Author’s Notes: I got this idea while watching Phantasm IV for the hundredth time, and I think it serves as a fitting end to the series. I try to answer a lot of the questions raised through the four films and then some. Hope anyone who reads this and reviews the movie agrees that the idea is plausible. And I realize that having Liz come back as she is may be stretching it a little bit, but it’s also possible that The Tall Man did have the means to resurrect her as mentioned. On a side note, some chapters will begin with a few song lyrics that I think fit the story. Enjoy.

Prologue

"We’re different, Mike. That’s why he wants us..."

I remember those words so well, spoken during a night spent with the one I loved. I didn’t know why at the time, why we were different, but I figured it out the night I died. Or, I should say, after I died. A whole new world of possibilities, of explanations, opened up to me in an instant, and those realizations stayed with the sphere -- my new self -- that the Tall Man dug from my skull.

Confused yet? I sure am. But here’s the gist of it: my soul is tied permanently to a small metal orb that was housed inside my head for... God, I don’t know how long. My body died, but my consciousness is still here. Now I’m stuck in a form that can never die unless he allows it, and I’ll be damned if I don’t resent it.

This is no life, kept under his watchful eye and having to follow his directive. Yet, I’m almost grateful that, as of late, he’s starting to pay less attention to me. He recently acquired a new sphere that he seems to favor above all others. I’m learning to use this to my advantage, sneaking off through that dimensional gateway of his when he isn’t looking.

I’ve even given myself a human form identical to the one I’ve had. It took me a while to master that aspect, but I’ve done it. Now, all that’s left is getting to the only one who can help me put a stop to this sick experiment of his. I could use some peace of mind after everything I’ve learned. It’s enough to make a normal person go mad. With any luck, the man I need for the job has seen enough that he can handle what I have to tell him.

So, Reggie, if you’re out there and still fighting this war, hang tight. An explanation and (hopefully) an end are coming soon...

Chapter One

In a darkened hotel room just outside Death Valley, Reggie awoke with a yell, sitting straight up in bed. It took him a moment to shake off the last vestiges of his nightmare -- about Mike, again -- and a shiver inevitably passed through him. How many times had he relived the death of his only friend? He’d lost count after five, but he could never stop from shuddering after each one.

Burying his face in his hands, Reggie found himself shedding a tear or two, both in misery and in anger that this particular memory wasn’t going away. Dammit, but he’d done everything humanly possible to protect Mike, to keep him alive, but it had all been for naught. And what’s worse, that failure seemed determined to haunt Reggie until the day he died.

He didn’t know how long he sat there feeling sorry for himself, but it was interrupted when he heard a voice rise up from the other side of the room. "Is this what you’ve been reduced to?" the feminine tone asked. "Simple wallowing in your own guilt?"

Reggie jerked his head upright, and his first instinct was to go for the gun on the nightstand. He aimed it at the intruder with barely a second thought, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he saw who the speaker was. "Liz?" he asked, keeping the pistol steady.

"It’s me," she replied after a moment of hesitation. "I’m sorry, it seems weird to hear you using that name. That person you knew doesn’t exist anymore."

Reggie’s face hardened. This girl... she had been Mike’s sweetheart, once upon a time, and he had definitely seen her killed a long time ago. It seemed impossible for her to be here, unless...

Holding the gun firmly in both hands, Reggie said, quite fiercely, "He did it to you too, didn’t he? You’re one of those things! Well, let me tell you something, sweetheart. I’ve had nothing but bad experiences in connection with those damn spheres, and I’m not about to trust one now!"

Liz flinched. "Do you want to see our tall friend put in the ground, permanently? I know I would. You can’t imagine everything he’s done."

Reggie shook his head in disbelief. "Uh, seen it for myself about fourteen years now," he reminded her sarcastically. "And if you value your life or what’s left of it, you’ve got two minutes to tell me something worth hearing."

Liz sighed. "Hey, I’m lucky to be here at all. The sphere he got from me wasn’t fully formed, but the Tall Man had the technology to finish the process... Not that I’m happy about it, mind you. Reggie, you have no idea what it’s like to go on knowing what I know." She paused, taking a hesitant step towards the chair in the corner to show him she meant no harm. When Reggie eased up ever so slightly, she crossed the remaining distance quickly, seating herself. "This life I had before, or what passed for it, wasn’t mine to begin with. Same goes for Mike and his brother, Jody... Have you ever wondered why he seemed so focused on the three of us and barely gave you a second thought?"

Reggie considered her words carefully, then slowly lowered the pistol though he remained tense. "I suppose you’re going to tell me, right?" he asked with a trace of bitterness.

Liz bowed her head slightly at his tone. "What happened to you, Reg? You never used to be this distrustful."

"The only person I trust right now is me. I’m the one who’s still human. And you... I don’t know what the hell you are," he told her shortly.

Liz lifted her head a notch, looking peeved. "That’s not fair, Reg," she stated. "I’m every bit as human as you are!"

"In appearance, perhaps," Reggie put in, ending her tirade before it began. "But so was Jody, and look at how he turned out. He turned on me and Mike in an instant, and I don’t care for a repeat episode with you... Now are you going to get to the point, or are you for dragging this out like Jody used to?"

A sad glint came to Liz’s eyes. "Jody," she murmured. "He was a good man, the one you knew. Both in this lifetime and several others."

Reggie had to admit, his curiosity was pretty damn aroused by her statement and what it implied. "What are you talking about? He only had the one life, as far as I can see..."

