posted on 7-Sep-2001 6:17:07 AM
Okay, probably a good idea to read 'Streets of Rage' first.
You can find it here:

pub57.ezboard.com/fantari...=121.topic

If you're too lazy to read it, here's the summary;

After Departure Max is kidnapped by Kivar. Kivar begans to move the skins into Roswell and the rest of the Earth and they basically trash the place. The pod groups main concern is to find Max but after Maria is killed they go postal on the skins. This war leads Liz and Michael to become 'close.' Finally after several years, on August 23, 2004 Max is found. They fight a good fight against Kivar and he is killed. Unfortunately so are Ava and Kyle. (Miss anything?)

So now we have Michael, Max, Liz and Isabel left to pick up the pieces.

Lingering Battles

Prolougue
August 24, 2004

Liz picked up the broken pop machine. It looked like pretty much everything else in the Crashdown. Broken, tarnished, trashed, shattered. It looked exactly how Liz felt, only in a few moments one of the aliens would do that neat trick with their hand and the pop machine would be fixed. Too bad someone couldn't do that to her heart.

Max and Michael were walking around the Crashdown trying to fix things up for Liz. Isabel was just sitting at the booth watching them. She had almost killed them back at the fort and the worst thing was she knew what she was doing the whole time. Only she couldn't control her actions. But maybe if she had fought harder against Kivar. Maybe then Ava wouldn't have had to have........

Max picked up one of the stools and melded it back into it's place in front of the counter. Michael erased the alien porn from the walls. Slowly the Crashdown was being transformed back to the place they had known. Surely any minute Maria would walk out of the kitchen with their orders...

Part 1:

Isabel watched as Michael walked out of the kitchen with a plateful of burgers. "You got the grill working?" asked Isabel.
"Not exactly." answered Michael. "But we still have to eat."
"I'm not hungry." said Isabel.
"Me neither." added Liz.
"I don't feel like it either Michael." said Max.
"Max, you're a walking skeleton. You're gonna eat this burger if I have to throw it down your throat."
Max reluctantly took the burger from Michael.

"I say we check out the rest of Roswell and see what the damage is." declared Michael, while Max ate. "Get rid of any of the skins that are stupid enough to be still hanging around."
"I'm scared to go home." whispered Isabel.
"You can never go home again." whispered Liz in response.

"Will you guys break out of it?" yelled Michael. "Yeah, we went through some pretty hard shit but it's not the end of the world. It was a lot worse the other time around."
"The other time around?" asked Max.
"We had a longer time together last time though." answered Liz. "All seven of us."
"But it's over, we're not messing with it this time. The world's safety is worth a few lives." said Michael.
"It'll never be over." answered Isabel.

"Can someone tell me what you're talking about?" asked Max.
"Some other time." answered Liz, brushing Max's question aside.

Max watched as Michael, Isabel and Liz debated their future. He wasn't even figured into things any more. Did any of them even bother to tell him they were glad he was still alive?

"Maybe we should see who's still alive in this town." said Michael.
"The skins killed innocent people?" asked Max.
"Only if they couldn't be used." answered Isabel.

The quartet picked themselves up and headed to the Evan's house.

Part 2:

"No..." murmered Isabel as she walked into her old room. It was torn apart and the stuffing from her mattress was scattered all over the room. Then she heard a noise coming from the closet. "Michael, I hear something." said Isabel as she pointed towards the closet.

Michael walked bravely towards the closet and opened the door while Max, Isabel and Liz stood watching him.
"Mrs. Evans?" asked Michael.
"Michael?"
"Mom?"
"Kids?"

In a few seconds Isabel and Max had their mother in a bear hug. "What happened Mom?" asked Isabel.
Mrs. Evans looked at Isabel oddly.
"There was a girl here. She looked exactly like you. I thought she was you, until she put me in the closet. She's the one who did this." said Mrs. Evans.
"Lonnie." the group muttered.
"Where's Dad?" asked Isabel.
"They killed him." said Diane. 'They' was the word the remaining people in Roswell used to refer to the group of hellians that had swarmed into their small town and turned it into a war zone. No one really understood who they were, or what they wanted.

