As Big Ben struck midnight, thunder rumbled through London's cold, foggy streets. The sky was a leaden gray, and the city's lights seemed muted somehow, almost as though the glow came from the gaslights of bygone times. The populace, as well, was subdued. Things were not going well in Ireland; conventional militaries had taken a beating at the hands of Autocrat's forces, and the few metahumans who'd dared strike into the Irish countryside had paid heavy prices. And so it was that the Protectorate had called a metahuman summit, a "council of heroes," as it were.

Sarah Steiner had arrived from Los Angles that morning, and it had taken the young American several hours to contact Zodiac, get her bearings and find her hotel. London was huge, and thoroughly confusing for someone who'd never been to Europe. She was, after all, a small town girl. She was still getting used to New York, and Los Angles' geography remained a concrete enigma since she was chauffeured just about everywhere.

Peering out her room's window at the dark, rain-slicked streets far below, Sarah sighed heavily. It had been a long day, full of wrong turns, rude people and bad luck. In truth, it had been wall-to-wall suck: the airline had lost her baggage; the hotel was unable to find her reservation; she was sure she'd paid cabbies three times the usual fare every time she'd set foot in a taxi. Still, she'd made it -- all on her own. That was worth something, at least.

What would have been nice, Sarah thought, would have been to have had Alex here as a guide. He wasn't any older than Sarah, but seemed more streetwise, or at least more sophisticated. And, of course, he was from the U.K. Sarah didn't have anything against the English, but just about everyone she'd run into since landing had given her more than ample reason to hate them, likely because of her American accent and general cluelessness about London.

What was worse than a bad day of travel was the reason why Sarah had come to the United Kingdom. Ireland was a wreck, and word had it that Avatar was on the other side. It spelled seriously bad news for anyone going up against the Royal Elite -- and going up against them, Sarah knew, was exactly what the Protectorate was going to ask of everyone who came to England to lend a hand.

Drumming her fingers on the windowsill, Sarah decided to stop fretting and get some rest. Pulling the curtains closed, she unbuttoned her blouse as she moved into the bathroom. Thankfully, she'd packed her essentials in her carry-on, so she was able to brush her teeth and take out her contacts as she filled the bathtub with steaming hot water. Sarah loved hot baths, and her tough skin meant that she could draw them as hot as she wanted without fear of scalding herself.

Slipping into the water, the young heroine closed her eyes and tried to think of better times, better places. Times and places like last New Year's Eve, which she'd spent with Alex.

Ah, Alex, Sarah sighed, the nearly boiling water soothing her knotted, aching muscles. He'd been a perfect gentleman on that date, as usual, but the more time the pair had spent together, the more comfortable he'd been becoming. Sarah wasn't used to being treated with such respect, and she had to admit that it felt good. It was far more than that, though... more than Alex's good looks, charming accent and polite manner. When they were together there was a kind of energy between them. Sarah'd felt it at the bizarre bowling alley-karaoke bar they'd been to, and she'd felt it at the Phish concert on New Year's Eve. They'd danced together, and Alex's light touch on her side had been enough to give the girl goosebumps despite the throngs of people surrounding them. The long kiss they'd shared at the end of the evening outside her apartment had threatened to develop into something much more passionate, and Sarah often found herself daydreaming of what might have been if she'd dragged Alex inside and made love to him as her hormones were demanding.

Climbing out of the tub, Sarah toweled herself dry, combed out her hair and moved into the bedroom to the side of the perfectly made-up bed. Sliding beneath the covers, she exhaled heavily and thought for long moments about exactly what it was she wanted to do with Alex before reaching over to turn off the bedside light. In the darkness, she became acutely aware of how excited she'd made herself.

"Where are you when I need you, Alex?" she whispered aloud, her hand gliding down over her flat belly.

