The Cover Up Syndrome Part 20
Roar!
H rolled his eyes. "Zeeltor, either you silence that pet of yours, or leave it."
Zeeltor hugged Lucy's petri dish to him. "No, I'd never leave her." Then he started to baby-talk to his pet to keep silent.
"Why must you tote that thing around? It's not even a real pet. It doesn't even have eyes! And how do you know that it's a her? It reproduces asexually for heaven's sake!"
Zeeltor harrumphed. "Says you. Humans can't sense these things. Isn't that right, Lucy?"
The bacteria roared in reply.
H threw up his hands in exasperation.
N turned around. "Look, I have to agree with H on one thing, Doctor, keep that pet of yours QUIET!" he hissed.
Making sure N had his attention elsewhere, H turned to Zeeltor. "You know, I was never allowed a pet in my day. And I managed my life without one."
"Which is why you're so stressful most of the time," Zeeltor replied simply. "I still find it hard to believe how you said you were just like me back then. What happened?"
"Well you better believe it. I was just as crazy as you were at your age. Those devices that you added your touch to were really my inventions, thank you very much," H retorted haughtingly. "I quite revolutionized the medical field."
"So you haven't updated them, since."
".since the incident with Zed, yes," H said sharply.
Zeeltor blinked. Evidently, he'd hit a tender spot. "Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that."
H turned around, and Zeeltor was startled by the drastic change in him. His age seemed to reveal itself in his countenance. The malevolence was gone and a haggard expression replaced it. H shook his head. "That was the reason why I was against your radical methods in the first place. In my eyes, you were making the same mistake I had. I just couldn't let you follow my steps."
Zeeltor said nothing but looked to the ground. "Well, it happened," he said dejectedly. "For all we know, Zed is probably gone and Moffat is using his body as a puppet. I never realized.how my inventions could do harm."
H looked at him, as if seeing the Zekklom physician in a new light. "You can't just assume that. Zed is probably suppressed in his mind somewhere." H tried to reassure Zeeltor, but the alien refuse to meet his eyes. Sighing, H leaned closer and said gently, "There's a difference between this situation and mine thirty years ago. You used your inventions to help Zed, I used mine for the sake of knowing they worked or not."
Zeeltor shook his head. "That the thing. You read me wrong. I did exactly what you said you did. The time I 'helped' Jay by doing brain surgery, my eagerness to try out a new device, the Neuro-Analyzer, yes I wanted to help everyone, but not so much as to find out if they worked or not. For example I could have used the standard procedure for treating Zed, but no, I let my pride of my inventions interfere."
Instead of triggering H to reply that he had been right all along, H felt sympathetic toward Zeeltor. He placed a hand on Zeeltor's shoulder. "Well, seems we both need to reconsider our ethics, don't we Doctor?"
Zeeltor looked up in surprise. Was this really the arrogant pompous he had been rivals with? It's strange how fate plays with her subjects.
H gave him a small smile and Zeeltor returned it in double.
"Look, it's nice that you two are getting along and all that," N interrupted. "But we've got a problem here." He jerked his head toward the corridor around the corner.
H and Zeeltor looked at each other and then at the hallway N indicated.
Faced against the walls like common criminals were about 30 agents, all placing their hands on the wall above their head. Y's men searched them, and whatever was found was cast aside unto the growing mound of weapons on the ground, far from the reach of the prisoners.
As the captors continued their search, Y paced about, examining his prisoners with great scrutiny, as one would examine cattle.
There was a small disturbance as one of Y's guards tried to place his hands where they didn't belong. The female agent was not stupid. She kicked him hard in the crotch.
A storm of cynical laughter from her fellow agents rose as the perverted guard crumpled in pain.
Another burly guard was not amused by her antics however. He stepped up to the girl. Judging by his ambling walk, he was definitely drunk. "I'll teach you respect, mink," he growled as he pulled out an Electric Whip.
The woman closed her eyes, ready to take the blow, when.
