CHAPTER FOUR
Mac noticed the field in the doorway shred and collapse. Fear stabbed through him as he looked at the ones on his wrists and ankles... and saw them shred as well.
*My stars,* he thought, *we're gonna fall....*
Then to his shock... he noticed they weren't falling!
He was holding them in the air --- himself!
Mac's eyes grew wide at this realization. He lowered them to the ground, just in case this was temporary.
And Micky moaned, a hand going to his pounding head. "Sorry..." he mumbled. "The fields... cut out when I do... didn't mean to make you fall...."
"Um, Micky..." Mac began, not quite sure how to tell him. "I didn't fall. I guided us to the ground."
Micky sat up. "You didn't...How?"
"I'm not sure myself. But maybe it has something to do with the fact that I absorbed the infrared vision from the glasses."
Micky was still in a daze. "You mean... you can fly on your own?"
"Once again, I'm not sure."
"Ge... Get airborne. I'm not helpin' this time... Do it."
Mac concentrated, and was amazed when he once again became airborne. Looking back at Micky, he said, "You're sure you aren't helping?"
"Activate the infrared vision... see for yourself." Micky began to smile a knowing smile.
He did so, and sure enough, there were no fields anywhere near him.
"I think I may know what's going on," Micky said. "My wife was a power mimic. Based on what I've seen, I think you may be as well."
Mac hovered there for a moment, taking this all in. He wondered what Pete was going to think. It would definitely add a new dimension to his assignments for the Phoenix Foundation.
Micky smiled, eyes turning distant. "Seems the powers replicate themselves. When one loses, another gains."
"You mean I'm pulling this from you? Is this doing damage to your own power?"
Micky smiled. "No... you're not absorbing my power, you're copying it."
"Ah..." Mac nodded.
Micky slapped his forehead. "Murdoc!"
"Yeah! I can't believe I nearly forgot about him! Key word being 'nearly'!"
"Scan the room... do you see him? Eliza?"
Mac took a quick look. "I see two heat signatures--that should be them."
Micky nodded, and launched into the air, flying full-tilt into the room.
Using regular vision, Mac saw Murdoc sitting at the bank of video monitors. He watched as Micky flew at full speed into the room--
--and right through Murdoc.
"NOOOOOOOO! Not again!!" Mac screamed. "Come out and face me, you coward! And bring my sister with you! I want to see her--really her, no hologram trickery!!" Mac had taken all he intended to take. Enough was enough, and he was ready to throttle Murdoc with his bare hands.
Micky lay his hand on Mac's shoulder... and Mac let out a scream of rage.
Invisible force shot from Mac, blowing Micky backward, and leveling every piece of equipment in the room.
Micky's expression of surprise was nothing compared to Mac's. "I...did that?" he asked.
"Yes you did, MacGyver," came the taunting voice of Murdoc. "You have no idea how long it took me to set that up! If I wasn't so utterly fascinated by how you did that, I'd be furious right now!"
"Stop this!" Micky screamed. "You're hurting us! Why? Why are you forcing him to keep using his powers when they're brand new? The strain of it..."
"...is just what I want to see! I want to see the ever-prepared MacGyver at a loss! I want to see him struggle!"
"You... are... insane..." Micky ground out through clenched teeth as he climbed to his feet.
"Thank you!" Murdoc said, obviously taking Micky's statement as a compliment.
Micky moved closer to Mac, who was standing in the middle of the room, trembling with shock and rage and amazement.
Micky lay a hand on his shoulder --- only to find a field still surrounded Mac. His hand stopped about an inch above the shoulder.
"You can drop it now," Micky whispered. "He's not here."
And Micky's hand fell onto Mac's shoulder.
"Sorry," Mac said.
"Let's get out of here," Micky whispered inches from Mac's ear. "You need practice controlling before we face him again."
"Agreed."
They both rose into the air and flew out of the room, hearing Murdoc's shout of "MacGyver!!!! Where are you going!? We were just getting started!!"
Neither turned, neither slowed. They flew from the sewer, up to street level once more, then upward... till they were on the flat roof of an abandoned building.
"Is this ever going to end? Am I ever going to see Eliza again?" Mac asked.
