard, but rather, clones grown in a laboratory. Then, the driver's side door slowly eased open and out stepped a tall, husky woman with really intense eyes and long brown hair. Despite her modern trappings, she was known to the two companions almost immediately. "Alti," Gabrielle stated. The reincarnated witch stepped up to her and shoved her closer to Xena. "Quiet!" she ordered. "Yeah, what is it now?" the warrior inquired, sheathing the newly minted blade. The former shamaness grinned menacingly, "You must remember all of the conquests as well as the thrill of the bloodlust and the spoils. Side with me and it will be yours once again!" Xena's head swum with images and flashbacks to when she lead her army across the Antique world. Amplified by Alti's urging, the thrill of the advance was overwhelming. Gabrielle stared into her companion's eyes and pleaded, "Xena, you can't go down that path again after what we've been through!" At those words, the positive memories flooded across the warrior clone's consciousness. She saw herself fighting evil in all of its forms. Moreover, it was the joy of this voyage which yanked at her heart and soul. For a long minute, the two conflicting forces clashed in her psyche. The warrior held her head and gritted her teeth before letting out a pained wail. "Xena, are you?" Gabrielle probed. "Shut up!" the enraged warrior bellowed, backhanding her companion into a nearby heap of scrap. Alti cackled with satisfaction. This would be worth everything she had put up with from these two. "Finish her!" she advised. "Yesss!" the Thracian clone hissed and advanced on her friend. Her sword was raised high overhead. The bard-clone jumped to her feet and raised her scythes just in time to block the fatal sword thrust. For five minutes, the two women matched blow for blow. Then, Xena feinted, causing Gabrielle to overcommit. The former used this opening to slam the other with the knob of her sword handle, dropping her unconscious to the ground. The warrior stared at her unconscious opponent, once again feeling the warring feelings inside of her head and not knowing what to do next. "Finish her!" Alti bellowed impatiently. "Nah," Xena disagreed. "Let the fool live. If she's smart, she'll stay out of our way!" Alti shook her head furiously. As much as she disagreed, she couldn't risk alienating the clone at this point. "Very well. Come with me." Xena cautiously climbed into the Thunderbird's passenger seat, not knowing what to expect next. "How does this thing work?" she asked. "Leave the driving to me," the other woman informed her. "Just sit back." With that, the car took off and sped away from the scene. For five minutes, the scene was quiet. Then, the three lab assistants emerged from their hiding place, moving close to the fallen Gabrielle. "Is she...?" the man, a twentish bookworm with glasses and a dark goatee named Mac, asked desperately. "I don't know!" the tall woman named Polly wailed, shaking the bard- clone's body. "Gabrielle, wake up!" The third one, a stalky blonde woman named Clea, poked their creation in the shoulder as well. Finally, the poetess stirred, "Uhhh...Francesca...Got to...find Francesca...." and slumped to the ground. The three assistants looked at each other bewilderedly. Who was Francesca? "Cy...Cybelle...Rogers...Dave...Angie....Somehow...Am...herst, Massachusetts...Cybelle's...there," the bard-clone stammered and lapsed back into unconsciousness. "Oh...kay!" Polly exclaimed. "What do we do?" "What else?" Clea indicated, pulling out her cellphone. "What's the area code for that city?" Their male companion flipped through his pocket calendar until he came to the area code map. "Amherst's in western Massachusetts...and the code is 413," he indicated. "Are you sure?" Polly disagreed. "Sure, the university's there," he stated. "Look..." "Hold it down," Clea directed. "I've got the operator! Yes! Can I get information for Amherst from you?" "Certainly, ma'am," the operator told her. "Whose number are you looking for?" "I need the number for Cybelle Rogers please," she indicated, looking franctically at the unconscious bard. "It's an emergency." "There's a number for a Michael and Cybelle Rogers. Shall I put you through for an extra fifty cents?" the representative answered. "Yes! Thank you!" the desperate woman replied and listened as the connection was made and the dial tone sounded. Chapter 2 The sun shone warmly down on the Rogers home in Amherst. Outside, Matt stood by the grill, watching the chicken grill over the open flame. Inside, his wife, Cybelle sat and talked to her brother, Dave Dubois, his wife, Angie, as well as the former two's cousin, Francesca. "I'm glad that you could all make it up here for some peace and quiet," the hostess smiled. "Believe us," Dave sighed. "After that last mission, we needed some time off." "You can say that again," Angie indicated, rubbing her right temple. A sudden flash of pain coursed through her head. "Are you okay, Princess?" he asked. "I...I..don't know. For some reason, there's something going on...with Xena," the oncologist stated. Then, Francesca grabbed her head, "Arrgh! Mama Mia! What?" Dave stared at Cybelle. After what they had just been through two days earlier in the Egyptian desert, this was an unwelcome event. The priestess nodded and ministered to the other two women. "Turn on the television. See if there's anything related to this mess on the air." He turned on the appliance and immediately saw the media telecast of the carnage in the greater New York metropolitan area. "What in the name of...? Sis, take a