The World Without Fear

by optimus304

Sevreal months after the events of New Dawn, The Gang try to get thier lives back together. Aelita and Jeremy try to handle thier relationships, Odd tries to seek one with Sissi, And Ulrich and Yumi feel uncomforatble about the changes. Yet silently, Old villians will return. And new threats and problems which will Destroy the world that they love. Live In Fear.

16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15

This Strange American Girl

Area: Unknown

Tasha stirred as she moaned loudly. Her mind was blank; she had no idea what exactly was happening to her, where exactly she was going, and what had happened.
Her mind slowly reached out to the rest of her body. She could move her head a little, despite the tightness and soreness of muscles in her neck. The young girl tried to look down towards her chest, just to make sure her torso was there. However, she could not move her legs or arms. Her body ached with severe throbbing pain, she felt like it was weighed down. Then, the shocking memory came to her mind as she recalled the past few weeks. She no longer had legs or arms, they had been surgically removed and replaced with some type of robotic appendages. But now a more confusing thought was going through the teen's head...What was going on?

Tasha looked up and realized that there was a bright light that would blink occasionally in her face. She winced as she tried to look away from the light, yet the blinding glow would break through her eyelids. Slowly but surely her vision began to return, clearing up and focusing more on what was happening to her. Severe numbness filled her body; she felt numb and exhausted. That was when the young girl realized the light she was witnessing was actually lights on the ceiling of the hallway, and that Tasha was actually laying down on a gurney, strapped down for some strange reason and dressed in a white surgery gown. She noticed two men walking next to her, pushing the gurney with her as they escorted her down the hallway of the dark, foreboding facility.

Tasha tried to move her body; through all the numbness and cold, her body could in fact still move and respond to her touch. Many different thoughts and questions raced through her mind. Where was she? What happened? What did they do to her?

"The subject seems to have finally come to." A voice said from behind Tasha's head.

The girl looked up. A man pushed the gurney that Tasha laid on with his hands tightly gripping the metal rails. Tasha couldn't make out exactly what the guard looked like, yet she could see that the guard had a helmet on their face and gear that she could barely make out or recognize.

Tasha began to panic as she tried to move, scared and concerned as to what was going on or what was going to happen to her. Her skin broke out in sweat as she tried desperately to free herself; her heart began to race and pound in her chest.

A slight, soft hand came out of Tasha's line of sight and touched her shoulder. It was delicate, warm to the touch and calming. Tasha glanced up in confusion as she could barely make out the touch of the young woman who she had remembered from earlier.

"Just relax." Dr. Kei Asagami said with a soft, weak voice.

Tasha couldn't even speak as she felt her mind finally begin to fully react to her situation.

"Whatever happens next, promise me that you will do the right thing," Asagami said as she winked at Tasha. "You will know when the time comes."

Tasha looked back down at the opposite end of the gurney as she watched a metal door open up, revealing a large, hangar-like room with overhead lights and fans. Tasha could see what looked like large vents, blowing cold air into the room.

The room was massive. Computer terminals were lining the walls. The terminals were wired to several pods, which housed different pieces of equipment. Large cylinders housed unknown objects which were covered by a metal sheath. It was as if this was a test area that was going to be used to try different objects and test them. At the far end of the hangar were several targets set up in a row.
In the middle of the test chamber, high above the ground, sat a large metallic and glass booth. Lights brightly lit the booth up; inside, two men overlooked the room below.

Armed guards stood at opposite ends of the hangar as they watched the group enter. The gurney finally stopped as Tasha looked around. She could barely see Dr. Asagami out of her peripheral vision. She could hear people walking around and moving about. The sounds of heavy footsteps, indicating running and pacing back and forth could be heard.

Dr Asagami watched as Tasha laid on the table, glancing around in confusion and fear as she tried to figure out where exactly she was. Sympathy ran down the young doctor's face as she watched the lab technicians move about to different parts of the laboratory. She knew… This was it. She had come to this point in her life when there was no other choice but to allow the events to happen. If the young girl before her and her sister were to survive, it was a sacrifice she would have to make.
She turned to look back at the terminal and typed a series of commands. She timed it just right as she quickly backed up and bumped into one of the guards.

The guard stopped and turned to look at her; in split second, several other guards were pointing their weapons at her. Their MP5 clicked, ready to fire. The whole room went silent as other guards and lab technicians turned to watch the scene.

Kei found herself circled by five armed guards pointing their weapons directly at her.

"I'm sorry, sir." Kei said quickly. "Please forgive me."

The guards continued to stare down the young doctor in silence, they continued to point their weapons at her as they watched her back away and cower in fear. Finally, the main guard lowered his weapon and raised his left hand with his index finger pointed straight into the air. The other four guards slowly lowered their weapons as well.

"Watch what you're doing!" The main guard said in a commanding accent as the team of guards turned and proceeded to walk away.

Asagami slowly relaxed as she felt her heart slow down more and more, her skin was cold and tender from fear. Kei took a deep sigh of relief as she quickly pulled her hand from her laboratory coat, hiding the object that she had swiped from the guard for later.

Kei heard the main door to the observation room open as she spotted out of her peripheral vision, she could barely see a man walk into the room, pause and turn to make a B-line straight towards her. She gritted her teeth as she knew who it was; pressure grew in her chest as she felt the presence of the man, who was getting closer and closer. She knew what he was going to do. It was him who was responsible for her predicament, and it was his fault that she was now a slave to Mal-Tech.

"Ah. Doctor Kei Asagami." The man said with a smirk.

