"Okay so remind me again why I agreed to this?" Max asked he stood in the training room, leaning against the wall and I rolled my eyes as Berto looked on in amusement.
"Because we need to know that Chomp can hold his own...especially against his former teammates." Shock explained as I glared at Max. "Are you going to help us or not?"
"Okay we'll help. But this is a really bad idea." Steel pointed out and I resisted the urge to blast him with my Turbo powers.
"You ready Chomp?" I asked as Chomp stood next to me and he tilted his head, not sure what I wanted but in the end he nodded figuring that was the best thing to do. I came up with the idea to fight alongside against Max and Steel a few hours earlier and while it seemed a bit like two against one, Max and Steel agreed to go through with it. Of course just as the battle started Chomp momentarily forgot we were on the side team and suddenly I was grabbed by a vine. "Whoa!" I yelled and that's when Chomp growled, Max Steel looking on now in Strength mode. "Chomp! On the same side remember?" I muttered and he blinked before I found myself lying on my back. "Owww." I mumbled as he took a step back.
"Sorry." He muttered as I climbed to my feet, raising an eyebrow at him. "I forgot we were fighting together."
"Let's just try this again." I sighed as I shook myself. "Let's rock, Strength Mode!" I called out and after the familar burst of green Turbo energy, with flecks of purple, vanished I stood in the same mode. I hoped that this time that our training session would go better but I was wrong when Max Steel dodged Chomp's attack and grabbing his vines/arms he spun him around and around.
The moment he let go of Chomp the Ultralink monster let out a roar as he was sent straight into me and the impact slammed me into a wall, pinning me between it and Chomp.
Instantly rushing to my side Berto went to help me up as Chomp moved over and I let out a gasp of air, breathing heavily and before everyone's eyes my eyes glowed purple then green. Thinking I was going to go out of control again I suddenly took off into the corridor and as my eyes and hands glowed I looked desperately for an empty lab, frankly anywhere where my powers could go out of control without injuring anyone.
Then I found a storeroom and I rushed in, slamming the door behind me just as Berto caught up, followed closely by Max Steel and Chomp. Suddenly I let out a cry as my Turbo powers flared and the room lit up, the light emerging from under the doorway and everyone moved back. When the light faded I was kneeling on the floor, breathing heavily and that's when I heard a faint knock. But before I had time to call out a warning my power flared out again and I screamed, this time blackening the walls with my Turbo powers and I almost blacked out. So tired so suddenly I lay on my side, panting and Berto called out.
"Jessie? Are you okay?" He said and hearing me groan he reached for the doorknob, only for Max Steel to step forward and put himself between the door and the scientist. "Max, let me inside." He growled his voice raised but his friend just shook his head.
"Its too dangerous when she loses control." Max pointed out and before his eyes Berto shoved him, grabbing the doorknob and pushing his way inside. To everyone's shock they heard the door lock and Max blinked. "Berto!" He yelled and his friend just ignored him, more concerned with his girlfriend lying semi-concious on the floor.
"Jess?" He whispered kneeling beside me and when I felt his hand on my cheek my eyes focused on him as he stared down at me.
"Huh...Berto? Where did...you come from?" I mumbled as I slowly sat up, rubbing my forehead with my hand and he sighed. "Why did...I lose control?" I asked and he shrugged before he pulled me into his lap. Wordlessly he held me until I rested my head against his chest, glad that I hadn't burned myself out again.
Pretty soon I started to doze, exhausted and when I woke sometime later I found Berto resting his head against mine. I looked up into his face and that's right when I realized that he was sound asleep and I smiled at him, snuggling in his chest and as I yawned he shifted not waking. Less than a minute later I found myself falling asleep and this time I didn't even notice Shock trying to wake me.
"You two can pretty much sleep through anything...even a Turbo outburst. Still at least this time no one got hurt and you were smart about where to unleash that excess energy." He said after he detached and hovered over me. "You should be training though, not lying here." He added as he prodded me and I sighed.
"Five more...minutes." I mumbled and he rolled his eye, prodding me again and again until I groaned and opened an eye. "Still sleepy." I complained as I sat up, yawning and rubbing my eyes. That woke Berto up too and as he opened his eyes I sighed. "Aww and you woke...him up...too." I mumbled as Berto blinked, not sure where he was.
"Must have fallen asleep." Berto said as he shook his head and I gave him a sleepy grin, not caring too much. "Not that I mind." He added as he hugged me and I sighed again, happy to snuggle with him. I was actually feeling a little better and as I started to fall asleep, Shock shot into my face and I groaned not liking him right then.
