On a whim, Betsy had taken off in Excellence towards the best spa and medical retreat in the known universe. Located on the planet of Navvien, The Impossible Traveler looks at the screen of her navigational computer with unseeing eyes; the intensity of the planet’s reflective surface was blinding, even though she’d taken the precaution of slipping eclipse glasses over her emerald eyes. Alarms begin to beep as she enters Navvien’s atmosphere; snapping out of her reverie, she spins the screen away from her face with a casual flick of the wrist. As if on autopilot, Betsy presses buttons and pulls levers all through the control console, landing Excellence with ease at the outskirts of the grand city of Palbara. Even after the cheerful wheezing of the engine silences, she remains rooted to her spot, a hand still gripping the steering wheel. Her head turns towards the bedrooms, where her current companions were sleeping, as she had in the pilot's chair. As if thinking of them were some sort of alarm, both James Raven and Shawn Warstein appear, still mostly asleep, but dressed and ready to go.


“Where did you land us now, Granger?” Shawn grumbles, slightly surly in his half-sleeping state.


James on the other hand approaches Betsy and scoops her up gently, landing a gentle kiss on her lips. Shawn turns away as her arms wrap around James’ shoulders; Betsy catches the movement out of the corner of her eyes and guilt flutters in her stomach. It had been she, of course, who had insisted Shawn join her and James on this mini-vacation; breaking off the kiss and pushing James away gently, she gives the slightest tilt of her head in Shawn’s direction. Quickly catching her meaning, James nods and releases her while still remaining close to her side. With an apologetic smile, she turns towards Shawn as she reaches for a pair of eclipse glasses and tosses them to him. He catches them with ease and studies them before giving her a confused expression mingled with irritation.


“We’re on the biggest and best spa planet in the universe, Navvien. This is the capital city Palbara, where all the best features of the spa happen to be located. This where all the self-proclaimed ‘upper echelon” of the entire universe mingles amongst one another; think of it as an intergalactic golf course. If this were on Earth, you’d see politicians, lawyers, actors, etc. in this place. They would convene here for a circle jerk as they bragged about how they made their wealth by exploiting the rest of us...” Her face darkens as her voice trails off; a touch on the shoulder from James snaps her back.


“So how are we getting in?” Shawn asks, his impatience clearly growing.


Betsy smiles brightly again as she passes by him to head to the doors. The guys fall in behind her as she speaks. "Brother Mine, you should know by now, you and James are the famous ones back on Earth; I’ve got universal cred, and one of the owners owes me a huge solid.” With a wink, she pushes open the door and the triple suns of Navvien fill the inside of the phone box. The first thing one notices when stepping onto the planet’s surface, other than the intense brightness, is the surprising lack of heat. Despite the three suns shining relentlessly on the dry, cracked surface of the planet, the temperature that hits their skin is a perfect seventy degrees.


James and Shawn hurry to slip the eclipse glasses over their eyes; while James follows Betsy outside, the other stands in the doorway and crosses his arms over his chest. “Great... You can send me home; then you and James can have all the spa fun you want.” Shawn tells her, his tone positively waspish now.


Pausing in their tracks, they both turn to face Shawn, who’s expression writes clearly what his tongue is holding back. The lovers exchange a concerned expression; within moments, they look back at Shawn and Betsy takes another tentative step forward. “I know I sort of brow-beat you into coming, but I only did it beca-”


“You’re worried about me due to the break-up? Or because of how I fell just short of taking my place as king at March Madness? Maybe you felt you haven’t thanked me enough for saving yours and James’ ass back in that parking garage. Or is it simply because you caaaaaare about me, ‘Sister Mine’?” Shawn spits the words out at her as if they were venom. Betsy only stands frozen on the spot, blinking up at him. “Don’t feed me the trope, Betsy, I’ve already heard it all before. You only brought me here because you like to control everything; now you can take me home because I don’t feel like fucking dealing with it right now.”


