Techz: right… I… I need to apologise for the delays, it's just that… I've been… busy to say the least. I know that chapters appear to be spacing out a little more but hopefully, in a few weeks, my schedule will free up. Anyway. I need to ask you all something, more lemons, yes or no and if so, which pairings? Feel free to either comment or PM me with your answer!

Sarah awoke. She reached forth to try and pull Zack in for a hug, only to find a cold and empty space where he had once been. He had been acting irrationally all night and despite being woken up several times by him, the Zoroark couldn't help but be concerned.

Moving from under the duvet, Sarah could already pick out fairly quiet scratching sounds from downstairs as well as the low reverberation of someone talking. She went to investigate.

With each step she took, paper could be seen on the floor. There was only a few sheets to begin with but as she got to the bottom of the steps, Sarah could see the true extent of Zack's nightmares. Paper was stacked in un-orderly fashions as the sheets were piled everywhere, on the sofa, coffee table. The sounds of a pen scribbling on a piece of paper filled the room as Zack was sat there.

"Zack?"

"Shh!" It was Leonardo. He and Jewl were standing in the kitchen, admiring from afar.

Sarah made her way around Zack and joined the two in the kitchen.

"What exactly is he doing? Is he writing down the universe on a piece of paper or what?" Sarah was genuinely confused as Zack blurted out incoherent rantings.

"Four, nine, nine to the inverse…"

Leonardo stirred a cup of something as Jewl opened the fridge.

"You probably got a first-hand experience of last night's events but what he is doing, I… I think he's writing out the blueprints for something." Leonardo deposited the spoon he was holding in the sink; he took a sip of the coffee he had made for himself.

"And women complain of having a menstrual cycle." Leonardo retorted before heading outside through the front door.

Sarah sat down on the countertop. She had no idea as to what she should do. Sarah heard ceramic as a cereal bowl was slid next to her. Sarah looked to see Jewl with her own bowl, the Lucario raised a spoon before digging in. Today was going to be a strange one.

Later on – scrap yard

The two humans, dark fox and blue jackal were piled into Zack's father's truck. Zack sat behind the wheel as the truck was manoeuvred into a set of gates, an overhead sign stating that this place was 'Honest Bob's Scrap Yard and Spare Parts.'

"Right. Here's your list, Leonardo. You know what to do." Zack said through a voice that implied a dry, tired throat that had probably been used to recite numbers for at least a few hours.

'I should be able to find everything and if not then I guess that that dream is wrong but… Can it? I mean it's only been wrong once before.'

Everyone looked at Zack with a concerned expression as he spoke to himself.

"That's quite the ability." Sarah stated while returning to her own thoughts. Zack started talking directly to his friend.

"Oh yeah, Leonardo. If you and Jewl are planning a kit or not. She will only conceive during her heat so… Plan accordingly, I guess."

Jewl looked concerned.

"He can hear us doing it?"

Leonardo just sat with a solemn look.

"His ability… isn't just limited to audio..." Leonardo confessed. The car falling silent.

"Just try not to think about it and you eventually get over it." Leonardo added, trying to lighten the mood.

Everyone sat quietly as the car rattled along. Leonardo's face turned from boredom into a mischievous grin.

Sarah was thoroughly freaked out by this. She had just been thinking about that.

"Are you sure you can't?" Sarah implied with a sarcastic tone. For all she knew, he could have been the human version of Arceus. All knowing and all powerful.

"If you have any secrets, he will confront you about them later." Leonardo said, nonchalant about himself being dumped with the task of explaining.

Both Sarah and Jewl glanced at each other. They both had looks of confusion and bewilderment at Zack's possession of such a… strange mind.

The truck stopped and everyone got out. As they exited, Jewl naturally stayed with Leonardo while Sarah stuck with Zack. The two groups went their separate ways.

Zack motioned for Sarah to follow him as he made his way to the back of the scrap yard. His steps accompanied by the clanging of metallic claws on metal as Sarah navigated over old bits and pieces of steel sheets and copper cables. She hopped over a small box and continued to weave in and out of varieties of bits and bobs.

"So, Zack… What exactly are we here for?"

Zack kept going. He moved to a pathway around the side of a hut to where a man was seated in a car. The person tried to start the vehicle, the engine making a high pitched squeal before turning silent.

