At the end of the detention, Turbo was waiting in the courtyard. Bob had sent him an IM to meet him there. He had also said that he had something to show him. Something big.

Turbo was about to give up, when Bob flew down behind him and tackled him. Bob was definitely smaller than he was, in both height and build, but because he was an azure he was actually stronger than Turbo. He demonstrated this by pinning him to the ground. "Got you!" He laughed, as he got off of his friend and folded his large silver wings behind him. "You're too easy!"

Turbo got up and brushed off, laughing with him. "No, you're too quick. So, anyway, what's the big surprise you had?"

Bob started laughing all over again, when another voice came from above Turbo's shoulder, way above. "That would be me, I guess."

Turbo turned to find himself at eye level with a pair of shoulders. He stepped back and saw that the newcomer was a hunter Guardian cadet. She stood over a head taller than Turbo and Bob looked like he'd come up a little past her elbow. She was huge for a hunter. "Hi." It was the only thing he could think to say.

She grinned, "Hi. My name's Ezia. And you're Turbo, right?"

Ezia was from a decent lineage. Her mother and both of her grandmothers had been hunter first-class. Unlike the azures, the hunters had kept to their traditional matriarchal way of life. Their men still served in the collective, just in a very diminished compacity. They never saw battle, and were usually set to safeguard installations from minor threats like hackers. While the women did the work that the hunters were built to do; seeking out and destroying any and all threats to their system. They were made to engage viruses in hand to hand combat, and win. Hunters didn't receive the standard keytool that every other type of Guardian got. Instead they had something as adapted to their task as they were. The hunter keytools looked like large backpacks when deactivated. When active, they would fold out to encase the hunter in a protective armor covered in weaponry of every type imaginable.

During the detention, Bob had been assigned to help out with repairs in one of the training rings. This was where hunters learned to fight; they called the rings battle cages. A few cables had worked loose on the ceiling and since hunters had long ago traded in their wings for brutal strength and there were too many things in the way for someone on a zipboard to safely maneuver around, an azure was needed. It took several cycles to get everything fixed, and because he was in the hunter area all cycle long, he had to take meals with them. While he was there he attempted to make friends, and mostly failed.

He eventually talked to someone he shouldn't have, and found himself in a fight with three hunter cadets, each of which weighted nearly twice what he did. The three girls had him cornered in a room near the cafeteria. The room had a low ceiling, so he couldn't fly out. He tried to fight but they quickly over powered him. One had a hold of one of his wings and was threatening to snap it in two, when he heard another girl run into the room. "Hey! Let him go!" she ran over to his first assailant and took her out in one punch. She then turned and tackled the next one. While she fought her, the one that had had his wing released him and went after his savior. The two of them combined wasn't enough to take her and after knocking them out, she wiped their energy off her massive hands saying, "Didn't your mothers teach you not to hit boys?" She turned to him, "You functioning?"

Bob forced a smile while examining his twisted wing, "I'll be fine. Thanks for helping me out there. I would have been deleted if you hadn't showed up. I'm Bob." He extended him hand.

She took it and firmly shook it, "I'm Ezia."

That episode had earned Ezia the nickname: Ezia, The Mighty. And it fit her too. She easily fit in with Turbo and Bob and together they made an interesting group; an over sized hunter who's hot temper often alienated her from her peers, the prankster, azure, heir-prince of the house of Etvis, and an orphaned, bastard mix from the lower sectors. Ezia the Mighty, Bob the Unexpected, and Turbo the Nameless. What a set.

The three of them stuck together throughout everything. Their pranks got to the point that they were being called the Destruction Crew. And they were rarely getting caught now. Turbo's plans ran like clockwork. They were in and out before anyone knew anything had happened. Bob's wings and small build made him perfect for recognizance and between his ability to fly and Ezia's strength, they could get into anything, not to mention that Turbo had gotten very good at hacking security systems. His ability to read, write, and understand azure had proven valuable, too. He could easily hack azure code since it was never really protected. After all, only azures could read it, right?

Nothing was safe.

Bob had also begun to take Turbo to every big noble gathering he had to go to. He would've taken Ezia too, but she declined. Sounded to fancy for her. Bob's mother was unhappy about her son's association with Turbo as it was, but to bring him to regal parties was almost too much. But he would hear none of it: Turbo was his friend and he was coming. And that was that.

At one of the parties, someone mentioned that it was unseemly for Bob to be seen with a half-breed. And that if he kept it up he'd never go any higher than the rank of first class. "You'll never even have a shot at Prime."

Many Primes had been from his house and it had always been expected that he would take the office or at least get close. His grandmother had been First Lieutenant, second to the Prime. Solzidf, Bob's mother, planned to see her son made Prime.

Bob on the other hand, had other plans. He wasn't even thrilled about being Patriarch of his house, let alone be Prime as well. But he had the right name and breeding, and that what really counted in choosing a Prime. "That's just how it works." Turbo said as the sat out on a balcony. "Name is status, and status gets you rank."

"I know. But it's still random. Anyone should have a chance at being Prime. It shouldn't matter who you are, just how good you are."

"If that was all that mattered, they'd have anyone in there. Could you see what the nobles would do if a sprite guardian made Prime." Turbo started laughing.

Bob joined him. The idea of just non-nobility Prime was ridiculous. It had never happened. And for a non-azure to do it was simply impossible. It would cause such an uproar that the Daemon would hear it all the way in her viral sectors. "It sure would be great to see though. They'd go completely random. Just the thought of a non-azure Sprite taking any high office would cause chaos. It would be great."

"Yes, it would."

Bob looked over at his friend as he looked over the rail at the mostly sleeping Azure Sector. Turbo and him were both1.4. They were almost at the end of their training. It was at this point that sprites begun vying for the spot of Prime. Making the right connections, the right grades, the right engagements, and eventually marriages. Bob knew how to do it all. All the right people, all the right maneuvers, he had been raised to be Prime, but he didn't want it. But he might have another use for his knowledge.

Turbo was smart and excellent at planing out things, something that had always evaded Bob. He was a good guy, and would never do anything to really hurt the Guardian Collective. Ezia said he was somewhat attractive, and he spoke well. He still had a lower sector accent, but it wasn't very strong anymore. Everyone had seen Turbo with him, and to be the best friend of the heir-prince of the Etvis house was definitely saying something. And to finish it off, Turbo could do something that no other non-azure sprite had done: he knew azure fluently. He could even say a few words, kinda. 'It would be great.'

"No way! You're completely random. It would never work." Turbo was less than sure of Bob's idea.

"I think it would. You might not make Prime, but you'd make First or Second Lieutenant easy. Anyway it'd be fun just to try."

"Bob, this is serious. This isn't like one of our pranks. This is the top office of the Collective. What if we actually get close, then what? This isn't something to joke about."

Bob got up out of his chair and walked over to him. "So who's joking? Listen, I know all of the people in line for it, and not one of them really deserves it. Sure, some of them might not completely fuck it up, but you'd be better than all of them. Trust me. This isn't just a prank. This is an attempt at putting someone actually qualified for the position in the office. It's about showing those dipswitches in there," he motioned towards the party. "that they're not the only "real" Guardians. Anyone should have a shot at it, not just them. Even if we don't make it at all, maybe someone else will see that we tried and decide to give it a shot, too.

"So what do you say? We gonna try this, or are we just gonna let this opportunity pass?"

He shook his head, "It'll never work. I don't know anything about that stuff."

Bob just smiled, "Ah, but I do. And if I can teach a Half-breed to understand azure, than I can do anything. Trust me. I can turn you from Turbo the Nameless to Turbo the Prime Guardian. Just watch."

He just shook his head and sighed in defeat. "Ok. So how do you want to do this?"

After a few microseconds of prepping, they walked back into the ball. This time with Bob walking a half a step behind Turbo, instead of the other way around.

Bob's plan was actually working, a little. Turbo had been accepted by the nobility, and he quickly picked up the social graces that were necessary. He could join in on conversations all in azure, though he had to respond in common. His ability to understand it was his best asset. It automatically made him known, and being known, Bob had said, was the most important thing. They were doing so well that during a dinner, shortly after he turned 1.5, he was approached by a lower noblegirl, named Wispt.

She saw he was attached to Bob and that instantly made him one of the most appealing bachelors at the table. And because he wasn't actually nobility, he was very reachable for her. He was polite and rather enjoyed the attention. She was pleasant enough and according to Bob, a noble was lucky to get a wife he actually liked. Wispt was pretty attractive and was very intelligent. She could see he was heading towards power. That she actually liked him was just icing.

That was the one thing Turbo had trouble adjusting to. In the azure society, marriage was just for status. Everything revolved around status. It didn't matter that you liked someone, it only mattered what that person could get you. Friends were the same way. He could see why Bob preferred to be around standard sprites and mixes. But he thought he really liked Wispt and she seemed to really like him, too. It was funny, really, Turbo had completely sworn off the idea of marrying an azure woman. But after meeting Bob's betrothed, who wouldn't?