"I thought you were dead. Where did you go?" asked Diane, looking at Max and Isabel.
"We skipped town for our own safetly." said Isabel.
"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Diane. "We could have all left together."
"It was too dangerous." said Max.
"No more dangerous then staying here." argued Diane.
"I'm sorry Mom." said Isabel.

Diane stopped crying and looked at her children.
"Who was that girl?" she asked Max and Isabel.
Isabel looked at Max. "I have to tell her."
Max just nodded.
"Mom, me and Max, we're not normal. We have special abilities." started Isabel. "We're not from Earth. We came here from a distant planet called Antar in the '47 Crash. We were in pods on the ship and we broke out of them in 1990 looking like 7 year old children. That's when you and Dad found us. That's why Max was able to put out the fire that time and heal the bird. Those are his powers."
Diane just looked at Isabel. "You're aliens?"
"Yes, Mom." answered Max.
"So who was that girl?" asked Diane.
"We were sent to Earth so that one day we could return to Antar. We had previous lives on Antar but we died young. Because we were the Royal Family our essences were sent back to Earth to grow up and one day return to Antar and end the war. Because we were so important to Antar's future two sets of us were sent to Earth in case something happened to one." said Isabel.

"I think I have to sit down." said Diane, flopping unto the shredded bed. "So you aren't just aliens, you're reincarnated aliens who were the Royal family of Antar in your past life?"
"Yes." answered Max.
"I see. Well it's nice to have you back."

Part 3:

Max, Michael and Liz walked out of the room and left Isabel and Diane alone.
"I think she took that well." said Max sitting down in the kitchen. He picked up the broken table legs and melded them back unto the table.
"Lonnie is out looking for us." said Liz. "And I don't think she wants to join our club."
"Killing her man-bitch probably cheesed her off." stated Michael.
"You were pretty pissed when we killed off your little pile of ass." came a voice from behind them. "Didn't think I would let you guys off that easy didcha's?" asked Lonnie.

"Mom, stay in here. I have to go help the others." said Isabel walking out of her room.
"Hello Lonnie. What are you doing here?" said Isabel.
"Just came to see my lil' sis and bro."
"Good. I thought today would be a good day to get rid of my inner demons." said Isabel.
"You think I'm scared of you? You have nothing on me, girl."
"Maybe we should try and find out." challenged Isabel.

Max, Michael and LIz watched in fear as Lonnie and Isabel squared off against each other.
"Isabel, don't." begged Max.

"Let's go." said Isabel, ignoring Max's pleas.
'Come on Isabel, just did the same thing Kivar had you do. You can toast Lonnie crisp in no time.' thought Isabel.

Max, Michael and Liz watched in awe as Isabel's powers began to take on giant perportion. Lonnie's were doing the same.
"Stop it, you'll both be killed." yelled Liz.

Lonnie and Isabel let go of their fire blasts at exactly the same time. Everybody thought for sure they were both goners. But then something truly amazing happened.

The fire balls collided and exploded and both Lonnie and Isabel disappeared. Then when the flames cleared Isabel, or was it Lonnie, was sitting in the pile of ashes.
"Isabel?" asked Liz uncertainly.
"Lonnie?" asked Michael.
"Vilondra." she answered. "We were two parts of a whole."
"Vilondra?!?" exclaimed the group.
"Yes. Isabel and Lonnie had different parts of my personality. The essences weren't divided evenly."


Part 4:

"You're Vilondra?" asked Michael.
"Yes."
"How do you know that?" asked Liz.
"I have all my memories of the past, and I know who I am."
"Are you going to tell us about our past?" asked Max.
"No, not right now."
"How does it feel?" asked Michael. "I mean to be who you were, or being together after being apart."
"I feel complete. I'm not some hybrid but true Antarian."
"But you look human." pointed out Liz.
"Antarian's are adaptable. Our bodies take on the shape necessary to survive in the environment. In this case it's human."
"Why didn't the skins adapt?" asked Liz.
"Because they are not Antarian but Beetonian."
"Do you have Isabel's memories?" asked Michael.
"Yes, but I also have Lonnie's."
"Doesn't that get confusing?" asked Liz.
"Not really. Lonnie and Isabel were at two extremes of my personality. Lonnie killed Zan, while Isabel was a loving sister. On Antar, I ended up getting Zan killed even though I loved him."
"Is it the same with us?" asked Max.
"In males the essences are better mixed so there would be less of a contrast between you and your dupe."
"But Ava and Tess were extremes?" asked Liz.
"Exactly." answered Vilondra, thankful someone was finally getting it. Max and Michael still looked a little confused.