Alexander St. John-Smythe, now answering to the name Maestro, looked out over the battlefield, his armor gleaming despite the fact that the sun was barely penetrating the cloud cover. The ruined attack craft used in past assaults still smoldered, tendrils of smoke wafting up from the heaps of twisted metal. He found himself wishing he could share this sight with... who?

He was having difficulty remembering his life before the veil of deceit had been lifted from his eyes. The veil that had made him believe that his liege was a madman. That his father, Autocrat, was evil incarnate.

Still, Alex seemed to remember... a girl... with blonde hair... and a smile that brightened his day, making the sun pale by comparison...

Alex shook himself out of his reverie. Autocrat had told him that, despite their previous failures, the forces attempting to oppose his liege would attack yet again. Alex had been sent to repel this futile attack. They believed they would gain an easy victory because most of the defending force had been withdrawn. They were about to find out how foolish those beliefs were.

The attackers approached behind a barrage of mortar fire, believing this would "soften up" any remaining defenses before the main force arrived.

Relieved of the weakness that required him to have an external source of music, Maestro summoned the Song of Destruction. The music swelled and he felt a thrill as the power came to him. The forces advanced toward him and, as he watched them, all that Alex could think was that they were merely corpses who hadn't yet thought to stop moving. He raised his arms, a glow of lethal energy surrounding him as he prepared to wipe his adversaries from the field.

Before he could do so, he heard a familiar voice call to him...

"...I need you, Alex..."

Sarah! It was Sarah! The memories of her flooded his mind and he forgot about the attackers. It was her smile that he had vaguely remembered before and he wondered how he could have forgotten. Momentarily confused by the rush of images, he failed to notice the explosions that seemed to creep closer to his position.

I have to go to her... but Autocrat... He will not be pleased, if I leave things unfinished. The mortar rounds were hitting closer to where he stood. The explosions were now close enough to dust Alex with the dirt that was churned up. Alex still stood, uncaring, as he wrestled with his dilemma. Autocrat would not allow me to go... or worse, what if He decides to harm Sarah as punishment for my disobedience?

The thought filled Alex with... Rage. The kind of Rage that made it difficult to concentrate on anything else. He'd never felt this angry about anything before. The thought that his fath --. No! That Autocrat might dare to cause her harm to wring obedience from him...

Something in Alex snapped. It felt as though chains of which he'd been unaware had broken to the last link. He looked about the field as though seeing it for the first time, wondering at the events that had brought him there.

He finally focused again on the scene around him, but he no longer cared about the attackers. He didn't care about teaching lessons in folly, or in furthering the philosophy of the Royal Elite, or even about Autocrat. The glow of energy vanished from around Alex, the Song of Destruction fading.

Sarah had called to him. She needed him and he would not abandon her. Somehow he knew where she was and he went to her. The Song of Transport sounded in his ears and he was gone, the armor that he had worn left behind, a mute symbol of his renunciation of Autocrat and the Royal Elite. A mortar round slammed into the ground where he had been standing, scattering the pieces of the gleaming metal over the battlefield.

In the darkness of her room, lying in bed and thinking of Alex, Sarah noticed something akin to shimmering starlight in the air near the foot of her bed. By the half light that came in through the window, she saw Alex take form out of thin air, standing tall and somehow defiant, dressed in what looked like a modified version of the costume that he despised. Then as the shimmering faded away, Alex looked around, slightly dazed, as if trying to determine where he was.

Sarah bolted upright in her bed, shocked at the man's entrance. "Alex!?" she asked, unable to believe what she'd just seen -- him materializing, literally, out of thin air.

Meeting the surprised girl's eyes, Alex could only nod. "Sarah... where... am I?"

Clutching the sheet to her chest, Sarah blinked hard. "You're... you're in my hotel room. In London. How did you get here, Alex? I just watched you... appear."

Looking down at his costume, and then again around at the darkened room, Alex couldn't answer immediately. "I don't know," he finally said, simply.

