"This is why you were chosen, Because the strong man who has known power all his life, may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows... compassion" - Dr Abraham Erskine 2011 Captain America the first avenger
EPISODE 4 BURNING QUESTIONS
two days had passed since firebird was born and brought into the world by dr Wakeman and Tyler, his appearance at the tremorton high school gymnasium had thwarted vexus' scheme to use Jenny as weapon by slowly corrupting her into her pet, only to be miracles saved by firebird's birth!
but our new hero had many thoughts running through his head, why him? why out of all the people of tremorton, why did it have to him to pilot firebird, these thoughts tormented Tyler throughout the past two days...
Date friday august 22nd 2014
time 8:30 am
as the morning sun rose across the neighborhoods of tremorton, Tyler was getting ready for his next day at high school, still thinking about the recent events as he put on his backpack, having already ate breakfast,
"well, just another day at tremorton high.." he spoke in his thoughts as he continued to get ready "but,...will it really be that way?..."
then, from downstairs from his room, a familiar voice rang out, "hey Tyler!" shouted brad "You all set? We gotta go!"
Tyler turned his head towards the still opened door of his room, "coming brad!" he called out to him, he then started to walk down stairs his thoughts ran through his head again, "I've been through a lot lately, am I really up for this?"
soon Tyler arrived downstairs, to meet brad waiting for him, backpack already strapped,
"alright buddy, let's go," spoke brad as he left for the door,
Tyler then followed brad, and as they walked Tyler looked at his wrist device, the one he would use to call firebird, the gigantic blue gladiator, " it could've been brad, or jenny, why me?" he mentally asked himself as the two neared tremorton high school,
then, the two teenagers could hear the sounds of jet engines could soon be heard passing over brad and Tyler, it soon reveal itself to be Jenny, one of the most advanced robots in the world herself, as she then stopped herself and landed to face her two friends,
"hi guys!" cheered Jenny as she waved to them,
"ah! Jenny!" Tyler waved back
"hiya Jenny!" greeted brad
"nice to see you guys here!" said Jenny as Tyler and brad caught up with her, as she then walked with them
"the same to you Jenny!" spoke Tyler
"another day at high school I assume," joked Jenny,
"you bet," chuckled brad, as the threesome then entered tremorton high school, and headed straight to their first class of the day as the teacher greeted them,
"welcome class!" the teacher announced as the class then settled in to get ready for their first assignment of the day...
an hour later the class, including Tyler Jenny and brad finished up their assignments, as they each turned in their work, the teacher called just as the bell rang thought the school,
"good job today class!" she announced, "On to your next period," everyone then left the classroom to their next periods, brad and Jenny following suit with Tyler
but while he was walking to his next Tyler was again down in his thoughts, still thinking about two days ago... how could this happen so quickly? Dr wakeman seemed a bit strict a first, especially with jenny ...but why me?...he thought in his head,
"...have you heard about what happened at picture day?" spoke a student nearby,
"yeah, it was wild! Jenny just went berserker on everyone! And that bug lady seemed to enjoy it..." another student spoke, Tyler then stopped to overhear their conversation
"yeah, her friends seemed to arrive, but that's the least of it..." the conversation continued, "and those 3 vehicles that bursted in during the fight, am I right?" the student spoke, recalling the events of firebird's awakening which after two days the news of this began to circulate through the school and soon all of tremorton,
"yeah, and what was cool was, they all formed a giant robot and tossed Jenny around, and slashed another bug bot in half!" the student next do him spoke,
"yeah! What was all that about?" said the student in awe,
"I'm not sure, but I know that things aren't gonna be the same, with TWO robots running around," said the student again,
"I'll bet, this other robot may not be that bad..." wondered the students, "well, I'm just wondering who created him,"
"AND who drove him...? That other robot was huge!" asked the student in wonder
"yeah, it's not like someone was able to drive him at once..." speculated one of the students, "who even could anyways?" but these words made Tyler narrow his head, and he walked off to his next class...
Time 12:25 pm
it was now lunch time and the three friends were each having their lunches but Tyler could just eat half his lunch, still in thought over piloting firebird, sighing to himself, Jenny and brad then looked over to their friend, and saw him a bit depressed, and he looked like this for most of the day, and they grew worried, and then they decided to check up on their new hero, as they went to sit with him,
"hey Tyler," smiled Jenny as she sat next to him, brad following suit,
"hi Jenny," sighed Tyler,
"hey man, what's wrong?" asked brad in worry,
Tyler craned his head towards Jenny to her audio receptor whispering, "it's about firebird,"
jenny's eyes widened a bit, and they each then decided to move to the farthest corner of the cafeteria away from the earshot of the other students as they could, knowing they must not know Tyler's secret,
"what about him?" Jenny asked,
"it's just..." Tyler sighed, "I'm glad I was able to help, though I wished I didn't have to fight you..." he said regretfully,
"I know Tyler, but, I couldn't help myself," Jenny turned her head back and forth, knowing the pain of being used as a tool, "Vexus had me remember?"