"Were we supposed to meld with our dupes?" asked Max.
"That was the plan. But things don't ever work out like they're supposed to. You just have to make the best out of what does happen."

Diane walked out of the bedroom.
"Isabel are you alright?" she asked.
"Yes, Mom. I'm okay."
"What happened to that girl?"
"She went home."
"Home? As in the other planet?" asked Diane.
"Something like that. Want me to help you fix up the place?" asked Vilondra. "I'll explain everything to you while we cook and clean."

Michael stayed with Vilondra and Diane while Max and Liz walked back to the Crashdown.
"Are you okay Liz?"
"Yeah."
"You're lying." said Max.
"Yeah."

Liz opened the door to the Crashdown and sat down at one of the newly restored booths.
"What do you think of what happened with Isabel?" asked Liz.
"I don't know. She says she's complete but if that happened to me, I'd feel like I was losing myself."
"You don't have to worry about it." comforted Liz.

Max looked at Liz. She looked so sweet and concerned. She had lost everything, her family, her friends, her life, her dreams. And here she was comforting him.
"Liz, do you know your an angel? To keep looking for me after all this time. You never lost faith in me. I don't deserve this kind of loyalty."

"I'm not that perfect." she whispered. "I screw up just like the rest of you." She couldn't prevent a few stray tears from rolling down her cheeks.

Max brushed the tears away from her cheek.
"Can I kiss you?" he whispered in her ear as he brushed a loose strand of her hair out of the way.

"No. Max. Don't. I'm not who you think I am. There were days I was sure you were dead. When I had no hope and gave up. I'm not innocent little Liz Parker."
"What do you mean Liz?"
"I was with someone." she whispered as she looked at the floor.
"You did sleep with Kyle?" asked Max.
"What you saw that time was a set-up. I didn't do it because I didn't love you, it's complicated. I'll explain it later."
"Who was it Liz?" asked Max. Max watched Liz but she didn't answer him. That wasn't a good sign.
"Did you love him?" asked Max. "Do you still?"
Liz finally looked up at Max. All the colour had drained out of his face, he looked like a little leaf that could be blown away. But something hardened inside her against him and an old hate flared up.
"Not like I loved you." she answered, ever word filled with vengence. Then the hardness and anger passed and Liz sat back down in the booth and Max stood up to go.
"Don't leave." whispered Liz.
Max looked back at her and smiled sadly.
"I'm not done with you yet Liz Parker." in a tone that was half threat and half promise.

TBC




Edited by - Robyn on 09/12/2001 17:55:21
posted on 11-Sep-2001 5:41:32 PM
Part 9:

Max involuntarily shivered at Liz's recounting of the skins takeover and Michael's and Isabel's deaths.
"What if they die again this time though?" he asked.
"We've already defeated the skins on Earth though. The war is back on Antar now and hopefully everything will work out okay. But you saved Earth."
"No, I didn't, Liz. You did."

Liz had told Max the bare bones of the story. About Future Max coming back and telling her that they couldn't be together, that it made Tess leave Roswell and the ramifications of that. She didn't feel like getting into the details right then.

"Max, I have to ask you something."
"Yes."
"Do you think I did right? I ended up getting Alex killed at a young age, I cheated us out of the best years of our life."
"Liz, that's okay. You did what you believed was right and it turned out okay. Things weren't easy."
"Max."
"Yes?"
"Is there anyway I can get you to believe your own words."

Max just looked at Liz and smiled.
"I'm sorry Liz."
"What for?"
"Everything knowing me has put you through."
"It's all worth it. It's better than never having known you."

The two sat in silence for a few moments. Then Max took Liz's hand.
"I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me." he whispered.
"Your forgiven." she whispered.
"Ditto on that."

Max slowly leaned towards Liz and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Then he found her lips, but the flashes didn't come. Each was trying to protect the other from things hidden in their memory.

TBC