Hello again. How is everyone? Nothing to say really so lets just move right to the story.

Identities

Chapter 12 – Revelations Part 2

Truman spares a look at the clock, not thinking much of it. Until he noticed that it was 5:28 in the morning. He looks at the odd little group that they had made, four humans sitting in chairs around a huge metal table which supported a huge metal alien who had very recently started to talk to them.

Looking down at the little metal form of Midget curled up in his lap he smiles his first true smile in a while. This is little group he could always count on, and with the addition of these few more, he felt like he could do anything.

Butterfly shifts on the table and instantly stops and grimaces. A trickle of blue runs from his right wrist, down the table and onto the floor. Truman looks up at the groan that Butterfly lets out, and asks, "Flyer (1) is something wrong?"

"It's nothing really just the bindings that you have holding me down are too tight." Butterfly says, "They do hurt somewhat."

Truman gently pushes Midget off of his lap and gets up. "Well then let's get them off."

Alai, Eli, and Sherman are quick to follow him. Sherman and Truman start on the binds on Butterfly's right arm and leg, while Alai and Eli make quick work of the binds on Butterfly's left arm and leg.

As soon as Butterfly is free he stands up carefully and stretches. Looking back down at the now dwarfed humans below him he smiles and says, "Thank you. That is much more comfortable."

"Of course." Truman says. Sherman nods, but he does seem a bit uneasy.

Butterfly cocks his head to the side and stares at Sherman. "Is something wrong, Mr. Sherman?" he asks. "You've always been a bit uneasy around us, but it is showing through painfully right now."

Sherman blinks, "Oh, that…. It's nothing. It's just …well… it's your size." Sherman says dumbly.

Butterfly starts, "My size?" He asks in confusion, "Does that fact that I am so big intimidate you, Mr. Sherman. I swear to you that I mean you and your friends no harm."

"I know that." Sherman says quickly, "It's just that you could harm us quite easily, and by complete accident."

Truman decides to stop the conversation there. "Look it's no big deal. Butterfly isn't going to hurt us Sherman, but Butterfly, you have to understand that we're always going to be a little intimidated by you. Ok?"

Sherman nods and Butterfly mutters a soft, "Understood."

Truman looks up at Butterfly's wrist where the blue liquid was still running from a broken line."Flyer, sit down for a minute."

Butterfly gives Truman a puzzled look but does as instructed, sitting down on the table. Truman walks over to a workbench and grabs a welder that was just lying there.

With quick steps he walks back over to Butterfly. A steady hand allows him to close the wound with the easy of someone who had been doing it all their life.

Butterfly blinks, "Thank you, but why did you do that?"

Truman looks up at him and shrugs, "I just did it. I didn't know if that wound would hurt you if left alone, so I took some initiative and closed it before it became a problem. I'm sorry that we hurt you like that."

Butterfly pulls his face into a smile, "It's alright. Thanks for thinking about that."

"Yeah," Bear adds, 'Besides a lot of the test you do hurts a lot more then a simple nick anyway."

This was said to cheer Truman up, but the look on his face made Bear see that it did the exact opposite of its intent. Truman's smile seems to melt right off his face, and Bear wanted to smack his head into the wall.

"Do the test really hurt that much?" Truman asks in a dead-pan, sad voice.

Butterfly shoots Bear a hard glare, but they both know that there is no point in saying otherwise. "Yes." They whisper as Midget lets out a little confirming chirp.

Truman cannot even look up at them, and Eli, Alai, and Sherman do not know how to make him feel better. Butterfly carefully lowers himself down on one knee and puts a single finger and lifts his head up, "Truman, it is NOT your fault. There was no way you could have known that the tests were hurting us, and we had no way of telling you, so please don't blame yourself for something that you had no control over, you know now and that is all that matters. Understand?"

Truman gives him a sad smile. "Thanks Flyer, I know that it can't erase the pain that we cause, but I am sorry." Truman face actually lights up as a thought passes threw his head, "and now that you can talk to us we don't have to hurt you anymore!"

Butterfly laughs, "See, it all works out."

Truman looks around at Alai, Eli and Sherman, a wide smile across his face.

Suddenly the happy moment is ruined as the elevator dings. Everyone looks over to it, Alai and Truman both scared. Out steps Sally and Erika, both greatly submerged in their girl talk. They stop talking about halfway across the room when they catch sight of the odd little group standing there.

Truman and Sherman quickly make their way over to the girls hoping to stop a catastrophe.

The girls look at Butterfly and start to scream. Truman and Sherman quickly slap their hands over the girls mouth.

Truman does not remove his hand from Sally's mouth, but says softly, "Relax, both of you. Now, if you two promise not to scream again, we'll let go. Ok?"

Erika calms down first and nods softly. Sherman lets go and lends her a steadying hand. Sally takes a few deep breaths around Truman's hand and nods herself. Truman let's her go but raps a strong arm around her waist to hold her steady.

Sherman looks at the two girls, "Are you girls ok now?" He asks softly.

Sally and Erika nod, and Sally asks, "Truman?"

"Yes" Truman says evenly.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" She shrieks at the top of her lungs.

Truman almost falls over at the sheer volume of the shout. Rubbing his ears, he says, "Sally, Erika sit down. We have a story to tell you."

The girls grab two seats and listen with great interest to the story that they superiors tell them. At the end of it, Sally turns to Butterfly, who had taken to sitting on the table about halfway through the story, and asks, "So….You lot can, like, understand us now? Is that the sum of it?"

Butterfly nods, "Yes that's about it."

Erika looks a little shaken, but Sally suddenly jumps out of her chair and pumps one fist into the air – effectively scaring everyone, including the giant alien robots – and shouts, "COOL! We have like the ultimate group here! No one will be able to bet us now!"

Truman blinks, then starts to laugh. Soon everyone joins in, though Butterfly, Bear and Midget can't quite figure out why their laughing.

After they settle down, Truman remembers something, "We need to go talk to Commander Havetsa, I just remembered something important!"

Sherman looks at him perplexed, "What is it, T?"

"This week we're scheduled to open Butterfly, Bear, and Midget up to take a look at the insides. If just poking around their armor hurt them, I hate to think what it would feel like when we cut them open!"

As an answer, all three mechanisms flinch and shutter. "I most certainly do NOT fancy that!" Butterfly exclaimed.

"Well then, let's go talk to Commander Havetsa." Sally says, "I'm sure he'll understand."

Truman looks at her, "I'm not too sure about that one Sal, but it couldn't hurt."

End Chapter

(1)– Yes I did it! They're all getting nicknames! Sue me if you want to, but you won't get anything, I have nothing to give. (Maniacal Laugh)