"Because we'll just be giving ourselves away," Tess told him.

Michael made sure the hall was clear before they continued on. Michael took the lead, then Isabel, Tess and finally Maria. They proceeded down, but they heard footsteps getting closer. They quickly ducked into a small room that barely fit the four of them.

They held their breath as a Special Unit agent passed right by them. Once he passed Michael started to get up, but Maria pulled him back down, "The always travel in intervals." Just as Maria finished saying that another passed by.

"How did you know that?" Isabel asked. "Nasedo."

"When you're hunted all your life you pick up on things," Tess explained as they got up from their hiding place.

They turned left at the corridor when three men dressed in surgical wear pushing a covered dead body on a gurney appeared. "Oh my God," Isabel softly gasped after the men went into the morgue.

Tess began to shake, "That can't be him, I would have felt it."

Maria grabbed a hold of her hand and she found Michael's. Once Tess held Isabel's hand Maria squeezed Michael's and Tess's hands. They took a deep breath and waited for the men to come out.

It seemed like an eternity, but it was only minutes before they left. "OK, let's go," Michael commanded.

Maria didn't like the eerie feeling the morgue gave her she has never been in one before and now her friend may or may not be under that sheet. Tess tightened her grip on Maria's hand as Michael uncovered the face of the body and discovered that it was not Max.

"It's not Max!" Isabel exclaimed with relief.

Michael pulled the sheet even lower revealing the chest, which had a silvery handprint. "What is that?" Maria asked.

Michael put the sheet back over the body, "That's how Nasedo kills."

Suddenly the door flung open and one of the Special Unit agents walked in, "You're not supposed to be here!"

Michael lifted his hand and felt the power surge up in his body. Instead of focusing on the agent the power engulfed the whole room causing the doors and drawers to flap as if a hurricane were in there.

The agent lifted his hand up and an even bigger surge of power sent Michael flying into the wall. "It's you!" he said trying to get up.

"Where the hell have you been?" Maria demanded.

Nasedo told her still in the form of the Special Unit agent, "You shouldn't be here, do you want to get caught too."

"We have to get Max out of here," Isabel said.

Before their eyes Nasedo shape-shifted back to Ed Harding. "Don't ever leave us again!" Tess told him.

"I have five of you watch now," Nasedo said.

"I've been looking for you," Michael still couldn't believe that Nasedo was Maria and Tess's "father" all along.

Nasedo told him, "Not as long as I have, now I have to get you guys out of here." He motioned for them to follow him. Nasedo quickly shape-shifted back into the agent, and then led them into the unknown.

****************

"This is the floor plan for the military base. Scan it," Nasedo gave Michael a clipboard with a map on it.

Michael didn't quite understand, "What?"

"Scan it," Nasedo pointed to Michael's head. "Into your brain."

Michael admitted, "I can't."

"Then I suggest you take the next 2 minutes to memorize it," Nasedo turned to the others.

Maria took a quick glimpse at the map and permanently scanned it into her brain, "Don't worry it's all up here," Maria pointed to her head to reassure him.

"Everyone synchronize their watches to a quarter til, and I need two of you to come with me," Nasedo instructed setting his watch.

"Why?" Isabel asked as she set her watch.

"They added this new skeletal scanner and I can change my appearance on the outside, but I can't change my structure on the inside," Nasedo held up Michael's hand and examined it, "Your bone structure on the other hand is 100% human."

Michael didn't hide his disappointment, "You mean you're different from me?"

Nasedo let go of is arm, "Biology lessons later, since the only female agent in the Special Unit is dead Michael you're with me…and so are you Maria."

"But you just said," Maria started.

Nasedo cut her off, "You inherited all of your father's powers including shape-shifting. If you want to get Max out now is the time to tap into those powers."

Maria was really scared, and when she looked over at Tess she had tears in her eyes. Michael could see the fright in both of their eyes. "Let's go!" Nasedo told them.

"I won't let anything happen to her," Michael told Tess before following Nasedo.

Maria gave Tess one last hug, "I love you Tessie."

"I love you too Ria now put on your happy human face," Tess said to her softly.

Michael put his hand on Maria's shoulder, "Time to go Maria."

"I'll be back soon," was what Maria said to Tess as they left her there with Isabel.

"Where to?" Michael dared to ask.

Nasedo didn't look at them, "Back to the morgue."

For the second time that day Maria found herself in the morgue having that strange eerie feeling. "What are we doing back here?" she asked eyeing the body under the sheet.

Nasedo replied pulling the sheet down halfway, "Fingerprints."

"Why do you need fingerprints?" Michael questioned.

Nasedo looked at Michael, "I don't, but you do." Nasedo lifted the dead agent's arm. "When you were engineered the human genetic material used is far more advanced than the human's today. From what I observed earlier you hardly used the power you are capable of. Now I want you to change your thumbprint to match his thumbprint."