During Shawn’s heated tirade, Betsy felt the traitorous lump form in her throat; despite her rapid blinking, hot tears begin to sting the back of her eyes, sticking to her eyelashes and threatening to spill down her cheeks. Shawn had thrown his words at her like kunai and she could almost feel the blood spilling from invisible wounds as they made contact. Taking in a shaky breath, she stiffens her upper lip and attempts to state her case as steadily as she can. “I brought you here because I’m afraid for you.” Her voice cracks at the very start, giving her away. “James and I, we do care about you and you fucking know that. I’m sorry about Atty,” she starts, continuing quickly and loudly when he attempts to open his mouth to rebuttal. “No, it needs to be said. I’m sorry things went the way they did with her; you obviously had an extremely different outcome for how things would go between you. I was rooting for you, I thought you two would make it this time around. She’s my friend... Well, she was, I guess that’s been hurled out the window now... It never mattered either way because YOU are MY BROTHER,” the tears she had hoped to keep at bay began sliding down her cheeks. “I was hoping history wouldn’t repeat itself, but it has and here we are. Here WE are, look around you; Atty chose her family over you, so I’m choosing my family over her. That's you, Shawn; so, I’m asking you as my brother and my friend; can you leave Earth shit on Earth until we get back and just let yourself go for a day? You once told me that we all get one day off to relax after a hectic cycle; well, consider this it. You’ve earned it... We all have.” She looks over at him, her expression full of appeal as tears left a trail down her cheeks; she hadn’t even noticed that she was trembling until James put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Shawn stared at her for a long time, his expression switching between anger and something that resembled guilt. As Legacy continued their silent argument, two of the guards at the entry had noticed them on camera and were now looking out at them from the doorway of the lavish golden building. As the minor spat between the self-proclaimed siblings continued, the guards watched on, silent and entirely unnoticed.


Shawn finally steps outside the phone box, allowing a heavy sigh to stamp his reluctance and displeasure. “Fine, Bets, you win this round; it’s not like I’m getting far without you to pilot this thing anyway.” Slamming the door shut behind him, he stomps a few paces behind his friends as all three head towards the doors of the palace spa. The security guards, realizing that the fight was on hold, rushed back inside; Betsy turned her head towards the door in time to catch the second guard slipping through the doors built with diamonds. Even though she’d only seen him from behind, she noted lime-green hair and skin that was tinted a lovely shade of pink. The uniform was standard for the location, but she thought that the intricate tattoo on their neck, peeking out through the collar, was odd.


She doesn’t get enough time to think about it, however; they soon step through the doors, and all three gasps at what they beheld. Golden fountains on each side of the guest lobby provided comfortable, padded benches that surrounded tiny man-made fish ponds; the water, which poured from a sparkling silver spout, was a bright shade of teal that rivaled any ocean back on Earth. The welcome desk to the left was made of a shimmering silver metal; tacked all over it were compliment cards, pictures of frequent celebrity visitors, and advertisements. A lush, long red carpet had rolled the length of the building from the door all the way down the hall to the back wall where supply closets stood like silent sentinels. On each side, four giant, golden framed archways provided entry to different sections of the spa; each section was provided a hallway with cave-like rock walls, where smaller doors broke off to smaller rooms that provided specialty services. Betsy points these out as she begins to explain the layout properly to a wide-eyed James and an indifferent Shawn.


“The entire planet, including the spa, is based underground. This planet was once completely barren, having three suns makes it virtually inhospitable... Until you get a clever race of beings who happen to be looking for a new home after their own planet got invaded. When the Palbarians found this place, they saw potential where many others saw nothing. Say what you will about their pacifist ways; they’ve got some of the most brilliant and innovative minds in the universe. After discovering the wealth of sustainable natural resources under the surface, the planet leaders set about colonizing the place properly. But they knew they needed a way to generate currency and trade so that they could survive; that’s how the spa came to be. The caves have natural healing properties within them and they were able to utilize that to build special rooms for particular needs along with a plethora of miracle products. Estheticians and beauticians on earth would be wet with jealousy right now.”


James is nodding as he takes in her words, his head still swiveling around on his neck to try and take in everything. Even Shawn has the grace to look impressed, giving the room another looks around. Finally, he turns back to Betsy as a question enters his head. “So... If this surface is inhabitable because of the three suns thing, how were we able to get from Excellence to the doors without burning to a crisp?”


Betsy grins as she turns back to both guys before heading up to the desk. “This one is all me, the glasses I gave you before we left Excellence activated a high-level UV and radiation shield around your person the moment you put them on. I’m not saying we could go for a walk into the sun, but we could get a close-up of one if we wanted to. That’s what makes the spa free to all who make it here; if you have the technology, you’re in.”


“Jesus... Technology as currency, Earth really is behind on the times.” James marvels.


“You’re half correct, my dear; Earth is insanely behind, but not every star system considers technology fair or necessary for of trade or value” Betsy partially agrees. “There are still tons of forms of intergalactic credits that act as money, but races such as the Palbarian appreciate the worth of technology more advanced than theirs.”


They approach the desk where a pretty girl with orange eyes and pale pink skin sits in crisp, white coveralls. She smiles up at them from behind her computer. “Welcome, honored guests; if I might have the name of the one who schedule today's sessions, we can get you started.”


