Chapter One: Flashes Before My Eyes

The wind was blowing softly through Max’s hair as he stood looking out at the long and narrow street that was in front of him. Their van was parked to his left, its blue paint tainted and stained due to its strenuous use. He turned to look at it and a small smile crack on his lips. He felt a hand on his shoulders.

“It’s time to go, Maxwell.” Michael said, his long brown hair flowing like silk with the wind.

“I’ve been having them again,” Max said in a low and cautious voice.

“Having what?” Michael asked combing his hair back with his hand.

“The flashes. The flashes about our home.” Max walked past Michael and then turned back again. “We can’t escape this forever, Michael. We’re destined to return home. We can’t keep running away.”

“So what do you suppose we do?”

“I don’t know. But I know we have to return.”

“You’re the one who told me you don’t want to return, remember? The whole reason you got married to Liz is because you don’t intend on returning.”

“Don’t you think I know that? It’s just…these flashes are getting more and more real. I have a longing to return. To save our people.”

“Hey you guys done chatting yet? We have to go!” Came Maria’s voice from the van.

“Let’s go, Maxwell. We’ll discuss this later.” The two of them hurried to the van and went inside. Kyle was sitting with his legs out-stretched and his head leaned back.

“So Liz just told me about the whole Future Max thing,” Kyle said opening his eyes and looking over at Max who now had his arms around his wife.

“Yeah, what about it?” Max asked a little irritated. Liz had told him about it a few weeks prior to their wedding. She said she didn’t want to keep any secrets from him and that now it seemed like it wouldn’t affect them anymore.

“Well this Future Max said that the Earth eventually is taken over by Kivar right?”

“By the enemy. We don’t know if it’s Kivar, Kyle.”

“Right, right. So let’s just say it’s Kivar. Future Max said that because Tess left, and it’s funny that he said that because obviously she gave up on her plans to betray all of us and he never learned about it, but he said that because Tess left, the Earth falls under Kivar’s rule. Because you’re all stronger together than you are apart. Because it was your destiny as the Royal Four to return and save your planet, right?” Max blinked at Kyle for awhile then looked away. After several seconds he turned back.

“So what’s your point?”

“My point is, there is no Royal Four. Tess is dead. So how are we suppose to stop whatever’s going to happen from happening? Doesn’t that mean that what happened in Future Max’s world is going to happen here…to us?”

“I guess,” Max said looking away again, a fretting fear developing fast in his stomach.

“Kyle, just drop it, okay?” Liz yelled and turned to kiss Max. “It’s going to be, okay.”

“Well I’m sorry to point out the obvious but that’s kind of scary. That’s really bad that you didn’t tell us all that earlier, Liz.”

“Look, he also said that they’re stronger together because they all have different powers. Well I have powers now. I’ll take Tess’s place. Okay?”

“I don’t think random telekinesis power and telling the future is as strong as Tess’s mind-warp. Do you?”

“Kyle, shut up.” Isabel whispered to him and nudged him with her elbow.

“Ow,” Kyle said making a face at her. “Fine, fine I’ll shut up. But I just think that we’re in some deep trouble right now.”

“I’ve—I’ve been…I’ve been hiding some things from all of you for a bit.” Max said. He could see Michael looking at him through the rear-view mirror.

“You think this is a good time to be talking about this?”

“As good as it’ll ever be. Look, I’ve been seeing…flashes. Flashes of, well, our home. Isabel, Michael, and mine. It’s like it’s calling to me. Calling to me to return and claim my throne. I keep sensing that our planet is in more and more danger. That our…real, for lack of better word…parents are in trouble.”

“Biological,” Kyle suggested.

“Right, Biological.”

“I’ve been having flashes, too.” Liz said nodding her head at them.

“Flashes of what?” Max asked concerned.

“Of you. All of you, returning to your home planet.”

“Why haven’t you said anything, Liz?”

“Why haven’t you told me about your flashes? Look, I didn’t know what they meant. I saw Tess in them too. I mean, how can they be real if Tess is in them? Tess is dead.”

“Well maybe she didn’t die.” Suggested Maria.

“She’s dead, Maria. I saw it with my own eyes. The explosion. The gun shots. There was no way she could’ve survived that.”

“So what does it mean if you saw, Tess?” Kyle asked.

“It means they’re wrong, okay? There’s no way in hell I’m going back there anymore. Not when I have a home here. Not ever.”

“He’s right. I will never leave you, Liz. I promised that. I won’t.” Liz smiled and kissed him.

“I know you won’t, Max. I’m probably just imagining it.” Liz said. But Max knew she didn’t think she was imagining it. He knew that she believed in those premonitions. He knew that he believed in them. But what could they mean? Tess is alive? There was no way she could be alive. She’s dead…for good. Max knew it in his guts. The contradictions spiraled in his head in circles like a merry-go-round.

“So when do you suppose it’s safe enough to go back to Roswell?” Maria asked looking at Max as if she already knew the answer to the question but just wanting to keep the idea in their minds.

“We’ve only been gone for four years. It’s not time. We can’t go back. Not yet.”

“I know, but we haven’t heard from them since we left. I mean, what if they took our parents in for questioning? What if—”

“No more what ifs, Maria.” Michael said not looking back at them

“Yeah, let’s just find a town to rest, okay?” Liz commented.

“I think we should go a little further. That woman saw our faces.” Max said not looking at anyone in particular.

“I hate this,” Isabel said shaking her head. “We save people and we have to run for it. It’s like we’re committing a crime every time we save a life.”

“It sucks big, alright.” Kyle said shaking his head. “Hey, Mike, you think you can teach me to control my powers better?”

