A/N: OMG Terminator Genisys, this looks to be amazing, so this is my take and I'm running with it .
Disclaimers: I do not own Terminator, nor will I ever. Original Characters are mine
R&R Please, makes me happy ^-^
"The Future is not set, there is no fate but what we make of ourselves."
-2029-
The grey and black landscape of the nuclear ravaged world had set humanity on the brink of extinction, had it not been for the pockets of humans that had survived the fallout and rallied together it was the beginning of the end for Skynet. However Skynet had one last ditch effort to try and change the outcome of this entire war, it would send two last Terminators to the past, it was clear that the 800 sent to 1984 had failed, and it was clear that it's resources in sending the T-1000 back to the late 90's was a mistake as well.
Sending an 800 to kill Sarah as a child and a T-1000 to 1984 as well, maybe this would help ensure its success and win this war.
"Erik, what are you thinking about?"
"General…"
"What are you thinking about?" A salt and peppered haired head turned and gazed at the scar ridden face of John Conner, the leader of Humanity or whatever was left of it. The man was standing with his arms crossed over the battle worn clothing, hair was 'gelled' back with whatever hair slick was available.
"The past, and anything that Skynet might do to change the outcome of its war, do we have access to another T-800?" John Conner moved to stand beside the man he had come to trust over the years that he had known him, Erik Destler was a strange man and neigh unaging. It had been during a raid to free prisoners from a camp that John had come across the man crouching down behind a group of children taking bullets that never put him down.
It was during this that the children clung to their protector covering his back up as best as they could with whatever rags they could shove into his shirt holes. John had stepped up and taken off his jacket and threw it on the man's shoulders.
After spending the time to personally patch up Erik, John learned that Skynet had taken humans prisoner trying to convert them into infiltrator units. Erik had fought the programming even going so far as to rip the chip out of the back of his skull. Skynet had been under the impression that the unit was destroyed but when destruction of small key building facilities started cropping up it laid a trap for its creation.
It had the human Terminator Hybrid strung up and further tested upon, the conversation was a complete endo-skeleton with a functioning digestive and reproductive system and was powered by a powerful heart that had been genetically modified to work alongside a power cell in case of emergencies, it wasn't going to let its experiment live, but the testing upon it was extremely extensive and when John raided the compound the chains binding him broke and he left with the human prisoners.
"Why would we need another 800?"
"Send a Terminator to protect her as child, if they can't get your mother as a teen, or you as a child, they will send one to kill her even earlier."
"We have one last one… I'll have him reprogrammed."
"Make sure it has the ability to raise a child and learn." John looked at the hybrid questioningly before calling out the open door to his office to one of his soldiers. After John had given his orders he went and stood beside Erik and looked at the scar running down the right side of his face, it was old, very old and when the man turned his head, human looking blue eyes stared back at John.
"Send me back to help your 'Uncle Bob', if Skynet is going to change the way it fights you will need another person there to protect you from whatever else it sends into the past with the T-1000. You and I know that the Unit sacrificed a lot for you as a child. I have nothing holding me to this world anymore and I can no longer 'age', I can't commit suicide, this machine will endure. Let me make myself useful." Erik watched John gaze at him with thought before looking down and nodding.
"We'll send you back, and we'll make sure that the Unit knows you are coming along, but we'll hide that information from 'them' in the past. Your location drop, I'll talk to the techs and make sure you are dropped elsewhere and maybe earlier in time before I saw the Terminator and the T-1000 at the mall."
"That's fine, you're the boss. I miss my life and what it used to be. With this body, I might be able to do more in life again than when I did when I first grew up in the nineties." Erik and John grinned at each other remembering the past when one of John's soldiers came in and stared with a wide open mouth.
"Close your mouth son, what do you have for me?"
"The facility is preparing for an attack, Skynet is moving forces on the time displacement equipment, something big is going to happen."
"Get our forces and the Terminators ready to go, we won't have much time to send him back, along with Erik. He'll be taking care of us in the past." Erik stepped up beside John as the soldier standing there looked between the half-man/half-machine before nodding and turning to give orders out to the rest of the people.
"Get yourself ready Erik, you'll be coming with me and Kyle. Let's change the world." Erik nodded before leaving the room going to his small cubbyhole room. This would be the last time that he would be in this world, he would do whatever it would take to make sure that Skynet would never be able to do what they did to him or anyone else. There had once been an experiment done by Skynet that resulted in the creation of a Terminator that had been once named Marcus Wright.
The Terminator, no one knows what became of it but it was said to have been a failure and destroyed. Erik was one of the last in an attempt to make a machine-human by Skynet before it switched tactics. As Erik stood and changed clothing into was the last of the cleanest repaired and reinforced combats he sighed. He was every bit as a man as he was a machine and it bothered him that he wouldn't age as fast or age at all due to what Skynet had done to him.
Strapping on what would be useless armour to his chest, his legs and his arms, Erik grabbed the rifle that the Resistance had picked up and tried to replicate down to 'human' size but never could. Checking the charge on the rifle Erik walked out of the room and was met by other Tech Com soldiers looking at him, some of them were people he had personally saved during a few raids and others afraid of him or angry because here was a machine that could turn on them not realizing that inside the machine was a brain albeit with a small hard drive that allowed his brain to control his body and his body functions.
Ignoring them a small child ran up to him and hugged his legs forcing him to look down, it was a small little girl that he had carried out of a wreckage of a wall.
The girl's mother was killed by a machine and Erik ended up seeing a machine bearing down on her and he attacked the machine throwing it through a wall before seeing the other wall starting to fall, he jumped into the way and brought the girl close into his large frame covering her as the wall fell down onto them both. After all the weight had stopped moving onto him Erik forced the hydraulics and servos in his body to move and extend shifting all the weight and debris off of them before picking up the girl and looking around. The little girl clung to Erik looking up to his face when she reached and shifted something her face wide eyed.
"Your face… you're hurt." Erik held her with one arm and with the other he reached up and noticed that a section of his face had been ripped away from him revealing the gleaming silver of the endo-skeleton.
"I'll be okay little one…"
"No, I don't want you taken away, we have to cover your face." Erik chuckled and he walked over the rubble noting that he was torn up in a few more places. The little girl looked to his chest and saw through the ruins of the shirt he was wearing to see the beating heart that was helping to power his body.
"Okay, okay… but we'll have to get out of here quickly, more of the machines will be coming."
Erik knelt down and as the girl wrapped arms around his neck, chuckling he wrapped his own arms around her and lifted her up walking down the hall with her as she looked around seeing the faces and glances people where giving the pair. Looking back at Erik the girl put her hand to the side of his face that had been missing flesh a couple of months ago.
"You're all better."
"Yes I am, and it's all thanks to you. What are you doing here, aren't you supposed to be your new family?"