Seeing the confusion in the young man's eyes, Sarah patted the bed and adjusted the pillows behind her so she could lean back on them and remain upright. "Sit down," she said quietly. "Let's figure this out." When Alex did, she continued. "Where did you just come from? Why are you in costume?"

Slightly recovered, Alex noticed for the first time that Sarah looked to be quite naked beneath the covers. The girl's stiff nipples were plainly visible through the sheet she clutched to her bosom, and the room's blue shadows played fetchingly across her face, shoulders and the tops of her full breasts. Her hair cascaded loosely down her back, looking darker than he remembered it.

"Alex?" Sarah asked, getting the man's attention.

Alex colored slightly, now embarrassed by the situation, in addition to being confused by it. "Yes, I'm alright," he answered. "Just a bit puzzled by all this..."

"You and me both!" Sarah smiled. She reached out and touched the lean Brit on the thigh. "Not that I'm unhappy you're here -- just kind of... shocked. Take a minute to clear your head. Whatever just happened has obviously kind of messed you up."

Alex took a deep breath and tried to remember where he had just been and what he had been doing. He half remembered standing... no, kneeling before Autocrat... and with no small degree of horror, he realized he had felt grateful for the chance to do so. He seemed to remember standing on a field, preparing to obliterate military units that were preparing to attack. It must have been a dream. It couldn't have happened that way...

Alex looked at Sarah, noting again that the bed sheet was the only thing between the curves of her body and the rest of the world.

"This is all a dream, isn't it?" he finally asked. "It must be. There's no other logical explanation for the whole thing. They couldn't have... I wouldn't... I heard you call to me... and then to be here. With you. Like... this..."

"Alex, what are you talking about? This is no dream," said Sarah, concern filling her voice. "They couldn't have what? You wouldn't have what? How could you possibly have heard--" Sarah stopped, realizing her barrage of questions wasn't helping.

"I'm sorry. Let's take it a little slower," she said as she took his hand. "Who are 'They'? What did they do?"

"The Royal Elite," replied Alex with a faraway quality to his voice. "Brainchild and Harbinger abducted me and took me to Autocrat."

Sarah inhaled sharply, but didn't say anything as Alex continued.

"They were both in my head... twisting my memories making me believe things... about my father... that weren't true. I think I almost escaped them at one point, but they won. They had me. They even made me believe that Autocrat was my real father." As he spoke the last sentence, Alex squeezed Sarah's hand so hard that it almost hurt.

"What happened then?" asked Sarah quietly.

"Autocrat decided to test his newest 'son' by having him demonstrate to the world that the Royal Elite would not tolerate defiance. He deliberately created a 'weakness' at a fortification on the Irish coast and sent me to destroy the force that had moved to try to break through the line. They put me in a suit of armor that they had designed for me and sent me out. And I went" said Alex through clenched teeth. "I was happy to go, to prove my worthiness."

Alex was silent a moment before continuing.

"There was a mortar barrage that preceded the advance. I watched them, thinking how easy it was going to be to wipe them out for the glory of Autocrat. I had built up the energy necessary to blast those men off the face of the earth..."

"What... did you do?" Sarah asked quietly.

"I heard you call my name. I knew Autocrat would not give his permission for me to come to you. In fact, it's probable that he might have harmed you to punish me. That angered me. I don't think I've ever been that angry in my life. That someone might try to keep me from you. I left their armor on the field and willed myself to where you were..." Alex's voice trailed off and was quiet for a moment with only the muffled sounds of the traffic rising up from the street below to be heard.

"I think you saved me tonight, Sarah," he finally said.

Now it was Sarah's turn to color slightly. Despite Alex's bewilderment, it was one of the most romantic moments she'd ever experienced in her life. Alex, somehow, had actually heard her utter his name, heard her call out for him. He'd traveled hundreds of miles, and had thrown off the Elite's mind control -- all to answer her call, all to be with her. Her heart positively fluttered, and her breath quickened.

It was time, she decided. "Alex..." she began, a sultry tone creeping into her voice.

