*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 22

Kale Meets

Kain...

 

                Kale was busy with his weights.  He couldn't believe it!  How could he have been beaten?.."I don't lose to ANYONE!!!  I'm the best there is!!!!  He couldn't have been good enough to beat me...he must have had help somehow..."  Well, that would change...as soon as they knifed Griffin and Blake, Kale would take over.  He smiled, taking comfort in the fact that soon he WOULD be in charge.  He would answer to no one...not that he did, but as soon as this was done, no one would ever question him again...

                "This is the police!  Kale Trilon, you're under arrest for attempted murder!"

                "What the..."  Kale backed up to the far wall, "They weren't killed?!!  DAMN IT!!!!!"  He scowled and hid behind some of the machinery.  He wasn't going to get caught...he'd worked too hard to get this close...no one, not even the police, were going to stop him!

                "Open up!!!"

                Kale glanced around.  He could climb out the window...but it was a far fall down.  He didn't have wings...could he manage the jump?  Kale hid behind machinery as he made his way toward the window.  The police still banged on the door for some reason, "Why don't they just barge in?  Do they honestly think I'm just going to quietly open the door and let them take me away?"  Well, if that's what they thought, they were sadly mistaken.  He opened the window and looked down, "If I jump for the tree, I can make it down...if the branches don't break ME first."  There had to be an easier way...He clambered out the window, hanging on to the ledge so he could time his jump.  He used the window below him as a foot hold...that's when he got an idea.  He started climbing down, using the windows as his ladder.  He was about a story away from the ground when the police started swarming out of the building.  He shook his head, "These guys are a bunch of idiots...this is too easy!"  He fell the last story, picked himself up off the ground, and ran away.

                The police HAD thought ahead...a few seconds later, Kale could hear police sirens, "Damn...cars.  I can't outrun a car!"  His eyes lit up, "But I CAN take one...let's see..."  He found a tree and climbed it.  When the police cars rounded the corner, he crawled out to the edges of the branches.  At the last second, he jumped, and landed on the roof of the last police car.  He grabbed the door handle and threw the car door open, swung inside, and grabbed the steering wheel.  The men inside only took a moment to throw out the other door.  He was soon speeding away, already ahead of the other four cars chasing him.

                Kale smiled.  He owned a car himself...he already knew how to drive one.  The car's police radio was on.  He could hear them planning a blockade, "Idiots.  Don't they realize I can hear each word they're saying?!"  The greatest part was that, as he listened, he could hear them leaving one specific route completely open to him!  It was almost like they WANTED him to go that way!  Well, it would be rude to disappoint them, wouldn't it?  He swerved his car down the open path, chuckling as the other cars started shouting out what an unexpected turn he was taking.  The road looked pretty unused.  He tried recalling where this road led.  It would be both good and bad if it led him to another city...he probably didn't have enough fuel to get anywhere..."Oh yeah...this road goes off to some abandoned factory.  Shouldn't be too hard to find a good hiding spot there."  He hit the accelerator and went straight toward the factory..."Weird...the transmissions stopped?"  He tapped the police radio a few times.  It had gone completely silent for some reason.  Kale shrugged it off.  It wasn't that important.  There was no way they'd catch him before he got to the place.

                A minute later, he could see the factory.  He took his foot off the gas pedal and coasted the rest of the way.  Kale had to break a bit harder than normal to stop, but he did it.  A little rumaging revealed one officer's unused gun.  He laughed and grabbed it before heading inside, "They're all a bunch of idiots.  Every single one of them.  They GAVE me a gun!!!"  Could this possibly BE any better?  He checked the pistol for ammunition and headed into the factory, still laughing.  It only took a moment to find a suitable hiding spot.

                "Hello, Kale..."

                Kale spun around, gun aimed at where he'd heard the voice, "Who's there?!!"

                A heavily cloaked figure stepped out of the darkness, "I don't mean you any harm."  It was a razor..."I'm hiding from the law too.  Perhaps we could aid each other?"

                Kale didn't lower his gun, "What the hell could you possibly do for me?"

                The figure laughed, "I can make you immortal...all I ask is for you to kidnap someone for me..."

                "You can't make me immortal!  That's impossible!!"

