AN: So... I refuse to let my stories go unfinished. It's just taking me a lot longer to work them out than I thought. Plus, many real life issues have just all but snuffed out my creative flame. I will finish things! I might be in my eighties before they get finished, but they will be finished! That gives me...*counts on fingers*... a long time...

Thanks to those who have read. Thanks to those who have contributed with comments favorites, and alerts. Constructive criticism is always welcome and encouraged. And, hey, even an idea or two of what you might like to see is welcome.

Operation: Hurricane

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kalli shook her head, this wasn't possible. The Soldier, she understood. She remembered those cold, dead eyes from what seemed like an eternity ago. She remembered the pain that came with them. The Slave… she'd known there was always something in her mind that she didn't have access to. She'd once told Trowa that she didn't feel anything when she had to kill. She knew she was supposed to have felt something, even Lightning would have felt something. But there was nothing, except maybe a twinge of satisfaction from some corner of her mind that was essentially uncharted territory. But here in this void… she clearly saw everything… felt everything… everything that Slave did to please her master… EVERYTHING… She trembled as she fought tears. As if it all wasn't enough… The devil was there too.

His appearance was as it was six years ago, tall, strong, as if the Storm's attack six years ago had done nothing at all to him. But they had all seen Kiera's vision of him so she knew that they had damaged him. How the hell was he there, though, walking tall and proud… that devilish grin on his face as the Slave slid into his side, an arm around his waist, nuzzling him like a pet while the Soldier marched on his other side, which was almost the only indication she had any life in her at all.

Trinity held the hands of her sisters firmly. Izreina stood by her side, forcing her exhaustion aside. But Kalli continued to try to back away, the closer their tormentors came. She turned her gaze on her for a moment.

"We will try to protect you as much as we can, Kal, but you have to remember something… both of you… We created the Storm. It's our strength they draw from. We are the ones that have been through Hell and back. The Storm was just a shield… You were the ones that broke the Soldier in the first place. You were the ones that brought me back to life. Our bond is not one easily broken, and Sarris has tested that bond time and time again. This has to end here. We've got too much on the line to lose here…"

Lightning took Kalli's other hand, drawing her eyes to their mirror. "Kal, we were not meant to become a split personality. Your strength comes from your love, for your sisters, your brother, for Trowa…" Lightning had to look away from Kalli, the knot of guilt tightening in her chest. She took in a fortifying breath as her gaze returning to Kalli, placing a hand on her mirror's belly. "Your child… You still have something to fight for. Don't let them take this from you. It's your own strength that has gotten you this far, we just borrow it from time to time."

"We are the Storm, Kal…," Izreina finally found her strength as she let go of Trinity's hand, smiling at her sister-in-law.

Trinity smiled, giving Kalli's hand a squeeze. "Heart…"

"Body…" Izreina stepped up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Kalli took in a deep breath, holding it for a long moment before releasing it with a sigh, forcing her fears and anxiety aside. She returned her sisters' smiles, though hers was a little shaky.

"And mind…"

Tempest, Lightning, and Thunder gave their counterparts smiles as they took a few steps away from them, disappearing into the void. "With or without the devices, we will always be a part of you. We will always stand with you. But rather than continue as a separate consciousness, we will be one."

Michael hadn't left Kiera's side since they finally landed, even though he desperately wanted to be by his mother's. He knew he couldn't be in two places at once, and there were enough people crowded in his mother's room. Sally had given up long ago on keeping them all out. It's not like there was anything he could do about his mother's condition, anyway. The fight that was obviously going on in the minds of the Stormers wasn't something they could help with. Once Sally had stopped her bleeding and stabilized her physical condition, there wasn't much that could be done other than observe.

And that was the part everyone hated. Because every one of them knew the battle going on in their minds was their most dangerous. And it had the most riding on it. Michael hated to think of what would happen if they lose the battle. Of what would have to happen.

He knew the Soldier. Or rather, he knew OF the Soldier. His mother's mind was close enough to his, at times, that he'd caught glimpses of the memories of the Soldier. And he knew that even though Sarris was dead, his programming of the Soldier ensured her loyalty to him, even in death. The Preventers now had all of Sarris' information, but there's no telling what damage the Soldier would do before they could go through all of it. And his mother had already made it clear what needed to be done to stop the Soldier.

He wished she and his aunts didn't have to fight this battle alone. Their collective soul had taken severe damage over the course of the last several days. He'd sensed his mother's panic the night he and his sister were captured, the guilt for placing him in a situation for it to happen. She carried the blame, alone, for placing his aunt's unborn child in danger. Her trust in herself had been shaken, and because of that, the Storm had been broken. She'd known she didn't have the strength to fight the Soldier anymore. She'd always been prepared to take her own life if it ever came to that point.

He never really believed that it would ever come to that. He never knew Sarris had that much power over her. The man was obsessed with his mother, and he would manipulate anyone and everyone to not only hurt her, to prove his power over her. Even if the Storm survives this, and it's a very big IF, they will be changed. There will be damage that may never be repaired.

He gently stroked the back of Kiera's hand as she slept. Her vitals had become more stabilized and her fever had dropped. But she wasn't out of the woods yet. The Storm's battle was affecting her, as well. Michael didn't know exactly what was going on, but it put Kiera in so much pain that she couldn't even attempt to show him. The stress it was putting on her had made her own fight for life almost impossible, so she was put under heavy sedation while medications could do what they could to help fight the physical symptoms.

