Alex was in the driver’s seat, and Maria could tell he was enjoying every minute of it. How often did they get to steal a sports car, cruise out of town in search of Liz and STILL escape without one of the aliens noticing before they left? Never. Ahh, what a life it is to live on the wild side.

But on the other hand, the rest of the Pod Squad was going to KILL them. She could just see it. Michael would be infuriated and screaming obscenities, Max would be on the brink of a nervous breakdown, and Isabel would be just about to wrap her fingers around Kyle’s neck in frustration. Poor guy.

Maria really wanted to bring Kyle along with them, but Alex said it was dangerous enough with just the two of them going. They may be aliens, but they lacked any sort of powers. Then he added that they shouldn’t have even left in the first place, and he was only encouraging the escape because of Maria’s dream. (But Maria knew he also left with her because he wanted to drive Kyle’s baby… his car.)

Maria had been a bit overwhelmed when she had awoken from the connection with Liz and Alex. People were flinging their bodies at her and hugging her. Especially Michael… hell, he hadn’t even let go of her until she secretly fled. And even then it was difficult. He had a good grip on her even in his sleep.

But the biggest surprise for her was Kyle, now a resident of “I-know-an-alien” club. Maria’s first thought was that he really doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into. But he seemed, overall, pretty secure about the whole situation. Shocking at first, but Maria knew that Liz always called Kyle loyal, above all else. That was all she needed to rest her fear about Kyle and any consequences that could arise from his new knowledge of extraterrestrial life.

But Kyle was really in for a ride. Maria had been a permanent member of this so-called club for about three years and if she learned anything it was that nothing was ever normal. Especially these damned dreams.

Maria could feel the horror crawling up her neck and playing seductively with her senses. She had fallen asleep not long after her rousing from the terror of her mind. At first it was just a peaceful slumber, but her dreamland came into play and her senses went crazy. Her dream started off fuzzy and undecided, grayness and silence overcoming her. But then she heard the screams. Those awful, horrifying, sickening screams that tore out each tendon in her heart, making her feel enormously nauseous. And they got louder and louder until all Maria could do to escape the cries was nothing short of violently ripping off her ears.

That was when it happened. It. Her. A figure appeared before Maria, crying and screeching for help. A small, crumbled being howling in pain or fear or both. Maria had taken a step towards the individual, reaching down to touch her and perhaps comfort her, but he stopped her. He, that dark, menacing character that threatened her to the very soul. There was something so familiar but not, about him. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was something so recognizable to her. How? She didn’t know.

The man swooped the figure up over his shoulder and slowly moved away from Maria, the figure screaming even louder, and pounding relentlessly but futilely against her captor’s back. At that very second the figures head jerked up and pleaded wordlessly into Maria’s eyes. Then Maria knew. Liz. She was Liz and something was near and threatening her.

“Hey, clueless, you awake in there?” Alex’s voice snapped Maria out of her recollection. She looked over at Alex, who was glancing at her periodically. She shook her head of disorder and straightened in her seat.

“Yep, yep, just thinking,” responded Maria, wearily.

“Oh? About…” Alex paused, taking another good glance at his best friend. “The dream?” Maria nodded her head silently. She turned her head and gazed out the window, out to the mysterious, conspiring world.

“Figure anything out? You know, you never answered my question earlier. About Khivar.” Maria sighed. She could list the many things she would rather be doing than discussing this.

“I don’t think it’s him. It didn’t… feel like him.” Maria shrugged carelessly, still gazing out the window.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, when Khivar… did what he did to me, I got this certain feeling from him. And I didn’t feel it in the dream.”

“Feeling? What do you mean? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say anything about this before.”

“I don’t know what’s going on myself. This whole sensation-feeling thing is new to me too. It’s like I get these emotions or impressions of feelings from different people. I feel so much more… perceptive.” Maria again turned, but this time facing her friend so she could perhaps engross herself a bit more into the conversation.

“Oh. When did this start? You think this could be… a Czechoslovakian thing?”

“Could be… actually, I’m pretty sure it is. It started when I woke up earlier. I have these different sensations from each person. I can’t really describe it that well. Each person has a different… flavor. Well, at least I think so, from the different flavorings I felt from you, Michael, Max, Iz and Kyle.”

“How can you feel Khivar then? You said it started when you woke up.” Maria paused for a moment, contemplating Alex’s question. He was right. How did she know what Khivar felt like, if she didn’t gain this new… ability until after she saw the space beast?

“Maybe the damage he did to me left his feeling imprinted on my brain?”

“Perhaps. But then that arises the question of why you suddenly have this capability. The facts are that Khivar captured you and he did his mind melt to you-”

“His what?” Maria asked, surprised by Alex’s terminology.

“Oh, I just named it. What he did to you. I thought it was appropriate, no?”

“I guess.”

“Right. Anyways, as I was saying, he did his mind melt on you, and you eventually escaped your mind. Now you have this new power thingy.”

“You think space beast did something to me, don’t you? To activate this whole new power. But I felt Khivar’s flavor when he did his… what’s it called… mind melt on me. Maybe these powers have been gradually developing and- Wait. When did we say this was a power? I’ve always been perceptible to feelings. This could just be me becoming more enhanced.”

“No, this is new and different. Powers. Remember we have an alien past, so powers are possible for us.” Maria noticed Alex suddenly becoming stiffer and restless in his body language. Then again his body language was out of whack all morning.

Alex fidgeted for a moment before giving Maria a weird, undecipherable look.

“What? What are you thinking?” Maria asked, curiously. Alex gave Maria another look as if he were trying to decide something. This ought to be good.

Alex took a deep, cleansing breath before waving his hand over the steering wheel. The previously black leather steering wheel changed into a cheetah print cover. Maria’s eyes widened and a sharp intake of air was all that was heard in the car other than the numbing music in the background. What. The. Hell. Was. That.

“You… that… what…huh? ALEX!” Maria shrieked.

“Calm down, Deluca. Don’t freak. I started getting these powers just a little while ago.” Maria looked at him, mostly with shock and disbelief.

“That’s all you’re going to say? You get these new powers, which you’ve obviously had for awhile since they seem pretty well tuned, and all you have to tell me is that I shouldn’t freak. Are you INSANE?” Maria’s pitch kicked up another notch.

“It’s no big deal. And besides, this Khivar thing has been occupying all of our minds. Furthermore, you’ve started to gain powers, so why is it so startling that I have to?”

Maria stayed silent, mostly because she didn’t know what to say. Alex keeping quiet about new powers was so unlike him. Alex is the type of guy who always helped and rooted for the home team, so keeping a secret like this from them was totally uncharacteristic. She wasn’t shocked by the whole having powers thing, just by his secrecy of it. And he should know that, being her best friend and all.