Kei watched as the man stopped near the end of the table. He was a stout, chubby individual who was a little shorter then her. His hair was sandy blonde and looked as if it hadn't been combed in years, instead the receding hairline was spiky and looked as if it had a massive amount of gel in it. His face, old and wrinkly, and his posture looked very demanding as he approached the young doctor. His arms were placed behind his back as he swayed slowly. Under his white lab coat, he wore a green vest with a bowtie, buttoned up and looking quite professional. Yet the look on his face could say it all… He was a slime ball who betrayed many of his former colleagues and friends just to make a profit and to make his place in the world. He was Dr. Kei Asagami's former boss and employer… and her warden to the jail cell she had been trapped in for years.

"Good afternoon… Dr. Tyrone..." Asagami said with a glare.

Tyrone smiled maliciously as he turned and looked at the young girl, laying on the gurney next to him.

"Keeping yourself busy with your… experiments?" Tyrone said. "I see your former career at Quantum Research Center has certainly remained the same."

Kei clenched her jaw as she watched Tyrone look over the girl laying on the table. The look of him… his voice… everything sickened Kei to her core. He was a manipulator who would naturally work with Estrada and Mal-Tech for nothing more but personal gain. He was a real life Lex Luthor who wanted to use the technology that Kei and many others were attempting to create for personal glory, to weaponize it and threaten the world into submission. Just like it was with nuclear fission. But what they were working on was an even greater weapon than anyone could realize.

"How is your sister, Dr Asagami?" Tyrone said as he then turned his attention to her. "Is she still frozen like an icicle?"

Kei Asagami immediately balled her fist. Tyrone looked at her and searched her up and down, noting her stance, her posture, and her facial expressions that she had. H had struck a nerve with the brilliant scientist.

"If you had played your cards correctly..." Tyrone said as he slowly walked towards the angry doctor. "...If you worked with us and not refused us, your sister may not have found herself in this situation."

Asagami stared at Lowell in silence.

"We offered you a lot for what could have been a breakthrough in science, and yet... you rejected us." Tyrone said as he walked closer. "You could have been rich beyond your wildest dreams, sharing that wealth with your family," Tyrone smiled as he ran his fingers across the table, looking down at the scared teenager.

"And now because of your arrogance and your fear, we had to take this girl and convert her," Tyrone said as he finally turned and looked directly into Asagami's eyes. "Such a waste of oxygen. A proper big sister wouldn't have failed her little sister like you did."

Kei spit a massive amount of phlegm out of her mouth and into Tyrone's eye. No sooner had the spit wad hit Tyrone's face than the young doctor stepped forward and pulled her hand back. She then proceeded to swing her palm outward, striking Tyrone square in the face. The impact of her hand striking Tyrone's jaw hurt Dr Asagami's already injured and bandaged hand. Yet the feeling of striking this low-life scum was much more satisfactory than she thought.

Tyrone stumbled back and grasped his jaw, shocked in amazement as he realized what had happened. His jaw winced in pain as he felt a sudden burst of anger.

As soon as Asagami struck Tyrone, a pair of armed guards approached, weapons drawn, prepared to put down the young woman.

"Kill this bitch!" Tyrone yelled.

"Enough!"A booming voice said from behind Tyrone.

A gentleman approached; a large puff of smoke billowed out of the man's mouth as he took a puff of his cigar. The man raised his hand which grasped the cigar out forward in a calming manner. In his other hand he carried a large, metallic suitcase.

The armed guards lowered their weapons and quickly stepped back into a relaxed, guarding section.

Estrada finally came into view as he walked up and stood behind Tyrone.
"Dr. Tyrone… I believe you have your own assignments?"

Tyrone grasped his jaw once more as he turned to face Estrada.

"This... peon… hit me!" the short man yelled. "She should be put down for such an atrocity!"

Estrada turned to look at Tyrone. No expression came over his face, only a cold, emotionless gaze. He placed the cigar slowly in his mouth and bit down on it… never blinking or removing his glare from Tyrone.

"Are you questioning my decision, Doctor Lowell?" he said.

Tyrone slowly stepped back in fear as he realized what Estrada meant. He bowed towards Estrada and turned to look at Asagami.

"You will pay for this." Tyrone growled as he quickly walked back towards the one of the terminals that sat in the room.

Asagami watched as Tyrone marched to a different area of the laboratory. Her face never changed as she glared at the man.

Estrada turned to face Asagami. He slowly lowered the large suitcase he held in his hands and placed it on a nearby table, next to the gurney that Tasha laid on.

"I trust everything is ready?" Estrada said, gathering Kei's attention.

"Yes." Asagami said. "What of my sister?"

Estrada slowly took a drag of his cigar as he nodded. He slowly lifted his right arm and snapped his fingers.

Tasha watched as two of the armed guards slowly approached, they escorted a large cylinder which had a green glow to it. As Tasha watched the container come into view, she noticed there was a naked woman inside. The woman floated inside the greenish-golden gel, a singular light shined down on her from the top.
The young woman inside the stasis tank was beautiful, she was thin and of Asian descent, like Asagami. She was a little muscular. Her hair was short and cropped, her hair was dark brown and flowed inside the tank, gracing her thin and almost porcelain face which seemed to be at peace, as if the woman was in a deep sleep. A large tube was inserted into her mouth, possibly for breathing, while a second tube was attached to the woman's navel, similar to an umbilical cord for a baby.

Tasha took in the details of the machine itself. A silver plate ran across the woman's mid section with a panel-like monitor on it, showing all of the woman's health stats. On the top section of the panel it showed the woman's heart beat, while underneath it showed a second reading, indicating power levels being distributed to the woman's body.

