Veronica woke up in the treehouse and found herself looking into a pair of eyes she recognized immediately. �Ned! What are you doing here? How did you get here?� She reached over and hugged him tightly and nearly pushed him to the ground. Luckily he braced himself and prevented them from falling over.
�Hey take it easy, Veronica.� He held her close and cherished the embrace. He was glad to see her back at the treehouse. He knew she�d make it back one day and was glad she was safe.
He stood up and helped Veronica who was still a little shaky on her feet. They both sat down in nearby chairs. �Are you all right, Veronica? I came in here and found you unconscious in the middle of the floor.�
�Yes, I�m fine. It�s so good to see you, Malone. I�ve missed you so much!� She reached over and hugged him again. She had to touch him to make sure he was really there.
�I missed you too, Veronica. You have no idea how much I thought about you while I was gone.� He smiled and Veronica blushed.
�When did you get here, Malone?�
�Not that long ago, actually. It�s funny because I don�t even know how I got here. I was walking through the jungle when there was a shimmering thing in front of me and the next thing I knew I was at the base of the treehouse.�
Veronica smiled but didn�t care how Malone came back. He was back! That was all that mattered. So much had happened, so much she wanted to share with him. That�s when she remembered what had happened recently. Veronica leapt up from her chair and went over to the balcony and let out a sigh of relief when she realized the plateau was still there as it was supposed to be.
Veronica reached up to her neck for her mother�s pendant and realized it wasn�t tied around her neck like it always was. She panicked before she realized it was lying on the floor where she was earlier. After placing it back around her neck, she felt a little calmer. Veronica grabbed her bag from the peg hanging by the elevator and stepped in.
�Veronica? Where are you going?� Malone watched Veronica�s movements with confusion and followed her into the elevator.
�After our friends. They�re in trouble. Or they were the last time I checked,� Veronica said as she hit the controls to start the decent of the elevator.
�How do you know?� Malone asked.
�It�s a long story Ned and I�ll tell you on the way. But it was just a very strong feeling I had earlier. They need our help.�
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Turns out, Veronica and Malone didn�t have to venture very far from the treehouse to find their friends. One by one, they made their way back to the area surrounding the treehouse and it was a matter of stumbling into them. Their group grew larger as they searched for their remaining friends. Challenger was the last one to emerge from the jungle with a broad smile on his face when greeted by his friends.
�It�s so good to see you all! Malone, you�ve come back to us! You�ll never believe where I just was!� Challenger exclaimed, excited to tell of his adventure in the future.
�Well, we�ve all had quite the adventure, George. Let�s get back to the treehouse and out of the open before we start sharing. Most of us are unarmed.� Roxton was glad everyone was safe and sound, but preferred the pleasantries were saved until they were in familiar territory. He turned and led the way to the treehouse with his friends following.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
�John, you�re telling me that you actually met your ancestor? He saved you?� Marguerite and the others all were sitting at the table in the main room, sharing their stories of what happened to them.
Roxton nodded. �That�s right, Marguerite. I was out of ammunition and I was preparing to charge them and take as many of them with me as I could. That�s when I started hearing gunshots, and for a moment I thought it was you. He ended up shooting the rest of the conquistadors, and after I thanked him, we parted ways and I went searching for you. I don�t know how long I searched to find another shimmer trying to find you, Marguerite, but before I knew what happened, I must have stepped through one unknowingly and found myself in an area I recognized not far from the treehouse. That�s when I started to make my way back and found you all.�
�Well I�m sorry I missed meeting him. I would have loved to have talked to the infamous Captain Roxton.� Marguerite smirked but didn�t elaborate on their discussion about pirates. Roxton winked back as they had communicated their thoughts without having to speak.
�And what happened to you, Marguerite?� Malone asked. He was slowly but surely, getting caught up on all he had missed.
�Oh well, I never really knew where I was. I just kept hopping from place to place. You never knew where those damn windows would drop you.� Marguerite looked at her friends gathered around. �It sounds like we were all lucky to have made it back in one piece.�
Everyone whole heartedly agreed. While everyone else continued talking, Roxton, however, didn�t buy Marguerite�s story. When they were reunited in the jungle, she was clearly rattled by something and now she was acting as if nothing had happened. He reminded himself that he would talk to her later privately to see if he could get her to talk to him.
