Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Zeta Project'. I do not own any of its characters. I deeply appreciate Robert Goodman as the creator of 'The Zeta Project' and all 'The Zeta Project' team. So it's just a fanfic.
Ro's Reunion
Chapter Five
This is a fan fiction version of Ro's Reunion, told from Zee's point of view (the first part of this chapter is told from Agent Bennet's point of view).
As English isn't my native language I want to thank Jane for her editing work on this chapter.
And I want to give great thanks to SteelNeko for her help.
Agent Bennet's point of view
We were at the show just in time, but I ordered my team to not enter the studio until Rosalie Rowen would appear at the scene.
Now all the people in the audience were totally captivated from Sky's speech, who told Miss Rowen's story, so I nodded, giving a sign to my team to carefully take its positions in the auditorium. A few seconds later, dozen black silhouettes were already in their places at each exit. But it was still too early for action. We all just stood there, in the shadows, immovable and we kept silence in order to not attract the audience's attention.
"From the sound of it, you've been on the move a lot" Sky said and I couldn't help but wonder if Sky's sympathetic expression was sincere or just a mask, a professional habit only, or a real part of this woman, as my stern expression had become a real part of my identity…
"You don't know the half of it" answered Rosalie with some really sad voice.
"It must have been terrible out in the world alone; no one to share your joys and sorrows with" continued Sky.
"It was rough sometimes… but… I wasn't exactly alone…" Rosalie made a pause, looking aside for a moment without hiding that she was missing someone… "I made one really good friend."
The audience sighed, 'O-o-h…' and for less of a second I was about to believe that Rosalie was talking of a real friend, a human being…
With the corner of my eye I noticed Harry Lux and the social worker. She held up a pair of handcuffs and as she didn't try to whisper, I heard what she said, "Brought these in case she puts up a fight."
Clever. While we would be occupied with the synthoid, she would do with his accomplice. It was good that the social worker would take immediately Miss Rowen, it was about time.
"Well Rosalie Rowen, your wandering has ended" said Sky with an optimistic tone of voice, "Let's bring out Ro's brother!"
The audience applauded happily while a blond guy who looked a lot like Ro, entered the set.
I stepped forward, followed by my team. They aimed their weapons at the three on the scene.
"Just look at them, gang! Ro and Casey haven't seen each other since they were little kids, but can't you instantly feel the connection?" asked Sky and Rosalie looked really surprised…
Hmmm… that had to be checked. Maybe all this was some new Zeta's plan, maybe he wanted to legally appear as Ro's brother, according his own secret goals…
West, Rush and I looked at the three on the scene through our holoscanners…
"That's the girl" reported Rush.
Yes, that was the girl and the blonde young man there wasn't the synthoid, as Sky was a real human too…
"Hold your position!" I ordered, "Wait for a positive ID on the synthoid!"
"Casey?" asked Ro still in disbelieve.
"It's me Rosalie!" smiled the blonde guy, "Ha, can't believe it's you!"
"Casey, tell us where you were when you got our call?" politely asked Sky.
"Honestly?" the blonde guy kept his perky smile, "I was still asleep. It was really early!"
The audience laughed and Rosalie bent her head - obviously she was disappointed, even hurt. She pulled up a photo out of her pocket and then she compared the blonde man and the photo. She frowned with anger and with squeezed lips she said, "Your... hair used to be different..."
The blonde young man was really confused, he touched his hair to gain some time and he even stammered, "Yeah, I... dyed it. My girlfriend likes it blond."
Rosalie wasn't satisfied with his answer; it was most like she was more convinced that he wasn't her brother. That was really strange… why someone would pretend to be her brother if it wasn't Zeta…
Rosalie lifted her hologram photo, the man there was different indeed and she said angrier, "Your whole face is different..."
Harry Lux, who, with the social worker watched all this on a monitor, said anxiously and even with a real fear in his voice, turning to the auburn woman, "She has a photo? No one told me she had a photo!"
That was really interesting! Harry Lux arranged 'family reunions' using actors! Obviously in one team with the social worker. So aside the synthoid who I was sure would appear any second, we would catch Rosalie and even more fish like those two players here!
Zee's point of view
I still ran and ran along the road… I reached the studio… I ran through it straight to Sky's the Limit building; I ran climbing up the stairs… there was a stagehand who arranged some box… seeing me running like this he said, "Hey!"…
He didn't have to stay on my way, I knocked him over… even the locked door was unable to stop me, I broke it, entering with it the studio and while I was running in the corridors, I heard the conversation on the scene, "What must have gone though your head when you heard we had Ro here?" asked Sky Ro's fake brother.
"After the coffee?" He answered and the audience laughed. My poor Ro! Those people held up to ridicule! The impudent boy didn't stop talking, "That I could finally be completed. Nothing ever felt right without my kid sis."