"If the tests show that this subject is compliant with our demands, we will finally return your sister to you." Estrada said as he placed his palm on the tank. "All you need to do is finish where you left off. And that is to reactivate her."

Asagami felt a swell of tears and emotion fall over her body, yet she continued to keep her composure as she tried to stay strong and stern, like a rock.

"If this is a failure," Estrada said as he turned to face the young woman inside the tank. "Your dear sister here will become her replacement." Estrada added as he pointed towards Tasha, who lay down on the gurney. "What is her name again?"

Asagami turned to look at Estrada, taking her eyes off Tasha and towards the vile man who kept her prisoner, who had sent agents to kidnap her from Japan and bring her here… to this hell, to work on innocent people and turn them into slaves, monsters… the worst of what humanity had ever seen.

"Your sister… and her project you call her?"

"Her name... is Saki." Dr Asagami said firmly. "She was one of the successful candidates for project Iron Valkyrie."

Estrada nodded as he turned to look at Tasha laying on the gurney.
"I hope for her sake… and hers…" Estrada said, pointing at Tasha, "that this works."

Estrada took a puff off his cigar as he turned to look at the woman… Saki… who floated inside the stasis tank.

"Such a beautiful and innocent looking angel. To think a disease like Lou Gehrig's would turn a lovely, kind woman into a cold heartless machine."

Asagami felt her jaw pop from the amount of pressure she was placing on it due to stress and pressure. This sick individual was lusting over her helpless sister. Knowing what she had put her sister through to save her life and give her a second chance, here was this horrible and nasty man, gloating over her sister's condition.

"Tell me." Estrada said as he turned with a smile. "Did it hurt?"

Asagami swallowed as she prepared to speak, trying to keep all emotion and anger aside. "She was in a medically induced coma."

"Not her." Estrada said cutting off Kei. "I meant did it hurt you?"

Asagami's eyes squinted as she thought about the question.

"Did it hurt you to… remove her bones and nerves?" Estrada asked as he slowly turned and walked towards Asagami. "To open her skull and remove her organs to make way for the power source, computers, and machinery to not only keep her alive, but to reinforce her body?"

Estrada walked close and bent over to look Asagami in the eye. The smoke from his cigar hit her face with a foul and musty scent, enough to cause the young doctor's eyes to tear up from the heat and the stench.
"I bet your parents are furious with what you have done..." Estrada said as he slowly turned around and walked back towards the exit. "Oh wait, they will never know since they are gone."
Estrada took his cigar and crushed it out on the side of the stasis tank.
"I surely can't wait to see how this one goes."

He then snapped his fingers a second time as two more armed guards approached and took the sides of the stasis tank. They proceeded to roll the tank back towards one of the corners of the lab, behind the target area of the facility.

Tasha looked down at Estrada and then looked back up at Asagami in confusion. She paid attention to everything that the two had spoken about.

"Wh...What did you do to me?" Tasha asked.

Asagami didn't answer and only stared in Estrada's direction... Anger and rage filled her as she glared at the tall, Latino man who strode off towards the main observation booth.

"What did you do to me?" Tasha asked once again, fear filling her as she tried to get the doctor's attention.

Kei finally snapped back to reality as she heard the scared, traumatized voice of the girl next to her. Kei slowly bent over and looked out of the corner of her eyes as she noted the guards next to her.

"You are going to receive your upgrades today." she said to Tasha.

Tasha stared at the doctor in confusion as she questioned what she just heard. "My… Upgrades?"

Dr. Asagami nodded slowly as she placed a hand on Tasha's shoulder. "When you receive the visor, it will explain everything to you."

Kei then stood up and walked over to a nearby terminal and began typing codes and commands into the computer, activating and prepping several programs and devices for the upcoming demonstration.

She turned to look at Tasha; her face color was pale, ghost like and emotionless. Yet her eyes said it all, filled with sorrow, guilt, and acceptance.

"What I do now is for the good of both of you." Dr. Asagami said.

Estrada walked over towards the observation booth. Two armed guards stood at the side of a large metal elevator door, both armed with MP5 sub machine guns. Estrada placed his palm onto a green panel on the side as the palm reader, scanned his hand and accepted. The large door opened as Estrada walked inside. The small elevator raised two feet into the air and eventually opened, revealing the interior of the booth. Several computer monitors and screens filled the sides of the booth as they showed various different components and observation devices from the floor.

The large metal elevator doors opened as Estrada walked inside, pulling out a fresh Cigar and a lighter as he walked over to the edge.

Tyrone stood inside the observation booth and glanced towards Estrada, noting the entry of his boss.

"You know we have other means of capturing the child, correct?" Tyrone said as he glanced at Estrada.

"This situation is different in many ways than we thought." Estrada said as he lit his cigar. "Too many people have taken notice to the Lyoko Warriors."

Tyrone nodded as he glanced down at the floor. "And your A.I.?" Tyrone asked as he placed his hands in his lab coat. "Xervix, is it?"

Estrada nodded as he fell silent.

"Why let the A.I. continue to function when we do not have any plans for it?"

Estrada inhaled off his cigar and then exhaled as he glared out the booth and looked down at the young girl who was being prepped. "Xervix was a possible candidate, however he has gone silent and we have failed to make contact with him since." Estrada said as he bowed his head down slowly. "I feel Xervix, may now be a threat in many ways."

"Working on his own accord?" Tyrone asked. "The Cortex is still connected to the Lyoko computer." Estrada turned to look at Tyrone.

