Chapter 1: He's Half Human

For days now Carly felt like she was being watched. No matter where she went the feeling of eyes on her never ceased. It frustrated her but she wasn't stupid enough to face this person, not knowing who it was. With her luck it could be someone working for Charmcaster.

"Carly, we need to refill the water supply." Shelby said. She stood at the threshold of the kitchen.

"Alright." Carly said getting off the couch.

"I'll come with you." Ben called.

"No that's fine." Carly called back.

"It's not safe to go alone." Came Gwen from the stairs.

Carly shook her head, "It'll be easier to hide from the enemy when there is only one person."

"Bullshit. You just don't want me to come with you." Ben snapped.

Carly shrugged then turn for the door. As her hand touched the doorknob Ben grabbed her arm.

"Come on, let me get out of the house." Ben pleaded.

"You really want to leave Gwen and Shelby alone?" Carly raised an eyebrow.

"They'll be fine. It would make Shelby's day to chop a few hundred drones into pieces." Ben laughed.

Carly shook her head with a smile. "Fine."

Ben did a quiet cheer and left with Carly.

It took a long time to get to where the water source was. With all the Drones walking around ducking and hide was second nature to Carly and Ben. But the Power Plant was on the other side of town and it was the only place left to get water.

Many of the other places that had water were dried up quickly by Charmcaster. It seemed she didn't care if their was no one in the world as long as she ruled it that was all that mattered.

"Why can't Gwen use a spell to make water appear?" Ben said through pants.

"She doesn't know a spell like that. But I'm sure if she found one like that she'd use it." Carly huffed.

The feeling of the eyes watching returned to Carly. She felt cold chills run up and down her back. She took a quick scan of their horizon. Then she crouched down to whisper to Ben.

"Do you feel that?" she asked.

"I have a creepy feeling if that's what you mean?" Ben answered.

Carly nodded. Ben looked at her then looked around. Like Carly, he didn't see anything.

"We should run." Ben suggested.

"No, that is a bad idea. If we start running it'll think we're on to it and attack." Carly retorted.

"Well, it could have attacked us already. So what is it waiting for?" Ben asked.

Carly thought for a moment. "Shit, we're leading it right to the water."

Ben's eyes widened. "Aw, damn. Now what do we do?"

Once again Carly thought for a second. "We need to lose it somehow. There should be a manhole somewhere around here."

"We can lose it in the sewers." Ben finished Carly's thought. Carly nodded in response.

Carly and Ben ducked around a corner and spotted a manhole cover. Carly motioned to it and they took off for it. Carly lifted it and Ben jumped in. She scanned quickly then jumped in pulling the cover back on.

"We should move quickly." Ben suggested.

"Right." Carly agreed.

They started running through the many tunnels trying their best to stay straight so they didn't get to far from the Power Plant.

"With luck we could end up right under the Plant." Ben said.

"Luck is something we can't have." Carly huffed. "This smell is killing my nose. I'm going to check to see if we're close."

Carly climbed the nearby ladder and moved the manhole cover. She poked her head out and tried to spot the Power Plant. She spotted it.

"It's not that far off. Let's get going." Carly said down to Ben.

"Okay I'm coming up." Ben said.

As Ben climbed the ladder he heard Carly scream. Ben looked up and couldn't see Carly. He hurried out of the manhole to see her in the hands of a Drone.

"Carly!"

The Drone was holding Carly by her hair. Carly was holding onto the Drones arm trying to make it let go.

"Let me go!" Carly grunted.

She grabbed one of her guns and pointed it at the Drone. Before she could fire it grabbed her arm and twisted it until Carly dropped the gun.

"Carly stay still!" Ben shouted to his friend.

He pulled his grenade launcher off his back and pointed it at the Drone and Carly, then fired. The blast hit the Drone in the head blasting its head off. It let go of Carly then fell over.

Carly fell to the floor, "Ben, double tap." she demanded.

Ben walked over to the fallen Drone and blasted it again. This blast destroyed its chest plate and everything inside.

Ben helped Carly up and she grabbed her gun that lay on the ground.

"Are you okay, Carly?" Ben asked.

"I'm fine. Let's hurry up." Carly started to walk on.

Suddenly the ground exploded in front of them. When they turned around the were dozens of Drones standing were the fallen Drone was left.

"Ben it's time to run." Carly said with wide eyes.

"Right." Ben answered.

And with that they ran as fast as they could. Carly grabbed her Twin Shooters and started firing behind her.

"Ben we can't lead them to the water. You keep going I'll hold them off for awhile." Carly stated.

"No way in hell am I leaving you alone to fight these things." Ben retorted.

"Don't argue. I'll be fine. We need the water." Carly said.

"We need you more." Ben said.

"I'll be fine." Carly insisted. "Please Ben think about the girls, your cousin, your girlfriend. Now go!"

Ben nodded then ran for the Power Plant. Carly turned toward the Drones pointing her guns at them. She started firing away hitting anything and anywhere she saw. In the dust and mayhem she slipped away from them. But she could still hear them rampaging around.

That was close. Thank you my beauties. Carly thought as she put her guns back in their holsters.