Still a little out of sorts, Alex met Sarah's dark eyes innocently. "Yes, Sarah?"

"Take off your costume, Alex."

Alex blinked for a few seconds, not sure of what the girl was asking him. "My costume?"

Sarah nodded. "I like the new design," she said with a sexy smile as her tousled hair fell in front of her face, "but lose it. Take it off."

Alex fumbled with the fastenings for a few moments until Sarah moved closer and started to help. The sheet fell partly away from her body, and the cool light in the room danced over the girl's bare skin. He swallowed hard as she slid against him, peeling the suit off his shoulders and down his back. With his arms momentarily trapped, Alex blushed fiercely as the gorgeous blond grinned like an imp, one of her hands roving over his well-toned chest.

"Mmm," Sarah purred, pushing the young Englishman onto his back. Crawling on top of him, she kissed him passionately, almost hungrily. After a few seconds, Alex finally responded as his hormones suddenly and easily overpowered his earlier disorientation. If his time with the Royals had been hell, surely this was heaven -- truly one extreme to the other.

Eventually working his arms free of his costume, he lightly touched Sarah's incredible body, gently exploring the sides of her magnificent breasts, her muscular, arching back, and the swell of her firm, curvaceous backside. Sarah groaned under his touch, kissing him more deeply.

Laying together for long minutes, the pair gave in to feelings they'd both been fighting since their second date, eagerly exploring one another's bodies without thought of the consequences.

"Alex..." Sarah finally breathed, excitement in her voice, "I know... from what you said before, that one time... do you... do you want to?" The girl's eyes weren't as blue as Alex remembered them, somehow, but they were every bit as beautiful. "It just seems so... perfect..." she added, hopefully.

Despite the horror of the past few days, despite the speed that everything was happening now, Alex almost laughed and said, "I think I'd have to be dead for three days before I'd even consider saying 'no'--"

Anything Alex might have said after that was silenced as Sarah kissed him deeply, her hands excitedly running over his body. Alex was surprised by her intensity but wasn't put off by it. It was clear that Sarah knew what she was doing and, while he hadn't any practical experience with sex, he wasn't ignorant of it -- well, not completely anyway. Determined to keep up, he compensated with enthusiasm what he lacked in experience.

They spent several minutes wrestling on the bed, nearly rolling off onto the floor at one point. Ultimately, Sarah pinned Alex to the bed and, grinning devilishly, started kissing him on the chest, then his stomach, working her way south. When she arrived at her destination, Alex moaned with pleasure, his eyes almost rolling back into his head.

Some time later, Sarah made her way back up Alex's body and straddled him. He watched her face, an expression of intense pleasure moving across it as he entered her. Alex let Sarah take the reigns, following her lead as their bodies started to move together.

As the night progressed, their passion heightened, limbs tangling and lips meeting as they explored one another hungrily, losing all track of time. Their sweat-slicked bodies moved in time as they went through several variations on an exquisite theme.

Finally, in the small hours of the morning, the pair laid in bed, holding one another, their fingers gently tracing the contours of each other's bodies, Alex lightly dozing. Sarah watched his face, his eyes closed, for the moment content to be held. Then, her eyes glittering with mischief, she got up and crossed to a closed cabinet on the other side of the room.

"Where are you going?" asked Alex, as he watched her move across the room.

Sarah looked coyly back at Alex, a wicked smile appearing on her face.

"You looked a little tired..." she replied innocently. "so I'm putting some music on..."

Saying nothing, Alex was content to observe the naked girl as she dropped in a disc and crossed back over to the bed. "What did you have in mind?" he finally asked as she crawled back in beside him. Sarah's non-verbal answer brought a slight gasp from the Englishman, and it wasn't long before he knew just what her intentions were.