Betsy begins the business of checking them in as the guys walk over to one of the lounging fountains for a closer look. Once she and the young Palbarian finish their business at the desk, three spa attendants appear from a door behind her and line up in front of Legacy. Inviting the three of them to follow, they turn and begin down the long hallway. Turning left, they start down a dimly lit hallway; the rapid drop in temperature paired with the crystalized rock walls confirms that they are now under the surface of the planet. They continue down the seemingly never-ending hall, passing closed doors on all side of them. Without warning, ear-splitting alarms begin to blare all around them, causing everyone to cry out and cover their ears desperately. The hallway is suddenly flooded with bright light as doors fly open, startled therapists peeking their heads around the doors in confusion. Guests in varying states of dress and relaxation also begin to emerge, annoyed and confused at the interruption.


Turning towards Betsy, Shawn shouts over the deafening alarms to be heard. “I have a feeling this wasn’t part of the itinerary.”


“What?!” Betsy shouts at him, having seen his lips move.


Before he can attempt to replay, the alarms come to a stop. Sighing with relief, Legacy uncovers their ears and look at one another. “Well, that was fun.” James remarks, his words dripping with sarcasm. As she allows her ringing ears to recover, Betsy ignores James’ snarky comment and looks around. Guests clad in white robes and slippers provided by the spa were now milling about in the hallway, trying to make sense of what was happening. Taking in the scene, Betsy realizes something rather crucial.


“Hey guys... Where did our attendants go?”


No sooner did the words leave her lips before another sound crashed through the spa; one that lifted the hairs all over her body. Metal doors were beginning to crash shut, a means of preventing anyone from escaping should danger ever present itself. The guys must have caught the expression on her face; within moments they are on either side of her protectively, asking the questions she was afraid to answer.


“Are we under lockdown?” Shawn hisses at her through clenched teeth. Betsy only nods, her mouth suddenly bones dry.


“Are we in trouble?” James whispers, his body tense and ready for a fight. Betsy can only shake her head and shrug helplessly. Licking her lips, she opens her mouth to answer, when the intercom system crackles to life.


“Star Mother... Impossible Traveler. We know that you are here, Betsy Granger; there will be no escape this time. You have one hour to surrender yourself and your ship to us, or we destroy this planet.”


The system goes dead as quickly as it’d come to life. Betsy looks at the guys, her face full of confused fear. Her blood had run cold as her heart jumps into her throat and begins to beat out a samba. Everything begins to happen in a flash: Just as she turns back down the hallway to return to the lobby, she spots them. The two “security guards” from earlier; they are racing down the hall towards her, weapons pointed directly at her chest. Before she could dodge the shot, James had tackled her out of the way; meanwhile, Shawn had dodged and swiftly moved behind the first, trapping him in a stranglehold. Several of the guests cry out in surprise as James leaps up from the floor and lunges at the Palbarian who had shot at Betsy. The guys make quick work of the guards, relieving them of their weapons. Betsy gets to her feet and joins them, observing the thick, dark-brown sticks in the guys’ hands.


“Thumb trigger,” she muses out loud, pointing to a small silver button. “but no signs of laser or any kind of heat damage at the head. These aren’t weapons meant to kill; whoever wants me, they want me alive.” Lifting the stick in James’ hand upward, she spots a stick residue at the tip. Looking around, she spots a sticky, web-like substance on the wall just behind her and lets out a weak puff of breath; calling out quietly to the guys, they turn and follow her troubled gaze. An older male therapist had gotten caught in the webbing meant for Betsy. Her heart sinks as she approaches him, running a careful finger over the material. “Are you hurt?” she inquires gently, her voice thick with guilt. Shawn is already beside her, switchblade out and taking a tentative test cut of the webbing; it gives under the knife, much to everyone’s relief. Handing it off to Betsy, he and James's watch as she carefully hacks away at the web as quickly as possible.


“I’m alright miss, but I should be asking if YOU are alright?” the therapist asks in a kind voice, his eyes watching Betsy’s every move. Without a word, Betsy pauses for a moment to give him a bright smile before going back to work. It was clear that for the time being, she wasn’t alright, but the kind old man seemed wise enough to know not to press the subject. As soon as he’s free, he gives Betsy a low bow of respect. “You have my gratitude, miss.”


“No, sir, please; that shot was meant for me, it’s my fault you ended up trapped in the first place.” James clears his throat to protest, but Shawn puts a hand on his shoulder and shakes his head. The former falls back reluctantly.


His face is covered in wrinkles, especially around the eyes and mouth; a clear side effect of much smiling through his life. Even still, his orange eyes still carry a youthful glow and his smile is full of genuine pleasure and comfort. He holds out a hand and Betsy reached out to clasp it, feeling herself cave for a moment to that smile. “You didn’t shoot me, miss, and I have no idea why those younglings did. But you are a guest on our planet and not one, but two of our own have endangered you; therefore, in return for your kindness in freeing me, I will help you and your friends escape.”


