I sat on the cliff looking at the sunset running my fingers through Drake's hair. Venjix was gone and our memories were gone for good although every now and then Drake had what he considered intuition about our past. We were on our own in the wastelands looking for the hope of a new tomorrow. The cybernetic implants in Drake's eyes had failed about ninety percent and I was definitely weaker than I had been a month before.

Drake could see shadows and light impressions but that was all. He requested that we sit on this cliff and watch the sun set. He got great enjoyment as the light played with the sunrises and sunsets because he could see the light change in this dark shadowy world. He also enjoyed and told me it seemed very familiar when I ran my fingers through his hair. He said the tactile touch help reassure his body that everything was still alright.

I had expressed sadness about his eyesight failing when we first found out that it would happen. He had told me that he was more than alright with it and that he had no regrets going back into a sightless world as long as I would never leave him alone again. He said the thought of going blind again would actually be a relief as the seeing world confused his mind and having this sense that I took for granted had often overwhelmed him at times. He just had never known why, he had thought it was a glitch in his programing. He had told me that he also wouldn't forget this precious time either because now he truly knew what colors looked like and he knew what I looked like, not just how I had felt which is how he remembered me in the memory shards that had made it through the virus.

I had had a hard time accepting all the changes in my life and that I had been unconscious during much of the final battle but for the first time as I watched this sunset I really gave my mind permission to wander to the events that had happened.

RPM

I had just found out about the vaccine that Dr. K had been working on. I knew I had been on borrowed time but it hadn't really hit home until Corporal Hicks turned out to be a hybrid at fifty three percent that was activated ahead of the game. Scott told us he had attempted to assassinate the Colonel.

With this step up in the game Scott had gotten permission to take the battle the Venjix. Gem and Gemma had located the palace with their special project that they had worked on the night before.

We were on our way to the staging grounds when Venjix released a magnetic wave that temporarily disrupted all our cars. Those seconds as my car came to a halting stop were some of the scariest I had ever experienced because unlike the time when Venjix had taken control of my mind I was completely aware as his voice and his orders began to issue through my head. I was somehow able to resist the droning going through my head.

I knew that keeping my mind on the mission was the only way to avoid giving into the strong will of Venjix. I kept my head focused and followed Scott's lead in everything, I was not even going to try and contradict because Venjix wanted me to question ranks and turn the others against each other.

We saw all the other hybrids walking mindlessly through the city. Venjix gave his orders to all his followers and to anyone who wasn't a hybrid he ordered them to surrender peacefully.

My face twisted up in pain and Summer looked at me. "Lacy are you alright?"

I struggled to talk, it was easier to move my body than talk, "He is in my head but I am still here for now."

Scott shook his head at Venjix's orders and Flynn became panicked. I had never seen Flynn tear off in such a manner but I knew he had his reasons. Ziggy worried about Dr. K but Scott grabbed his arm and ordered him to hold still.

We ran around the corner and ran into the mother of all attack bots. It was not the prettiest thing I ever saw. Venjix had had some inventions that were real winners but this was the winner of the only a demonic computer virus could love category. I could pick out a few different bots that had obviously had their best attributes or worst depending on who you asked assigned to this bot.

The others went to morph but I found it was too hard to resist Venjix while going through the stance needed to morph. I let myself collapse to the ground and held myself there until I could regain motor control of my body. I watched the others struggle to fight and my mind drifted to the vaccine. I knew I had to take the risk of going after the vaccine. I acknowledged that I could die but dying would be better than killing my friends when I lost control. I would only be able to fight my mind for so long.

I bolted back to my car not even thinking about whether it would start or not. When I turned my key I then thought about what I would do if it didn't start. Luckily it came to roaring life and I drove it like a drunk mad man across town. Every second Venjix was getting closer to controlling me.

I also soon found that it was harder to fight when I was closer in proximity to Venjix. I began to stumble and fade in and out of consciousness once I arrived at the garage and found Venjix in the middle of destroying the lab. I know I nearly lost myself as he addressed me but I think I managed to fight it long enough that he evidently left me for dead. I don't remember much but I know one moment I was standing in front of Venjix and the next I was rolling over on the floor feeling like a lead weight was laying on my chest.