In the back of his reeling mind, Alex noticed music washing over the pair, beautiful, rising strings accompanied by spare, rhythmic beats and a voice as pure and sweet as he'd ever heard. The moment was golden, and he seized it, pushing the breathless girl onto her back and mounting her. Their previous lovemaking had been spirited, vigorous, even playful; now an energy surged between them, electrifying and locking them together in act so intensely erotic that they looked on one another with awe, unable to believe the sensations surging through their trembling bodies. The song was twelve minutes long, a seeming eternity to the pair, but when the music reached a crescendo, Alex did as well, an act that pushed Sarah past the brink of her own passion. The young woman cried out loud, utterly overcome by the climactic waves rocking her body as Alex exploded inside her.

Minutes later, the disc was still playing, the only sound in the room save the heavy breathing of the two exhausted lovers. "Jesus..." Sarah finally managed, lolling her head to one side to look at Alex, whose chest was still rising and falling as though he'd just run a marathon.

"Yeah," Alex returned softly, knowing words couldn't express what either of them had experienced.

Clasping their hands together, the pair laid together for a few moments before exhaustion finally claimed them, dragging them both off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Alex's eyes popped open just after 6:30. For a moment, he didn't realize where he was. Then he felt Sarah move next to him and then the events of the previous evening came crashing in. It hadn't been a dream after all. Every moment of his night with Sarah had been real and the thought brought a smile to his face.

Then it occurred to him that if that part was true, then the part regarding the Royal Elite was also true. He felt a sort of wonder that he had been able to escape their control. He thought it had something to do with the way he had come to be with Sarah, but he wasn't sure how. It also occurred to him that he might still be a danger if there were still some sort of "post-hypnotic" command planted by the Elite.

Alex kissed Sarah lightly and headed for the shower. The thought that Autocrat might still have some kind of hold on him was sobering, but not quite enough to totally erase the smile on his face...

Alex got out of the shower and toweled himself dry. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he went back into the bedroom and almost ran into Sarah, who wore only a blouse which covered her to mid-thigh.. She threw her arms around his shoulders and gave him a long kiss.

"Good morning," she finally said when they came up for air.

"Absolutely," he said smiling widely. "And a very good morning to you, milady. Did you sleep well?"

"No," Sarah joked, "I was up half the night, thanks to you." Stroking the man's lower back, her voice lowered as she added, "But I'd be ready for round two right now if it weren't for the meeting this morning..."

"That isn't today is it? I thought it wasn't for a few more da--" Then it hit Alex that he had been with the Royal Elite for the past few days. The haziness of his memories would also explain the gap in his sense of time. "Then I should probably get dressed. It might be a little difficult to explain if I show up wearing a towel."

It was then he realized that the only thing he had to wear was the costume he had worn when he'd arrived.

"Oh, bloody hell," he muttered.

"What's wrong?" asked Sarah, smiling slightly as she realized his 'predicament.'

"I can't go to an official function dressed in my 'pajamas!' The press would have a field day with it."

"Oh, come on. If it makes you feel any better, I'll be wearing mine. I'm sure every one of the metas that show up will be wearing theirs, too. Besides, I think the new design looks kinda neat."

Picking up the costume, he realized that it did look different than it had before. The design had changed significantly. It was still black and white and still had the treble clef design on the left breast. But where before, it had looked like a stylized tux, now the entire right sleeve was white instead of just the "gauntlet." The white portion carried onto the tunic which sort of wrapped around to the left, almost like a robe or a sash. The left part of the tunic, including the sleeve, was entirely black. He checked the hidden pocket behind the treble clef and found that the music player was still there, along with the miniature speakers.

"How in the world did that happen?"

Sarah was about to make a comment when she noticed the time. "Ohmygod! I'd better hop in the shower. We're supposed to be there in thirty minutes!"

While Sarah was in the shower, Alex reluctantly put on his costume and sat on the bed next to the phone. He picked it up and dialed the number Trinity had given him in the event that he needed to contact the Protectorate again.

After verifying that he was who he claimed to be, he was put in touch with Trinity.