… …

Ben had shoot off some blast at the Drones he saw on his way to the Plant but he made it in one piece.

Hope Carly's alright. Ben thought as he filled the containers with the water. After the third one was full he left.

… …

Carly scanned from the rooftop and saw Ben running back toward the hideout. Carly smiled to herself, Good going, Ben.

Carly was climbing down when she heard a crash. She looked for the cause of the noise. Then she saw it.

It was a man. She ran over toward him.

"Are you okay?" She called to him. He didn't respond.

When she got closer she saw what he was. He had a human face, with a scar down his lip, but his upper torso and right arm were robotic. He had a human lower abdomen and had a 'x' shaped scar on his right side and maybe a human left leg. But his other leg was robotic as well. He only had a pair of jeans on but the one pants leg was ripped off right were his robotic leg started. He also had a knee pad on his left knee. His left arm had been covered by some old trash.

"Please still be alive." Carly said to herself. She checked for any sign of life.

Then he inhaled sharply.

"He must be hurt." Carly thought out loud. "I should get him to safety."

As she pulled him upright she saw that the old trash was actually what remained of his left arm. He was breathing but unconscious.

"Maybe I should take him to Paradox first." Carly said as she pulled his arm over her shoulder and started to walk.

… …

"Where is Carly?" Gwen asked as Ben walked back to the kitchen with the water.

"We got separated." Ben answered as he filled a tank with the water.

"Why didn't you go and find her?" Shelby snapped.

"She told me not." Ben said as he finished emptying the second container. "She'll be fine. It is Carly after all."

Gwen and Shelby sighed. Gwen left the kitchen and sat on the couch. Shelby walked over to Ben and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know she'll be fine." Shelby smiled.

… …

"Well, well, what has my cunning adolescent friend brought me today?" said a man in a long; dirty; ripped; white coat and a pair of cracked goggles hung around his neck.

"Paradox, you need to help him." Carly said pulling the man she found toward him.

"Aw, Kevin." Paradox said shaking his head.

"You know this guy?" Carly asked in surprised.

"Sort of. Set him over there on that table." Paradox motioned to a metal table. Carly did just that.

"I found him sometime ago. He was in very bad shape. The Drones had attacked him." Paradox said as he grabbed some metal parts and a box of screws. "The Drones had ripped off both of his arms and severed his right leg. As well as many of his internal organs in his chest were damaged."

Paradox grabbed a power screwdriver and started to work on the boy's arm.

"When I found him he was barely alive. But I was able to fix him. Even give him a new human heart. But sadly the attack damaged his vocal cords. That I wasn't able to save. He may never talk again." Paradox informed Carly as he rewired his arm.

Carly sat down and watched as Paradox worked on the man. "So he's still human?"

"Yup. His name is Kevin. Drones took out his family but he doesn't remember them much."

"Why is that?" Carly asked.

"After I fixed him up he got into another squabble with the Drones but this time it damaged his brain. Had to replace a small bit of it. Sadly it was the part that dealt with memory." Paradox had finished the wiring.

"So he can't talk and has little memory. That really sucks." Carly sighed. "I feel bad for him."

"Yes it is horrible. But he should be fine. As long as he stays alive." Paradox said as he attached the upper arm plates to Kevin's arm.

"He looks about my age." Carly thought out loud.

"He is. Seventeen. Poor youth." Paradox said screwing on a shoulder plate to Kevin.

After Paradox finished his work on Kevin he started putting the extra materials away. Carly got up to help.

As Carly set the toolbox on a shelf her and Paradox heard a moan. They turned around and saw Kevin sitting up and rubbing his head.

"You alright, Kevin?" Paradox asked.

Kevin nodded then looked at Carly. He nodded his head toward her.

"This is Carly. She and some of her friends live here. You should thank her for finding you and bringing you here." Paradox said with a smile.

"Hello." Carly said walking up to him and holding out her hand. "Glad to know your alright."

Kevin took her hand and shook it.

"My friends and I thought we were the only humans other than Paradox left. Good to know there's another." Carly smiled.

Kevin dropped his hand then hopped off the table. But his balance wasn't back yet, he started to fall but Carly caught him.

"Easy there big guy." Carly laughed slightly. Kevin nodded a 'thank you' to her.

"Oh, you have two different colored eyes." Carly said in awe.

"Yes I gave him that, for it was damaged the last time." Paradox said rearranging his shelves

"If you want you can come with me. My friends'll love to meet you. And I think Ben will love having another guy around." Carly smiled.

Kevin shrugged. He hadn't really been with other people after his family was gone. He himself didn't know there were other people in the town other than Paradox.

"I think that would be a splendid idea, Kevin." Paradox said appearing next to him. "You haven't really done to well on your own."

Kevin grabbed Paradox by the collar and glared at him.

"I think his mad, Paradox." Carly giggled.

Kevin looked back at Carly. Maybe that's not such a bad idea. He thought. He released Paradox and turned back to Carly.

Carly looked at him, "So you going to come with me?" she asked.

Kevin nodded then gestured for her to show him the way.

"Great you'll love them. Follow me." Carly said walking out of Paradox's workshop.

I'll follow you anywhere. Kevin thought as he follow Carly's lead.