Disclaimer: This will shock you all but... I don't own Cyborg 009!

=: Thoughts

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Chapter seven: Over power

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Everyone was already reunited in the kitchen enjoying their breakfast when 003 entered the room. It was hard not to notice how the graceful stroll, fitting of a ballerina, was gone and instead her body moved like... well, like a man's would.

"Good morning." 009 muttered and took his place, not the one where 003 normally sat. After that he took a hot cake and wolfed it whole. He hadn't eaten dinner last night, and 003's body was hungry beyond belief.

=Stop that Joe, I don't eat like that, You'll get me fat!= she complained.

009, too busy with his meal, didn't notice how the cyborgs stared amazed as he cleaned away the plate. Finally 006 decided to ask.

"009... is… is that you?"

They all were looking at him/her, waiting for an answer. 009 put down his fork and answered with a hand behind the head and a nervous grin, "Uh?... Yeah, I don't know how but now it is me who controls 003's body."

007 stood next to 003 and repeated his past joke. "Hey 003, are you in there? Hellooo!"

But 009 was not as patient as 003 and caught him by the wrist. In that moment he noticed the different level of force in a woman's body, but kept the thought for another occasion.

"Quit that already 007, This is no joke, we really switched control."

In that moment Dr. Gilmore entered the kitchen, his face revealing that he hadn't had any sleep at all. The old man went right to the coffee maker and served himself a hot cup. 008 spoke.

"Dr. Gilmore, 009 is now in control of 003's body."

"Really? Is that so? Let me see child." Dr. Gilmore went to 003/009, then checked on the pupils and asked her/him to stick out his/her tongue.

"How weird, that device is unstable indeed."

"Dr. Gilmore, how are you going with that sphere?" 004 asked

"I still don't know how it works exactly, but I am advancing, I am close to find out. I've discovered that it works using the electricity generated by the neurons and that way it--"

009 listened to Dr. Gilmore's explanation carefully, not wanting to miss a word. He listened so careful that suddenly he wasn't hearing only his words, but he could hear with all clarity the sound of his tongue hitting his teeth, his vocal cords opening and closing and the air traveling between them. He could hear his breathing, his heart, even the sound of his muscles in movement. Suddenly he heard every one's hearts and breaths, and the sound made by their cyborg parts, also their stomachs as they did their digestion, and the sea waves hitting the Dolphin.

He looked down and he saw the motors of the Dolphin below their feet, and then the ocean. He could see the bottom of it. Then he turned up and his sight showed him the jungle, and beyond it, the hidden ruins of some antique Mayan civilization, and far away some city, and the people in it. He felt strongly the presence of each one of the cyborgs and the doctor, and the marine creatures, and he sensed the birds, and the insects, and saw, and heard and sensed more. He couldn't handle it any more.

He clutched 003's head between the hands and fell to the floor screaming. "Ahh make it stop! I can't stand it!!"

002 ran to his aid. Holding 003's body as it twitched.

"003, I mean, 009, what's going on!"

"The noise, everything, I can't stand it! It is too much, my head is gonna blow! Make it stop!! Aah!"

In that moment, 001, who had been sleeping, levitated his basket and touched the front of 003, soothing the agitated mind of 009 and sending the body to unconsciousness.

"001, what was that about?" It was the question from 002.

[009 got access to the powers of 003, and he didn't know how to control them, he was overloaded and his mind couldn't handle it.]

"And why didn't 003 help him out?"

[She tried 008, she was trying to give him instructions, but the confusion was affecting her too, and anyway he wouldn't listen, his mind was blocked.]

"Well, it will be better if we take them to the infirmary, there they will rest. 002?."

002 nodded to the instructions of Dr. Gilmore and took the limp body containing his two teammates and carried it to the infirmary.

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=Joe... wake up. It's alright now, everything will be fine.=

009 heard a sweet and caring voice calling him, bringing him out of his slumber, it was like a caress directly to his mind. He didn't want to wake up. The beautiful voice might go away, but at last, he opened his eyes and looked around.

"Uh? What happened?"

=It was about time you woke up. =

That beautiful voice belonged to 003. He slapped himself mentally. Of course it did. Whom else could it be? But did he really think it was beautiful? He decided to forget the whole business for the time being.

"003? God... it was horrible, all the sounds, the feelings, the things I saw, they were driving me crazy! Is that the real reach of your powers?"

=Not really, I can go further, if it is necessary.=

"But, how can you tolerate it? Is this like this for you all the time?"

=Yeah, it is normal to me now though It was hard at the beginning, but I could master it after some practice and constant self awareness.=

009 kept silent for some seconds, then answered; "you never told us, or asked for help. I... I admire you."

=...Thanks. = 003 responded shyly.

009 looked to the next bed, his own body lay there in a coma. Wires came out of it, and a constant beep accompanied the sound of the artificial lung attached to the body. 009 stood up from the bed and walked towards it.

He touched his body. It was cold.

=It will be alright Joe, you'll be back. Dr. Gilmore will see up to it.=

Joe felt a profound feeling of gratitude towards the kind words of his mind-mate. He didn't know why, but he found comfort in her words; he believed them.

In that moment the door opened and 002 stepped in.

"Hey guys, how are you doing?"

"Fine... eh, 003 says thanks for asking".

"Yeah right, no problem... listen we are going back to the warehouse so we can..."

All the sudden 009 activated again the super senses of 003, panic rising up. 003 spoke in his mind.

=Calm down Joe, listen to me, relax, breathe slowly.=

"...Plant the bombs and make that damn thing blow, altogether with its contents, so..."

009 did as 003 told him, the sounds started to decrease.

=Fix your attention in one thing, concentrate, don't allow your mind to wander.=

"...I was sent to ask you if you wanted to come with us or...."

=Good that's good, now keep on breathing like that. Good good! you see?=

"...If you wanted to stay here and rest some more. Dr. Gilmore will stay in his lab with 001. Eh... 003, I mean, 009? Why are you sweating?"

009 looked back to the redheaded man and answered.

"Sorry, We'll stay, 003 has to teach me how to survive to her powers, I mean, how to manage them."

"All right then. We'll be gone for a couple of hours."

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Thanks so much for all your reviews.
GoldAngel2, what would I do without you? Oh yeah, lot's of myztaques! heh heh.

Next chapter: Joe learns more about Francoise's powers, an he falls to the dark side :P