“My dear man, thank you so much.” Betsy replies, her voice shaky with relief. Gesturing for the guys, she turns and begins to follow the old man down the opposite hallway, where he’d started venturing. Weaving through the muttering guests, Legacy begins to follow the surprisingly spry old man. “I don’t believe we ever got your name, kind stranger. I’m obviously Betsy Granger; this is my boyfriend James Raven and my brother Shawn Warstein. We came here from Earth, invited by Livinia as special guests.”


The old mans wrinkled face furrows, deepening the creases in his forehead. “Betsy Granger... I know that name... You’re the one who helped us find this planet after the Taladoukans destroyed our homeworld. Betsy only nods at this acknowledgement without turning her head; she can feel the eyes of both guys boring holes into her at this new piece of information about her. “We owe our very existence to you, Impossible Traveler; my name is Mevv, I was one of the original settlers to be brought here to help put things together. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you; my life is yours, it would be my honor to lay it down today to help you escape.”


“I most certainly hope it doesn’t come to that.” Betsy replies, ignoring the pokes in her back from James and Shawn. Through gritted teeth, she continues on as they pass through a door into a wide room. “So, tell me, Mevv, do you know anything of those two security guards that attacked us? Or anything about what’s going on here and why they might want me?”


Mevv pushes open a huge door and gestures for everyone to enter before him. Betsy pulls a face but quietly enters; mild claustrophobia hits as she realizes just how narrow the hallway is. She hadn’t realized she’d frozen on the spot until James’ warm hands take her own and squeezes it encouragingly. Swallowing back the sense of panic wanting to consume her, she draws in a deep breath and begins walking forward. Her bare shoulders hit the cold, damp stones as she slowly makes her way forward. James follows close behind while Shawn walks sideways, still carrying both the web-shooting sticks; Betsy couldn’t help but admire his resourcefulness. Forcing her breathing to remain normal, Betsy focuses on creeping her way across the narrow hallway; it was obviously a secret passage for employees to make their way to different sections unnoticed. The narrow passage for her and the guys was the perfect size for the smaller Palbarians; now she understood why Mevv had wanted them to go first.


After an eternity, Betsy’s fumbling hands finally find the metal frame of a door. Holding back a sob of relief, she feels for the handle and pulls it, pushing the door open carelessly; she’s greeted on the other side with a laser blast that misses her face by inches. With a startled yelp, she pulls the door shut again and turns terrified eyes to the guys. “Any ideas?”She whispers as the room on the other side goes deceptively silent.


“Is there any way you can duck low enough to clear James and me?” Shawn asks Betsy. She nods and slides carefully down into a hunched position, ducking her head in between her legs. “James, take this,” Shawn continues, handing James one of the web-shooters. “Kneel down enough to give me a clear shot while getting one for yourself. Mevv... anything we need to know about these sticks?”


"Aim towards the enemy and be prepared for one hell of a recoil.” Mevv’s reply floated from the back of the line as he too had ducked out of the way.


Nodding towards James, Shawn counts down and Betsy reaches up and turns the handle once more. Using his stick to kick it open forcefully, blaster fire begins again; taking careful aim, Shawn points the gun at the closest figure and fires. The web hits its mark and the resounding crash lets them know the man is down. James repeats this, taking down another enemy. While this is happening, Betsy has rolled her way out of the cave and taken cover around the lip of the wall unnoticed. Spotting a rogue combatant with a blaster pointed towards the unknowing guys, Betsy springs into action; on quiet feet, she comes up behind the unwitting assailant and wraps her arm tightly around his throat while covering his mouth with her free hand. He struggles, but it only makes it worse as her grip tightens; his body soon slumps in her grip and she lets him go, allowing him to fall gently to the floor. Relieving his unconscious body of his blaster, she ducks behind crystal pillar and peaks around; James and Shawn had made impressive work of the blaster-laden assailants and were now working over less heavily-armed fighters, using the web-shooters as bo staffs. Using cover from the thick crystals, Betsy sends a silent prayer out to the universe and takes aim. Years on shooting ranges with her father, a retired Navy SEAL, begin to pay off; one by one, Betsy picks off the assailants with pristine shots. Satisfaction seeps through her as bodies hit the ground with lifeless thuds; she giggles at the wide-eyed shock on the faces of both guys. They look around for their savior and she pops out from behind the pillar obligingly.


