Part 2

Chapter 29 Signs of Unrest

"She's still not here?" asked Kenshi to Ziggurat after his long awaited conference for Lang.

"The crowd is dense, I would expect it to take quite some time to get back," replied Ziggurat.

"You actually believe that? It's been an hour. Look, why don't I go check on her? You just stay here in case she comes back while I'm gone."

"Why would you do that?"

"C'mon, man, we're comrades, right?"

Ziggurat looked at him in a confused manner, "No, we're not."

"Ah, whatever, I'll go check anyway."

Kenshi turned to the boy, "Lang, you stay here."

Kenshi then grabbed Chloe's hand and disappeared through the door. Lang was a shy boy and he always was scared when Kenshi wasn't around. Lang looked up fearfully at the cyborg and because he didn't say anything, Ziggurat didn't speak to him. The cyborg stared at him for a moment and then looked away. Lang moved a ways from him though he would glance at the cyborg every few minutes.

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The duo stood at the bathroom entrance.

"Go check if she's there, Chloe."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said she as she went in.

Finally they had reached the right bathroom and inside Chloe found a sprawled Leah.

"Leah, Leah," said Chloe as she tried to shake her to wakefulness, "Kenshi! She's here!" hollered Chloe to the waiting cyborg.

He came in soon after.

"Do something," said Chloe concerned for Leah's condition.

"Stop orderin me around," said Kenshi as he knelt down to the child, "I'm not getting a good vibe from this bathroom. Let's go."

Chloe glared at Kenshi, "So what. Whatcha gonna do to help her?"

"Arg! I can't work under these conditions; there's too much negative energy around here."

"Huh?"

"Don't you feel it? I'm getting a light head just sittin here," explained he as he lifted Leah into his arms.

He moved a little ways from where Leah had laid.

"Alright…" said Kenshi closing his eyes.

A bright light began to shimmer around the unconscious Leah until finally she came to. Just as soon as this happened she started screaming and thrashing in Kenshi's hold.

"Fine, fine, little lady," said Kenshi startled from her outburst.

He let her down and Leah looked around in a confused manner.

"What happened to you?" asked Chloe as their eyes met.

"This guy," started Leah quickly, but then she lost her train of thought, "I have a real bad headache…this guy, he had all this black on—and his hood—and then he looked at me…"

"That's okay, Leah, don't say anything right now. We have to get you back. Ziggurat's really worried about you."

Leah looked up at the cyborg angrily, "Oh give me a break! He doesn't care about anyone."

"Hm, it does seem that way," said Kenshi thoughtfully, "But trust me, I'm good at reading people and Ziggurat seems like the kind that will go to great lengths to hide his feelings."

"There's nothing to hide," retorted Leah.

Leah tried to walk towards the door, but she stumbled to the ground.

"C'mon, girl, I'll carry you."

Kenshi lifted her into his arms and Chloe followed the cyborg through the crammed halls.

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"Where was she?" asked Ziggurat.

"In the bathroom. She fine now, she's just a little tired."

Ziggurat looked at Kenshi critically, "What happened?"

"I don't know, man. She woke up talking about this guy with black clothes—Chloe, you were there."

Chloe nodded to confirm, "She was a little out of sorts."

"Well, let us hope the person she spoke of isn't who I'm thinking."

"Before I go, where can I meet you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember, we're comrades."

"We're not."

Kenshi looked at him exasperatedly, "Ah, c'mon, it's not often I meet other cyborgs, you know. We should stay in contact."

The cyborg turned away from Kenshi, "What do you want?"

"Oh, trying to get rid of me. I see," said Kenshi smiling.

Kenshi gestured for Lang and Chloe to follow him and then they disappeared into the crowd. Ziggurat held an exhausted Leah in his arms as he started back outside to the parking lot.

The stars were out by this time and the streets were illuminated by the moon and the street lights.

"Ziggy? I can walk now," said the awakened Leah.

"Are you sure?"

"What do you care?"

Ziggurat was taken aback and then he released the child. They walked through the parking lot silently. Ziggurat noticed that Leah did not even try to break it. Just as they reached the car, The Black Testament chose this time to appear before the cyborg.