"Will you see her again? Bet on it. But if you're asking if you'll be empowered permanently..." Micky sighed. "That is impossible to predict. Depends on how much radiation you absorbed."
"It was a lot! The safety badge I wore turned almost pitch black by the time I was able to get out of the plant."
"Would you say you absorbed the equivalent of a nuclear bomb?"
"Possibly."
Micky's face was drawn in solemn lines. "It's permanent."
Mac wasn't sure how to take that news. On the one hand, it was almost fun being able to do these new things. On the other hand, there were maniacs like Murdoc out there who only wanted to see how far they could push him--see how much they could make him do, just like a circus attraction.
"You can copy my field powers," Micky said. "You can copy my flight."
Mac understood what he was getting at. "Now let's see if I can do your little 'disappearing act'!" He concentrated on this, and judging from Micky's reaction, he must have done it!
"Raise your hand to your face --- and keep the infrared off."
He did so...and didn't see a thing! Then he switched the infrared back on and was able to see the heat signature that his hand gave off.
"Now..." Micky said, and faded from sight. "Do the flip side. Make me visible."
Using the infrared to "see" him, Mac concentrated on Micky. He was able to make Micky drop his invisibility fields by using a field of his own.
As Micky reappeared, Mac let out a yelp of surprised satisfaction.
"You... did it!" Micky cheered, grinning from ear to ear.
Mac's grin was almost as big as Micky's. "Yeah," he said, still a little surprised. "I did!"
Micky smiled and began to applaud.
Mac, still stunned at his own ability, managed a weak smile in return.
Micky's faded. He glided over and touched Mac on the shoulder. "Hey... what is it?"
"Are you sure I'll be able to get this thing under control enough to be able to defeat Murdoc once and for all? He's dangerous--extremely so. I don't want to go into this half way. I have to know that I can get my sister away from him--for good. I've seen what he's capable of...and so have you, to a degree."
Micky sank cross-legged onto the rooftop and motioned for Mac to join him.
Mac copied Micky's movement, sitting cross-legged on the rooftop, facing Micky.
Micky licked his lips and sighed. "I don't know what the future holds, Mac. All I know is that you are one of the most powerful mimics I've ever seen. Unfortunately, I don't know if invisibility and infra-red vision will be enough to ---" He stopped, almond eyes widening. Then a grin began to spread across his face.
"I know that look." Mac said. "What are you thinking?"
"Invisibility and infrared vision may not be enough. But what if that was combined with laser powers, telekinesis and super-strength?"
Mac smiled. "I like the way you think. But how are we going to get your friends out here?"
"Leave that to me," Micky said. "You need to be near them, not touch them. If they can stay out of sight... and let you handle it yourself...."
"Right! Murdoc is mine! Plus, he may decide to do something to them if he saw them."
Micky got to his feet. "Stay here," he ordered, flashing over the side of the building to the pay phone below. He placed one call, then shot back up to Mac. "It's settled," he said. "They'll be here in two hours."
Eliza MacGyver struggled against the ropes that held her fast to the hard wooden chair. Her gag felt like it was going to snap her lower jaw off.
Despite the pain, she kept worrying the ropes, hoping to gain enough leverage to work her way free. She had no desire to be part of this sicko's game... and she knew he was a sicko by the way he was talking to her brother on the sound wires he'd set up.
Suddenly she heard his scream of "Where are you going?"
She smiled. He'd decided not to play the game anymore... he and his mysterious friend were regrouping if she knew her brother... getting a new plan, a new strategy to gain the upper hand.... and in her mind, she cheered.
But that was short-lived. Murdoc strode into her prison, livid, waving a knife.
Scared that he'd do something terrible, but determined to not let him see her fear, she simply met his gaze, and refused to let go. If he decided to kill her, he'd have to live with the memory of her courage...of her eyes staring into his. As if that would have any effect, she thought.
With the knife, he sliced the ropes holding her to the chair, though he left her bound. He was muttering to himself the entire time...
With Murdoc's back turned to her, she allowed herself to sag against the chair slightly, relieved that he wasn't going to kill her--at this moment, at least. She knew he was just crazy enough to do anything, so she kept her guard up. But what was this maniac talking about...flying? invisible? Had he completely lost his mind?
Then she realized it was her brother he was talking about! But Mac couldn't fly--he was just a normal guy! This man has lost his grip on reality, she thought.
