Chapter 8 – Loose Ends

Once Jax and Sektor were back at the laboratory, they were joined by Private Manhattan and Brigadier Colonel Cox. Sektor started to grow uneasy at Dana's overflowing happiness as Private Manhattan relayed the mission and its outcome.

"Well done, all of you. Grandmaster 9T9, you completed the mission with no casualties and complied with your handler's commands. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sektor said

"Did…did you command him to say that?" Dana asked Jax.

"No sir, that's all his doing."

"Anyways, the sponsors for the rehabilitation program are impressed with LK-9T9's outstanding performance. As much as you have irked me, Grandmaster 9T9, I will honor my end of the deal and free you and your clan brothers from my programming. Private Manhattan is a clinical psychologist and will evaluate you, Grandmaster 9T9. If you pass his evaluation, then I'll remove the programming blocks."

"Brigadier Colonel Cox, if you don't mind, I have something important to discuss with Sektor before Private Manhattan takes him in for his evaluation. It'll only take a few minutes."

Dana was caught off guard by the request, but granted Jax permission to speak with Sektor privately, as he had something important to relay to Private Manhattan.

Jax led Sektor to an empty conference room as asked him to sit down. Sektor did so. He sensed that Jax has something serious to tell him.

"Sektor, it's the last day I'm probably gonna see you, so you need to know the truth."

"Truth?"

"The truth is, you weren't originally brought here to be reformed. You were brought here as a test subject for Brigadier Colonel Cox's project."

"Project?!"

"Project Iron Man is a remote-controlled system that will allow US soldiers to operate combat cyborgs similar to the Lin Kuei cyborgs. An active soldier uses a wrist device like mine, sends the cyborg out and keeps the soldiers safe from enemy fire. He reasons if the cyborgs have sentience and bonds with the soldier, they can't be compromised by enemies. Less US and civilian casualties would be the end result of this. Once Dana gets this thing approved by the General, it'll be mass produced and US-produced cyborgs will be shipped out to our men and women in active combat."

"You were in on this little pet project the entire time?!"

"Sektor, it's not what you think. I pushed for you to be reformed. I pushed for your clan brothers to not be the first batch of PIMs sent out. I really do believe that that you could change for the better. You have changed for the better."

Before Sektor could retort, Private Manhattan knocked on the door.

"Major Briggs, the engineers was to see you. They mentioned something about you needing an upgrade to the suit."

"…Okay, Private. Give me a moment," Jax sighed before he turned towards Sektor, who looked as if he was going to go off, "Sektor, keep it together. Dana still has control over you and the other cyborgs. Don't attack Private Manhattan. Please, just finish the evaluation and negotiate your freedom with Dana. I really hope I haven't completed fucked you up." Jax removed the wrist device as Private Manhattan barged in.

"…This is goodbye, Grandmaster 9T9. Hopefully, I won't have to put you down myself."

"I make no guarantees, Major Briggs. I would say it's been a pleasure working with you, but it wasn't."

"Major Briggs, the device?"

"Here, Private."

"Thank you, Major Briggs. I'll take it from here." Private Manhattan watched as Jax quietly left the room. He felt sorry for him, but he had his orders to carry out. When Jax was out of the conference room, Sektor stood up from his chair. Private Manhattan placed the wrist device on the table.

"Sektor, was it? I'm Dr Dean Manhattan."

"A doctor? Your family must be so proud of you." Sektor stalked towards the soldier as the young soldier pulled out an electromagnetic prod.

"Don't. I'm not stupid into thinking your wouldn't kill me. You're angry and you feel like he betrayed you. But deep down, you know he gives a damn about you enough to tell you truth."

"You overheard our conversation." Sektor backed down and took his seat.

"Yes." Dean confirmed, "We need to complete the evaluation before I'm to escort you to Brigadier Colonel Cox's office."

"Carry on, Dr Manhattan."

The evaluation lasted thirty minutes before Dean concluded that Sektor was well enough to be released from Project Iron Man.

Sektor kept his anger is check as he allowed Dean to escort him to Brigadier Colonel Cox's office. He looked at the dark corridors, the floors, anything to keep his mind off of killing.

"Sorry, his office is clear underground. It'll be a while to reach it." Dean told him.

Sektor chose not to answer the young doctor.

Private Manhattan opened the bolted door with his personal keycard and motioned for Sektor enter.

"Good luck, Sektor." Private Manhattan offered. Again, Sektor did not pay him any mind. Dr Manhattan entered the room first to drop off the wrist device and his report on Sektor before returning to the doorway. The cyborg entered the room afterwards. His optics was trained on Brigadier Colonel Cox, who stood at his desk. Dana dismissed Private Manhattan, thanking him for this trouble. Dean saluted the Brigadier Colonel, closed the door and left.

Sektor got a good look at the room. It was sparse, save for the desk and general office furniture. The desk has various documents on it, but the one document that Sektor saw was single sheet of paper and a pen.

"You thought I was going to get one last dig at you, didn't you?" Cox chuckled, "Not this time. Just sign the document and you and your clan brothers are solid with the United States. All accusations with you being involved with the Black Dragon Clan are also dropped. You and your precious clan brothers will be reprogrammed and released, as negotiated by Major Briggs. I will also surrender all your historical records and cyborg schematics back into your custody."

Sektor quickly grabbed the pen and signed his codename and his civilian name to the document.

Suddenly, Sektor sense someone behind him. He turned around and saw a masked man.

"What the—YOU?!" Sektor gasped, recognizing the man.

"Yes, me. Night-night, Brat."

The masked intruder pressed a trigger to a remote device that caused Sektor to be hit with powerful electromagnetic waves. Sektor screamed in agony and fell to the floor, going offline. Dana stood at his desk, watching the man with a soft smile.

"Did he sign it?"The man asked removing his mask. The man was of Asian descent, with grey eyes and long salt-and-peppered hair. He had a thin black beard on his face and some light scars on his cheeks. The man's most distinct feature was a deep scar on his neck.

"He did. He even used his civilian name."

"Good to know he's still as stupid as his old man. Now, vengeance can finally be yours, Dana."

"I don't know how to thank you for this. For everything."

"You already have. The cyborgs units are ours. You have the basis for a whole new army that'll save the lives of your countrymen and the added bonus of getting the retribution you so desperately need."

"Help me drag his ass to my 'other' office. I want him online for this."

"I like the way you think, Brigadier Colonel. You got it."