"You don’t see," Liz said simply. "You don’t know." She paused as if considering how best to present this, then added, "Mike, Jody, and I are the byproducts of another of his experiments. There are others like us out there, I’m sure of, but I don’t know who they are." She leaned forward, looking dead serious. "What would you say if I told you we were born and lived originally in the Civil War era?"

Reggie scoffed. "You’re crazy!" he blurted out.

She shook her head. "I know it sounds that way, but it’s real. We had different names then, but we were the same people, essentially, that we are today. William and Caleb Fallon -- you’d know them as Jody and Michael Pearson now -- were brothers who fought in the war, and I was Caleb’s fiancée, Lisbeth. The brothers were gunned down in battle, and when I heard, I died of a broken heart. It didn’t end there though... The Tall Man traveled back through his spacegate and found us in that time, and chose our bodies as the first to try to implant his spheres in."

Reggie’s eyes widened as he considered the possibility, and the things it implied. "He failed, didn’t he?" the elder man asked.

"He failed, yes," she replied with a sad nod. "The spheres wouldn’t take, and the process all but destroyed the three of us... What’s worse, he wanted to try again, using the same three people he had started with. He could do that, you know. He engineered our lives the second time, and all the times that followed, genetically cloning us in a way that we were born into unsuspecting families. We too wouldn’t know until he came for and killed us... Our families would always be taken away first, so there’d be no obstacles between us and him. I know it’s impossible for me to remember all this, but dying has a way of changing your perception."

Liz rubbed at her eyes. "Sometimes, it would be radically different... Jody and Mike would be simply friends instead of brothers. Or, I’d find myself engaged to Jody, or I would be HIS sister, of all things. That alone is enough to drive a person insane if they dwell on it... Each time, the implantations would fail. He came close in the last lifetime, the one before us, and a duplicate of Jody -- pure evil -- survived that process to work at the Tall Man’s side. But now..."

Feeling a chill at the prospect, Reggie said, "Then why all the others? If he’s just using you, Mike, and Jody over and over, what’s he want with all the other innocent people out there?"

"Because he can’t rely on just us three," she answered. "Now that he’s found a method that works, do you realize how many lifetimes we’d have to go through before he amasses the kind of army he has now...? Once he figured out some of the secrets, he began to target small towns for the means of gathering troops. All those innocents he’s gotten are going to be mere soldiers on his side. But, Mike, Jody, and I... We’re meant to lead, along with the others that are rumored to be like us. Especially Mike."

Still not believing what he was hearing, Reggie asked, "How did he do it? If what you’re saying is true, how did he manage to succeed this time?"

Liz glanced warily around the room before continuing. "Damn, he’s calling me! I was hoping I’d get more time." she replied. "Reg, I’m sorry, if he finds out I’m gone, I’ll never be able to get back here!"

Reggie stood at the same time she did, looking like he was on the edge of his seat. "Oh, come on, Liz! You can’t lay all this on me and then just take off!" he blurted out.

"I don’t have a choice, not if you want to hear the rest," she said abruptly. "After what happened to the Jody you know, I know better than to act up... Trust me, Reg. I will be back!" With that, she began to change, her human form dissolving and shrinking down into one of the flying spheres. Reggie could only watch as it swiftly exited the way it had come, through an open window, and right after, he sat back down on the bed, head in his hands.

"Mike..." Reggie whispered, trying to accept this new concept. How was it possible, that Mike and his older brother were clones from a different time, when their lives had been completely normal up to the time the Tall Man had entered the picture? It was hard to fathom, that the bastard had known of them and had simply been biding his time until... Hell, for all Reggie knew, the Tall Man may have simply been waiting until he deemed that Jody was old enough.

In short, Liz’s words kept Reggie up the rest of the night and even well into the next day, as he anxiously waited her return and for her to finish the story...

Chapter Two

The soul and the spirit Each have got their own limit And I can’t waste another second Living in hell like it’s some kind of heaven

--Feel to Believe

--Beth Orton

Towards mid-afternoon the next day, Reggie found himself growing downright restless and chose to distract himself by going out for a bite to eat. Then, much to his surprise, Liz put in a second appearance at the restaurant, sliding into the booth across from him. He could only stare at her in bewilderment for a moment or two before finding his voice. "How do you do that?" he blurted out. "You and Jody both have shown a knack of tracking me down just about anywhere... Is it some fancy ability he’s given you?"

Liz nodded once. "Our tracking systems are designed to be off the charts... I told you that the Tall Man was gathering an army of spheres, and there are a few he’d like to use for assassination purposes. Once a name is given to us... the target would have an hour at best, no matter where he or she is in the world."

"An army," Reggie scoffed. "Great! And just what does he have in mind once he’s gathered enough troops?"

Liz shook her head. "Let’s stick to the basics. I can’t be gone too long as it is... Now, where did I leave off?"

"You were going to tell me how he succeeded with the implants this time around," Reggie reminded her with a sigh, still not sure if he could trust her or not.

"Ah, yes," she said softly, deep in contemplation. "In short... The way we were engineered, Mike, Jody and I were given a sort of biological timer in our systems, this time around. Once we reached a certain age, the sphere would start forming, and it would take about a year or two to... gestate, shall we say. You know it’s complete when your blood changes its composition to sustain it until the Tall Man comes for you. Usually, that aspect would occur by default, but sometimes, he’d want to handle it himself... It’s why he tried to have me embalmed that one time... Either way, the one inside me was nearly ready when I was killed, and it almost didn’t survive my death..."

"Wouldn’t that be a good thing?" Reggie questioned. "No offense, Liz, but I don’t see spending all eternity as a metal ball as loads of fun."