"Perhaps we could reach out and use it to our advantage. Especially with the secondary A.I. that Xervix created."

"The Titan Aether?" Estrada asked.

Tyrone nodded as he turned to look out the window.

"And what of… outside interference?" Estrada asked in confusion. "The Americans, The British, The United Nations?"

Tyrone turned to look at Estrada in confusion.

"Many will come for the girl, most will stand to destroy her..."

"And some will stand to protect her." Tyrone said, finishing Estrada's sentence.

Estrada turned to look at Tyrone as he came to a sudden conclusion. "If this fails, you know what to do."

Tyrone nodded as he turned to look once more out the booth.

Estrada walked up to the microphone that sat in the middle of the control consoles. He reached down and flipped a switch on the table, activating the feed on the microphone.

"Dr Asagami? Are we ready to proceed?"

Asagami down below turned to look up at the booth and nodded in confirmation.

Estrada turned off the microphone and stood up straight.

"What do we do about her, though?" Tyrone asked, pointing at Dr. Asagami.

"When this test is over, I have no use for her." Estrada answered.

"And the sister?" Tyrone asked.

"We will also turn her into a weapon just like this girl here."

Kei walked up to a microphone and clicked it on once more as she finally was prepared for the test.

"Today, I will introduce to you the final member of the team we have called the Mecha Hunters." Asagami spoke through the microphone. "Today we have taken Tasha Rouland, age eighteen. The subject has been augmented to the specifics required for the coming missions and its parameters."

Kei then turned and hit a button on the control panel. The five metal cylinders hissed loudly as the seals that protected their contents broke and revealed them to the world. She turned to look towards the metal cylinders as cold air rushed out of the canisters, while the metal tubes slowly retracted and moved, revealing the contents of the canisters.

"And now we shall commence the augmentation of the subject."

In one container sat a metallic arm with white panels attached to it. The arm was protected by what appeared to be white, diamond shaped panels that sat on the wrist, arm and shoulder. The shoulders looked as if they had shoulder pads connected to the arm. The second container opened, revealing a pair of legs, which were built in the same way: long and thin, covered in white armor panels similar to the arms. The feet were boot-like, with black soles. On the back towards the calves was a pair of diamond-like structures that opened and slowly retracted into the calf.

The third panel opened up, revealing a chest piece, which was also white with sharp, diamond-like panels attached to it. The chest piece itself was a singular piece as opposed to being two separate pieces, as if it was a protruding piece outwards toward the front of the person's body. A pair of vents ran along the side of the suit towards the ribs, underneath the white armor plates was a black suit.

The fourth container opened up to reveal the right arm. As soon as the container opened up, the arm suddenly shifted and rotated; the fingers retracted until they vanished as the palm of the hand opened up. A pair of tongs shot out of the hand, the palm rotated around, revealing a type of a barrel. The bicep of the arm split open, revealing a large blue cylinder that buzzed loudly as it suddenly flashed on. The arm stiffened up as it fully transformed into what appeared to be an arm cannon.

The final cylinder opened up, revealing a visor connected to a pair of white antennae, which wrer placed like a pair of headphones. The visor was blue and translucent; it flashed white for a split second, showing the visor had activated.

"We shall now begin attaching the power suit." Asagami said as she turned and walked over to Tasha's gurney and pulled off the sheet that covered her.

Tasha looked down at herself and felt her heart freeze in horror and shock. She no longer had arms and legs, they had been removed right above the knee and in their place she saw a chrome-like cap that sat over the end of her limbs. Each one had a blue light sitting around the side of the cap which would rotate around the sides of the caps. From underneath the caps, a series of wires ran from the cap and up Tasha's torso, along her waist and finally seemed to taper off and enter into Tasha's skin, disappearing deep inside her body, as if the wires were connecting the caps to Tasha's body in some way. Tasha also noticed a large metal clamp running along her mid-section, as if it was a type of bracket that was keeping her either in place or from moving.

Dr. Asagami walked to a second terminal and typed in a series of commands into the keyboard.
"We shall now begin attaching the power armor."

Tasha suddenly felt a jerking motion from behind her. She watched at the bedding of the gurney she was laying on pulled back and retracted to where she was originally laying, yet she did not move, she was still sitting in the same position. It wasn't until then that she realized what the metal clamp was. It was the bracket to a gantry that was keeping her in place.

Tasha felt the gantry move as it positioned her in between the five different cylinders and the robotic appendages. The small metal holding arm crept along the metal track as it finally came to a stop in the middle of the five cylinders and their contents. Tasha looked around in concern as she felt her body exposed to the cold air around the room; goosebumps swelled on her arm as she felt her heart rate escalate.

A loud noise gained Tasha's attention as she watched one of the cylinders retract. The cylinder gave way to the floor as the chest armor moved towards the young girl and halted in place, the sound of mechanical gears turning and rotating underneath the chest armor grinned and whirled as it moved closer.

"We shall now begin attaching the center chest armor and its power systems." Asagami announced as she typed in a series of commands to the terminal she was working at in preparation for the first piece of armor to be placed on Tasha.

Tasha watched as the armor piece suddenly opened up with a loud, metallic clanging noise. The back of the torso piece opened up as it separated and split in half, opening up to reveal the insides of the robotic torso. There were no bundles of cables running through it, the interior of the suit looked more like it was made to fit like a bikini. However, she could see the back half of the torso piece was composed of a large, backpack-like mechanism composed of wires. The cables were tucked away so that the target inside the armor piece was not hindered by the components, possibly for either functionality or perhaps comfort.