"Are you sure this guy's my brother? I'm not getting the Rowen vibe of him" said Ro with an angry, insulted voice…
"Ro!" I yelled and I ran into the studio, I noticed Agent Bennet was there with his team, but that didn't matter, I headed to the set, passing along a stage manager.
She shouted out, "Whoa, you can't do that!", but I was on the stage already and I pointed at the blonde boy, "Ro, he's a fake! The whole show's a fake!" Ro was so shocked, but there was no time for explanations, I quickly added, "They're planning to send you back to the girls' home!"
"What?" Sky was sincerely surprised, but I had no time to answer her…
"Wait a second" said the blonde boy, "I don't understand. You guys aren't actors too?"
Sky frowned, turning to look at Harry Lux, "Harry, what's going on?"
Ro was still so stressed, she was unable to move, but we had to run…
I heard Bennet's order behind my back, "Move in! Now!"
I heard how he and his team ran towards me; I turned to face them…
"Fire!" yelled Bennet and the NSA ropes from agents' weapons winded around me, pressing my arms to my body…
I was unable to set myself free, although I tried…
The agents let the high voltage through the ropes and the electric shocks began to shake my body causing me… real… pains…
My hologram began to flicker, reviling for some seconds my real synthoid appearance… then… it disappeared completely… and I fell to the ground, hit by the high voltage…
But… I still was able to see… and… to hear…
Sky and… Ro's fake brother… were really surprised that I was a… synthoid…
And Ro… Ro jumped on one of the agents, but… she was grabbed from behind… by Agent Rush...
"Let go of me!" yelled… Ro…
"Stop!" Sky… tried to interfere, "What are you doing?"
"This is federal business!" Bennet approached… the scene, "Stay out of the way!"
What… what would happen to Ro now…
Ro…
Ro managed to break away from Rush… then… Ro ran to the lighting set and… untying one rope… she made them fall over the ropes from agents' weapons…
It was just in time… just in time before the high voltage shut me down…
I stood up, Ro ran to me, I held her by the waist, then I stretched my right arm toward a skylight on the ceiling and after a second we both were at the studio's roof…
I heard Bennet's voice from the scene under our feet, "Outside! After them! Move it!"
I lead Ro to the metal ladder and coming after me she climbed off the roof…
We both ran… with Bennet and the agents after us…
I stopped for a second to scan the area…
"This way!" I pointed and we kept running…
A group of the firefighters from earlier was nearby and I used the chance…
The agents passed through the group keeping their run…
When they left, I went away from the firefighters and stopping behind a truck I dropped down my hologram. Ro come off my back, I restored my Zee appearance and we both ran in the opposite direction from the agents…
o O o
Sky stood in the middle of the scene, where some people of her team cleaning up the mess after the lighting's fall.
"All things considered, that was a great show..." Harry Lux tried to defense himself.
Sky turned around to look at him with her hands on her hips and frowning, after a long pause, she said coldly, "You're fired, Harry!"
The blonde actor, who played Ro's brother, appeared behind Harry Lux's shoulder, "Do I still get paid?"
o O o
Zee's point of view
Away from any harm although we were still in Twin City, Ro and I were sitting on a bench on a bus station. I had crossed my legs in quite a human gesture and waiting for our bus to come, we watched a mini TV-monitor, where Sky, surrounded by journalists, explained what had happened to her show, "I was shocked to learn what was going on. I got into this business to help people. Harry Lux and the social worker he was working with are both going to jail. And I want every kid we've wrong to come back on the show so we can make things right."
Ro turned her head to look at me. She wouldn't try to find her brother that way again, but maybe other orphans would have that chance and her words confirmed that I knew her well enough to guess what she was thinking about, "Well, at least some good came of all this."
But she was sad and I knew why, so I said softly, "I'm sorry we didn't find your brother, Ro."
She didn't answer me for a moment. She just looked at me with a cute smile and she touched my arm with her hand, "Know what, Tin man?" she paused again, looking straight to my eyes…
And it was a long second… maybe the longest in my life… we both looked each other face to face… it was a second of… devotion… a second when Ro's eyes looked at me with something much more than just her happiness that we were together again… and I… I looked at her as well… I looked at her with something much more than my happiness that we were together again…
She shoved her hand around my arm, she leaned her face on my shoulder, she closed her eyes, ready to fall asleep, and she whispered, "For now anyway you are all the family I need."
I couldn't help but smiled calmly…
That was all I wanted to hear now.
That was all I wanted to have now… and forever…
That was more than the words she said.
I was everything to her.
As she was everything to me.
And I'll do anything to keep her cozy and warm.
I'll do anything to keep protecting her.
I'll do anything to keep her falling asleep on my shoulder.
On my human shoulder…
I'll do anything to keep her happy with me.
Because…
I loved her.
And because…
She loved me too…
The end
Please, if you like the way I tell this story by following the show, don't leave me in silence, please, please review no matter when you'll read it and how much time will pass after the posting of this story. Please review.