Chapter 8.
Halo leaned up and put a hand to her forehead. A headache had been the result of crying and screaming, obviously, but what puzzled her was where she was: sitting in a bed covered with a blanket, neither of which was hers.
She threw the blanket off herself and swung her legs over to stand up. Looking down her shoes had been thrown on the floor. Halo stood, but just as she began walking for the open door she crumbled into a fit of coughs and forced herself to sit back down on the edge of the bed.
"Who are you?" Halo looked up and saw a woman standing in the doorway. Her blonde hair was wet and hanging around her shoulders while she herself was loosely draped in a bath robe. A cigarette was held between two fingers.
"I'm . . ." Halo's voice was muffled by her hand still held over her mouth and nose. "I'm Hal-"
"Never mind, it's not important. What are you doing here?"
"Move." Melissa looked over her shoulder at Aid, who had just come up behind her. Melissa moved out of the way, looked at Halo, and continued walking down the hall. Halo looked at Aid. A white towel was hanging over his bare shoulders. His shaggy brown hair was wet, signaling he had just gotten out of the shower.
He walked in the room and to the dresser on the other side of Halo, apparently searching for a shirt. But Halo was more focused on his scar-covered back.
Halo took her hand from her mouth. "Where . . . Did they come from?"
"Huh? What?" he asked, not turning around to face her.
"The scars. Where did they come from?" Aid felt a cold fingertip touch his back and then leave as Halo leaned against the wall beside him. He looked at her for a minute (Halo then noticing the ones on his chest), then looked down at the contents of his drawer and pulled out a shirt.
"I forget," he said, turning and walking into the room to his right. Halo went and sat on the bed and began to put her shoes on. As she began to tie the strings she heard it again . . .
"Tima . . . Ti-ma, Tima."
The voice . . . Her voice. "It's finished . . ."
"What's finished?" Halo looked up. Aid was standing across the room, drying his hair with the towel. With his maroon shirt and black pants and boots he looked like a Marduk. Wait . . .
"Are you . . . a Marduk?"
"Eh, no, I used to be. I quit when we were told about the Massacre at the City Hall. I work as a major under the General. Same purpose with a lot less killing."
"Purpose meaning robot-killing?"
"Sort of. When you say 'it's finished' you meant the Robot, right?"
Halo snorted. "Yeah, I did."
"We've gotta go pick it up. 'We' meaning me and Rath. You stay here."
"Here? Why am I here anyway? Usually prisoners or people you take captive are kept in dirty cells."
"I was told not to do that. Would you prefer to be in a dirty cell compared to this room? You're sick anyway and I don't think a cell would help it. Quit complaining about it." Aid threw the towel to the floor of the bathroom and took the holster from the top of his dresser and buckled it around his waist, putting his hand gun in it.
"But what am I supposed to do all day?"
"Go to sleep," Aid suggested.
"I . . . I can't go to sleep. They will be there."
"They?"
"They . . . Duke Red, Rock, and Atlas. They died in the Tower when it blew. When I go to sleep, they're in my dreams."
"Atlas? He died in the Tower?"
"Yes. He was shot. But . . . Wait, did you know him?"
"Somewhat. We were friends before he found out I was with the Marduks. I had no idea he died."
"Halo, why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
Duke Red looked at Halo accusingly.
"You told him the location of my daughter."
"It doesn't matter. What would they use her for?" Halo was slammed into the wall by a great force, a force known as Rock. "Rock," she choked. "Rock, let me go." When the Duke nodded, Rock dropped her. "You know, it's really funny how you attack me even in my dreams!"
Halo looked at Rock angrily, but he was staring down the corridor again. So was Duke Red and Atlas. Halo followed their gaze, but then they started moving, walking down the corridor . . . to the door. Halo followed them into the throne room. She closed the door after herself and looked at the throne, then all around the room to find some reason why they had come here all of a sudden. It was then that she noticed it. A pair of doors, no, an elevator!