"I heard you were leaving, I wanted to see you." The little girl's face hid away under Erik's chin as she curled up against him. Erik's arm tightened protectively around the girl more as they continued down the halls towards the hanger where helicopters were sitting waiting for them to leave. The little girl had reached into her shirt and pulled a chain out with a very old set of dog tags. Taking the chain off she placed it over Erik's head and wrapped her arms around his neck again.
"I think these are yours… My daddy and mommy found these a long time ago, mommy gave me these and said they would protect me, you did… your name is E. Destler right?" Stopping in mid stride Erik set his rifle down leaning against a wall and reached up with his hand to take the severely dinged Canadian style dog tags and saw the name, the date of birth and all his information. How long ago he had lost these, to think that they survived after all these years and how the hell did they get down to what used to be the United States.
"Mommy said that Destler would always protect me, is that your last name?"
"Yes… yes it is, these used to be or are mine, thank you for looking after it." Erik kissed the top of her head as she giggled hugging him back.
"You're welcome, you saved me." Once in the hanger there was so much military activity that Erik had to hike the girl up more as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Okay, I need you to go back and stay with your family, where I am going you can't come with me." Erik went to a corner and dropped to a knee letting her down. Seeing her cry broke his heart and he knew where he was going there would be no way that he would be able to look after her. Letting her go and slinging the rifle over his shoulder Erik hugged her one last time and kissed her cheek. "Stay strong, be good, survive, I'll always try to protect you."
"I don't want you to go…"
"I have to."
Standing up Erik put a hand on her shoulder and smiled sadly to her. Hearing his name Erik turned away and walked off heading to the Helicopter where John was standing. Taking the tags and putting them under his shirt John cocked his head as Erik climbed into the machine, John's right hand man Kyle Reese was sitting in the helicopter waiting to take off as the rotors spun up.
"What did she give you?"
"Something from a distant past, something I thought I lost a very long time ago."
Looking out from his seat Erik saw the little girl cry and he smiled sadly as the helicopter took off into the air as he set his rifle across his lap, he closed his eyes and let sadness hit him as he realized he would never see the little girl again ever. He never even got her name just called her little one or some pet name that crossed his mind first, even when he was alive as a human and younger he never put any stock into possibly having children and the first time he realizes he won't be a father is when he saves a child in the middle of a godforsaken shit hole that is now the world.
A rage entered his thought as his grip on his rifle tightened and the shoulder stock of the rifle started to squeal. John looked over from his seat wondering what was going through his friend's head that made him angry or grow angry. He had seen the way that the little girl had clung to him and he told the rest of his people to leave the two of them alone. He would look after the little girl himself if it ever came down to it and he owed Erik that least. There was an alarm that set off in the cabin of the helicopter as gun fire erupted all around them as purple plasma bolts dinged the hull of the bird.
"We're entering a fire fight General Connor!"
"Set us down, set us down!"
"Roger!" John and Kyle unbuckled themselves and go to their feet, Erik because of his weight didn't even bother settling himself in and as he stood up there were reports that Endos were running up on their side. John and Kyle stepped back as a pissed off Erik stood at the door with his rifle ready to be fired as soon as the helicopter landed Erik ripped open the door and blew a hole into the head of the first Terminator that had been reaching for him, he tackled the other two to the ground and got up first grabbing the first fleshless Terminator that he could and with the rotor still spinning at a good speed he threw the machine up head first watching as the blades took the head off and breaking the body apart. The pilot was scared and yet impressed while John and Kyle jumped out as Erik engaged the last Terminator with a boot to the face followed by the barrel of his rifle in the things face before it was metaled into molten slag.
As the trio ran, ground reinforcements had shown up battering down the walls of the compound to bring in troops, as the Resistance fought the battle was not going their way, John ordered the truck with the reprogrammed Terminators and the tech to drive into the building. Ducking under a plasma bolt John saw Erik taking a knife from the dead body of a soldier and jamming it into the side of the machine's skull before pulling it out and dropping the body. Despite everything Erik looked to be at home in a battlefield and it showed in his skill, yes he was turned into a machine but his mannerisms and his control of a weapon was that of an age old soldier and one from before the fall of the bombs.
"Lets move it I don't want to be blown apart here!"
John and Kyle sprinted as Erik jammed the stolen knife into a slot into his vest and ran after the two as the doors to the time displacement equipment started to close. Once the heavy doors had fallen, the tech guys and everyone else walked alongside the truck walking it to the rigged equipment. As the truck rolled to a stop Erik heard a soft 'ow' and sniffle before the tech guys got out and looking at Erik.
The little girl had jumped into the truck and had followed Erik into a battlefield and now here, one of the men handed the girl out and set her on the ground.
"Erik!"
Sighing Erik knelt down and pulled her to him as John looked questioningly at the driver and his men, they had no idea how she had gotten on the truck and they weren't about to turn around to drop off a child. There was no choice she was here and there would be no way might possibly leave this place alive, not with all the Terminators and the HK units outside the building and they would have to fight their way out.
"Erik…"
"I'll take her with me, I know what my mission is and I don't want her to be what cost lives here." Nodding John barked orders as he gave a speech about the future, the past and what will change everything on this. He was talking about his mother Sarah and as if on cue Kyle spoke up and asked to be sent back. Nodding Kyle was prepped by the techs telling him that nothing dead could go through the field and so as he stripped down Erik was consoling the little girl as gunfire echoed down the halls from the outside.
"Hey, you know I never did get your name little one."
"Finley, my mom named me Finley."
"Well Finley, looks like you are going to be coming with me, where we are going to you will have to promise to be a good girl, you listen to what I say and do whatever I tell you to yeah?"
"Where are we going to?"
"Back into time… now I have one last question. Do you want me to be your new daddy?"
"I'd rather you be my daddy, I didn't like the other people." Erik chuckled and turned in time to see Kyle vanish into thin air, the rotation of the machines rings slowed as the two Reprogrammed Terminators were turned on and they briefed by John verbally. Looking over his shoulder John pointed to Erik as the two Terminator heads swiveled to him and their eyes flashed red, Erik's own flashed Red in response before they turned away and back to John.
One by one Erik watched as the Terminator that John was sending back to protect his mother with a reset learning chip, and the 'Uncle Bob' Terminator were sent back into time, Erik took Finley over to John who knelt down looking to the little girl who looked to be no more than five or six with all the malnutrition running rampant over the years
"That was a very dangerous thing you did, but I guess when you love someone you would do anything hmm?"
Finley nodded her head and clung to Erik's leg as Erik started removing his vest and his clothing. John looked up to the ID tags sitting on his chest and then he knew why Erik fought as he did, and if the tags really were his, he was right in allowing Erik to go back and helping to shape the future and hopefully still be kicking around in the future if there was still ever a war.