"Maybe not, but it gives me the means to stop him. I know a way, after a few years of watching and listening. But I’m going to need your help. There’s no way I can do this alone."

"What about Jody, and Mike?" Reggie demanded. "They’re with you, aren’t they?"

Liz looked down at the table, slightly uncomfortable. "The Tall Man wasn’t too happy that Jody was going out of his way to help Mike escape what was coming. He sent Jody’s predecessor -- the one I told you about that survived the last trial -- to meet Mike and even you a few times, to cause some discord. In the meantime, Jody was held in the factory until his mind could be altered, so he would have no choice but to betray his brother when the time came for it. When it was over, Jody and his predecessor were eliminated. The Tall Man ultimately decided they were both more trouble than they were worth."

Reggie grew dubious. "How do I know he hasn’t set you up to say all this?"

Liz half smiled. "It’s very much like you to ask that," she said softly, without malice. "I can’t expect you to trust me, Reg, but I can ask that you do... I’ve lived in hell for the last years, and you know as well as I do that Mike is there with me! I care about... No, I... I love him as much as you do, and you’ll want to help him for the mere reason that you do give a damn!"

When Liz remained silent, Reggie all but stared her down, his worry cutting through his doubts. "Mike?" he repeated anxiously. "Tell me about him. Is he okay?"

"Honestly, none of us are okay," Liz said softly. "Not so long as we’re under his control." She paused. "I haven’t seen Mike, but I know he’s there, in spirit if not in flesh. I’ve been hearing whispers and rumors for days... I’m sorry he couldn’t escape this. It’s been hell for me these last few years, and I imagine it’s the same for him. And what’s worse, it isn’t over yet, not by a long shot..."

"It’s never over," Reggie murmured, lost in thought. Then, noticing that Liz was staring at him expectantly, he added, "That’s something the Tall Man said to me once, at a time when he had me dead to rights and for some reason let me go... You say he wasn’t interested in me, but if that’s true, why would he kill MY family?"

Liz bit her lip. "He intended for you to be caught in that explosion as well, for the sole purpose of doing away with everyone between him and Mike. It’s why he tried to kill you at every turn since then, but, as for letting you live... That was my fault, in a way," she said in a pained voice. "I told him what the future held, that he would get to Mike even if you were there. I can’t apologize enough for that, Reg. I put both of you through the wringer in a single moment because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut."

Reggie smiled politely up at the waitress as she walked up to ask if Liz would like anything, but the latter declined. Once their hostess retreated, he returned his attention to the girl across from him. "One thing I’ve always wondered... Why Mike? Why was he so important?"

Liz shrugged. "I don’t know... But maybe... Maybe the Tall Man favored him because he put up such a good fight all those years... That was the problem with Jody -- He was strong and all, but he tended to shy away from things other people would face head on... I think what the Tall Man is looking for is the truly elite, and Mike just may fit the bill."

"And you?"

Liz gave a bitter smile. "My visions of the future came with the package. It’s quite possibly the only reason he’s kept me around. I’ve been telling him what I see, if only to keep myself in existence... Some life, huh?"

Reggie finished off his coffee quickly, then set the mug aside. "So, now we’re down to the final question. How are you planning to stop him?"

Liz leaned forward. "One thing you need to understand. When I said the Tall Man cloned Mike, Jody, and I over and over, I should have mentioned that that door swings both ways. He’s done it to himself too, and the ‘copies’, if you will, are kept in a sort of stasis. You kill one of his incarnations, and a new one simply awakens to take the throne. Now, the new Tall Man generally doesn’t remember much of what his immediate predecessor has done, but they all have the same basic directive. That’s to keep the cycle going."

Reggie paused, thinking he had an inkling of where she was going with this, but not entirely sure. "How so? What’s that mean, Liz?"

"Just that he’s done it again," she replied. "And he’s acting quicker than he has before... There’s a new set of the three of us -- Jody’s replacement being barely over eight years old, and the other two just infants. It makes me sick to even think of it, but he’s already disposed of their families and brought them to the factory. And he’s pushed up the designated age to thirteen... or so I’ve heard. He’s not waiting this time, now that he knows a method of success."

Reggie took all that in with a sick feeling. "Jesus!" he managed to say. After a lengthy pause, he added, with a fierce look, "You’re right. We do need the stop the son of a bitch. I’ll be damned if I let those three children go through what you, Mike, and Jody did!"

"Then we’re agreed," Liz answered with a deep sigh. "That’s the last thing I want to see happen myself." She paused, crossing her arms as if to comfort herself. "So, here’s the deal... Meet me tonight, in the desert. You know the place... We’ll go on to his dimension from there, and shut down the program by any means necessary." She got up, then looked back at him with an afterthought. "Oh, and Reg... Definitely come armed..."

Chapter Three

As promised, Reggie did travel into the desert that evening with the full arsenal, to the very place where he and Mike had had that final showdown with the Tall Man. Holding his trusty four-barreled shotgun, and a bag full of other weapons, close, Reggie sought out his friend’s makeshift grave, that he himself had constructed a year prior.

Staring at the wooden marker heralding the spot where Mike was buried, Reggie fell to his knees, saying a silent prayer. "Hello there, partner," he added aloud. "It’s been a long time... I’m sorry I haven’t been by to visit you recently. Lord knows I owed you a lot more. But it’s hurt far too much, and it’s been to hard for me to accept that you’re gone. I never wanted to say goodbye, and I still don’t... But I want you to know I’m going to stop the bastard once and for all! It’s about time it all ended."