look!" "Goddess preserve us!" she exclaimed. "What could do that?" "Xena..." Angie sighed. "But, she's still with me, so...." The siblings looked at each other confusedly. Now what was going on? And how would they get to the bottom of it with Angie and Francesca being in pain? Then, the phone rang interrupting their thoughts. Cybelle answered it, "Hello? This had better be important." "Y...Yes, Ma' am. You don't know me, but my name's Clea. I'm calling from New York...." the tall girl indicated. The priestess stared once again at the TV. What was that girl doing calling her in the midst of that battle zone? "How did you get this number? And what are you doing out in that carnage?" she asked. "Well, a friend asked me to call...you. Here she is...." Clea continued nervously. "Cy..Cybelle?" Gabrielle gasped weakly. The priestess nearly dropped the receiver. Turning back to the couch, she saw Francesca struggling to sit up. "Hang on, my friend. We'll be there shortly." "Th...Thank you," the bard-clone sighed and slipped back into unconsciousness. Clea grabbed the phone again and probed, "So, what do I...?" "You stay put and keep a careful eye on her. I'll be there shortly," Cybelle instructed, hanging up. Walking over to Francesca, she asked, "How are you doing?" "Not well," the Italian literature professor indicated. "But...I'll survive. It's Gabrielle. Somehow, she's in pain. But if she's inside of me, then who?" "Can you get Matt to check on Jonathan, Deirdre, and the twins?" Angie queried. "Sure....See you in a few minutes," Francesca agreed. Cybelle ran into the bedroom and changed into her emerald robes. Then, she reemerged into the living room and created a cloud portal. "Come on. The bus is leaving!" For their part, the Duboises jumped readily into the passageway followed closely by their guide. ******************************** "So, what did she say?" Mac demanded. "She'll be here shortly. Whatever that means," Clea indicated. "This is too weird," their companion added, rubbing her head. Then, in the corner, she saw smoke rising. "Guys, check out the smoke! What's burning?" The three stared at the fog forming in their midst on an otherwise clear day. From it, Dave, Angie, and Cybelle stepped onto the scene. The priestess surveyed the territory and asked, "Where is Clea?" She shuffled forward and nervously stammered, "I...I'm Clea. Sorry to disturb you, but..." "Cybelle! Dave! Look, it really is Gabrielle!" Angie exclaimed and rushed over to her friend's side. From within her head, Xena urged, "Angela, let me speak through you." The oncologist agreed as she stooped over the bard's body. Then, through her, Xena's voice asked, "Gabrielle? Are you all right? Who did this?" The bard squinted. For some reason, she knew this woman leaning over her. But, there was no mistaking the voice. "You did...Xena," she whispered. Before anyone else could respond to that comment, Dave felt a familiar psychic residue and growled, "Sonnuva! It was her! How the Hell did she get free again?" he snarled. Turning to the confused assistants, he growled, "It was Alti wasn't it?" "Dave, they're scared enough! Stop it!" Angie, now back in control, told him. Mac replied, albeit rather skiddishly, "Th..That's all right. Yes, he's right. Somehow, our director is Alti reincarnated." "But, she's dead!" Cybelle protested. "It can't be!" "She was here," Dave insisted. "So, how do you...?" the startled man asked. The medievalist snickered, "She didn't touch you, did she? Trust me, once she does, you'll feel it when she's around." "And she touched you?" Clea asked. "She sure did," Dave remembered. "Took a piece of me before I took it back." Turning to his companions, he added, "We need to get back home. I need to talk to Nick and Alyce immediately about this. Not to mention your grandfather, Angie. Alti's going to make tracks there looking for him and the box," he noted. "Indeed," the priestess agreed. "I will be happy to return you out West. Help me with Gabrielle." "Sure," Angie agreed. Then, stooping over her friend's form, advised her, "Hang on, Gabrielle." "Come on!" Cybelle advised, waving her friends on towards the portal. Dave looked around at their surroundings. Something wasn't right...but now wasn't the time. Rushing for the portal, he joined the ladies inside of the fog. Cybelle, due to her distraction, slowly began to close the portal. However, before she could finish the task, a breeze blew past them and through the spiritual causeway. "What in Althanor was that?" she wondered. But, it was gone. Dave looked around again and tapped his sister's shoulder, "Let's go, Sis. If it's anything, we'll deal with it when we get back to Tucson." With that, he followed his wife into the mists. The priestess nodded and directed, "You all. Go on and be well. Take care and we'll find Alti." She stepped into the mists and was gone. The three assistants looked at the spot dumbfoundedly for the better part of twenty minutes. Finally, deciding that they wouldn't be doing any further good there, they left the junkyard and headed back for the city proper.... Chapter 3 (Tucson) Meantime, the media wave surrounding the events in the Big Apple hit Tucson like a mach truck. Everyone in the Old Pueblo whether at home, at work, or on the road found a TV set or an Internet connection for immediate updates. At the University precinct, the day shift shook their heads in wonder. While they were grateful that the carnage had not happened there, nobody should have gone through what the folks in New York did. In his office, Miguel Ramirez shook his head in wonder. While he