"Okay, what needs to happen Finley is that you need to take your clothes off, that machine won't let you dressed as you are. Erik will protect you and hopefully when you go back you can have a better life than the one you have here. But never forget and help him as much as you can okay?" Finley looked at John with determination and nodded, she remembered when she helped Erik when he rescued her, and she would continue to do that because he was like her daddy before a protector.
"Alright little one when you are ready we have a blanket ready to cover you with okay?" seeing the little girl nod, John stood and looked to Erik who had taken a knife cutting into his arm making a slit.
"Erik?"
"I'm not losing these things again." Taking the dog tags off Erik coiled the chain around the metal tags and slipped it into his arm with a grunt before he flexed his arm to make sure they stayed and weren't damaged. As he stood naked he saw a little bundled up Finley walking up to him. Seeing the blood on his arm Finley's eyes teared up before Erik picked her up and whispered soothingly in her ear.
John walked up to Erik and held out his hand, Erik took the other man's hand and shook it before letting go. There was a great deal of respect shared between the two and the sadness that John felt was in losing another friend, but sadness that Skynet had experimented on him and turned him in a perfect Terminator/Human hybrid. Erik could eat, he could sleep, he could have sex if he wanted to, he could piss and take a crap. He was the perfect assassin, but the fact that Erik had ripped the chip that had been implanted into him out when he rescued the little girl made him all the more human to John.
"Take care the both of you, and if you survive into the future and we see each other again… war or not. Thank you."
"No problem, it's been an honor General." Stepping up the stairs Erik pulled the blanket away as the cold air hit Finley and she curled up against Erik's warmer body. Kneeling down on the platform due to his weight Erik held Finley close and told her to close her eyes. Wrapping her arms around his neck Finley did as Erik asked. Putting a hand down on the pad and lowering his face into Finley's hair he whispered softly.
"Be brave." The rings started to spin as Erik felt electricity dance all over his body, his nerves were starting to get fired up as he held onto Finley and she started to whimper in pain. Holding her tighter he heard the machine whirr louder and louder before everything disappeared and went dark on him. When everything came back to him the first thing that Erik felt was the wind and cold. The second was the death grip that Finley had on his neck and the fact that he was somewhat struggling to breath despite his machine components making sure that his organics survived.
Opening his eyes and looking around he stood braving the cold that hit him a little harder than it should have given the fact that he was naked holding a no more than six year old girl in his arms.
"Okay, you need to let up on my neck, I know you don't feel well but I need you to let me breath okay?" The pressure let up enough that Erik could take a decent breath without the machine side of him slowing down his blood and keeping it running on the oxygen instead of the hydraulics. It was a two-side system that Erik was still trying to figure out even to this day.
Taking in his surroundings it was late 80's that Erik could see and he had appeared in a homeless sewer segment. It was clear they were in LA by the way a strip club party was playing two streets down. How was he going to get cloths for the two of them, it was the dead of night so it would be more concealing for them but it was also going to be a pain in the ass cause the last time Erik had been caught nude it was just himself and his buddies out of college after a bad night out.
Heading along the waterway Erik climbed up out of it and saw a bank with a time, it was just after 1 am, he had time. The only thing he had to do was avoid any police patrol cars and he would be good, looking down the streets Erik took a gamble and took off at a fast jog ignoring the cold of his nether regions. Because it was a semi poor part of LA there was a military surplus store, most of the surplus stores that he had come across in his time were placed in places that would be considered shady to allow for illegal gun sales. That was curbed later on in the late 90's and the 2000's from what he remembered. Going into the alley Erik looked down both ways before he went to the back door of the store before kicking it in and going in. The great thing that Erik enjoyed about the 80's was the lack of security systems put in. As they walked into the surplus story Erik gently set down Finley as Erik took a fire blanket off a shelf and put it around her. Looking at the racks of clothing Erik raised an eyebrow seeing the old American military combats with what seemed to less ruined versions of the combats along with replicas of different colours. Taking a pair of black military style cargo pants he pulled them on over his legs before looking around and spotting bundles of socks. Taking them Erik pulled a pair and spotting boxes of combat boots from the shelves h checked his foot size to make sure he was still measured as a sized 11 for shoes. Seeing that he was he pulled a pair of boots on and rooted around for a t-shirt choosing a plain black one and an old canvas khaki combat shirt. Once he had that pulled on Erik rooted around for clothes for Finley, there wasn't much for kids clothing but the t-shirt he pulled over her head was large enough to cover everything until he could get her real clothes.
Moving around Erik picked up an old rucksack and sighed picking up a 'kit' from the surplus from the store. He took emergency blankets, a couple of plastic canteens, even took some of the MRE's they were selling to the public. Looking around he looked behind the counter seeing that this place also sold guns and ammo, forgetting that it was the 80's Erik climbed over the counter and rooted about finding keys, it was sad how some people thought that a simple door and locks would protect their supplies and products they were selling. Unlocking the case and pulling out a Beretta M9 Erik checked it before putting it into the front of his pants as he picked up three empty clips and four boxes of ammo and setting it on the counter. Closing up everything else he put the keys back and went around and picked up his pack and set about putting the items he left on the counter into the bag before he spotted a US Navy Kabar. Not bothering to go and get the keys again Erik broke the glass while Finley ran over and stopped just short of the shards of glass and watched as Erik pulled the knife out and jammed it into the pack before closing it up.
Putting the bag on his back Erik turned and looked at Finley before picking her up and taking out the way they came and back down the street. Erik's next stop was to look for a bank machine, this was before cameras became a big thing. Coming across an outdoor one by a casino Erik set down Finley again before looking her in the eyes. Finley was cold and she was looking around in amazement. It was a vastly different world for her considering she was born into a war torn landscape. Pulling his bag around Erik glanced around quickly before he tore into the bank machine with his fists and hands prying it open. Taking all the money out he ended up cutting up his hands and wrists good that Finley cried out looking for something to stop his bleeding. For a machine Erik knew that he had strength and power do so much but for her, for Finley it would never change the fact that she still saw him as a man that could be hurt no matter what.
"Hey, hey it's okay. I'll be alright. See it's stopped bleeding, I'll be okay." Pocketing a few hundred dollars into his shirt pocket Erik closed up the pack tightly after putting the M9 into the bag as well. Hefting the pack back into his back he bent down and picked up Finley again before starting down the street looking for a place for them to stay.
It was a good three hour walk before Erik came across a highway motel, going to the front desk with Finley all curled up and sleeping against him, the attendant cooed over Finley and set them up with a room with two beds and a kitchen. Erik told her that there car broke down along a highway and not wanting to stay and try and flag someone down Erik hiked with his daughter to the nearest city which turned out to be Los Angles.
Once in the room Erik set Finley down on a bed and covered her with a blanket before setting his pack down on his bed, opening it he pulled more money out and put it into his pockets before closing everything up. Taking the key to the room he smiled and locked up behind him and going to the woman that gave them the room.
