Amazing banner by behrbabe, who I am forever indented to, so much of the inspiration came from this perfect banner, thank you so much!
Title: Vanished
Author: jake17
Couple: M/L
Disclaimer: I own nothing Roswell
Rating: Adult
Author's Note :
This was given to me by MP, an amazing, heart wrenching, brilliant challenge that I was lucky enough to be handed personally. Her ideas are truly nothing short of genius, I just hope I can give it the justice it deserves. Thank you so much MP, sorry for the surprise, I couldn't wait any longer. so praying that your happy with this.
Summary
please read
This story picks up towards the end of the episode Interruptus, if you remember Max and Michael run to save Isabel from Kivar who wants to possess her as Vilondra and take her back to Antar, in this story Max in a struggle to save Isabel gets trapped into the portal with Kivar and ends up on an apocalyptic Antar.
He spends ten years starving, lost and alone fighting for his life in a war torn planet where Kivar and his followers are in a constant battle with rebel forces trying to assassinate him and take back their home at any cost.
Captured by the leader of the resistance they strike a deal with the one they know as Zan (Max), the King who fell at the feet of Kivar leading to the mass murders, forced slavery and the destruction of their once beautiful planet.
In an exchange for a huge sacrifice that will help them in their fight against Kivar, but will nearly cost Max his life, they agree to return him to his home planet Earth. After ten years of horror he finds himself near death back home but far from Roswell.
The story continues on with him finding his way to the others and the struggle to live in a world he no longer understands or belongs, and to the love of a girl whose memory was the only thing that drove him to struggle every day to stay alive in an unimaginable hell.
Chapter one.
~ A good day to die ~
'It has begun!'
Rising out of the crimson ashes miles deep Max could see them coming.
Slow and steady, poised for destruction focused on their prize, Kivar's brutal ground forces were descending upon them.
An army of mindless obedient killing machines ordered by a madman to destroy the last of the resistance, the only thing left standing between a heinous dictator and total world domination.
But it wasn't his world...
Not anymore...
Not after today...
Dead or alive Max was going home and nothing short of the devil himself was going to stop him.
Immense vibrations erupted the ground under his worn boots as his dirty face traveled upwards to see the daunting wavering ballistic capsules deploy their weaponry.
Covering his head the scorched land exploded into flames surrounding them in a sea of fire.
Max fell to his knees as funnels of dirt and gravel were sent rupturing fifty feet straight up into the air.
Everything erupted into a fury of chaos and confusion as the alien resistance saw their one last ditch effort to destroy Kivar disintegrate before their eyes.
Scrambling for cover Max held his head as an onslaught of commands from the alien beings surrounding him roared in a panic from every angle.
'Fall back! Fall back!'
'It's too late!'
'They know we have the king! '
Reaching out with his mind he glared at the leader of the resistance feeling his last chance at going home beginning to slip away.
Kivar's troops had arrived earlier then they had anticipated, their sheer numbers were daunting with their heavy artillery and air force the fledgling ill equip rebels were beginning to lose hope.
They didn't have the time or the preparation needed to set forth their very dangerous risky plan, despair and defeat was already crushing their spirits motivating them to retreat.
They had one shot at assassinating Kivar and they weren't going to waste it.
'We're not ready'
The leader's second in command's damning words echoed in his head forcing Max to resort to drastic measures.
As he raised his gun upward towards the intimidating alien that towered over him at nearly eight feet tall, he heard grim dark laughter reverberating in his head.
Large black dead eyes bore into his mind speaking telepathically, a paranormal phenomenon specific to Antar, leaving Max ten years without hearing even the sound of his own voice.
'I could decompose your ape descendent brain in seconds you anthropological hybrid misfit.'
Max undeterred by the obvious veiled threat released the safety aiming the gun higher now directly pointing it at the extraterrestrial's oval shaped human-like head.
'That may be, but not before my bullet would pierce your frontal lobe, we both know if I'm dead so is the royal seal, my ticket home and your only hope of defeating Kivar. Trophus, we are out of time, take the seal before its too late! We made a deal, dead or alive I am going home!'
The ominous voice in his mind remained firm showing no sign of fear as the sound of Kivar's approaching army shook the scorched ground beneath their feet.
'We need to get out of sight, they have taken the air and land, underground is our only option, it will buy us time to obtain the seal and isolate Kivar.'
Muddled voices clamored around his mind as the rebels argued amongst themselves, still he remained vigilant and steadfast.
'There is no time to prepare, his body will never handle the extraction of the seal.'
'Almost no chance at maintaining his existing form, tissue and bone will fail to withstand the acceleration of his core temperature - '
With a calmness as steady as his cold thumping heart, Trophus focused on the one goal necessary for completing their mission.