Riswfonidad was the perfect azure; graceful, beautiful, silver eyes, hair, and wings, well educated, at the top of her class�, and unbearably stuck up. She was the heir-princess to the Doczisn House and acted the part. She was happy with her engagement to Bob at first, but when he started hanging out with Turbo and Ezia, she was less than thrilled. And when she really understood that Bob had no interest in becoming Prime, she was even less so. She despised Turbo and Ezia, or the Bastard and the Lummox, as she put it. She was watching a perfect husband turn into a nightmare. But he was still the heir-prince of Etvis and she could deal with him for that. For now.

She also wasn't happy about Bob's latest habit. Flattening his voice. This was when an azure learned to "flatten" or "deaden" his fractured voice, making their harmonized sounds into one normal one. He was getting good at it, too. So good you could mistake him for a standard data sprite (if he didn't have wings). "So, when am I picking you up, tonight?"

There was a big ball at Doczisn House for the upcoming graduation. One last party as cadets. Bob, of course, insisted that Turbo come, despite what Riswfonidad said. "I don't know. How about like seven. Wispt will be here by then."

Wispt ran about her dorm, getting dressed for her Nameless knight. Wispt was fully enjoying her relationship with him. Normally she would have never have gotten an invite to the ball, but as Turbo's guest she could go anywhere. Her friends had laughed at her when she told them about plan to snag him. Ridiculous, unthinkable, social suicide they'd said. She chuckled to herself as she put on her earrings. She'd certainly proven them all wrong. Turbo was a stoke of geniuses, plain and simple. She could not have dreamed of anything better. He was headed towards big things, she could taste it. They were graduating three cycles from now, and from that point on, it would be straight up. Intelligent, diligent, loyal, strong, excellent statagest, attractive� (she thought with a smile) and nice. As amazing as it might sound, she really liked him, enjoyed being around him. She looked up at herself in the mirror, smiling to herself. Yup, she sure had gotten lucky. More lucky than she would have ever guessed.

They arrived at the mansion a bit after the party had begun. It was truly an affair. They danced and everything went over just fine. Riswfonidad kept her tongue about Turbo and everyone was civil. But Turbo could see the gears turning in Bob's head. He was shorter with Riswfonidad lately, not nearly so eager to keep the peace. Something was changing. He saw how Turbo and Wispt were together. He had an idea what love was, and suddenly the hand he had been dealt was looking less appealing. He had a taste of real love and wasn't about to settle for less. And that's what his betrothed was, less.

The day of the graduation was beautiful, and everyone of importance was there. The Prime and her first and second lieutenant were present; they knew their successors were somewhere in this class. Of the candidates, there were three heirs to the houses, over a dozen nobles, and an odd half-breed. The Prime looked down at her read-me file of the prominent students, surprised to find a mixes name there. Turbo� They called him the Nameless. He came from no house, had no title, no proper upbringing, and yet, here was his name. His singular name.

He was the best friend to the heir of Etvis, a young Botdrovtianx. The prince's name was near the top of her list, but she had seen no real drive for her rank. The mix Turbo, on the other hand, had. It had been Botdrovtianx who had introduced her to him. In fact it seemed that his only reason for speaking with her was get her to talk to Turbo. Odd. His name could easily win him the Prime rank, but he obviously didn't want it.

'Turbo�' She drew up his file with a few taps. He looked the exemplary student. "Bright", "strong", "skilled", "a natural leader", he had all the right marks for a high rank. His file reminded her of her own at that age. She looked up from the window and looked down at the Nameless from the balcony, and smiled. Could he pull it off? Could he actually make First or Second Lieutenant? Or even Prime?

He stood with his three friends, Botdrovtianx, the Unexpected and Ezia, the Mighty. Collectively, they were called the Destruction Crew, renowned for their pranks. In their youth, they had been caught many times, but lately it had become impossible to pin anything on them. That in and of itself was a testament to Turbo's planing skills. Many of her peers believed that Botdrovtianx was organizing the strikes, but� She looked down at the three and watched as the heir-prince attempted to dump a bucket of ice on the hunter girl. He almost pulled it off, too, but just as he lifted it up he spilled a little behind him somehow, and when he took a step back� disaster. Ice everywhere and the prince looking very unprince-like, sprawled out on the ground, covered in ice. No, this was not the master-mind behind the east-wing lift debacle. He managed to slip and fall while getting up, dragging his two friends down with him. No. It had to be the mix.

Her Second Lieutenant stepped up behind her, looking at the vid window in her hands. "Humph. The half-breed." The man was taller than normal and had a pinched strictness she had never enjoyed. He had a talent for sucking the fun out of anything. The amused smile vanished from her face. "I was stunned to find his name on the list."

"Humph. The very thought of him in the same grouping as some of the highest nobles of the Azure Sector is� shameful." He looked over the balcony rail at the Destruction Crew and "humph"ed again. "And look at him?!" He gestured to Botdrovtianx. "Of all the degrading things. That he would lower himself to associate with such bin-trash. Disgraceful."

She let him rant for a bit longer not interested enough in what he had to say. "It's almost excusable for the hunter to behave in such a way. After all they are not of the highest clock-speeds. Rather basic in programming, really. I've often thought-"

She cut him off abruptly, simply turning and walking away. "I'm sorry, Dioxil, we will have to discuss this another time. The ceremony is beginning."

The cadets had lined up at attention and the headmaster had begun to speak. The boisterous laughter was gone, replaced by reverent silence. These young sprites had worked for this from the average age of 1.0 to their present age of about 1.6. This was the last cycle they would be cadets; from this time on they would be Guardian base-class. They would get their first opportunity at a keytool soon. It was the one component that could not be bought with house name or power, the one forum in which all were equal.

She walked onto the podium at the headmaster's introduction. Her dress uniform was shined and pressed to perfection. The bright crimson suit with it's gold editions had always seemed a little much to her. Gold chains ran from one gold shoulder pad to the other and she wore gold boots and arm guards. Her skin was so dark a blue it was almost black, which made her silver eyes and long hair very striking. The thin cords of her hair were pulled back in the traditional sleek ponytail and was held together by a gold band. She stepped up in her finery and looked out at her audience.

The youngsters were in their best, too. Even the Unexpected Botdrovtianx was wearing his skiff (which was covered with wet splotches from the ice). Most of the students had separated as to their types; azures with azures, hunters with hunters, etc. But the Destruction Crew stood together, as always. They were all wet, now that she looked, and an errant strand of the prince's hair had come loose. Others in the crowd stood out as well, but those three standing there together, would stick in her mind forever. They were so out of place.

Her speech was a lengthy one about honor and duty and everything else she had heard when she stood in their place. She spoke of strength in unity and teamwork, "We are collective. We are one unit. azures, hunters, and standards. We are the wall that stands between the citizens of the net and the many dangers of life. We function for them, never forget that.

"You have pasted every trial we have placed before you, now it is life's turn to have a go at you." With that the students began to file up to her and the headmaster to receive the upgrade that would make them full fledged guardians. As each cadet walked up, she placed their icon over a golden "icon" plate and transferred the upgrade. She then shook their hands and said something slightly different for each one.

Whenever a hopeful Prime would come before her she would ask the sprite what his intentions were, and she would always hear something about, "I want to be the best I can be," or "To just be considered for such a position is an honor," or something equally rehearsed.

When the first of the Destruction Crew, the Unexpected Botdrovtianx, stepped up and upgraded, she leaned in and said in azure, "I don't know what you're going to do with your life, but good luck. You�ve got a difficult trail in front of you."

Bob just smirked and replied, "But what fun is the beaten path?"

She shook her head and laughed, waving him on. The Mighty Ezia came up next. The girl was already a head taller that her and was massive. When it came time to speak she said, "You've got a fine career ahead of you and two fine friends backing you. You're sure to go far, child. Just stay out of trouble."

She faced the Nameless Turbo last. She spoke in azure to him as well and said quietly, "You're noble friend means to make you my successor. What are your intentions child, honestly?"

He hesitated not a moment in saying, "My intentions are to be Prime Guardian, sir."

She laughed at his honesty and patted him on the shoulder, "Very good answer, son. Best I've heard ever." She leaned in closer adding, "I think you just might pull it off," stepping back and speaking up, "Good luck, really."

After graduation they got their first assignments. Ezia was posted with a Hunter regiment in an outer system, but (with some minor string pulling) Bob managed to get assigned with Turbo. Together they manned a lookout post on the rim of a lightly secured sector. Cake work really, but they found ways to make it interesting. Their tower was several stories high and was open all the way around, with the roof suspended above them.