"We'd received a report that you were missing. Is everything all right?"

"It is now... I think. I need to meet with someone from the Protectorate."

"Your timing is awkward, Alex. The Council is set to meet in less than an hour," she said.

"I know," he answered. "That's why I had to call now. I need to meet with someone before the Council convenes, preferably away from the meeting site."

"Why? What's wrong?"

Alex took a deep breath before answering.

"I was abducted by the Royal Elite shortly after I arrived in London, approximately three days ago."

His reply was met with stunned silence. When Trinity didn't say anything, he continued.

"Brainchild and Harbinger had twisted my mind in much the same way they did with Avatar. I still don't know exactly how, but I was able to throw off their control and escape. I needed to let you know this before I became privy to the Council's plans for fighting the Elite. I'd also like to make sure they don't still have some hold on me of which I'm unaware."

"Where are you now?" she asked after a moment.

Alex froze for a moment and then, noticing a piece of the hotel stationery, replied "I'm at the Park International Hotel in Kensington, London." After a moment's pause, he added, "I'm here with Sarah Steiner."

There was another pause before Trinity responded (with a knowing smile?), "I see. You showed good judgment in calling us. Give me ten minutes. I'll see what I can set up and I'll contact you."

"Thank you," Alex replied before he hung up.

Sarah stepped out of the bathroom as Alex hung up the phone. As she matter-of-factly pulled on her red and white costume, she asked, "Who was that? Not your British girlfriend, I hope..."

"No!" exclaimed Alex before he realized she was teasing him. He relaxed before continuing, "Not at all. It was Trinity. I called the Protectorate while you were in the shower. I was worried that the elite might still have some hold on me. I wanted to let them know what had happened before I found out what the Council's plans were. She's going to call back in about ten minutes."

Sarah ran a brush through her hair, then placed it down on a dresser. "Oh. We're probably going to be late for the meeting, then."

"Perhaps, but I think it best if we wait for -- oh... mmm..."

Alex's response was cut short as Sarah kissed him, first lightly, then deeply. Her scent flooded his senses, and he went willingly as she led him towards the bed. "Just until she calls back," she breathed.

"Mmm..." Alex returned, laying down next to the beautiful woman. Minutes passed as the pair reminded themselves of the pleasures they'd enjoyed the night before, sweet exciting minutes that were interrupted when the phone rang. Sarah rolled off the bed and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Sarah? This is Trinity. Is Alex still there?"

"Sure, hold on a moment," she said. Sarah handed the receiver to Alex, saying, "It's Trinity."

"Hello?"

"Alex? It's Trinity. If you and Sarah are ready, we can transport you to a location where we can meet face-to-face. The Blue Ensign will be there to perform a mind scan, both to verify what has happened and to see if there are any "Trojan Horse" commands in place. Is this acceptable?"

Alex glanced at Sarah and said, "Trinity wants to transport us to a location where they can check me over. Is that okay with you?"

Sarah nodded.

"Okay, Trinity. Whenever you're ready."

"Alright, Alex. We'll see you in a moment."

Alex no sooner set down the receiver than he heard the Song of Transport.

An instant later, he was alone in a room with a mirror on one wall. There was also a woman dressed in a blue, figure-hugging bodysuit that had the Union Jack on the right breast, as well as the arm. She also wore red straps placed at the wrists and ankles, and there were holes cut out at her shoulders, the outsides of her thighs, and her midriff. Alex was slightly embarrassed to notice a steel ring in her navel. From news photos, he recognized her as the Blue Ensign. The only other thing in the room was a table with two chairs.

Alex looked around the room for Sarah, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Sarah?" he asked nervously.

"She is safe, Lord St. John-Smythe. Time is short. If you will have a seat, we can begin."

"What should I do?" he asked as he took a seat.

The blue-clad woman drew up the other chair and sat in front of him.

"Just sit and relax. Clear your mind. I'll be examining your memories of the last few days and trying to determine if there are any lingering traces of mental tampering. Are you ready?"