'Will the integrity of the seal be damaged?'
'No, as long as you keep the human alive during the procedure, but the chance of survival after will be minimal if not hopeless.'
Falling to his knees as an artillery blast knocks out the bridge they had just crossed Max lowers his head for a moment to regain his equilibrium.
After a deep breath he once again defiantly held the gun with two hands firmly pointed at Trophus, proving that the grim outcome hadn't pushed his resolve.
'As you wish Zan.'
Trophus nodded with respect before declaring his orders to his obedient militia.
'Split the earth!'
Max shielded his eyes as the four Artarians pressed their long thin lanky fingers over the deep red soil revealing the entrance to a sewer below.
Screams of civilians are disregarded as they shove Max into the small hole following him one by one before securing the opening with their powers.
Unable to see in the pitch black underground Max held his arm in pain as the gun is disabled immediately from his hand.
Gripping his head distressingly as Trophus bellowed inside his mind he fought to hold his ground.
'To die again, what a venturesome life you have led Zan. Still, I sense no fear, no fight or flight reflex, not as human as you thought perhaps or maybe you realize that both hold no promise for you.'
Bracing himself against the cool earth Max grimaces with impatience and provokes the alien.
'It's a good day to die, now do it before you are all buried in the fucking ground with me! You worthless piece of shit!'
Suddenly there was a deep rumble as the first fleet of Kivar's impressive armored combat tanks approached them causing dirt to shower down upon their heads.
With the scent of the king on the tip of his tongue Kivar was leading his homicidal battalion virtually unprotected.
It was almost unheard of to be so vulnerable but ten years of hunting has made him bloodthirsty and impatient.
It's what they counted on, what they needed...
To get close enough to use the power of the seal to destroy the murderous ruler that had enslaved and terminated an entire race of people.
It was the plan, a deal forged between a boy king and the leader of a fledgling resistance, a portal home to Earth in exchange for the royal seal, the only viable weapon that could assassinate Kivar.
It had been five years in the making, the timing had to be precise, they were not ready, but it was now or never.
And Max knew it.
Easing his hand into his pocket he placed his fingers gently over her image, closing his eyes he whispered his goodbye, his gratitude to her for getting him through the past ten years, and finally his eternal love.
Taking a deep breath he punctuated the two words harshly in his head that would end his time in this hell and possibly his life.
'Do it!'
Glaring down on him the menacing alien nodded acknowledging the marked courage of the boy King.
'As you command... your Highness.'
Keeping his foreboding gaze locked on him, Trophus ordered them to begin the extraction of the royal seal.
'Hold him down!'
Max braced himself as he felt the impact of their power pin his arms and legs roughly against the mossy slim of the sewer.
His head fell back hard as the malevolent alien hovered over him.
What was to follow was a horror beyond mere words or description.
His tough resilient stare quickly faded away dreadfully replaced with confusion and a helpless vulnerability as he felt Trophus tear into his soul.
Shaken from the onslaught of heartbreaking visceral intense emotions the commander hissed distressingly inside Max's head.
His long bony finger tips curled over his heart as he held Max on the brink of death.
Through the smoldering scent of burning flesh Trophus spoke his final damning words.
' My sincere apology for the unfortunate intrusion Zan, consider it … collateral damage.'
Max shivered in agony, his once warm vibrant Amber eyes now faded into a hopeless muddy greyish hue as he stared off into the distance.
'You see the seal acquires its power from the soul of the one who possesses it Zan... the symbol is simply a catalyst.'
It was then that she appeared, her image reflected in the cold black large oval eyes of the deviant extraterrestrial extracting, raping, boring into his beautiful soul.
His heart swelled as he felt the life drain from his bones so tired from a fight that had gone on far too long.
In his mind he whispered her name as she wrapped her arms around him, consoling him, comforting him,
'Liz...'
His angel had come to carry him home.
Struck expectantly from an onslaught of overwhelming feelings of love, longing and loss, Trophus tore the six circle configuration lifting it from Max's broken body.
'The end is near... your eternal rest awaits.'
At that moment an incandescent blinding white light flashed almost violently flooding Max's sight as he drew his last breath.
His mighty courageous heart faltered stilling its rhythmic beat.
The ancient King of a tumultuous, savage planet...
The innocent hybrid boy from Roswell New Mexico...
A lonely brave soldier trapped on a distant strange world far away from home...
Whoever he once was, or was forced into, or had become … now... was gone
~ the end is just the beginning ~
In the deep recesses of his mind he heard the familiar distant cries of seagulls and the lapping ocean tide against a distant shore.
