Chapter 3: Kryptonite
(Start the Commotion!)

"Why are they all lying around like that?"

"We're not quite sure, sir. They've been exposed to the radiation for just over an hour now—we should see the effects soon."

"Hmm.... They look ill, is that supposed to happen?"

"This is the exact same form of radiation that NSYNC was exposed to at Meadowview. Judging from the statements they made afterwards, they were all unconscious for a time after the explosion. This is most likely the same thing."

"I see. And you're sure this slow exposure will work?"

"Yes, sir. Our research indicated as much."

"Alright. Well, if they don't move or show some sign of life within the next few minutes, I want you to shut everything off and send someone in to check on them. They won't be any good to me if they're dead."

"Yes, sir."

~*~

"Justin, I hope you're listening. I know you could hear me if you were, and... well, it's weird not being able to tell if you're listening. Makes a guy wish he had super vision or hearing or something, too. Not that this isn't pretty cool. Running like this is like nothing you've ever seen before, Juju. It's like everyone and everything else has slowed down and I'm just strolling by, taking it all in.

"But that's not why I'm talking to you. I mean, I'd be glad to describe it to you later, if you want, but... what I really wanted to talk to you about was Lance. And why we're doing this. I know you were pretty mad at me for giving in, and I don't blame you, I really don't. I know you're scared for him, we all are. You know how much I care about you guys. You're my family, Justin, and I knew from the moment I met you that we were gonna be big. Not just because we're good—which we are, of course—but because we fit so well together. Even Lance, who seemed like such the little Momma's boy when he walked in all those years ago, with his flat hair and big eyes, holding on tight to Diane's hand. Man, he was such a little geek, wasn't he? But I knew, even then, that he was it. We were it. And I woulda done anything to change Diane's mind if she'd said no. Luckily for all of us, she knew the same thing I did.

"The point is, Justin, that I don't want him hurt. You know that. I would give my own life for any one of you in a heartbeat. But the thing is... the reason I agreed to this thing is for Lance, not against him. He believes in this, man, and I believe in him. You heard what he said in the hospital, didn't you? That he had that vision for a reason? Well, what if he's right? What if we have to be the ones to do this? What if, somehow, the visions he gets are, like, chosen by God, or something? I don't wanna turn God down, Justin, bad things happen when you do stuff like that. And besides, as much as I despise Kevin freakin' Richardson, I don't want him hurt. I don't want anybody hurt, not even Big Lyin' Cheatin' Sonofabitch Poppa Lou.

"You get what I'm sayin', here? I don't want you to be mad at me over this, Justin. Or Lance, or any of the others. We're trying to do the right thing, and... and this'll work out, I know it will. We'll figure something out and Lance will be okay. We just have to have faith, in God and in each other. Ya know?

"Ow!

"Bumped into a tree. Tell Joey to slow down, willya? I'm confined to roads, here, or at least flat ground. Well, ground without trees or telephone poles or... Ack!"

-splash!-

"Swimming pools. Dammit."

Justin sighed to himself and carefully nudged Joey, who in the interest of speed was carrying both him and Lance. "Chris says slow down."

Joey nodded and the ground below started going by a little bit slower. JC, who was flying along with them in the form of a large bird of prey, shot up ahead of them briefly and had to turn around, bobbing his feathered head sheepishly.

"Thanks, Jup," Chris said, his voice warm and soft. "I was really hoping you were listening."

"I was," Justin whispered, even though he knew Chris couldn't hear him.

~*~

"Hey, Lance, grab hold of me for a second."

Lance stared incredulously at JC, who was flying backwards in front of him—still in the form of a bird of prey, but now with a mini-version of his own head rather than the head of the bird.

"Okay, that's freaky," Joey said, shuddering.

JC glared at him. "Shut up, Joey. I just thought of something and I want to turn into a radio and scan the news."

"Um...." Lance glanced up at Joey, who certainly had a very tight hold on him and would never let him fall, and decided that no way in Hell was he going to let go of the death grip he had on Joey's arm.

"I'll do it," Justin said, seeing Lance's indecision.

"Thanks," Lance breathed, tightening his hold a bit. JC waited until Justin had a firm hold on him before he folded up his wings and became a small AM/FM radio. He scanned the stations rapidly, stopping and quickly turning back when he flipped past the word "NSYNC."

"-pop group after the death of kidnapper Keith Andrews earlier this month. Taggart has requested assistance from state and federal police should the group cross the Indiana state line. When questioned about the necessity of this request since the group is not considered dangerous and has not been charged with any crime, he responded, quote, 'I'm sympathetic, I really am, but they were given very clear instructions not to leave Meadowview until we could get everything cleared up. I need to be sure I can contact them in a hurry, if the need arises. They have now established themselves as a flight risk,' endquote. The group checked member Lance Bass out of the Meadowview hospital against medical advice, but his specific ailment is unknown. It is believed that the unlikely band of superheroes have gone in search of the missing Backstreet Boys, who were kidnapped from their bus at gunpoint just this morning. We'll have more on this story as it develops."

