Thanks again to everyone reading and especially to those reviewing—a special thanks to Morbidity, DanL89, Amethyst Arenara, Orphan, and Wicked Enough—for scribes such as yourselves to review me honors me. And to my Speed Racer buddies Jen23 and Joeysgirl—you both are such great friends. Finally, to the rest of you—my very heartfelt and humble thanks.
ONE GONE
Joe was momentarily paralyzed with shock at what had happened. Immediately realizing the gravity of the situation and thus snapping out of his inertia, he clicked his tooth and bellowed, "Acceleration Mode!" as he flew to Chang's restaurant in less than the twinkling of an eye.
Chang was busily preparing the evening's menu entrees when 009 appeared with fear and fury in his eyes. "What happened?" the diminutive Chinese man asked when he saw his teammate's state.
"003's vanished!" 009 said urgently. "We need to get back and tell Gilmore and the others!"
"Vanished? What are you talking about, 009?" 006 persisted. "How could 003 vanish?"
"I don't have time to explain it all now! Let's go, 006!" Joe snapped as he lifted the plump chef. "Acceleration Mode!" he yelled as they took off. In a split second they were back at the beach house.
"Dr Gilmore, everybody! Come out there now!" 009 barked, his patience gone. Gilmore and 001 came out as did 002, 004, and 007.
"What's up, 009" 004 asked, alarmed by the fierceness in 009's usually placid eyes. The 00 cyborgs gathered around their leader.
"I was walking 003 to the restaurant when a bright light flashed, blinding me. When I was able to see again, she was gone." 009 recounted tersely, a dark scowl on his countenance.
"How can that be?" Jet scoffed as Joe's eyes skewered him. "She'd have picked up the attack before it happened."
"Hmmm. Unless," Gilmore said thoughtfully. "The sound and light that made 003 faint earlier may have rendered her powers useless, therefore making it easy to capture her."
"We gotta get her back!" 009 said with desperation.
"Yeah, no foolin'," Jet echoed. "Let's get goin'." He was already heading toward the door when it slid open and 008 and 005 stepped in.
"We got here as soon as we could," Pyunma said, his expression grave.
Geronimo nodded, "I take it Black Ghost has reappeared?"
Dr. Gilmore was about to reply when the communication monitor on the far wall came to life. An almost palatable sense of evil permeated the room at once. Vile laughter echoed off the walls as all the cyborgs and Dr. Gilmore watched 003's still, lovely face fill the screen.
"003!" 009 cried. All the eyes in the room were glued to the picture.
An unmistakable voice greeted them. "Hello, my cyborg renegade friends and traitor Gilmore. I suppose you figured that you had heard the last of me, eh? Fools!"
"Black Ghost! What have you done to 003?" 009 snapped, his face in a dark scowl.
Scarl laughed at his fury. "In due time my rambunctious young cyborg. She is safe, for now. Whether or not she remains that way is entirely up to you."
Jet growled, "If you do anything to hurt her--"
Scarl laughed again, "My dear cyborg, you are in no position to threaten me. I'm the one that is holding the trump card, 009's Queen of Hearts sort to speak."
"What are you getting at?" Gilmore asked acidly.
"I have rendered the female cyborg powerless. She is as she was before, my new weapon has immobilized her abilities. But she was just a means to an end and that end is 009."
The cyborgs were all speechless but 009 was livid. His eyes, usually a warm golden brown, were black as onyx and his hands had balled into tight fists. The truth weighed heavily on him and added to his rage, Francoise was in the hands of Black Ghost and it was because they wanted him.
"What is it you want?" Gilmore asked dourly.
"I want 009 to meet me at a designated time to be determined. I shall be contacting you with the coordinates presently. Until then, farewell."
The screen went black as the room became deathly silent, the 00 cyborgs all stunned by the revelation that the girl that was collectively their sister, mother, friend, and love was in mortal danger. Each of them wore a different expression, grim, furious, terrified, but 009's was the most ominous. He had assumed a face devoid of expression except for his eyes and in those eyes, death awaited the one who took 003, it was inevitable.
Dr. Gilmore spoke quietly yet with fierceness, "008, I want you to do an underwater sweep of the entire coastline, out to 25 nautical miles. 002, take 004 with you and I want a thorough aerial search worldwide from the highest altitude. I don't want you picked up by any radar or satellite. The rest of you will rendezvous on the Dolphin ASAP."
Everyone went off to their designated assignments. As 009 turned to go, Gilmore restrained him with a firm hand. "009, I need you to keep your mind focused. You can't let your emotions rule you, Black Ghost is counting on that."
"I know." His voice was flat and emotionless as his eyes blazed with barely restrained fury.
"He obviously knows that 003 is someone of great importance to you and is using her to draw you into being careless. Don't allow him the opportunity to catch you with your guard down."
"I won't."
"Since you're the target, it makes sense that he would be directing all future communiqués with you. So you need to stay on the Dolphin, no matter how badly you may want to join in the search."