Roxton broke out of his train of thought when he heard Finn speaking. �So hold on a minute, you�re telling me you were in the future? I mean further than where I come from?�
�That�s right, Finn.� Challenger was excited with the new knowledge he had gained from his trip. �In that future, machines had taken over, as highly unlikely as that seems. They had turned people into their slaves, that poor fellow who was about to kill me could not even think for himself. But the most important thing was, those machines wanted to study my mind because they thought I was a threat to them. They said I could stop that future from happening!�
�And how are you going to do that, Challenger?� Malone had just met Finn and grasped the concept of her being from the future where the entire world was destroyed, but to hear of another trip into the future was mind boggling. It certainly wasn�t the first time he had encountered people who had time traveled, but it was something he wished he could have experienced for himself.
�Well, I have no ideas as of yet, Malone, but the very thought that I can help prevent what happens in Finn�s time and stop those machines, gives us hope! This is what I had hoped for when Finn came back with us. If we can find a way off the plateau, we can warn everyone not just of Zoth, but of these machines!�
Malone frowned. �Now, I know I�m new to all of this and I wasn�t here when this Zoth fellow came, but from what Finn says, he wasn�t supposed to come out until her time right? He got out early?�
�Yep, that�s right. He comes out when I�m just a kid and he destroys the entire world.� Finn was glad her trip into the future lasted only a short while until she found another shimmering window and jumped through. That short trip was enough to make her even more determined to stop Zoth. She believed that Challenger and the rest of her friends could help her in saving the future.
�So when he was here, he was making plans to destroy the world, much like he would have done when he was in your time, right?� Malone asked Finn.
�Yeah, so what�s your point?�
�Well, what if he got the ideas to destroy your world from Challenger�s plans? I mean, you said that he used some of Challenger�s previous inventions and modified them for his own twisted purposes. What if he because of him coming here, he uses those ideas when he escapes again in the future?�
Obviously, it wasn�t an idea anyone had considered previously, and the thought scared them. Malone interpreted their silence in a different manner. �Well, it was just an idea. I wasn�t here, so I was just thinking out loud.�
�Well, I can�t believe I�m saying this, but I think Malone could be right.� Marguerite sighed and then turned to Challenger.
�So I am responsible for the destruction of the future�his perversion of science, indirectly by my inventions, it�s all my fault.� Challenger�s face fell as he remembered New Amazonia and the life Finn and countless others had been forced to live.
The others glanced at each other and knew they couldn�t let Challenger blame himself. �But you saw his plans, Challenger, you know how to stop them. They are your inventions after all, you know how they work.� Marguerite reached over and rested an arm on his shoulder. �And when you get us off this plateau, you will know what�s coming and will be able to stop it.�
�That�s right, Challenger. If anyone can save the plateau and the rest of the world, it would be you. We all have faith in you, old boy.� Roxton patted Challenger on the back and hoped he would listen to reason.
Challenger nodded and stood up. �Well, I have some things I need to check on in the lab before I turn in, so I�ll say my good nights to you all.�
They all wished Challenger good night and watched him go down the stairs to his lab.
�He didn�t seem convinced to me.� Veronica turned back to her friends. �We�ll just have to try to keep his mind away from that kind of thinking.�
�Yeah, we can cheer him up. Besides, we should be partying or something, we�re all alive!� Finn smiled and promised herself she would spend extra time with Challenger in the lab tomorrow to make sure he knew she didn�t blame him for what happened in the future.
�It�s great you�re back, Malone, we�ve certainly missed you around here, some more than others,� Marguerite snuck a look at Veronica and hugged Malone.
�Thanks, Marguerite, it�s good to be back. I missed you all too.� Malone returned the hug and was glad that he managed to find himself back at the treehouse. He was already on his way home, but recent events cut his two week journey down to an instant and for that he was glad.
Marguerite stepped back and smiled. �Well, all this catching up and sharing of near-death experiences was a pleasure, but a girl needs her beauty sleep. So I�ll see you all in the morning. Good night, everyone.�
�Good night, Marguerite,� they all chorused. Marguerite left to her own room, while Veronica and Malone cleared the table. When they finished, everyone wished each other good night as well, and headed off to their respective rooms to get some much deserved sleep.