Thanks to Math Girl, Peter, the two guests, Susan and Bow Echo for reviewing.
To answer a question from one of the guests, I will discuss Kayo and the Mechanics relationship more directly, but I'm saving the most direct revelations for later vital turning points (after all, the Tracy's and Havoc have questions too).
So I'm sorry, most honourable Guest if that doesn't satisfy you, I really am.
The accident sent tremors throughout the room, and soon brought the rest of the Hood's gang over. Pulling out a knife, Sandra Bennett cut Kayo loose from her bonds, then attempted to cut the Mechanic loose from his body. William (the Mechanic) wasn't unconscious however, and pulling a gun from his forearm held her back.
Kayo gently pulled her back then called upwards. "Jones, are you all right up there?"
Jones called back down. "I don't think the winch is long enough to climb up."
Sandra was livid. "The Mechanic trying to abandon us makes sense, but JONES! I thought he was on our side," she raged.
Kayo shrugged. "Traitor or not... Jones, we need you to call for help, can you do that?"
"Right, I'll go and get help, and you can get out of there while I'm gone for help. Yes, I will do that," Jones picked his way through the rubble and exited the building onto the tarmac. Recognizing him as an enemy, a troop of cybernetic Minotaur's charged out and surrounded him and the Scorpion drone.
Back inside...
Kayo pulled the Mechanic out of the mess of wires he was in, then examined his injuries. He was burnt in several places and rather slow and clunky in his movements.
"You shouldn't have let Jones escape," Sandra was insisting. "We can still dig our way out, you know."
Kayo gritted her teeth. "Then get to digging, and select one of your people to help me guard the Mechanic."
Sandra's hand rested near her gun. "That brings us to another thing," she said. "Wouldn't it be better to just kill the Mechanic. His Mechas will probably find a way to rescue him and the Hood will kill us if that happens. As his niece, you should know all about his temper."
In a split second, Kayo had snatched the gun from the Mechanic and shot Sandra in the stomach.
D***it, this egotistical b**** was absolutely no f***ing way in h*** going to remind her of her own experience of her uncle's wrath. No, not going there.
"The Hood, your boss, has been very insistent so far on getting the Mechanic back ALIVE. If I hear any more such taunts and suggestions from ANYONE ELSE, then so help me I'll kill you. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME," she roared, sending the walls creaking ominously.
Shooing the rest of the Hood's minions back to the digging, Kayo took a moment to reflect on what she'd done.
Did I seriously just do that? Kneeling over and checking Sandra, Kayo sighed in relief to find she was still alive, but unconscious.
Yeah, great consolation there. You don't shoot for anger and spite, just to fight crime. The Hood shoots on impulse. That's not you. Not anymore. Tossing the gun away, Kayo slumped against the wall with her head in her hands, wishing she could erase what she'd just done.
The Mechanic of course watched all of this, and could sense Kayo's extreme distress. Forgetting to try and take the upper hand back he went over and sat next to her, even taking off his mask. He, unlike Sandra, knew what Kayo was really upset about, after all he'd been around at the time.
Kayo looked up and immediately tried to get up and leave. The Mechanic simply pulled her back down. Looking murderous for a moment, the moment quickly passed and Kayo caved, breaking down in his arms.
After several minutes, she calmed down and broke away. "Thanks," she sniffed, resting her head on his shoulder. "I needed that. I just hope my brothers never hear about this."
The Mechanic shrugged at that. "Well, if your job ever goes down there, you can join me. Well, seriously," as she glared at him. "I'm not trying to taunt you, but we were everything to each other beforehand. I even rescued you when the Hood tried to have you executed, though I'm sorry I wasn't in time to save you when he.. well... Anyway, my point is: Why the h*** are we fighting each other? By all rights we ought to be working together towards the same goals against the Hood, and don't pretend you've forgiven him, you just proved you're still sore over it."
Kayo looked angry. "Don't play the good guy, after several years of separation you returned into my life, and what did you do?"
The Mechanic shifted uncomfortably, it didn't really need saying what he'd done back at the scandium ore deposit, or Bay City, or with the TV-21, or at Park-moor Scrubs prison.
"You were much better than the Hood when I knew you, and now all of a sudden you're a lot worse," Kayo continued. "When you betrayed the Hood after breaking him out and nearly killed him, I was willing to believe that maybe, just maybe, you'd only been performing for the Hood up to a point. But now, you're ten times as bad, you're even more power hungry than he is. I would've gladly disobeyed Scott Tracy and deserted from the Hood to you if it wasn't for that. Why Will, why?" She begged him.
The Mechanic bristled. "First of all, what do you mean, 'betrayed the Hood'? Who told you that?"
Kayo was confused. "Um mm. Well, after the Grand Sequoia Dam business, the Hood asked Scott for an alliance against you. Scott wanted to know why you two weren't partners anymore, and so the Hood told him... that... you..." She trailed off as it started to click in her head...
"I never betrayed the Hood. He betrayed me. Same story as you, actually. The Hood attempted to get rid of you when you clutzed the sabotage of the TV-21, but after I stopped him and the Tracy's took you under their wing he realized what a mistake he'd made and has been trying to get you back ever since."
"I know all that," Kayo snapped. "What's that got to do with this?"
"Because the Hood is doing the same thing to me. He didn't kill me for handing you over to Jeff, I was too important as a designer to him, so he simply had me implanted so he could control me with that cybernetic eye of his," the Mechanic spat. "But, after I failed to retrieve the TV-21 for him after it was rediscovered, he remembered what I'd done previously, and that I was more expendable to him now than I was back then. It was him that tried to betray me to the GDF after I broke him out, but I escaped and now he's realized that I too am more useful than he realized. He's been trying to get me back under his control ever since, like you. We're both in the same boat here."
Kayo struggled to wrap her head around it. "Well, i guess that explains you ripping out his cybernetic eye, it means he can't control you now. But it doesn't explain what you're trying to do now."
"You wouldn't understand..." the Mechanic began.
"No, that's the point. I DON'T understand, and unless I can understand and agree, then you need to understand that I have to fight you tooth and nail. Please, I don't want to do that, I want you back," She looked up pleadingly at him.
"Sorry," he put his mask back on and stood up, taking several steps away from her. Kayo noticed he was moving more freely, a result of being half-robot now, he had billions of nanobots inside of him.
Suddenly, screaming broke out from the direction of the others. Kayo scrambled to her feet and immediately saw what the problem was.
There was water spewing out from several cracks in the wall.
I'll try and make the next chapter lighter and more humorous.