Tasha tried to free herself from the grip of the gantry. She felt a shaking feeling from her legs. She looked down to see that the pair of robotic lower extremities attached to the metal caps on the ends of her own legs. A whirling noise came from the caps where the legs attached; the noise originated from the inside of the legs and grew louder and louder. The noise finally stopped; the sides of the robotic legs suddenly began to glow along a side panel of the appendages.

"The blue lights on the side of the limbs indicate that the components have correctly activated and have connected to the implants in the subject's brain." Dr Asagami said as she turned a dial on the side of the terminal, preparing the next set of prosthetic limbs to be attached to Tasha.

Tasha looked down at her new legs, she could feel their weight pressing into her own flesh. It was a strange sensation; severe numbness was just now beginning to subside and she could actually feel her legs. Yet Tasha knew, just by looking that these were not her actual flesh and blood legs, these were wire, steel and circuits.

A second appendage came into the view on her left. Tasha turned to see an equally designed, metallic arm. The arm was designed the same way as the legs. The panels along the side were white with black, glossy strips. The hand itself looked like it was an actual hand, just covered by some type of glove. Tasha watched as the arm got closer; the robotic arm had a similar mechanism for attaching to her residual arm as the legs. Tasha watched as the metal arm closed in until she felt a sudden jolt as the prosthetic finally connected to the shoulder. Tasha felt a second jerking motion as she turned to see that the other robotic arm connected to her right arm. Now she had both prosthetic arms connected to her body.

Tasha looked on in confusion; panic slowly left her mind. She realized that the robotic limbs did not hurt upon attachment, nor were they cold and lifeless to the touch. In fact, it felt as if her arms and legs returned to her. The feeling of her feet on the cold hard floor, the feeling of her arms were slowly registering on her mind. It was as if her limbs had just been numb and unresponsive and yet here they were, sensations flowing through her mind as if to tell her that yes indeed, she had her original arms and legs.

Suddenly, Tasha felt her weight shift as all her weight finally was put on the floor of the laboratory. Tasha looked down to see the metal arm of the gantry finally pull back, setting her free. Tasha felt all her weight sitting on her new metallic limbs. The young girl had been concerned that perhaps the weight from sitting on the robotic limbs would feel different, or be somewhat painful. Instead, it felt as if she was actually standing on her very own limbs, as if nothing had changed. Yet her mind was screaming that those were not her limbs and something was completely off.

The torso piece finally inched closer to her as it finally made its way into position to connect to the young girl. The armor torso began to light up and activate in a similar way to the limbs and arms. Tasha tried to move, wiggling so that it didn't connect to her, however she couldn't move still as she tried desperately to free herself. Tasha felt the sides of the armor piece grace across her sides and push past her waist, finally pulling around the young woman and embracing her body. Tasha felt the suit conform to her figure; she breathed a little heavier than when the appendages had first started connecting to her. The suit felt a tad warmer than the outside air Tasha had been exposed to previously. A sharp pain raced across her spine as a pair of threads and needles that were connected to the torso piece of the suit dug deep into Tasha's spine, connecting the chest piece to her nervous system.

Tasha watched as a small metal bracket on the bottom of the torso flipped around and clamped around the exposed parts of the connecting rods and sealed with a hiss. A stream of air shot out as the connector parts on the arms followed suit as well. It seemed that they were protecting the connector points of where the armor suit connected to the appendages.

Tasha suddenly felt her backside shift and pinch as the armor began to seal up along her back as well. A large plume of steam flew out of the back from Tasha's new chest armor as she felt the suit gradually warm up to her skin, making it warm and comfy. Tasha looked down at her new torso as the black panel screens on the side glowed bright blue, indicating the suit had entirely connected to the rest of the armor and the power source and systems were running properly.

Asagami then walked over to the final cylinder and picked up the visor. She then walked over to Tasha. Her gaze met the confused and frightened teen's eyes as she stood in front of Tasha. Her eyes were greatly sympathetic as she looked down at Tasha, who looked upon the doctor with concern, fear, and confusion.

"Just leave everything to me." Kei Asagami whispered as she slowly put the visor on Tasha's head.

The visor sat over the teenage girl's ears like a pair of form fitting earphones, with the visor sitting on Tasha's eyes like a pair of glasses. A blue tint came into view of the world as the visor sat directly over the teen's face.

Suddenly, the visor flashed bright white as the screen turned on. On the sides of the visor, Tasha could see different codes and numbers running, indicating that the visor was connecting to the computer systems of the rest of the suit. A small, round circle appeared in the middle of her view, as it spun around like the loading screen of the computer. Underneath the spinning circle, the word Synchronizing appeared; the visor suddenly lost its blue tint and revealed a normal colored world to Tasha, as if she was now only wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Dr Asagami walked back towards her microphone and turned it on. She looked up towards the booth where Tyrone and Estrada observed.

"We now have complete and full augmentation of the armor suit to the subject." Asagami said as she turned and raised up her arm, pointing towards the teen in the center of the room. "May I present to you all the final member of the project we have worked on," she continued as she turned and looked towards the young woman who looked on in confusion, and clicked on one final button on the terminal.

"I give you all… CyberGirl," Asagami said as she smiled warmly towards Tasha.

Tasha, now CyberGirl, felt the suit shift as she felt the freedom of being able to finally move unrestricted. CyberGirl wiggled a little as she felt the armor appendages move and interact, similar to her own limbs. She slowly held her left hand up and looked it over. The robotic hand looked metallic and cold, yet it felt almost as if it was her own hand. Her mind told her that it was her normal flesh and blood limb.

