A/N: My first original chapter. I am crossing my fingers that the original author likes it along with you guys. Unto the chapter!


I paced back and forth in front of Atlas. I wasn't tired and Atlas was recharging. Max and Charlie were in the cabin. Our group of three humans and two robots were heading back towards Tallet's gym. Atom was shut down and sitting in a rough harness connected to the back of the truck near the door.

The truck hit a bump but I stayed upright. I convinced Charlie to let me stay in the back of the truck so I could keep Atlas calm when he was done recharging. I knew Atlas wasn't that battle-hungry but I didn't want him smashing Atom to pieces. I barely convinced him to shut down while Atom was still awake.

Another bump. This time I jostled a bit and fell towards Atlas. I landed in his lap and decided to just stay there. I looked out the one window and was surprised to see it was early night. Where did the time go? I asked myself. I laid my head on Atlas' shoulder and closed my eyes, not caring about the stiffness. I was actually starting to get used to it.

Fans started up and I heard hydraulics activating.

[Alexandra? What are you doing back here?] I heard Atlas ask.

"Waiting for you to wake up," I replied. Atlas shifted and sat up a bit more. He moved me up and kept his arms on me. I smiled lightly and closed my eyes again. The soft rumble of his insides lulled me to sleep as they usually did.

"Alex? Alex wake up. We're here." I opened my eyes and stared up into Charlie's. Atlas roused himself from his standby and set me down. I stretched and helped Charlie unstrap both Atlas and Atom. He then helped me out of the truck with Atlas following.

"Charlie, who's that?" A woman wearing a black shirt in jeans walked from the building. Her black hair was back in its usual sloppy bun and she was staring at me and Atlas. I felt him stiffen slightly.

"Easy," I muttered. He only slightly relaxed.

"Bailey, This is Alex and Atlas. Alex and Atlas, this is Bailey." Charlie pointed to each group/person when saying their names. I nodded towards Bailey and smiled.

"Hey," she said skeptically. Max stepped out from the truck yawning. He blinked his eyes several times then walked towards Atom.

"You ready? I have to activate Atom to get him inside," Max said. I braced myself and felt Atlas do the same. I nodded curtly watching as Max activated Atom. The strangest thing happened.

{Sorry about that. I was just excited to see Max after nine months.} My jaw dropped about ten feet and Atlas' eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh," I muttered. Max looked to me.

"What?"

"Atom doesn't sound like a five year old on a sugar rush," I replied. Atlas nodded once.

"Eh-hem. What do you mean Atom doesn't sound like a five year old on a sugar rush?" I looked towards Bailey and stared. Everyone waited in tense silence.

"I have a connection to Atlas," I finally said. "I was legally dead for fifteen minutes and was tested on by the military. When I awoke they told me about the connection. The first time Atom was activated in front of me I connected with him as well. He was talking at an extremely fast pace about what was happening. Atlas and I had to create a barrier against him so I wouldn't go crazy. Just now I heard him again only he wasn't talking as fast." Bailey stared for a minute then opened her mouth.

"And no, I don't remember anything from before being legally dead." She immediately closed it. Charlie walked past us with Atom and Max in tow.

"We have to find that girl a fight," he told Bailey. "We're helping her until she gets back on her feet." Bailey nodded and motioned for me to follow. Atlas and I did and she led us to a bare bedroom. It had a bed, a dresser, and a plush chair.

"Well, this is our spare bedroom. Sorry it's not much." I looked towards Bailey and smiled.

"It's fine, thank you." She smiled back the walked off to her own bedroom. I walked into my room and shut the door after Atlas followed. He sat down in the chair and followed me with his eyes. I sat on the bed and hugged myself, thinking about what happened in the past while.

I thought about waking up that one day in that wretched place. I thought about the safety I felt when I found my connection with Atlas. I thought about our escape. About Max finding and helping us. About hearing Atom's voice in my head when he was activated. And about my missing memory. I know I was dead but I wanted to know about my past. I wanted to know about my parents and friends. I wanted to know about my hobbies and interests. I wanted to know about myself. I wanted to know.

