*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 14

Revival

Kian was furious. He had almost killed Bill when he'd seen it! The only reason he hadn't was because he wanted someone who could make enhancements without having to be told everything to do. ALL THREE were STILL alive?!!!!! He'd SEEN one of them HIT the ground! How does someone survive that kind of fall?!!!! In his rage, he activated RS-01 and shouted at him to destroy the three

"Mission objectives confirmed. Carrying out mission."

Seeing Babe leave to kill people so close to him helped cool off Kain enough. He was still angry though. He unlatched Bill from the machine and led him to the room where his copies were kept. Without a word he threw Bill in the room and waited for him to start upgrading the robots.

Bill set to work. He didn't like doing this, but at least he wasn't being almost killed. He hoped feverishly that Kain would put him back in the cell when he was done. When Bill had finished one of the robots, Kain left, leaving some gunmen to watch over him. Bill sighed, "He's gone...Thank god he's gone..." Bill started on the next robot.

Griffy had never had such a great time...or at least, it had been better than most. Knowing his mother was gone made things much worse. A day had gone by and Lance's family had let him stay the whole time. He didn't run out of things to do, but so many distractions only seemed to keep the fear away for small amounts of time. Griffy usually kept crying right while they were playing...the other kids Lance had introduced him to waited through those bouts...at Lance's request, and did not exclude him when he wanted to play.

For the first time in his life, he had more toys than he knew what to do with...even IF they were all Lance's. He had more than he could ever ask for...and all he wanted was his mom back.

Target sighted. Estimated time to mission completion: 6 minutes 23.04 seconds. RS-01 dove to his target. Target mobile. Recommended action, adjust course and pursue. RS-01 shifted so his descent would take much longer. A clear shot killed more effectively than any other. The added time gave him a chance to process the earlier dilemna, "How is something not a mission, yet one of the most important ones I have?" What? Where had THAT come from?! He shook it off. Processing...solution: Earlier order. But his memory banks would have tapped into that part if it had been spoken already...it wasn't that. Processing...solution: Programing. No...it wasn't part of his programing...Processing...solution: None. No other solutions? Then what was it? Faulty programing? A glitch in his system? What was it?! He growled...wait...why was he growling? It served no purpose in battle save to intimidate...and he wasn't it battle...Searching...solution: Anger. Anger? That was another emotion. He had no feelings of any kind...didn't he? He accessed his memory banks and searched through them to find out...strange...a lot of his memory was blocked off by a voice command from Kain. Try as he might, RS-01 could not remove the block! He could only catch one odd memory that seemed highly important...of a girl falling and hitting the ground...her scream...the thud as she hit...everything had been etched into his memory banks so deeply that the block Kain had set up couldn't reach it. The scene filled him with fear...sadness...rage. More emotions? But he wasn't supposed to have any! He checked his programing. There was not a single thing there that would create emotions, "Damn it, what's wrong with me?!!" What?!! He was doing it again! RS-01 shook it off again and focused on the moving target. His searching had only given him more questions...and no answers.

The target was slowing!

Kia grew excited when she saw the ambulance approach. Maybe THIS one would be the one her son was on! A TV in the waiting room she was near had a picture of an ambulance driving in...it was the same one the TV crew had been watching ever since the call had come and the two patients had been picked up. Her eyes went wide when she she realized this. She nearly ran out to the vehicle in her haste to see her son again. Kia took a deep breath and kept standing where she was. She didn't want to get in the way...when Kia glanced at the TV again, the cameras were...focused on her? She looked back and saw a lone cameraman pointing his camera at her. She smiled and shook her head before she ran out to greet them...Ralph was in her arms only a minute later.

Sarah and Ania smiled when they saw Kia standing outside. She'd grabbed Ralph and hugged him tightly at the first possible moment. Warren hopped out of the ambulance, eager to meet the famous mountain dragon. Sarah wished she could be out there, standing with them, but she'd been told not to move...Ania couldn't do much more than sit up in her stretcher, and even then the paramedics had advised her not to move.

There was a loud crash, one that sounded like metal hitting pavement, right outside. For a moment Sarah feared Kain had found them again...then she saw Babe...NOW relief flooded through her...the sight of him so close made her feel safe..."Wait...what are you doing?!" Someone shouted outside the vehicle. Sarah watched as Babe threw aside a paramedic. More rushed in, "They're unstable! You might kill them!!" He tossed the rest away as if they weighed nothing more than a piece of paper. Kia and Warren were backing away, unsure of Babe.

She was fairly sure no one could hear her except Babe and his mother, "Babe?..what is it?"

"Target confirmed...completing mission."

"What mission? Babe, what are you talking about?"

