~Toward a Distant Peak~

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except Aaron and Sean, and few to come). The basic storyline, like with Skynet and the Terminators etc. was the creation of James Cameron.

By Surge

Prologue

They got the wrong one. The Terminators. They thought the threat was over. The eldest of the Connors' son was dead but the youngest lived, Sean.

Kate and John Connor had two sons. Aaron and Sean. Aaron was ten when they came for him and Sean saw his brother murdered when he was four. The T-800 had once hinted that they may become targets but no-one knew how soon.

It was morning but the destroyed sky was dark and it rained down with poisonous particles. The secret dwelling of the Resistance was quiet. The occupants were sleeping but there were a few on patrols. The silence was broken by the sound of barking. This was the sound that all dreads, and fears. There were Terminators. Only the senses of the dogs could detect them.

They came down in the headquarters and destroyed all that withstood them. One Terminator stopped and grabbed a young man, about in his late twenties, around the neck. While strangling him he asked, "Where is Aaron Connor?" Gasping for breath, the young man whose name was Ryan, didn't answer. Getting no answer from the human, the Terminator dropped him to the ground and was about to shoot him when he was distracted by the emergence of two young boys from a room situated at the end of the corridor.

The sound of gunfire echoed through the bunkers and John Connor lurched out of bed. He ran out of his chambers to find his sons. His wife, Kate tried to follow but he commanded her to remain hidden. "Kate stay here!" he shouted. "But." she began, but he cut her off. "I'll find them," he said referring to their sons. The look of fear in his eyes unsettled her. "Get the maps, plans, orders and any documents and burn them. Do it now!"

He ran through the door and down a dark corridor towards his sons' room. They had been woken by the chaos and Aaron was urging his younger brother out of bed. "Sean, get up, get up now!" he asked frantically. The younger boy obeyed but held onto his brother's hand. Once seeing that Sean was fine, Aaron reached under his bed for his gun. He quickly armed it, having done on more than one occasion. Aaron could still remember the day his father first taught him how to use it and he knew that from that day forth, that he would always have a gun, as it would be the only thing that would protect him.

Aaron looked at his brother and saw the confusion in his young face. Adopting the role of the protective brother, he pulled Sean along and ran out of the room. He was met with a shower of bullets, miraculously dodging them, he dragged Sean towards the secret exit he had been told to memorize, for occasions such as this. Pieces of metal, wood and other debris pelted them but Aaron did not falter. The only thing on his mind was to get his brother and himself to safety.

The two boys had barely passed the second last door of the corridor when Aaron felt a bullet hit his leg from behind them. He groaned in pain but he pulled Sean in front of him, sheltering him from any other bullets. "Aaron!" he heard Sean cry in terror, "Behind you!' Aaron swivelled around and was faced with the only thing he feared. The Terminator towered over him. "Aaron Connor?" it asked, though already knowing the answer. Aaron remained silent at first then looked it in the eye and replied, "yes." He was determined to show the machine that he was not frightened.

The Terminator paused, which allowed Aaron to look Sean in the eyes for one last time. With that, the Terminator shot the boy in the head. Sean watched in horror as his brother fell to the cold ground. It seemed like eternity but he heard a cry from behind the Terminator. "Sean, run!" The desperate tone in his father's voice made him finish the journey that his brother didn't make, to the secret exit.

John Connor watched his youngest, but now only child run down the corridor. The boy ran as fast a four-year-old could but when he was out of sight John threw a grenade at the machine. The Terminator didn't duck in time and was blown to pieces. John looked at the pieces of the once-destroyer scattered on the floor. Other people were doing the same and there was silence again.

John Connor, leader of the Resistance, walked towards his son's body. As he gazed at Aaron's dead face, he saw himself and he felt the pain. It was his oldest son and he knew that no parent should have to bury their child. As he held Aaron's body he felt the first hot tears fall silently down his cheeks, burning like the anger and anxiety within him.

Kate Connor was about to burn the documents her had told her to, when she heard a gunshot. That morning there were many gunfires but she knew this one had just killed her son. She dropped the papers she was holding and cried. However, she got her gun and ran to find her husband and Sean. As she left the room she heard the explosions of grenades. With tears pouring down her face, she protected herself from falling debris but continued to run down the corridors.

She found her husband kneeling beside the dead body of their son. He was staring at nothing, but he had silent tears falling from his eyes. He didn't look seriously injured but had a few shrapnel wounds in his upper right arm. Other than that he was basically unhurt. Kate was disturbed by the fact that John didn't seem to notice her being there and he had the quickest sense she has every seen in anybody.

"John?" she choked. He didn't answer and continued to stare at the wall in front of him. "John?" she said a little louder. She succeeded this time and she watched him turn his head slowly towards her. His eyes were red and the tears began to fall harder. Her own tears blinded her as she stumbled towards him and hugged him.

"Oh God," she whispered in his ear. Her embrace must have broken his barrier of self-control for he began to sob. She felt his arms around her but for the first time in her life, they were of no comfort to her.

"It will be alright," she said more to herself than to him. "It will be alright". John seemed to have stopped crying and she asked, "Where is Sean?"

Again, he did not answer but looked behind her. She followed his gaze and saw her youngest son standing outside the secret exit. He had gone in with the other women and children but had demanded to be let out again. He had to find his parents and Aaron, even if he knew he was dead.

When he saw his mother face him he ran into her arms. As she held him he knew he would always remember his brother's face as he looked at him before he died.

***may have been a bit corny but I am in a emotional mood. There will be more, when Sean is older. If you have comments or constructive criticism please review. BTW, if you know any of the names of the guns, bombs, maps, etc. please tell me. Thanks.***