"Crap," Joey said succinctly.

"Veer left," Lance said.

~*~

"There it is." Lance let go of Joey's arm only long enough to point at the first building they'd seen in several miles, then seemed to realize what he'd done and grabbed on that much harder.

"Alright. Let's touch down over there, behind those trees, so if there's a lookout, maybe they won't see us." Joey started a slow descent to the ground, several yards away from their goal. JC, back in bird form, flew down to inform Chris of the plan. By the time Joey landed, Chris and JC were waiting for them on the ground.

"We're fugitives?!" was the first thing Chris said, grinning from ear to ear.

Justin frowned at him. "That is not a good thing, man."

"No, I know, but... this is so cool! I wonder if they'll make Wanted posters of us?"

"They don't make those anymore, do they?" Joey asked doubtfully.

"Guys? We're here for a reason, remember?" Lance pointed to the seemingly deserted building in the clearing outside the cover of trees. "Short of having another vision...." Lance eyed the building for a few moments, absently rubbing at his chest. "I have a very strong feeling that this is the place."

"How's your ticker?" Chris asked carefully, his grin disappearing. "Seriously, Lance."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine." Lance realized where his hand was and dropped it quickly. "Really. I'll tell you if... I have any trouble at all."

"Better yet, I'll tell you if he has any trouble at all." Justin glared at Lance, who dropped his gaze to the ground.

Joey cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Right. So, um... what's our plan of attack?"

"What exactly did the radio say?" Chris asked thoughtfully. "JC said they mentioned a kidnapping, did they give any details?"

"It said they were kidnapped at gunpoint from their bus this morning," Justin recited. "Why?"

"Well, that tells us we need to be prepared for guys with guns, that's why," Chris answered. "Joey, you take point in case they start shooting, and we'll stay behind you. Justin, you can do your thing with the lasers if need be, and JC, just keep an eye out. Use your imagination. Lance, stay behind the rest of us and don't do anything, you hear me?"

Lance sighed but nodded his agreement.

"Okay." Chris put his hand out, palm down, and the others quickly covered it with their own.

"Goooo, team!"

As they headed toward the building, Lance leaned forward and whispered in JC's ear, "He's baaaack!"

JC just smiled.

~*~

"What the—Dammit!"

Head scientist, Dr. Julian Brummel, glanced up from his computer screen. "Sir?"

"NSYNC! They're here!"

The scientist left his seat and approached the security station, watching in the large bank of closed-circuit televisions as the members of NSYNC quickly and efficiently disabled the well-armed team of mercenaries that had been hired to guard the remote laboratory. "That's... extraordinary!"

"Whatever. The point is, if they find us here, we'll all be in jail by nightfall! We have to get out of here."

"But the experiment!"

"I don't give a damn about the experiment! Just get me the Hell out of here!"

Brummel gave one last longing look through the two-way mirror at the five young men lying motionless on the floor. "Alright," he sighed reluctantly. "There's a secret passageway below ground that opens right out of this lab. Come on, then."

"Those boys better be alive," the ringleader groused as he was herded out. "It's too much work putting together a posthumous greatest hits package."

~*~

"Ugh." Lance stopped suddenly, rubbing at his stomach. "I feel weird all of a sudden."

"Yeah," Justin frowned as he scanned the hallway for any more armed goons. "It feels... tingly."

"In the bad way," JC added helpfully.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "The bad way?"

"As opposed to the good way," Joey nodded.

JC blushed.

"Guys, I hear movement up ahead," Justin warned them. "Let's take this slow."

They moved forward down the hallway, the uncomfortable feeling increasing with every step. Justin stopped in front of a nondescript door. "Here."

Joey kicked the door down.

"Wow!" Chris's mouth fell open as he took in the myriad of technical equipment all over the deserted room. Then his eyes fell on the two-way mirror and the five men on the other side. "Oh. Crap."

"Oh, man...." Joey ran to the mirror and lifted an arm to punch his way through it.

"WAIT!" Chris's shout startled them all, and Joey's fist stopped centimeters from the glass. "Joey, that room's filled with radiation," Chris told them, eyes on the computer screen directly in front of the mirror. "That's why we all feel so weird, we're too close to it!"

Joey's mouth fell open and he stared back at his friends. "Kryptonite!" he yelled in unison with Justin, JC, and Chris.

Lance rolled his eyes. "Chris, can you get it out of there? Drain the room, or something?"

Chris sat down at the main computer and examined the screen. "I think so, yeah. Gimme a minute." He clicked around a bit and typed in a few commands, the concentration on his face slowly becoming a satisfied smile as his work gained speed and confidence. "Okay.... Draining the radiation.... Now!" The computer beeped twice. "It'll take a few minutes to clear the room and make it safe for entry. Justin, can you hear anything from inside?"

Justin shook his head. "Soundproofed. Sorry. But is there a sound system somewhere? You've got a mic, there."

Chris slapped himself on the forehead. "Duh!" He typed in a few more commands and then flicked a switch on the control panel next to the computer.