During this speech, Reggie was acutely aware of when Liz came up behind him, forming a solid body for herself. "You’re right in that," she told him when he finished. "What’s in the bag?"

Reggie turned to look at her, noting that she held a (surprisingly) docile gold sphere in one hand. "Oh, the usual. Extra ammo, some grenades... I hope that suffices for this plan of yours."

"It will," Liz answered with a nod. Gesturing to the orb she was holding, she said, "We need to make this quick. Once he finds this sphere missing, he’s going to be boiling mad... Especially when he finds out I’ve altered its programming to make it harmless."

Reggie looked on as Liz activated the sphere, and a red beam of light emitted from it to call forth one of the Tall Man’s spacegates. He could only stare at the two short metal poles that made up the gate warily before Liz urged him through. Making sure the shotgun was loaded, Reggie stepped on over to the other side, finding himself in a darkened corridor. He hadn’t been sure what he was expecting, but this fit in with Liz’s references to a factory.

She soon joined him, urging him into the shadows for the moment. "Okay, we need to be very careful that we’re not seen. He has guards posted everywhere," Liz stated quietly. "Firstly, we need to go to... well, I think of it as the science room. It’s where all his creations originate from, and we’re going to wire it to explode."

"Whoa," Reggie whispered hastily, stopping Liz before she could head off. "I only brought grenades, not bombs. We’re not going to do very well with a window of only thirty seconds, cause that’s how long it will be before he’s onto us."

"Look, Reg, you have to trust me... I can’t explain it, but I can preserve the armed grenades for up to an hour, so they’ll all go off at the exact same time, when we’re ready. Now, come on. We’re on a limit as it is." Reggie reluctantly followed her with a deep sigh. For all he knew, she was telling the truth; he still wasn’t sure what all the spheres were capable of. They proceeded through the factory carefully, and Reggie periodically planted the grenades where Liz instructed him to. Once they were all in place, she had an even more radical proposal for him.

Reggie shook his head vehemently. "No!" he stated. "No, you didn’t say anything about taking the Tall Man out before the grenades go off! You said yourself, he’ll be replaced with another one!"

"Not if the two events occur simultaneously," Liz argued, throwing an anxious glance down at the sphere she held. "We set them off, say, right now, he’ll know something’s up. He’ll find us and kill us, and then..." She looked down at the ball at her hands. "Then where does that leave Mike?" she whispered with a tinge of sadness.

Reggie looked at the gold sphere with a sense of bewilderment. "Wait a minute. You’re saying... That’s Mike!"

"Exactly. He’d say hi, but he hasn’t yet mastered the ability to create a new body, like I have. It took me some a few years, and it took Jody even longer, so I wouldn’t get too hopeful that you’re going to see Mike in person anytime soon," Liz answered. "I replaced him with a look-alike sphere so that the Tall Man wouldn’t catch on for a while. I’ll be damned if I’m leaving him behind when we finish this... When we take the gate back to Earth, it will be for the last time. After that, all access to our world will be blocked. Destroying the computers here will do that."

Liz paused, going towards one corner of the darkened room and picking up a wicked looking gun, definitely alien in design. Handing it to Reggie, she said, "Here. Simple shotgun won’t do it. You need to hit him with one of his own crafted weapons."

Reggie handed her the shotgun, eyeing this new device with a sense of apprehension. "Um, how do you fire this thing? Or better yet, which side do you fire from? It looks identical on both ends."

Liz set down Reggie’s gun and the sphere for just a moment, taking the device and bending it in the middle (there was a groove for just that purpose, Reggie saw) so both ends were facing the same general direction. Handing it back, she said, "The trigger is this blue button on the top here. Aim it like you would a normal gun and fire, but make it count! You cannot afford to miss!"

"Don’t worry. I won’t," Reggie assured her, picking up his own gun and placing it in the bag while Liz retrieved the Mike-sphere. "Although why you couldn’t have pulled this off yourself, I have no idea."

"That device you’re holding is equipped with a failsafe that prevents his followers from using it. Otherwise, he’d have a definite rebellion on his hands. You’re different, in that you’re not one of his slaves. Also, I don’t have access to the kind of arsenal I’ve come to expect from you." Liz paused, then added, "And don’t forget, he still has power over me, just like he did Jody."

"Good point," Reggie replied. "Okay, you know this area best. Where do we find him?"

"We don’t want to take him out just yet. Trust me, we’ll want to get the kids first." Liz closed her eyes, adopting a focus that he found slightly unnerving. After a minute or two, she opened them again, and Reggie caught sight of a metallic hue in them before they returned to the normal shade of blue. "We’re in luck," she answered. "They’re not too far away."

Reggie followed her out to the corridor, feeling slightly uneasy still. He wasn’t sure this was going to work; he had often had even his best laid plans blowing up in his face in connection with this war... But, on the other hand, Liz seemed to know what she was doing, and Reggie let that knowledge soothe him. Honestly -- he figured later -- he really should have known better, especially when Liz urged him to hide, sensing that the Tall Man was headed their way.

Concealed in the shadows, the duo watched the Tall Man walk by, seemingly unaware that they were in the vicinity. Then, Reggie froze, hissing an expletive, when the bastard suddenly stopped in his tracks, slowly turning and searching the area with his eyes. Throwing an anxious glance at Liz, Reggie couldn’t help but tell himself it was impossible for the Tall Man to know they were here.

"Shit," Liz muttered, doing her best to remain unheard by the "man" across the hallway . "He’s locking on to me and Mike! Do it now, Reg! Fire!"

