BY KAL-EL
NOT EVEN DEATH...
ACT 4
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Everything up until the end of 'Chant Down Babylon'.
Cut to Michael�s apartment. Liz is pacing back and forth, while Max sat on the couch.
LIZ: Chemical formulas.
MAX: What about them?
LIZ: Your powers, it�s something you never considered before. The chemical formulas.
Max�s eyes scanned over Liz�s form as she walked by. He smirked.
Liz stopped.
LIZ: Were you just checking me out?
Max looked at her innocently.
MAX: Me? Would it be a problem if I was?
Liz smiled at him for a moment.
LIZ: Please try to focus.
MAX: Focusing.
LIZ: Ok, your powers deal mainly with manipulating molecular structures, right?
MAX: Right.
LIZ: But whenever you�re in a fight, you just use force blasts and your shield. Or sometimes fire. That�s just raw power without any skill. It�s like using a Faberge egg to make an omelet.
Max thinks for a moment.
MAX: We�ve just tried to defend ourselves.
LIZ: Yes, but you could defend yourselves so much easier. You can basically make the periodic table sit up and do the tango. Why use your shield to deflect bullets when you can turn them into gas in mid-air?
MAX: Are you sure we can do that?
LIZ: Scientifically you should be able to, as long as you know what you�re doing. If Isabel can turn ketchup into mustard, she should be able to turn a solid into a gas.
MAX: This is quickly turning from a science lesson into combat strategies.
He stands up and walks over to her. Then, he says mockingly:
MAX: His royal highness hereby decrees that Elizabeth Parker shall now serve as official general in charge of evasive maneuvers. Her duties shall be to spend countless hours alone with the king�uh, practicing battle strategies.
He kisses her.
LIZ: (old English accent) Oh, my liege, that would imply repeating said maneuvers countless times.
She kisses him back.
MAX: We need to be in top form, you know. Practice makes perfect.
The two of them sit down on the couch and begin making out. After a few moments, Liz finally pulls away.
LIZ: All joking aside, Max, you will try this, right?
MAX: Of course. You�re going to, so I will. We�re in this together.
She smiles, and moves in to kiss him again. However, before their lips meet, the phone rings.
Sighing in frustration, Max picks it up.
MAX: Hello? Michael?!
MICHAEL: (on phone) Max? You gotta get over here. Kyle�s run off.
Liz looks over at Max.
LIZ: What is it? Max?
Max looks at her.
MAX: It�s Kyle. Something�s happened.
He goes back towards the phone.
MAX: Where�d he go?
MICHAEL: (on phone) Don�t know. Valenti said something about his powers showing up, shape shifting, and he freaked out. We got to find him before he hurts someone.
MAX: Or himself. Liz is with me, we�ll try and find him in town. You check around the area, maybe he didn�t get far. I�ll bring my cell phone along. If you find him, contact me immediately.
MICHAEL: (on phone) Just be careful, ok? Try not to hurt him.
Max hangs up the phone and turns to Liz.
MAX: It�s starting.
*****
Cut to somewhere in the middle of Roswell, at a construction site. A bright flash of light goes off near the roof.
Max�s car pulls up to the site, and Liz points upwards.
LIZ: Max, I saw something.
MAX: What?
LIZ: A light.
Max looks at her.
MAX: It could just be workers.
LIZ: No, Max. It�s Kyle. I remember that light from when Nasedo used to shape shift. He�s up there.
The two of them walk into the site and head to the elevator. They enter it, pressing the up button.
One in the elevator, they hear noises from outside. Then voices.
MAX: You hear that?
Liz nods, and she hits the emergency stop. The two of them exit, looking down at the street.
Three black cars with dark windows pull up near Max�s car down below. Armed men exit them. Finally, Nicholas exits.
MAX: Is that�?
Liz nods.
LIZ: Nicholas. Version two.
Nicholas circles around Max�s car, sliding his hand over it.
NICHOLAS: (yelling) Nice wheels, Max. And the paintjob�how much you pay for this?
His hand glows.
NICHOLAS: Though personally, I prefer bikes.
He walks away from it. After a few moments, the car explodes in a burst of flame.
NICHOLAS: Consider that payback for your girlfriend knocking me across a room.
He turns to one of the men.