"Stop!"
The drunk scowled but withdrew as Y took his place before her. "What's your name, sweet thing?"
She glared at him from beneath chestnut bangs. "Go fuck yourself, bastard," she spat.
Y chuckled. "Cute." He addressed his burly comrade, "Put the others in prison, but take this one to my.private chambers."
N gritted his teeth in disgust. Yet there was almost nothing he could do to prevent it. He cursed of Kay's choice to put him with two inexperienced agents who had little or no knowledge of how to handle a weapon.
Zeeltor swallowed. "We cant' just let him do that to her," he pleaded.
H shook his head. "We're outnumbered, and those agents over there are unarmed."
Zeeltor gazed forlornly as the guard seized the chestnut-haired agent. She tried to escape by imbedding her nails into her captor's arm. In response, the guard struck her, and her face began to swell.
There had to be something to use as a distraction, Zeeltor thought desperately. Using themselves was out of the question. They'd be disposed of quickly. His eyes traveled until they landed on the opening in the wall, where repair workers were to install new illumination bulbs. The hall they were in was dimly lit, an overload would.
"N," Zeeltor hissed, then jerked his head toward the construction.
The agent smiled, and nodded. "I like your style, Doc. One interference coming up." He took aim and fired.
Immediately, the hall plunged into darkness and there were shouts and shots as chaos ensued.
"N, H, where are you?" Zeeltor yelled into the din.
H swore. "You can't see us, but we can see you. Your pet's practically a lighthouse."
Glancing down, Zeeltor found that Lucy still had the glow-in-the-dark effect. The green ghostly light filtered through his pocket where he'd place her. An idea hit him. "Just follow the light," he yelled back.
Zeeltor pushed and squeezed himself through a tangle of legs and arms. Elbows jabbed into him, and he would have been crushed beneath the stampede had not H pulled him roughly by the collar.
Yet there seemed to be no end to the dark gauntlet. Disoriented, Zeeltor picked a direction, when suddenly someone gripped his arm.
Zeeltor gasped as the light from his pet revealed the gaunt features of Y. The light shone irregularly on the agent's face, giving it a semblance of a hollow skull.
Y aimed his Carbonizer at Zeeltor's head and cocked it. "Game over, Alien."
"Y, STOP!"
On the fringe of the light, H appeared, clearly out of breath.
The two agents had their eyes locked unto the others.
"Please," H panted. "Don't do this, Y. It doesn't have to be like this."
"The hell it doesn't!" Y snarled, tightening his grip on Zeeltor.
Suddenly the emergency lights turned on, revealing their standoff amid the chaos.
"Y, I've know you since the beginning. We were more than chums, we were.brothers," H said gently. He smiled and chuckled. "Remember how we always tempted the wrath of Alpha with our crazy antics? H swore that he was going bald because of us."
Suspicion bore on Y's face. "The Y you knew never existed," he replied bluntly. "All that was a façade, and you were stupid enough to believe it."
H's face reflected deep pain. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because," the other hissed. "It is his type," he jerked his head toward Zeeltor, "That sicken me. Every time I had receptionist duty, I had to take the crap those aliens throw at me. I've been insulted, spat upon, and forced to act as a slave. But worse of it all," he continued hotly. "Was their arrogance. I was treated as a dumb beast of burden. This." Pulling up his sleeve he revealed a hideous scar that ran from his wrist to elbow. The arm itself was emancipated and much of the flesh was gone.
H and Zeeltor winced.
Satisfied by their reactions, Y continued. "This was what one group of aliens did to me when they accused me of stealing the Custian Orbs. Even when they discovered that they had stashed it under their ship's seats, they never did apologize and laughed at the absurdity. After all, humans were barely conscious pond scum. Why would a superior life form stoop to treat us as equals? The ARC defended them in court and the case eventually was dropped due to bribery on their part." He laughed madly. "Now it's over. Omega will rid us of the bastards and we will establish our order among the stars."
