"There was an easy way to do this, and there was a hard way," Kyle announced. He strode from one end of the line to the other, looking each of them in the eye. "You chose the hard way. Fine."

Michael decided that Kyle was using a little macho pride to stay calm, too. There was no way Kyle could really be so in control, not after what he'd seen. Max and Trevor had been using their powers on each other with a vengeance. Kyle had to know he'd witnessed something a lot stranger than WWF Smackdown.

"But now you're going to tell me everything you know about my father," Kyle continued.

"Why should we tell you anything? After you decided to kidnap a little boy to-" Maria began, her voice edged with hysteria.

"Oh, shut up already!" Kyle barked.

Michael squeezed Maria's hand harder. She pulled in a deep, shuddering breath, glaring at Kyle.

"I ask the questions. You answer. That's how this is going to work," Kyle said.

He's doing his father, Michael realized. He's so wigged out that he's pretending to be big, bad Sheriff Valenti to get himself through this.

"Do you know who your father really worked for?" Max asked suddenly.

Kyle wheeled around and reached Max with three long strides. He pulled back his fist and slammed it into Max's stomach. "I said I ask the questions."

Michael could feel everyone in the room tense up as Max almost doubled over. He shot a warning glance at Isabel, and she gave him a reluctant nod. Michael knew it was taking all she had not to hurl herself at Kyle, make the connection, and squeeze one of the arteries in his brain until it popped. Which sounded like a good idea to Michael. He would have done it himself if it wasn't for the disk.

What was that thing?

It had to be a Project Clean Slate weapon, which meant that it was designed for use on alien life-forms. Michael couldn't risk going after Kyle as long as he was holding it.