"You did it," Justin announced immediately. "I can hear now." He listened carefully, grimacing. "The speakers make an awful humming noise, but I'm pretty sure I can hear five heartbeats in there."

The others all let out sighs of relief.

"Give it a minute," Chris told them, his eyes on the computer monitor. "Then we can bring them out of there."

"And do what?" JC asked, taking a seat next to Chris. "We can't exactly just show up anywhere, we're wanted men."

"We'll turn ourselves in," Lance answered simply. "But first we get these guys to a hospital."

"How?" Justin gestured to Joey. "He can't carry everybody, he's only got two arms."

Chris thought about that for a moment. "I think I saw a van outside. We can all pile in there and Joey can fly it to the nearest hospital. We could drive, I guess, but in the interest of time...."

"Flying it is. And those guards, do we leave 'em here?"

"I think so," Joey nodded. "They're all tied up, so we can just tell the cops where we left 'em."

"That works," Lance agreed.

"Okay...." Justin eyed the mirror. "As long as we're waiting, we might as well use the door, right? No use ruining a perfectly good two-way mirror if we don't have to hurry."

Joey mock-pouted. "Awww...."

"Tell me when and I'll just go in there and unlock the door from the inside," JC suggested.

Justin stared at him. "I totally forgot you could walk through walls!"

JC grinned. "Me too. Until just now."

Chris rolled his eyes and sighed. "Does everybody remember their powers, or do I have to do a roll call?"

"We're fine, Dad," Justin snapped.

"Time!" Chris announced cheerfully. JC immediately phased through the wall separating the two rooms as the others rushed out into the hallway. They were ready when JC opened the door for them.

"I can grab two of 'em." Joey told them, reaching for Kevin and Brian, who were lying side-by-side.

"I've got Howie," Chris grunted, already lifting him.

"I've got AJ," Justin added.

JC hoisted Nick into a fireman's carry. "Nick's mine."

"I'll supervise," Lance quipped. "Good job, men."

~*~

"The men of NSYNC certainly know how to make an entrance. All eyes were on the sky outside of a community hospital in Ohio as NSYNC flyboy Joey Fatone descended from the sky carrying a large white van. Inside the vehicle? The rest of NSYNC and all five missing Backstreet Boys.

"The 'Boys,' who were kidnapped from their tour bus early this morning, are currently being examined by doctors. There have not yet been any official announcements regarding their condition, but sources say they were all unconscious upon arrival and may be suffering from radiation poisoning.

"NSYNC stayed only long enough to deliver their charges into the care of doctors before flying off again—back to Meadowview, Indiana, where they turned themselves in to police custody. A warrant had been issued for their arrest after they left the town against direct police orders. The investigation into the death of Keith Archer is still on, though insiders say that the police will most likely clear Justin Timberlake of any wrongdoing. A second investigation was also underway, into an armed robbery at a local McDonald's that was thwarted by telekinetic Lance Bass just a few days ago.

"Bass, who was in the hospital for unknown reasons at the time of the group's defection, is cooling his heels in a Meadowview holding cell along with the rest of his group. No bail has been set at this time."

~*~

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen," Joey sang softly, running his hands across the bars of their cell. "Nobody knows but Jesus...." His voice trailed off. "You know what? That's all I know of that song."

"You know what we need?" Chris asked rhetorically. "A harmonica. Don't people play the harmonica when they're in jail?"

JC shook his head as all eyes turned to him. "No way! If you think I'm turning myself into anything that requires you to blow into my holes, you have another think coming."

Justin cringed. "Euw."

"Exactly," JC nodded decisively. "There will be no harmonicas in here."

Chris pouted. "Party pooper."

"Can you even play the harmonica?" Lance asked curiously.

"I'm a genius. I could learn."

"Genius has nothing to do with it," JC huffed, affronted. "It takes skill—muscle memory—practice."

"I'm not just a genius, JC, I'm a musical genius. I'm a prodigy."

"You're a mental case," Joey corrected.

JC stood and began to clap. "Hear, hear!"

Joey bowed.

Justin sighed, crossing his arms and staring up at the ceiling. "I can't believe we're in jail. My Mom must be freaking out. Her son is a criminal."

"The golden boy has finally been tainted," Joey intoned grandly. "The sky will fall."

Justin grunted. "Shut up."

"Justin, I bet your Mom is very proud of you right now," Lance assured him.

"Proud?"

"Of course! You just rescued five people despite the fact that it was dangerous and it would most likely land you in jail. That shows strength of mind, body, and conviction."

Justin thought about that for a moment, then smiled. "It does, doesn't it?"

Joey rolled his eyes. "And the halo is firmly in place."

"Hey!" A young police officer suddenly ran down the hallway toward then, whipping out his keys and unlocking their cell. "Come on, you've been sprung!"

"Bail was—" Lance began, but was interrupted.

"No, bail never got set. Man, it's the FBI! Something's up with the Backstreet Boys, they need you in Cleveland, like now!"

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