H shook his head sadly. "You can't assume ALL aliens are like that. It's biased, it's illogical. And it's genocide."
"Exactly!"
"You can't do it!'
"Hell, why not? You're too soft and moralistic," Y mocked.
Sighing, H took a step forward, causing Y to press the gun closer to the paralyzed Zekklom. Zeeltor closed his eyes, his breath coming out in gasps, and he prayed that H knew what he was doing.
"Because it's my fault," H said softly.
Y frowned.
"It was my fault for leaving you in Special Services. I left, caring only for my ambition to work in the Infirmary." H shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry that the move in position separated us."
Y grinned. "Which is the reason why I'm most grateful that you shown me the true natures of the worthless beings we serve. You've done Omega a great service."
H shook his head. "Y, could you really dismiss our friendship? I know you felt something. Those feelings are true and could never be replaced. All those emotions and experiences, even under the neutralization, are real. The mind forgets, but the heart doesn't."
The other stared back, his countenance reflected an inner struggle. "You don't understand. My past self and my present. I feel as if I lost myself somewhere."
H's lips tightened grimly. "Just because your original nature is egotistical doesn't mean you have to stay that way."
Zeeltor watched with bated breath as Y battled his sanity.
Then, the world shattered. A shot entered the frame and Y was knocked clear off his feet. Slowly, as if someone had hit slow-mo, H watched in horror as Y fell.
"Yavez!" H screamed. Instantly he took his place by his friend's side.
Too distraught by Y's injury, H paid no heed to who fired that shot. However Zeeltor kept his wits about him and saw the Omega droid clinging to the wall.taking aim again, this time on H.
"Oh, no you don't!" Zeeltor shot at it with his Hand Pistol.
The droid sensed it however and fled, and to Zeeltor's surprise and dismay vanished.
Y gripped his side hard, but the crimson flow continued.
H grimaced. "Don't do that," he hissed. He began tearing his sleeves for a make-shift bandage.
But Y placed a bloody hand unto H's. He shook his head grimly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
H smiled at the apology, but stopped as he realized what Y was really saying. "Damn it, NO! You're not going to. I forbid it!!" he cried.
Tears ran down H's face, and he stifled a sob. In his physician's eye, he could tell that Y had lost too much blood. Neither he nor Zeeltor carried anything to treat the wound. Yet he could not come to terms with the situation.
"Perhaps," Y continued. "It's better this way. I can't live divided. To let me live would mean Omega would get control of me again. So please, Henry, don't make this hard for me."
H looked sadly at Y and reached out a hand. Y took it, and gave it a squeeze. A weak smile crept unto H's lips. "Godspeed, Yavez," he whispered.
"Dasvidanya, Henry." Y allowed himself to lay back. His eyes flickered unto Zeeltor, his lips tightened as if trying to make a decision. "Zeeltor, take care of my chum here. You're probably the only one who puts up with his shit," Y chuckled but stopped and winced in pain. Suddenly his eyes grew wide. "The droid, it's back!"
Zeeltor and H glanced back just as the droid materialized before their eyes in its fearsome splendor. Both fired their weapons, but the shots bounced harmlessly off its armor.
Then just as quickly, it faded away.
H gritted his teeth. It was playing with them.
"Henry! Before you go, end my life." Y jerked his friend's sleeve.
H blinked. "I'm a physician. I can't."
"Then do it for me as a friend. I'm going either way. This will stop Omega from taking my soul," Y pulled desperately. His eyes were pleading.
The other swallowed hard. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small green capsule which Zeeltor identified as the Quick Stop pill. Under its seemingly harmless exterior was enough poison to stop the heart in two seconds. With a quick thrust of the wrist, H popped the pill into Y's awaiting lips.
Tears fell from both of the men's eyes. A silent goodbye and then.
Y swallowed the tablet, just as the droid appeared and snatched up his body, and prepared to repeat the same procedure that Zeeltor had seen before.