One night Turbo was sitting on the railing, watching Bob terrify and amaze the locals with his deletion defying swoops and dives. Turbo just shook his head, he had seen him do this before. Bob took one dive down, nearly missing three binomes, and grabbed up a toy a child had dropped. With one forceful pump of his silver wings, he was up over their heads and pulling a loop-de-loop over them. He made a few diving spirals down to the child and, with a few back thrusts (throwing feathers everywhere), he stopped right in front of the little girl and managed to hover there while he handed her toy to her. He then gracefully twisted and flew straight up. "He really is random."

Bob made his way back up to the top, by way of flying around and around the tower. He landed lightly on the railing next to Turbo, and grinned. "You just love playing the hero don't you?" Turbo asked, still shaking his head.

"Yup." He was still grinning. Bob always spoke with his voice flattened, now. And Turbo couldn't remember the last time he saw him wearing his skiff. Needless to say, his mother was horrified at his current behavior. But then again so was Riswfonidad, so Bob was happy.

Bob's plan to get her to cancel the engagement wasn't going well. She was determined to marry him. In one of their little� talks, she told him he had two choices; either she could be the wife of the heir-prince to the powerful and respected Etvis house, or she could his widow. His choice. Bob said he had actually considered it for a moment.

Turbo and Wispt, on the other hand, were getting along fine. So well, in fact he was getting ready to propose. They might only be 1.7, but most other azures were long ago engaged and she was getting nervous. He was sure he would marry her someday so why wait to make it official. She'd say yes. "She has to say yes." Turbo said to Bob, who was sitting on the other side of the platform, eating. They had once again begun talking about the engagement to be. "I mean, if she doesn't�" He was rolling the little ring around his hand, staring at it. "I don't know what I'd do."

Bob rolled his eyes. He was never much help on this subject, having never had to go through it. Also, he didn't understand Turbo's hesitation about age. To Bob, his age wasn't reason to wait, it was reason to hurry. "By the programmer and the bright code, Turbo, you're almost 1.8, and you're wondering whether it's too soon? She's gonna say yes. At this age, she kinda has to. There's no one else to marry. I'm supposed to get married at 1.9 and your debating about an engagement? Get a grip." He kept eating and gestured with his wings as he spoke between mouth-fulls. "She is gonna say yes. She waited this long for you hasn't she? So just go and ask her, dipswitch."

"Yeah, but-" He was cut off by the sudden blare of the alarm. "What's that?"

Bob was up and running to the display first. He pumped with his wings once and jumped over the separation wall, landing in front of the panel. "We've got a break in. Down on block 16-theata-9."

Turbo rounded the corner, having had to use the entrance. He stopped right behind his partner and looked at the readings. "A hacker� It must be."

"Looks like it. They've disguised their signal well. I can't pin point them."

Turbo turned and begun pushing buttons on the opposite panel. "I'm calling for back up. This person's too much for us to handle alone. Locking down the blocks." Turbo flipped the switch that would cut off their area from anyone but another Guardian.

Bob got up and ran over to the edge of the tower. "You do that. I'm gonna scout around, see if I can't turn up our little hidden file." He took off and flew out over the buildings, as Turbo signaled for back-up. A hacker loose in the super-computer, "Not good. Definitely not good."

He flew up and down the streets watching for anything. He ducked down alleyways and underways. He looked on top of the buildings and in a few windows. Nothing. He was about to face the fact that the hacker was probably already out of his area, when he saw something. Nothing much, but still enough for his enhanced optics to catch. He made a hard bank and looped around, coming up behind whatever he saw. Carefully he landed above where he thought he saw it, and looked over the edge.

He saw nothing at first, but then, right below him he saw it. A Hacker, young too. He slipped down to a lower ledge, 'A girl�' he thought to himself. 'Not a bad looking one, either.' He didn't recognize the tribal markings on her face and shoulders, but she was definitely a hacker, a very high level sprite. They were about on the same level as the azures in raw ability. This girl was gonna be tough to get. Especially since he had no keytool, still.

He'd been trying since the upgrade, but none of the keytools he'd come up to were interested in him. Turbo was having similar success in that department. It was really a matter of trial and error, you just kept going before different ones until one decided it liked you. No trick to it, it was just a matter of waiting, and hoping.

She was moving down the alley, away from him. He quietly followed on foot about two stories above her. She turned a corner and Bob grinned. That went into a dead end not far down that way. "I've got her."

He flew over to where the street ended and crouched down into a shadow. The covering she had worn over her bright orange hair had worked loose and strands were showing, making her very easy to see. She ran down to the wall and stopped, looking around for a way to go. She turned her back to the barrier (and Bob) and straightened her hair.

Bob jumped off the wall and landed right behind her. She turned at the noise, but a few moments too late. He tackled her, throwing the two of them across the hard pavement. They grappled for a while, but Bob was not prepared for her strength and she over-powered him. She tossed him away from her and she pulled a long katana from her boot. She brandished it, saying, "Now I wouldn't try that again, darlin'. Ya just might get that pretty face cut."

Bob backed up a little, looking her over. "I can't let you go. If you surrender they'll probably be lenient. Given your age."

"Given my age? Honey, you looked in a mirror lately? You look barely outta diapers."

"I'm no younger than you are."

"Ha. You're cute, azure."

"Thanks, I think." He began to loosen his stance, trying to get her calm down and drop her guard. "So. How old are you?"

"1.7, how 'bout you."

"1.7. Funny huh? So, you gonna put down that sword?"

She smirked at him, "No."

"Didn't think so."

Looking him over, she said, "So, you're a full blooded azure sprite, huh?"

"Yup. Straight from the Azure sector."

"I thought you people talked with lots of voices 'n stuff."

Bob cleared his throat. "We do. I just know how to talk like you do. It makes it easier to speak your language."

Her eyes got real wide, she had obviously never heard an azure sprite before. He could use this to his advantage. "So what's your name?"

She looked at him suspiciously, "Why?"

"Just curious. Mine's Botdrovtianx, but you can call me Bob, everyone else does."

"Bob�" She thought about this a bit. "Mine's Mouse."

"Mouse. Very nice. So tell me Mouse, am I the first azure you've ever seen?"

"Yeah. We pretty well avoid you people."

He stepped a little closer, "So you've never heard our language?" She shook her head no, more than a little curious. "I'm told it sounds very nice to normal sprites." He then switched to azure. "In fact, I've heard that it's down right entrancing." His voice was very smooth and rhythmic, and as he spoke he began placing himself just right. "Now, if I can just keep you entertained, you won't see this coming at all." He suddenly leapt forward grabbing the sword out of her hands. It clattered across the alley. He quickly got a hold of her arms and once again it was a test of strength. This time he was ready from her and was winning when she got him.

He had her pinned down and was really getting close to cuffing her when she kissed him, really kissed him. Now he'd been kissed by lots of girls, but never like this. It startled him and he was still dazed when she released.

She leaned back below him, licking her lips, and giving him a look that wasn't going to improve his processing, either. She then pushed her face up to his and kissed him again, longer. She hadn't intended to, she had only kissed him to distract him.

Well, now they were both distracted. So distracted that when he released her arms and put one of his hands under her chin, she didn't think to run. Instead she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. He wrapped her up in his wings and for a moment, felt her warmth all over him. But when they released again, a siren sounded and they were jarred back to virtuality.

She was out of his arms in a nano and tried to run, but he caught her by her ankle. She reached for her sword and turned with it in hand. She sliced down with it, cutting his arm up near his shoulder. He cried out in pain and let her go. She was up and running, and would have made it out, except that Turbo came up around the corner on a zipboard. She slashed down and severed the connecting rods on the zipboard. Then turned to try past Bob, up over the wall. But she met him face to face and he had her before she could use her katana. This time he wasted no time in restraining her and they had her ready and waiting when the transport showed up.

As the upper-class Guardians lead her away she turned and blew him a kiss, "Bye, Bob. Ah'll see ya later."

Turbo gave him an odd look. Bob smiled innocently, "What?"

"'What?'? And exactly what was that about? 'I'll see you later,' what were you two doing while I was gone?"

Bob had begun walking back to the tower. "Nothing. I don't know what she meant. She's a hacker, who knows what goes through her mind."

"Bob?"

He took off and flew back. "Nothing!" he yelled behind him. He flew on, not wanting to play 20 queries with Turbo. "Nothing at all."

The cycle started off so well. They had each received commendations for the hacker's capture and they had another shot at keytools in just two cycles. Their breakfast wasn't burnt or degraded as usual, and they had both made it to their tower on time. Turbo was already being looked at for a promotion and if he could get a keytool this time, he'd be set.

Bob was doing pretty well, too. Riswfonidad had been scarce lately and he hadn't had to be at any formal things in quite a while.

The sky was beautiful and the wind was just right. Turbo tried and tried to get Bob to come in and do some work, but Bob would have none of it. "These updrafts are incredible," he'd say or something like it.