"Fucking nuclear bastard!"

Zack grinned as he approached the man. Sarah was silently in tow.

"Hey Bob. What's up?"

"I do believe the sky hasn't fallen yet. What can I do for you Zack?"

Zack pulled out a piece of paper with a print of a large mech, one used by the police force. Zack held up the sheet as so the man could view it.

"A police walker?..."

"Yeah. I need one." Zack was somewhat nonchalant. His voice was laced with worry and anticipation as if the whole world depended on it.

"Yeah. I got one in the other day. It doesn't work but I'll give you it if you can get this thing working."

Zack silently cursed. He wanted to run, tale Sarah somewhere and hide for whatever was left of her life but… How do you hide the one you love the most from yourself?

Zack couldn't.

"Sure. It's a nuclear engine, right?"

The man gave a grunt of confirmation. Zack strolled before leaning in. It was a complex of a miniature particle accelerator, a small fusion cylinder and a whole bunch of coolers.

"Hey Bob?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a bottle of nitrogen, a bar of thorium and a set of Alan keys?"

The man got out the car, moving to go to the hut but not without spotting the Zoroark, standing somewhat nervously and holding her left arm.

"Oh… Zack?..."

"Mmm Hmm?"

"Is this a friend of yours?" The man quizzed. Taking a second to look dumbfounded, he darted his eyes around her form. Sarah just waved.

Bob waved back.

Zack looked up from the hood of the car to see the interaction.

"Yeah. She's a beauty, isn't she?" Zack stated with a tone of genuine appeal for the creature.

"So how long did she take to build? Must have taken a while, especially with these improvements in craftsmanship. It looks so… Real."

Zack chuckled as Sarah looked at the man moving around her. It was the sort of inspection that was thorough but not perverse. Sarah followed the man with her gaze as he moved around her, Sarah glanced over to see Zack snickering as he left her to be subject of curious eyes.

"Umm. I am real."

Bob jumped back. He quickly straightened up and conformed himself to his character once more.

"Oh me. You really splurged out on an AI? Wait… I remember this one…"

Zack strode over to Bob. A cocky look riddled across Zack's face as the scrap yard owner guessed.

"It's a… Zoro… Zorua?" Bob guessed.

Sarah looked stumped. How would this man know what kits are called? Was he also a world traveller?

"Nope. But it does start with a Z."

Zack was having a jolly time. Zack knew that Sarah was a little concerned but Bob couldn't hurt a fly…

even with the aid of an air gun, old cans and nails.

"Ooo. C'mon… I know this… God damnit! It's… It's… It's a Zoroark!"

Zack went up into an uproar of praise.

"Huzzah! You actually know! Your first guess was better than mine."

Sarah had had enough of the wash of awkwardness and so spoke out loud.

"Hey. I'm not just some… AI, or whatever you call it. I'm a living breathing person!"

Bob stopped his inspection and turned to Zack with a puzzled look. Zack nodded to confirm the Zoroark's statement.

"Well bugger me. Holy shit. It's real." Bob remarked. His face was of both shock and disbelief.

"Well, it has a name and that name would be Sarah!" Sarah exclaimed with both venom and irritability.

Bob raised his hands as if surrendering.

"Jees. Fine, fine… Nice to meet you Sarah." Bob said while extending a hand.

Sarah had calmed. She was assured there was no need to be aggressive now that they were all seeing eye to eye. She took Bob's hand with claws of her own and went forth with the handshake. Bob's grip was firm and one of confidence.

"Nice to meet you too, Bob."

"Great. Now that were off on a good foot… Can I feel your hair?" Bob asked, a look of complete curiosity overcoming all of his face.

Later

Zack was hunched over, he tugged at a pipe inside the car's engine before it came loose. Zack reeled back, expecting a large whoosh of decompression from the connected bottle of nitrogen but nothing came out.

"Bob, where is that gas canister I asked for?"

The man himself was several meters away, conversing with Sarah about her own planet.

"So the grass really is greener on the other side." Bob stated. Sarah nodded.

Bob took a second as he and Sarah looked at Zack.

"What?" Asked Bob who had now turned towards the only one actually doing something.