Asking what was still open because he and his daughter hadn't eaten in a while he was given directions and with a nod he took off down the street he was back about an hour later with some food and some personal hygiene items. With everything put away Erik took the shampoo, soap, razor, knife and some medical items into the bathroom leaving the door open.
First things first were getting the dog tags out of his arm, using the knife he had stolen he cut back into his arm opening up the wound, with his arm over the sink Erik put the knife down and reached into his arm with a small grunt and rooted around. When he felt the chain of the dog tags he pulled at it gently and after biting down on the impulse of pain his human part of himself shut down and the pain receded into his mind. Pulling the tags out he unwound the chain and rinsed off the blood before quickly pullimh the tags over his head. Looking to his arm Erik turned the water on and washed the blood off his arm and watched the machine through the slit before he took some dressing and waterproof tape and wrapping his arm up. Looking into the mirror Erik noticed the half beard he had developed. Taking the razor in hand leaned forwards after using the bar of soap to lather his face and set about shaving his face for the first time a very long time.
Washing away the soap Erik looked up and smiled looking at the man that he saw before him. Erik was a good looking guy even when growing up, as he aged and he was taken by Skynet and turned into a machine even at an 'advanced age' by some kids he held his own. Now with the fact that the machines made him and he looked slightly younger and he felt good about himself.
Looking back into the room Erik shut the door half-way and stripped down before stepping into the shower and turning on the water. It had been an equally long time since he had a hot shower making him groan happily. Scrubbing away all the dirt and grime that had stuck to him for months, Erik rinsed off and stepped out drying off and putting his clothes back on before going back out and sitting on the edge of his bed as it groaned under his weight.
Finley shifted a little in her bed causing Erik to smile, he had a daughter after so long he had a daughter. 2029 was a long way from 1988 but Erik knew right now he would be about to be born and one day he would turn into a great man that served his country, fought in several wars and the one war that nearly everyone lost.
Finley rolled over and her eyes sleepily opened up looking at Erik who leaned forwards his elbow on his knees.
"Hey little one, sleep well?"
"I'm cold daddy…"
Erik's heart warmed at hearing the word 'Daddy', getting up Erik went over and pulled the blanket back and picked up Finley taking her to the bathroom with the shower and tub, sitting her down on the toilet seat Erik put the block into the tub drain and turned the taps making sure the water was warm but not too warm for Finley while adding bubble soap to it.
"This is to help you get clean Finley, take the shirt off and climb in. We gotta wash you and make you all clean, I'll have to go out and get you some clothes in an hour or two once stores open up. When I go out you will stay here, sleep, eat some of the food I brought back and wait for me yeah?"
"Yes Daddy."
Finley smiled and hugged Erik before climbing into the tub, Erik sat down at the side of the tub and leaned his back against the wall watching as Finley played with the bubbles, this was her first bath from his guess. There was no fear in her eyes seeing as she's seen Terminators and even went so far as to jump into a truck that was war zone bound. Leaning his head back Erik took a slow deep breath and blinked so that a HUD had brought itself up in his vision. Looking at the year and the Chronometric time that was displayed before he blinked again and his vision returned to normal.
Finley even though the idea of having a bath was fun and entertaining she yawned, moving to his knees he pulled the bottle of children's shampoo closer before opening and pouring a little bit into his hands.
"Hey little one, I need you to close your eyes, I'm going to wash your hair okay?" Finley listened closing her eyes as Erik washed her hair. It was a good few scrubs and rinses before Erik washed Finley and showed her what to do for the future because washing a little girl even to him now was a little awkward. Once she was all clean and the water was emptying from the tub Erik wrapped a towel around Finley and picked her up and carried her back into the room and set her on the bed pulling the towel tighter around her before taking another towel and towelling off Finley's head. Beneath all the dirty and grime Finley had beautiful brunette hair, and her features even with the baby fat were sharp and well proportioned, Finley would grow up to be an even more beautiful woman. Chuckling Erik reached for the shirt she had been wearing and pulled it over her head and dressed her pulling the larger towel away.
Erik kicked off his boots and laid down on the bed, he was tired and when he felt a pressure he raised his head up he saw Finley crawl up and curl up on his chest listening to his heart beat underneath the flesh and the metal that made him up.
"Love you…" And with that Finley went to sleep as Erik closed his tired eyes and he too went to sleep if only for a couple hours with his arms wrapped around Finley.
It was just after lunch time that Erik woke up and he yawn before stretching, Finley was still asleep after the time jump and everything that happened afterwards it wasn't surprising. Gently shifting her off his chest Erik got up off the bed as quietly as possible and pulled his boots back on tying them up, standing he went to the stolen rucksack and opened it up counting through the money, Erik took enough to buy a vehicle, clothing and camping gear. Looking to Finley, Erik went to the fridge and opened it reaching for some fruit he had bought along with a sandwich from a local 7-eleven along with a bottle of juice. Setting it on the table Erik went over to Finley and gently woke her seeing sleepy eyes.
"Hey, I'm going to go out and get us some things, I need you to stay here. Don't open the door, don't make noise. There is some food for you on the table if you are hungry. I'll be back as soon as I can okay?"
"Okay Daddy." Erik chuckled and carded a hand through her hair before standing and heading out and locking up. With the money in his pockets Erik started down the street at a brisk pace. There was a car dealership about five or six blocks down and he figured that would be better to get that first so he could travel around better. Walking onto the lot Erik was reminded that gas prices were down and the economy was well in hand, taking a look at some of the trucks that were on the lot Erik was approached by a salesman asking him if everything was alright. Erik's targeting reticle automatically came up and scanned him against Erik's mental judgement, the man wasn't a threat but the machine portion of him wanted to make sure.
"I'm doing well, just looking for a vehicle to drive off the lot actually."
"Well everything here is like that, you got cash, credit, cheques we can do all that for you, is there anything that you are looking for in particular?"
"A pickup, one with a flatbed cover. Maybe a Dodge or a Ford?" Following the man around Erik was shown an old Dodge Ram in an Anvil colour. It looked a tad beaten up but for the most part from Erik's inspection it was actually well taken care of minus the couple body dings. Nodding Erik said he would take the truck and at the price of 1200$ Erik was surprised but again reminded that currency was in a better place to buy items than it had been in the 2000's.
The purchase was quick and Erik even managed to get away without having to produce ID, thank god for the past. This would have to be something he would have to do soon fix if he wanted to put Finley through any form of education. Even if he couldn't actually put her through public schooling now he would have to begin teaching her how to read, write, and as time goes on to work technology and weapons in case the war does come to pass.