"Yes, doctor," 009 answered stonily.
Gilmore placed a hand on the cyborg's shoulder and could feel the intensity of the emotion he was holding in check. "Joe, we will do everything in our power to get 003 back safe and alive."
The young half-Japanese cyborg examined the kindly man steadily and Gilmore was taken aback by the raw terror he saw buried beneath the rage. A tear slipped inadvertently down from one eye. "I hope so, Dr. Gilmore," he said bleakly.
On the high powered mobile submarine base, 003 lay on a platform, shackled at her wrists and ankles. Her aqua eyes flew open and she tried to rise but Scarl's laughter sent chills down her spine.
"Ah my enchanting little cyborg! How nice to see the sleeping beauty awaken even without the kiss from the handsome prince. But fret not, he'll be here soon."
"W-what do you plan to do with me?" 003 asked shakily.
"You are the bait to catch my quarry. I know that you and 009 are quite affectionate toward each other so I have no doubt he will come to rescue you. Then he will again become my master cyborg as he was meant to be."
"You'll never get away with this. 009 will never come back to do evil for you," she cried.
Scarl laughed at her. "My dear, he'll have no choice. He will join my forces and his first duty will be to eliminate you and all of your comrades. And if he refuses, I will simply eliminate him, you and the rest who I am sure will be here to save you but it will be for nothing, for you all will cease to exist!"
Francoise's eyes were wide as saucers. "You are insane! You took our humanity away from us and now you plan to wipe us out. Oh, if I could only break free!" She strained at the bonds with all her might but to no avail.
Scarl bent over the supine form of the ex-dancer. The sheer evil emanating from him made her shudder. "Patience my sweet little cyborg." He leaned even closer, caressing her face as she recoiled from his cold touch and putrid breath. "You know, you were always fascinating to me even before we implanted your enhancements. So lovely and graceful as you danced, you haven't changed at all. No wonder 009 is so smitten." He got up, his cape swirling and as he turned to exit he left a parting shot. "Too bad the blossom of love will be exterminated before it has a chance to bloom." His diabolical laughter reverberated down the corridor of the sub eerily.
Francoise felt the sting of tears as she lay there pondering over her fate and that of her teammates. It was clear that Black Ghost's objective was to capture 009 and were certain that his feelings for her would eventually lead him to them. She determined that somehow she would break free to warn 009 and the others but the shackles were of tempered steel and no matter how hard she strained at them, they were indestructible.
003 sighed as she wracked her brain for an idea, anything to free her from her prison. Her heart sank as she felt totally helpless. . . .
Back at the Dolphin, Dr. Gilmore and the other 00 cyborgs were in the depths of the Sea of Japan in a strategy meeting to plan their next move. They gathered amidships in a grim assembly.
008 stepped forward and spoke. "I found nothing suspicious as I patrolled underwater and I went around several times. No crafts that even remotely resemble any of the Black Ghost fleet are present.
"I see," Dr. Gilmore responded. He made a notation and then addressed the next party. "002 and 004, what are your findings?"
Jet stepped forward and replied, "Nothing going on that I can see. And I did quite a few flights around the world."
"Nor I, " Albert said. "I flew just as many sorties, and found not one thing." He looked disgusted.
"Well, I guess we'll have to wait for Black Ghost to contact us again. We know that he wants to meet with 009 so we will just wait until we hear from him.
"How can we wait? 003 could be hurt or possibly…dead," 009 said, his voice tinged with despair. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"
Dr. Gilmore placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm afraid we have no choice, 009. We are literally in the dark until he contacts us."
Joe wasn't convinced. "001, have you gotten anything?" he asked the infant cyborg in the basket.
**I have been alert for any feeling in the spirit realm and I will contact the team once I have something, 009,** Ivan spoke in Joe's head. It was little comfort to the 00 cyborg leader whose shoulders slumped in defeat.
He sighed, "Excuse me please." He headed to the lounge at the rear of the ship to be alone and his compadres watched with concern.
"Poor guy, he's really upset," commented 008.
"Yeah, he's got it bad. I mean we're all worried about 003 but he's close to losing it," 002 pointed out.
"It's understandable," 005 said in a taciturn manner. "He's worried about the one he loves." Everyone nodded in agreement having seen the signs now for quite some time it was becoming common knowledge among the cyborgs that 003 and 009 were closer that just friends.
004 nodded in an understanding way. "I'll go talk to him. I can relate to how he feels." He turned and headed to the lounge.
In the lounge, Joe stood at a window and stared out at the underwater beauty of fish schools floating by like a striped army in formation. Something glittering caught his eye, it was a crystal dolphin dangling on a wire that when it caught the light acted like a prism, reflecting a rainbow. 003 had hung it up on the window as a christening of sorts of the name of the ship she had chosen. Everyone gave her a hard time about it but 005 and 009 who thought it was an admirable attempt to personalize the ship, yet another way to hang on to their lost humanity. Her gentle touch on what once was a Black Ghost death machine, once again a cherished commodity for him. He loved how her delicacy touched every aspect of the team and his life.