"The problem with the original candidates was what is called Phantom Pain Syndrome." Dr. Asagami said as she walked around CyberGirl. "The recognition that parts of their anatomy was replaced with artificial enhancements was enough to cause them to have a cognitive issue. The answer was placing neural connectors and interlaces at the different regions of the limbs' nerve endings to give the body the idea and the sense that indeed, these are the subject's limbs in order to prevent the body from rejecting the components."

Tasha looked forward towards Dr Asagami in confusion, wondering just what had happened to her and what she had been through. Thoughts ran through CyberGirl's mind as she questioned what should she do. Should she try to fight back... or should she try to escape? She was scarred and wanted one thing only… She wanted to go home.

"Another issue was some candidates refusing to comply with our demands and our orders." Asagami said as she turned to look at CyberGirl. "We have placed neural inhibitors in CyberGirl's body to turn her into a more remote controlled being."

Suddenly, the visor the girl wore flickered as a screen popped up with a video image of Dr. Asagami. Tasha looked at the image as she felt a pair of tiny speakers pushed into her ears, tightly yet comfortably. Tasha reacted with concern until she heard Dr Asagami begin speaking, and finally she explained everything.

"The suit is powered by a pair of lithium crystal cores that can are easily rechargeable in several different ways." Dr. Asagami said as she pulled up a new screen for Estrada and Tyrone to see, revealing the power supply for the young woman's new power suit. "It can be charged via a small solar array on the back of the suit, or by plugging into an outlet and charging like a cellphone or laptop."

Dr. Asagami noticed that CyberGirl was no longer looking around the room but was actually standing perfectly still and not moving an inch. She could see the young girl was slowly turning her head to look at the stasis tank which held her sister and back to the doctor, who looked on in question.

"Good… She's listening." Asagami thought as she looked on towards the robotic warrior who stood before her. She snapped back into reality as she realized she had to get the attention off CyberGirl from Estrada and Tyrone and back towards herself.

"The suit's mobility is enhanced by the hydro flight system that is installed on the calves and shoulder blades," she went on as she turned to look at CyberGirl once more and hit a button on the console.

The back sections of the shoulder blade flipped up and raised up from the armor's body and positioned directly behind the shoulder blades. Three small cylinders sat in a row along the angular shoulder, three on each side. On the legs of the cybernetic appendages, right below the calves, a pair of connector panels flipped open, revealing a pair of larger cylinders, one booster on each leg.

"The flight module takes in water vapor from the outside air and electrolyses it, creating a small current, which also takes the hydrogen absorbed by the suit's ventilation system and mixes it with the excess lithium from the crystals that have burned out or drained off from the power supply, thus creating a flight system that the suit is capable of using and controlling."

Dr. Asagami then walked over to the computer panel and typed in another series of commands and prompts, activating the power suit's main weapon system.

CyberGirl's right arm suddenly shifted as the hand pulled back into the main panel system of the power suit's armor; the armor panels then shifted downwards and connected as a small barrel protruded outwards. CyberGirl raised her arm up in confusion as she watched the arm transform into a weapon. The sudden conversion of the arm was enough to jostle the young girl away from the video that was playing on the visor. CyberGirl lifted her arm up as she looked it over; while it was still a scary sight to behold, it still felt impressive to see the transformation.

"And this is the hydrogen and lithium powered plasma cannon." Kei said as she walked over to the girl who still stayed mostly still. "Using the same power system as the Flight module, the weapon forces the Hydrogen and Lithium to merge and focus towards the target in either a plasma blast or ball of energy." The doctor said as she pointed at the different components of the weapon. "Or into a charged, focused beam of energy that fires faster then a bullet."

A pair of armed guards wheeled in a series of plates on a metal two wheeled carts; the carts rattled and shifted as the guards took the metal targets, marked with red and white bullseye, as they set the targets down to the far end of the tunnel and started placing them in position on the far end of the room.

The guards placed the last bullseye at the end of the tunnel and gave a quick thumbs up to notify Dr. Asagami that the targets were ready.

"And now, a demonstration of the visor's targeting system and weapon system." Asagami said as she turned to look at CyberGirl.

CyberGirl quickly looked at Kei and nodded, even though Kei could not see the girl's eyes through the visor, she knew the girl was aware of what she wanted her to do.

CyberGirl held up her arm cannon as the visor swapped from the video to a targeting system. Through the visor, CyberGirl spotted a small circle quickly appear and snap towards the first target. Tasha felt her right arm, the arm with the cannon on it, suddenly warm up as she felt the power supply connect to the weapon. To Tasha, it felt as if she was holding a small Nerf gun, with a trigger in the cusp of her index finger. CyberGirl realized the system of the weapon was designed to fool her mind and body that instead of having a weapon built into her arm, she was actually holding the weapon with one arm.

"When you're ready, CyberGirl." Asagami said.

CyberGirl placed her left arm on the right arm to instinctively balance the arm cannon. She felt her finger squeeze on the trigger of the arm cannon.

The arm cannon flashed bright blue; a blue orb fired from the barrel with a loud and high pitched pinging and whirring noise. It sounded like a weapon from a sci-fi movie of sorts. The orb smacked into the side of the metal target; the impact of the metal target getting hit by the plasma blast caused the target to fly across the room and towards the back of the hangar with a loud, clanging noise.

