Disclaimer: I do not own Knight Rider or any attached blessings to it. Neither do I own any additionally mentioned culture references, locations, songs, et cetera.

Chapter 14: Spat

Billy sat down hard under Negado, panting as he wiped sweat from his forehead. Negado was still proving to be a pain, even under repairs, and the heat radiating from his growling under belly was just getting too much for the computer geek. Sitting under the lifted car, he drew out a group picture of FLAG at their Christmas party. Kitt and Cadge peeked in from either side of the picture with Cadge's grille lifted up in a huge grin and Christmas lights covering him. Kitt was covered in tinsel. Between them the humans posed. Billy smiled when he saw how Zoe had her arms wrapped around his neck in a playful headlock, making them almost look like a couple.

"That your girl?"

Billy jumped and held his picture to himself protectively, looking up at Negado.

"Um, uh, y-yeah, what's it to you?" Billy asked.

"Cute. No wonder why you guys are so hyped to get her back."

"What do you care? Your guys kidnapped her, and you're a car and she's a human; it'll never go anywhere!"

"Just like a nerd like you and her," Negado snorted, "And what ever I might feel for her isn't sexual; it's on a personal level of connection humans and cars have every day, but only cars feel…"

"I'm intrigued, continue," Billy implored.

"Heck no!" Negado snarled, suddenly turning hostile, "Like I'd tell a fleshing like you something like that?"

Negado didn't have to; Wayne Boomer answered Billy.

"It's somethin' humans can't feel, but we do," the tank said, "It's hard to describe, with a life in side of you and directin' you aroun', knowin' that one mistake from them could spell certain doom fer you… Ah, I ain't no poet, an' I couldn't tell ya even if I was. Let's just say that it's somethin' you ain't even gonna understand."

"Huh…" Billy muttered, getting back up to repair Negado. "That's interesting…"

Negado's engine gunned when Billy touched the underside and Billy fell back with a surprised yip.

In an automobile shop somewhere, the windows had been covered with blankets and the parts moved aside. In the back a wall of TV's had been set up, each screen showing a different view of some club somewhere. Four people covered in winter gear stood in the corners of the garage, holding their automatics at ready. They all came to attention stiffly when they heard an engine approaching. The Genie, sitting in a roller chair in front of the TV's, didn't even look around when a silver Mustang with a black racing stripe on top enter the garage. Looking closely, one saw a peculiar glimmer in the metal around the hood area where a striking cobra was branded; the tell-tale scars of battle.

The guards shuffled about nervously, but did not attack when the car parked and a malicious, deep electronic voice growled out from the car.

"Genie," the voice barked, "You said you would have the mind-control serum ready by now! Where is it??"

"Patients, Karr," the Genie assured without looking around, "It takes time for herbs to ferment and such. Oh, and something about great pieces of art takes patients, Rome wasn't built in a day, or some other over-used phrase. My point is that you'll just have to wait a little more. By the way, how is your anti-FLAG hunt going?"

The car bucked and came up, stretching up to become a barrel-chested humanoid with long arms and claws. Its head had wing-like protrusions on the side and a pulsating yellow visor was the only thing indicating a face. The guards jumped nervously when Karr spun the chair around and seized the Genie up. His visor was glowing with a ferocious fire.

"It would go a lot better if I could have Michael Knight under my control!" Karr snarled, "But you insist on toying with me and playing these silly waiting games!"

"Temper, temper, Karr," the Genie snickered.

The Genie kicked in Karr's grip and Karr, surprised by the strength the human showed, dropped him. The Genie turned to pick up his chair and spun around, throwing it at Karr's head. Karr's head tilted back as the chair shattered in a mass of cotton, wood, and plastic splinters on his head. He slumped forward, rubbing his head.

"Right, that strength," he muttered, "I keep forgetting that."