Ziggurat stopped in his tracks as this happened. His muscles were tense and his nerves were instantly on end.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist telling you the good news," said the Testament.

Leah instinctively hid behind the cyborg.

"I've been given the right to make your life miserable. Not that it isn't true now, but it is an enticing proposal."

The cyborg frowned.

"You don't talk much," teased the Testament, "What's the matter? Scared?"

In a brief second, the Testament slammed his hand into the side of the cyborg's face and knocked him down. Immediately Ziggurat's arm turned into a semi-automatic and he aimed and shot at the enemy. He only managed to shoot the entire round at the door to their car.

"Hey you! Leave him alone!"

It was Kenshi's voice a little ways behind Ziggurat.

"What's this? A friend? What a surprising discovery. I think I'll kill him. What do you think Leah?"

Leah shook her head and ran over to Ziggurat.

"Again with the cyborg. You never learn."

"You heard me!" challenged Kenshi as he reached them.

"Don't be stupid," said Ziggurat standing up, "This is not your fight."

"Save it," retorted Kenshi.

Ziggurat unloaded another round at the Testament, but the bullets were easily evaded. Stray bullets found homes in tires and windows of other cars.

"That's not working," said Kenshi.

"Do you have a better idea?"

Just then the Testament appeared directly in front of them. Just as suddenly, Kenshi's metal fist shot out to strike the chin. To his surprise, he made contact and the Testament stumbled back.

The Testament glared at Kenshin, "You were lucky, runt."

"There's more where that came from."

Kenshi quickly advanced upon the Testament and engaged in hand to hand combat. Kenshi took some hits and dealt them until his breath became heavy with fatigue. The Testament grinned.

"Tired already? That was just a warm up."

The Testament's evil eyes narrowed as a bright light shimmered around the cyborg.

"Bring it on," challenged Kenshi.

"I've just realized something," said the Testament strangely.

The Testament began to move back.

"Wait! The hell if you're going anywhere!"

With surprising speed, Kenshi dashed at the escaping Testament, but his round house kick met nothing but air.

"Damn!"

Leah looked at him in an amazed manner, "I've never seen a cyborg move so fast!"

Kenshi smiled at her enthusiasm, "Nothing much," he replied.

"Don't be so modest," said Ziggurat.

"That's the second time today I had to help you. Now we have to be friends."

"You did not have to help me—

"There's just no way you're saying that. Where would Leah be now if I hadn't healed her?"

"You did what? You neglected to tell me that before—

"I was going to, but then you had to be all stuck up with all this: we're not friends."

"How can I trust you now that you lied to me?"

Ziggurat played along sensing Kenshi's fixation on friends.

"Well I'm telling you now, Ziggurat. And what about that man?"

"Trust me, Kenshi; he wasn't going to kill anyone. If he wanted to, he would have. Wilhelm has him on a tight leash."

"You must know this guy—

"Voyager."

"Voyager, then. You must know this guy well. I don't think this is the last of him. Let me help you."

"Kenshi, really; there's no reason to."

Cyborgs were not programmed to have personalities or feelings that were even remotely human, but there were those rare ones whose personalities could not be suppressed. Even then, even in that day of age, the mind was considered a great mystery. Kenshi was one of those phenomena. Everything a cyborg was supposed to be, he wasn't.

"That's just like you," said Leah shaking her head, "He risks his life for you and this is how you repay him."

Once again Ziggurat was surprised by Leah's retort. It was as if she was focusing on all his faults. Ziggurat looked from Leah to Kenshi.

"Fine, you can find me on Forest Lane; the blue house," said the cyborg turning.

Leah smiled at Kenshi and he winked back.

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As the car pulled off and glided back onto the road, the same blue light began to shimmer where the car had been parked. Slowly it began to move from this area as it felt itself become attracted by something. It moved down the sidewalk in the dead of night, its pale glow was invisible to the sight of humans. Its presence soon entered a graveyard as it reached midnight. Tombs lined the yard in rows and stood ominously in the speckled light pouring through the foliage from the moon. The shimmering blue light drifted over to one particular grave though it was chosen arbitrarily. Then the shimmering light disappeared as it passed into the coffin and then into the body that resided within it. An hour passed when a solitary hand reached through the depths of the soil to feel the sweet touch of air.