004 interrupted his brooding thoughts. "Hey, 009 you okay?"
009 continued staring out as he responded, "004, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, kid."
009 turned and regarded the older cyborg earnestly. "When you lost your wife, how did you deal with it?"
004 studied something outside the window with a sad expression. His ice blue eyes looked faraway as he replied, "At first I didn't. I was so filled with rage at losing my Hilda I wanted revenge any way I could get it. I spent years hating everyone and everything and most of all hating myself. Her face was always before me, reminding me that I failed in protecting her."
"You loved her very much," it was a statement, not a question.
"Yes," Albert answered. "She was the light of my life. A day doesn't go by without me thinking about her at least once." He gazed at the young man who looked so forlorn and yet so furious. "You're really in love for the first time, right?"
There it was the "L" word. Love? Did he really love Francoise? Joe had asked himself that question countless times recently and each time he did he questioned his ability to love now that he was a cyborg. Was he still capable of loving a woman as a man? He didn't know, he just knew that all he had to do was look at the beautiful French girl and all the chaos of his life seemed to dissipate like smoke on the wind.
"I-I think so," There, he said it! Or at least admitted it. He had been thinking that he was in love with 003 since Christmas Eve in Paris when they watched the fireworks together "I want to be with her and protect her from everything." He added fervently with an underlying hint of steel, "If Black Ghost hurts or kills her, I'll spend the rest of my life making sure they are wiped off the face of the earth."
Albert saw the grim determination on the tall cyborg youth's handsome features. He nodded and remarked, "And I'll help you." He clapped 009 on the back. "But first we have to find them. And we can't do it until Black Ghost contacts you."
Joe nodded resignedly. "Yeah." He turned back to the window with a sigh.
In the Black Ghost submarine, another chamber was a laboratory for weapons development. Just because the main organization had dissolved did not mean that the entire group ceased to exist. On the contrary, the main nucleus of Scarl and his most trusted underlings was still intact and hard at work on their next evil objective. But first and foremost, the 00 cyborgs had to be destroyed.
Professor Schiemer, a holdover genius from Black Ghost's glory days, was hard at work on the electronic device that would use extra concentrated sonic waves to render each of the cyborgs circuitry powerless. But the main task at hand was to have 009, the super cyborg, converted back to their fold. He was working on the transmitter when Scarl entered.
"Well, Schiemer, how is the progress on our latest weapon?" the Black Ghost leader inquired, peering at the assortment of electronic technology in the work area.
"Very well, sir. It should be fully operational by the next daybreak," was the scientist's reply.
"Splendid. I'll contact the cyborgs within the hour. It should be very interesting and enjoyable." Scarl laughed nastily. He whirled on his heel and left.
In the chamber where she was being held, 003 lay on the platform trying to find a way, any way to break free. Her attempts continued to meet with failure adding to her growing feelings of hopelessness. Tears began to fall in warm rivulets down her cheeks as she gave in to despair, thinking that she was being used to capture 009, who she loved.
Yes, she admitted to herself, I love you Joe Shimamura, 009. I have loved you since the day I first saw you. Remember that time we all escaped into the cave? And I was feeding 001? I couldn't help watching you as you were watching me. When the Black Ghost bombers came and the cave was collapsing, you saved my life for the first time. Then the time when 0010 was about to vaporize me, you saved me again and cradled me in your arms, where I felt so safe.
Flashback:
"Is there something you want to say to your friends before I vaporize you?" 0010 said with a sinister grin, powering his hand with the electrical energy that would complete the deed.
Suddenly, she was swooped up in strong arms and spirited away at light speed then landing, held securely in the arms of 009. When they finally came to a stop, 003 gazed into the warm golden brown eyes that were filled with concern
"Are you all right, 003?" 009 asked softly, one of his hands cupping her head gently, the other encircling her shoulders, holding her close enough to feel his warm breath and body.
"Yes, thanks to you," she had replied gratefully, her aqua eyes luminous. The concern in his eyes was then joined by another emotion briefly before 0010's mocking laughter interrupted the moment.
"Why run, you're only postponing the inevitable," 0010 said in glee.
End Flashback
003 sighed as she let the memories play in her mind, providing a mental escape if nothing else….
Back on the Dolphin, as he was sleeping 001 was perking up and 009 was alert to the baby's movement. "You getting something, 001?" he asked, his voice hopeful. They were alone together in the room shared by 003 and 001. 009 was kneeling by the crib.
**003's thoughts are on you, 009** Ivan communicated to Joe.
Joe said softly, "Thanks, 001." He got to his feet slowly and sat on the window seat where just days ago, he and 003 had shared their first kiss. Francoise, he vowed silently if it's the last thing I ever do, I'll save you, so please have faith in me.
TO BE CONTINUED