He jerked her to her feet. "But we'll show him, yes we will... moving day, little girl..."
Eliza cringed under his touch. She didn't want him anywhere near her, let alone leading her around by the elbow.
It didn't take two hours for the other three Monkees to arrive in Arizona -- it took ninety minutes. Peter set them on the rooftop, releasing Mike's waist as he did. Davy slid off Mike's shoulder and grew back to normal height.
Then Peter asked, "Who's your friend, Mick?"
Micky smiled. "This is MacGyver. He's a mimic."
"Just like Mel?" Davy asked.
"More powerful than Mel ever was," Micky breathed in admiration.
Mike let out a low whistle. "I've seen Mel in action...she was pretty powerful herself!"
"Trust me man... he's incredible in action!"
Mac shook his head. "They're brand new," he said. "I don't know my limits or anything yet --- and we don't have time to test them... Eliza needs me!"
Peter nodded. "Micky told me and I filled them in. How can we help?"
Micky smiled and told them.
Half an hour later, Micky and Mac returned to the scene of the hologram. Mac used the new infrared vision to show a definite heat signature.... they had been below the searchers all the time!
But they were gone now... and there were the van marks to prove it.
"So...where to from here?" Mike asked.
"These tracks aren't very old..." Mac said softly. "We should be able to catch up to them if we... if we fly." He grinned, stunned slightly at his casual mention of flight...
No more fear of heights in him!
Davy shrank to three inches tall, just above his minimum height, and Mike put him on his shoulder again. "So what are we waiting for?"
Peter took Mike around the waist and lifted him up. Micky and Mac followed under their own power, taking the lead and letting the others stay behind slightly... out of sight, but not out of Mac's newly discovered range.
After a few moments, Micky shouted, "There he is!" He jabbed a finger at the van. And then he clapped Mac on the shoulder and asked, "You sure about this?"
"He's my enemy. She's my sister. I'm sure."
Micky squeezed his shoulder and backed away, making himself as invisible as his friends.
Mac was on his own.
Murdoc was driving the van as if he were a race car driver. He had put Eliza, still bound and gagged, in the back. There was nothing to secure her, so she slid from one side to the other with very little to stop her. She could hear him still mumbling that crazy talk about Mac flying and being invisible, and she grew more and more frightened of him with every passing moment. Just then, she heard him utter a very nasty expletive, and he slammed on the brakes. This sent her sliding into the back of the seat, head first.
It didn't knock her out, but judging from the words she heard come from Murdoc next, she wondered if her brains weren't scrambled just a little.
"I can't believe this! He's found me again, and he's flying--again! How does he do it?" He threw the door of the van open, and stood there for a moment.
Mac touched down in front of Murdoc, fury blazing from his eyes. "Where's Eliza?"
Murdoc sneered. "Do you really think that I'd just tell you, after all of this, MacGyver?"
"You've seen what I can do," Mac snarled. "What more do you want?"
In the back of the van, Eliza's eyes widened. ...what did he just say.....
"I want to know how you do this, MacGyver. And why you've never used this ability before. I must admit, you're a much more worthy--and interesting--opponent now than you ever were before!"
"How is none of your business. Why is my own secret. Give me my sister!"
"Never." Murdoc's voice was low and dangerous.
"You son of a ---" Mac growled, but remembered Micky's admonishment -- never attack first.
Keep him off guard.
Murdoc just stared for a moment. MacGyver wasn't doing anything! How was he supposed to fight someone who wouldn't fight? It was too much for him, and with a scream, he lunged at Mac.
Mac shot straight up in the air, and Murdoc fell neatly under him. Mac hovered there for a moment, then touched down slightly to the side of where he'd been standing.
Did I just do that?? he thought wildly.
It had happened without his conscious control --- pure instinct!
Murdoc didn't pick himself off the ground immediately. He stayed where he was, still amazed by what he'd seen. He'd seen Mac flying earlier, but not with the precision he'd just displayed.
He stood there, watching Murdoc, wondering what he was going to try next. Mac spread his hands, dropping into a fighting stance --- but not making any move to attack. He was purely on the defensive.