He wasn't the only one who thought so, too. A pod of Web Surfrs had come into the area and Turbo could their antics all the way from where he was. Their glowing forms and sleek boards weaved in and out of each other. Usually Surfrs caused mayhem in any system they'd visit, but so far these ones hadn't done anything. Instead, everyone in the entire sector was out watching them. It was a real rarity to see a pod of them this far into the super-computer.

One of them, a young girl, separated from the rest and moved close to their tower. Her energy markings were a bright purple and her short hair was an almost black, blue. Her protective glasses were sleek against her smooth face. She made some elegant loops around Bob, enjoying the rare chance to play with an azure. They flew about, pushing each other to go faster. Pulling a wide arc, she made her way over to Turbo and spiraled around the outside of the platform. She slipped into it and made a tight circle around him. "'ello, love." She stole a light kiss on one pass and then left.

She went back to her pod and was greeted by a young, blond-haired boy. He nudged his midnight blue board against her pale yellow one. His blue energy pattern pulsed for a moment and then they moved deeper into the group, out of sight. "They really are incredible. Not a care in the net."

Just then Bob made a swooping dive past him. "Not unlike some people I know!" he shouted to his random friend. "Bob! Get in here!" But he just ignored him. "Bob!"

Eventually Turbo gave up and even though at that moment it infuriated him, by the end of this cycle, he'd be glad Bob didn't listen. In fact he'd wish Bob hadn't listened to him at all that cycle.

He had been up flying about when the alarm had gone off. Turbo called him in, quickly. "There's a major break in the next block area. They think it's a virus, one of Daemon's. We're supposed to go help out."

"Ok." He landed on the rail. "Lets go." Bob grabbed him and dropped off the side.

Turbo hated it when Bob did this. It was faster than a zipboard, but Bob was not exactly a level flyer, he dipped and climbed at random. By the time they reached the place, Turbo was quite happy to land. "So, where is everybody?"

Bob folded his wings behind him and walked around the square. "I don't see anyone." This was where they were supposed to be, but no one was there. "Something's wrong. Very wrong."

"Someone should be here, or we should at least be able to hear a fight. Something�"

"Anything�"

They looked around very cautiously, keeping close to each other. One of Daemon's viruses was somewhere and they weren't about to get split up. They turned a corner and found one of the Guardians they were supposed to meet. Katch, a sprite Guardian about their age had found herself on the wrong end of a viruses claws. They got there just in time to see her be deleted. "No!" they said almost in unison.

They moved in towards the virus, but he was tired and wounded and could see he would probably lose against two of them. He turned and retreated. "Oh, no you don't." Turbo was right on his heels, with Bob right behind, still on foot.

They turned a corner and lost him for a nano, "Where'd he go?" Bob said looking about.

"I don't-" A crash down to their right interrupted him. "That way! Come on!" Turbo ran off, once again with Bob in tow.

"Hold up! We don't know-" Bob stopped when they saw the virus, he had managed to set up a little portal and was heading through.

Before he could think better of it, Turbo was through it, after the virus. He'd known Katch and wasn't about to let her killer escape.

He came out in the one place he'd hoped he'd never see, one of Daemon's sectors in the super-computer. It was a nightmare. The virus he had chased was headed up a bank and before he could think to follow, Bob came barreling through the portal. He crashed into him and grabbed him, pulling him back. "We have to get back through before�" Just then the portal closed, "�it shuts." They looked around them at the mess they'd gotten into.

Everything in the sector had been twisted beyond recognition. Large, intricate spikes protruded from everything. The sky was dark and a cold, stale breeze gusted past them. Whispering, Bob breathed, "This is bad. Very bad."

They headed straight towards the barrier that surrounded Daemon's sectors, if they could reach that they'd be fine, all the walls were set to let Guardians in and out. It was getting there that would be the challenge. They crept along on foot for a while, not saying a word. But, then they heard someone shout, "There they are!" They turned only long enough to see the five virus constructs headed straight towards them. Taking off like a shot, Bob went straight up and looped back behind Turbo. He grabbed him and flew as fast as he could.

Turbo had thought the ride was rough before, but now with viruses and their constructs firing at them, he had trouble just hanging on. He banked hard and looped up trying to throw them off and ducked down many side streets. But it was no good, they had them pegged. They came up over one gnarled building and saw the wall before them. All they had to do was reach it. They were almost there, when a blast came from behind, tagging Bob's left wing. He dropped from the sky like a stone and they were plummeting right towards the waiting arms of two other Viruses.

Before they could fall too far, Bob made one last attempt. He wasn't going to get out, but maybe he could save Turbo. Pulling up his last bit of strength, Bob threw Turbo forward and just barely getting him through.

Turbo had tried to stop Bob from doing it, but hadn't realized what he was doing soon enough. He slammed into the ground and the world swam around him. He looked up to see that he was out, but Bob was not. He saw his friend try to get up from the fall and get a large gash down his leg for his effort. They were on him. The last thing Turbo saw was Bob drug down and beaten by the horde. Then everything went black.

Turbo woke up in a hospital. Pain in every part of his code was the first thing he felt. Then he remembered what had happened to his friend, and pain in every part of his soul was the next thing he felt.

He drug himself up and focused on making the room stop spinning. Finding him almost on his feet, a nurse rushed in and ordered him back into bed. He waived her aside and reached for his icon. He placed it on his chest and activated his uniform. Bob was still in that nightmare, and he was going to get him out.

The nurse gave up trying to stop him herself and ran out the door calling for help. She returned with two hunters that had been set at guarding him. The two women had no problem forcing him back into the bed. They then IM'ed their commander that he was awake.

In a few microseconds, a Guardian first-class walked in. He was an azure and Turbo vaguely recognized him. "Hello, Turbo."

Now he remembered who this was. "Hello, Maxus." This was one of Bob's older cousins. He was there to get the report of the incident and any details he had about the sector. Turbo told him everything, how he had been the one that went through first and how Bob had been captured saving him. Turbo just wanted to curl into a ball and delete, 'How could I have been so basic.' "Sir?" Turbo asked as Maxus was leaving. "What's going to happen? How are they going to get him out?"

The azure looked at him and shook his head. "Son, even if he is still processing in there, we might not be able to get to him. We're trying to get a fix on him. If he's still processing� we'll go from there." He straightened himself looking at the boy, "I'm not going to kid you, everyone expects that he's already been deleted."

"He's still alive. We didn't call him 'the Unexpected' for nothing."

Bob's cousin left and in a bit a messenger came with news that that he was still processing, and they had a rough lock on him. But for how long was the question. If he had been anyone else, Bob would have been left in there. But since he was the heir-prince of the Etvis house, they would make an attempt to save him, no matter the risks. Turbo insisted that he be on the team, as it was all his fault. He pleaded his case to the commander in charge. Turbo said he knew it was a suicide mission, and the likelihood that he would come back was slim at best. He knew that Bob would probably be deleted by the time they got to him, but it was his fault. He owed it to him. The commander listened to all this and sympathized with him, but he wasn't willing to take a base-class kid with no keytool on this mission. "You�re up to try for a keytool this evening, right? Well, I'll tell you what. If you're picked by one, I'll take you, otherwise, it's no."

Turbo left the meeting in a hurry. He hadn't even been thinking about a keytool, lately it had seemed unimportant next to everything else. But now it was at the front of his mind, again. He had to get one, he had to get Bob out of that place. "It's my fault, after all." Turbo had to run all the way to the transport. Then it was a quick trip to one of the Holds.

The Holds were huge vaulted building that held nothing but keytools. They sat still and silent on pedestals until a Guardian passed that they liked. Never quite sure why they chose who they did, the Guardians only knew that the same keytool would choose very similar keeper though out it's long life. Some keytools were noted for picking screwballs and some consistently chose high ranking officials. And some Guardians were never chosen at all. He couldn't be one of those. Not now. Before he had only cared about getting one so he could move up in rank. But that didn't matter anymore, not now. He would probably be deleted trying to save Bob, but he had to try. And he needed a keytool to help him do it.

Turbo ran up the stairs to the Hold. He was late. When he reached the gates, the other Guardians had already gone in. He was gasping for air. The first-classman that was to let them in, shook his head at Turbo. "You should be more serious about this young man. I doubt any of them will choose a sprite that can't even be bothered to arrive on time."

"Sorry sir." He was still catching his breath. "It couldn't be helped."

"Don't apologize to me," he turned to the room of keytools, "apologize to them."

Turbo walked quietly past him and into the Hold. It was quiet except for the rare clicking noise of a keytool choosing someone. 'I haven't blown it yet. There's still a chance.' He moved before every one praying to be chosen. Bob was somewhere locked away having programmer-knows-what done to him. He could still see his friend attacked by the viruses, still hear him crying out in pain as they tore into him.