"I can't fix this thing without that bottle."

"Oh! Ok. Just a second."

Bob lifted a blue canister from the ground immediately in front of him. The cylinder was large but effortlessly hoisted and raised onto a shoulder of Bob's. With a casual pace, Bob made his way over. As he approached Zack, he let the canister fall next to Zack. Zack jumped back as the nitrogen canister made an almighty thump.

"Hey, hey! Watch it! I'm not augmented, drop that on me and I'll be crushed! You know that thing weighs a literal ton!"

Bob reached towards the canister, stopping it before it could roll over Zack's foot. Sarah watched on as the two men faffed around.

"What do you mean by saying he's 'augmented'?" Sarah inquired.

Zack rolled his eyes as Bob perked up.

"Sarah, you shouldn't have asked that…" Zack sighed as Bob began reaching for the bottom of his shirt.

It took but a mere two seconds for Bob to whip off his shirt and expose his back. There was a large metallic covering over his back that looked as if someone had poured molten silver on his back and left it to set.

"This puppy…" Bob flexed, a small whirring came from the panel.

"…is the thrust master version two point three. A company that used to produce hardware for gaming consoles started making tech to try and solve the issue of muscular dystrophy after world war four caused mass damage to those who went into the gas ridden fields. They created a type of hydraulic lifting system that goes inside you and makes you super strong."

Zack rolled his eyes.

"It's just a sub-dermal layer of artificial muscles and batteries that allows the user to enhance themselves to do more. Employers try and get their employees to use this stuff to become stronger, faster, smarter etcetera. That's why Bob can haul stuff around that would be dangerous for me." Zack finished with a blunt edge to his voice.

Bob walked to a crumpled truck nearby, lifting the front with a single arm and flipping it back. Sarah was impressed by this and let off a small clap to applaud the display.

Sarah moved to a small car that was upturned. She grabbed the side with both hands before heaving the car over, with a grunt and deep breaths, she managed to get the car upright. Sarah brushed her hands as it was Bob's turn to clap. Zack had also stopped to look at the spectacle.

"Wow… You never told me you could do that. When were you planning on telling me?" Zack asked, a form of disbelief lingering as he scratched the back of his head.

"I don't think you would have liked me overturning your car." Sarah shrugging as she said this. The Zoroark stopped for a second, thinking before a puzzle look covered her face.

"Wait… Zack, do you have one of these… implant things?" Sarah's muzzle contorted into a quizzical gesture of unknowing.

Zack shook his head, a small frown covering his face, his arms folding into a look that could be compared to regret or reminiscing.

"No… but my nursery teachers though, that as a kid, one of these augmentations would 'fix' me. I wasn't normal as a kid, I hardly fit in but could manipulate other people really really well. The school board didn't like this. They want kids to fall in line, do as their told. If my dad, my biological father, had been sober enough to sign the papers, then I would be a walking drone. They would have stripped me of my quirky nature and created a mindless and complacent moron out of me."

Zack sounded sour. He didn't like dwelling in the past but sometimes, people have to know.

"Oh… Sorry for asking." Sarah felt a little guilty for ruining the mood.

"Nah, don't be. It's not your fault." Zack replied. He turned to Bob once more to ask:

"Hey Bob… I can't put this thing in. You have to, remember?"

Bob was now peering inside a decommissioned washing machine. Zack sighed.

"As strong as hell but with the attention span of a fly…"

Zack thought for a second. He just thought of something.

"Sarah?"

The Zoroark looked from her spot, leaning against the car she had flipped.

"Uhhuh?"

"Can I ask you for a favour? Can you put this gas can in there for me?" Zack finished by pointing into a very obvious gap where something could be slotted in.

"Sure." Sarah strolled with casual sway as she stepped towards Zack's side.

Sarah grabbed the canister with one hand. She tried lifting it but with no luck.

"It's heavier than you think. It's ok if you can't…"

Zack never ended the sentence. Sarah had taken both her hands and with a large heave, had brought the can onto her shoulder. Sarah let out a laboured breath as the nitrogen weighed her light and nimble form down.

"Yeah, yeah. Quick, put it in." Zack exclaimed as Sarah lugged the cylinder into the appropriate slot.

