CHAPTER 32

  "Slowly out of line and drifting closer in your sights

  So play it out, I'm wide awake, it's a scene about me

  There's something in your way and now someone is gonna pay..."

  -The offspring

  ...

  They arrived in a flash of white light, past Westin was crouched at the window of the apartment. He turned and gasped at the three armored figures that had appeared out of nowhere. Skeever put out a hand.

  "Come with me if you want to live."

  Westin took his hand and Skeever led him away from apartment.

  26 flew up to the roof of the building across from the apartment to be on overwatch.

  Prime's armor shimmered and he went stealth. He opened the door to the apartment, Psyche had his past self pinned to the wall. He closed the door quietly and started moving toward the two men.

  "...you gonna do little man? Kill me? I bet you thought you already did when you blew up my facility. Well guess what? You missed me bitch!"

  Past Primes eyes widened as he realized who the man was.

  Then Psyches head swiveled toward present Prime suddenly.

  "Who's there?"

  Present Prime stopped.

  "I only want to play with one idiot at a time."

  He threw past Prime past present Prime, through the door, shattering the wooden doorframe. It was just the two of them now.

  Psyche focused his power on Prime.

  "I know you're there, see, my power comes with a spatial awareness you couldn't even comprehend. SHOW YOURSELF!"

  Prime uncloaked, his helmet snapped back.

  "Jeezus, how many of you assholes are there?!"

  "Lets talk about this...no one has to die."

  "Fuck you, you destroyed my life's work!"

  "Your life's work was chopping pieces off a future version of me and cloning me asshole!"

  "And you blew it all up!"

  Psyche had thus far only been attempting to hold him in place, it was time to show him his power meant nothing.

  Prime started walking forward, he really thought it would be harder. It felt like wading through water. Psyche looked shocked as he focused on stopping the man getting closer to him one step at a time.

  Prime could feel him push harder, but it still wasnt really a challenge for him to keep moving forward. Matt's altered version of the serum had enhanced his already insane strength so much. If he could get to him, maybe he could knock him out and take him in. It occurred to him that they should have gone to the bounty office and borrowed an anti-power collar...or come with some anti-serum. Too late now, they just had to do it the old fashioned way.

  A voice behind him,

  "Dad?"

  He knew that voice, even after four years of not being able to hear it.

  This is bad.

  He turned to look at his son. Before him stood a young man with a milky left eye and a jagged scar under it. His armor was a dark blue now, a very Robbie choice.

  "No! You shouldnt..."

  He didn't get to finish. He felt resistance fade as Psyche focused on the boy. Robbie was picked up off the ground, his body being squeezed.

  Carl lunged forward and grabbed Psyche's neck.

  "LET HIM GO!"

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  Psyche grimaced at him. Prime thought he saw a hint of a sadistic smile. He looked back at Robbie, he heard a snap, then another, Robbies eyes rolled back in his head.

  Prime no longer cared what happened to Psyche. He only cared about his son.

  He shifted his thumb and snapped Psyches neck. Robbie fell to the floor with a thump. Carl dropped the limp body he held and rushed to his son.

  "Zero! Status!"

  "Robert has nine broken bones, there does not appear to be any internal bleeding. He will recover Carl."

  Carl scooped up his son.

  "SKEEVER! WHERE ARE YOU?"

  26 dropped to the pavement.

  "He's with past Westin. Is Robbie ok?"

  "He will be."

  "Psyche?"

  "Dead."

  There was a flash of white light.

  "I took Westin home..."

  His eyes fell on the young man Carl held in his arms.

  "...Robbie?! Is he..."

  "No. But hes got a lot of broken bones, and his eye..."

  "26, clean up here please."

  26 nodded and entered the apartment.

  Skeever put his hand on Primes shoulder and they disappeared in a flash of white light.

  Past Prime groaned and rolled over.

  He could feel the nano-bots repairing the road rash on his face from sliding across the pavement. He looked over at the apartment, 26 was dragging a body to the middle of the room, Psyche.

  Good, he was dead.

  He stood up but one of his legs felt wrong.

  "Nano, my leg."

  "It appears to be broken Carl. Splinting now."

  "What? Wait...AAAARGH!!"

  The armor straightened and set the bone.

  "FUCK! Oh shit that hurts. Whoo...thanks bud."

  26 had heard the scream, he walked over and stood above Prime.

  "You ok?"

  "I'll make it. Who killed him?"

  "You did. Well, you from four years in the future."

  "Good. Fuck that guy."

  "Yeah. You wanna help me clean this shit up?"

  "I'll try. That asshole broke my leg though."

  "At least he made your face prettier."

  "Fuck you."

  26 snickered.

  "It'll heal. C'mon."

  He grabbed Primes hand and pulled him to his feet.

  "Ow ow ow ow."

  "C'mon ya big baby, I gotta get rid of this body...oh, and theres a guy in my trunk."

  "What? Who's in your trunk?"

  "It's a long story. Ill tell you later. Eh...you know what? You should go home, I can take care of this stuff."

  "Yeah?, ok. Nano?"

  A door shimmered and solidified on the wall, Prime hobbled through it and he was gone.

  26 sighed.

  It was so weird how different the two Primes were, the guys a walking paradox. He looked down at Psyche, with his head bent at an unnatural angle. He was going to have to drop the body in the past, somewhere no one would ever find him...triassic era maybe. He'd knock that out and then he could come back for the prick in his trunk. Let him sweat it out, he's the one that had kidnapped Robbie. He picked up the body and disappeared in a flash of purple and a loud pop.

  Skeever, Prime and Robbie appeared in Primes old kitchen.

