Will stormed into his quarters, cursing the fact that he couldn't slam the door. Just thinking about Maddox and his high and mighty attitude was enough to make his blood boil, but spending several hours in his company left him wondering how fast his internal organs would have to work in order to replace all of the evaporated liquid.
Deanna sat up from the sofa, the emotions she was feeling from her husband pulling her out from her own thoughts. "Will..." she called gently. "Will, are you...?"
"Please, Deanna, don't ask if I'm all right. I'm not." Will crossed the room and sat next to her on the sofa. Deanna wrapped her arm around his shoulders, trying to sooth his anger. She jumped when he slammed his hand against the armrest.
"That man is a royal pain in the ass! He's talking about B4 as if he's some sort of godsend for him and his buddies at the Institute. Maddox is going to try anything and everything just so he can take B4 apart!" Will was shouting now, his face like thunder. The memory of Data's trial was burning through his mind, the images renewed by Bruce Maddox' presence. Data may have forgiven him, but Will had never really forgiven himself.
Deanna sighed and bit her lip. She felt her husband's pain deeply, his anger and his guilt and his frustration lancing through her mind. She had planned to tell Will the news tonight, but it could wait. "Imazadi," she whispered in his ear, "Bruce Maddox is not going to disassemble B4. He would have to beat his way through at least two of Starfleet's finest officers in order to do so. Both you and Captain Picard are going to fight him. You saved Data, you can save his brother." She smiled at him.
Will gave an almost smile back, but his face clouded over again almost instantly. "It just frustrates me. He's acting like he's above the rest of us, like we don't see on his face what he wants to do. And he's acting like he can't be stopped."
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B4 sat in his quarter, his knees pulled up to his chest. He was shaking. Geordi had just told him that Bruce Maddox was coming. And B4 was terrified.
He knew what Bruce Maddox had tried to do, what he was going to try to do. 'What is going to happen to me? I am not as smart as Data, nor as brilliant. What if Bruce Maddox cannot be stopped?'
B4 knew that death happened. He knew it was like going away. He knew you were supposed to go somewhere nice when it happened. So why did the thought of it happening scare him so much?
Data pushed himself forward. It was getting easier to get through and he was able to stay for longer periods of time. Soon they would be able to tell the others. But first...
'Brother,' he began, 'I am here. You do not have to be worried. Bruce Maddox will not disassemble you, just as he did not disassemble me.'
"But I am not..."
'You have just begun to live. I was not created and then immediately become intelligent. You are brilliant, brother. You just have not had time for it to become apparent.'
B4 smiled. "I am glad you are here, brother. Having a family is good."
'Yes, it is good.'
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Geordi paced up and down his quarters, his mind racing. He tried to run through scenarios of how meeting Maddox would go when he came aboard, but everytime he did Geordi pictured himself punching Maddox in the face.
Geordi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as another scenario came to mind. Maddox would step off the transporter pad, his face smug and superior, and then Geordi would knock that look right of with a well placed right to the nose...
He slammed his fist into the wall, then winced at the pain. He was unaccustomed to feeling this violent and didn't know what to do about it.
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Spot rubbed against his leg in a rare show of affection. He looked down at the orange tabby and ran his hand across her back. He picked her up and walked over to his desk, suddenly knowing what to do. He knew hat Maddox was planning, so he might as well plan his counter strike.