Heaven, he thought to himself briefly before he was slammed harshly down upon the Earth with a rush of unimaginable pain shooting through his body.
Swallowing hard he winced in agony as a rush of cool air was forced into his collapsed lungs.
Gasping he turned onto his stomach into the rough sand and coughed violently.
He pressed his arm against his fractured ribs as he writhed and rocked in excruciating pain.
Struggling to move he forced his eyes open confused by the heat radiating off his dirty face.
Straining his torn burning muscles he pulled himself up to a sitting position as freezing water lapped at the worn heels of his boots.
Starving and exhausted he looked out onto the turbulent New England sea watching as the tide rushed in tossing snow white caped waves against the deserted shore.
It was then that his worn bloodshot eyes lifted towards the late afternoon sun.
A sight he had not seen in ten long years.
Tears formed beneath his thick black eyelashes as he blinked several times moved beyond words by the giant radiant circle of light that peaked between the grey clouds dotting the horizon.
His mouth fell open as the inconceivable realization sunk its way to his bruised broken body and mind.
He was home.
Immediately he went into survival mode remembering the words from his training.
Every breath you take could be your last unless you claim it for yourself .
There is no such thing as safe
secure your perimeter – water – food – shelter
Keep moving soldier
Stumbling to his feet he searched the beach as the wind howled eerily all around him.
“Hey you! You alright there son?”
Immediately Max pressed his hands over his ears and whipped his head around to see a portly older bearded man looking at him curiously.
The sound of the old man's voice reverberated through his head bringing him down to his knees.
Confused the silver long haired gruff looking man walked closer leaning against a makeshift cane made from a piece of driftwood.
Max attempted to stand until the entire world spun upside down and he lost his barrings.
“Whoa, just take it easy, you look like you've been through a hell of a time.”
Max just stared at his round smiling face stunned by sounds he never thought he'd hear again.
Once again the realization of where he was ripped through his broken body.
He had survived, he had actually made it home.
Severely hurt and weak he was barely able to stand.
“Here let me help you.”
Max continued to stare at his disheveled friendly face dressed in mismatched clothes still in shock as he placed his arm around his shoulder and helped him to a make shift shelter under a bridge not far from the beach.
Grimacing as his chest burned like white hot fire over his heart he knew he had to gather his strength to heal himself soon.
Flipping a milk crate over the kind man helped Max to sit before reaching into a torn camouflaged backpack.
Pulling out a green canteen and a newspaper carefully folded in two he sat across from Max clearly trying to figure him out.
“The name's Nick, I have some water here and some day old bread from the bakery across the street, I grabbed it right after they threw it out so its perfectly safe.”
Max hesitated briefly before taking the canteen from his shaky winkled hand.
Coughing roughly again as the cool liquid ran down his dry scratchy throat he nodded towards Nick.
“You look pretty banged up there, did someone rough you up... um.... sorry didn't get your name.”
Closing his ripped shirt in an attempt to hide his badly burned chest Max cleared his throat as he attempted to speak.
Straining to use vocal cords that have been dormant for so long he automatically said the name that was forced upon him for years.
“Zan... I-I mean... Max.”
His voice cracked with emotion as he became visibly upset.
He lowered his head overwhelmed by the sound of his own voice, it was as if it was a piece to the puzzle that once belonged to the boy he once was, before his life was ripped away from him.
It was then that he frantically reached down in his pocket for her picture.
Pulling out the yellowed cracked image he brushed the ashes from her young face and forced himself to stand.
His beautifully broken spirit focused on the horizon that stretched out before him as the sun began to set across his golden eyes that once again lit with a fire not yet quenched.
Turning towards Nick his expression was hard, strong full of resolve.
"What is this place?"
Confused Nick rubbed his scruffy beard. "Harvey's beach."
With a growing intensity Max hardened his voice. "No, I mean where am I?"
"Well son you're in Connecticut, listen there's a free clinic not far - "
Immediately Max began caculating the distance and what he would need ignoring the stranger's obvious concern.
“Is there a garage or junkyard close to here?”
Thinking for a moment the elderly man pointed towards the edge of the beach.
“About three miles past that dock there's a dirt road, follow that and you'll end up at Joe's, he'll help you out with anything you need.”
Nodding Max began to limp towards the dock, his mind focused, his lonely heart beating once again, his long journey almost at an end.
“Hey Max where ya headed?”
Walking at a steady pace Max slowly raised his hand laying it against the scorched ravaged skin across his chest.
His deep hoarse voice strained as the tissue and muscle over his heart healed forming back into place.
“Home.”
Nick fell back off his milk crate, his eyes widened with wonder as a blinding white light sparked like fireworks streaming an outline around Max's body as he walked away.
“Home.”