Frantically, Reggie aimed and pressed the button... and nothing happened! Staring at the device, he noticed it was now emitting a low hum that seemed to be increasing in volume.

Noticing this, Liz swore again. "I forgot to charge it first!" she stated, even as the Tall Man focused directly on her. Thrusting Mike at Reg, she said, "Run! He can’t follow both of us!" With that, she swiftly changed form, zipping away down the corridor.

Reggie turned and ran the other way, holding the sphere close, all the while aware that he was technically carrying a homing device that could lead the Tall Man right to him even if he hid. Silently berating Liz for her moment of panic, he prayed that there was still a way to pull this off.

Yards down the hallway, Reggie slowed his pace and even stopped, sensing that the Tall Man wasn’t pursuing him. Looking down at the orb he held and feeling slightly absurd, he said, "Don’t worry, Mike. I’m going to get you and Liz -- and the next generation -- out of here even if it kills me... I’m not going to let you or her die on me again! You wouldn’t even be stuck this way if I hadn’t failed you!" Then, hearing a low buzzing sound that seemed to be getting louder -- and heading his way -- Reggie moved to peer around the corner curiously.

What he saw was something born from his worst nightmares. The corridor was teeming with gleaming silver spheres, and there were so many of them that there was barely any room for them all to fly in. Reggie didn’t stop to think, simply took off running until he reached the nearest door. He was set to duck in and close it behind him, but was pulled off balance when Mike took off, his momentum alone dragging Reggie away from the place he’d deemed safe.

A good reason for that presented itself two seconds later, and as the wave of orbs behind Reggie passed in front of the door, it was literally blown off its hinges. The door all but plastered three dozen of them against the far wall, and flames erupted from the now-open room that seemed to disorient the ones that remained. Catching his breath and figuring that Liz must have blown one of the rooms a bit early to save him, Reggie looked down at the Mike-sphere in appreciation. He’d seen evidence that Mike and his brother could communicate telepathically while the latter was in this same form, and he could only assume that Mike and Liz had just used the same method to collaborate. "Thanks, buddy," Reggie said gratefully, and took off running once more.

Chapter Four

Unsure of where exactly he was going at times, Reggie found himself stopping at several intersections to ask Mike which way. Granted, the answer usually came in the form of the sphere moving to the left or right or forward, depending, but Reggie trusted his friend’s judgment more than his own at this point. It had to be the only thing keeping him in one piece.

Finally, hidden in an empty room that Mike had apparently determined was safe, Reggie found time to examine the weapon that Liz had given him. But, even he, skilled as he was in mechanics and guns, was having a heck of a time trying to figure this out. Looking over at the gold orb he’d set on a nearby counter, Reggie asked ironically, "I don’t suppose you know how to tell if this thing’s charged or not?"

The sphere lifted slightly off the table, then sank back down. Reggie wasn’t quite sure how to interpret the gesture, but he figured it was something like a shrug. "Great... Guess I should have taken a college course in alien technology," Reggie muttered sarcastically. "Cause I sure don’t have a clue what I’m doing." He paused, setting the weapon down and leaning against the table, remaining silent for a bit before glancing over at Mike.

"Man, look at where we are now, huh? Liz told me the whole truth, about you and Jody and where you come from," Reggie said, not really expecting a reply or sign of acknowledgment. "I can only assume that you know it as well at this point... I wish I knew how you were handling it." He paused, standing up straight and pacing around to the other side of the room. "No one should have to find out that their life began that way, in that fashion."

When Reggie turned around, he was startled to see that Mike had gotten up from the table and was hovering right in front of him, but he got over his shock quickly. Normally, he’d be scared out of his wits at having one of the spheres this close to him, but knowing that this one was also his friend helped. "It feels strange when I think about it. I grew up with you and Jody. I knew your parents, and I know they loved you very much... I took you for rides in that ice cream truck of mine, and Jody and I would spend afternoons doing duets on the guitar, but... None of it was real, was it?"

Reggie paused in his musing, glancing up at Mike and feeling guilty at carrying on like this when his friend had to be hurting. And in that instant, he knew exactly what to say -- false memories be damned. "You know what, forget all that! You and your brother, and Liz -- Your lives did mean something. He didn’t craft it all! Not the personality quirks or the skills or anything else you guys happened to do on a daily basis." Another pause, then, "Sometimes, all you need is a friend to say that your life counted in the grand scheme of things, and guess what... I’m happy to do just that."

There was a moment of silence, then the sphere\Mike slowly floated closer, so that it was just grazing the side of Reggie’s throat. If he had to hazard a guess, the elder man would say that this was the closest his friend could come to hugging at this point. Letting out a breath, he reached up with one hand to touch the metallic orb, saying, "Anytime, pal." Then, backing away and leaning against the table behind him, Reggie said, "Well, your girlfriend better get here soon. I’m starting to feel like we’re going to be sitting ducks..."

The words were barely out of Reggie’s mouth before he was suddenly jumped from behind. Strong but small arms wrapped around his neck, and the force of the blow nearly knocked him to the floor. An instant later, knowing it was one of the Tall Man’s dwarf creatures that had him, Reggie cursed their ability to move around undetected. And apparently, not even the spheres could tell they were there before they attacked.

While attempting to beat off the creature, Reggie glanced up again at Mike\the sphere, knowing by the way the twin blades sprang forth from its shiny surface that it intended to strike. That would be a first, Reggie thought; he’d not seen one of the dwarves and a sphere go at it before. So, as Mike flew forward at a breakneck speed, Reggie barely had time to duck his head.