Systems error! Systems error! Terminate commands and flee! Systems error! RS-01 fought the strange impulses he was experiencing. Something felt wrong here...felt...he tried again to access the memory banks that were barred from him...the memory came up once more. He tried to shake it off, but something was wrong! He couldn't! Why--it was HER! The girl in his memory was the one talking to him right now! No! She was dead! He'd seen her die! He hadn't been fast enough..."Fast enough...I couldn't save her...she's alive?.." What was coming over him? Systems error! Terminate commands and flee! SYSTEMS ERROR! RS-01 turned off his warning system. Nothing was wrong..."Sarah?.. ... ...AUGH!!!!!!!!!! STOP! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!" Babe clutched his head. The commands! They were trying to force him to complete his mission! THAT'S why his warning system was saying terminate the commands! It went against everything that he WAS! He struggled against the coded commands as much as he could. They were going to make him KILL Sarah! He couldn't do that! She had lived through the fall!.."Sarah, make it stop!!!!! I--I can't--control..." His cannon started to lift up. He was going to AIM at her?!.."Sarah! Sarah, try to get away! Something's wrong with me!!!!" He clenched his teeth and fought against it even more. His arm started coming down again...why was he still trying to kill her? What had happened?..Babe accessed his memory banks. This time more of his memories came through, but the lock still kept many away. Kain...he had done this. He had tricked Babe. Made him get so enraged that Babe hadn't been able to think. Babe had been captured and turned into that machine! NO! With a final heave, Babe pushed his cannon into the ground. The shot had charged up and exploded where Babe sat. He took four deep breaths...was it over?..no...he could still feel the command. It was still active for as long as he was..."Sarah...help..." Babe turned off his systems so he couldn't do any more damage.

Warren stared at Sarah, wide-eyed, "She knows the PROTECTOR?!!! How the hell--when did--who--She knows the PROTECTOR!!!!!" He couldn't take his eyes off either the Protector OR the girl he had called out to.

Kia Grey tapped him, "Warren..." She whispered, "Come on...let's get inside before something ELSE happens!

Warren nodded numbly. He had to be led in, but he made it...

Ania was worried...how much of that had the cameramen got? Most of it at least. All of it probably. She prayed that no one would take Babe's helmet off. He'd done enough damage as it was. Someone outside groaned...a Paramedic stood up. The sight of the Protector out cold seemed too much temptation for the man to pass up. He approached Bab's limp body. Ania sat up, saw the man reaching for Babe's helmet. She panicked...for a moment, she couldn't think of anything that might save him...then..."Doctor! Doctor, help!" She clutched her side...it hurt...but not as much as she was going to fake! The shout got the doctor's attention. He gazed at Babe one last time then sighed and approached her. He didn't SAY anything, but his mouth moved silently...probably saying he was going to regret not taking that chance. Ania sighed, relieved, and laid down.

Sarah was in a bit of shock...What was wrong with Babe? He looked like he'd been trying to fight something...a virus? She wanted to go to him so badly...but strapped in as she was...and hurt as she was, she could do nothing but stay in her stretcher. The paramedics, once enough had woken up, took her and Mrs. Cleave inside.

Troy hastily got out of the camera car and went to the Protector...he thought longingly of home...it was always so...nere-wracking to be away from his son, Lance. He wanted to stay close until this had blown over...but a job was a job. There was no way this WOULDN'T make great news. And what was more, he'd be able to tell Lance what had happened! He was going to get the chance...the opportunity, to see who the Protector really was! The mask he had returned to Maik was clasped on the Protector's head...right where it should be...he reached out a careful hand, "I am gonna get such a raise for this!" Already he could easily imagine the bonus he'd get that DAY if he was able to remove the mask. He could..."No...No, this isn't right. I--What am I doing?!" He backed away, unable to believe he had nearly done that...take away the Protector's mask? Reveal him to the entire island? The tape alone with the Protector shouting to Sarah Jovi was enough of a grave-digger! Doing this would attract HUNDREDS of maniacs to Yann city! They'd all be after everyone this guy was close to...Sarah Jovi was going to die if he didn't turn off this tape right now!..he'd probably already doomed her! Troy cursed and turned off the camera, then set it down...NOT doing this would get him fired for sure. He'd have to find another job...and with a reputation like this, he doubted anyone would ever want him near them. He was no opportunity taker...this could be his big break! All he had to do was turn on the camera and take off the mask...

"TROY! C'mon man! START ROLLING!" His partner, Caleb, was already out of the van and heading toward the Protector.

Troy shook his head, "No...no, this is wrong. We shouldn't do this."

"But--but think of how FAMOUS we'll be!!!!"

"And think of how bad we'll ruin his life!"

Caleb looked down at the Protector, "...Huh?"