"Arceus! How heavy is that thing?" Sarah asked between pants.

"One tonne." Zack revealed.

"Oh… I have no idea how heavy that is but I guess it's a lot?"

Zack nodded, a he wore a look that showed the truth of him being impressed. Who wouldn't be if your partner can lift half a car.

Zack gave a quick look in before stalking around the side of the car. Zack swung the door open before reaching in.

The car made a predominant ding. The sound of gas being released filled the air.

"Ok. It's recognised the can. Let's hope it fills the cooler right or were going to be scrapping solid nitrogen of the side of the engine."

The filling sounds continued and as if a symphony had been called upon, a fan joined in followed by several clicking sounds.

"C'mon baby. Do this for me…" Zack prayed as the car continued its whirring and clicks.

The final noise to start was the high-pitched whining that echoed off the car as the headlights lit up. The car gurgled before settling into a low hum.

"Ha Ha! World zero, mad scientist four hundred and eighty-two!"

Sarah could help but smile along with Zack as he got in the car and drove it forwards. Zack was in hysterics as he rounded the corner that led to a pathway. Bob had spotted what was going on, jogging to catch up with the machine.

"Yes! Zack, you so totally did it!" Bob rejoiced at the stopping car.

"I believe you owe me something." Zack smirked while leaning out the window.

"Touché, right you are." Bob stated while going up to the front of the car.

Zack looked to Sarah. His smile dropping slightly as he remembered what was happening or more importantly, what was going to happen.

Sarah was at the driver's side if the car. Zack got out and immediately hugged Sarah, who in turn, hugged him back. They stayed like this. Stayed in each other's embrace as time dribbled away like the fracturing of time as Zack's mentality slowly crippled under its own weight.

Zack pulled back and both himself and Sarah locked gazes.

"I love you Zack." It was the kind words of Sarah's that would cripple them.

"I love you too." Zack replied, a sincere type of passion in his voice that trailed off into an abyss.

Late afternoon

Time had waned into the cool evening hours, the time where the air felt cool, yet the sun still had vigour. Sarah could be found in the cockpit of the hunkering brute of a machine.

Zack stood on the outside. The large beast stood upon two, grotesquely large stompers that would be nasty if they landed upon you.

Wires contorted from this place and that. Zack looked up, torchlight met his eyes as floodlights placed upon the front grill, suspended several metres up. Zack wielded an adjustable wrench as he screwed back on a plating of leg armour, the letters ZPD inscribed across the front.

'What would make the zeta police division give this away? This thing must have cost two million at least.'

Zack tightened the last nut as Bob could be seen a little while off, having nothing but a metal polisher and an adapted car battery. Zack grabbed a hold of the ladder on the side of the mech's leg. Zack raised himself to a panel with a yellow triangle. Peeling it open revealed a variety of cables.

"Hey Zack, what do you need me to do?" Bob had finally reached the large machine. Bob's power was no contest for the towering vehicle of war.

"Polish all of the plates, would you? Make sure that none of the logos are left. I don't want to grab the attention of the police now, do I."

Bob saluted.

"Sure thing." Bob wasn't usually this complacent but his curiosity to see the machine in action. It reminded him of the days when robots would fight for entertainment. The 'Sheer shrill steel' competitions were a monument of civilisations progress. That and WWE had finally lost its spark.

Zack poked around. A broken wire with a yellow insulation looked to have burnt, severed into two, frayed ends. Zack reached for his waist. He grabbed an ion wielder, he lifted it and shook the small torch like object. Zack lifted the device towards the cable, pressing a button and wielding the severed cable back together.

"Zack, how's things down there?" Sarah leaned out the side door, a radio inside could be heard slowly emanating a harmonious tune.

Zack leaned back and squinted through the bright light to see a silhouette of the Zoroark, her ears raising and lowering with the beat. Zack chuckled at the sight.

"I think… I think it's done. Can you run the diagnostic once more?" Zack asked as he started moving up the ladders. It took a while for him but Zack hoisted himself up and into the cockpit next to Sarah. It was a bit of a squish but they were both comfortable after they huddled together.

Zack looked at the display on the dashboard, a touchscreen showing a lot of 'working' and 'online's as he reached for the ignition.