"Come on you've slept enough." Shock told me and I glared at him as Berto untangled himself from me and helped me to my feet. Though it was a bit of a struggle to walk and even Shock looked a little worried as I limped towards the door, almost falling before I grabbed the doorknob. Shaking my head to clear it didn't help the light-headed feeling and that's right when Berto wrapped an arm around my waist to steady me as he reached over. Opening the door he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, keeping me on my feet as he walked me towards the Medical Bay.
The next thing I knew I was lying on something soft and as I shifted my head I found someone silently watching me. Confused I tried to sit up only for a hand to be pressed to my chest then awkwardly shifted to my shoulder, gently pushing me back to the bed. Too dizzy to fight I lay back and after a moment I felt a hand gently stroking my forehead.
"Bella...don't scare me like that." Berto sighed as he stared at my pale face, trying to hide the frightened look he had. "When you just dropped I thought..."
"Did I...faint? Can't really remember." I mumbled and he gave me a slight smile, leaning over and gently kissing my cheek.
"Don't worry about it. Just get some rest, okay?" He asked as I closed my eyes and he smiled as my breathing slowed, soon I was dozing. Glad that I was a little better Berto gave my cheek another kiss and as he walked towards my dorm's door he paused and looked back at me. She'll be fine, he told himself before he left and as he walked into the hall he almost collided with Max and Steel.
"Whoa sorry! So how is she?" Max asked as Berto blinked at him and after a moment he sighed. "That bad huh?"
"She's completely worn out and that's after the shortest training session possible. I don't know why her powers..." He stopped then, thinking about to explain it then Shock spoke.
"She did get smashed into a wall and sandwiched between it and Chomp. Plus she has been pretty...torn up about her parents." Shock explained and Berto leant against the door, wondering how to help me. "I should have know she wasn't over it. I mean how do you get over losing both your parents and not really remembering them clearly?"
"Hey you care a lot about her and Jessie knows that. Right now she needs you." Shock pointed out and Berto fiddled with C.Y.T.R.O's remote, clearly not as convinced. After a few seconds of staring at the floor he came up with an idea and rushed past his friends, leaving them all a little confused. "That was strange. I wonder what's wrong?" He muttered and Steel just shrugged. Now back in his lab Berto grinned, looking up at his computer for a moment before his fingers flew over the keyboard.
"I can't bring back her parents but this might help that memory loss of hers." He muttered to himself and several hours later he sighed, moving back from his computer and stretching his aching back. "Finally. I hope this helps..wonder if Jessie's awake yet." He said to himself as he left his lab and walked into the hallway, moving quickly as he headed for my room.
Having reached the door he gently knocked and getting no answer he reached for the doorknob, tesing the door. When Berto found it open he blinked, surprised and as he hurried inside he found me lying on my side. I wasn't moving and that worried him until he moved to my side and that's when I sighed.
"Por favor...don't do that." Berto whispered before he reached over and gently shook my shoulder, making me groan and he rolled his eyes before he tried again. This time I opened my eyes, annoyed that someone would not let me rest.
"Berto? I'm...tired." I compalined as I curled up into a ball and he grinned, reaching up and running a hand through my hair. "Why...won't you let me...sleep?"
"I have a surprise for you." He explained and that piped my interest as I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes and trying to fight off a yawn. "Want to see it?" He asked, holding out his hand and I took it letting him lead me outside my room and as we walked, I sighed wondering just what he wanted. By the time we reached Berto's lab I was still feeling a little woozy and noticing me leaning against the wall, Berto brought his chair over and helped me into it.
Letting out a breath I waited for my boyfriend to show me this surprise and as he typed in something the computer lit up and as I watched a video played. My eyes went wide then as I stared at the screen and Berto walked over, setting his hand down on my shoulder. "Mom?" I whispered as I watched, feeling tears welling up in my eyes.
On the screen my mom was hunched over the keyboard in her lab, typing something into her computer, when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and she jumped. Then she tilted her head and gave a sigh as my father grinned down at her.
"Very funny, Henry." She said, raising her eyebrows at him in mock annoyance and Henry chuckled, hugging her and giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "I'm almost done."
"You look like you're almost done here too." Henry joked, his hands resting on my mom's belly and that's when I realized that she looked about 9 months pregnant. "Come on you know the doctor said you needed to rest more. Jessie's almost here and you shouldn't be on your feet."
"Okay I know but I was almost finished. Besides I still have another week to go so I just wanted to get my work finished before she's born. Then we can focus our time on our little girl." Claire answered as she looked down at her very pregnant belly with a smile. "I can't believe that we'll be parents soon."
"Yeah but its going to be fun." Henry said and Claire smiled at him, tilting her head back and as they kissed I sighed, tears now running down my cheeks and Berto squeezed my shoulder. "I wonder what she'll look like? Like me or you?"
"I hope like me." Claire sighed and Henry burst out laughing at that. "Maybe she'll have your powers too." She added a slight frown on her face and Henry held his wife against his chest.