NICHOLAS: Kill Evans, bring me the girl and the shape shifter.
They nod in unison, almost zombie-like.
Up above, Max turns towards Liz.
MAX: Get up to the roof and get Kyle. Take out the elevator when you get there. I�ll distract them.
LIZ: How?
MAX: I�ll think of something.
Liz gets back in the elevator and heads upwards.
Max takes a deep breath, and looks towards the stairwell.
MAX: (muttering) Chemistry�
A smile appears on his face, as he raises his hand.
*****
Two armed men enter the stairwell, finding themselves unable to go forward.
Nicholas walks up behind them.
NICHOLAS: What�s the holdup? MAN: We cannot go forward.
Nicholas knocks on the barrier.
NICHOLAS: Inventive, I like that.
A flash of light appears from Nicholas� hand, and the barrier disintegrates.
NICHOLAS: You can�t hide forever, Max!
Before the rest of the men exit the stairwell, a pair of hands grabs him from behind and pulls him back.
We see that it�s Max, as he pulls the unconscious man up to the next floor.
MAX: (muttering) One down, five to go.
Max turns him on his back and pauses. He notices something metallic lodged into the back of the man�s neck.
Max pulls it out, immediately placing his hand over the wound he removed it from.
Max examines the device. It�s round, about the size of a golf ball, only flat. At the edge, a sharp needle where it had attached into the neck. It also had some complicated machinery and alien markings adorning it.
Suddenly, the man began to groan.
MAN: Where�where am I? Hey, aren�t you Michael�s roommate?
Max looks at him for a moment.
MAX: You�re Steve, from MetaChem?
STEVE: Where is this? I�I was supposed to be�
Max directed him towards the stairs that led to ground level.
MAX: No time. Your bosses�I�d find another job soon, if I were you. Just get out of here. Fast.
STEVE: But�
MAX: Just trust me.
Steve left, as Max walked upwards to the next floor. Clutching the alien device in his hand.
*****
Cut to the roof. Liz walks out of the elevator, looking around.
LIZ: Kyle?
She places her hand over the elevator controls, using her powers to short-circuit it.
LIZ: Kyle?!
She begins to search the rooftop for any sign of him.
Then she hears a soft breathing coming from a corner. She turns towards it and sees someone huddled there, trembling. His head is lowered, so she cannot see his face.
LIZ: Kyle, it�s me. It�s Liz. We have to get out of here.
She walks closer to him, slowly.
LIZ: Nicholas is here. I don�t know how long Max can�
Suddenly, she gasps in shock as the person in from of her looks at her.
Staring back at her is Alex Whitman.
*****
Cut to the floor directly beneath her. Max walks up to the fuse box and touches it with one hand. With the other he clutches the device.
MAX: Hope this works.
He begins to concentrate, focusing his power.
Suddenly, a small white-blue light appears on his chest, slowly growing larger.
Then, in seconds, it expands. Eventually, in consumes the entire building.
*****
Cut to another floor. Nicholas is still searching for Max when the light appears. The four armed men following him suddenly scream in pain and collapse to the ground.
NICHOLAS: What the hell?!
Nicholas walks over to one of them and turns it over. He has the exact same kind of device in the back of his neck that Steve had. Only the lights are all burnt out.
NICHOLAS: Damn it!
Nicholas runs towards the stairwell.
He runs upwards, arriving on the floor above.
NICHOLAS: EVANS!!!
Max is there. He slowly walks towards him.
MAX: Electromagnetic pulse. It knocks out any mechanical device in range. That was for my car.
Nicholas smirks, and advances towards him.
MAX: We know about operation evolution. You have to know that I�m not going to let it succeed, Nicholas.
Suddenly, a blast of force hit Max, throwing him across the floor.
NICHOLAS: And I�m supposed to be threatened? Oh please, Max. You know I�m too strong. Stronger than you, stronger than anyone.
Max raises his shield, but it was no use. Nicholas hits him with another force blast, throwing him to the edge of the floor.
He looks down at the street below, scrambling not to fall over.
Nicholas walks right up to him, grinning evilly.
NICHOLAS: This seems familiar. You on the ground, me about to deliver the final blow. Who would have thought I�d be here a second time.
Max begins to form the shield again.