                "Oh really?  Then how about I make you into something a little more believable?..would you like to be the next Protector?"  His overcoat and hat suddenly fell off, revealing an almost entirely mechanical body underneath, "In order to live, you'll only need to eat sugar.  Age won't have any meaning for you.  Keep yourself well oiled, replace any worn out parts...even though that will almost never happen...and you will never die."

                Kale lowered his gun, "I'm listening..."

                "Good.  Have you heard the reports?  Seen the news?"

                "About?.."

                "The evil version of the Protector.  He made a reappearance a few days ago..."  The razor smiled, "His name is Kain."

                Kale watched Kain closely, "I'm assuming that's you then?  How did you know my name?"

                Kain laughed, "It was MY men who gave you that escape route, Kale.  I have a few resources...now, do we have a deal?"

                Kale shook his head, "I still don't understand.  Why would you want to give this to me for a measily kidnapping?"

                "Well...the specific person was a...project of mine...I've been able to moniter him, but not get him back.  His name is Griffin."

                Kale jerked at the name, "I know him..."  He scowled, "Why not just kill him?"

                "Because, my dilluted friend, he has something that stops any ordinary methods of killing.  A superb immune system allows him to feel no effect from the strongest poisons, his incredible strength and knowledge of fighting styles unknown on our island make it nearly impossible to beat him in a fight, and finally...his microchip."

                "A microchip?  What's that going to do?"

                "It was developed by humans.  With it, he can lift objects into the air with his mind...or stop a projectile from hitting him...many things."

                Kale glowered, "That's why the knife didn't work...DAMN IT!!!!!"  Kale gripped the gun in his hand tightly, angry that Griffin had a trick Kale hadn't been able to get his hands on.  When his grip relaxed, he'd left a deep imprint of his fingers on the pistol, "You've got a deal, but I want some information."

                "Certainly.  Walk with me, and we'll discuss whatever you have on your mind."

                As they walked, Kale asked the questions on his mind, "How are you still alive in that body?  It's impossible to survive like that!  Your brain needs fluids...specific chemicals, or it'll wear down, stop functioning."

                Kain nodded, "Yes, that problem DID have me for a while...but I found my way around it.  Come."  Kain pushed on a wall until it gave away...Kale watched as it slid on some unseen hinges to reveal a secret path.  Kain beckoned for him to follow, "This way...I have to show you someone before we start."

                Kale paid close attention to the directions they went.  He wouldn't allow himself to get lost in this place.

                Kain glanced at him, "You know, if you hadn't agreed to that, you wouldn't be conscious right now.  I don't let many people know where I'm hidden...it's...bad for business."  Kain opened another hidden door, "This way.  It isn't much farther."

                Kale entered a huge room...it looked like one of the machines in the factory had been gutted from the inside out to create the room...and there were three things in the room besides himself and Kain.  A light, high above them, a chair, and a figure on that chair.  As they got closer, Kale could start seeing a resemblence between the figure on the chair and Kain, "What the hell?.."

                The figure at the chair spoke, "Thank you, Copy.  Moniter Griffin until Kale is ready."

                "Yes, Kain."  Kale watched his guide turn and leave him...

                "What the hell is going on here?!"

                The figure at the chair spoke, "I created him...it's a long and complicated process to create perfect copies of yourself, but the benefits make up for that."  Kale approached Kain, and began noticing some odd things about him.  Small wires ran from Kain to the chair he sat on...the chair itself looked like some huge and misshapen power generator.  Kain laughed, "Yes...this is the real me.  Hard to believe, isn't it?  My damn scientists didn't know enough about my technology to make me right...I'm stuck to this chair for a long time...It's taken my scientists nearly a year to create something where I could move!  As soon as I can, I'm refitting myself into one of my robotic copies."

                "Why can't you just do that now?"

                "I only have a certain amount of resources to make my robots.  This latest batch is going to make you like those copies I have...but you'll still be alive, like me...like the Protector.  Remember.  I want Griffin."  Two mechanical arms suddenly sprang up from the ground and held Kale up, "And I want him alive.  These arms will take you to the chambers where you'll turn into a new Robot Soldier, but I've added something new.  Bring back Griffin dead, and I'll shut you off.  Bring him back alive and I remove every hold I have on you."

                Kale grimaced, "I figured there'd be some strings attached.  Don't damn worry.  I'll do my job.  I AM the best there is...no exceptions."

                A strange gas suddenly filled Kale's nostrils...knocking him out cold.