"If she does I'll train her and teach her what she needs to know. You know I'll help her." Henry promised and Claire smiled at him before they kissed and after a few seconds Claire made a weird gasping noise. Instantly Henry broke off the kiss and stared into his wife's eyes as she clutched her stomach. "What is it sweetheart?" He asked and she lifted her head, looking scared and in pain.
"I think...my water just broke." Claire gasped just as her first contraction hit and she cried out. And that's right when the video cut out and I whimpered, tears streaking my face and as I stood on shaking legs I looked up at Berto.
"What happened?" I asked my voice barely above a whisper and Berto reached over, pulling me against his chest and hugging me.
"I'm guessing that was the day you came into the world." Berto replied as Shock detached and watched on as I trembled. "Jessie?" He whispered just as I began to sob and he held me tightly as I buried my face in his chest. "Shh its going to be okay." He whispered as I cried, tears running down my face. By the time my tears dried up I whimpered, depressed about not being able to even speak to my parents again. Still holding me tight, Berto looked over at Shock silently asking the Ultralink for help.
"Jessie I know you're sad that they're not around anymore but at the very least you know they loved you deeply." Shock said as I raised my head, eyes red from crying and getting no answer he sighed and hovered in front of me. "Want to go for a walk or something?"
"Yeah...maybe it'll clear my head." I sniffed and Berto gently released me, taking my hand instead. "I don't know why I'm so miserable lately." Of course it was pretty obvious but I wasn't really myself and as Berto changed his lab coat for his hoodie I leant against his keyboard. Once we were outside and in the middle of Copper Canyon central park, Shock just peeking over the top of my backpack, I let out another sigh and Berto looked at Shock for a moment. "Sorry guys...I'm not exactly the life of the party today."
"Hey don't worry about it." Berto told me, his hand holding mine and usually being this close to Berto would cheer me up but even he and Shock couldn't lighten my dark mood.
"I just wish...but what's the use? I can barely remember their faces and that's the worse thing of all. What kind of daughter forgets the people she cares about." I strated to sniff and Berto winced as I tightened my grip on his hand, forgetting about him and Shock for a full minute. Then I relaxed and as my grip loosened he gave me a slight grin.
"Maybe we should..." Berto started to suggest something but that's when we all heard a huge bang and as the ground shook I fell on my rear I let out a yelp. "Jessie!"
"I'm fine. So mad right now at whoever that was." I growled, ignorning the pain in my rear and as I dusted myself off I heard a familar growl and I shoved Berto just as a blast of icy wind slammed into me. It missed him and as it struck me I cried out, instantly frozen from my feet to my neck, my head the only part not frozen. "Co...cold..." I gasped and Berto struggled to his feet, rushing towards me only for Mega Elementor to almost land on him.
"You destroyed my master Makino." He growled as he loomed over me, eyes galring into mine and if I'd been able to speak I would have had a smark comeback.
"L...loser." I managed to gasp and he roared at me, claws just missing my head. "C..can't b...eat a girl." I tried to laugh but I shuddered instead and that's when my vision started to fade.
"Jess!" Shock yelled into my head and I jerked awake as he shot over to me and put himself between me and the Alphalink, firing a shot of Turbo energy at the monster's face. "Hey ugly! Come and get me!" He yelled and distracted Mega Elementor chased after him, leaving Berto to try and break the ice.
"Jessie I'll get you out of there." Berto told me and I managed a weak laugh as he stood there.
"H...how? You're...not...str...strong enough..." I muttered as my eyes started to close. "Kinda...sleepy." And that's when Berto struck the ice with his foot, remembering our training session so long ago and even without breaking the ice the noise startled me awake.
"Stay awake or you'll freeze." He growled and hearing the anger in his voice I blinked, still so cold but a little confused. "Don't you dare go to sleep."
"Berto...wh...what's wrong?" I mumbled and that's right when we both heard a noise. "Huh? Heads up?" Suddenly understanding Berto ducked just as something struck the ice, shattering it and freeing me. As I fell forward Berto caught me and suddenly he ripped off his hoodie, drapping it over me in an effort to keep me warm. "Feel...li...like an ice...cube." I stammered and he chuckled a little, hugging me against his chest as he fought to keep me concious.
"Guys just stay there." Max Steel said as he rushed forward and as he slammed into Mega Elementor let out an angry growl before he whirled around, only for Max's fist to slam into his jaw. As the Alphalink fell, Shock shot over to me and quickly linked before he began to scan me.
"Your heart rates down. Jessie you need to stay awake." Shock told me as I shivered, despite Berto holding me against him and as my boyfriend started to rub my sides I snuggled into him. Once they saw my eyes slowly closing they growled and tried to get me to stay awake.