"Just as you forget that you came to me for help," the Genie hissed, "Just as you forgot the terms of our contract: Until my gene splicing serum is created, I own you. Next time you forget that, I'll turn you into a Volkswagen mini van, you got that!?"

"I got that as sure as your ex-girlfriends got their hospital bills," Karr growled.

"Any woman who's raised my temper never made it to the hospital," the Genie said, a cruel smirk hidden by his scarf. "Scouts report that your crush and his team are making their way here. I suppose the bragging fool that was exterminated a few weeks back gave his information to the wrong people. Go and greet them, will you?"

"Your wish is my command, master," Karr sneered, transforming back into his car form and backing out of the garage.

When Karr had gone, one of the guards, the same red-coated man that had helped kill Chester, came forward.

"Sir," he said in soft, heavily-British voice, "Are you sure it's wise to let a freak like that roll around for us? He's highly unstable and obsessed with this Michael character. It'd be too busy to manipulate him, providing the right words were made."

"Oh, I know that, Jerald," the Genie said, as friendly as a rabbit, "But he knows enough that if we just let him go, I'll be back in a straightjacket by sundown."

"We can protect you, sir," Jerald argued, "You've done so much for us! And I'm sure that the gifts you provided us will be more than enough to get us through more than a few borders."

The Genie chuckled and patted Jerald on the shoulder. The other guards stiffened, ready to hear something crack and for Jerald to crumble, screaming, as the Genie's unpredictable temper attacked again. But Jerald remained unharmed under the Genie's fatherly pats.

"You're too kind, Jerald," the Genie chuckled, "This is why you're my second in command while Natasha's only the dirty work girl. You can never trust her, you know. Speaking of which, I believe that it's feeding time now. Go do a surprise visit on her to make sure she's not, oh, making love to a federal agent again or something."

Zoe and Wild's TV dinner meals were slid through the slot at the bottom of the door and the girls reluctantly ate. When the door opened, they left their meals and stood up, backing up to the wall with noticeable unease written on their frames. But the person who entered the cell was a female dressed all in winter gear with a blue and black winter coat; this was the final person that had killed Chester the thief.

The killer looked at the women, then down at the TV dinners.

"Oh, please," she sighed, "I don't bite."

Zoe and Wild didn't relax.

"What are you?" Zoe demanded, "I saw what you guys are under all that gear… and it's not natural. What happened to you?"

"The Genie happened," the woman sighed almost dreamily, "He gave us something that was just splendid. You might think we're monsters, but so we're a little pale and our eyes change color, so what? We're still human… just better, with better reflexes, strength, and senses…"

"Your mouths are rotting!" Zoe exclaimed , "I mean, how do you make out!?"

"Is that all you can think of?" the woman cackled, "How do we make like teenagers? Oh, dear Zoe, no wonder why the Genie didn't think you were a threat! You're as naïve and immature as a child!"

Anger dirtied Zoe's pretty face as she stepped forward, ready to defend herself, but Wild put her arm in front of Zoe, stopping her. Zoe glanced at Wild, but stayed put, even though she continued to glare at the strange woman. It was at this moment that Jerald appeared in the doorway.

"Natasha! What are you doing with the prisoners?" he barked, "Without permission from the Genie, and no guards around on top of that! Get out here!"

Jerald didn't even give Natasha a chance to move herself; he grabbed her none-too-gently by the back of her coat and yanked her out with one hand. The other slammed the heavy iron door once she was out. Zoe and Wild jumped at the loud clang the door made and winched when they heard Natasha hit the opposite wall of the outside hallway.

"Oww, watch it!" Natasha snarled, "I was just trying to get some info—"

"If the Genie wants info, he'll say so," Jerald snapped.

"You wouldn't take a dump without the Genie telling you, would you?"

"He's done more for us than what we can repay him, and your attitude isn't helping. Don't so much as look at the prisoners again unless the Genie says so!"

The two continued to argue as they moved off. Zoe and Wild exchanged looks.

"Lovers' spat," they agreed in unison.