After awhile, he gave up on being chosen. 'Fine then. I've ruined this, too. I can get through the wall alone. I won't just stay here and wait for them to tell me he was deleted or worse. I'll go back to the apartment and get together some supplies. I can be through the wall by nightfall.' He turned to walk out when he felt someone watching him. He spun around, but saw no one. The feeling was getting stronger, but he still saw no one. Then he looked down the keytool a few feet away was blinking.

Turbo walked over to it, 'Is this what's watching me?' He laid his hand on the pedestal next to it, "Will you help me?" he said aloud. His voice echoed through the room and everyone looked. He could hear the small box speak to him, somewhere in the back of his mind. No, speak was the wrong word. It more just gave him the impression of speech. He knew what it wanted, it wanted to know why he needed a keytool. "My friend is in danger, because of my carelessness. I need you to help me try to save him."

It wanted to know why he needed to save him.

"He's my friend. He was only captured because of me."

Knowing the danger involved the keytool asked why he was willing to risk so much. It knew he was going try a rescue with or without permission. It wanted to know why he was going to chance his life and his career on some base-classman.

"I don't care what happens to my career!? He's my friend, I can't leave him there. I have to save him!"

It told him he would fail.

"I don�t care! I'm not going to leave him there. He's my best friend, the first one I ever had. I can't just leave him to those monsters."

The keytool was silent and stopped flashing. Everyone was staring at him, but he didn't care. They didn't care what happened to Bob and neither did any of these keytools, obviously. He turned and started to walk out, planning out what to take on his little rescue mission, when he felt the keytool tell him to stop. It clicked an announcement that it had chosen it's new keeper.

Turbo turned and walked back to it. "What? You'll help me?" He felt it answer yes and that it wanted to be picked up. They had a lot of practicing to do before the rescue. "I'm Turbo," he said picking it up and placing it on his arm.

The keytool locked into place and clicked that it knew his name. "I am Copeland."

The team moved out just before dawn. There were five of them including Turbo. Two of them were azures and the others were mixes. No hunters were brought. This had been done because, ideally, there would be minimal fighting. They were to slip in, find Bob, and then slip out. Once through the Barrier they would have a clear fix on him, but getting to him was going to be fun. The one azure, an almost white-skinned woman, had with her a device that would produce one decently sized tear. When they had Bob, they would use it to make a portal straight to a waiting hospital. "If we find him processing at all," she said pointedly. She, like all the others, was sure he would be dead when they found him.

Turbo felt Copeland reassure him that Bob was strong and would survive. It drew up pictures of their times together. Copeland was a good friend. Copeland, it turned out, was very old and very renowned. It had been partnered with five Primes and countless first and second lieutenants. In fact it had never chosen anyone that didn't make it to a very high rank. Turbo could not have wished for a better keytool.

He was jarred from the memories by the sudden smack on his back. "Wake up kiddo. Time to roll." Their transport had reached the wall.

Carefully they moved up to it, checking to see if there were any patrols. When their pale-skinned commander was satisfied, they went through. They waited for Bob's signal to clear, and when it did, headed out. He was in the center of her main sector, in Maleficent, in Daemon's Citadel itself, somewhere on the upper floors. They had little trouble getting to the castle; there really wasn't much in the way of guards. Why should there be? No one would be random enough to come here, right?

It was that mentality that got them in to the very castle with little effort. They moved up ventilation shafts, keeping out of sight. But everything was not to go perfectly. A weakness in the construction of one of the ducts caused it to come crashing down as they moved through it.

They leapt out of it and deleted the few viral constructs that had seen them and readied for more troops. None came. Looking at the device they used to track Bob, they saw he was either on this level or the one above. Now it was just a matter of looking. They moved out of the room and into the hallway, clear. Turbo was kept in the middle, since he was the least experienced by far, as they moved down to the next room. They found it completely empty and were about to move to the next one, when 5 viral constructs burst in. They managed to destroy those as well, but not before an alarm was triggered.

This was when they had to run. Before any orders could be issued more of Daemon's muscle was moving in. They scattered and Turbo quickly found himself lost and alone. "Copeland?" he whispered, "Can you scan for Bob?" Copeland responded by bringing up a display of Bob's location. Turbo smiled: Bob was on this floor. He was quite a ways down this hallway to his left. He carefully moved down to Bob. Once he ran into someone but Copeland's restraining bands were very effective. He hit the viral with a rest command and kept going. Turbo looked at the display again, as he reached a row of cells. The guards appeared to have left to help fight. Copeland couldn't pinpoint where Bob was exactly, and Turbo began to search every cell.

He had gone through twenty-three of them when he looked in a window and saw Bob lying on the floor. The door was locked but Copeland had no trouble finding something to use. Turbo opened the door and slipped inside.

Bob was sprawled out like a puppet that had had it's strings cut. His shirt was off and his torso, arms, and legs were covered in his own energy. Deep gashes were gouged across his chest and his arms and dozens of slices through them. Bob was lying on his side facing the door, his long silver hair unbound and spilled over the floor. His right leg's wounds were the ones Turbo had seen inflicted, but others around it were new. Some of the injuries were as wide as two of Turbo's fingers, with rough, tattered edges, and some were thin, precision cuts. Yet others looked to have been dealt with energy whips and hot irons. This nightmare had been done in only one and a half cycles.

Turbo froze for a moment, unable to process what he saw. He could hear his friend's breathing, it was shallow and raspy. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew something was wrong, but he couldn't focus on anything, too over-powered by the brutality of it all. "Bob?" He whispered as he took a step forward. It was then that he saw it, when he was close enough to see over Bob's shoulder a little. At the sight of it, Turbo's breath caught in his throat. He stepped behind his oldest, dearest friend, unable to believe what he saw. But there it was. There was no denying it. Where Bob's once graceful, silver wings had been, were instead two deep gouges in his back. By the look of it, Daemon must have ripped them off with her bare hands. Turbo rushed back to Bob's front and knelt down beside him. "Bob?" he delicately lifted his head up and (keeping clear of the holes in his back) began to pick him up. "Bob, it's me, Turbo. Bob�?"

His eyes opened only a fraction and his voice was barely audible and was intermixed with small coughs. "Turbo�? What�?"

"Shhh. Don't talk, just hold on for me, will ya? I'm going to get you home. I promise."

The door swung open and Turbo looked up, ready to face Daemon herself. Instead what he faced was his pale-skinned commander. She stepped in quickly, with two others in tow. "You've found him. Good. We've-" she stopped mid sentence when she realized that there were no wings folded beneath Bob's still form. She just stared and the others gasped or said things like "dear programmer". The sheer shock of it had them frozen, but Bob was hanging by a thin thread and there was no time for this.

"So throw the tear already!" Turbo ordered "We don't have much time!"

They snapped awake and she released the tear and formed it into the portal. Gently lifting him up, Turbo stood and rushed through. 'Sweet code, I hope they can save him.'

Bob slept a long time. Cycles passed and he stayed still. Turbo remained by his side the whole time. He felt so guilty about the whole thing, he almost felt he shouldn't be there. What right did he have wait by Bob's side, when it was his fault? Would Bob even want to see him after this? He would have left had it not been for one thing: he was the only one there.

Bob had always had trouble making friends. Non-azures assumed he would look down on them and azures didn't like his friendship with Turbo and only hung around him because of his status. And even the azure's that did like him wouldn't come. They were all acting completely random about it. Even Wispt wouldn't show. Even Bob's mother wouldn't show.

They said it had been noble of him to bring Bob home, that it wasn't right that he delete in that place. But they also said it was wrong to try to save him. The loss of his wings was too great of a shame to ask him to bear. He was crippled and even if he survived, he would always be weak and sickly. "That's not a life." Wispt had said, trying to make him understand. "It's wrong to make him experience it. It would be kinder to let him delete before he ever knows what's happened to him." No one would come, not that they thought less of him because of it, but because it would be cruel for him to know anyone had seen him like that, let alone, friends and family.

"No," his mother had said, walking away Turbo. "I won't do that him. Better to remember him the way he was."

Wispt had begged him not to stay with him, "I know you think you're being kind, but your just going to shame him even more." Still, he couldn't leave him there, alone. It just seemed so wrong to him. He had been trying to call Ezia, to tell her what had happened and ask her what he should do. She knew him. But she was off on some mission and couldn't be reached. So Turbo stayed.

So, he sat there, waiting, "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I don't know what do or say. I can't ever hope for you to forgive me, I'm just sorry. I'm so sorry. What can I possibly say to you? Nothing I could say would undo this, would it? This was my fault and you've paid the price. Wispt told me not come here. She said I would only hurt you more, and asked me what good it could possibly do for me to stay.

"I don't know, I can't just leave you here alone. I just can't."

"Very good answer, son." Turbo turned to see the Prime standing in the doorway. "Best I've heard ever." She was in her standard uniform, without the chains and so much gold. She smiled kindly at him as she walked into the room, careful not to look at Bob. "You were a good friend to him."

