Title: Only Human

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing and no one from The Zeta Project. I am just a poor college student who also happens to be a rabid Zeta fan and this just happens to be a fanfiction that my mind came up with that I feel like sharing with other fans. I make absolutely NO money from this. It is merely for fun and hopefully the enjoyment of other fans. Please don't sue and fans please enjoy.

Chapter 1: Hot 'n Cold

It was cold. So very cold.

Bennett lay shivering on the forest floor and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't move and there was no one around to help.

A large log, more then two foot in diameter, lay slanted – part of it down on the forest floor with Bennett and part of it still precariously raised above him upon some higher ground – pinning the senior agent's right leg and part of his lower body underneath it.

Bennett's trapped leg was fiery with pain as it slowly became crushed by the weight of the fallen log. The agonizing feeling had crawled all the way up to the senior agent's waist and lay there, tingling like thousands of red hot needles against his skin, waiting for a chance to climb farther. Bennett may have not known the extent of his injuries, but he did know it hurt like hell.

Early on Bennett had tried to pushing the restraining object off himself, but it was just too heavy. The motion, while not freeing the agent, had settled the log more firmly upon him causing him to black out for a second in pain.

Currently Bennett was just trying to keep his breathing steady in an effort to stay conscious. He knew if he let himself fall into darkness now, he wouldn't be waking up again. Between the cold, the animals and the log something would kill him. Dammit Bennett cursed silently. This was definitely not a situation he wanted to be in, and the ironic thing was: it was completely his fault.

How could I have been so stupid?! Bennett growled to himself angry for a second, but then he sighed and let his anger go. It took too much energy out of him and what was done was done. Now he would just have to deal with it and hope it wouldn't cost him his life.

It still had been a really stupid mistake, Bennett muttered to himself again. First of all what was I thinking going out scouting alone, especially in the middle of nowhere and in a dead zone of all places and during the winter! That was just asking for trouble. Seriously going into an area, a dead zone, where wireless communication didn't work, alone and then climbing over an unsturdy object, falling off it and it falling on me. It was just so freaking stupid! He couldn't believe he had done it. West maybe yes, but him?! Bennett sighed again. If I ever got out of this… well we'll see…

Bennett tried to raise his voice then, to call for any help that just might be around, but his weak cry didn't reach far. After a moment the senior agent gave up, no one was around. No one was coming. The forest around him lay quiet. All Bennett could hear was the ragged sound of his own breathing and the fast pounding of his heart.

The log above him shifted suddenly as it settled a little more. Bennett heard a scream tear raggedly from his lips as more weight was transferred onto his injured leg. Bennett's hands clenched sporadically against the pain. He felt his nails bite into the palms of his hands as he tried desperately to stay conscious. The feel of the log crushing him was all he could think about. This new hot agony seemed to go on forever but finally the log settled into it's new position and Bennett found he could breathe again.

As the injured agent lay gasping looking hazily up in the aftermath, barely aware, but his mind still running, and he realized with a horrifying certainty that if the rest of the log that lay above him fell he would die. Nausea curled up inside Bennett at the thought, making him feel even worse than he already did.

After a time Bennett felt his eyes slowly sliding shut and he snapped them open again. He needed to stay awake. He needed to. For his wife. For his kid. Dammit he couldn't die here. Angry tears stung Bennett's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He refused to let go. By this time the NSA agent was sure he was running a fever. He just couldn't quite think right and it was growing harder and harder to get his body to do what he wanted it to do. The cold was setting in and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. The idea of simply letting go was starting to sound very nice. To give in. Maybe just for a bit.

Bennett let his eyes fall shut. He couldn't really feel his right leg anymore and his muscles were too tired to shiver any longer. The mixture of cold and pain was finally getting to him. His body was shutting down.

Suddenly Bennett was brought back to reality by a sound. He thought he heard voices. The senior agent lay where he was his awareness failing, but his will keeping him conscious, listening with all his might for someone to speak. The voices didn't come again and Bennett felt himself sinking back into the darkness for a second. Then he heard them, this time clearer, nearer: "Zee where are we going?"

Bennett dragged his eyes open trying to focus on the sounds, but anything else said eluded him. Zee, the agent's tired mind wondered. Did he know anyone named Zee? Bennett couldn't think and soon gave up on the idea. He must have been hearing things.

Bennett's eyes fluttered with the effort to keep them from falling shut. He heard the crunch of feet on the frozen ground near him and he forced his eyes fully open to try and see if anyone was really there.

"Oh shit!" he heard someone say, but his eyes failed to find them. They just were not focusing right anymore.

Bennett must have blacked out then for a second because the next thing the senior agent knew the holographic form of Zeta was crouched over him. Bennett's eyes opened wide and a brief burst of energy came upon him as adrenaline rushed into his system. He scrambled for his gun, unholstering it as fast as his numbed, fumbling hands could, and bringing it to bear on the synthoid. Unfortunately for Bennett, his depth perception was gone. The gun swung around, but instead of pointing at the synthoid it hit Zeta's shoulder sending a few sparks flying. The vibrations from the blow jarred up Bennett's arms and he cried out in surprise and anguish as the sensation ripped the weapon from his hands. Now he was totally at the fugitive's mercy.

Zee's eyes softened above him. "Bennett, let me help you."

The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving Bennett feeling more drained then he had ever thought possible, but even so he felt surprise wake within him at the synthiod's words. The senior agent felt the need to focus on something, anything to stay awake and so he focused on the one thing that caught his attention: the synthiod's holographic blue eyes.

Wait, Bennett's blinked in confusion and he peered harder up into Zeta's face, forcing his vision to clear. Those eyes weren't blue. Not really… not quite. They were purple, a cool violet that bordered on blue and yet never obtained it. I wonder how I could have missed that.

Bennett continued to gaze upward almost as if he were entranced by those eyes. He saw concern and kindness in them and found himself thinking maybe, just maybe Zeta was telling the truth. Maybe he really wanted to help. Or maybe, Bennett's mind added darkly, he had just imagined the emotion. That it was fake, but either way it didn't matter. Darkness was eating away at the NSA agent's vision now, forcing him under. Bennett surrendered himself to it. One way or another he would find out if the synthoid was telling the truth. It was that or he wouldn't be waking up again.

TBC…

Hello everyone! So glad you have decided to try out this fanfic. I got kinda stuck on the other Zeta fanfiction I am currently writing (Hopelessly Devoted to You), but while I was trying to work that one out, this fanfic sprang into my mind and I started to write it out hoping it would help me get past my writers block. Amazingly this one somehow developed into a full blown fanfic complete with an outline and everything… For those that want to know, this does NOT mean I'm giving up on HDTY, it just means that I will now have two fanfics to work on in the Zeta category instead of just one AND they are both very different so don't worry about me having millions of déjà vu scenes. I will try my very best to make sure that doesn't happen. It should be interesting to see how crazy having to Zeta fanfics going (as well as one in another catagory), but I know in the end it will be fun, hopefully for both me and you. AND one of the things that makes this writing so enjoyable for me is the feedback you my dear readers give me so please REVIEW. It only takes a second and I really, REALLY appreciate it. Thanks again for reading this first chapter and I hope to see you in the next one soon.

P.S. This is NOT a death fic…

P.P.S. Chapter titles are mostly inspired by songs or lyrics within a song that I generally like (although sometimes inspired by other media like popular movies etc…)

Title: "Only Human" is a title of actually many songs sung by many people so if you know one/some of them just choose a favorite.

Chapter title: "Hot n' Cold" sung by Katy Perry