Bob was working on the first panel as he hears the whining of a large nuclear engine start up. Instinctively he moved back, not wishing to be crushed un the case that it moved or toppled.

Both Zack and Sarah watched as many screens round the front one lit up, air conditioning started blowing through the cabin and outside, many more floodlights illuminated the ever darkening world.

"Yeah, I'm the best, I'm the best!" Zack chanted as the machine roared into life. The cockpit jostled around slightly as gasses hissed from pneumatic piping below as the mech took a stance. The crisp sound of rust being ground away reverberated.

"Initialising…" it was a voice of silk and grace. The on-board computer finally awakening from its slumber among the other piles of scrap and deathly silent devices.

"Welcome aboard." It added, finally thinking as it steered away from a destiny of dust and decay.

"Your welcome." Stated Zack, the machine not responding.

"So…" Sarah asked.

"…what now?"

Leonardo's pov

Leonardo took the old computer and hauled it into the pile of other components and devices in the back of the pickup truck they had arrived in.

"It's kind weird how Zack knew about us and stuff." Jewl said while effortlessly moving the objects in the back of the truck to fit together better.

"Mhh. It's weird how he pointed out specifically, the fact about… Y'know… mating." Leonardo stood by the side of the truck, watching as the Lucario moved from one place to another.

"Maybe Sarah's expecting?" Jewl joked. Leonardo grinned while chuckling.

"Wouldn't surprise me but seriously. Wait. Jewl… Are you… do you want to tell me something? Is there something you want to discuss?" Leonardo wanted to know that everything between them was alright.

"Nah. You know I would have told you. Why is there something you want to tell me?" Jewl had tethered down the last hi-fi speaker and hopped down.

Leonardo shook his head. It seemed that the conversation was drying up and with paranoia on the high, transparency was becoming an issue.

"If your done with tying everything down then we could see what Zack is up to?"

Jewl nodded, they both walked to their respective sides of the truck before opening the door.

"Wait, umm…" Jewl was giddy as she spat out what she was trying to say

"Yes Jewl?"

"…can I try and drive?" Jewl smiled, employing her eyes to lure Leonardo into saying yes.

Leonardo left the open door, striding around to Jewl's side and pointing the Lucario towards the driver's side.

"Just… Try not to crash." Leonardo kept in mind that this wasn't his own car…

Even more reason to let her.

Zack's pov

Zack was manoeuvring the mech around various piles of scrap. Clanging and the occasional crumple mixed with the whining of motors and the moaning of an engine. Sarah had gotten out of the mech and was now atop the moving structure. Sarah held on to a rung that was above the large glass front. The swaying of the vehicle was enough to prompt a firm but not tight grip as Sarah tried her hand at being atop the metal mobile

"Hey Zack! Target inbound at ten o'clock!"

Zack heard Sarah and so leaned forwards to see his father's pickup truck weaving along the path. Zack decided to give chase.

Jewl was driving along. The vehicle felt powerful as she tried her hand at manoeuvring. It wasn't until Leonardo pointed out the large figure behind them that caused Jewl to turn her head.

"Holy…" Jewl never finished as the rear of the car was hoisted by two large arms.

"What the fuck!" Leonardo opened his window to peer out backwards and was surprised to see a large machine, the large window on the front was too tinted to see inside but Leonardo had an idea as to who it was. As if to top it off Sarah was perched on top and waving at the confused couple in the car. The truck was now suspended a fair distance from the ground.

"Where in the hell did you get that?!" Leonardo yelled his voice drenched in worry and fear.

"Oh, c'mon. I couldn't have gone far." Zack casually conversed over an intercom.

The truck was lifted in front of the glass of the mech. Sarah hopped on by Zack's instructions. Zack's father's pickup was lifted even higher as the truck was placed atop the towering being. Sarah, Jewl and Leonardo could do nothing except look around.

It was a brilliant view as the junk yard went on for miles but away off, the sun could be seen slowly setting on the horizon. Zack decided to walk home from the comfort of the cushioned seat. The sun set and Zack finally had it.

The destruction of the one he loved most had been set out in stone. Zack wore a smile. It was not one of joy or hope but instead the dying light that was slowly burning out. A nagging fear that he should live every moment like it was his last, because it would be hers.