He laughed at that. "A good friend? It's my fault he's like this! I'm why he'll never fly again."

"That may be true, but he knew it was an honest mistake. You're just a kid. Kids are supposed to make mistakes. That's what childhood is." She stepped up to him and turned to keep her back to Bob. "And you're here, aren't you?"

He looked at her puzzled, "But I thought azures saw this as mean. To be here and see him like this"

She smiled at him, "Yes, and you're ignoring all of it. Doing what you think he'd want. Doing what you think is right. And I think you just may be right. If nothing, he'd want you here to tell you that he didn't blame you."

He stepped back from her, angry and nearly shouting at her. "Doesn't blame me?! How can he not? It was my basicness that did this to him, he only went through the portal to save me. I did this to him! Me." Nearly in tears, he fell back into his seat, "Programmer, why did this have to happen."

Laying her hand on him, tried her best to make him understand. "He didn't blame you. We all would give our codes to save each other. That's our lives, that was his life." She began to walk away. "You were a good friend to him."

He drew himself back up and wiped the tears from his eyes. "He's not deleted yet, so don't talk like he is. He hasn't given up. You'll see just how 'Unexpected' he can be." She smiled at him before leaving, not having any argument to that.

Bob woke up to a dull pain. Everything hurt. He had half expected to find himself still in the cell, but sighed relief at the safe hospital room. When his vision cleared completely, he saw Turbo sitting beside him, he had fallen asleep. He'd thought he'd dreamt his friend rescuing him and wanted to at least pat his shoulder for his courage, but the idea of moving at all was too hard.

His memories of the attack were fuzzy at best, but one� one he remembered clearly. He made a feeble attempt at moving his wings and got a blast of agony for his effort. He groaned, and woke his sleeping friend.

Turbo was up in a second, "You're awake. I'm sorry, I fell asleep. I�" His surprised expression turned to worry and he spoke quietly. "How are you?"

Bob forced a smile and breathed out, "I feel like the whole Azure sector fell on me. How do I look?"

His partner forced a smile as well. "Like the whole Azure sector fell on you."

Bob tried to laugh, but couldn't. He closed his eyes and focused on not crying. He couldn't meet Turbo's eyes as he asked, "My wings�?"

Unable to say it, the mix just shook his head and said, "I'm so sorry, Bob. I�" Tears welled up in Bob's eyes and he stayed very still, unable to grapple with the thought. "I� I'll go if you want. I'll understand. After this� I'm so sorry." Turbo began to stand, when Bob reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Wait. Wait, you don't have to go. I know you�re here to help. You can stay, I want you to stay."

"Why? If it wasn't for me, you'd be fine. I'm to blame for this. I'm sorry, I�"

"To blame�?"

Turbo again tried to leave, shaking his head and removing Bob's hand. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. I've no right to ask that, not after what I did. I just wanted you to know I'm sorry, that's all. That's all�"

But Bob kept his hold on him, "Forgive you? For what?"

"For causing this. For going through that portal. For getting you captured and�"

"This is not you�re fault. You didn't do this. Daemon did this, not you. You made a simple mistake, and then you rescued me and sat with me all this time. You didn't do this, Turbo. There's nothing to forgive." Turbo started to sit back down and Bob placed his other hand on his. "Daemon did this, not you."

Turbo finally accepted this and eventually he went out to tell the doctors he was awake. The azure doctor didn't sugar coat it. He had sustained massive damage to his code, he would never be the same. He was totally crippled, with no hope of ever returning him to the way he was. Crippled.

The doctor (careful not to look directly at him) apologized for his staff saving him, saying that they had meant no disrespect. With his injuries as severe as they were, the emergency staff had panicked and just hadn't thought. He went on like this for awhile, then told him that the sheer fact that he had survived was a testament to his strength. "You're a fine man, the collective will be the lesser from loosing you." He softly laid a small black box on the table beside Bob. "You will be avenged. You were an excellent Guardian, an excellent Guardian."

Bob laid there for a long while after the doctor left, staring at the box. He had thought he wouldn't hesitate, why would he? It was what was proper, what was right. So why was he hesitating? 'Crippled' he thought to himself and shuddered. He couldn't be crippled, he just couldn't. It wasn't an option.

Reaching over and taking the box, he opened it and looked at the small disk in it. All he had to do was snap it between his fingers and the deletion command would activate. That would be it. And yet he couldn't even pick it up. Why?

He guessed that it was because of Turbo and his illogical guilt. So he put the box back until Turbo really understood that he didn't blame him. He'll wait till then.

Time passed, and slowly Bob healed, somewhat. Turbo tried his best to comfort him, but couldn't. He'd lost everything. "In a society that identifies themselves by their physical abilities," a friend of his had told him. "there's no place for a cripple."

He had received word that Bob's engagement was called off and now he would never find another woman to marry him. Not the way he was. Also, he couldn't be patriarch of his house, that would go to one of his younger cousins. And no keytool would bond with him. His whole life was gone, everything and everyone he had ever had was gone. Only he (and Ezia, he assumed) were left. It was all gone and he could see that fact gnawing away at him.

It was like he was already dead, drained of all energy and left for deletion. Speaking rarely, he mostly just lay there. His misery was clearly visible, even though he tried to hide it. He just didn't have the will to try anymore. He felt hollow. He just wanted to delete. Just end this shame, this nightmare.

One morning, he decided he was sick of lying there. It was over, everything. But he wanted to face it. Once. Head on. So he dragged himself up and, clenching his teeth to the pain, stood up.

Across the room was the closet. It's door was always open, in order to hide the mirror on the outside. Bob walked over to it and with his eyes closed, shut it. He needed to see it. He couldn't really believe it until he did.

He inhaled deeply and straightened himself as best he could, and opened his eyes.

He focused on his face at first. It was untouched and his long hair was still neatly pulled back. Daemon had intentionally left his face perfect, so it could "always remind him how beautiful he once was". His chest and arms were covered with wide pale scars and unhealed wounds. From what he could see, his legs and feet were just as bad, with his lower right leg mangled beyond recognition. The doctors had done a wonderful job of piecing him back together. If he waited for all the cuts to heal, he would be able to walk around and such with almost no trouble.

He then forced himself to look past his shoulders, at the empty space behind him. That was too much. His heart just collapsed. This wasn't a life. It was a body that didn't know when to quit. 'Well,' he thought looking at the black box behind him, in the reflection. "I do know when to quit." He was about to turn and get it when Turbo walked in. He stopped just inside the door, seeing Bob was up and looking at himself.

He walked over to him, trying to help, "Oh, buddy� I'm so sorry." Bob had closed his eyes. For him to see him, in the bed, covered, was one thing. But for Turbo to see him like this�, Bob wanted to disappear. He couldn't stand to be seen. Not like this.

Turbo had stepped up behind him. Bob grimaced at his touch, but Turbo stayed, "Bob, I'm so sorry. I just� I wish there was something I could do."

Bob opened his eyes to this, he hated to hear Turbo beat himself up over this. Looking at him in the reflection, Bob started to say something but stopped and looked at the two of them.

They didn't look that different anymore. He certainly couldn't call Turbo a weakling, now Bob was as weak as he was. And just as grounded. Bob really looked at his friend, for the first time. There he was, wingless and weak and what did he care? He and every other mix never felt the less for not having all the gifts of the full azures. He was strong enough to break into Daemon's citadel and get him out. Strong enough to get a keytool. Turbo had none of the things that Bob was traumatizing about loosing, and didn't care. Bob had always been the first to say that the mixes and sprite Guardians were just as good as any azure, and yet there he was, falling to pieces, 'and for what?' he thought. 'Wings do not a Guardian make', he had once told his mother.

Bob looked over them again and really saw both of them. "sickly and weak" the doctor had said, 'what he meant was that I'd be just like a mix or sprite.

'What am I doing? I was about to delete myself and for what? Because I've been dropped down to his level?'

It was so ridiculous. He looked at Turbo's worried face and thought about what he had almost done and just started laughing. And he couldn't stop.

Turbo got very worried, "Bob?" Bob turned and leaned on his concerned friend, still laughing at himself. He didn't even try to share the joke, he couldn't begin to explain it. Not in his state. "Bob? Are you okay?"

"What?" he managed in-between laughs as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Bob stopped laughing, thought about this a moment and looked back their reflection� and smiled. "You know what. I think I am."

"That's about everything," he said, packing away the last of his things. Over a dozen cycles had passed since he had thrown away the little black box and now he was getting ready to leave the hospital. Bob had recovered quickly, after he decided to recover at all.

Everyone was convinced he'd lost his mind. It was just too bizarre. Unexpected was one thing, but for him to even consider going back to work� insanity. Only Turbo and Ezia didn't have a problem with it.