didn't approve of vigilantism, Xena had seemed to work within the bounds during her time in the Old Pueblo. Why would she go off the deep end now? "I have no choice. I'll have to put out an APB," he realized. In the bullpen, Don Schanke and Natalie Lebeau sat at the former's computer, studying the updates as they flashed across the screen. "I can't believe it, Schank," she murmured. "Neither can I, Natalie," he agreed. "I know she's intense, but to take apart a downtown area like that? If I were putting money on it, I'd say Dave would be the more likely candidate for that dubious honor. Man-o-man, this is going to put us in a bind." "There's got to be something else to this," the coroner insisted. Just then, Tracy Brown swooped into her chair across from Schanke and stared at her friends. "I knew this would happen," she muttered. "Put a lid on it," he advised. "Why? Didn't I say she was a menace?" the detective recalled. "And everyone told me to be quiet." "This doesn't make sense. Angie and Dave were nowhere near there," the ME stated. "Before we go making annonouncements, I'm going to get to the bottom of this mess. Coming, Schank?" "Absolutely," he agreed. "We'll take my car. Let's roll." "And what do I tell Ramirez?" Tracy inquired incredulously. "Tell him we're on a case," Natalie yelled back as they left the bullpen, leaving their friend to watch the store and stew in her juices. ****************** Across town, Nick sat on his couch, pensively staring at the television screen in front of him. The destruction and horror sickened him. Who would have done such a thing? Then again, who was capable of such violence? He immediately realized the two candidates- either Xena or his good friend, Dave Dubois, in one of his enraged states. "I hope it's not either of them!" he sighed and took a draught of cow blood from the glass next to him. Glancing upstairs, the vampire-detective determined not to awaken his elderly guest who napped in the guestroom. Alexander O' Connell, the elderly archaeologist and his longtime friend, was visiting from Britain and getting reacquainted with his granddaughter, Angie, as well as the vampire. "How much water had gone under the bridge since that night?" he wondered. Then the phone rang. "Miles," he answered. "Nick, it's Captain Ramirez. Got the TV on?" Ramirez asked. "I do, Captain. What is going on?" Nick inquired. "It seems that eyewitnesses have identified the source as Xena. Listen, Miles, I know that you've contacted her in the past. Do you know where she is?" the captain probed. The detective considered the question for a moment and answered, "No, Captain...not at the moment. I have had contact with her in the past, but we just happened to run into each other." Ramirez chuckled into the phone. "All right, Detective. I'll buy that for now. If you do happen to run into her, you'll have to bring her in. There's an APB out on her and her friend, the blonde. Comprende?" "Si," Nick replied and hung up. It was as if his worst fears were being answered. If he or any other TPD officer tried to arrest the Warrior Princess, it would be a blood bath. Worse still, Dave would never allow Angie or Francesca to be brought in without a fight. And in full "Child mode," he doubted that anyone could budge the professor. "Excuse me, Nicholas?" the elderly archaeologist inquired, shuffling down the stairs. "Whatever is the matter?" The vampire looked nervously over his shoulder at his friend and lied, "Nothing. Why?" The old man snickered and continued, "Now, Nick. I know when you're lying to me. Remember when you denied being a vampire? I found out differently, remember?" "You did indeed," Nick admitted, remembering how as a teenager, his guest had discovered his secret. Fortunately, he had kept it from everyone else. "Now, what's going on?" the other repeated. Then, he looked at the screen and exclaimed, "My word!" The image of Xena's wrecking a police barricade made him livid. "No, it can't be. She's a good person now! There is no way she would have...." Nick stared at the other in confusion. Had the professor met the warrior? "You know her?" "We met back in 1937. She and three companions...let's see...her companion, Gabrielle, a sorceress, and another man. The sorceress was always serene. She could whisk us from place to place with some sort of cloudy portal and worked with herbs and chants. I remember the man as well. Heaven help me, he was a terror! I remember him storming about. He scared Uncle Jon nearly to death and from what Mum and Dad told me, took on a whole army of mummies almost single handedly," Alex recalled. The detective smiled and stated, "You met Cybelle and Dave then." "You know them?" his guest interjected. "Sure. The so-called madman is your granddaughter's husband, David Dubois. The priestess is his sister, Cybelle. They are Lorenzo's grandchildren," the vampire explained. "Of course, that remains a secret." "Absolutely," Alex agreed. "I owe them all my life. But, in Xena's case, she was always focused and in control. In fact, if I didn't know better...." "What?" his host asked. "Go on." "Well," the other continued, fingering the medallion of his necklace. "I would figured that the witch, Alti was behind this, but she's dead. Pray you never run into that one, Nick. She's evil incarnate. I'll be happy when your friend, Alyce, takes this necklace to the museum. Wearing it is getting a little too dangerous for my taste." The detective shrugged and took another draught from his glass. "I can sympathize. As for Alti, we met about two years ago, she and some of Xena's other foes attacked here. Dave and I confronted her in the library and it wasn't a pretty sight. We defeated them, but for Dave, it's been a fight ever since. I remember her touch making me relive old nightmares." "I know," his friend shuddered, recalling the attack at Thebes. "Nobody should have to go through that." Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was almost 9:15. "Has the sun set yet? I would like to talk with Angie and David." "Absolutely," Nick agreed and stared out the window. The sun had already sunk below the western mountains and the light grew dimmer by the minute. "Let's go. We'll use the Caddy." ******************* FBI Headquarters in San Francisco bustled with activity over the mess in New York. As with their Tucson counterparts, the agents watched the updates, talked on the phones, and were briefed on every detail. In the midst of this business, Steve Petersen sat at his desk, holding his head in his hands. "Dave, I listened to you....I trusted you. Damn, I had her and I let her go!" he hissed under his breath. At that moment, his boss, William Monroe, rushed up to the desk and asked, "Excuse me, Agent Petersen?" "Yes, Sir?" Steve inquired. "Pack your bags, Son. Since you've dealt with this woman before, I'm giving you this assignment," the superior indicated. "But, that wasn't direct contact, Sir," Steve indicated. "I saw her...even tried to talk her into giving herself up. But that was it." Monroe studied the man in front of him. Usually, this agent was really forthright and on the ball...the best of his younger personnel. However, he seemed to be hiding something and, even after two years, the report on that Tucson mess still bugged him. Somehow, Petersen was linked to this Xena person. Accordingly, he felt compelled to give the assignment to the younger man. "You have your orders, Agent Petersen. I've been in contact with the Tucson Police and the Arizona State Police and this time...you will have their full cooperation. Bring that woman in. Understand?" he indicated. "Yes, Sir," Steve accepted. "I'll be on the 6PM flight tonight." "Excellent. I'll look forward to you first progress report. Good luck," the superior concluded and hurried away. ******************* LaCroix sat in the radio booth, preparing for his daily Nightcrawler broadcast. For most of the day, he had watched the media circus coming out of the Big Apple. Yes, life was indeed good. The accursed Thracian witch had finally gone berserk; ruining whatever credibility she had built up during her recent adventures. Drinking from the goblet to his left, the former general chuckled, "This is indeed going to be interesting. Whatever will she do now?" Despite this stroke of fortune, something still bothered him about the situation. While it looked like Xena, fought like Xena, and damaged goods like Xena, she was too maniacal to be the Warrior Princess. "It's almost as if she's under a spell. She hasn't been like this since...Gaul...." With that, his mind flashed back.... **************************** [Eastern Gaul, 65 AD] An icy cold wind ripped across the plains of eastern Gaul, chilling the soldiers in the Imperial legion stationed there. Men shivered in their shelters as they awaited their orders or their next tour of guard duty. In his tent, Lucius of Pompeii checked his equipment and uniform. As always, they were in exquisite order. On the eve of his first battle as a general, he was charged with protecting Roman interests against the barbarian incursions. In particular, it was rumored that Xena was in the area with a hastily raised group of allies. The Emperor's orders were clear: protect the border no matter what. While he knew that the Warrior Princess had long abandoned her marauding ways, the leader also recognized that she was still a fierce threat to Imperial security and thus, needed to be dealt with. Lucius knew he couldn't allow her to advance past his legion. "May the gods give me strength," he muttered. "You'll need more than that," a strong male voice informed him from behind. The general turned to see Ares, god of war, observing his preparations. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked. The raven-haired man grinned. Lucius was the best of the rising military leaders in the Roman pantheon. If he succeeded here, he would achieve fame throughout the Mediterranean world. If he succeeded that is.... "My dear Lucius, are we so overly wrapped in our role that we have gained some humility?" Seeing the other's poorly concealed scowl, he continued, "No, I suppose not. Well, your test rides this way." "So, she comes, does she?" the general smiled. "She'll find us ready." Ares laughed hysterically at this statement. "Did I say something amusing?" the other wondered to himself. As sudden as the laughing fit started, Ares ceased it, returning his face to its normal grim countenance. "Actually, to say you're prepared for Xena is amusing. You have no idea of what you're up against. Especially since she's riding here under a full head of steam. Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." "Sow the...?" the imperial leader wondered. Then, it struck him. "The barbarians." His mind flashed back to the battle of the North. At that field, his army slew the main vanguard of the German defenders and looted, pillaged, and destroyed without mercy. The war god nodded, "Yes, when you butchered those tribes north of the Rhine, you brought her wraith down on Rome itself. But, she'll settle for you. I'd retreat if I were you...." With that, he vanished back into thin air. "Retreat?" Lucius scoffed. "I think not...." And walked out of the tent to survey his troops one last time before the battle. ********************************************* Back in the present, LaCroix experienced a brief shudder. Whatever had triggered the outburst on the east coast would affect them in Tucson. Call it the insight of an elder or whatever you'd like, but the former Roman knew that there was more to this situation than readily met the eye. Like it or not, he would have to side with that accursed librarian once again. If not for the sake of the city or his children, there was Livia's safety to consider. And after all, wasn't family always the most important thing in the world? Aftershocks By David J. Duncan June 2001 For notes & such, please see Part 1 Chapter 6 [Tucson, Two nights later] Two nights later, the U of A's Museum of Fine Arts lay dark and still. In the main display case, the primary pieces of the new Luxor exhibit were ready to be shown to the public on the opening day. Having set up the case, the workers had left for the evening as had the visitors and the student intern, Jolene Martin. However, sitting alone in her office downstairs, Alyce Harris reviewed her report on the display for the third time. While the syntax, spelling, and grammar were fine, she had a hard time believing the dating of the pieces especially for the necklace and the chest. After Nick and Dave Dubois had entrusted them to her care, the curator had examined the hieroglyphs and had dated them to the first century AD. "Yet the necklace is over a century older....Curious," she wondered. The circumstances surrounding its discovery were equally unnerving. "The necklace was discovered by a Dr. Evelyn O' Connell in 1937. Her assistant was Dr. Lorenzo Alvaro. Yes, David's grandfather and Francesca's uncle. And the accounts talk of four strangers: a warrior, her blonde companion, a priestess, and a man with a monstrous temper," she recalled, a knowing grin cutting across her face. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that Xena, Gabrielle, Cybelle, and David were involved...." she started. Suddenly, she sensed other presences within the facility. Using her enhanced vampiric senses, Alyce scanned the building. Yes, there were other vampires within the museum...at least seven, but their aura seemed to be more powerful than anything she had encountered previously...except at the library during the night of the Enforcers' attack. "But could it be? Why would they be here?" she asked herself. The Enforcers were the keepers of the vampire community's secret. Could something here in the museum have placed her and her kind in jeopardy? Knowing that she couldn't take them alone, the curator slunk back to her office, locked the door, and dialed away on her phone. "C'mon, Nick....Be there please!" she thought. ****************************** Meanwhile, Nick drove the Caddy down I-10 heading for the airport. It was a beautiful night with the moon shining a pale yellow light down on everything, and a breeze wafting softly across the landscape. Still, his mind was on the issue at hand: Xena and what to do to clear her and Gabrielle. Tracy glanced over at him impatiently. For the last hour, she had let him just wander aimlessly. "Why not? It's been a slow night," she had thought. Besides, she also knew what or rather, who, occupied his thoughts. "So, have you found her yet? Ramirez was curious," she probed. The vampire detective cut his partner a quick glance. "Found who?" he responded cryptically. She laughed sarcastically and smiled, "Like you don't know who I'm talking about. Yeah right. Okay, yes, I'm wondering if you tracked down Angie and Francesca yet. They did destroy a major portion of New York, you know." "We don't have all of the facts, Trace," he indicated. "Besides, they were nowhere near there when the incident occurred." She shook her head, "But, we saw them do it on television, Nick. The camera doesn't lie, and it caught both of them in the act." "However, the camera doesn't catch everything either," he countered. "And, in this case, it missed some big facts." "Like what? I suppose now you're going to say that an alien cloned them or something? Schanke made a similar case to the captain today and was nearly laughed out of the precinct. C'mon, Nick. You're both really grasping for straws." "I can see her point," Nick thought to himself. "You would have to be there to believe it." Then, he replied, "It would seem that way, but you have to trust Schank and me. We were there. Ask Natalie." "She's been dodging the precinct as well," Tracy noted. "So, when we meet up with Steve Petersen, what are you going to say to him? Hmm??? This oughta be good...." Before he could respond, the carphone rang shrilly. "Saved by the bell," he mused and answered it, "Miles." "Nick? It's Alyce. Listen, I'm at the museum, and I need your help. There are several really strong vampire presences that I'm sensing here. Almost like....Enforcers. But, what would they be doing here?" the curator explained frantically. His mind swum with this new information. Why indeed would they be there? Unless.... "This could be related to the last attack on the library," he mentioned. "Hang on, I'll be right there!" Signalling with his right blinker, he changed lanes on the fly and found the nearest exit ramp. "What? What is going on?" Tracy demanded. "Ramirez told us to get Petersen at the airport." "There's more trouble at the university," Nick explained, pulling the car to a halt in a darkened area. "Go and get Steve at the airport. I'll meet you two back at the precinct." "Not again!" she whined. Looking up