“That was some fucking fantastic shooting, babe.” James says. In his relief, he ignores the situation at hand and crushes his lips against hers, pulling her body tightly against his. As much as she enjoys this, she pushes him away, giving him a gentle reprimanding look. But as she looks up into his brown eyes, which are on fire with lust, she realizes that she’s feeling stirrings of her own. An intoxicating blend of his favorite cologne, roses, and old book pages dominate her olfactory. Reason leaves them both as her expression matches his and dropping their weapons, the couple is now tangled in one another. Shawn looks absolutely flabbergasted at the sudden turn of events; meanwhile, Mevv is looking around the switches along the far-left wall. Shawn quickly joins him as things between the couple begin to progress rapidly.


“What the fuck is happening right now?” Shawn asks of Mevv in a voice blended with annoyance and horror.


“This is one of the couples therapy rooms, boyo. One of the effects is a special mist that enhances the senses connected to love, lust, passion... You get it. It’s meant for couples going through issues in their relationship that might be on the verge of falling apart; the amount used in the rooms is just enough to help these struggling couples rekindle their passions. Your friends here are clearly very much in love and strongly bonded, it’s why the effects of the mist are hitting them this strongly. I’ve never seen inhibitions completely taken away like this before.”


A look of painful regret passes over Shawn’s face as he inhales deeply one more time and closes his eyes before Mevv finds the switch he’s looking for. A sigh escapes the Tyrant as the scents invading unbidden in his nose dissipated. Betsy and James come to a full stop in the midst of their rapture, looking at one another in confusion. With a gasp, Betsy quickly scurries away from James, scrambling to rearrange her clothing. James does the same; both have trouble meeting Shawn’s eye when he finally turns back to face them. Pursing his lips at them, Shawn shakes his head in disgust. “I guess I should be grateful that Mevv got the damn stuff off before I got the whole floor show.”


Betsy’s cheeks blaze with fire at these words while James glares at his lack of tact. With his trademark shrug, Shawn turns back to Mevv, who simply looks on the three of them stoically. “Rumors of your valor travel far and wide, Star Mother; but we had no idea you had an army of your own built up.”


“I wouldn’t exactly call them an army, Mr. Mevv. We’re a family, first and foremost.” Her words hang in the air between them as they all think back on the past two weeks. Sensing the tension, Mevv merely nods and beckons for them to follow him through a door to the right. They quietly make their way through the underground labyrinth of a spa, avoiding any more fights as they follow Mevv faithfully through the hallways and rooms. Both guys continued to carry the web-shooters while Betsy kept the blaster safely in her grasp. As they pass by the main office of the spa, a female voice whispers to them from within the doorway.


“Betsy! In here!”


“Livinia?” Betsy whirls around to see an attractive, middle-aged Palbarian female peeking her head around the door. James, Shawn, and Mevv all turn as Betsy rushes over and the two women hug tightly. They keep it brief and Livinia makes quick work of herding the four of them inside. Just as she gets the door locked securely behind them, the intercom crackles to life once more.


“Twenty minutes, Traveler. Make your choice: Surrender or allow this planet and its people to be destroyed.”


Betsy and Livinia exchange a troubled glance as the two girls from the front desk huddle in the corner, clutching tightly to one another. Mevv and Livinia greet each other warmly before Livinia casts an inquisitive gaze towards James and Shawn. Stepping up to James first, she looks deep into his brown eyes and touches his cheek gently. “I can see why Betsy cleaves to you... He’s handsome, old friend. And quite virile, from what I can sense. Leave it to you to choose a man with the heart of a warrior.”


James shoots Betsy a bemused glance as her cheeks flame a bright red. Shawn is smirking until Livinia steps up to him and puts her hand on his cheek. Her eyes immediately darken as she feels his sadness and she places her other hand over his heart. “It hurts now, but don’t give in to him. You still have people here who care about you; lean on them and turn to their strengths as well as your own. You are an avenging angel, my child... And the time for you to unleash it is fast approaching.”


Shawn’s face flickers between emotions before his eyes grow hard and his expression blank. His body grows rigid as he gently removes Livinia’s hand from his face. “You’ve got the wrong man; I am not an angel in any capacity.”


Livinia keeps her eyes on him for several more moments, before turning back to Betsy and taking both her hands in her own. “Whoever is here for you, they’ve managed to pay off some of my staff to hunt you down. You’ve got a billion credits on your head right now.”


“A billion credits on MY head?” the words come out in a strangled whisper as Betsy feels the wind get knocked out of her. James catches her as she staggers backward, concern etched deep into his face.


“I’m guessing that’s as big here in space as a billion dollars would be on Earth?” Shawn says, watching Betsy’s reaction closely. Betsy turns wide green eyes on him; she can only nod as the news had knocked her completely mute. “Fucking fucks sake SIS, who did you piss off this time?”