And nothing happened. The droid let out ametallic scream, angered that its quarry had eluded it.
H and Zeeltor plunged under the seats that lined the hall. They sheltered themselves, withdrawing their legs and arms from the frantic reach of the droid.
Zeeltor glanced about and his eye caught sight of a sewer cover. "H, over here!" He began to tug on the handle but the cover refused to budge.
Suddenly H let out a yelp as the droid snagged a pant let and began to draw h out. Only by gripping the mount of a chair did H evade capture.
"Hang on!" Zeeltor crawled beside him and began banging on the metallic appendage with the butt of his pistol.
"Forget it!" H yelled. "Get out of here!"
Zeeltor's lips tightened. "NO! I promised Y I'd."
H's grip failed and he felt himself being hauled towards the machine. To his great dismay, Zeeltor had grabbed hold onto him and was being taken on the same ride.
"Daaaammnn yyyouuu, Zeeeellltooorr!" H cried as both were suspended in the air.
An explosive crack filled the air as a comet of blue-white sliced through the air and shattered the appendage that held them. Zeeltor and H plummeted to the ground, and the severed robotic limb clattered beside them, withering spasmodically.
The droid screamed in fury.
H blinked bewilderedly. "What the."
He and Zeeltor turned and saw N, armed with a very strange Carbonizer. N shook his head from behind his gun. "Do I have to save you two every time? Get out of the way!"
The droid focused its lens on N and turned, scuttling away, with N's shots flying past it.
N swore when the droid vanished again. Striding over, he pulled Zeeltor and H from the ground.
"We could have handled it," Zeeltor said sheepishly.
"And you two managed it perfectly," N replied, rolling his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted H stooping to examine the limb. "Hey careful there, Old-timer."
"I want to take this for analysis," H said blandly. With his Icer, he froze the specimen.
Glancing about them, they could see that the fight had abated and fortunately it was the chestnut-haired agent and her group that prevailed and now restraining their captors.
"Move it, everyone," N called sharply. "We still got a whole organization to save."
Roar!
H rolled his eyes. "Zeeltor, either you silence that pet of yours, or leave it."
Zeeltor hugged Lucy's petri dish to him. "No, I'd never leave her." Then he started to baby-talk to his pet to keep silent.
"Why must you tote that thing around? It's not even a real pet. It doesn't even have eyes! And how do you know that it's a her? It reproduces asexually for heaven's sake!"
Zeeltor harrumphed. "Says you. Humans can't sense these things. Isn't that right, Lucy?"
The bacteria roared in reply.
H threw up his hands in exasperation.
N turned around. "Look, I have to agree with H on one thing, Doctor, keep that pet of yours QUIET!" he hissed.
Making sure N had his attention elsewhere, H turned to Zeeltor. "You know, I was never allowed a pet in my day. And I managed my life without one."
"Which is why you're so stressful most of the time," Zeeltor replied simply. "I still find it hard to believe how you said you were just like me back then. What happened?"
"Well you better believe it. I was just as crazy as you were at your age. Those devices that you added your touch to were really my inventions, thank you very much," H retorted haughtingly. "I quite revolutionized the medical field."
"So you haven't updated them, since."
".since the incident with Zed, yes," H said sharply.
Zeeltor blinked. Evidently, he'd hit a tender spot. "Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that."
H turned around, and Zeeltor was startled by the drastic change in him. His age seemed to reveal itself in his countenance. The malevolence was gone and a haggard expression replaced it. H shook his head. "That was the reason why I was against your radical methods in the first place. In my eyes, you were making the same mistake I had. I just couldn't let you follow my steps."
Zeeltor said nothing but looked to the ground. "Well, it happened," he said dejectedly. "For all we know, Zed is probably gone and Moffat is using his body as a puppet. I never realized.how my inventions could do harm."
