*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 19

The Aftermath...

 

                 Babe glanced up, "There's someone else out there...I'd better go."

                Griffin looked over at him, "How come?"

                "I don't show EVERYONE who I am!..look, I'll see you later, okay?  It's time I got back to my patrols anyway.  With Kain out there I have to be watching for him as often as possible..."  Babe gave Sarah a quick but gentle hug, stepped out through the window fire escape, and took off.

 

                Sarah waited until Babe was gone, then went to check on this new visitor while Griffin got his clothes back from Bill, "There's someone out here, isn't there?"  She called.

                Something moved off to her left.

                Sarah recognized it, "Julie..."

                "What?"  She asked, coming out of hiding, "I'm just waiting out here..."

                "And I told you that Griffin didn't want anyone to see--I mean...didn't want to see anyone..."  Too late.  Julie had caught the slip up.  Her eyes went wide and she raced for the door.  Sarah couldn't stop her in time, so she called to the room, "You've got a guest, Griffin!!!!"

 

                Griffn jumped back under the covers.  He'd managed to get his shirt on after Sarah had left...but not much else, "Oh, good god...not her!"  He wrapped the blankets around himself as much as he could, "Uh...hi, Julie..."

                Her eyes went wider, "You remember me?!"

                Bill blocked her path before she could run at him.

                "Damn it...I screwed up again..."  He sighed long and loud, hoping that Julie would LEAVE.

                Sarah barged back in, "Julie, leave him alone!"

                Julie pouted, "But he remembers me...can't I at least go over and see him?..he looks ill..."

                "I'm not!"  Griffin shouted over at her.

                She gave him a look.  Griffin could almost hear her telling him to keep quiet.

                Sarah was frowning, "Come ON, Julie...he'll see you later, not right now.  RIGHT, Griffin?"

                Griffin decided to agree with Sarah, "Sure...yeah, later..."

                Julie gave one last look at Griffin, then left.

 

                Bill waited until Sarah and Julie had gone, then laughed, "Here."  He tossed Griffin his pants, shaking his head, "I don't know why you WOULDN'T want company, but oh well.  Get dressed and we can start those tests!"

                Griffin quickly slipped his pants on, "Tests?  I never agreed to any..."

                Bill shrugged and left the room, motioning for Griffin to follow.  They went down to an exercise room.  James was down there bench-pressing some weights.  Griffin watched, seemingly impressed that someone was lifting so close to the same as him, "You're lifting 150 pounds on each side?"

                James set the weights down and smiled, "Yeah...I felt like taking it a little easier today.  How much do you lift?"

                "200 pounds usually...is there a place in here where I can practice my martial arts?"  He was about to reach into his pants pocket for his book on jiujitsu, but then remembered he didn't have the book here, "Um...is there a book store somewhere close?  I need to do some shopping, it seems."

                "A book store?  What for?"  James asked.  He was wiping sweat off his forhead with a fairly large towel.

                "I just want to see if they have a particular book...you know."

                James shrugged, "I don't really care.  I can barely read as it is.  I just like looking at most of those pictures in the books."

                Griffin eyed James, "You can't read?"

                "Nothing but music, really."

                "Huh..."  Griffin smiled, "Well, do you want to spar instead?  I've never had anyone able to fight me before!"

                James looked up, shocked, "Wha?..you want to fight me?!"

                "Yeah...I won't use my martial arts or my chip if you won't use your tail or grow giant.  Fair?"

                "Eh...sure, I guess...just give Nino and Crystal a chance to get out first..."  James opened his mouth and waited until the two fairy dragons were out.  They still seemed depressed...

                Bill jumped in, "Could the two of you put these on then?  I have some tests I'd like to do..."

                James rolled his eyes and took one of the sets of cords.  Griffin took the other set.  Bill watched, enthralled.  He didn't have to tell Griffin where to put them at all!  It was almost like Griffin was used to this..."How did you knew where they went?"