"I can't do that," Michael said.

Nasedo forced Michael to hold the guy's arm, "Yes you can, you just need to focus."

Maria watched as Michael strained his eyes to focus on the thumbprint, "Maybe if Michael and I connect he'll be able to do it quicker," Maria suggested.

Nasedo retorted, "No, he has to do it on his own. Focus Michael! You were programmed to do this."

"Well I didn't get the damn manual okay! I'm trying my best," Nasedo turned his back and stood watch at the door.

Michael concentrated hard on copying the guy's fingerprint to his thumb, "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can, I believe in you Michael. You can do it," Maria told him with a soothing voice.

"You have until these 2 agents get to the door, or I'm going to get that hand and you know how I'm going to get it," Nasedo announced at the door.

Maria pleaded, "Michael please try again."

Michael looked at the thumb and concentrated on transporting the print to his thumb. "I did it, I think I did it!" Maria saw it for herself when Michael used his power to duplicate the print. "I did it!"

Nasedo wasn't listening because the two agents just walked in. Michael quickly pulled Maria down with him, so they wouldn't see them.

"No!" Maria screamed as Michael pulled her down, Michael thought she was yelling at him, but then he realized that she was witnessing Nasedo kill two agents at the same time.

Michael watched the two men collapse to the floor, dead, "Why did you do that? I told you I did it!"

"Just doing what is necessary," Nasedo responded.

Maria stood up from behind the table, "How is killing two people necessary?"

"Would you rather it be the two of you?" Nasedo retorted and Maria didn't say anything. "Now then, it is almost time to get Max." Nasedo put his hand in front of Michael and transformed his street clothes into a business suit. "Now you need to do what is necessary." Nasedo handed Michael a comb, and Michael looked at it as if he were seeing it for the first time.

After Michael took the comb Nasedo said, "Your turn Maria." Nasedo quickly changed into the African-American agent.

Maria said in panicky voice, "I don't know if I can."

"Of course you can, all you do is focus your power on your exterior. Now take a good look at the agent and focus," Nasedo ordered.

Maria took a long look at the dead agent's face, "I don't understand why you need me."

"We need you to help get Max out now stop procrastinating and focus," Nasedo said losing his patience.

Maria closed her eyes and raised her hand up, so the power could start building. She concentrated on the face she scanned into her brain, and then she felt her body start to change. She felt herself growing taller and more muscular, and it felt strange.

"That's a good girl," Nasedo said to her once Maria finished shape shifting. Maria looked down at her hands only they weren't her hands.

"Oh my God!" Maria's voice sounded way deeper.

Nasedo scolded, "There is no time to dwell right now. We have to do something far more important."

Maria nodded and looked over at Michael who looked very distinguished in his suit and with his normally spiky hair combed. Maria couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she wasn't going to think about it right then, "Let's go get Max."

They managed to get past the skeletal scanner and a couple other agents. "There's Max," Maria gasped. They could Max in a white room alone with Agent Pierce, and Max had the two orbs with him.

"Let's get him," Michael wanted to get his friend and get out of there.

Nasedo looked at his watch, "No, it's not time yet. We have to time it just perfectly."

It was only 30 seconds but it seemed like forever before Nasedo said, "It's time."

He bashed in the window and it shattered to pieces, "Hurry we don't have much time!"

Maria and Michael jumped through the window, and rushed to Max. "Come on Max we gotta go," Maria told him as she helped him up, and it was obvious that he didn't recognize her.

Michael stuck the orbs in his pockets and helped Maria with Max. "You kids get out of here. Maria you know the escape route…it's all up to you now," Nasedo commanded.

"You're not coming with us?" Michael hesitated.

Nasedo ordered, "I have something to take care of now get out of here!"

"We can't leave you!" Maria screamed.

"Go!" Nasedo roared.

Michael told her, "They're coming Maria we have to get Max out of here now!"

"Let's go," Maria and Michael carried Max down the dark corridor.

"What are you doing with the prisoner?" one of the agents demanded, and Maria was overcome with fear.

Michael replied, "Pierce ordered us to remove him! Hurry up Pierce needs your help!" Just as the agents disappeared down the corridor Michael noticed that fear had caused Maria to shift back to her normal self. Their time was running out, and the corridors all looked the same.

"Down this way!" Maria pointed to the skeletal scanner they needed to pass.

"Hold it right there!" an agent, yelled from behind.

"It's Pierce!" Michael declared as he put his hand on the scanner. The bars slid open, but Pierce managed to fire off a few shots at them.

Maria screamed out, "No!" She shifted her weight, so she could balance Max on one side. Maria held out her hand and a strong surge of power burst out making a mirage-like forcefield. The bullets hit the forcefield like pebbles hitting water. Only once they hit it the bullets dissolved into small particles of dust. Maria put her hand down and the forcefield disappeared.