Chapter 14

Nova cried out as she was flung to the floor, Gibson rushing into the room with a worried expression on his face.

"What's going on," she cried, Antauri shaking his head.

"It seems that the ship has been plunged into some kind of self-destruct sequence. The Super Robot's computers can't do anything to stop it. We have to leave. Now!"

"But what about Chiro," Nova asked, frightened as Gibson shook his head.

"He'll get here. But we must start powering up the emergency thrusters so we can escape," he explained.

"Do you know the way out," the yellow monkey asked. Gibson nodded.

"Yes. I was able to hack into this ships computers shortly before it went down. I can pilot us out of here safely. Well... maybe not as well as Sprx could, but I can manage."

"Now we can only hope that Chiro was successful, and is on his way here," Antauri told them softly, his face grave. There was a 'whoosh' noise behind them and they turned to see Chiro enter the robot with an unconscious Otto in his arms. One look at the state of their teammates and Gibson could only utter;

"Great Suggazoom."

"Somebody help him," Chiro whispered, tear tracks running down his face although no tears were shed at this time. Gibson hesitated for a second, which gave Antauri enough time to rush forward and take Otto from Chiro's arms.

"I will take him to the infirmary. Gibson, get us out of here," Antauri ordered, his eyes dark and his face set. Stepping into one of the tubes he was whisked away, leaving Gibson to turn to the controls as Chiro slumped down onto the floor. Nova rushed to his side, worry on her face but he waved her away.

"I'll be fine," he mumbled. "But Otto..."

"I'll see to him immediately after we are out of danger Chiro," Gibson called over his shoulder as he controlled the Super Robot up and away. "But first we've got to get out of here before this ship explodes!" Chiro nodded wearily in understanding, allowing Nova to help him stand and join Gibson at the helm. With Gibson guiding, the robot flew through the twists and turns of the massive ship they'd been held prisoners in for so long, and Chiro could just feel the relief tugging at him as they finally came to an opening. They were free! He had his team, they had the robot, and they were getting out of this hell hole! For some reason, the idea of seeing the Skeleton King again seemed to bring him hope. And if that wasn't twisted, he didn't know what was.

"We have a problem," Nova's voice cut into his musings and back into reality. He turned to her, his movement sluggish and slurred;

"What is it?"

"The ship, we're not going to make it out of the blasting range!" It took a few seconds for this to wrap itself around Chiro's brain, and in those few seconds the ship that was now behind them burst into flames and shrapnel. The Super Robot lurched forward, Nova and Gibson crying out, as chunks of flaming metal and rock soared past and slammed into them.

"This explosion... it's ripping the robot apart," Gibson exclaimed, only to have a wailing moan of tearing metal echo through the ship as if to prove his point. Chiro suddenly found it hard to breathe. It wasn't fair! After all they'd been through, after all the suffering and the struggling, after everything... this was all that was left for them? A fiery, painful death? It couldn't be! No! His team had to live, they had too much to do and way too many misunderstandings left... He couldn't... they couldn't...

For the third time that day green enveloped him and he heard the distant roar as the Power Primate soared through him and pushed it's way out, surrounding not only him but the entire Super Robot. He distantly heard Nova and Gibson's exclamation's of surprise, somehow saw that Antauri was in the infirmary covering both Sprx-77 and Otto with his own body to keep them safe, and then saw the raging inferno that was enveloping them and sending one last killer explosion their way. It was an explosion he was determined to keep far, far away from his team.

With a mighty kick the thrusters came on and with the Power Primate aiding and guiding, the strength of the thrusters grew. As the Super Robot sped away faster than ever, the last explosion went off sending not only more shrapnel careening in the shock wave but the Super Robot as well. Rock and metal bounced off the green glow enveloping the robot and it wasn't until they were far enough away that the shrapnel was nothing more than floating space dust that Chiro slowed down. Panting, he looked around and found that they were only a couple light years away from a world he knew was safe. Nekeeta's world. They could... they could rest there.

The green flickered for a moment and faded out, leaving the thrusters to slow and push them at a leisurely pace, and Chiro watched as Antauri lifted himself up with a quiet sigh of relief before his vision brought him back to his body. Gibson and Nova were beside him, staring up at him in awe as the Super Robot happily put itself on auto-pilot. It was... so strange.

"Chiro?" Nova's voice made him turn, his head feeling rather light.

"It's... strange," he said weakly. "I can... feel the robot. It's... happy we're... safe..." And with these last words he fell limply into the waiting arms of his teammates and finally, truly, slept.