I crawled along the floor till I reached the table with the vaccine on it. I was amazed that all Venjix did to the lab the liquid that could save my life was still untouched. I fumbled around for the injector and once it was in my hand I struggled to inject it into my hand. The vaccine burned as it traveled through my veins.

The effects were almost immediate. My head cleared and I could think clearly. I uttered my first words since telling Summer that Venjix was in my head. "Doc you are a genius!" I grabbed another vial and ran out of the lab before any troops could come and take my body away.

I followed a patrol of grinders as they traveled through the city. I hoped that they would take me to where my brother was. I got lucky when I found Drake however I groaned when I saw some grinders pushing Flynn and Dr. K into a building. Drake guarded the entrance until his entire patrol was inside as if he was expecting to be attacked. I opened a channel on my morpher, "Scott, Summer where are you?"

Scott answered me, "We are in what is left of the Industrial park." He seemed to bite back tears before continuing, "We just lost Gem and Gemma."

"Lost? What do you mean lost?" I said speaking into my morpher while watching to make sure I didn't attract attention.

Summer must have taken Scott's morpher because over Scott's channel came the hushed answer that they were gone.

I digested what I had been told but quickly responded, "I am sorry but we don't have time to feel sorry for ourselves."

"What is up with your attitude we just lost the twins!" Ziggy said snatching the morpher away. "You can't have a heart if you don't care that Gem and Gemma are gone. I still can't believe it!"

I put my head down, "You better believe it. Dr. K and Flynn are about to be next."

Scott must have taken his morpher back because he practically yelled at me with the next statement, "Where are you!"

"I am about three blocks south of the garage at a transport depot." I responded as I peeked around a corner to see Dr. K and Flynn get loaded into a cargo truck. I ducked back into my hiding place as Kilobyte came marching into the depot. He began to say things about saying goodbye and that Drake would be the one leaving. I poked my head back around the corner in time to see his laser finger attachment disappear which was followed by a fight in front of the cargo truck.

I watched but once I saw that Drake didn't have the upper hand in the fight I morphed and jumped in, "How about two hybrids?" I asked as I ran in in response of his telling Drake that one hybrid would never be a match for him.

I fought Kilobyte as Drake lay on the ground confused about what was happening to him. Kilobyte knocked me around and I hardly noticed that the vaccine slipped out of my belt. I was knocked back to Drake and I knelt in front of him.

"Still protecting your brother even though he has tried to kill you multiple times?" Kilobyte asked me.

I reached for the vaccine but that was when I realized that it wasn't at my side where I had secured it. "Some things never change!" I said as I stood up amending my plan. I heard Drake stand up behind me. And grab my arm. I tried to block her but he took my weapon and aimed it at Kilobyte while hiding behind me.

Kilobyte cackled, "She comes to save you and in return you use him as a shield. What a dysfunctional family!"

Dr. K ran from behind the truck and I smiled behind my helmet that she had gotten free. I then saw Flynn come out from behind Kilobyte and kick him in the ankles as he slid across the floor. He then called out to me and threw the vaccine at me. I took that moment to put Drake in front of me and grab the injector as it flew through the air. In one swift motion I pressed it down on my brother's arm and winced as he screamed in pain as the substance burned him as it had burned me.

At the last minute I pulled away as Drake fell to the ground and activated my shield. I struggled to hold it for the maximum length of time but in the end my shield failed and I felt myself go flying through the air as my mind shut down. My last thoughts were of pain overwhelming my body as the feedback demorphed me.

My next thought came as I pulled off a pair of headphone which were playing an awful rendition of my watch tune on a repeating loop. I struggled to sit up but my body felt stiff and unreactive. I got a new wind as I heard my brother's voice from Dr. K's control center. He sounded scared so I ran to the room to find him on the screen.

I looked at Dr. K, "where is he?"

Dr. K looked at me, "he is at the control tower and it is collapsing."

"I will go get him out of there!" I took off running but I heard a no in protest from behind me.

I pulled my car out of the garage and drove off towards the access shaft of the control tower at the fastest possible speed. As I drove I looked up at the tower to see it hanging by one connector. I knew I had to act even faster so I pushed my car to a faster speed and braced myself as I swerved around corners and took out debris that littered the road.