"Jessie open your eyes!" Berto and Shock both shouted but I couldn't hear them and as I sunk into unconciousness something landed beside me. As a roar shook the ground I started awake to find Chomp standing beside Berto, almost towering over the three of us and as we watched he tilted his head.
"Are you awake now?" He asked and I giggled, still shaking pretty badly and he nodded at me before he rushed towards Max. Just for a moment I wondered if he'd actually help us then he went after Mega Elementor, sending his vines towards the Alphalink before he grabbed it. Watching on I saw Mega Elementor staring at Chomp, probably shocked that his former ally was now attacking him and that's when Max Steel punched him. Instantly Chomp let go and let out a laugh as Max Steel chased after Mega Elementor before he gave chase. But this time the Alphalink was ready and he sent a whirlwind their way, sending them both flying and made good his escape.
"He got away, again." Max grumbled as Steel detached and that's right when I shivered, still fighting the effects of the ice. "You okay?" He asked instantly forgetting about their battle fail and I tried to nod, only for a sneeze to erupt instead. "Okay so not okay."
"You...think." I muttered snuggling into Berto's chest in an effort to keep warm. With my body temperature so low Max offered to carry me back and by the time we reached N-Tek I wasn't able to talk, shaking badly. Now sitting on a bed in the Medical Bay, I had a thermometer almost shoved into my mouth and as I glared at it Berto gave me a slight grin.
"Jess just let Blair work. She's trying to help you." Berto told me and I rolled my eyes, focusing on not falling off the bed. "And don't give me that look." He added as I blinked at him, one eyebrow raised.
"So this is the famous Jessie. You look a lot like your mom." Blair told me and I stared at her as she reached over and took the themometer back. Examining it for a moment she sighed. "Your core body temperature's a little low." She told me and getting a blank stare she smiled. "Sorry what I mean is you need to keep warm."
"Yeah that I got but...you knew my mom?" I asked and she nodded as she wiped the thermometer on her lab coat and returned it to her pocket. "What was she like? Anything like me?"
"Hold on. Let's make sure you're not going to pass out first then I'll tell you what I know. Deal?" Blair said and I gave her a quick nod, managing a smile. "That's better."
"I was actually Claire's best friend, back when we were first recruited for N-Tek. She became interested in learning all she could about N-Tek and on more than a few occassions I found her trying to hack into N-Tek's classified files." Blair told me and I blinked, shocked that my mom wasn't as well behavired as I once thought. Seeing the shock on my face Blair laughed.
"That's just...wow. Never knew my mom was such a...trouble maker." I grinned and Berto grinned back, happy that I was feeling better.
"Well after getting told off, for the billionith time, by Commander Forge she decided to behavour herself. For about a week and that's when she roped me into searching the files for someone called Makino. Of course at the time I had no idea what she meant but...well anyway we eventually snuck a peek at the restricted file. And..." Blair stopped then and I leant forward, interested to know more, just as we heard a cough.
"What exactly are you telling Jessie, Blair?" Forge asked as he walked in and that's when I saw Blair's cheeks go slightly red. "How are you anyway?"
"I'm alright but Blair was just telling me about my mom. No one ever told me that she was a rule breaking." I answered and Forge rolled his eyes as he walked over and stood beside my bed.
"Claire became interested in N-Tek's true purpose and she started to hack into our files to learn what she could. No matter how many times I called her into my office she just kept hacking into the files and eventually she roped Blair into her antics." Forge explained and I giggled, almost forgetting about being cold. "And that's when Henry found out."
"My dad? What did he do?" I asked and Forge sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Please?"
"When Henry found out, instead of telling me he spoke to Claire about it. And that's pretty much how they first met. When he tried to get her to stop she stood up to him and told him off. And that's pretty much when they started dating." Forge told me and my jaw dropped at that.
"Claire always said that she wasn't looking for a guy since her work was pretty important to her. Of course after she met Henry...well now that was a perfect pair. They worked alongside each other, she was fascinated with his Turbo powers and he with her. And a year or so later...Claire told me that she was pregnant. We were best friends and she even told me before Henry, which was pretty funny at the time. Even though she was happy about becoming a mom...she worried about taking care of you but I knew she'd be a great mom and Henry a great father. And they proved me right. I wish they could be here for you right now." Blair finished, wiping her eyes and I nodded my eyes tearing up a little too.
"Thanks for telling me. I appreciate it." I told her and she managed to smile, despite missing her friend. "I need a moment...alone." I muttered suddenly and as I jumped down Berto set his hand on my shoulder, concerned. "I'm just going to take a shower." Without looking at my friends I headed in the direction of the bathroom, Berto following after me and when I finally noticed I sighed.
"Don't get angry but you don't know where they are, do you?" He said and I nodded, not wanting to admit it. "Then I'll lead you there. Follow me." With a sigh I let him take my hand and lead me to the showers, hoping I would feel better.