Chapter 3: second chances

"Why did you bring her here!" Remy protested "Get rid of her!"

"she needs help."

"she needs to die!"

"I'm not throwing her out." Sam told Remy "It would make me no better than them."

Sam turned to Willow,

"Will you help me."

Willow nodded, Sam followed her to the small infirmary. Willow took them to a back room where a big machine covered one side of the wall. She pressed a button and a twin size table like bed pulled out. Sam had only been back there once, he had no idea what the machine was until now. The top of the bed part of the table was made out of some weird gel texture. The inside looked like a small MRI tunnel, it was layered with lasers and lights.

Willow noticed Sam just staring at the machine.

"Well, sit her up there."

Sam obeyed and laid the girl on the table. "What is this thing?"

"it's a healing incubator, The gel particles expand and cover the wounds and pulls them back together." Willow smiled "I invented it….your father helped."

"He did?"

"Yep…now shoo"

"What?"

"She's a lady, boys need to leave. I'll tell you when you can come back in.."

Sam left the room and Willow closed the door. He stood on the other side for a few seconds, he really didn't want to leave but he would have to face Remy's wrath sooner or later…might as well get it over with.

Remy sat in her chair, arms folded.

"I want her gone Sam."

Sam didn't answer her. When he didn't that just angered her more, she slammed her fists on the table.

"She can't stay here! She's one of them!"

"no she's not …she's different!"

"Different? The only thing different about her is that she is a emotionless killers."

"I don't believe that."

"Sam she was going to kill you!"

"But she didn't!" Sam yelled "She couldn't…and I want to know why."

"What, you thinks she's just going to tell you her life story."

"No I don't…I just need to know why me. Out of everyone she's killed why show me mercy. I have to know."

Remy shook her head and got up,

"Do what you want." she said as she left the room

Sam walked back to the infirmary just as Willow opened the door.

"You can come in now."

Sam entered to noticed that the table was closed back into the machine, he walked around to the side wear there was a screen of glass. He could see her inside the incubator, she was covered with a black metallic looking blanket. Sam could tell she was breathing, which was a good sign.

"Now all we have to do is wait." Willow said crossing her arms

"For how long?"

"Who knows."

Meanwhile Remy wasn't the only one hot under the collar. Core and his men ransacked Shelke's place. They tore the place up from head to toe but Core couldn't find what he was looking for.

"Where is it!" he yelled flipping a table "She must have locked it away somewhere else."

"Unless…she has it with her." Roth said looking around

A rightful went off in Cores heard "Of course…I'm so blind, she would never let something that important out of her sight."

Core took a breath and faced Roth.

"I want search parties throughout the cities, I don't care if you have to burn this world to the ground…find them!…Find her!"

Roth obeyed and left to gather his army.

Shelke awoke feeling extremely hot, she pulled herself together and focused on her surroundings. Where was she? She didn't like small spaces so she began kicking at the walls.

"Hold on a sec, I'll let you out." said a female voice. "Just…hold still."

The lights changed, and her Grid suit materialized back onto her body, she noticed the wound from Core's blade was no longer there. Before she could say anything the door opened and she felt herself slide out. The second she was out she jumped at the burnette who had opened it.

"Wait, wait, wait! My name is Willow, I come in peace!"

"Where am I?"

"Safe."

Shelke didn't listen, she attacked Willow knocking her back into the wall then ran out the door right into Sam. Sam grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Whoa, stop!"

She kneed him in between the legs and tried to run again, Sam was able to recover enough to throw his arms around her.

Shelke screamed and kicked to get away.

"let go!"

"Stop fighting!" Sam said hanging onto her.

He dragged her to his room and threw her in. When she was released she pulled out her sword. Sam took the memo and ran out of the room locking her in.

Shelke was in there for hours trying to escape, when she realized that there was no way out she gave up…and started going through his stuff. She went to the bookshelf and started going through his books until she saw something. She pulled the old brown book down and observed it, flipping and turning it. A photo slipped out between the pages and dropped at her feet. She kneeled down and looked at it. It was a picture of Kevin Flynn standing next to some weird light cycle, on the strange bike a little boy sat. Sam slipped in the room and closed the door. He approached her slowly, cautiously just in case she was going to try and him over the head with something. She acknowledged his presence but did nothing. He leaned over to check out what she was staring at. He smiled, recognizing the photo.

"That's me and my dad working on the motorcycle back at home." Sam took the picture and reminisced "He never got to see it finished."

Shelke ignored him, and began looking through the book. She stopped when she got near the end and read the title Revelations. The word triggered something, she had seen this book before.

"This-"

Sam noticed her sudden change, she was uneasy…confused

"Is…something wrong?"

"This was my favorite book."