Murdoc was growing more and more irrational with every passing moment, and with every demonstration of MacGyver's power. No amount of technology was going to help him now--so he dove back into the van and emerged with a metal pipe. With another blood curdling yell, Murdoc ran toward MacGyver, swinging the pipe with all his might.
The pipe made a metallic thud as it struck something hard and unyielding -- inches from Mac, but making Mac stagger a bit nonetheless.
*Yes!* Murdoc thought. *He's not so invincible after all!* With this as encouragement, Murdoc continued to attack with the pipe.
Each blow to the field rocked Mac... and he suddenly realized why Micky nearly went out when the building exploded.
This hurt!
Again reacting on instinct, he raised his hands as if to protect his face ---
And a blast of red light shot from his palms, knocking the pipe from Murdoc's startled hands.
Mac looked stunned as he lowered his hands.
Murdoc was so furious by now that he barely noticed that Mac was just as surprised by all of this as he was. Searching his mind for another avenue of attack, he began to mumble again.
Mac reached down and lifted the solid steel pipe... and crushed it in one hand, tossing it aside.
That got Murdoc's attention!
Jumping back a little, Murdoc stared wide-eyed at the mangled mess that once was his weapon. Maybe MacGyver wasn't someone he wanted to make mad!
Then he noticed the baffled look on Mac's face, the paleness of it, the wideness of the brown eyes....
He doesn't know his own strength! Murdoc thought jubilantly. Maybe there's a chance to beat him yet! One faint glimmer of rational thought managed to find it's way to the front of Murdoc's muddled mind...he obviously couldn't fight harder--Mac was stronger than him, even if he wasn't aware of it. He was going to have to fight smarter. Talk. Maybe if I talk to him...distract him...
"MacGyver." Murdoc said, managing an almost sincere looking smile. "Let's be reasonable about this. I'm sure we can come to some kind of understanding."
"Understanding?" Mac repeated, incredulous. "All I want is my sister!"
"I may be willing to let her go...on one condition."
"Name it."
Murdoc replied coolly, "Join me. I've seen what you can do. With that kind of power I--we," he quickly amended. "We could have anything our hearts desired!"
"Anything our hearts desired...." Mac repeated, appearing to consider it.
Murdoc smiled. He was buying it! "Yes...you and your powers can take everyone by surprise! No one could stop us. But we'd have to be a team."
"Actually..." Mac said, smiling. "There is something I want..."
"Other than your sister, I assume?" Murdoc said with just a hint of impatience. MacGyver had a one track mind!
"Yeah... other than Eliza... one other thing that my heart desires..."
"I knew you'd see things my way. We're actually very much alike, you and I. Name it, and that will be our first goal!"
Mac looked at Murdoc, a half-smile on his face. "Really?"
"Yes. That's a promise"
Mac's smile faded as his eyes began to glow with a faintly bluish tinge.
Murdoc's eyes grew as large as saucers, and his mouth hung open as his feet left the ground. Borne on telekinetic wings, he was slammed into the van. "I want my sister!" Mac yelled. "And I want you out of my life!!"
As Mac released his telekinetic grip on Murdoc, the latter slumped to the ground, dazed from the impact. "You...you lied to me!"
"I told you there was one other thing I wanted. That was it." Mac smiled. "I don't lie, Murdoc... you should know that by now."
As much as it pained him to admit it, he had been defeated by MacGyver--again.
"Where is Eliza?" Mac hollered, gliding over to the van.
Eliza threw her shoulder against the side of the van, making it rock.
Inadvertently, the van struck Murdoc on the back of the head. He slid to the ground, unconscious.
She hollered through her gag and then made the van rock again.
Satisfied that Murdoc wasn't going anywhere in the next few minutes, Mac rushed to the back of the van and, using the super strength he "borrowed" from Davy, ripped the door open.
She blinked in the sudden influx of light, squinting in alarm at the man silhouetted in the doorway... she couldn't see his face....
"Eliza!" Mac shouted. "You all right, sis?"
She shook her head and turned her back, showing him her bound hands and feet.
Without thinking about it, Mac directed a very thin laser beam at the ropes, severing them immediately.
She pulled them apart and ripped the gag out of her mouth. "Mac, I'm so glad --" Then she fell silent, her eyes widening.
