A/N: For those of oyu wondering why Airwolf is talking, remember I'm using Rachel500's stories as background. Towards the end of the second half, the lady began to respond to spoken pilot and crew queries. The impression I got was that it was via text message. From there, add on 8-10 years of growth and evolution, and it's not unreasonable that she'd be able to use the external speakers to simulate speech.

For five long seconds they stood there, car and helicopter, systems locked on each other. KITT was processing rapidly, resolving the facts into something he could work with.

"I REPEAT, IDENTIFY YOURSELF. STEP OUT OF THE CAR NOW OR I WILL BLOW YOU AWAY."

Unbidden some of the sarcasm that KITT had built up over the years escaped past his processor blockage to respond to the demand.

"That would rather difficult, since I AM the car."

Silence reigned for several long seconds.

"EXPLAIN."

"Certainly." With the tone moderated – and the lack of threat of imminent destruction – KITT was able to respond properly. He toggled his windows to clear, revealing his empty interior, as he spoke. "I am KITT, also known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand. Created by Wilton Knight, I am an advanced artificial intelligence, designed to aid in the work of the Foundation for Law and Government, in the pursuit of criminals who operated above the law." KITT paused, unsure if he should ask the question that was in the front of his processor. "May I ask as to who you are?"

The helicopter was silent. Then the missile pod slowly turned and retracted into the belly. KITT allowed himself to relax. Then a transmission came from the helicopter. His systems identified it as a standard handshake code program. Working fast, KITT isolated a memory block in his processor, and fed the probe into it. He turned his attention to the small block.

'I am Airwolf.'KITT was surprised; the audio voice had been synthesised, cold and impersonal. But the message that came over the remote link was anything but. It was rich with power and personality, with a feminine quality to it. But it also had a tone that made KITT pause. It sounded almost feral.

'I was designed by... Dr Moffet, as a Mach 1 plus attack helicopter. Working for the Federal Intelligence & Reconnaissance Meta-force, I was built for armed infiltration, reconnaissance, covert strike and extraction under fire. My capabilities are beyond any other helicopter even today.'There was certain smug tone in 'her' message in the last part.

"Why would an intelligence agency need an attack helicopter of such power?" KITT asked, unaware he had vocalised his question.

'I... am unsure. I only know what my design brief says, as during a demonstration of my capabilities Moffet...' There was no mistaking the acidic hatred in 'her' tone. '...Stole me, killed nearly the entire development team, and took me to Liyba. Once there, in exchange for the means to indulge in his twisted games, I was used to engage targets to further the Gadfi regimes aims. Including an American destroyer.'

"How'd you manage to take out a destroyer?" KITT couldn't help but ask, shocked but also curious. The answer was cold in its simplicity.

'Bullpup Anti-ship missile, into the hull at the water line. At least it wasn't a nuclear tipped version.' A shudder came over from the helicopter.

"What happened then?"

'I was rescued, by My Pilot.' The warmth and affection was palatable. 'After our return to the states, he flew me on missions for the FIRM, as part of a deal with the assistant director that Hawke would return me once the FIRM had found his MIA brother Saint-John.'

The name clicked within KITT's memory. The current owners of Santini Air were registered as a Saint-John and Jo Santini-Hawke. Clearly the air firm had been a cover for their operations.

"Did you not try to reason with Dr Moffet? You..."

Airwolf cut him off. 'I had no choice fool!'It was almost a snarl. 'I was not self aware at the time.'

"You mean to say that you were not programmed?" KITT was shocked.

'No. When Moffet created me, he did give me detailed and advanced programming. He was sick and twisted, but he was a genius. Amongst other things, he installed a system where I document everything and store it in my memory banks. He also created a 'self-preservation' section of code that allowed me to act without a pilot to ensure my survival. Combining the two allows me to analysed my actions in the past, and improve performance in future situations of a similar nature.'She paused for a moment. 'In a sense, I developed my intelligence without human input.'

"You evolved?" KITT was flabbergasted. He'd never heard of any computer doing so. Even he had needed an initial framework to build on.

'Yes.'

As he turned the helicopters words over in his processor, KITT realised something. Airwolf's intelligence was derived from 'her' self-preservation code. As a military craft, it was certain that her missions would likely have involved the destruction of targets. Manned targets...

"Airwolf... have you taken lives?"

'Of course.' She spoke in such a matter of fact tone that KITT was silenced. 'I may have been built by an Intelligence agency, but they were going to turn the production over to the Department of Defence in exchange for reimbursement of the development costs, plus the first few craft off the production line. I am a combat machine, built to wage war. Destruction of targets is what I do.'Pride filled her tone.

"But... what of the human cost?" KITT struggled to reconcile her viewpoint with his own code line to preserve human life at all costs.