into the ebony sky, he took off without another word, leaving her to stew in her juices. "Oh well, let's go get Steve. At least, he'll talk sensibly to me," she groused and drove back toward the interstate. ******************************************************** About that same time, Dave locked his office door and started out on his walk across campus for the parking garage across Speedway. He enjoyed the classes and the students that he was teaching this semester. As such, it was no effort at all to lecture and interact with the latter and he really hated to have to end the class at the appointed time. "Oh well, it's just more for next time," he chuckled. Then, his mind shifted back to the matter at hand. Steve, Xena, and Gabrielle. Knowing that the situation would arise as soon as he got off the plane, the agent had gone against orders and had called him. The conversation had not gone well. Still, he had managed to convince his friend to hear him out once the latter arrived. By now, he was passing the art museum. Now, the concerns about the necklace and chest were bugging him. "Let it go," he advised himself. Still, his nerves grated at him. Looking up as he passed the side of the building, he saw that the lights were on in the main foyer. "What the?" he thought. "Alyce's assistant was finished with the display when I left for class at 8. What's going on?" Then, from deep within his head, the Child mentally nudged him and growled, "Hey, Chowderhead....Scan the upstairs and tell me what'cha notice." "Strange...." he thought. Normally, his darker half waited until they were in the midst of a battle to come out. Still, he followed the suggestion and focused on the area. Sure enough, there were seven very strong cold spots in the facility and two of them were moving in the direction of Alyce's office. "Aw, crap," he hissed and ran through the underpass towards the parking garage. "What the...?" the Child complained. "C'mon, we've got some serious ass to kick!" "We will. You have to learn patience," Dave advised. "Besides, a little discretion never hurts!" By now, they were at the Subaru. Opening the rear door, he threw the satchel into the back seat and flipped open the third row of seats. There, his bow and quiver waited for him. Ducking behind the car, Dave changed into a more casual set of clothes knowing that if he ruined another good outfit, Angie would have his head. "Are we done yet?" the Child groused. "Y'know, we could still go to the Circle K and be back before....." "Zip it!" Dave directed, tossing his class clothes in the trunk and slamming the door shut. After hurriedly hefting his weapons, he rushed back through the tunnel, reaching the museum in five minutes flat. Trying the doors, he noticed they were locked. "I really don't have time for this!" he snarled and focused on the lock. With a mental "tug", he ripped the door open and advanced into the darkened facility. Once inside, his senses echoed along the limestone walls. Yes, the presences were in the foyer. "After what we went through the last time, I'm not screwing around with these twerps!" he affirmed, recalling the last confrontation with Alti only two days earlier. Gliding softly up the stairs, the professor sensed that two of the spots were breaking away from the others and moving in his direction. "Party time!" he snickered, readying a plain stake shaft in his bow. Just before he reached the top of the stairs, two pairs of red-spots shone through the darkness. "Dubois...." a menacing voice snarled. "I'm only going to say this once, Dead Breath. Move it or lose it," Dave affirmed, pointing the bow at the voice. "If you know who I am, you know I don't need to see you to hit you." He allowed a sinster chuckle to flavor the end of his statement. The two vampires only hesitated for a split second before they rushed the newcomer. Having no room to dodge them, Dave fell down the staircase and just missed hitting his head on the marble floor by the entrance. "Now, that wasn't very nice...." the professor hissed, firing two shafts. One missed wide, but the other found its mark. A scream followed by a loud clump and the acrid smell of smoke and ash signalled the Enforcer's passing. The other immortal studied the mortal in front of him. The stories were true. No wonder Dijon paid so much attention to this one. Still, he had a mission. "You will die!" he hissed, charging his target. Dave grinned and sidestepped the bull charge. "You can do better than that!" he taunted, flipping a stake-shaft in the air. Catching it with his mental abilities, he flung it faster than the eye could see at his attacker, impaling the latter. "Now, let's deal with your friends," he explained to the smoldering corpse. Making sure that the Enforcers were both indeed dealt with, he rushed back upstairs towards the main battle to come. Chapter 7 While the fighting went on downstairs, Dijon surveyed the antiquities around him. Despite his well-earned, bloody nickname as the "Butcher of Burgundy," the former soldier still had an eye for art in all of its forms. Indeed, when time allowed, he liked to enjoy it. However, on this night, he was in the museum on business. He hoped that they could find the box and the necklace easily and get out of here. "Excuse us?" two of his group inquired, reentering the room. The head Enforcer nodded, recognizing Rodriguez, the seventeenth century Iberian, and Sebastian, the Caribbean. Behind them, they dragged Alyce kicking and screaming into the room. Walking over to her, he asked, "Why do you make such a fuss? We aren't going to hurt you...at