NICHOLAS: That doesn�t work, Evans. Get a clue.
He looks at him.
MAX: Maybe�
The shield changes shape, wrapping itself around Max�s arm.
With one swift motion, Max swung his arm towards Nicholas� face, punching him. Combined with the shield surrounding it, it was enough the throw him across the room.
Max scrambled for the stairwell, heading to the roof. Meanwhile, Nicholas pulled himself off the ground, his nose bleeding. He used his powers to heal it, and went after Max.
*****Gathering up her courage, Liz approached her old friend.
LIZ: Kyle?
She gets no response.
LIZ: (whispering) Alex?
He looks at her in response, then cowers. He tries to stay away from her.
LIZ: Alex�Alex, please. Let me help�
ALEX: No�no�don�t hurt me!
His voice was scattered and weak, like a child�s.
ALEX: You�you let her hurt me. You let her kill me.
LIZ: What? That was�?
Then suddenly she came to a realization. Shaking her head�refusing to believe it.
LIZ: What Tess did to you�you blame me for that?
ALEX: You hated�hated her! But you trusted her anyway. Didn�t protect me�
Liz stumbled away in horror, her mind reeling.
LIZ: No�no!
ALEX: Hurts. Hurts to think. Make it stop.
She kneels back down next to him.
LIZ: Kyle, listen to me. I know you�re in there. Help him�help him fix his mind. Tess damaged his brain, but not yours. It�s your body, and Alex only thinks it�s his.
�Alex� covers his ears with his hands.
ALEX: Nonono�NO!
A burst of energy pushes Liz backwards a few feet. Just as Max runs onto the roof.
MAX: Liz? Did you find him?
He doesn�t notice Nicholas sneaking up behind him, aiming a gun.
LIZ: MAX! LOOK OUT!
Max raised his shield, but Nicholas wasn�t aiming at Max�he was aiming at Liz.
She moved to the side to avoid the bullets, but her heel tripped on the side of the roof.
Then she lost her balance.
MAX: NOOOOOO!!!
He ran towards her, knowing that he�d never make it in time.
Then the unexpected happened.
A strong hand grabbed Liz�s, saving her.
LIZ: Max?
Max looked on, surprised. A smile coming over his face.
MAX: I�oh my god!
Liz looked up at her savior�Alex Whitman. Not the scared timid one she saw a moment ago, but the smiling, warm, caring one from what felt like a lifetime ago.
ALEX: I wouldn�t recommend dying, Liz. Not my idea of fun.
Nicholas dropped his gun in shock.
NICHOLAS: You�re dead.
Before he could react, Max focused his power. Not on Nicholas, but on the floor beneath him.
The very floor which began to melt beneath his feet.
A second later, Nicholas fell. Crashing through floor after floor until he found himself in the basement.
Max smiled, satisfied with himself, and turned towards where Liz was being helped back up.
Once she was on her feet, Alex turned to her.
ALEX: New trick?
Liz didn�t answer. She just wrapped her arms around Alex and hugged him with all her strength. A tear falling down her cheek.
ALEX: Missed me, huh? Yeah, me too.
She let him go, as Max walked up to them. Max gave a concerned look.
MAX: Is Kyle�?
Alex shook his head, and then pointed at it with his index finger.
ALEX: He�s ok�right in here. A little pissed off but, let�s face it, who wouldn�t be. If I wasn�t so thrilled with, say, coming BACK FROM THE DEAD, I�d be freaking out.
MAX: Join the club.
The three of them laughed.
ALEX: Liz, about what I said before�
LIZ: Just�just leave it for another day. Let�s just get out of here before Nicholas comes to.
Alex�s eyes go wide.
ALEX: That was Nicholas? The little kid? Anything else I have to know?
Liz almost says something, but decides against it.
LIZ: Come on�we gotta go. You know� �promises to keep��
ALEX: ��and miles to go before I sleep�, come on�it was a cool clue, wasn�t it?
MAX: Clue?
They both look at Max, who is completely in the dark.
LIZ: It was creative.
ALEX: Hey, you always liked Robert Frost.
The three of them head towards the stairwell, sidestepping the hold in the ground.
MAX: We better get back to Valenti�s. Let them know everything�s all right.
ALEX: Later. There�s someone I want to see first.