Troy sighed, "Caleb...think about it. If we do this, Yann city will get who knows how many wierdos coing after him! We can't just hope nothing bad'll happen! Things like this create problems!"

"And how would you know?" Caleb asked smirking.

Troy hesitated. He'd kept his past a secret for as long as he could...he'd only been hired here because of how much he'd tried to turn around...

Caleb was still waiting for an answer.

"Caleb..."

"I wanna know, Troy. How would you know what this can do? What're you hiding?"

"I--I can't...I can't tell you, Caleb. I could get into some serious trouble if I did...I'm not going to let my son lose a house over something I regret..."

"Keep talking..." Troy's eyes narrowed when he looked up. Caleb had turned on the small recorder hidden in his pocket.

"Caleb, turn that thing off. This is a personal matter." If he had to tell, he didn't want the whole island finding out. Caleb DID deserve to know...the two of them had been working together ever since Troy had been given his job as a cameraman. Thankfully, Caleb turned off the recorder and let him start, "A...while ago...before I came here to work..."

"Yeah?"

"Oh...can't we talk about this later?!"

"not unless you'd be willing to let me record it. Tell me now, and I'll never get it in a paper."

"Alright, alright..." Man, Caleb was good..."I USED to be a hired thug."

"So? How would that make you the know-it-all in this?"

"Let me finish! I got calls all the time...was at the top of my game. I could NOT be beaten. It was before the Protector too, so I know I was good. I got calls for all sorts of stuff. Hitman, guard, thief...anything my employers wanted, I could do. I was an asassin in everything but name...then...oh damn..."

"Yeah? Don't stop now! This is getting interesting!"
"Would you shut up?! This is HARD, damn it!" Troy took a deep breath, then continued, "I was...doing a job...at a bank. I had set up some explosives ahead of time...we'd get in, take the money, and leave. Three people were walking down the same street RIGHT as the expolsion went off. A man and a woman...and their son...the kid was only about a year old...he didn't know what was happening...I kept him...I was gonna drop him off at an orphanage...I couldn't take care of a kid! But...but with what I'd done...I couldn't help it. I owed the boy...Lance..."

"LANCE?!! You adopted him?!! But he looks so much like--"

"Yes! EXACTLY! I know he looks a lot like me...he acts like I did as a kid too...but out of everything that's happened, I've always made sure his life would be different than mine. I grew up ALONE. No one was ever there for me...I want Lance to have as many friends as he can...and I want to be there for him as much as possible. The mom in his life is an old friend of mine...he knows he was adopted, and I can't love him enough for not hating us...but I still can't forget it..."

"Forget what? I think you're still hiding something, Troy."

Damn it...Caleb DID always see straight through people, "You're right...again. Those three weren't the only ones that night...I had a run-in later on with my employer...did you know that the two people I'd killed had been part of that guy's family? I had been careless...and for that I didn't get any pay...the guy had to use all the money I WOULD have gotten to pay for the funerals...I can still see the shock on his face...I even went to the funerals...all the people there. They were so...so...miserable. I had taken two people that were important to them. I owe each and every one of those people, Caleb...the grief I caused...when I finally saw it...I had no choice but to stop. It's hard to keep going when you're able to see what happens after you've done your job."

Caleb reached up to his pocket and touched the recorder.

"What?! But I thought you said--"

"Do you REALIZE what kind of story this can make?! I couldn't pass it up!!!!"

"CALEB!!!!!!!!" Troy lunged. He'd just shown his past to this man! He'd TRUSTED him!!! He'd--he'd--"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!!!! YOU TOLD ME YOU WOULDN"T HAVE THAT THING ON!!!!" He wrestled Caleb to the ground, trying desperately to get at the recorder. They fought over it, jabbing and punching at each other...poor Caleb. He didn't have any fighting experience...Troy could easily tell. Troy made it quick and easy. He crushed the recorder after only a few moments fight, then let Caleb up, "You'd promised you wouldn't do that..." He said, tears starting to come, "I can't--I couldn't let you..."

Caleb dusted himself off, only looking annoyed, "This would have made a great story, Troy...I won't report you...you're one of my closest friends...but do you think you could help he get a recorder when this is done?"

That was it? Caleb wasn't angry?.."Sure..." How could he put it off so easily?..

Babe still had a few senses working while he was shut off...it seemed he owed Troy as much as Troy thought he owed those other people...He wanted to turn on his systems again, but he knew that, if he did, Kain's programming would come back. Babe wasn't going to kill Sarah...but without her, or Bill, only Kain knew how to undo everything he'd done. Babe was at a loss...either turn back on and hope Sarah could stop him, or stay like this until she came back out...or until he was exposed...or until Kain came and took him away again...

Damn...