least not yet." "Wh...What do you want?" the curator stammered. "The box and the key," the Burgundian informed her. "Where are they?" "They should be in the display," she told him despite her misgivings. She knew how hard her friends had worked to get those artifacts. The Asian vampire found the chest and the necklace in the display. Breaking the glass, he lifted them from their resting place. "Here they are. The shamaness's remains." "Well, this does put me in a peculiar situation. Now that we have what we require, you are no longer needed. You have violated the Code and, as such, I have to punish you." "What? No!" she protested as the two Enforcers seized her. A third one secured the foyer's doors. "You can scream all you like. No one will hear you," Dijon shrugged and produced a stake. Then, he winced, sensing the deaths of the other Enforcers in the lobby below, "Arrgh! Dubois, damn him! No matter, I will kill you before he can...." At that moment, the window and the skylight both exploded in a shower of glass. From above, Nick descended into the room. Another vampire, Iberian in appearance, with long black hair and a beard, crashed through the window and into the area as well. Dijon surveyed the newcomers. "Ah, Brabant! Be patient, you're next! As for you, Vachon, wait your turn! Before the hour is done, I will attend to you as well." Vachon slid over to Nick's side and muttered, "Hey, Knight. Long time, no see. What did you do to upset these guys?" The vampire detective shrugged, "I think it was my relationship with the mortals that did it. Ready to fight?" The former conquistador gulped nervously, "Uh, Nick. In case you haven't noticed, Amigo, these are Enforcers. We can't exactly defeat them, especially when we're outnumbered two to one." Nick nodded. While they didn't have much of a chance, the threesome would still have to fight for it. Turning to Dijon, he shouted, "At least let her stand with us!" The Burgundian considered his fellow medieval man's request and laughed, "You favor her, don't you? Does LaCroix know this? And what about the mortal-coroner?" "That...is none of your concern," Nick affirmed. He was having a difficult enough time with his own feelings toward both Alyce and Natalie without the Enforcer's taunts dropping salt into that irritated spot. "Oh, very well. Have the fledgling. You'll all be ash soon enough in any event!" Dijon relented, flinging Alyce towards the newcomers. The curator stared at them and asked, "What are we going to do, Nick? And who is this?" "Alyce, meet Javier Vachon, former Conquistador. Vachon, this is Alyce Harris." "A pleasure," the Spaniard assured her. "Maybe we'll get to know each other better." "If we survive this encounter," she nervously agreed. "Which you won't," Sebastian snickered, advancing on the trapped trio. At that moment, Dijon spun towards the door of the foyer and growled, "He's here!" Just then, the heavy oaken doors blew in off of their hinges, spilling into the room along with a huge cloud of dust and smoke. Vachon sensed the newcomer's aura and asked Nick, "Ay Caramba! Quien es él?" "A friend of mine," the detective explained. "But, he's a mortal!" the other vampire protested. "Going up against Enforcers?" "He's done this before," Alyce sighed, hugging Nick tightly. Walking through the dust, Dave stood his ground and allowed his eyes to burn into those of his Burgundian adversary. "Well, Dijon....I thought I recognized your stench!" he baited. "Dubois, you just don't know when to quit, do you?" the head Enforcer snarled. "What? And miss the fun? Oh please!" the professor replied flippantly. "Now, c'mon, let's dance. I still have a beef with you." The Enforcer signaled almost imperceptibly with his right hand and stood still. Dave grinned savagely and, using his powers, picked up shards of the door, and eliminated the two hench-vampires in the shadows. "You're slipping, Scum. Ah, the smell of Enforcer ash is so invigorating at this time of the year, wouldn't you say?" he taunted, producing a tuna fish sized canister from his pocket and lighting it. Flinging it into the remaining enemies, the professor made them wheeze and gag on the smell of garlic and other herbs. "We have what we came for! Let's go!" Dijon snarled. "Dubois, another time!" He was determined not to let the bothersome mortal recover the artifacts. Besides, the witch would have fun with him later. "You're not going anywhere without giving me those items first!" Dave hissed. "Oh, we'll be back, trust me," the medieval adversary promised and vanished into the evening sky. The other three Enforcers followed closely behind him, leaving the damage in their wake. "Damn it!" Dave cursed, watching the desert sky. He knew Dijon wouldn't have stolen the artifacts for no reason. Somehow, he knew that Alti had made contact with the vampire community and that they would soon have to deal with her on top of their other problems. "Dave, are you okay?" Nick asked. "I would ask all of you the same question especially Alyce," the professor stated. "I'm fine," she sighed. "Just a few bruises on my arms....Give me a minute to catch my breath." She looked at the smoldering piles of ash, the broken doors, and the shattered display. "Still, how am I going to explain this to the head curator tomorrow?" she moaned, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We'll think of something," the detective assured her and turned to Vachon, "Thanks for showing up when you did." "Thank him and the others," the Spaniard indicated, pointing to their savior. "I hitched a ride through their cloud-transport