"she held her on a leash," replied brad,
"I know, " Tyler sighed "but, it's not just that..."
"really?" asked Jenny
"it's just that...am I really up to this?" Tyler asked Jenny, "I mean, ms wakeman could've chosen you Jenny, or you as well brad, why me?"
"well, maybe she's had some reasons," brad shrugged, "I mean, if I were chosen, seeing you drive that thing, I would already have a hard time,"
"and Vexus, she did say she'd be back,"Tyler recalled, "but will we really be ready for her? And I'm not sure I will be, I know I have the privilege, but, is this really for me?"
"well, I'm not sure I hold all the answers Tyler..." told brad,
Jenny narrowed her head, It pained her to see her friend like this, but, it was only natural for one to ask such questions, Jenny thought of a way she could help Tyler with the burning questions in his head, then she thought of an idea, as she turned to Tyler, "...well, why don't after school is over, we go over to my house and talk with mom about it, would you like that?" she asked,
Tyler thought for a moment and then nodded "...I suppose Jenny,"
"thanks Tyler," smiled jenny "then, it's settled I'll pick you up in the afternoon, and we'll go over, I'll let mom know,"
"thank you Jenny," thanked Tyler "I'll be waiting for you back home,"
"that'd be great," smiled brad as the three friends head back to eat their lunches and finish up high school,
Time 4:45 pm
in the afternoon, after high school, Tyler was hanging out near the couch, in the living room of brad's house, still pondering, and waiting for Jenny to come to take him to her house and speak to dr wakeman, then after a few minutes, he heard a mechanical knock on the door,
"coming!" called Tyler, as he sat up and went up to the door, opening it to find a familiar visitor,
"hi Tyler!" cheered Jenny and waved to Tyler,
"hiya Jenny!" greeted Tyler, waving back, "glad you could make it!"
"me too tyler, i talked to mom," replied Jenny, "she'll be happy to talk to you,"
"im glad for that jenny, let's go," told Tyler, but he turned around before leaving, calling out for his friends, "hey brad! tuck! Im going with jenny! Ill be back!"
"you got it tyler!" called out brad from the back, Tyler then walked out the door with Jenny, and they started on their way back to stately wakeman residence
the pair approached the house, as they knocked on the door, they were soon greeted by dr wakeman, Jenny and firebird's creator,
"welcome home xj9!" she greeted,
"hi mom!" spoke Jenny
"and good to see you as well, Tyler!" dr wakeman said, seeing Tyler with her robotic daughter,
"the same to you dr wakeman," returned Tyler,
"please come in!" dr wakeman spoke as she stepped back, allowing her guests to enter the house, as Jenny and Tyler walked in,
"thank you," replied Tyler,
"so, we could hangout for a little bit?" asked Jenny, as she turned to face her mother,
"i suppose XJ9," dr wakeman said "but then, tyler, i believe you wanted to talk to me?"
"yeah, about firebird..." nodded Tyler,
"of course," dr wakeman said, "right this way if you please," she gestured as she and Tyler walked into another room at the house as Jenny then sat near the couch of the house, hoping that things would work out,
"so, Tyler," spoke dr wakeman as they entered the same room where she granted Tyler the privilege of piloting firebird, as they took their seats,
"yeah?" asked Tyler as he straightened himself out,
"about firebird," dr wakeman said "You said you wanted to talk about him?"
"yeah, why me?" Tyler sighed "You could've chosen jenny, she's your daughter, or even brad, even though he's a normal teenager, like me, well mostly normal, you seemed pretty strict with jenny, locking her away until she is needed, you even acted like she was the only hero in the world,"
"well, almost the only hero in the world," dr wakeman pointed out,
"then why me?" asked Tyler again, "I'm only human, like brad, and jenny, she's literally one of the most advanced robots in the world, SHE could've been the one to pilot firebird, so why me?"
dr wakeman sighed as she lowered her head, "...i suppose that is the only question that matters, young man, it is a long story though..."
"well, we still got the afternoon," reassured Tyler, "so don't worry about it,"
"I Suppose your right..." dr Wakeman said "all the more reason why she met you, brad and tuck, and the outside world, and I had her enrolled in high school,"
"can't argue with all that," agreed Tyler, "even though life there's not perfect,"
"indeed, as for firebird," dr wakeman explained, "my reasons for him are a whole different story,"
"reasons?" asked tyler "But you said he was built to harness the cosmic energy and that failed until now,"
"yes and," dr wakeman said, "he came before XJ9,"
"true..." spoke Tyler remembering a previous conversation beforehand,
"but, there was one other creation before firebird," dr Walkman spoke
"really?" asked Tyler in bewilderment, "what was it?"