[Alexandra.] I looked up at Atlas. He was staring worriedly at me. I sighed.

"I'm fine Atlas." He didn't look convinced.

[No you're not. What's bothering you?] I stared into Atlas' eyes. He glared back.

"I want to know about my past." I whimpered. Tears were ready to break free. He extended his arms and I walked into them. He set me on his lap as he usually did and I cried. I cried for a good five minutes. When I was done Atlas' chest armor was almost soaked. I giggled a bit and wiped it off. I yawned and Atlas stood up holding me bridal style. He set me carefully in the bed and covered me with the blanket. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.


"Wakey wakey! Time for training!" I whipped my eyes open and glared into Charlie's hazel eyes.

"Thank you for that cheerful awakening," I mumbled. As soon as he turned his back to leave the room I chucked a pillow at him. He paused in the doorway.

"I will get back at you for that." I rolled my eyes at the 'threat' and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I checked the dresser and saw clothes in it. I shut the door, made sure Atlas would stay off, and changed. It was a simple white shirt and well fitting jeans. I grabbed the combat boots that the base gave me and threw them on then activated Atlas.

"Time for training," I repeated from Charlie. Atlas stood up and followed me out of the room. In the middle of the main gym Atom was already training with Charlie. Charlie was only running him through drills. Atlas watched from a distance to learn some of the stuff while Bailey walked up behind me. She handed me a few ponytail holders.

"It's probably going to be difficult training with that long of hair," she said with a smile. "Would you like me to put it in a shortened braid?" I nodded with my own smile and sat on the step just below Bailey. We spent a good ten minutes watching the boys and Atom train and braiding my hair. When we were done my hair reached to my shoulders instead of my waist.

"I gotta get that cut." Bailey nodded with a chuckle. Charlie was in the middle of a break and Max was playing around with Atom's shadow mode.

"Why don't you practice more dance moves?" Charlie suggested. Max looked at him with a 'really?' look. I had to chuckle at that. Atlas was right behind me as I walked towards Charlie.

"You ready?" he asked. I looked towards Atlas then nodded.

"Yep." Charlie stood up and threw his towel on the table he was leaning on. He set his water bottle down next to it and pushed off, walking towards the area him and Atom were training in. I told Atlas to stand where Charlie wanted him to.

"Ok. I don't know if you have a shadow mode but I think you'll be able to copy what I do," Charlie said. "Here's the most simple thing you have to know. Your defensive stance." Charlie demonstrated by bending his knees slightly, leaning back on his right foot, and lifting his fists up to protect his face. Atlas stared for ten seconds then copied the stance.

"Nice," Charlie commented. "You know what? I just noticed I'm talking to a robot. Yet it seems to understand what I'm saying." Atlas stiffened in his stance along with me. Max chuckled a bit but continued to play around with Atom.

"Anyway," Charlie and Atlas trained for a good many hours. Atom joined in at one point and Max and I tussled in the boxing ring.

"Why are you fighting a girl four years older than you?" his father asked at one point.

"Because that means he's allowed to hit me," I replied while he said, "Because it means I'm allowed to hit her." Everyone, including the two robots, laughed. Well the robots made a laughing motion. After our tussle we watched Charlie continue to train both Atom and Atlas.

About six hours later Charlie and Bailey left to get lunch for our group. Max and I hung out with the bots.

"What does Atom think about?" Max asked out of nowhere. I looked at him in surprise.

"Well, one things for sure. He's very fond of you. He asked a few questions at first but then started repeating 'where is Max'. It actually got quite annoying." Max chuckled and I shot a look at Atom. He just shrugged making me laugh.

"We should check their moves," Max said.

"And how are you suggesting we do that?" I asked.