CyberGirl quickly noticed the targeting system of the visor lock onto the second nearest target as she fired again. She blasted each target with incredible growing accuracy and speed until all targets had been hit and blasted towards the back of the room. The targeting computer finally shut off as she felt her arm cool off. It was an incredible feeling; the thought of firing such blasts with such power and ferocity got her really excited.

One of the guards ran down to the end of the tunnel and carefully lifted one of the glowing and smoking targets off the ground, revealing to all who watched the demonstration that the metal target had a glowing hot hole in the middle, indicating that the plasma blast melted the metal sign.

CyberGirl felt her arm shift; in a few moments, the barrel turned back to being her right hand.

"Now, for the final demonstration." Dr. Asagami said as she walked over to the table and picked up the small box on the table. She opened the box and pulled out of a small Uzi 9mm sub machine gun. "A demonstration of CyberGirl's shields."

Dr. Asagami took a large stick magazine and loaded it into the gun. She then pulled the charging handle back on the Uzi and pointed towards CyberGirl. The Uzi fired loudly; the bullets flew from the gun and traveled straight towards CyberGirl.

On the shoulder blades of CyberGirl's armor, a small silver rod quickly protruded out and glowed blue right as soon as the Uzi was loaded and pointed at her. Before the bullets could hit the armor, the rod created a blast of arcs of lighting towards the front of the armor suit. The lightning bolts hit the bullets mid-air; the bullets slowed down mid-flight and dropped at CyberGirl's feet.

Tasha paid no attention to the machine gun firing, she was more entranced at the video that was playing on her visor, with instructions from Asagami.

Meanwhile, Asagami emptied the gun's magazine.
"An electric filed is created towards the location of where the enemy fire is coming from. A pair of motion recognition trackers sit on the front, sides and back of the armor suit to recognize the motion of someone either pointing a weapon or an automated weapon being aimed," Kei explained as she walked towards the front and pointed towards what appeared to be a blue, glass-like orb on the chest of the armor piece. "Once the sensors activate, the shield shuts down any bullets fired at the armor… or detonates any weapon that comes close to the armor system."

Asagami walked over in the front of CyberGirl. She watched as CyberGirl turned to look at her and gave a hard nod in approval. Kei smiled and turned to look towards the booth where Estrada and Tyrone stood.
"The CyberGirl module system was designed to your specifications as an anti-Aelita hunter killer weapon to bring your target in. This concludes the demonstration."

Estrada and Tyrone watched Dr. Asagami from the observation booth. Estrada took a puff from his freshly lit cigar as he exhaled a plum of smoke from his mouth.
"What do you think?" Estrada glanced over at Tyrone. "Do you think she had developed a proper system?"

Tyrone chewed his jaw as he looked down at the floor where Asagami and CyberGirl stood.
"I believe we can do better." Tyrone said as he looked at Estrada. "An anti-Aelita battle system to deal with the child on Earth? Might come in handy. But what about when they are on the Lyoko Interface?"

Estrada inhaled his cigar as he listened to Tyrone.

"If we try to secure the child in the real world and not on Lyoko, we will gather attention and other nations and the public will come to rescue her. And when that happens, and it certainly will, then we will have to fight the world while we try to gain access to the System."

Estrada placed his cigar in his mouth and finally turned to look at Tyrone. The orange haired scientist now had his full attention.

"If we capture the child on Lyoko, if we draw her to our secured location, we can use my idea to capture the girl."

"You mean… the Ninjas?" Estrada asked.

Tyrone nodded as he continued to stare at his boss.
"This cyborg is not what Dr. Asagami was ordered to create. I remember that you told her to build a warrior almost identical as to her so called sister." Tyrone said as he turned to look at CyberGirl and pointed at it. "That thing still has free will, it may turn on you… it may betray you."
Tyrone slowly walked in front of Estrada and positioned himself in between Estrada and the glass observation window.
"This Frankenstein monster that has been created by an incompetent and worthless scientist is nothing more but a plea to return her sister. She will fail." Tyrone said as he turned and pointed at CyberGirl. "That thing will fail."

Estrada placed his cigar in the ash tray and smiled.
"She could be useful as a defensive weapon." Estrada said as he turned to look at the pair of women on the floor of the hangar. "And what of Doctor Asagami and her sister?"

Tyrone swallowed as he turned to look at the movement at the bottom of the floor. He slowly turned and looked at Estrada. He didn't say a word and only stared Estrada in the eye.

Estrada nodded as he understood.
"Very well… continue with your plan."

Tyrone nodded as he turned to walk out the door. Before he could reach the exit of the observation booth, Tyrone felt a hand reach out and grab his shoulder, stopping him before he could exit the booth.

"But remember, my dear Dr. Lowell." Estrada said. "Should you fail, I will make you suffer more than any human on the face of the Earth has ever suffered."

Tyrone nodded as he felt Estrada release his grip on his shoulder. Tyrone then slowly walked to the door and stepped out of the observation booth.

Estrada smiled maliciously as he turned to look down at the young doctor and her creation. He prepared to take his leave as he turned to walk out the booth. He walked over to a radio on the wall and spoke into it with a soft, yet determined voice.

"Kill her."

Down on the floor of the demonstration room, Dr. Asagami watched as a pair of armed guards escorted the stasis tank with her sister still floating inside of it towards her. The guards had one hand on the stasis tank and a second hand on their weapons as they approached.

As soon as the guards brought the tank to Dr. Asagami, five more guards ran forwards and joined the other two and created a line in front of her. They pointed their weapons at the woman and flipped the weapons from safe to fully automatic.

"Mister Estrada has deemed your execution." One guard said. "Yet he is gracious enough for you to say your goodbyes to your sister."