He was fully aware of another presence in the room, but he didn't dare look the other man in the eye. He'd never actually met Treize, he'd only caught a brief glimpse of him that night in Une's office. But he wasn't exactly sure what he could say to the man that could, very likely, lose two daughters because of that bastard and his obsession. Marimeiha was hanging on, but her condition hadn't changed. And Kiera might not have been his daughter by birth, but he raised her. If Michael had just checked his stupid messages, he could have prevented this. He could have stopped her from putting her nose somewhere it didn't belong. Then she wouldn't be lying here.

He'd already told himself that wouldn't be true. He would have been just as curious as she was. And who knows what kind of damage would have been done if he'd been caught that night? But in the dark corner of his mind, he knew. His mother would not have survived that first attack Sarris had sent through Kiera. And even if she did, the emotional damage would have destroyed the Storm that night.

It was clear Kiera's life depended on the Storm's survival. He knew they were the only ones that could save her. It could take days, weeks to go through everything he'd stolen from Sarris' computer. And it could take weeks more to design the necessary programs and/or medications and run tests. Kiera didn't have that much time. And neither did the Storm. Plus, after the obvious set up, he couldn't even be entirely sure that the information was valid.

He couldn't bring himself to look at the older man, much less speak to him. Every muscle in his body tensed as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes a moment as he held his breath. He argued with himself for a moment whether or not he should just leave and let the man be alone with his daughter, or to stay. Because he really wanted to stay, but he didn't think he could bear the guilt, being in the same room with the man. He released his breath slowly as Kiera's father spoke.

"You're the reason she's made it this far. You're the one she needs to see when she wakes up."

Treize gave his shoulder a squeeze as Michael finally glanced over his shoulder.

"I knew the soldier that your mother once was, Michael. And I'm being honest when I say that the woman I saw in Anna's office is stronger than that soldier would have ever been. There's a reason I objected to their training. Mindless machines don't make soldiers. They have no soul, no passion. They have no desire to better themselves, to make themselves stronger. They have nothing to sacrifice, but they have nothing to fight for, either."

He released the boy's shoulder, walking around the foot of Kiera's bed, taking her other hand.

"Tempest, Lightning, and Thunder... They are true soldiers. They have everything to lose if they don't succeed. And that's what makes them stronger. They draw strength from those they love. And when we all stand by them, their strength can become immeasurable. Because even if we're not there fighting, they are never alone."

He reached up, gently running his fingers through his daughter's hair.

"Kiera's a fighter. When she was little, she used to fall ill often. I worried, for a time, that she inherited my brother's illness. But she got over it quickly, and always seemed to bounce back stronger than before. She still has weak spells every once in a while, but her doctors are convinced that it's nothing to be concerned about. She battles through them, she won't let them keep her from anything. But I guarantee it's because she doesn't want them to keep her from you. She won't let this keep her from you, either..."

He paused as the lights in the hospital room began to flicker.

Michael frowned. It wasn't just the lights, the monitors and machines connected to Kiera were also acting strangely. And it wasn't limited to her room, either. The hallway, Marimeia's room across the hall, every electrical device in that wing of the hospital was going on the fritz. Cell phones rang in different tones, the volumes at different settings. Power outlets threw out sparks every once in a while.

Both he and Treize were about to step out into the hallway to find out what was going on, but Kiera's hands tightened around theirs, taking in a gasp as her eyes shot open, her mental voice ringing in their heads. It wasn't very loud, and of course it wasn't something that could be physically heard, but Michael felt like it was ringing in his ears as well. And the tone of it... If he hadn't known any better, he'd say it was coming from a Stormer. But it was in Kiera's voice.

The hurricane has made landfall. In order to remain a Category 5, it must have support. The storm's intensity is vital to completing the mission.

She closed her eyes again, seeming to drift back to sleep, but she kept an iron grip on their hands. Michael couldn't pull himself free. He and Treize stared at each other for a moment. Treize's eyes held questions that even Michael didn't have answers to. Michael had no idea what was happening. He didn't even have a possible theory. He understood that it must be something involving his mother and his aunts. Simply Kiera's tone implied that much. But he had no clue what she meant or what that had to do with all of the power fluctuations.

And then everything blacked out for a very long moment. For that moment, in that eerily silent darkness, Michael felt more fear than he had ever felt. It nearly broke down the walls he'd spent his entire life building. It wasn't fear for himself, but the life or death situation his family was in heavily depended on electricity, or the current lack thereof. Just before he felt himself panicking, however, he felt someone taking his other hand.

And as everything came back on, as if nothing at all had happened, he looked to see Nika by his side, grasping his hand as if for dear life. But she was far calmer than he felt she should have been. Her grip became almost as solid as Kiera's, unbreakable.

Michael frowned a moment as he studied his sister's face. Her eyes had a blank stare to them, dull. And she never looked him in the eye. She never said a word. It was as if she was in some sort of trance. He'd seen that same look on his mother's face when she was in a deep mental conversation with her sisters.

And Nika wasn't the only one wearing that expression. On her other side, holding her hand, stood Alyssa. And the line continued into and down the hallway. Michael couldn't see everyone, but he knew who they were. It was clear after a minute of Nika's touch. And that was when it clicked. He knew what was happening.

"We're joining the fight..." He looked back to Treize. "We're becoming a part of the collective."

"When we stand by them," Treize repeated his earlier remark, staring into his daughter's face before meeting the boy's gaze. "Their strength can become immeasurable."