"...as I said before, I was a volunteer in skyway patrol," reminded dr wakeman as she began to tell a tale of her past in skyway patrol, "and it was during that time, the earth was under constant alien attack, the cluster, among those various attacks, we fought well, but they just kept on coming, and so, we needed an ultimate weapon, a planetary defense system, in the form of a giant robot, like firebird, the project was dubbed, "Armagedroid", what I might say, the most technologically advanced creature on the planet, and he had only a single directive, destroy all weapons that came in his way, this made him a fearsome opponent on the battlefield, thus, his birth ended the war, the earth, was grateful, but I grew concerned,"
"really?" asked Tyler,
"yes, for you see, he was made...too driven, and too single minded," lamented dr wakeman, "so single minded he became utterly restless at peacetime, and so, when he hears about OUR weapons, and what we can do with them...he cannot resist, armagedroid MUST, purge the earth, of that weaponry,"
Tyler's eyes widened as the grim images flashed though his mind, imagining the destruction caused by armagedroid from what he had heard so far, "...did we manage to stop him?" he asked in worry,
"...even I couldn't stop my creation..." dr wakeman sighed in sorrow,
"then," said tyler "how did you?"
"by tricking him," dr Wakeman answered "I warned him not to take out a molten magma bomb housed at the center of the earth, he took the bait and tunneled all the way down to the molten center, where we all thought he had melted to ash,"
Tyler lowered his head, one of his questions was answered about her past as skyway patrol, but what about firebird?
"then," spoke dr wakeman again, making Tyler regain focus, "a few days later came that asteroid, and the firebird project, but, in fear of repeating my mistake with mistake with Armagedroid, I granted no such A.I on this giant robot...only made him drivable by humans,"
"...that reminds me" said Tyler,
"yes?" asked dr wakeman
"after you managed to put firebird in storage here," asked tyler "did you even check to see if he even worked?"
"as a matter of fact I did," dr wakeman answered, I felt my creation hum to life, the surge was tremendous as i took my first steps on it, but it then stopped, seemingly due to my worries, then afterwards, I realized that even though I created firebird, I was only one woman, and I still had a life ahead of me to live,"
"I see.." nodded Tyler, understanding how dr wakeman would need the time to develop her robotic daughter,
"I feared that no matter how much I would improve on XJ9, she would end up destroyed by my creation's power source," told dr wakeman, "but more important, if anyone else were to pilot firebird he or she would need to be responsible enough to pilot him, for if his incredible power was misused, the earth, no the entire universe, might be destroyed..."
Tyler was quite astonished by dr Wakeman's answers,
"this is why you were chosen," she spoke again, "because I believe if the right heart, not proud, not strong, but kind and caring, could know the right way of using that power, as you know, That not everyone is as fortunate to have such a privilege, and many have intimate knowledge of right from wrong, and have determination to know compassion, therefore responsible enough to pilot this giant robot, but if the right man had all of these and held on to those principles, and in knowing compassion, they would definitely know the right way of using that power,"
Tyler felt as if a heavy weight was released from his chest, his burning questions about firebird had been answered, "...thank you...dr wakeman,"
dr wakeman got up form her seat and walked over to the young pilot and placed her hands on Tyler's shoulders, "so know, young man, that I could not have chosen a better man then you, to use my creation the right way, alongside my beloved Xj9..." she smiled, already feeling proud of Tyler,
Tyler looked down a bit, feeling relived, but, "hey, dr wakeman?" he asked
"yes?" said dr wakeman
"could I stay around a little longer here?" Tyler asked dr wakeman,
"of course young man," she nodded "I'll have XJ9 let your friends know you'll be staying over for the night,"
"thank you, dr Wakeman," Tyler smiled, then hugged the good doctor,
"anything," dr Wakeman hugged back, but before Tyler left the room, "Tyler," she said, making Tyler turn his attention to her, "whatever happens in the future, today or tomorrow, you must promise us, one thing, that you will stay who you are as a person, not a perfect life-form, or what everyone expects you to be, but, a good young man..."
Tyler felt as if dr wakeman was a mother to him as she spoke those words as tears of joy ran through his eyes as he nodded and hugged dr wakeman again...
late that night, Jenny watched closely as Tyler settled in the room where he had rested at when she was being transformed, Jenny then smiled as she then exited the room, Tyler rested down and then set off peacefully to sleep, his burning questions answered for why he was chosen to pilot firebird, and now ready for whatever happens the very next day...
"Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. You will stay who you are, not a perfect soldier, but a good man" - Dr Abraham Erskine 2011 Captain America the first avenger
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