"Have them spar against each other." Max saw the surprised and worried look on my face. "Unless you don't want to," he quickly said.

[I'm alright with it.] Atlas told me.

{I won't hit him that hard.} Atom said. I laughed a bit at that and at the glare Atlas gave him.

"Alright. Let's do it." Max smiled and hopped from the edge of the ring we were sitting on. He walked towards Atom and put him in shadow mode. They jumped onto the little edge, lifted the ropes, and quickly ducked in.

"You sure the ring will hold 'em?" I asked.

"No," Max said.

"Great." I directed Atlas to do the same. The bots stood in their corners and waited for instructions. As soon as we each finished pep-talking our bots we jumped out of the ring. I grabbed a rock from a group by my feet and chucked it at the bell mounted on the wall. It hit it causing it to ring.

"Nice," Max laughed. He threw the headset on and directed Atom to advance towards Atlas. I told Atlas to do the same. The bots circled each other. Then I saw Max mutter something and Atoms hand fly out.

"Dodge left." I said. Atlas heard me easily because of our bond. Atoms hand came out again.

"Dodge right." It continued on forever. Each bot throwing punches, each bot dodging, no hits landing. After about ten minutes Atlas finally got a hit in. Atom only reeled a step then countered.

"Back step." Atlas did but Atom was ready. He sent out another shot and it hit Atlas right in the stomach.

"Oof!" I reeled back and clutched my stomach, gasping for breath. Max saw me and stopped. Atlas looked towards me with extreme worry as I gasped for breath.

[Alexandra, are you alright?] I looked towards Atlas.

"I'm fine." I had just gotten my breath back.

"No you aren't. I remember from two days ago. You muttered 'that's new' and then pulled a stick out of Atlas' leg. You can feel his pain, can't you?" I stared at the now twelve year old with surprise. The two robots stared at me.

"How did you guess?" I whispered.

"Two new things called observation and common sense."

"What's new about common sense and observation?" a female voice said. I spun around with Max and stared at Bailey and Charlie. Max started to say something but I clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Nothing," I replied for him. Charlie raised an eyebrow and tossed us our food. I looked at Max's hamburger and my burrito.

"Switch," we said at the same time. Charlie and Bailey laughed while we switched. We ate over small talk.

"Now. Why were Atom and Atlas in the ring?" Bailey asked.

"We were sparring." Max said. I nodded with my full mouth.

"And why did you double over as soon as Atlas was hit Alex?" I froze in the middle of taking a bite and slowly turned my head towards her.

"You saw that?" I whispered. She nodded.

"About the last two minutes. Atom being hit, then Atlas, then you doubling over, then Max guessing why you did that." Charlie said. Max and I stared at each other. We all finished our meal when Charlie stood up.

"Great news. I got you a fight." I looked at him in surprise.

"Really? Already?"

"Yep. We just need to train you how to take a hit."

"I can take a hit. I just wasn't ready." Charlie looked at me then at Atom. I knew what was going to happen and braced for impact. I heard metal hitting metal but only a slight nudge on my stomach.

"Told ya. Atlas don't knock Atom out." Atlas froze in the middle of pulling his fist back. He looked towards me and grumbled but still hit Atom in the stomach.

"You, my friend, have eyes in the back of your head," Charlie said.

"Not exactly. But I do technically have four eyes." He raised an eyebrow at that.

"You can see through Atlas' eyes?" Max guessed. I nodded.

"Mhm." We continued to spar and train the bots throughout the day. Max and Charlie controlled Atom, I controlled Atlas, and Bailey fixed any 'accidental' injuries. After about the fifth injury in ten minutes she said,

"I think you guys are purposely hurting each other." Charlie and Max acted casual while I didn't even look at her.

"That answers that." We continued to train until eight at night. No one was hungry so we all went to bed without supper. Atlas and Atom charged next to each other and I slept alone in my room. I went to bed anticipating the fight that would happen in three days.