Remembering that the time that he was sent to allowed him for couple years before the 'Uncle Bob' unit showed up, he could raise Finley in relative safety. After purchasing clothing, camping equipment, weapons and food Erik returned to the motel and parked the truck. Taking the bags and his purchases from the truck to the motel room Erik found Finley munching on the sandwich a couple hours later, she saw him and smiled happily before going back to her food and her juice bottle. Once everything was inside Erik shut the door locking it and going to the bags that had Finley's clothing. Grabbing a pair of jeans, underwear, a pink zip up sweater, a baby-blue t-shirt and a pair of sneakers he went over to Finley and put them on the bed.
"I got you some clothes, hopefully they fit you and you like them." Finley went over to the clothes almost touching them but she pulled her hands back realizing her hands were dirty, Erik nodded over to the sink in the bathroom. "Go wash your hands kiddo." Finley ran off to that allowing for Erik to pull his own new clothing from a bag, he forgot what it was like to be in a time where it was easy enough to get clothes but forever a soldier he found it difficult to have clothes that make him blend in when all he remembered was wearing uniforms and suits. Deciding on the stone wash jeans Erik pulled his boots off and changed into the jeans along with a pair of boxers. The t-shirt and the shirt he was wearing over the t-shirt was good enough. Taking a box out Erik removed the brand new wallet out of it and set about putting money away into black leather before putting it into his back pocket. Finley had since washed up and without help from Erik but rather taking from his example changed clothing and ran to the mirror in the bathroom and smiled happily.
"Look! I look pretty!" Erik laughed and nodded agreeing with the little girl, Finley ran back up as Erik dug around through one of the bags finding a brush. Kneeling down he brushed her hair and pulled her shoulder length hair into a pony tail leaving her bangs to frame her face. Kissing the top of her hair Erik stood and went around pulling duffle bags out from another military surplus store and began organizing everything. Once everything was set Erik sat down to eat, he was hungry and with the sandwich, orange and apple and the water bottle he pulled from the fridge he ate quickly and happily knowing for the first time in months he was full.
Loading up the truck Erik turned in the key with Finley beside him who waved at the lady before they climbed into the truck and Erik pulled out and away.
-1997-
"Fin, what are you doing? You got school!"
"I'm looking for my pack dad" Erik had devoted the last eight years after being sent back into time raise Finley and continue prepping for the T-800 that was sent back for John. Knowing that, Erik had spent over the last eight years amassing money in illegal arms trafficking before stopping and disappearing off the grid. The criminals were all arrested and the evidence of the weapons he had sold them all linked to murders and gang rivalry. Standing at the bottom of the stairs of the house he had bought he held up the bag in one hand.
"You mean this back pack yeah?" Fin's head poked around the corner of the upstairs banister to see her dad and her raised eyebrow. She gave him a sheepish grin as he laughed. At age 14 Finley was an extremely well rounded girl, even with teaching her on the run at times she turned out well. Erik put her through martial arts training, weapons training, and computer education once the technology became available. She ate through everything that he threw at her and now she was in high school, the exact same one that John Conner was at actually once Erik had set himself and Fin up with passports, birth certificates, the whole works through illegal means.
Erik now acted as a private investigator and hired body guard to keep himself somewhat busy, standing in his black suit and a blue button down along with sunglasses perched on his head he fiddled with the tie before deciding to remove it and undo the first top two buttons.
"Looking good dad."
"You too Fin, you grew up really well you know that?"
Fin came down the stairs and blushed, the war was a distant past but it reminded her to be humble and that her dad was here on a mission, raising her because she jumped onto the transport truck just to be with him made her smile. She missed her own mother and father, but Erik was the one that saved her all those years ago and to her he was her father even through everything. This world was something she would never take for granted and it was also something that she would fight to protect even it meant protecting John Connor who was currently flunking his English class despite being a really smart kid. It was clear that there was always something more important to John instead of studying for the Shakespeare final they had coming up. But it also the next couple of days that their lives would change forever, Erik had spent a good time money gathering what they could to protect John as well as fight the T-1000 that would be showing up that weekend.
"Let's go, hopefully you can get your test scores before this weekend yeah?"
"Oh I can only hope, you know I never knew how much Shakespeare had changed our world."
"Oh he did more than that, he inspired generations of actors and writers. I have to check up at the Masons' and close this case before I pick you up from school. Make sure that John doesn't do anything stupid today eh?" Finley gave a thumbs up after putting her coat on and taking the bag from her dad's hand. The two of the locked up and got into Erik's truck that he kept in great condition after his purchase. Driving to the high school that Finley and John went to Erik kissed her cheek after she hugged him and bounded out in jeans, long sleeve shirt and sweater under her windbreaker.
Making sure she made it to the door after ignoring a few of the jocks Erik laughed and pulled away heading to his job, private investigation was good business and after getting hired into a small company he solved a good portion of their unsolved cases allowing for the reputation to increase and more people to be hired on to replace him when he leaved the next day.
By the time that Fin finished school Erik had settled the case and his boss allowed him to leave a day early, getting his final paycheck Erik deposited it and pulled a good portion of his money out saying he was going travelling with his daughter and it was going to be a surprise.
Sitting at the pickup point Erik was reading a newspaper when he heard the bell, turning his head he looked at the doors as student burst out of it before looking back at the article he was reading. Excitement from the teens and the plans that he overheard Erik had to shake his head before he heard Finley's voice and a couple of the jocks coming up behind her. Turning his head and looking over top of his sunglasses Erik's gaze took in the men assessing them without his HUD coming up, one of the jocks had the nerve to put a hand on Finley's before she turned pulling her hand out of his scowling. The Jock tried again only to laid out by Fin with a slap to the face with her text book in hand and a blow to the inside of his knee followed by upswing blow to the underside of the Jock's chin knocking him on his back.
"That's for making some of the most disgusting comments about my ass and what you want to do with it. No matter what you say I wouldn't go near you with a ten foot pole let alone have sex with you asshole. So go find some other girl." Erik's eyebrow raised up into his hairline as Finley walked away and the Jock's buddies went to go pick him up as she opened the door and climbed into the passenger side seat pulling the door shut. Erik was still looking at Finley as she looked forwards and people were whispering about her, the truck and the man that was in the truck with her.
Erik put the newspaper away before starting up the truck before the truck door was ripped open and Finley was pulled out, Erik pulled the seat belt off and got out of the driver's seat as Finley was thrown to the ground by the Jock. The boy had his fist pulled back but before his fist could fly Erik's hand crushed the Jock's before twisting it around to the boy's back pinning him to the side of the truck.
"You want to try that again?"
"Get off me man!"
"No, I won't because you attacked my daughter and I really don't appreciate some sleaze bag touching what isn't his and was never given to him. As the father to that girl, you better hope I don't go to your parents to tell them exactly what you tried to do. As a retired military service man I'm the last person you want to try and get into a fist fight with. So here is what is going to happen, I am going to let you go, you are going to stay away from my daughter because the next time I'm told you tried to touch her I will kill you. Am I clear?"