Without a word, she picked up one of the ropes that had bound her, studying the burn marks. She raised wide eyes to her brother, who hadn't moved from the doorway.
"I'll explain as soon as I get you home. Not a word to anyone...understand?" he said with a smile.
She smiled the same smile at him, and was suddenly in his arms, holding her big brother like she'd never let him go again.
He held on to his sister for dear life, just as reluctant to let go as she was. They remained there for a few moments, then...
She pulled away, looking him square in the eyes. "He's gone mad," she said. "A few hours ago he started ranting about you... flying... invisible... powers... he was still ranting here.. you were playing along, I assume?"
Mac couldn't meet her gaze. What could he tell her? He didn't want to lie to her, but he also didn't want her to know too much--as much for her own safety as for his. She'd already been kidnapped once because of him--he didn't want to see it happen again.
Almost as if his mind was read, Micky shimmered the four into view and nodded at Peter, who stepped forward. "Mac... I think I know what you're thinking... my wife... Micky's wife... they are in Eliza's position. If you're careful... this won't happen again. And she's your family. She deserves to know."
Eliza frowned at the blonde man. "Deserves to know what? Mac... you swore you'd stop treating me like a child. You said no more secrets between us..."
With a heavy sigh, Mac lowered his head. When he raised it again, he met Eliza's gaze unflinchingly. "You're right, sis. I did promise all of that. I guess now's as good a time as any to prove that I'm true to my word."
Eliza raised her eyebrows in a 'well?' gesture.
*She's just as determined as I am* he thought bemusedly. "I told you a few minutes ago, it's a long story. But the Reader's Digest version is this--I was exposed to a high level of radiation a couple of years ago, and an after-effect of that exposure is that I can...absorb--mimic, if you will--the powers and abilities of other people."
A corner of her mouth turned down as her eyes narrowed and she stepped back a step. Classic 'yeah , right' moves on her part.
"It's the truth, Liz."
"Prove it then," she said coolly.
Mac looked to his new friends, shrugging in a "what-am-I-going-to-do-with-her" gesture.
All four smiled at him and nodded.
She'd already seen the effects of Mike's lasers, even if she hadn't seen them. Mac narrowed his eyes, thinking of something that would prove to her beyond a shadow of a doubt...and thought of the perfect demonstration.
With an impish grin and a wink, Mac faded out of sight, right before Eliza's eyes!
She squeaked in shock, still feeling his arms beneath her hands... but no longer seeing them! Without thinking, she screeched out his hated first name. "Angus?"
And four mouths mouthed it in amusement.
Mac blinked back into visibility, looking slightly annoyed--he hated that name. "Gee, thanks sis!" but then he laughed despite himself. "Do you believe me now?"
"How did you... where did you.... Murdoc said you could... you could..." Wordless, she jabbed a finger skyward. "That's when I knew he was... you hate...."
Mac didn't say a word, but instead took Eliza and led her away from the van. Before she realized what was happening, she was airborne! With nothing holding her up--except Mac!
Micky glided along at a distance, keeping just close enough so that Mac could keep the demonstration going.
"Is this what Murdoc was talking about?" Mac couldn't help but take pleasure in the startled expression on his sister's face.
"This... this is impossible..." she gasped. "Hu...humans can't..."
"Fly? But we are, right now!"
"No.... where are the wires... you had to set this up with Pete and the Phoenix foundation.... where's the chopper, where are the wires?" Her voice was rising in alarm.
Mac laughed. "There is no chopper, and there are no wires! I'm doing this! Well, actually I "borrowed" this ability...I can't do this on my own."
She frowned. Then she cast a glance over his shoulder... and saw Micky hovering there.
Her scream nearly blew out Mac's ear.
"Man! Could you raise the volume a little next time? I'm a trifle deaf in that ear!"
She closed her eyes and lay her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder... and he felt wetness begin to soak his shirt as she trembled.
"You scared? We can go back any time."
Eliza raised her eyes to meet his. Her face was grim. "Yes, I'm scared. Not of flying, not of being kidnapped --- I'm scared of YOU, Mac."
Her words hit him harder than anything Murdoc had thrown at him. Concern evident on his face, he asked, "Me? Why on Earth are you scared of me?"
"You can fly... you can fade... you can hurt somebody with a thought... You're not the man I grew up with anymore. You're... you're ...."