Epilogue

The cats of Nekeeta's village had been very kind to the Monkey Team, having taken them in immediately and cleaned them up, feeding them and clothing them. They gave them a place to stay and set about soothing their hurts and mending the Super Robot. That's when they decided to take the teen member of the crew to enjoy their newly found and quickly coveted hot springs while the monkeys repaired each other. Chiro had never been in a hot spring before, and his first experience had been somewhat amusing to the cats that had carried him there.

In all honesty the entire team was a wreck. Gibson finally managed to fix Otto's hands, claiming that some parts had been utterly fried, and had collapsed soon afterward. Antauri had placed the blue monkey in a bed and had explained to worried natives that it was merely exhaustion and Gibson would be fine. He and Nova had decided shortly after that to sleep as well, but it was not peaceful by any means. All during the night the village was woken by tormented screams and sobbing cries that chilled them to the bone. The cries did not stop until Chiro managed to talk Nekeeta into helping him get out of bed, as he was too weak at the time to walk, and go comfort his team. This comfort was Nekeeta making a bed on the floor and allowing Chiro to pile his monkey team in with him before she covered them up and sat back in case her help was needed. The screaming and crying ceased and was replaced with whimpers from Otto. The little green robot was then immediately wrapped up into Chiro's arms, on the boys chest, and held as Gibson gave a contented sigh. The blue monkey stretched himself up against and along side of Chiro with one arm draped over the boy and landing on Otto's right arm. Antauri lay nearly on top of Gibson and Chiro, clutching the robes the boy now wore in one hand, and in the other he held his blue brother loosely. On Chiro's other side, Sprx-77 was sleeping on his back with Nova curled up against him. With one of her hands entwined with one of Sprx's, her other hand was free to reach up and cling to one of Otto's. Otto's hand, in turn, held on to her as if afraid to let go.

Nekeeta watched them as the night grew colder and sighed. They had suffered greatly, and she grieved for them. She could only hope that with them now safe and together they could begin to heal and trust each other again. She smiled, knowing that they would in time be alright, and paused as one of the six took a rather large breath. Someone was awake. She did not have to wonder who it was for long, for Antauri lifted his head with weary half open eyes and mumbled;

"Chiro... you smell good." Chiro smirked and Gibson 'hummed'.

"Smells like 'Irish Spring'," the blue robot muttered. Nekeeta shook her head and opened her mouth in order to chastise them. They needed to sleep! However, before she could Antauri spoke again.

"I smell flowers." He sounded lethargically perplexed and she could see Otto move as Chiro snickered weakly.

"I picked that," Nova's voice muttered. Sprx, in reply, gave a muffled snore that sent Chiro into a fit of giggles. This of course sent Otto moving again.

"Guys," he mock whined. "Take a clue from Sprx and go to sleep!" There was a group inhale, that once again sent Chiro into an odd fit of giggles and made Otto mumble in his sleep. Nekeeta merely shook her head and sighed in resignation. It was going to be a very long night.

It was very dark where he was walking, and if it were not for the fact that he was practically a robot he probably would have complained. However, with things as they were, he was not at all concerned with the lighting of this new ship he was on, only the state of the rather large case he was carrying.

He arrived in a large domed room where there, in the middle of the darkened room, someone sat bathed in shadow.

"I trust you have brought me something useful Morgan," the voice said, dripping with malevolence. Morgan, the bull robot, nodded as he kneeled.

"My Lord," he rumbled, placing the case in front of him, opening it, and turning it to face the one in shadows. Inside the case was a strange looking harness of some kind, the center a crystalline jewel that pulsed a soft glowing purple. "From what I was able to capture of this 'Power Primate' I have created this control device. With it, you will have power over the one called Chiro." The shadows moved revealing a face covered by a strange metallic mask, it's eyes glowing orange.

"Excellent." The voice was deep, flowing like silk, and the masked one then threw his head back and laughed.

THE END

AN: And that's the end of this story.:) Hope you enjoyed. The sequel is called 'Overcoming' and hopefully I'll be able to get half of it out before too long (instead of torturing you with multi-chapters again...) XD

Yeah well... I might actually comment on the reviews next time because some of the ones you've given me so far have been rather interesting and humerous, all though I've had maybe one or two that made me scratch my head and go 'What?'. Honestly though I really thank y'all for the reviews and for the few who critiqued me. That kind of stuff never hurts my feelings and if it did I'd let you know. ;) So yeah, I'm gonna go and finish the rest of the sequel. Just realize that when I start putting it up, it'll already be finished much like this one was, and also please be patient as I'm still job hunting AND starting back to school on the 27th. This means less free time so... yeah... I think it sucks too. Anywho... life goes on and if you actually took the time to read this authors rambling note then you'll get a cookie. And if you didn't read this then ten to one I'll know because you'll ask a question in a review that I already answered here. Muahahahahahaha! (Darn those vicious cycles...)