“I... Don’t...” her voice trails off as an unfamiliar sense of desperation forms in the pit of her stomach.


“A hero has many enemies; speaking of which, this is another reason I’m glad we were able to find one another. I have information; not much, but hopefully what I have can help you figure out whoever is after you. This isn’t the first time they’ve tried to trap you, the-”


“Still nothing, Star Skipper? I heard tales that the fearless Betsy Granger backs down from no one; why then have you not presented yourself to me peacefully? You have no hope of escape, no matter what the owner of this establishment or her employees may try to do in your favor. Ten minutes left; tick-tock, goes the clock. You wouldn’t want this to end up like Loose End... Devils Run... Olympus... Star-Crossed... Midnight...”


Betsy sags heavily against James as each of the words she’d thought a dream were brought jarringly back into her reality. Every single one of those fantasies had ended terribly; the idea that she’d left behind more bodies at her expense made her shudder violently. She struggles to catch her breath as the panic attack sets in, the stifling weight of an invisible boulder settling onto her chest. James holds her around the shoulders tightly as Shawn’s eyes dig holes into her. Livinia kneels before her and takes her hand, humming softly as she does. Betsy quickly begins to relax under Livinia’s touch, but James doesn’t let her go right away. Realizing the only chance, they have of escaping is facing them head-on, Betsy clears her throat and takes a deep breath.


“The only way the three of us are making it out of here is through the front door, correct?” Livinia nods. Betsy nibbles on her lip as she considers how far into the underground maze they must be. Looking between Livinia and Mevv, she considers the assets available to the group. “First things first,” she says, pointing to the younger girls still crying quietly. “They can’t come; they can lock themselves up in here when the rest of us go, but they’ll only slow us down if we bring them along.” Livinia looks at the two girls apologetically but nods her agreement. “Next, Liv: is there any we can get to the controls that activate the security doors?”


“I could request access to the room; seeing as it’s my business, I’m sure they’d be willing to take me captive given my participation in aiding you."


“Then it’s out of the question,” Betsy says firmly. “You won’t be putting up your life to save mine today.”


“Then I’ll do it, Mevv says loudly, stepping forward. “You don’t have a say on this, Miss; you saved our people from total and utter destruction. Today, Palbara repays that debt, and I would be honored to be the one to carry out the deed.”[/color]


Betsy crosses the room and grabs up the old man’s hands. “I can’t let you do this for me...” she says, her voice thick with emotion. As she stares into his bright eyes, she can see the resolution in them and knows there’s nothing to be done to stop him. Throwing her arms around his thin shoulders, she hugs him tightly as tears threaten to fall from her eyes. “Thank you... for everything. I’m sorry it has to end like this...”


“I’ve had a good life and I'm past my prime; besides, my beloved Pamma has been waiting for me patiently in the Other World, it’s about time I met up with her there.”


With tears still shining in her eyes, Betsy and Mevv turn back to the rest of the group and they begin a desperate strategy for escape...



____



"Since I have the stage right now, there are a couple of things I’d like to get off my chest regarding March Madness. Consider this my official statement regarding the show and its results... Or something like that. Whatever, I’m getting on my soapbox and having a brief spiel. First of all, Atara, if you want a shot at the Shooting Star Championship, come fucking get it. I never held you back from stepping up to take your shot; you’re the one who dropped the ball when you had the chance. Fuck it, you know where to find me tomorrow night; if you want to stake your claim to MY belt, have at thee. I give about as much of a fuck about what your history with this belt as I did Jenny’s. It’s mine now and it’s going to remain that way for the foreseeable future. I just think it’s pretty fucked up the way you tore apart our friendship over your dumbass decision to break up with Shawn. Yeah, I’m going to go ahead and put this out there: You didn’t have to make the choice you did. You know how much... Well, it’s not for me to speak on his behalf, but you know what I’m getting at. I wasn’t happy with the behavior or the choices, but talk about whirlwind change in feelings and opinions. So go ahead with your passive-aggressive sub-tweeting and adorable little photoshop bullshit to your heart's content. I already took down one Themis, what’s another?


The other important topic I need to address is the new King of the XWF. I’m sure I’ve said this at some point, but if not, my heartiest congratulations go out to the Doc. You made history by becoming a king twice over; it makes falling at your hands in the semi-finals all the more bittersweet. I just hope you realize that you had a Betsy Granger that wasn’t anywhere near one hundred percent capacity; just imagine how differently things could have turned out if I hadn’t already had the Elite Eight and a ladder match in between! But I digress, your eminence, it was a well-fought victory, even if it came at the expense of dear Brother Mine. I’ve yet to decide if I’ll bend the knee to the new ruler of the land... Many would think it prudent to do so. Indeed, why rock the boat when the landscape is becoming clearer all the time? I should warn you though, King Doc, to never forget your history of the monarchy; no matter who sat on the throne, the true powers always rested behind it. A king is no more than a figurehead with little authority to his name; if that is the title you wish to hold, enjoy it. I’ll be over here, basking in the glory of dominating the show and being the one and only Miss March Madness.