"A freak, maybe?" Mac took her back to the ground and gently set her on her feet. He took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Understand this for me, Liz. Yes, I have the power to hurt someone with a thought--if I happen to be within range of someone with that same ability. But no matter what power I may be able to absorb, I'm still your brother. I am the person you grew up with. Just because I have a power doesn't mean I have to use it. And having a certain power isn't going to make me a different person. I have no desire to hurt anyone. You know that."
Her eyes closed. "You came after me..." she said softly. Then she opened her eyes. "If ... they... hadn't been around, you'd never have known you had this ability, would you?"
"No. I would have gone on thinking I was just MacGyver."
"Thinking you were normal."
The edges of Mac's mouth turned upward, forming a mirthless grin. "Yeah...'normal'. What a concept."
Eliza sighed and ran a hand over her face. "I'm sorry, bro... this is gonna take some getting used to."
"You're telling me! There were a couple of times that I blasted Murdoc with things I had no idea I could do!"
She frowned. "Like... what? I saw the invisibility and the flight... but I couldn't see the rest of the fight."
"The super strength, for one thing."
She blinked at him, astonished. "Super --- what?"
Mac explained that during the fight, Murdoc had swung a pipe at him, and that he had mangled it with his bare hand. He picked up the mangled piece of metal and showed it to Eliza.
"...wow..." she breathed.
"And the lasers weren't shabby either!" Peter put in.
"And the telekinesis!" Micky said.
Eliza's eyes grew huge. "You did all that?"
"With a little help from my friends."
He didn't think her eyes could get any larger, but they did. She swallowed hard. Then she looked at him. "And you say you're still the same?"
"I am still the same...at least as far as my personal system of ethics is concerned. I never went out of my way to hurt anyone when I was 'normal', so I don't intend to start now. But I guess you're right--other than that, I'll never be the same again."
And Eliza looked at him searchingly. "Without any powerful people to mimic... you're just like me?"
"As far as I can tell, yes."
Eliza nodded. "So you... are... 'normal'."
Acting as though that realization had just hit him--which it had, Mac smiled again. "Yeah," he said. "I guess I am."
Micky stepped forward and lay a hand on his shoulder. "Part of the time. The rest, you are like us... and you are always welcome to fight by our side."
"I appreciate that, Micky. I have a feeling that I'll be taking you up on that offer someday."
Micky smiled and nodded.
Then the four Monkees took to the sky.
Eliza looked at Mac and smiled. "Now can you do those things?"
"I don't think so...I shouldn't be able to." He turned to the still unconscious Murdoc. Concentrating on him with the intention of using telekinesis to put him in the back of the van, Mac was stunned to find he could do it!
Eliza, to her credit, managed to keep from fainting. "Well..." she said shakily, "it would seem there's... some residual effects..."
"Hopefully they're just temporary. I'd hate to absorb a power and keep it forever!"
She licked her lips. "Well... let's test them every ten minutes. And let's get this lunatic to the nearest padded cell."
Mac laughed. "I like the way you think, sis!"
Thirty minutes later, they had dropped Murdoc off and rejoined Pete Thornton in his office. Mac had explained to Pete about his new ability... and had not expected the reaction he got.
Pete howled with laughter.
Pete was blind, so invisibility was lost on him. He could, however, feel heat .. so Mac had taken his hand and produced enough light from his own hand to make it warm.
Pete held tightly to his cane as Mac telekinetically drew it and him to his side. Then Mac lifted Pete effortlessly...
And the powers cut out like a switch had been thrown. Mac and Pete were dumped unceremoniously on the ground.
"Pete, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, Mac. Are you?"
"Seem to be... I feel... hey, they're gone!"
"Are they gone gone or just out temporarily?"
"I'm not entirely sure... but I think that till I get near another person with powers, they're gone!"
Eliza grinned. "So, how does it feel to be just plain old 'normal' Angus MacGyver again?"
Mac's eyes narrowed at the mention of his name--she just had to torment him, didn't she? But he didn't care, really, he was just glad she was safe again. "It feels good. But don't call me that, sis!"
And Pete began to laugh. So did Eliza.
After a moment, so did Mac.
Things seemed normal.. for a change.
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