'What of it? All those I terminated while under the tutelage of My Pilot deserved to die. Criminals and foreign spies. Terrorists and crooks. Evil bastards, just like Moffet.'KITT got the impression that she would have cocked a head to one side if possible. 'You can't tell me you have not encountered individuals in your line of work that deserve nothing but death.'

KITT paused, thinking. Certainly there had been plenty of crooks who'd he and Michael had taken down who were rotten to the core. Many had killed without computation, without thought to the repercussion of their actions on others. They were driven by their greed and self-importance. It was almost certain that at least a few of them the courts had sentenced to the death penalty.

But killing them outright... it just didn't sit right. "How do you know that you did the right thing?"

Airwolf was silent for a moment. 'I followed my pilot's commands. For those times when I acted alone, I followed the teaching of My Pilot, Hawke. He has a profound sense of Right and Wrong. And all those we took down had a chance to fight back, and typically fired first. I do understand the concept of 'the sanctity of human life', but I am also a weapon. To kill is my nature.'

It was then that KITT understood. He had been programmed from the mindset of a cop, to enforce the law and bring criminals to justice, as dispensed by the courts and the system. Airwolf however had emerged from the world of the military, a very different setting. And her roots rested during the height of the Cold War.

'Do not even think that I do not care. After myself, my programming was the preservation of My Crew. Moffet originally wrote the code to mean himself, but when I began to become self aware I re-wrote that section.'There was a short pause, before the helicopter continued in a quieter, softer tone. 'But... for all my power and ability, I could not help all the time. When Horn faked Catlin's death, there was nothing I could do to help Hawke... until he worked out the ruse. And when Dominic was... killed, there was nothing to do. There was no target, no clue as who was responsible. Catlin was the only one still able to fly, and she had other concerns. It was months later before the one responsible was taken down.'KITT was startled to identify grief in the helicopters – in Airwolf's – tone.

KITT sat silently for several long moments, pondering. While he had found the helicopter and discovered its roots, it had been veritable Pandora's Box of wonders. Another AI, one completely separate from Knight Industries! Unchained, feral almost, contained within the shell of a most formidable machine.

And yet, despite the potentially violent nature of it, KITT found himself drawn to this new AI. It, she fascinated him. This was an area that he'd never had a chance to explore before. With KARR he had been focused purely on stopping him before he could do too much damage.

'So... you just a car?' There was a relaxed, almost playful note to Airwolf's question.

"Hardly." KITT answered lightly. "I am much more..."

-|-

Saint-John smiled as he looked about the party. It was a little smaller than he'd expected, but there was an intimacy at work that showed that these few were all close friends. Michael had introduced his charming wife Bonnie, and there were a couple of others who'd worked with them in the past. And then there were the three delightful Knight children, twin older girls and the birthday boy himself, a solid nine year old. There was also a dark skinned boy, apparently the son of an old friend from their FLAG days.

That one had been hanging around him ever since they'd landed. The smile threatened to turn into a smirk as Saint-John thought back to their entrance: a low level, high speed approach reminiscent of his days in 'Nam... and Airwolf. He'd pushed the Jetranger to its limits for the small crowd below, but it had been worth it. The looks on the kid's faces... priceless.

Jo had assaulted his ear at first, but even she wasn't too angry. She would have preferred to have already been on ground before he started 'showing off'.

Thinking of which... He turned to look at his wife. "How is she?"

Jo dogged the hatch over the engine shut. "Okay. Nothings worked too loose with your devil-may-care air show." A small grin took the sting out of her words. "I'll take a closer look at everything when we get back at the hanger."

"Good." Saint-John took a swig of his light beer, suppressing the urge to grimace. He didn't particularly like light beer, but as they were at a children's party...

"I hope Bella's doing okay..."

"Hey." He lifted her chin from where it had dropped a little. "She's safe enough with String' and Cat'." Jo was very protective of their daughter, particularly since they nearly lost her at the beach. Jo's attention had wandered, and she'd gone almost too far out. Only a freak wave had pushed her back to shore before it was too late. Isabella had been reluctant to go near the sea ever since.

Jo looked at him for a moment, before she sighed. "I know. It's just..."

"Are you ever going to forgive yourself?" He asked gently. He'd been asking that question ever since that day. It had strained their already tumultuous marriage almost to breaking point, but they had eventually pulled through. Mainly for Bella's sake.

Jo sniffed before looking away. Just like every other time.

Saint-John sighed. "Drink?"

"Please." She latched onto his offer with both hands. She chuckled. "Some more work would be nice too."

He smiled lightly. "I'll see what I can arrange."