Ezia the Mighty had returned shortly after he had started to pull himself together. She had been a little confused, but, "We didn't call you the Unexpected for nothing." She was doing well and had a keytool of her own, called Bastion. She was sent back on another assignment quickly, though she'd wanted to stay till he got out of the hospital. But orders were orders.

Much to his disappointment, his mother hadn't come to see him, even when he had asked her. Bob understood why, he wasn't angry, only disappointed. His mother didn't know what to do. A dead son she could deal with, that society had prepared her for. But a crippled one that would live? She didn't know what to do. What kind of life could he possibly be hoping for? Bob had sent her a message, audio only, to give her time to prepare herself.

Turbo had been furious when he came back after delivering his recording. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't come, he saw it as cruel and Bob couldn't make him understand.

Bob dropped the small suitcase on the chair by the door and looked the room over. The drapes were pulled back letting in the bright daylight and everything was cleaned up. He'd spent 3 dozen cycles closed up in here, only seeing Turbo and Ezia, the occasional doctor, and once or twice Wispt had come over. She was accepting Bob's outlook on all of this and Turbo and her were back on.

Walking over to the bed, Bob activated his uniform and picked up his skiff that was laying over the bed. He buttoned it in front of the mirror and looked himself over. He looked very odd. He would pass for mix if not for his gray trimmed uniform and skiff. The skiff looked wrong on him anyway now and he disliked the two slits in the back. He unbuttoned it and tossed it back down behind him and stood there. This was it, this was the way he would have to be for the rest of his life. A crippled azure prince that would never take the throne. Or did he have to be?

He could flatten his voice like a data sprite and didn't have the wings to identify him anymore. All he'd have to do was change his azure uniform for the standard one Turbo wore and no one would suspect. It would be easy. He had two choices he could either be Botdrovtianx, a wingless, mangled azure noble, or Bob, a mix with some scars.

He pulled off and adjusted his icon and rebooted, this time with a blue and yellow uniform. Looking at the mirror again he frowned. The different clothes were good, but one thing was left, the only thing that still made him look like an azure.

Reaching back, he pulled out the metal clasp that held his hair back. His long, silver coils fell around his shoulders, down to his elbows. He went over to the table and pulled out a small pair of scissors and went back to the mirror. "One more loose end to tie up, or rather� cut off." Quickly he chopped his hair off to his ears and shook his head, getting used to the feeling. It felt so odd after having it long his whole life. It was lighter, a lot lighter. "This is going to take some getting used to," he said, trying to push it behind his ears.

He looked at himself one more time and then turned and walked out. On his way past he grabbed his skiff and then the suit case, and just before leaving he tossed the skiff in the trash.

He walked out barely getting any looks at all. No one recognized him. Turbo was going to pick him up at the door, but not for a few seconds. Bob had left early so that he could walk around for a little bit. Strolling through the hospitals garden he got none of the stares he usually got. Now he was no one special, no one to even elicit a second glance.

Once a small child, (from one of the lower sectors, by her accent) pointed at him and asked her mom if he was an azure sprite. The mother shook her head and told her no, "He's just a half-breed, only part azure, honey, and don't point." Bob laughed as they walked away, and was still amused when Turbo showed up.

Bob's mother rushed about handling the many duties of her position. She was too busy to think about her son and she liked it that way. She went from room to room with her assistants in tow, there was always so much to do.

One of her servants hurried up to her, "Madam, there's-"

She side-stepped him and began walking down the stairs to the main entrance room, she was far too busy to deal with whatever was wrong. "Not now, I'm�" She stopped when she saw Turbo standing there, at the foot of the stairs.

Not only did he have the gal to come back here, but now he'd brought some other half-breed with him. They were talking softly, completely oblivious to her presence. The newcomer had his back to her and it was Turbo who saw her first. He looked up and motioned for his friend to do the same. "Turbo! How dare you-" She froze when the "half-breed" turned to see her and was her son. "Botdrovtianx? Is that you?" She was barely whispering. He said something to Turbo and he left as Bob walked up to greet her.

"Hello, mother." He spoke quietly as he approached, "How have you been?" She just stood there, unable to speak. Her hands were shaking. Bob stepped up and took them in his. "It's okay, I'm alright. Everything's going to be alright. I promise."

She pulled her hands from his and reached up tentatively to touch his face, tears forming. "What has happened to your hair?"

He smiled gently, "I cut it." He embraced her carefully, as she crumbled in his arms. She wept even through his reassurances that everything was fine.

She finally got out, "Fine? How is this fine? What will become of you? You can't be Patriarch, you can't get a keytool, and you have no place so you can't marry. How can this be fine? What kind of life can you hope for?"

"A different one."

She shook her head at that. He was just rambling nonsense as far as she could see. "And what are you wearing? This is a spite's uniform, not an azure one, and why did you cut your hair?"

"Mother, I know I can never have life as an azure, not really. But as a mix� This way I can be somewhat normal. People will mistake me for one, they won't see me as a mutilated azure." He could see this was making no sense to her. "I can have a life, just not an azure life. I'll be happy. Look at me, do I look upset, do I look like I have nothing left? I can deal with not being Patriarch, and as for Riswfonidad, I really didn't want to marry her. I'd rather stay alone than be with her.

"I'll be okay. I promise." He spoke to her for a few seconds, assuring her that he was happy� and sane. In the end she got that this was what he wanted and wished him well.

Bob left his childhood home and found Turbo waiting in the hover car. He jumped in and they shot off to the other side of the Azure sector, to the Guardian Collective Main.

Bob stepped out of the car onto the steps of the massive building. He had seen it a million times throughout his life, but this time it looked different. This time the many balconies and open doorways above were completely inaccessible and the upward sweeping architecture only served to remind him that he was grounded. Suddenly everything built by his winged race looked odd and unreachable. This time he saw it from a mix's point of view.

With Turbo close behind, he went up through the main doors to inform his superiors that he was not deleted and that he was going back to his duties, as Bob.

Time passed and Bob adjusted to his new station in life. He was somewhat accepted by the standard and mix Guardians, but he was always on the outside. Healed as well as he would ever be, he had about the same strengths and weaknesses of an average data sprite and if he kept his voice flattened everyone mistook him for one. He liked that. As soon as anyone found out who he really was, they'd start treating him differently. Like he was feeble or sickly, when actually he was just as able as they were. Sometimes he'd have bad spells, but the more time passed the fewer he had.

He ended up with a keytool, very shortly after going back to work. Its name was Glitch and it had a quirky sense of humor, just like Bob. If everyone was surprised by Glitch, then they were stunned when he made first-class. He made it all the way up to being in charge of his own sector and could have gone further, but he really wasn't interested in that.

Ezia was always out on some assignment or another. Her and Bastion were one of the best teams in the hunters. She quickly jumped up the ranks, reaching near the top of them. Getting two ranks from their equivalent of second lieutenant.

Turbo on the other hand, surpassed them all and made omega-class by the time Bob reached first. Omega was right next to the Prime and her Lieutenants. He was there only until the vote for the new Prime came up. Then, to an unbelievable uproar from the azure nobility, he was made Prime, at the incredibly young age of 2.4. He did his job well, much to the surprise of his unhappy first lieutenant.

Bob's life was rather uneventful for the most part. Occasionally he would run into Mouse and have a good time trying to catch her. And have an even better time once he did. At one point, she considered going legitimate to stay with him, but that just wasn't in her. Beyond her and the rare fling he was pretty much alone. He'd known it'd be like this when he threw away the black box. So be it, he could live with having only a few friends for company. He'd known this was what his life would be like. But that didn't make it any better. He felt like a leper half the time and like the invisible sprite the other half.

One day a hacker other than Mouse wandered into his sector. Bad move. He had pursued him all through the sector and eventually out of it, when the hacker started portaling all over the place. The hacker maneuvered his ship through one portal only to make another one as soon as he got on the other side. Bob scanned the portal quickly each time, before jumping through. He'd learned his lesson on that one. They must have barreled through several dozen portals before Bob lost track of him.

"Cursors!" he shouted at the spot that the portal had been, throwing down his zipboard.

He was wasted and so was Glitch, "Okay, where are we?" he asked his partner. Glitch showed the small systems stats and Bob shook his head. "Well, we're a long way form home aren't we, buddy." He saw a small boy standing back watching him, wide-eyed. Then he saw the boy wasn't alone, over a dozen binomes were watching him, too, with the same expression. The boy was just the closest. "Hey, kiddo, mind telling me the name of this system?"

He jumped a little and then said, uncertainly, "This is Mainframe. Who are you?"

He smiled at the kid, "I'm Bob. And you would be?"

"Enzo. What-"

He was cut off by the shout of CPUs, "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, DON'T MOVE!" They had several guns trained on him.