The boy's head rocked up and down before Erik pulled him away from the truck and released him spinning him around. He got into the boy's face as his eyes flash bright red scaring the Jock away before he took off running in fear. The crowd that had been around watching dispersed as Finley sat up and Erik walked over kneeling down getting a good look at his daughter.
"You alright little one?"
Finley looked up at her old pet name and saw her dad look worriedly at her, sniffling a little she saw his hand being held out. Being pulled to a stand Erik pulled her into a hug before they got back into the truck with their things and drove off.
"I'm okay dad, thank you."
"You're welcome, who was the Jock?"
"Some guy that's been trying to get into my pants, wants to have sex with me and nothing more."
"Well sadly at that age, that's all they care about. I remember when I was their age it was something I wanted but I never went to the extent they did. Granted I never had to, they all came to me." Erik looked over and grinned, Fin looked over cleaning her hands up with a Wet wipes.
"And you saying I'm not attracting them all?" Fin turned her gaze to her dad when she saw his shit eating grin realizing that even though they didn't share blood it was clear she was his daughter. She threw the Wet wipe cloth that hit his shoulder causing him to roar with laughter as they drove.
Arriving home Erik pulled up in the driveway and put the truck into park and cutting the engine before he looked to Finley with a sad smile. Holding the keys in hand Erik put his arm around the back of Finley's seat as she looked at her dad.
"I wish I could have given you a full normal life, you don't need to be part of this war, and you could leave and continue on with being a normal girl."
"No, I made a promise to Connor the day that I hid in that truck. You protected me when my mother died and you saved me from the Terminator, you took care of me after that and I wanted to stay with you to the end. These last eight years have been great, this world… I want to fight for it. If we can prevent the war and help John now. I'll do it dad." Erik nodded seeing that he raised her well including giving her a chance to be normal, maybe if they could prevent the war or postpone it than maybe he could still give Finley a great life.
"Okay… get inside pack up your things, we'll kill 'Gregory and Fin Samuals' tonight before we head to the safe house." Finley nodded and got out of the truck before Erik nodded once and got out of the truck closing up and heading inside. Finley was wandering around picking up photos the two of the had taken over the years and looking at them before taking a large photo album with exact same photos and opening it looking through the pages.
Erik tossed his keys on the side table by the door and walked up to her looking over her shoulder at the images, Erik had felt that it was important for Finley to have photos of their time here and he had purchased a camera in the very early days when they had arrived in the past. Smiling at the images Erik wrapped an arm around Finley and hugged her before kissing the side of her head before walking off towards the basement taking off his suit coat. Finley packed the photo album away lovingly into a her black military duffel bag her dad had bought for this purpose, all the photos in the frames were copies, every original was put into the album and it was something she treasured. After she finished taking the small important things and putting it away into the pack with clothing, and other supplies she closed it up and took it to the door and laid it down carefully at the landing and placed the stuffed rabbit that Erik had sewn for her as a child on top. Turning and going to the basement she saw her dad standing topless with tan military style cargo pants doing up his belt his feet were already in his boots.
"Looking good dad." Erik looked up from his belt and raised an eyebrow before he shook his head, Finley eyed her dad noting that in all her years with him he never once aged or if he did it didn't show despite him being a hybrid. The only difference and as subtle as was were the grey hairs that were up at his temples now instead of just hinted throughout his hair.
Erik had an extremely well kept body and even though he was half machine he ate well, exercised every day and took care of his organics. His abs were enough to have women stare at him when he took Finley to the beaches as a child, he was exceptionally fit and it was something that he explained to her about people and attractiveness and relationships.
Finley remembered even in the eight years here Erik never had a girlfriend, never dated that she noticed he was always doting on her, however there were a few nights when she came home from a friend's sleep over that she heard womanly noises come from her dad's room and the sound of flesh slapping flesh. Shaking her head she shuttered and thought about the implication that she had caught her dad verbally having sex. Finley's attention was called to her when Erik walked up to her fully clothed with a black t-shirt on and a grey cotton button up partly done.
"Finley, you okay?"
"Yes dad, just remembering something that's all." Erik shook his head and turned back to the three bags he set up and finished backing them up and closing them. Weapons, money, maps, food, clothes and armour laid within and after it was all set up Erik took all the bags in hand and went up with Finley. There was a jeep out back that had its vehicle cover pulled off. Finley followed out to the back with her own two bags and she set them on the ground hugging her stuffed bunny as Erik put the bags into the back and closed up.
"You got the keys right?"
"I do dad."
"Okay, head off to the safe house, I might be a bit dinged up so pull the first aid kit out when you arrive at the safe-house. Remember to take the path I showed you and stay off the main roads." Finley hugged her dad and climbed into the Jeep starting it and taking it off the property through the alley behind the houses as Erik turned walking back into the house. He had a house to rig and set to blow up.
Spending a good portion of two hours setting the boiler to blow Erik stood pulling leather gloves off and putting them on the work table with tools and a half done project he hastily put together as a cover for why his gloves were there. Wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand Erik pulled on the gas line enough that there was a small tear before he walked upstairs and went to the fridge to make something quick for food. Going to a closet Erik pulled out two black bags and looked at them as they were dressed as him and Finley.
It took some moving around and more money than he wanted to use but he had dental record, blood types and all sorts of information changed so that it matched to the two bodies here. They were still warming when Erik hefted them up and took one upstairs placing one in a tub of water he had set up dumping the naked young girl in before taking the other one and setting him downstairs in the work space.
With the gas leaking now Erik could smell the fumes and after pulling on a fire retardant jacket and pants over Kevlar armour, he pulled on a hood and slathered on gel onto his hood and what was showing of his face before pulling on gloves and soaking them in the protective gel. Bending down Erik pulled a harder on the gas line and stood there on top of a towel that was covered in accelerate to burn faster.
"Well… here goes…" Erik turned his back to the gas line and after counting to ten he pulled on a string that opened the door to the boiler and the gas ignited blowing everything up as Erik dropped to a knee and covered his head with arms. The machine part of him took over as everything started to collapse around him from the explosion and the fire, he had sit and wait till everything stopped moving. Once it was finished but the fire was still burning Erik pushed himself to a stand and looked down to his body and took in everything before he pushed himself out of the mess. Going out through a hole in the foundations Erik heard a second explosion that caught him in the side of the face before he climbed to his feet and took off in the darkness away from his former home.
Running at a machine's pace Erik ran faster than most of the cars because he wasn't relying on muscles from his human body, whatever muscles were left were for appearance and they weren't pushed as hard as he was pushing his hydraulics. It was another hour and a half before he made it to his location located in the woods. It was an RV with the Jeep parked by the door. Erik walked up to it as human senses started to come back causing Erik to groan, he was hurt that much was clear by the pounding along the side of his face and his back.