H looked at him, as if seeing the Zekklom physician in a new light. "You can't just assume that. Zed is probably suppressed in his mind somewhere." H tried to reassure Zeeltor, but the alien refuse to meet his eyes. Sighing, H leaned closer and said gently, "There's a difference between this situation and mine thirty years ago. You used your inventions to help Zed, I used mine for the sake of knowing they worked or not."
Zeeltor shook his head. "That the thing. You read me wrong. I did exactly what you said you did. The time I 'helped' Jay by doing brain surgery, my eagerness to try out a new device, the Neuro-Analyzer, yes I wanted to help everyone, but not so much as to find out if they worked or not. For example I could have used the standard procedure for treating Zed, but no, I let my pride of my inventions interfere."
Instead of triggering H to reply that he had been right all along, H felt sympathetic toward Zeeltor. He placed a hand on Zeeltor's shoulder. "Well, seems we both need to reconsider our ethics, don't we Doctor?"
Zeeltor looked up in surprise. Was this really the arrogant pompous he had been rivals with? It's strange how fate plays with her subjects.
H gave him a small smile and Zeeltor returned it in double.
"Look, it's nice that you two are getting along and all that," N interrupted. "But we've got a problem here." He jerked his head toward the corridor around the corner.
H and Zeeltor looked at each other and then at the hallway N indicated.
Faced against the walls like common criminals were about 30 agents, all placing their hands on the wall above their head. Y's men searched them, and whatever was found was cast aside unto the growing mound of weapons on the ground, far from the reach of the prisoners.
As the captors continued their search, Y paced about, examining his prisoners with great scrutiny, as one would examine cattle.
There was a small disturbance as one of Y's guards tried to place his hands where they didn't belong. The female agent was not stupid. She kicked him hard in the crotch.
A storm of cynical laughter from her fellow agents rose as the perverted guard crumpled in pain.
Another burly guard was not amused by her antics however. He stepped up to the girl. Judging by his ambling walk, he was definitely drunk. "I'll teach you respect, mink," he growled as he pulled out an Electric Whip.
The woman closed her eyes, ready to take the blow, when.
"Stop!"
The drunk scowled but withdrew as Y took his place before her. "What's your name, sweet thing?"
She glared at him from beneath chestnut bangs. "Go fuck yourself, bastard," she spat.
Y chuckled. "Cute." He addressed his burly comrade, "Put the others in prison, but take this one to my.private chambers."
N gritted his teeth in disgust. Yet there was almost nothing he could do to prevent it. He cursed of Kay's choice to put him with two inexperienced agents who had little or no knowledge of how to handle a weapon.
Zeeltor swallowed. "We cant' just let him do that to her," he pleaded.
H shook his head. "We're outnumbered, and those agents over there are unarmed."
Zeeltor gazed forlornly as the guard seized the chestnut-haired agent. She tried to escape by imbedding her nails into her captor's arm. In response, the guard struck her, and her face began to swell.
There had to be something to use as a distraction, Zeeltor thought desperately. Using themselves was out of the question. They'd be disposed of quickly. His eyes traveled until they landed on the opening in the wall, where repair workers were to install new illumination bulbs. The hall they were in was dimly lit, an overload would.
"N," Zeeltor hissed, then jerked his head toward the construction.
The agent smiled, and nodded. "I like your style, Doc. One interference coming up." He took aim and fired.
Immediately, the hall plunged into darkness and there were shouts and shots as chaos ensued.
"N, H, where are you?" Zeeltor yelled into the din.
H swore. "You can't see us, but we can see you. Your pet's practically a lighthouse."
Glancing down, Zeeltor found that Lucy still had the glow-in-the-dark effect. The green ghostly light filtered through his pocket where he'd place her. An idea hit him. "Just follow the light," he yelled back.
Zeeltor pushed and squeezed himself through a tangle of legs and arms. Elbows jabbed into him, and he would have been crushed beneath the stampede had not H pulled him roughly by the collar.
Yet there seemed to be no end to the dark gauntlet. Disoriented, Zeeltor picked a direction, when suddenly someone gripped his arm.