“Are you retarded?” Michael exclaimed. “Last time I tried teaching you anything we almost got caught. I’m not doing that again.”

“Okay, calm down. Just taught you could help. You know…I’m wondering if my father has developed powers by now. I mean, Max you did save him right?”

“Yeah,”

“Yeah. He should be developing powers, too, right?”

“I guess,” Max replied still in deep thought. He couldn’t help but wonder…why is he going to go back? But he didn’t want to go back. He promised Liz he wouldn’t go back…yet there’s this yarning within him. A calling. He needed to go back. He had to go back. Did Michael and Isabel feel the same way? Max had no idea…and he didn’t want to ask either. Kyle looked down at his hands and then over at Isabel’s.

“You still wear that?” Kyle said noticing it for the first time in years.

“Yeah,” Isabel said pulling her hand close to her face. Kyle frowned and closed his eyes…

***

As Max opened his eyes he could barely see past the impenetrable darkness in the room. Liz was to his left, her arms around his body. The motel room stunk of rotten food and as Max laid there with Liz’s body pressed against his back he couldn’t help but remember Tess’s face. Her eyes. Her tender and otherworldly taste against his otherworldly lips. He couldn’t help but remember his hands caressing her tender breasts…

Max shook his head. It was the flashes again. They felt so real. As if someone or something somewhere was calling to him. Max turned his muscular body to face Liz and kissed her softly upon her soft forehead. He stroked her hair softly and then sat up.

He could feel himself now in the crimson waters in Antar kissing Tess softly upon the forehead. No, not Tess. Ava. Ava, his wife. The woman that he loved so dearly…so much that he would die for…

Sweat was dripping down his face as Max snapped out of another flash. What was going on with him? Max didn’t understand how these memories were coming to him now. It had been years since he had any contact with anyone but the other five and yet suddenly here he was dreaming about Antar as if it were real memories. No…different then memories. As if he was reliving them as he had those flashes. What was happening? He had begun to remember a lot of the things that happened in his past life. He remembered Michael. Rath. He remembered Vilandra. He remembered Zan...

***

The team stood looking almost unbelievingly as the town stood blazing with fire. Max raised his hand but the fire didn’t stop. He looked over at Michael who shook his head, not knowing exactly what to say.

“They found us,” Max said looking at them.

“Who found us?” Maria asked looking at him in bewilderment.

“Kivar. The Skins. I don’t know. But they’re here.”

“What do we do?” Isabel asked gasping for air.

“We have to go back. We have to go back to Roswell.”

“What? Why?” Liz asked grabbing Max’s hand.

“Because,” Michael said almost sighing.

“Because what, space boy? Spit it out.”

“Because if it is alien…then they know about our parents. And they’ll harm them. We have to go back to save our parents.” Max said looking at Michael.

“My thoughts exactly, Maxwell.” They drove for days before they made it back to Roswel. The town was as they have left it. Helicopters were flying all over town. It was nighttime and there was not a single soul out on the streets. They opened the door to a deserted Crashdown and stepped in to see only Liz’s father sitting and sipping a cup of coffee. He looked up and to his amazement he saw them. He jumped from the table and rushed to pick Liz up.

“What are you guys doing back her?” he exclaimed.

“They’re here. Our enemies are here.”

“What? How do you know?”

“They came. They burned the town we were at. Everyone died.” Max said with heat burning within him.

“Why didn’t they kill you?”

“They probably can’t take us just yet. I mean we’re all stronger now. I think they’re scared to fight us straight on right now.” Michael said clenching his fist.

“Well, look. The FBI have been all over this place since two days ago. There was another crash. I’m betting that’s where the new aliens are from?” Said Liz’s father.

“Dammit,” Max growled pounding his fist on the table.

“If whatever Future Max said was true…” Kyle said biting his lower lip and looking down at the floor. “Then we’re all dead.”

“We need the Royal Four,” Michael said looking at Max.

“But Tess is dead.” Max muttered.

“Maybe she’s not.”

“She is.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Because I know!” Everyone stared at Max, their eyes wide with amazement. “I can feel it okay? I know she’s dead. I know…”

“Then what do you make of Liz’s flashes?” Michael asked.

“I mean she did say she saw all four of us…” Isabel added.

“Look I know okay? What if—what if she’s seeing the past instead of the future?”

“No it can’t be, Max.” Isabel said wiping her face with her hand. “We didn’t have these bodies back on Antar. And she saw us. Our bodies. Right, Liz?”

“Yeah,” Liz replied sitting down and groaning. “I’m so sick of all of this. Why is there one trouble after another? I mean these past four years we’ve been on the run from town to town. I just really want to just be settled for once. Even for a little while.” Liz’s father sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

“Everything’s going to be alright, Liz.” He said kissing her on the head then looking over at Max. “How’ve you guys been paying for food and stuff?”

“We’ve kind of been…turning paper into money…” Isabel said with a hint of guilt.

“Oh,” Liz’s father said smiling. “So if these aliens aren’t strong enough to take you guys on, then maybe you can go and find them and take them down.”

“Future Max said they’re strong enough to rule this planet. Well maybe they’ll get strong the more they stay here. Or they’ll multiply. We have to nip it at the bud, Maxwell. We have to kill them all now!”

“No!” came a familiar voice as the double glass door of the Crashdown was thrown open. In came a girl about 22 years old, her body almost drenched in blood. Her face had scratches and her hair was matted onto her head due to blood and perspiration. “They are strong enough.” All of them looked at her as if they’ve seen a ghost. No one could quite grasp what they were seeing.

“Tess?” came Kyle’s voice.