Finley came out of the RV with a shotgun poised seeing the figure raise its hand up it Finley stood ready to fire, her training that Erik gave her really paid off until Erik pulled the mask off and she dropped the dropped the gun to the side and she ran to him.
"Dad!"
"Fin… honey…" reaching her dad Finley reached up and gently touched Erik's face seeing that there was a tiny portion that had been pulled away revealing the skeleton machine underneath. Erik dropped his face so she could see him better before he dropped to a knee as his back started to really hurt, Finley went around and saw that her dad's back had a good sized hole and something imbedded in the flesh and part of the machine.
"What did you do to yourself?"
"I don't know, feels like there is something wedged in my back."
"It's because there is dad."
"Lovely, can you get it out?" Erik looked over his shoulder and looked as best as he could but Finley was behind him gently prodding inside the damaged skin. Her hand was on her shoulder but she moved away from him and came around shaking her head.
"Not without any light, come on dad we need to get you inside." Erik pushed himself to a stand and shuffled to the RV climbing inside before Finley led him to the large bed Erik had installed. The two of them would share it and it was something they did when they went camping, Fin always cuddled up beside her dad listening to him tell stories that lulled her to sleep.
Sitting on the edge of the bed Erik started pulling off the protective clothing with Finley's help and when he was topless he laid on his stomach as Finley pulled a pair of pliers out along with a pair of gloves and a medical bag. Putting the medical bag down on the floor by her feet. The flesh was damaged in an area a little larger than her shoe. The machine underneath the flesh and muscle whined as it tried to shift correctly despite the foreign object between two of the 'vertebrae'.
Moaning in pain Erik turned his head away as Finley pulled a pair of latex gloves on before turning on the light above the bed and wincing seeing the damage done to her dad. Taking the pliers in hand Finley put a hand on the upper portion of her dad's back and pushed down lightly before reaching into the hole and began to pry the metal fragment out. After five minutes of trying to pull the object out with a cry of happiness, Erik sighed happily as the machine components shifted correctly back into place. Putting the pliers down Finley switched her gloves and opened the med kit searching for items to cover the wound. Her dad had left his eyes closed and it looked like he had begun to fall asleep, she couldn't blame him at all for doing so and with what he had to do to so that they could move on with their mission it was worth letting him rest. Covering the hole up Finley was reminded that everything time her dad had come home injured in some fashion she was thankful and yet resentful that Skynet had done what it had done to humans. She leaned over and cleaned the damaged tissue along the side of his face and bandaged it up, it wasn't as bad as it looked and it be healed quickly for tomorrow or so she hope, she was brought back to the time when Erik had taken a blow to the face and rescued her, he looked so much the same now as he did then and her thoughts took another depressing turn.
One day Erik could outlive her and that thought alone brought a tear to her eye, closing her eyes she quietly let a tear fall when she felt a hand cup the side of her face and she saw her patched up dad look at her with a sad smile. He knew and he would always know, he raised her as a single father and as someone that wanted a better life for her.
"It's okay… let's cook up some food and watch some stars hmm?" Erik had since sat up pulling Finley in close kissing her cheek. Nodding Erik changed his clothing pulling a tight fitting tank top to keep the bandage in place before pulling a t-shirt over top. Finley had cleaned up and went about gathering the camp barbeque and supplies taking them outside in front of the two camp chairs she had set up earlier.
Erik walked out with hotdogs and buns in a cooler, once they set up the charcoal in the charcoal bbq they sat in front thinking about the day tomorrow and the fact they were going to have to go to the mall that had a lot of people. The jeep would a quick getaway from what John had told Erik about his history with the Terminator the rescued him.
This would be last night that Erik cold be able to give Finley a normal life and then all that hell would break loose and they would be fighting to protect John Connor from everything. After their dinner and relaxing father and daughter gazed up to the stars and curled up against each other, the future would be forever changed with their suggestions.
-Next day-
"Dad, I would like to remind you that my birthday is coming up and I would like a new sweater." Erik turned to look at Finley raising an eyebrow.
"A sweater… why can't you be like normal girls and ask for dresses, makeup, hell I'll even take a demand for a cell phone." Finley just grinned and hugged Erik's arm as they walked by a few clothing stores on their way to the Galleria Arcade.
"It's not practical enough."
"Go figure you pick up on some of my useful habits, thank god." The two made it to the Galleria and 'lo and behold there was a young John Connor, Erik's HUD reacted without his thought as it targeted John before receding. Finley took some money from Erik and went to get quarters while Erik stood by looking at some of the games he used to play and was going to until the T-1000 showed up, whenever that was. It was the easiest way of meeting the T-800 protector and getting John the hell out of dodge.
The two played games for no more than twenty minutes before the T-1000 showed up and stopped John's friend, Erik turned to Finley and pushed her towards John.
"Get him out of here Fin." Finley turned away from her dad and went to where John was grabbing him as he looked at her in surprise.
"John we need to go, and now." The T-1000 was trying to be stalled by John's friend and seeing the uniform, Finley and John took off out of the back with Erik ramming the proto-type against the machine following through the same door. Erik was glad for civilian military wear as he skidded down a hall seeing the T-800 with a shotgun in hand pointed at him. The two scanned each other with the T-800 moving to stand beside Erik who pulled his M9 out from the holster at the back of his pants and pointed down the hall where the T-1000 turned a corner.
"John Connor cannot stay here, his mother is to be rescued upon escape."
"Acknowledged."
The two opened fire on the T-1000 and watched as it went down with bullet impacts all along its chest and five in its face. Ejecting the empty clip Erik slammed a new on in as the T-800 shucked the final shell from the breach and started reloading. The T-1000 self-healed and pushed itself to a stand before it knocked Erik back into a wall before attacking the T-800. Erik looked to John and Finley yelling at them.
"Get out of here, get in the Jeep and start it up, if we don't get down there before this thing, drive!" The T-800 was slammed into the ground as Erik pulled himself out of the wall attacking the T-1000 and dodging under a swing of a blade before shoulder ramming through the opposite wall with the T-800 in tow. Erik was kicked into clothing and kicked in the face with the T-800 engaging in a fist fight with the T-1000 before being thrown out of the front of the store glass and crashing onto its back. Erik pushed himself to a stand again but was grabbed by the T-1000 and held up by the collar of his shirt and thrown through the same opening but he skidded past the T-800 and through another set of glass that divided and protected people from going off the second level to the level below.
When Erik landed he cratered the ground from landing on his side and sliding a couple of feet further on his front after he rolled onto it. People were screaming and talking about it, calling for help when the T-800 pushed himself to a stand taking off after the T-1000 while Erik climbed to his feet and shaking his head jerkily as he walked away from the scene jogging for the parkade. Seeing that the Jeep had taken off with the T-1000 running after the vehicle Erik and the T-800 ran for the bikes and seeing the key in John's dirt bike, Erik kicked started it as the T-800 had started his Harley and had taken off. Jumping through a hedge Erik and the T-800 rode after the T-1000 who had commandeered a flat nose big rig.