She ran across the room to the elevator and pushed the button. The doors opened, much to her surprise, and she got in, pushing the button with the number '1'. The doors closed and she felt the elevator begin to move down. The small bell sounded with every floor that she passed until finally it came to the first floor. She stepped into the lobby and nearly screamed. The lobby was dark, the glass windows and doors smashed to pieces. Halo ran through the open space that once was the door and turned.
There was no tower, only scraps of twisted metal.
Halo opened her eyes and immediately looked around, panicking. The remains of the Zigguraut lay at her feet.
"What the hell . . .?" She had been asleep and was obviously sleep-walking. But the problem was Aid had told her to stay put, but now she didn't know where she had been so she couldn't go back. She soon decided that since she was already out here she might as well go find Her . . . so she started forth into the remnants of the Zigguraut.
"Just a little further. Heh heh heh. Just a little further."
Jack felt a sting in his lower lip as the man's fist made contact with his cheek. His head snapped to the right with the force of the blow. By now, Jack was in terrible shape: split lip, sweaty, large spots of dried blood on his clothes. His hands had been tied behind the back of the wooden chair he was in and the thick fibers were beginning to cut into his wrists.
"Damn it, tell me! Where the hell is it?!"
"Corporal, cool it," came a demand from behind the man. Jack looked past the guy and straight to Aid and Rath.
"What are you here for?" Jack asked. Needless to say he was mildly disgusted with the behavior they had pulled lately. Rath stepped forward, but Aid turned to the corporal.
"Let him go," Aid said. "NOW." The corporal untied Jack, but he stayed seated, rubbing his reddened wrists. "Jack, we know that robot was in your tower. Where is it now?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's not there anymore," Rath said, obviously annoyed by this extra effort over a robot. "We need the damned contraption and we need it NOW. Tell us where it is!"
"How am I supposed to know?! The last time I was in that tower the robot was being repaired in negative ground floor 2. As far as I know it's still there."
"Well it's not."
"Halo might know."
"She's been with . . . me." Aid narrowed his eyes and turned sharply, walking from the room. Rath watched.
"Okay, people, get this guy on his feet. He's coming with me."
Aid stopped in front of his bedroom door, which was left open ajar. He sighed heavily and put his fingertips to the wood, but jumped and shuddered as a person began to talk in his ear.
"She's not there," she whispered. He snapped his head to the left to look at Melissa and then pushed the door open. Sure enough, the room was empty.
"Well, where did she go?"
"I dunno. She looked like she was sleep-walking or something. I dunno. She walked down the stairs, but I didn't follow her. I was too preoccupied with writing my report to go after her."
"Aid," came a crackling voice. Aid took the radio from his belt and spoke into it.
"What is it, Rath?"
"I found them, but I need your help. Get over here to City Hall, now."
"Copy." Aid put the radio back, looked at Melissa, and walked past her.
"Halo." The child giggled. "Halo, don't you remember me?"
"Huh? Yeah . . . I remember you. It was because of you that It happened."
"Oh, come on, Halo, don't blame it all on me. It was my father's decision, not mine. And he should have picked a better scientist to build me."
"Why did this have to happen? I shouldn't even have suggested repairing you."
"I would have been around anyway, remember? In death, I am with you. In Mid-death, I am with you. And soon . . . In life . . . I will be with you."
"Mid-death?"
"I am not fully repaired yet, remember? Just a few more things and I'll be alive again!"
"I'm not so sure that's a good thing . . . Besides . . . If you're not dead . . . Why are you here?"
"What the hell . . .?"
Aid, Rath, and Jack stood in front of the statue on the City Hall grounds. They were staring up at it, where, in its outstretched arms, lay Halo. Rath only chuckled.
"This reminds me of the Massacre," he said.
"Oh yeah? And how is that?" questioned Jack.
"Before the massacre she was put up there as a robot-supporter, as an example. It was originally to force her to watch what happened to supporters in Metropolis but Rock of Marduks had other plans," Aid explained. He didn't seem very enthusiastic about it.
"But why be put up there now?"
Aid looked from Jack back to Halo and sighed. "I guess . . . as a symbol . . . for the robots."
Author's Notes: End chapter 8, of course ^_^ r/r!