The dwarf propelled off him by the force of the assault, Reggie was able to stand up straight, glancing around quickly to see if it might have brought any friends. He deliberately didn’t look to see what Mike might be doing to the creature, but the buzz of the sphere’s miniature saws and the dwarf’s shrieks gave him some indication. Finally, when it stopped and Mike had come back to hover at Reggie’s side, the latter said, "Once a good team, always a good team. Seems like we were constantly having to save each other’s butts, and now is certainly no exception." He paused, then added, "Maybe we should be looking for Liz. She’s been gone an awfully long time."

As if on cue, Liz entered from the far door. "Not necessary, but thanks for caring," she said lightly, walking over. "Sorry. It took me a while to lose him, and I still can’t say for certain that I have. It’s only a matter of time before he hones in on me and Mike again, especially since we’re in close contact with each other. The signal’s stronger when we’re together than it is when we’re separate." She raised one hand to grasp the sphere, and Reggie wasn’t surprised to see Mike settle comfortably into his girlfriend’s palm. After a slight hesitation, Liz looked up at Reggie in admiration. "It was nice, what you said to him. I couldn’t help but tune in."

"I meant every word," Reggie answered. Moving to pick up the device, he added, "So, is this thing ready or what? I’d sure like to waste that son of a bitch so we can get out of here."

Liz glanced over, then nodded. Reggie didn’t know how she could tell, but he had no reason to doubt her. "First things first though. I’d feel better if we went to get the kids," Liz said. "We’ll want to head home as quick as possible once we finish it, given that now the Tall Man and his race know we’re here."

"Whoa, his race?!" Reggie exclaimed, following her from the room. "I was under the impression that he worked alone! I mean, he seemed to be heading things single-handedly on Earth."

Liz turned her head without breaking stride. "Don’t believe everything you see. This thing reaches far deeper than you could imagine." Reggie had no answer for that, and he and Liz strode along in silence, hiding periodically when they saw someone coming. Finally, Liz halted outside a locked steel door, saying to Reggie, "Here we are. Arm yourself." Looking down at Mike, she added, "Your turn, honey."

Again, the twin blades on the gold sphere sprang forth, and Liz took a deep breath before shoving it into the door lock on the side wall and giving it a slight twist. Right away, the door slid up into the ceiling, allowing Reggie and Liz entry. And as he caught sight of two of the Tall Man’s followers rushing them, Reggie was glad that he had his shotgun at the ready. Quickly, he raised it and fired point blank at his attackers, then he and Liz carefully stepped over the corpses into the room.

Putting the shotgun away, Reggie stared in awe at the wide-eyed boy (Jody!) gazing back at him from one of the corners. While Liz went to see to the two now-wailing infants, Reggie stepped closer and kneeled down to address the scared child, feeling guilty that he’d had to witness the shooting. "It’s okay," he said soothingly. "Don’t be afraid. I’m here to help... Those men didn’t try to hurt you, did they?"

The kid shook his head, tears drifting down his face. "They said we were going to stay here for a while. I don’t like this place though. There’s a tall man who comes to see us sometimes, and he’s scary!"

"Well, you don’t have to worry about him now." There were a million things that Reggie wanted to ask the boy, but he settled with, most simply, "What’s your name, partner?"

The boy took a moment before answering, and Reggie didn’t try to rush him or anything. "Sam," he finally said. "Are you here to take us home?"

Reggie sighed. "That I am," he replied. "And let me see if I have this right? One of the other two is your little brother?"

Sam’s eyes grew even wider. "How’d you know, Mister?"

Reggie almost laughed at the kid’s display of innocence, but decided to play along. "Well, you could say that your Mom and Dad sent me to watch over you two," he answered. "They’re very sorry that they couldn’t be here themselves, but..."

Sam looked down. "They’ve gone up to heaven," he said, surprising Reggie with his bluntness. "Mommy told me all about that place. It’s where my dog, Nemo, went."

Reggie nodded, a tad somberly. Just then, Liz caught his attention, and Reggie looked up to see she had the two babies, one in each arm. "Sorry to interrupt, but we have to go. Now!" Liz said shortly, throwing an anxious glance at the doorway. "Oh, and I need you to grab Mike for me!"

Reggie sighed, glancing back at Sam. "Come on, partner. We’re going to take you out of here," he said, standing and extending one hand towards the young boy. When Sam took it, Reggie smiled and started after Liz. And, on the way out, he added, since Liz’s hands were occupied, "Sam could you do me a favor? Do you see that gold ball stuck in the wall there? I need you to try and get it loose for me."

Sam turned to look, startling Reggie by not questioning this; in just a few moments, it seemed, the boy had come to trust him completely. Not surprising, considering Reggie had promised to get him out of this place, but still...

It didn’t take Sam too long to figure it out, and the sphere soon pulled free of the lock. He let go of it shortly after, and the orb drifted upwards to hover at Reggie’s shoulder. "What is that thing? How can it fly like that?" Sam asked, genuinely amazed at this new (to him) object.

"It’s magic," Reggie answered gently after a moment, reminding himself to keep it simple. "Did your parents ever show you any magic tricks?"

Sam said yes and added, "Are you a magician? Daddy took me to see one once. They can do neat stuff like make things disappear and make things float."

Reggie almost said no, but as he thought about it, he opted to go the other way. "You know, as a matter of fact, I am," he answered softly. "And I’m going to arrange it so that that Tall Man goes away and never scares you again. Would you like that?"