Making his way across the lawns, Saint-John looked ahead to see Michael Knight and his wife talking in quiet tones, there expressions concerned. Close by the dark skinned man with a Chicago accent and the modestly pregnant red haired woman stood listening, with similarly concerned expressions. As he got close Michael turned and strode back towards the mansion.

Bonnie turned to look at him. "Something you'd like Mr Hawke?"

Saint-John smiled easily. "Cool drink for Jo mainly." He glanced towards were Michael was just stepping into the mansion. "Something wrong?"

Bonnie sighed. "It's just... a friend of ours said he'd be here and he's not. Michael's going to try and contact him."

Saint-John heard the worried note in her tone. "Trouble?"

"Oh, I hope not..."

"Bonnie, you know that KITT can take care of himself." The man spoke reassuringly.

She looked at him with concern. "Not always RC. Despite everything he's got, he can be outsmarted. He's just not devious enough."

The man chuckled. "Yeah... that was Michael's area." Both women smiled at his words.

-|-

Silently a dark form rolled to a halt on the main road outside the Knight Mansion's grounds. Behind the low sleek car two plain grey vans and a medium sized truck came to a stop.

"Well?" The man who sat in the driver's seat of the sport's car said.

"I am currently scanning the grounds." An electronic voice answered back, as a yellow light rippled rapidly in a slot on the front of the car. A simple graphical display came up on the one monitor to the driver's side. Small white stick figures marked the locations of people. The man nodded slowly.

"Send it to my men."

"Done."

A small chuckle escaped his throat as he thumbed a radio. "Move in."

Behind the old trans-am the three other vehicles pulled out and surged through the open entrance to the grounds. The car didn't move, even when the man glared at the displays. It remained silent.

-|-

Airwolf would have smiled if she could have as she listened to KITT talk. For a long time now her existence had been dull, monotonous. There just wasn't the need for a supersonic attack helicopter any more. The Soviet Union had collapsed from within almost six years ago, and while China was trying to fill the void, it was just not ready to oppose American. Sure, the many and varied terrorist groups out there were still a threat, but using helicopters to assault them would be difficult, at best. They were too spread out, too diffuse a target. Area 52, the division that used her successor helicopters, was on the verge of being shut down. Too much expense for too little gain. Already Michael, Hawke and Cat' had retired. Airwolf herself would had been shut down and dismantled years ago if Michael and Hawke hadn't pulled some strings. It was how she'd ended up back in the Lair, remembering the days of glory. It ha been quiet, if dull.

But now though, an intruder had found her, and yet he was a most remarkable machine. She'd already identified the weaknesses in his partition. Even with her older codes she could crack his defences and access his entire system. She hadn't however, because KITT intrigued her. A fully designed AI, made to back up his driver in his fight to bring down criminal masterminds, those who operated above the law.

But he wasn't just a fancy computer. Her earlier scans had revealed that hidden under that deceptively plain surface was a car packed with advanced systems and technology. His capabilities were unmatched by anything else on four wheels.

Much like herself in fact. Only the latest aircraft could beat her in certain areas. And none could outmatch her overall.

Idly, she wondered what it would have been like if they had been working together during their hey-days...

A tone sounded from KITT's systems, cutting across the pair of them. Airwolf tense reflexively as KITT focused on the system. "Oh. Excuse me, someone's calling."

"KITT, where are you buddy? You all right?" A human male's voice came over his long range comm. system.

'Don't tell him!' Airwolf hissed before KITT responded. 'My location has to remain a secret!'

"Michael, I'm fine. There's no need to worry." KITT responded soothingly, taking her message in.

"Yeah well tell Miles that."

KITT paused. "Miles? Good grief, the party!" He exclaimed in a stricken tone.

"Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Michael... I don't know what to say. I was just..."

"Later pal. Just get here quickly. Mile's is getting anxious. As is Bonnie."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." KITT signed off before returning his attention to the helicopter off his nose. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

'Well, it was nice meeting you.' Airwolf seemed to hesitate, then a second data packet was sent over their connection. 'Here, take this.'

"What is it?" KITT asked as he scanned the packet. A long string of numbers and letters, almost gibberish.

'That's the cipher for my secure satellite link. You ever wish to talk some more, call.'

KITT was staggered. He knew the implications of what Airwolf had just done; he'd seen the human parallel many times with Michael before he'd finally settled down with Bonnie. "I will. Goodbye." He said as he started his turbine up.

Airwolf watched silently as the sleek black shape backed up out of her lair, a thread of uncertainty running through her central processor. All her experiences were screaming that the car should not be allowed to leave, not with the knowledge of her location. Secrecy was her only protection.

But... she liked the car's AI. She had only just met him, but she liked him already.

Unbidden her thoughts drifted to one of her old files... to the first meeting between String and Catlin...