                Griffin stuck himself, connected the needle with the last cord, and smiled, "I'm used to this sort of thing...only difference is this time I have a sparring partner!..but won't these get in the way?"

                James spoke up, "Nah, he just wants us to wear these until he's got all his data.  After that, we can take them off and really cut loose!"

                Griffin nodded, "That makes sense.  Shall we?"

                Bill eagerly watched the readings as they began to fight each other.

 

                "Beremin, report!"

                Beremin wearily answered, "I'm here Kain..."  His makeshift lab was shoddy and ill-kept.  He had garbage thrown all over the place, having been too preoccupied with his experiment to clean up, "I've almost got a working subject...a few more weels and I'll be able to...hatch it."

                "Good.  I'm sending another shipment over.  I'm quite pleased with Griffin, you know.  He's proven to be everything you said and more."

                Griffin made it?!.."How much are you sending, Kain?"

                "Enough for you to rebuild your compound.  I imagine your current lab is failing, yes?"

                "Nearly...I don't have anyone alive to help me anymore...I think I know where to find a few people, but only a few..."

                "Well, you're getting your lab back, Beremin.  Good job."

                Beremin sat back, exhausted, "It's finally paying off..."  He was getting money again...it was working!

 

                The factory.  That HAD to be the spot.  Babe was sure of it, "Sarah, you still there?"

                "Yes, Babe."  She answered over the transmission, "Be careful, okay?"

                He smiled, "Don't worry about THAT.  I'll be careful...did everything go well at the lab?  Who was that outside the door?  I didn't get a chance to identify whoever it was."

                "Julie...she wanted to see Griffin."

                Babe chuckled, "And?"

                "Well, let's just say it could have gone better.  Griffin's got a date, whether he likes it or not."

                "Poor guy."  Babe smiled, "The factory's a few minutes ahead.  We should cut the link or Kain will trace this back to you."

                "I'd rather not..."

                "I'm not letting him come after you again, Sarah!  I'll call you as soon as I get out, okay?"

                "And if you don't?"

                "You'll know right where to find me."

                She sighed, but ended the transmission.  Babe concentrated on the factory.

 

                "He's coming back...DAMN IT!!!!!!!"  Kain hit the wall as hard as he could, paying no attention to the new hole in the wall.  He walked away, trying to think, "It's just him this time.  No damn Griffin to try to help him.  He won't stand a chance against me...damn it...I wish I had those other robots functioning!"  Kain glared straight ahead.  He would face Babe right out in the open.  The damned malfunction was LOOKING for him, and he wouldn't leave until he'd combed every part of this factory, so he would find Kain one way or the other.  Kain prefered it to be on HIS terms, "I will not be bested by that pitiful excuse of a cyborg."  He turned to one of the men under his command, "Are any of the traps set?  I want him here in pieces!"

                The man nodded, "We just finished the cannons, sir.  Once those bring him down, he won't get back up."

                Kain glared at him, "You've made ABSOLUTELY sure?"

                "As well as we could, sir.  There are certain factors we couldn't determine, but we're prepared for anything that might go wrong, I promise."

                "For your sake I hope you're right.  You won't be seeing the sun rise tomorrow if he gets away from those traps."

                "But sir!"  The man almost went hysterical, "Sir, you can't mean that!!!!  We can only do our best sir!  I--I can't promise he'll get caught, I can only promise it's almost assured he WILL be!  You can't kill me for something the Protector might do!!!"

                Kain had his cannon out in a heartbeat, "WHAT, did you call him?"

                The man froze.  He was dangling on tiptoe with Kain's cannon pressing up against his chin, "It...I won't do it again..."

                Kain scowled and began charging the cannon, "What have I told you about calling him that?"

                "Never to do it, sir...it--it just slipped once...I won't do it again..."

                Kain nodded, "Damn right, you won't."  He fired the cannon, killing the man instantly.  Kain called for whoever was supposed to replace the man.  He walked on like nothing had happened and ignored the new person's frantic glances backwards.