Now, let's get down to the reason we’re all here, shall we? My dear Lycana, how you wound me! The lack of imagination behind such theories is unbecoming of one who entertains such fantastic notions suggested to her by the Baphomet. No, I didn’t leave you and Marf in a ring of fire to keep you out of the shadows. Those flames weren’t meant to cleanse the filth residing in your souls; there is no prayer that could absolve you of your wicked deeds. It was never my goal to encourage or scare you in to change your ways, either; the stubborn and stupid seldom do in all their infinite wisdom. It would be a waste of time to try; honestly blaidd ddrwg, you of all people should have known better than this. You’ve been playing these games at the Baphomet's pleasure for months now; surely you of all people know when someone is sending a message? This wasn’t an attempt to actually do you harm, Lycana. Unlike you, I won’t use fire to harm; I’ll use it to fucking destroy you and the entire Left Hand.


I’m beaten, broken, and battered, but fucking above all else; I’m breathing and getting back up to continue the fight. For months, you and so many others have tried to destroy me, and I’m as peskily plucky and in-your-face as ever. All the lot of you have managed to do successfully is piss off my friends and me; that puts you in a position you don’t want to be in. If you knew just what you and the rest of the Brother Hood of the Left-Handed Baddies knew what you were headed towards, you’d put a stop to the bullshit right now. Of your own volition, too; without little Betsy here trying to play with fire in the hopes that she doesn’t get burned. You may look at the flames and my intention as a useless gesture of intimidation; it’s only because you lack the true vision to see what I’ve really done. It wasn’t just a message to let you and the Left Hand Brotherly Baddies that I’ve had enough of all the destruction and bully tactics; it was lighting the brigands to call my fellow fighters to my side. When I use fire, I use it to call the forces of light and good to my side, my sapphire vixen. Fire is too quick a solution for the things I want to do to you and your buddies, blaidd ddrwg.


For some reason, the stars have us aligned and we can’t break free of fates grasp. Though I must admit, the opportunity to finally get you all to myself is a tantalizing one. I could sink my teeth into the same way Doc did my neck; did you see that shit, girl? I didn’t know if I should be angry or aroused... Maybe the answer is both. I don’t know, I’m getting off track because I really don’t have much else to say. This one-on-one meeting has been coming for a minute, and for some odd reason, I don’t see it being the last. I AM intrigued to see how you plan to repay me for my love note from March Madness. I won’t waste any more of the companies, or my, time spouting out useless words; I’ve said enough and everyone knows by now that I let my actions do my speaking for me. It’s almost time now and I’m positively giddy at finally being able to tear you apart.


You keep bringing the games, baby girl; I’ll be happy to bring the ass-kicking.”



___


“You’re insane if you think this is going to work, sis,” Shawn says as he, James, and Betsy creep down the hallway behind Livinia towards the giant guest lobby.


Betsy guesses they are close judging from how loud the rushing water from the fountains was. There were only minutes left on the clock given by their attackers; Betsy checks her watch and feels her heart jump into her throat as she sees that they have under five minutes remaining. Even still, they continue to creep along stealthily through the crystal hallways, headed back to where the entrance was being heavily guarded. Once the light at the end of the hall begins to grow brighter and wider, they slow their pace and creep along carefully. Mevv had already been taken into the control room, where he was now being held prisoner; unknowing to his captors, the blaster Betsy had liberated from the soldier was now hiding safely in his work boot. Fanning out, each of them quietly takes cover quickly behind a pillar, peeking around cautiously. Betsy counted twelve men, all armed with either the web-shooters or standard-issue blasters. Catching Shawn’s eye, he nods and looks to his left and doing the same with James. Turning to Livinia, they lock eyes, and the Palbarian nods as well. Taking a deep breath, Betsy counts to three and watches as James, Livinia, and Shawn start shooting.


The boy's shots with the blaster rifles Livinia had provided from the security closet in her private office easily picked off the first four assailants in the surprise of the attack. Taking advantage of the surprise, Livinia takes aim and cleanly takes down two of her own. As anticipated, reinforcements are already being screamed for over the intercom; all the while, Betsy remains hidden behind the pillar, desperately searching deep within herself for what she’d been trying to suppress. The voices had only just started giving her rest, but here she was trying to summon them and everything they could do. She could feel the resistance from within her; a million voices crying out their objection over being ignored for so long only to be called upon for their uses. “Please,” Betsy pleads internally, envisioning herself standing before a series of disembodied figures, glowing blindingly bright. “They need my help if they’re going to survive... If any of us are going to survive.”