"The Bible?"

She nodded "At least…I feel like I've read it before."

Another headache struck, this one was stronger, worse than the others. The book slipped from her hands, her eyes rolled back.

"Hey, you okay?"

Before she could even look at him, Shelke fainted.

Images flashed, like an old movie without sound. It was her, she was younger and smaller even she was looking at some books scattered on a shelf. Her eyes were filled with excitement and curiosity. She stood on her toes and reached for one.

"Shelke? What are you doing?"

"Nothing." she pulled back suddenly

The book slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.

Kevin Flynn came up to her, his smile was sweet and considerate. Little Shelke back away from the books, Kevin stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Its okay." he said picking up the book. "You can look."

He went to his chair and sat down, pulling her up on his lap and began reading the book to her. Another scene flashed a different one from before, she was a little older and she was reading the book herself. She turned the page to the book of Revelations and found a picture. Kevin leaned over her shoulder.

"I remember this." he said admiring the picture. "this is my son Sam…he probably doesn't look like that now."

"Is he…back at home."

"Yeah." he sighed "What I wouldn't give to see him again. He's so important to me, he was my first and my best creation I'll ever make."

"Besides me?" Shelke asked

He smiled "Besides you."

"I'll help you get him back."

Kevin smiled and kissed her on the head. "thank you but I don't want to lose you either."

He turned to walk away, Shelke turned and stood up in her chair.

"I'll be fine. I'll get strong and open the doors, you'll see your son again and I'll go with you…you'll see. I'll protect you both for the rest of my life."

Shelke jumped up out of her dream like state gasping for air.

"Are you okay?"

Shelke realizing she was in his arms and feeling awkward, shoved him away and stood up.

"what happened?" he asked

"I don't know." she said feeling confused herself.

She looked down at her feet at the Bible and picked it up.

"Kevin Flynn raised me…sort of. This was my favorite book."

"My father? He never mentioned you the first time I came here."

"That's before he abandoned me…I was just a mistake."

"My father wouldn't abandon anyone!" Sam snapped getting offended.

"he abandoned you! that's what you thought isn't? when he disappeared."

"he wasn't staying here willingly, I admit that I was wrong. So how do you know that you're not."

"I don't" Shelke sighed and looked at the book. "this is all so confusing to me, I lost my memories of my past before joining Core, the last memory I have was Kevin walking out of me…I waited for him, and he never came back."

"He must have had a good reason."

"Maybe…or maybe he found someone else and I was no longer needed."

Shelke shoved the book at Sam and walked out of the room.

"where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

Sam chased after her, but he wasn't her problem. Remy and Codec stepped in front her when she entered the main room.

"You're not going anywhere." Remy said crossing her arms

"Step a side program. I have unfinished business with Core."

"well join the club."

Sam caught up with them, he noticed Willow on the other side of the room, staying out of the fight. Sam was glad to she that she was alright when Shelke had her tiny tantrum.

"Let me through…I want answers."

"don't we all."

"Step aside!" Shelke said her voice becoming sharper.

"Do you really think you can just waltz right back in there after he tried to kill you?"

"No I don't, he took what he wanted for me and then threw me away…you should know that more than anyone."

"That's not fair." Remy snapped "That was a completely different situation."

"Yes but the results are the same."

"what's she talking about?" Willow asked

"it's nothing." Remy murmured

"Get out of my way."

Shelke pushed Remy aside and walked for the exit.

"Wait!" Sam said

"what now user?" she glared

"Just stay, we can help each other."

"I do not team up with users, let alone help them."

"Then don't help me…help yourself."

Shelke turned around "what are you saying?"

"You want to get back at him, Remy wants to get back at him and I…I want to go home. All our goals focus on one program…Core. If we stick together we can overcome him. With your resources and strength he won't expect it."

"What happens after we take down Core…what then?"

"Hopefully, I will be home…but you are free to do whatever you want. You won't owe anyone, anything."

"Yes, help us" Willow said.

There was an awkward silence, but after a few minutes Shelke sighed and turned around.

"Thank you." Sam said

"what do we do now?" codec asked Remy

"After our little…ambush and vanish. Soldiers will be crawling every where." Remy said "We won't be able to walk the streets without being caught."

"So what's your genius plan." Shelke smirked

Remy glared at her. "We lay low, wait for his men to give up and that will give us enough time to come up with a plan."

"This is stupid." Shelke said

"then what should we do?" Sam asked "you're a soldier help us."

Shelke looked at him, she could tell he was desperate but she couldn't allow that to move her.

"I'm not your leader. I could care less what you do."

She walked across the room and headed down the hall.

"Where are you going?" willow asked

"Back to the infirmary…call me when you actual have a plan."