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Just want to give the usual stuff before you read on: the only characters I own are Nemesis, Nike, Jade, Hawk, and Chaos. Any other characters, places belong to Warner Bros. and the Wachowskis.

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Trials & Tribulations:

A Cry in the Dark

Nike begins her life in the real world with some terrifying hands-on training: a nearby hovercraft has transmitted a distress signal.

Chapter 3- Hawk and Chaos

Plunk.

Smith didn't look up as Nemesis sat down in the chair beside him. Nike was about to come over, too, but Nemesis waved her away. She sensed that Smith did not want too much attention. Nike nodded, and sat back down where she had been sitting, next to the rest of the crew. They were waiting for news of the two boys, they sat just outside the emergency room.

"You can sit by us, you know. We're not enemies anymore."

Smith finally glanced up into the girl's face. "It's not that."

"Then what is it? Tell me!" Nemesis immediately regretted that statement. "I'm sorry, Smith. You don't have to tell me." Nemesis started to get up, but Smith grabbed her sleve.

"No," he said. "I...I...need...t-to..."

"To talk someone?" Nemesis guessed.

"Yes."

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"I caused this," Smith said, his voice trying not to show his "human" emotions, which were obviously getting the better of him. "It's my fault. If I hadn't ordered their construction...you understand that it was I who cuased their creation? Do you understand that I gave them their orders? I killed, Nemesis, without a thought of what I was doing. Now I've seen through to the other side.....and I've seen what I've done. I don't like it."

"That was a different life. It's all over." Nemesis wrapped her arm around Smith's shoulder. He tensed for a moment, but didn't resist. An idea struck her just then.

"Smith......I forgive you."

"What?" he asked, looking up with confusion and disbelief.

"I forgive you."

Smith looked down, but Nemesis knew that she had gotten across. He had been forgiven. And he could move on.

"Morpheus?" a woman asked, coming out of the ER and approaching the group.

"Yes?" he asked, standing up and approaching her. The entire crew stood, too, and gathered around for news.

"They're going to be all right."

*****

It hurts. Why do I hurt so much?

Voices. Sound. Someone was near. Chaos?

"The ship was attacked..." What ship? Who is that?

".....the crew was killed." Who was killed? Is Chaos all right?

"....two survivors...." Who survived what? Tell me, please! Someone answer me.

Light. Bright light, and it hurts. The light slowly faded away. Two people where there: a man....a woman. A...doctor? Am I sick? Who is this man?

"Look, he's awake," the man said, walking over and taking the small boy's hand. "Hello, Hawk."

Hawk was in too much pain to really care that a stranger knew his name. "It hurts.....please...m-mister, it hurts," was all that he was able to whisper. The lady, the doctor, went out of his line of sight. She came back, holding....something.

There was a slight prick in his skin, and Hawk fell asleep, remembering nothing more.

*****

Chaos remembered. And his memory was vivid. He could see the wreckage.....the blood....the bodies.....NO!!!!!

His eyes flew open. A different room, a different reality. He was lying down in a bed, a soft bed. Chaos searched his memory. Hospital.....I was taken to a hospital......

The door opened, and Chaos backed up as far as he could. Two girls had entered his room. His space. His reality. And he didn't like it. "What....are you doing here?" he tried to growl as he sat up.

"You shouldn't be up," one of them said. "You should be resting."

"The hell I will!" Despite that statement, he collapsed back down on the bed, unsucessfully struggling against the blackness.

*****

Four weeks passed, and Hawk and Chaos had recovered from their injuries. They walked to the landing field, having been taken in a new crew members on the Neb. Hawk slipped his hand into both Nemesis and Nike's, bouncing along and laughing. He had nearly no memory of what had happened. It was hard for him to be sad about something that he did not remember.

Chaos walked behind, a shadowy look on his face. He remembered fully. And he would not forget. Never.

"Hey, you awake?" Tank asked, playfully punching him on the shoulder.

"I'm fine." Chaos walked into the ship, following his new crewmates. He didn't look back at all. He forced himself not to.

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This is the end of A Cry In The Dark. I will be continuing the Trials & Tribulations series, expect to see the next story soon! (Please R&R!)

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