Delighting in Sam’s ensuing cheers, Reggie noticed that Liz had stopped, and as he came up beside her, the look in her eyes announced to him that it was time to put the final phase into motion. Sighing, Reggie kneeled down, looking Sam in the eye. "Listen, partner, I need you to stay with my friend, Liz, here, and help her watch after your brother. I need to leave for a few minutes to take care of something, and I promise I’ll be right back. Can you do that for me?"

When Sam nodded, Reggie stood up, gazing at Liz for the facts on how she wanted to play this. "I’ll take the kids back through the gateway," Liz said softly. "In the meantime, Mike can take you to meet our Tall friend, one last time... Be careful, Reg. We’ll be waiting for you..."

Chapter Five

Following Mike’s lead through the catacombs, Reggie was again struck with a sense of familiarity. It felt just like old times, the two of them seeking to put an end to the Tall Man’s reign. Only this time, it would definitely be final; of that, Reggie had no doubt.

All at once, Mike stopped and turned, then flew over and did his best to propel Reggie into the shadows. Not easy, when you’re only the size of a baseball and technically trying to move a mountain, but Reggie got the hint and moved to hide voluntarily. Silently, he removed the device from his bag, making sure it was positioned right before looking up and waiting.

He didn’t have to wait long before the Tall Man strode by. And, out of the corner of his eye, Reggie saw Mike shrinking further back into the shadows, as if afraid. What could possibly go wrong at this point was beyond Reggie, and he raised to fire.

At that moment, though, a series of explosions ripped through the corridor, and the door nearest Reggie blew open as well. Unprepared for the blast, he was half thrown, half pushed away, and needless to say, his aim was definitely upset. The Tall Man, on the other hand, barely even flinched, though he did appear mad enough to kill when Reggie looked at him.

"So, the game begins anew," the Tall Man stated, wearing an unreadable expression.

Reggie took aim again, taking some satisfaction at the SOB’s look of surprise and alarm. "Wrong, the game is over," he countered. "And you’ve had this coming for almost three centuries now..." With that, Reggie pushed the trigger, and swore he would have fallen over backwards had Mike not been there to "catch" him. Boy, did that device have some kick, he figured later.

The hallway turned into a maelstrom in an instant, as what resembled a miniature ball of lightning struck the Tall Man and grew until it completely engulfed him. Reggie stared in awe, partially shielding his eyes, as it actually incinerated the bastard. An instant later, he took off running with Mike close beside him, when he saw the damned thing keep growing, spreading up and outwards like a hungry fire.

For a minute there, Reggie was beginning to doubt he could outrace this thing when it suddenly stopped, collapsing in on itself at a rapid rate. Stopping to catch his breath, he said sarcastically, "Thank you, Liz, for telling me what to expect." Looking at Mike, he added, "Do you think he’s dead, or should I be going back to make sure?"

Mike didn’t offer anything by way of reply, as if uncertain, and Reggie didn’t like the looks of that. "Come on and help me out here, partner," he implored. "Did it work or not?"

Slowly, the sphere drifted over, so that it was soon close enough to touch Reggie’s forehead. The elder man resisted the impulse to swat it away, telling himself that he was perfectly safe, when he heard Mike’s voice, loud and clear, in his mind. "It’s over, Reg," Mike was saying telepathically. "And you’ve got to get out of here now... The lightning storm is just a precursor to something much worse."

Reggie wanted to question this, but when he felt the wind pick up ever so slightly, he decided to heed his friend’s advice. He would swear later that he’d never run so fast or so hard in his life and was grateful when he saw the gate just ahead. By now, however, the wind was blowing something fierce, and even Mike\the sphere was having trouble maintaining his\it’s ability to fly. Terrified at what that meant, Reggie got a grip on his friend and held on for dear life, just within inches of the gate when his legs were suddenly pulled from under him.

Frantically, Reggie clawed at the floor with one hand, but still found himself being inexplicably dragged backwards. He was starting to think that this was it, that it was truly over, when Liz’s hand appeared back through the gate, stretching out and grasping him firmly by the wrist. He was surprised that she didn’t get sucked in and that her aim was so precise, but he figured (respectively) that she was anchored on the other side and that Mike was helping her to get an exact fix.

Reggie fought to help her pull him through and, inch by inch, they began to succeed. Half on Earth, half in the other dimension, he was surprised when even Sam moved to their aid. And between the three of them, Reggie soon found himself grounded in the world he belonged in. Panting for breath from the exertion of the task, Liz said, "Reg... You’ve got to shut it down! What’s happening in his world can reach through to this one, and if it does, we’re all done for!"

Taking a deep breath and listening to her words, Reggie let go of Mike and staggered to his feet, hesitantly approaching the gate with outstretched hands. It was something he’d figured out a long time ago, that the spacegates needed to be vibrating in order to work. Otherwise, they’d be downright useless. Closing his eyes, Reggie placed his hands on the tops of the short metal poles, holding them perfectly still and expecting to get knocked flat at any moment. He was not disappointed, as the resulting backlash propelled him backwards and the deactivated gate disappeared a second later.

Reggie took a moment to recover, then sat up, looking at Liz. "Mind telling me what the heck that was!? I thought that all that device was going to do was eliminate him! Seems a little over-excessive for just one person!"

Liz bowed her head, retrieving Mike and holding him close. "Same could be said for all of his weapons," she said quietly. "The Tall Man and his race don’t care. They’re in the middle of a war, and they want whatever will cause the most damage." She paused, looking at Sam. "And that’s just too bad," she said softly. "Because they are not getting everything!"