Bob just looked at them like they'd lost they're main processor, Glitch clicked it's agreement at the ridiculousness of the situation. The CPU's took Glitch's noises as offensive and got even more jumpy. "HOLD IT! JUST DROP THE WEAPON AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN!"

"I am not going to drop my keytool and I am not an enemy. What's wrong with you sprites?"

"Enzo!" came a woman's shout form behind him. He turned to see a tall sprite that looked very much like the boy; green skin and dark hair. "Get away from him, now!" The kid was inside the circle of guns around Bob.

"Umm�" Enzo looked around him unsure of where to go. He looked at Bob questioningly.

"Go." Bob said motioning him away. "I'm not stopping you. If these dipswitches decide to fire at me, I sure don't want you getting caught in the middle of it."

Enzo ran over to the woman, past him. She glared at Bob once she had the child with her. "Threatening a child�"

"Hey listen, lady, the only people threatening anyone is your random CPU's here. I'm just standing here."

Looking up at the woman, Enzo said nodding, "He didn't do anything."

"Neither did Megabyte, at first." This came from a new sprite, one that came up behind the woman. He was an old form, with gold skin and a roller ball for legs. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"I'm Bob, Guardian first-class from the Super Computer. I came here in pursuit of a hacker that had been found in my sector. I followed him here, but lost him when he jumped through another portal." He crossed his arms in adding, "I was just trying to figure out where I was when these geniuses showed up."

"A Guardian� yes, we have heard of your format from travelers passing through. You play in the games, yes?"

"Yes. That and a few other things. You've never seen one of us?"

"No, we have not been open to the net for very long." With a signal from the ancient sprite, the CPU's lowered their weapons. He rolled up to Bob. "I greatly apologize for our jumping to conclusions. Not long ago a pair of Viruses walked into our system, claiming they were friends. I am Phong, assistant to the Command.Com."

Bob took his outstretched hand and shook it, "Two viruses? That�s rare, usually they dislike working together."

"They don't work together." The woman added this.

"Huh? And your name is�?"

"Dot. You know with all the guns pointed at you, maybe you should have laid down your� whatever it is," she said, meaning Glitch.

It clicked angrily at that. Bob laughed, "I think Glitch would have taken offence at that, wouldn't you have?" it clicked again.

"Alphanumeric� It's alive." Enzo inched up him and lightly touched it. Glitch clicked hello, but the kid couldn't understand it, and jumped.

"It's okay, it just said hello."

"Oh, hello."

"Now," he said turning back to the woman, "What were you saying about them not working together?" She and Phong described the situtaion to him, with added commentary by Enzo.

The two viruses had come in together, but had parted ways. One was a female called Hexadecimal. She only caused the occasional problem: a Chaotic. She lived on an uninhabited place called Lost Angles. The real problem was the other. He was called Megabyte and he was behaving in a normal Infector fashion, bent on conquering the entire system. He already had three of the six sectors of the tiny system. And was gaining power.

Bob listened to all of this and then began explaining what exactly his format was, when all too familiar words came in a new voice, "Warning: Incoming Game. Warning: Incoming Game."

"I'm off." Bob unfolded his zipboard and took off towards the game. Once inside it wasn't much to beat, rather basic. When he exited to unbelieving cheers, he found out how unusual it was for one to be won.

He was invited to the principle office to contact his command and inform them he would be on his way back, tomorrow. Glitch was too tired to portal or even signal back. On the way, the kid jumped around him, asking a million questions. "What's the Super Computer?" "What did he do there?" "What was Glitch and what did it do?" "How dangerous was the hacker he was chasing?" "Did he have to deal with hackers a lot?" "Did he ever see a virus?" "Did he ever have to fight one?"

At the last two questions Bob gave short non-committal answers. The kid didn't know, so Bob wasn't going to take offense. But Dot, his sister, saw his expression change and took it wrong. "Enzo, I think the Guardian has answered enough of your questions. He's tired."

"But-"

"No. That's enough."

Bob didn't want the kid to stop, just to not ask those questions. "It's okay, I don't mind. It was just-"

"You don't have to humor him." She spoke coldly to him and, "I'm sure you're very tired."

"Yes I am, but I don't-"

"See, Dot?"

"I said no. Now why don't you go home; it's getting late."

"But-"

"Now."

"Ah, man. I never get to do anything," and he zipped off.

Bob hadn't wanted Enzo to go, he liked the kid. He reminded him of himself a little. It was nice to have someone act excited to be around him. Most of the time, sprites behaved like it was a chore. He liked his energy, and was sad to see him go. He was about to tell Dot that he had really meant what he said, when Phong pointed him towards the proper vid window.

They all left him in privacy in Phong's office to make his call. He sent it to his direct superior and said that he was in some small system, and would portal back in the morning. The azure didn't argue with him, she never did. She knew he was best friends with the Prime and was not to be questioned. 'And to think no one could see the point to making your buddy, Prime.' He thought to himself, smiling.

Dot offered to get him a byte to eat at a diner she owned. On the way she queried him herself. "So, you'll be heading back tomorrow, huh?"

"Yup, I've got a whole sector I'm in charge of. I can't be gone for long."

She nodded.

"But when I get back, I'll see to it that a Guardian is assigned here. You desperately need one. The only reason you don't already have one is�"

"Is because we haven't been on the net very long. I get it."

Bob was having a real problem talking to her. She wasn't very likable. The kid on the other hand�

"Bob!" as soon as they stepped into the diner, the boy leapt at him, tackling him. "I didn�t think you'd come here. Did you call the Super Computer? Are you going back tomorrow?"

"Enzo!" Dot yelled at this.

"It's okay." Bob said setting the boy on the floor and straightened his cap. "Yup I called them, and I'm going back tomorrow." He could see Enzo's heart drop and added, "But I'll be sure they send another Guardian here. Don't worry."

"Okay." He brightened up a little at that. A little. "You want something to eat?"

They sat down and had a snack, while Enzo continued to drill him. The kid was wonderful, it was his uptight sister that Bob could do without. She was so bossy, half the time he just wanted to tell her to leave the poor kid alone, but Enzo was wonderful. Bob loved his playfulness and as he went up to his room for the night, he realized how lonely he had been lately. And how not happy he was to be leaving. He liked the kid, and people here, for the most part, treated him like a normal sprite. He didn't want to leave, just to go back to being the leper first-classman. He liked it here.

The next morning he woke up and got dressed slowly, still thinking. He could stay if he wanted, Turbo would clear it. But did he want to? "Yeah, I do," he told his reflection. "'Bout the only thing here I don�t like, other than the two viruses, is Enzo's older sister. She could get on my nerves fast. But that kid'll be so much fun. He's crazier than I was at that age." He sighed at himself, " Yeah, I do." He walked over to Glitch and picked it up from its charger.

He got through to Turbo in no time at all, and started to explain why he wasn't coming back and needed a transfer to a backwater system. "It's a girl, isn't it? Only a girl could get you to do something as random as this."

"It's not the girl."

He grinned devilishly, "So there is a girl�"

Bob just shook his head, "Yes, there's a girl, but trust me, my feeling are far from sexual. They're more like homicidal."

"Then what?"

"They need a Guardian here."

"We can assign someone else to it."

"I want to stay, Turbo."

Far from willing to let him, Turbo sighed heavily, "You said there were two viruses there�"

"Turbo! I will not have this conversation with you again. I can handle myself just fine. Sweet code, I'm a grown adult. You wouldn't be hesitating if I were anyone else."

He sat there a few nanos, thinking. Bob was right, he could handle himself. He hadn't had a bad spell in quite awhile and had proven himself as able as any normal sprite. And he really wanted it� "Okay. You can stay. We'll find someone to take your sector; I doubt it'll be hard. Just answer me one thing."

"What?"

"Why are you staying, really?"

He thought about this for a bit, then answered, "I dunno, I guess it's this one kid. He's a little maniac, runs around like a nut. I really like him and I'm sick of only having you to talk to."

Turbo laughed at that. "Okay, have fun. Just be careful."

Bob zipped to the principle office and told Phong that he'd be the Guardian to this system, if they wanted him. Phong said that he was welcome to stay and that he'd arrange for permanent housing for him immediately.

He then told the kid and his sister (because she was there at the time). And found a tear and portaled back to the Super Computer. Someone was already set in his old sector and Bob just stayed long enough to get his things and tell his mother he was leaving. She didn't argue with him; she'd long since given up trying to make sense of him. All and all, he was back in Mainframe in less than half a cycle. By then Phong had an apartment ready and Bob moved into it with no trouble.

He quickly settled into Mainframe and his new life.

Over the many, many cycles, he made new friends and met up with old ones. He played in many games and dealt with the two virals often, sometimes winning, sometimes loosing. He found his way to heaven following a hacker, was lost in hell, and managed to make it back to heaven in one piece. He got another set of scars to show for it and found love in the last place he'd expected it.

But that's another story, for another storyteller. Isn't it?

End Prog

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