Zeeltor gasped as the light from his pet revealed the gaunt features of Y. The light shone irregularly on the agent's face, giving it a semblance of a hollow skull.
Y aimed his Carbonizer at Zeeltor's head and cocked it. "Game over, Alien."
"Y, STOP!"
On the fringe of the light, H appeared, clearly out of breath.
The two agents had their eyes locked unto the others.
"Please," H panted. "Don't do this, Y. It doesn't have to be like this."
"The hell it doesn't!" Y snarled, tightening his grip on Zeeltor.
Suddenly the emergency lights turned on, revealing their standoff amid the chaos.
"Y, I've know you since the beginning. We were more than chums, we were.brothers," H said gently. He smiled and chuckled. "Remember how we always tempted the wrath of Alpha with our crazy antics? H swore that he was going bald because of us."
Suspicion bore on Y's face. "The Y you knew never existed," he replied bluntly. "All that was a façade, and you were stupid enough to believe it."
H's face reflected deep pain. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because," the other hissed. "It is his type," he jerked his head toward Zeeltor, "That sicken me. Every time I had receptionist duty, I had to take the crap those aliens throw at me. I've been insulted, spat upon, and forced to act as a slave. But worse of it all," he continued hotly. "Was their arrogance. I was treated as a dumb beast of burden. This." Pulling up his sleeve he revealed a hideous scar that ran from his wrist to elbow. The arm itself was emancipated and much of the flesh was gone.
H and Zeeltor winced.
Satisfied by their reactions, Y continued. "This was what one group of aliens did to me when they accused me of stealing the Custian Orbs. Even when they discovered that they had stashed it under their ship's seats, they never did apologize and laughed at the absurdity. After all, humans were barely conscious pond scum. Why would a superior life form stoop to treat us as equals? The ARC defended them in court and the case eventually was dropped due to bribery on their part." He laughed madly. "Now it's over. Omega will rid us of the bastards and we will establish our order among the stars."
H shook his head sadly. "You can't assume ALL aliens are like that. It's biased, it's illogical. And it's genocide."
"Exactly!"
"You can't do it!'
"Hell, why not? You're too soft and moralistic," Y mocked.
Sighing, H took a step forward, causing Y to press the gun closer to the paralyzed Zekklom. Zeeltor closed his eyes, his breath coming out in gasps, and he prayed that H knew what he was doing.
"Because it's my fault," H said softly.
Y frowned.
"It was my fault for leaving you in Special Services. I left, caring only for my ambition to work in the Infirmary." H shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry that the move in position separated us."
Y grinned. "Which is the reason why I'm most grateful that you shown me the true natures of the worthless beings we serve. You've done Omega a great service."
H shook his head. "Y, could you really dismiss our friendship? I know you felt something. Those feelings are true and could never be replaced. All those emotions and experiences, even under the neutralization, are real. The mind forgets, but the heart doesn't."
The other stared back, his countenance reflected an inner struggle. "You don't understand. My past self and my present. I feel as if I lost myself somewhere."
H's lips tightened grimly. "Just because your original nature is egotistical doesn't mean you have to stay that way."
Zeeltor watched with bated breath as Y battled his sanity.
Then, the world shattered. A shot entered the frame and Y was knocked clear off his feet. Slowly, as if someone had hit slow-mo, H watched in horror as Y fell.
"Yavez!" H screamed. Instantly he took his place by his friend's side.
Too distraught by Y's injury, H paid no heed to who fired that shot. However Zeeltor kept his wits about him and saw the Omega droid clinging to the wall.taking aim again, this time on H.
"Oh, no you don't!" Zeeltor shot at it with his Hand Pistol.
The droid sensed it however and fled, and to Zeeltor's surprise and dismay vanished.
Y gripped his side hard, but the crimson flow continued.
H grimaced. "Don't do that," he hissed. He began tearing his sleeves for a make-shift bandage.