Alex nodded and the Blue Ensign assumed a look of intense concentration. Alex thought he felt a feather-light touch on his mind but wasn't entirely sure. He allowed his thoughts to drift and found himself thinking about Sarah. After a moment, he realized where his thoughts were leading and abruptly stopped. If the Blue Ensign had picked up on that information, she gave no indication.

He cleared his mind once more, but soon his thoughts began to wander again. This time his thoughts wandered to his recent symphonic performance. After a few moments, there was a sharp intake of breath from the woman that sat in front of him and she shook her head, as if to clear it.

Concerned, Alex asked, "Is everything... all right?"

"Yes," she said after a moment. "There doesn't seem to be any lingering trace of the Elite's influence. I just wasn't quite prepared for... well, never mind. You have as clean a bill of health as I can provide."

Alex realized that he had been holding his breath and let it out slowly. The Blue Ensign stood up and said, "if you'll follow me..."

She indicated the door and Alex followed her through it. Trinity, Sarah and a man dressed in a white bodysuit that also bore the Union Jack, the White Ensign. The man stepped forward and said, "Pleased to meet you, son. Your concerns about compromising us do you credit.

"Thank you. I'm glad that they didn't prove out.

Trinity cleared her throat and said, "The council meeting is about to start. If everyone is ready?"

Sarah stepped up next to Alex, and said, "Lord St. John-Smythe?..."

"It's just an... I'll explain later," Alex offered sheepishly. "We'd better get going..."

Sarah rolled her eyes, aware that Alex wasn't about to go into the specifics of his title. Instead, when Trinity and the ensigns moved off down the hall, she grabbed her friend by the arm and caught his eyes in hers.

"Alex... last night..."

Alex looked back silently at the girl, straight into her electric blue eyes.

Sarah hesitated, smiled and finally kissed him. "Never mind. Let's get to the meeting."

"Are you sure everything is all right, Elizabeth?" asked the White Ensign as they made their way to the Council. "You've seem to be somewhat distracted. Is there a problem with St. John-Smythe?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Arthur. No, there's no problem. The Elite no longer have their hooks in him. Brainchild leaves a rather... unsavory trace in the minds that he's touched."

"That's good to hear. Still, I'm amazed that he was able to break free, considering that they still have Avatar under their control. I wonder how he was able to manage it... Any ideas?"

"I think they made a rather serious error where the young man is concerned, maybe two," she said.

"Oh? Would you care to elaborate on that?"

Elizabeth colored slightly as she recalled Alex's memories from the previous evening. "They disregarded his feelings for the young lady who accompanied him here. As nearly as I can piece it together, he thought they might harm her for some reason and it pissed him off. A lot. It may have been enough to throw off their control."

The White Ensign arched his eyebrows. "That would explain the abrupt way you ended the scan."

"No, That's not it. The reason I broke off the scan was... is... difficult to explain. It felt like I was jumping out of a plane without all of the wind. There's a moment where I wasn't sure if I was flying or falling. Have you ever felt like that?"

"Yes. The first time I flew under my own power. Took a while to get used to it."

"There was a place in Alex's mind that was like that, full of these amazing harmonies. That's what I pulled back from. For a moment, I was afraid I'd start falling and not make it out. It was like an endless expanse of... potential. And I don't think he's aware of it. It would certainly explain why the Elite wanted to recruit him although I can't imagine how Autocrat could have been aware of it."

Arthur's brows knitted for a moment and then he said, "You mentioned a second error. What did you mean?"

"Even if they knew about that potential, I don't think they gauged it properly. Because of that, I don't think they could have constructed the proper mental restraints to keep him. If that's the case, I think we've been very, very lucky."

The two Ensigns approached the entrance to the hall where the world's heroes were gathered, hoping that whatever plan emerged from the meeting would be sufficient to bring down the Royal Elite...
 

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