Pointing to the broken chain link that led into the waterways the two Terminators rode looking for the right waterway. They took short cuts as Erik jumped through a gap into the waterway behind the big rig as the T-800 took the highroad. The T-800 couldn't get Erik enough of a gap for him to get by even firing the shotgun as he rode a level up from the semi truck. The T-800 joined the fray on the ground level after jumping off a ledge before Erik and the machine zig zagged hoping to get by the semi. The more powerful Harley was able to get by the semi before a tire was shot out the front end.
Seeing that the semi was going to crash, Erik blitzed by the truck as it slammed on its brakes screeching to a halt at a divider with resounding crash. The Jeep rolled to a stop with Finley looking out the driver's seat as the T-800 pulled up beside the jeep and Erik skidded to a halt before getting off the bike jogging for the vehicle. Looking at the flames Erik and the Terminator stared into the fire before Erik turned and shoo'ed Finley into the back along with John.
Both Terminators climbed into the vehicle with Erik in the driver's seat, they pulled away with the T-800 looking at the fire for the enemy machine. When they got onto the main roads Erik drove while John started to have a panic attack, his classmate was a crazy driver that apparently could drive. The man in biker leathers was scary on his own and looked a little banged up and the man in the driver's seat had a few cuts along the side of his neck, his scalp and his back.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up, pull over, pull the fuck over!" Erik looked to the T-800 who nodded before they pulled off into an alley and parked. Erik turned in his seat with his arm resting on the seat back. John looked at them all wildly rushing to climb out of the vehicle running his hands through his hair pacing.
"Okay… okay… He's a Terminator right?" John pointed to the T-800 that got out of the Jeep with shotgun in hand pushing shells into the breach.
"Yes, Cyberdyne Systems Model 101" John's eyes bugged out as he looked to the other man that had saved him but looked a little worse for wear as Finley got out with a wet cloth in hand and some bandages under her armpit.
"What's he?" John asked pointing at Erik, Finley glowered at the young human savior before handing the bandages and stuff to her dad. Erik spoke up as Finley made herself busy pulling the shards of glass that were in his back and side out.
"I'm a hybrid… I don't have a model number because Skynet deemed me not worth of one after I made a great escape. I'm a human in a machine body, my brain is encased in the dome, my heart is protected by case and a chest plate. My internal organs were adapted and placed within a special chassis. I eat, sleep, all the human stuff but with the longevity and power of a Terminator."
"How do I know you aren't here to kill me?"
"Don't you dare say that about my dad!" Finley snarled at John going over and prodding him in the chest hard a few times before going back to her dad and finishing up the patch work. John went and sat against a wall looking at the three.
"And I suppose he gave you life?"
"No, he saved me in the war after my parents were killed. I came with him from the future to protect your whiney sorry ass." Erik rose an eyebrow as the T-800 finished it's reload and walking over to it's fellow terminator.
"We need to get as far away from the city as possible, and avoid any of the authorities."
"Agree, however there is a side mission we much do before we leave the city. We have to release Sarah Conner from where she is being held."
"I cannot, that is not part of the mission parameters." Erik sighed looking down to John, Finley had tossed away the garbage and all but guarded John with a stare.
"John, I need you to save a few words for me." The young boy looked up and cocked his head to the side at Finley's father who was staring at the Biker Terminator, "Say: I order you to help retrieve Sarah Connor."
"I order you to help retrieve Sarah Connor." The T-800 turned from Erik and looked at John nodding before going to the passenger side of the Jeep, Finley grabbed at John and they climbed into the vehicle with Erik climbing into the driver's seat as John poked his head between the divider staring at Erik.
"What was that about?"
"That Terminator is your personal protector, he's programmed to follow your orders. Me and my daughter, we're here as added insurance for you and your protector. Skynet had vastly changed the game and to offset that we are here to help play in that off-set." Erik started the jeep and pulled out of the alley heading for a gas station where Erik gassed up the jeep, filled the jerry cans on the back, bought travel food and drinks before they went off to the mental Hospital that Sarah was being held at.
"Okay, no killing people that means you Terminator. If you have to, just injure. Finley, I know I ask a lot of you however I need you to stay with the jeep and have it ready to at a moment's notice." Finley nodded as they traveled along the darkened road. The T-800 had cocked it's head to the side and all that John did was order the machine not to kill anyone, when the Terminator questioned as to why it wasn't allowed to kill John did his best to explain why you do you not kill. Upon arriving at the mental hospital Erik looked out at the building before looking to the guard that came out telling the visiting hours. Getting out of the driver's seat Erik went up to the man grabbing him by his collar and before the man could even so much as yell for help Erik head-butted the man knocking him out. With the limp body in hand Erik carried him into the guard shack and pulled three magazines from the man's belt and opened the gate before jogging out and climbing back into the Jeep giving Finley the three clips and drove past the gate. Going to the underground parking they pulled up close to the elevator before shutting the engine off.
"We'll try and make this as quick and quiet as possible. John, I know you want to come with us but let me and the big guy handle this. Stay in the back seat and keep low, don't get seen." The two Terminators got out of the vehicle allowing for the jeep to lift up a few inches more making it taller. Shutting the doors the two walked to the elevator hitting the call button. The T-800 was tall and massively built, but the difference between it and Erik was that while Erik was just as tall his build was different. Where there was bulk on the T-800 series, whatever Erik was so that the machine matched an appealing human frame. He had an athletic frame just short of a brawler, he certainly had the 'ideal' military build for a soldier, just a little slimmer.
When the door opened Erik and the T-800 stepped in, the elevator car groaned but took their heavy weight up to the floor where there was yelling and screaming already in progress. Erik pulled his M9 from his holster and started for the sound with the T-800 in tow.
AS they turned the corner the woman they came to get was on the ground being restrained while a second woman was being restrained while two men, one without an arm and the other that looked very familiar was getting punched in the face.
Going over to them Erik thought better than to use the handgun and put it away before running and ramming the man holding onto the other woman before turning and grabbing a skinny white guy and throwing him through a door. The T-800 came up and pulled the rest of the men away from woman on the ground while the woman in black was helped up by the man with one arm.
The man looked up as red eyes flashed, Erik's eyes flashed red in return before the two women were released. The man that had been punched in the face came up looking at Erik wiping at blood around his nose.
"You?"
"I wish I could say I'm glad to see you, but how are you and her here?"
"Kyle… who is this?"
Erik took in the scene and had to blink rapidly looking to the woman that was staring scared right up at the T-800 he was with the shotgun leaning against its shoulder to the woman in black and Kyle Reese. This was all wrong, everything was all wrong.