Chapter 7

"Ready for teleportation, Data." Alpha's voice came over the speakers.

"Roger that." Don slid out of his arms, and Data reached over, pressing a few buttons on the control panel. Alpha and the rest appeared, looking tired and battered. Fireblaze had a long gash down his arm. Don stood instantly.

"You're hurt!"

"It's not bad." Fireblaze disparaged, walking off. Don flew ahead of him and grabbed his arm.

"I don't care; I can fix it myself." Fireblaze growled.

"And I don't care; I'm not letting you."

"Get away from me."

"No."

"I said get away from me. I don't need your help."

"Well you're going to get it." Don said, crossing his arms. "Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but it's going to get done."

Fireblaze stared at Don. Don stared at Fireblaze. "I'm not going to convince you, am I?" Fireblaze ground out, narrowing his eyes.

"Not a chance."

"Fine. But keep away from me after that."

"No promises."

Don walked out of the room, a hand lightly around Fireblaze's wrist. Only once they were away from the others and Don was ready to start treating Fireblaze's wound, did Don started to speak.

"So, what race are you?"

"I don't want to talk to you. I'm only letting you do this because otherwise I'll use up more time than I want arguing."

"Well you're going to spend a lot more time arguing with me about this. I'm very determined."

"I'm not talking to you."

"I'm sorry about what happened to your Don." Don smoothed a numbing cream over the wound.

"I don't need that."

"While I'm sure you're made of stone with no feelings whatsoever, Oh Mighty One, I'm still using the cream."

Fireblaze huffed. "Right, because you're just the epitome of perfection, Oh Perfect One."

Don grinned. "Closer than you'll ever know, neanderthal. So, what's it like; throwing fire?"

"It doesn't hurt. I generate it around my hands, where it reaches a certain point of pressure and then it shoots out, like with a gun."

"You figured this out yourself?"

"No, I…" Fireblaze trailed off, then stood up abruptly. "I'm done here."

"I'll get to you eventually." Don whispered to the empty room. "I'll save you, Hank, I promise."

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

"We've got another subject." Alpha informed Data, his second in command.

"What's the problem?" Data could tell that something was amiss, he had, after all, been the first person Alpha recruited.

"The area. It's technologically advanced with inhabitants that hypothesize about multiple levels of reality. The subject is under a heavy containment field, if we can blow the shield we can get someone in there, but they've got a disruptor shield around the subject, it won't let in any version of us. Our counterpart there must be a problem. Unless you've completed that droid, there's only one person that can save the subject."

"Not enough resources, it's slow work for the droid. Why are we even going there? We can't risk this subject on a rescue mission or anything else."

"We promised to save anyone we could without overly risking compromising ourselves, in the interests of our continued rescue missions and… you know what else. This falls under that category."

"I thought they were hypothesizing a multiverse."

"They are, and the danger level is huge. But… Data it's a potential 7 world. I know I shouldn't be compromising us like this but… you know I… you know that there's nothing more important to me than him. And if saving the subject gets in the way…"

"I know. It's your first priority. But, you know rule 2. Always save the subject as long as the risk level of our revelation or complete destruction is acceptably in the interests of continuing the mission. I think that applies. We can go."

"Do you really? You know this is important to me, more than anything else even rescuing some subject, and if I can't… I need you to tell me. Should we really go? It's just… if we didn't, and that one turned out to be the one…"

"I know. But like I said, rule 2. It's worth it."

"But how can we endanger the subject here?"

"Alpha, I know this is tearing you apart. But this subject risks his life on a daily basis. We can't protect him. I think it's his choice. You… know what happened to mine. He wouldn't want to let someone die because of him. It could even further compromise him if he learned we let someone die to save him. He could attempt to leave, and you know that would put him in danger; he couldn't get home without us, if he we can ever get him home at all."

"And if he gets home he'll put himself in danger; if he stays he'll insist on coming with us." Alpha sighed. "I don't like it."

"Who does? The point remains we're sworn to save him in these circumstances, and if the subject here gives his permission to help, then we have to go."

Alpha gave a small smile, though not truly one of joy. He hadn't really smiled for 10 years, 7 months, and 16 days. "I suppose you're right, Data. You usually are. Fine. We'll ask him. And I pray we won't have another's blood on our hands."