As I drove and then ran when I could drive no further my only thought was on saving my brother. Luckily the service elevator was working and I was able to take it almost all the way to the top before I had to scale through the damaged tunnels. I got into control just as the tower began to shake and wobble. I found Crunch and Drake fighting. I also heard that the reason for the more unstable being was that Gem and Gemma were back and they had shot out the last connector just seconds after I exited it.

I kicked Crunch as the tower began to fall. I grabbed Drake and dragged him to an escape hatch where we grabbed a parachute and jumped out into the air. Once we had cleared the tower I released the parachute and let us drift around while the tower fell to the ground.

Drake held onto me so I couldn't immediately reach for my morpher when Dr. K began to look for me urgently. Drake was able to unstrap it from my wrist and hold it to me. I smiled and replied, "We are alright, just enjoying the view. It is going to be a perfect day tomorrow!"

The bittersweet came shortly after as everything settled into a new normal. Gem and Gemma were recruited into Eagle squad under Scott and soldiers began to spread out around the city to find what might be left in the area immediately around Corinth and to secure Venjix's palace.

Scott and Summer started going through some difficult times and Drake and I decided to head out into the wastelands. Flynn was originally going to come with us however his Dad invited him to come back to work with him. Flynn was unable to turn down that offer.

Drake and I had just finished loading my car when Dr. K approached us with a scanner, "I need to scan you two to make sure your mechanical parts are going to break down with little problem to your health before you go. I shrugged and let the scan proceed. I was informed that I was going to be fine although I may experience periods of crippling weakness and my muscles reasserted themselves. Drake was told that his implants in his eyes were holding but there was no way of knowing for how long he would be able to see.

I drove out of the city and looked at my brother. We had gone maybe five miles when we came to some flowers that were already growing. It was then that I really knew it was safe to let loose and that there really was a brighter future waiting for us.

RPM

Drake shook me out of my reverie, "The sun has set I see only complete darkness now. We should get into the car."

I nodded and guided him to the car. It was dangerous at night out here in the unexplored part of the wastelands. During the day people were timid and afraid you could approach them if you had food. At night is was another story Altogether they became savage and wild fighting for whatever they could find. The only safe place was in our car so we would climb in and lock the doors and then I would help Drake over into the backseat. Once back there I would unfold the blankets and we would tuck in for the night. People usually didn't bother with a locked car; they just wanted to get at whatever was easiest.

As we bundled down it was Drakes turn to soothe me. He would run his fingers though my hair to help me relax. I rolled over to face him even though I knew he couldn't see me anymore. "I think I am ready to hear what happened to you while I was unconscious during the last battle."

"There isn't much to tell Lacy." Drake whispered as he searched for a strand of my hair.

"I need to know what happened." I whispered back.

Alright." Drake paused before beginning with a faraway sounding voice "I was wreathing in pain after you had injected me. My first clear thought came to me since my capture after my first betrayal. I saw you lying on the floor so I crawled to you and I didn't leave your side as Scott, Ziggy, and Summer finished Kilobyte. I didn't leave your side even while they all carried you to the garage."

I lay still and listen to the story. I let the words wrap around me as if I had been experiencing them first hand.

"Flynn, Scott and Ziggy carried you back to the garage while Summer helped me walk. The vaccine cause so much pain at first. Dr. K thinks it hurt me more because I was over eighty percent cybernetic. I stood beside you as Dr. K hooked you up to her computers and then eventually plugged you into those headphones. I never wanted to leave you but the others persuaded me that you would be fine and that I was the only one who could walk right up to Venjix and double cross him." Drake frowned and sighed

"Dr. K uploaded a virus into my systems, one that was harmless to me but would turn Venjix against himself. Every time he tried to hurt his enemies he just hurt himself." I was also able to recover all the information on your ranger bio-fields which Dr. K used to bring Gem and Gemma back."

"Just minutes before you came to rescue me Crunch came in and accused me of not being Drake anymore. I had to tell him that I had never been who he thought I was." Drake finished retelling what had happened.

"Well, I am glad you were able to stand up to Venjix. I would love you either way but I know the only reason we all survived was because you did what you did." I mumbled as I rolled over again

As I drifted off I heard Drake whisper, "The one thing I wish I could wipe from my brain is the image of Venjix. I would be much happier if he wasn't the one thing I was forced to see with my eyes the most."