Reggie calmed himself, looking towards Sam and the other two. Sure, he wanted more in the way of explanation, but he figured it could wait until later. His face softening, he scooted closer to the kids, saying to Sam, "What an adventure that was, huh...?" A pause, then, "By the way, I don’t think I caught your brother’s name."

Sam looked up with trusting eyes. "Jonathon," he said simply.

Reggie smiled, tousling the kid’s hair. "Well, Sam and Jonathon... Welcome home..."

Chapter Six

Over the next week, with Liz’s help, Reggie moved out of his hotel room and actually returned at last to his home just inside the Oregon border. He all but adopted the three orphaned children (the little girl’s name was Tina, Liz told him) and didn’t foresee any of his neighbors getting all nosy over this development. And as the days passed, Reggie continued to form a bond with the kids, particularly Sam, and he’d done everything to make them feel more than welcome.

On the day after the rescue, Liz had gathered Sam, Jonathon, and Tina together, and she and Mike had arranged it so that the "biological timers" that the kids had in them were rendered inactive. She later assured Reggie that the children were safe, that there was no chance they’d (in Reggie’s words) ever get in touch with their inner-sphere.

So it was that Reggie found himself reclining on the back porch of his house, drinking a beer, watching Sam play on the trampoline he’d bought, and enjoying the waning daylight with Liz and Mike\the sphere seated beside him. "He’s adjusting so well, it’s amazing. It’s like he feels he belongs here," Reggie said regarding Sam. "And it’s nice to finally have some peace and quiet. I didn’t think I’d get back to those days again."

Liz looked at him. "If anyone deserves it, it’s definitely you. Nothing like getting back your family and friends in the same package. They’re yours now. You’ll take care of them."

Reggie glanced over, curiosity aroused by her matter-of-fact tone. "Geez, you act like you’re not going to be here to see it," he said in a joking manner. But the look in her eyes told him that she was serious, and Reggie sat up straight in a mild panic. "Liz, you and Mike... You’re not planning to leave, are you?! We’re safe now! You said yourself, all access to our world is blocked...!"

"That is true," Liz said softly, looking away briefly. "At least, for now." There was a long pause, then she looked back at him. "But Mike and I... We still have those homing devices in us. I bought us some time by destroying the Tall Man and the factory, but it will only take his race so long to clean up the mess we left behind. Once that happens, they’ll do some digging and find out who’s responsible... They’ll figure out the frequency that Mike and I are on, and if we stay here, it will be used to lead the bad guys right back to this planet!"

Liz waited until that statement was given time to sink in, then added, "I don’t want to be responsible for ensuring Earth’s destruction when I’ve put a stop to it, and neither does Mike... Reggie, you’ve been a good friend, and you gave it your all to try to keep us alive. I’m grateful for that, and I always will be."

Reggie nodded solemnly. "I guess you can never go back, huh?" he said, reaching over and patting her on the shoulder.

Liz glanced over at Sam. "Much as we’d like to, we can’t... But there will still be a part of us -- Jody, Mike, and I -- that will always be with you. Let me tell you what I see. Those three children... They’re going to grow up happy and healthy, and they’re each going to live long, normal lives with no memory of what came before... I leave it to you about how much to tell them, Reg, if anything." Liz paused, letting go of the sphere and watching as it floated off to hover behind them, just out of Sam’s sight. "Before we go, there’s something that Mike would like to show you. He surprised even me with this," she told Reggie. To her boyfriend, she added, "You can do it. Just concentrate."

To Reggie’s amazement, the gold sphere began to change shape, growing steadily larger as if took on a quite familiar human form. "Mike!" Reggie exclaimed, getting to his feet and taking a few steps closer, hugging his young friend. "This is incredible!" Pulling away, he added, "And here I was beginning to think I wouldn’t see you face to face again!"

"I wasn’t sure myself," Mike responded, smiling slightly. "I’ve been working towards this the past week, and I’ll tell you, it wasn’t easy... I wanted to be able to see you with my own eyes, Reg, even if it is for the last time. I want you to know I never blamed you for what happened a year ago. There was nothing you could have done to stop him... You’ve been the best friend I could have asked for, Reg. I’m going to miss you."

"Same here, pal," Reggie answered with an affectionate grin. "It’s been quite an adventure, these last few years. We had more than our share of excitement, and scares, but... It’s hard to believe it’s finally over, and... we can both finally have some peace, in a manner of speaking."

Liz stepped forward, clasping Mike’s hand in her own. "We’ll find it for ourselves, someday," she said. "Don’t forget, Mike here is quite adept when it comes to mechanics, and... well, I’m starting to get there myself. In time, we hope to operate on each other to have the tracking devices removed... I’m just sorry to say, it doesn’t look like we’ll achieve that anytime soon." She stepped closer, giving Reggie a big hug. "It’s been nice knowing you and working with you, in case I don’t get a chance to say so again."

Stepping back, Reggie threw a glance out into the yard to see how Sam was doing, and when he looked back, Mike and Liz both had already transformed. With a sigh, the elder man said, "I guess this is goodbye. And I don’t do very well with those, so... Take care, you guys."

With that, the spheres took off, flying away up into the heavens. Reggie watched them as long as he could, shielding his eyes from the sun, then turned his attention back to Sam. For a while, all he did was make sure the boy was doing alright. Then, hearing one of the two infants begin crying from inside the house, Reggie turned away and went to see to them. It was something of a far cry from how he’d been expecting his adventures to end, but it nonetheless felt right. And as he fed Jonathon his formula, Reggie thought, *It’s good to have a family to watch over again...*

The End