thing." The medievalist studied the new vampire carefully. So, he had been the presence which had whizzed past them and into the portal back in the junkyard. "I was wondering what or who you were," he stated. "As it turned out, I'm glad to have you here. I'm Dave Dubois and you're Vachon...?" "Si. Javier Vachon at your service, Señor," he indicated. "That was one impressive display you put on against the Enforcers." "And he wasn't even angry. Hope you never get him to that point," the vampire detective directed. "I think I remember you from the Raven. It was right before Divia struck the first time. Xena and LaCroix fought. And you were the hombre loco fighting Janette DuCharme, weren't you?" Vachon recalled. "Yeah, that was me all right," the other grinned and observed his new acquaintance. "So, you're Vachon? You know, you would seem like Tracy's type." The Spaniard froze. "Tracy? You mean Tracy Vetter? She's not dead?" Nick shook his head, "Like me, she came back to life. Yes, she's here and working for TPD as Tracy Brown. She'll definitely be glad to see you. " "I would like to see her," the other male vampire sighed. "Okay, Knight, you got a deal." "Sure. And, by the way, Nick Knight was killed in an arson fire up in Toronto if you get my drift. I'm Nick Miles now," the former crusader explained. "Absolutely. By the way, I guess once a knight always a Knight," Vachon surmised. "You referring to the derivation of Miles for knight. Sure, that's why I chose it. And Natalie is here in Tucson as well," Nick replied pleasantly. "Well, judging by the alarm, I'd say that my co-workers are going to be here soon. So, Dave, I think you better make tracks." "Right. But, we still need to put our heads together on this one, Nick. Alyce, Vachon, great to see you," Dave agreed, departing the room. "If you don't mind, Miles, I'd like to hang around. I'll give my version of the testimony if you know what I mean." Nick glanced at Alyce who gave him a nervous shrug. After everything else, what difference would that make? In fact, given what else was to come, the attack would seem like small potatoes indeed. Chapter 8 As the battle unfolded at the museum, Tracy arrived at the airport and walked into the concourse area. Spying a TV monitor, she scanned the listings and found that Steve's flight, America West 2334, was pulling into Gate 12 at that moment. After a brisk walk through the facility, the detective reached the gate just as the passengers exited the plane. Steve saw her almost immediately, waved to get her attention, and approached her quickly. "Tracy, good to see you again, although I wish it were under better circumstances," he greeted pleasantly. "Likewise," she agreed, shaking his hand. "And we have a doozie of a situation." "I know," he sighed, still thinking about the inevitable confrontation with Dave. "By the way, where's your partner?" "If you mean Nick, he took off on our way over here. Apparently, he sensed that something was about to happen at the University's art museum and took off...if you get my drift. I haven't heard from him since," she shrugged. The agent did indeed know her meaning, having seen Nick's vampiric powers in person on two other occasions. "Well, I'm sure we'll run into him at the precinct. In the meantime, I carried everything on. So, I guess we can go ahead," he noted. "Super!" she grinned. At least, this guy was always on the ball. *********** Schanke had heard the alert from the museum first while on his way back from a murder scene. Speeding around two corners, he parked the car, and bolted into to the facility. Immediately, he felt a chill in the air. "What the...?" he asked and looked around. Two piles of ash streaked the floor in front of him and an acrid smell assailed his senses. "Whew!" he complained, waving his hand in an effort to fan away the odor. Then, he made his way up the marble staircase with his gun drawn just in case of other surprises. At the top of the stairs, he spied the doors-or what remained of them-hanging on their hinges, providing an open path into the main foyer. "Who or what could do that?" he wondered aloud although he already knew the answer. Either Nick, Dave, or Xena could force the portals if the situation warranted the action. Creeping into the room very carefully, the paunchy detective saw that the main battle had continued here. Once again, the pungent odor of ash although this time-mixed with the mitigating aroma of garlic- permeated the air and more ashen piles lay on the floor. The display in the corner was a wreck as well as the side window and the skylight. The four people in the corner of the room were discussing something urgently and so, didn't notice him at first. Finally, Nick glanced over and yelled, "Schanke! Over here!" The other detective joined the group and asked, "Hey, Nick, what happened?" "The Enforcers attacked us again," the vampire detective informed him. "And they stole the Necklace of Nefertiri and the chest containing Alti's remains," Alyce added. Schanke glanced at Dave, who was obviously frustrated over this course of events. "I'm sorry. I can guess what you and Angie had to go through to get it." "It happens," the professor shrugged. "No, I'm ticked that Dijon got away again not to mention with that stuff." "And what about the ash piles?" Nick motioned towards Dave, stating, "His handiwork." The other detective nodded knowingly. While he had seen the professor's abilities before, the other man never ceased to amaze him. "So, what now?" "Now, we have to be on our guard," Dave indicated, facing the window. "Somehow Alti's going to