“Any day now, Bets!” James calls out as backup for the enemies arrive; the panic that fills her finally resonates with the powers that reside within her.


Without warning, a burst of energy bursts through her like nothing she’d experienced; better than any adrenaline rush or drug, she can feel the warmth spread through her as the light began to emit from every inch of her. It had been forever since she’d willingly allowed this to happen and it was absolutely delicious feeling the sheer power permeate through her veins. Holding a hand up in front of her face, wispy trails of phasm energy , watching yellowish-white light bleed from her fingertips. As rapid gunfire commences on her friends, Betsy feels the power erupt from the center of her heart and expand outward. With a blood-curdling scream that was unfamiliar to her own ears, she walks out from behind the pillar and straight into the heat of battle. All guns aim for Betsy now; bullets melt inches from her face as she sends out a wave of pure phasma, turning them to liquid. Another shooter tries to aim for James and Shawn, but Betsy looks over and throws out her arm, sending a stream of plasma between them and the bullets; against, the fall as harmless, liquid metal to the ground. By now, many have realized the fight was over and attempt to flee; Betsy turns their way and throwing out both hands, sending giant balls of phasma energy towards the scattering forces. No less than fifteen men barely have time to scream before their bodies fall to the ground as ash.


Up in the control room, Mevv has been left alone in the mad scramble to back up their men on the ground floor. Looking around to make sure he was alone, Mevv slams the door shut and locks it before the remaining guards can stop him. As they slam on the door, hollering futilely for him to open up, Mevv takes a moment to study the controls. It doesn’t take him long to pick out the switch that would undo the security lockdown. Doing exactly as Livinia had instructed, Mevv dials up several buttons before smashing down the giant silver one in the center of the panel. The ear-piercing alarms begin to go off again as the doors begin to rise up from the floor and disappear back into the walls.


As the alarms begin to blare, Betsy loses focus and looks around blindly as all hell begins to break loose around her. She doesn’t have much opportunity to take in the mad dash of the guests towards the doors; her energy sapped; she can feel herself falling into unconsciousness. As her knees grow weak beneath her, her eyeballs roll upward as her lips drop closed; before she can collapse, Shawn catches her and throws her over his shoulder. Her eyes flutter as she babbles incoherently, desperately trying to stay awake long enough to make sure everyone would be safe. Looking up, she catches eyes with one of the strangers in the crowd; immediately, her senses dull and everything around her disappears as she stares into those burning red eyes. Her vision blurs as she attempts to take in the rest of the distorted figure, but her body betrays her. Giving in, she finally fades into blackness as Shawn catches up with James and they both weave through the exodus of extraterrestrial guests all desperately trying to get off the now hostile world.



***


The headache pounding sharply through her brain is what rouses her from her deep sleep; sitting up, she realizes that she, James, and Shawn are sitting in Excellence. The guys had gotten them here safe and sound, but with her out cold, they hadn’t been able to take off. Betsy could hear the pounding on the doors of the ship and sits up quickly, sending another bolt of pain through her cranium. Getting gingerly to her feet, she wobbles to the doors, planning to call out whoever keeps chasing her. James is behind her swiftly, gently grabbing her arm as she reaches out to open the doors.


“Let me do this,” she says more aggressively than she’d intended. It doesn’t faze him.


“No... We barely got out of there alive, and your friends managed to lock up the place against them with their leader trapped inside with little support. He’ll be going away for what he did. When it calms down, Livinia invites you back with open arms; until then, let it go and get us home.” James’s voice is gentle, but firm, letting her know that he wasn’t going to tolerate any arguments from her.


Betsy looks up at him desperately. “I have to know who’s after me, James... This is the sixth time I’ve barely escaped them.”


“Then let Livinia do her work here. She promised that she’d get a hold of us as soon as she had any info worth sharing from them.”


Reluctantly, Betsy allows James to take her hand and lead her back to the control console. Her eyes sweep the comfortingly familiar landscape of Excellences’ main engine room. A sense of peace begins to fill her until she meets Shawn’s eyes; the emotionless expression on his face couldn’t hide the obvious anger in his eyes. Casting her eyes away from his, she silently begins the process of setting up the coordinates to get Shawn home first. Looking up manages to catch his eyes again and opens her mouth to speak, but Shawn holds up a hand and shakes his head. Nodding, the three remain in uncomfortable silence for the rest of the trip home...

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