But Y placed a bloody hand unto H's. He shook his head grimly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
H smiled at the apology, but stopped as he realized what Y was really saying. "Damn it, NO! You're not going to. I forbid it!!" he cried.
Tears ran down H's face, and he stifled a sob. In his physician's eye, he could tell that Y had lost too much blood. Neither he nor Zeeltor carried anything to treat the wound. Yet he could not come to terms with the situation.
"Perhaps," Y continued. "It's better this way. I can't live divided. To let me live would mean Omega would get control of me again. So please, Henry, don't make this hard for me."
H looked sadly at Y and reached out a hand. Y took it, and gave it a squeeze. A weak smile crept unto H's lips. "Godspeed, Yavez," he whispered.
"Dasvidanya, Henry." Y allowed himself to lay back. His eyes flickered unto Zeeltor, his lips tightened as if trying to make a decision. "Zeeltor, take care of my chum here. You're probably the only one who puts up with his shit," Y chuckled but stopped and winced in pain. Suddenly his eyes grew wide. "The droid, it's back!"
Zeeltor and H glanced back just as the droid materialized before their eyes in its fearsome splendor. Both fired their weapons, but the shots bounced harmlessly off its armor.
Then just as quickly, it faded away.
H gritted his teeth. It was playing with them.
"Henry! Before you go, end my life." Y jerked his friend's sleeve.
H blinked. "I'm a physician. I can't."
"Then do it for me as a friend. I'm going either way. This will stop Omega from taking my soul," Y pulled desperately. His eyes were pleading.
The other swallowed hard. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small green capsule which Zeeltor identified as the Quick Stop pill. Under its seemingly harmless exterior was enough poison to stop the heart in two seconds. With a quick thrust of the wrist, H popped the pill into Y's awaiting lips.
Tears fell from both of the men's eyes. A silent goodbye and then.
Y swallowed the tablet, just as the droid appeared and snatched up his body, and prepared to repeat the same procedure that Zeeltor had seen before.
And nothing happened. The droid let out ametallic scream, angered that its quarry had eluded it.
H and Zeeltor plunged under the seats that lined the hall. They sheltered themselves, withdrawing their legs and arms from the frantic reach of the droid.
Zeeltor glanced about and his eye caught sight of a sewer cover. "H, over here!" He began to tug on the handle but the cover refused to budge.
Suddenly H let out a yelp as the droid snagged a pant let and began to draw h out. Only by gripping the mount of a chair did H evade capture.
"Hang on!" Zeeltor crawled beside him and began banging on the metallic appendage with the butt of his pistol.
"Forget it!" H yelled. "Get out of here!"
Zeeltor's lips tightened. "NO! I promised Y I'd."
H's grip failed and he felt himself being hauled towards the machine. To his great dismay, Zeeltor had grabbed hold onto him and was being taken on the same ride.
"Daaaammnn yyyouuu, Zeeeellltooorr!" H cried as both were suspended in the air.
An explosive crack filled the air as a comet of blue-white sliced through the air and shattered the appendage that held them. Zeeltor and H plummeted to the ground, and the severed robotic limb clattered beside them, withering spasmodically.
The droid screamed in fury.
H blinked bewilderedly. "What the."
He and Zeeltor turned and saw N, armed with a very strange Carbonizer. N shook his head from behind his gun. "Do I have to save you two every time? Get out of the way!"
The droid focused its lens on N and turned, scuttling away, with N's shots flying past it.
N swore when the droid vanished again. Striding over, he pulled Zeeltor and H from the ground.
"We could have handled it," Zeeltor said sheepishly.
"And you two managed it perfectly," N replied, rolling his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted H stooping to examine the limb. "Hey careful there, Old-timer."
"I want to take this for analysis," H said blandly. With his Icer, he froze the specimen.
Glancing about them, they could see that the fight had abated and fortunately it was the chestnut-haired agent and her group that prevailed and now restraining their captors.
"Move it, everyone," N called sharply. "We still got a whole organization to save."