  "Chloe!" Skeever yelled.

  Footsteps thumping down the stairs.

  "Hey, whats...ROBBIE!"

  Prime touched her shoulder.

  "He's going to be okay."

  Skeever cleared his throat.

  "Hey...keep your hand on her."

  He still had his hand on Primes shoulder.

  "Take us home Nano."

  There was a flash of purple and they were standing in the same kitchen ten thousand years in the future.

  "Lets get him upstairs to my med-pod."

  They climbed the stairs and Prime gently laid the unconscious Robbie in the pod.

  "You dont want to watch this next part."

  Neither of Robbies parents turned away.

  "Suit yourself."

  He tapped a few buttons, then hit the start button. The pod hissed as its dome slowly lowered over Robbie. It clicked and locked shut. Mechanical arms unfolded from the sides, one injected a syringe into Robbies neck. The others remained still.

  Prime moved closer and peered in.

  "That wasnt so bad."

  Skeever looked up.

  "The pod is waiting until the sedative has had time to settle in. Then its going to set the bones, thats the gruesome part."

  "Oh."

  There was a small timer on the display screen. The room was silent as they watched the countdown. When it reached zero, the robotic arms began setting the bones. The scrape of bone on bone under skin was extremely unsettling. Carl understood what Skeever meant now, he turned around, unable to watch as the machine manipulated his son's broken body.

  Chloe also turned away and put an arm around Carl.

  "He's gonna be ok."

  Carl was crying though and didn't respond. He couldnt bear to see his son like this. He trusted Skeevers tech and expertise. He nodded and left the room.

  Chloe looked at Skeever, a question in her eyes.

  "He'll be fine. When hes on his feet again, I know a place in the future that can do a perfect eye transplant. Go."

  She stared at him a moment more, then looked at her boy. She turned slowly and walked out.

  Skeever watched her go. It had been millenia since Katrina had passed away, but he still remembered those moments when she was hurt. That feeling of helplessness every parent faces at one point or another. He looked down at Robbie, the boy looked so much like his father, like him.

  He smiled.

  Even though he wasn't his child, he was still family.

  Downstairs at the kitchen table Carl stared out the window. Chloe sat across from him, studying him. He was so different, something had happened to him in those four years since he disappeared. He still wore his armor, it was a dark grey with insignia on the shoulders for something called D7. She realized she no longer recognized her husband. He was still her husband, even though she had gotten together with 26, she hadn't filed for divorce. She never could bring herself to do it. It felt too much like punishing the man for something out of his control.

  He turned to look at her.

  She smiled at him and he broke down again and looked away.

  "Carl..."

  "I'm sorry. It's all just overwhelming. I wanted to get back here for so long, now I'm sitting here and...I..."

  He lowered his head and quietly sobbed.

  "Hey. You're home now."

  "No. I'm not."

  "I dont understand."

  He wiped his eyes and took a deep shaky breath.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get emotional. I, well...my home is in another universe now. I have a job, I have a found family. I'd like to take you guys there and show you. Maybe then you'll understand."

  She reached across the table and took his hand.

  "I do understand. We had our time together. Thats our boy upstairs. No one can take that from us. Life happened, we both found ways to survive. I look forward to visiting your new home with Robbie."

  He tried to smile at her but his emotions were still a mess. She smiled at him, he looked so pitiful. She stood and walked over to him.

  "Hug me."

  He looked up at her.

  "C'mon, stand up, and put your arms around me Carl."

  He stood and they hugged.

  He kissed her forehead.

  "Thank you for understanding."

  She poked her finger in his chest.

  "It goes both ways big guy, I expect you to visit us too."

  "Now that I know how to get back...I will."

  "You better...or I'll send Skeever to drag you back here!"

  They sat back down.

  "So, whats D7?"

  "The other universes version of the F.B.I.."

  "Really? You work for them?"

  "Yep, finished the academy. I'm officially a federal agent over there."

  "You?"

  "Why does everyone keep reacting like that?"

  "Do you not remember how you used to be?"

  "I wasnt that bad was I?"

  "Oh Carl...you had your moments."

  He laughed.

  "I guess I did. I met a girl over there, she keeps me grounded."

  "Good. I love you, but we were never going to last, I think you knew that."

  "I think I did too."

  "26 is a better fit for me. I still get your handsome face, but a bit more organized of a personality. No offense."

  "None taken. I can be...a lot."

  "Yeah, but this new you. I like it. Whatever happened over there, you seem more grown up."

  "Thanks. Umm, I dont mean to change the subject, but where's Kevin?"

  "Oh, he and Sliver stayed on Tal-kit. There's some kind of class war happening on the planet and they're helping the rebels."

  "Of course they are. Jeezus we're a weird family."

  He looked at her and they smiled at each other.

  "No argument there."

  She got up and went to the fridge.

  "You want a Dr. Pepper?"

  "Sure."

  She set a can in front of him and sat down. The two of them quietly sipped soda while their son lay bruised and broken in a room above them.

  26 pulled his beat up little car into the police station parking lot. He popped the trunk and yanked Westin out. He pushed him toward the door.

  "Move!"

  They entered the station, the desk sergeant stood up quickly.

  "Sentinel 26! Who's this?"

  "The asshole that kidnapped and mutilated my nephew. I know you can only hold him 24 hours without usable evidence. Just hold him, I'll retrieve the footage from my nephews suit and be back in a couple hours."

  "Yes sir. Jones! Take this guy back to a holding cell."

  The sergeant turned back to 26.

  "I need you to file formal charges for me to hold him, please fill this form out."

  He pulled a form from his desk and handed it to 26.

  26 smiled.

  "Of course."