"Of course that egotist would." Asagami said as she turned to face Tasha… now known as CyberGirl.

"Give us the control unit for CyberGirl!" one guard yelled.

Asagami ignored the guard as she walked up to CyberGirl and looked the younger woman in her eyes behind the visor. CyberGirl quickly and slightly nodded in confirmation that she had been informed of everything.

"Last chance, Asagami!" The guard yelled. "Give us the access to CyberGirl's Neural Inhibitors!"

Asagami slowly turned to look at the guard with a faint smile as her hands trembled; she slowly walked towards the guard. She reached into her lab coat and pulled a cylinder almost the size of a soda can out of her hand and held it out to the guard.

The guard closest to Kei held his hands out as the young doctor approached him. She placed the small cylinder in the guard's hands and slowly took a few steps back. The guard looked down at the object that Asagami gave him and realized just what exactly it was.

The object was shaped like a soda can, with a small pin and handle on the top. It was a flash grenade. The pin made a loud cling noise as the cap popped off and dropped to the floor. The same flash grenade that Asagami had stolen from the guard earlier when she bumped into them.

"Fools. There is no control unit." Asagami said with a smile.

CyberGirl quickly lunged forward towards the doctor and reached for her. She felt the mechanical arms wrap around the frail body of her former enemy now turned friend. CyberGirl quickly turned her body so that she would protect the doctor from the oncoming flash.

The flash-bang went off. The flash was quick and loud, echoing through the test chamber, causing all who were exposed or in the vicinity of the detonation to suffer from nausea and temporary blindness.

Some of the guards fell to the ground and groaned loudly as they dropped their weapons, while other members of the guard team blindly fired their weapons.

CyberGirl closed her eyes as the bullets flied towards her, however the H.U.D. on her visor indicated that the electron generator activated on her armor's defense systems. She could see the small blue and gray rods emit powerful shocks of electricity that intercepted the bullets and caused them to miss the armor or stop behind her.

CyberGirl looked down as she watched Dr. Asagami struggle and squirm in fear as she heard the guards firing their weapons close behind her. She screamed loudly for fear of being struck by one of the bullets or from fear of one of the bullets hitting the stasis tank which housed her sister.

CyberGirl quickly threw the young doctor to the ground as she turned to face the guards. She knew it was time to act as she watched some of the guards begin to recover. CyberGirl held up her index finger to her visor as she flipped the visor's targeting system on. The targeting computer indicated there were seven guards that stood in front of her. Yet her H.U.D. also detected six more on the far side of the hangar, and five more heading there way.

"It's show time!" CyberGirl said as she pulled her right arm back, the armor plating on the arm shifting and transforming again into the large blaster cannon. The blaster glowed blue, indicating that it was armed and ready.

CyberGirl fired one blast of blue and white energy towards one of the guards. The blast hit the guard in the head, sending the guard flying through the air with a loud thud. His lifeless body laid on the ground.

The robotic warrior then quickly turned to face the guard next to her original target, the armed guard had been aware of what had happened as he quickly tried to reload his weapon. CyberGirl fired a second blue and white orb of energy that struck the guard in the shoulder, causing the guard to flop onto the ground loudly.

As CyberGirl attacked the guards that stood in front of them, Dr. Asagami crawled along the floor towards the side of one of the storage cylinders that housed one of CyberGirl's augmented armor pieces. She looked back just in time to see CyberGirl finish off the last guard in front of her. All seven guards had been defeated, either they were injured or dead.

CyberGirl quickly turned to face Dr. Asagami as she noticed the other six armed guards charging towards them.

"You OK?" CyberGirl asked as she aimed at the other guards and fired at them.

"Did you finish the video that played for you on the visor?" Asagami asked.

"Yeah. I wouldn't be helping you if I hadn't." CyberGirl yelled back as she fired at the guards. "What do we do next?"

Kei quickly ran to the terminal. She typed in a series of codes so she could access the controls to the main doors that lead into the hangar. Finally, after breaking into the hangar's security systems she hit a series of commands as the doors to the test hangar shut with a massive slam and sealed, preventing anyone from entering. Dr. Asagami turned to look at the guards who CyberGirl had engaged. She knew they had to hurry in order to escape.

"Thank god Estrada did bring the Cryo Transport case." Asagami said as she reached around and grabbed the case from the side next to the storage unit and ran over towards the tank. She placed the case next to the ground as she flipped out a small panel on the side of the tank; a bullet whizzed past the doctor's head. She dropped her head in response, worried that she might get hit from a stray bullet.

CyberGirl stopped firing as she turned to look at Asagami.

Gun fire erupted from the front of the women as the six guards from the other side of the room opened fire as well, taking cover behind some of the hangar's golf carts and equipment.

"I need you to keep them off me while I prepare my sister for evacuation." Asagami said as she turned to look at CyberGirl.

CyberGirl nodded as she turned to spot the six guards in front of her.
"I'll get on it."

The guards at the far end of the tunnel opened fire as they tried to eliminate the pair of women. The barrels of their MP5s flashed as the bullets flied from the guns.

CyberGirl watched as the electron generator fired once more as she ran towards the guards. The young woman looked up on her H.U.D; she noticed the electron generator showed that it was about to overheat and drop from the amount of bullets that it had stopped.

"Let's see what this armor does." CyberGirl said as she felt her armor shift behind her, allowing the small flight rockets to activate and increase her speed. Tasha felt her feet lift off the ground as the flight suit picked up speed up towards the guards.

CyberGirl flew across the room and punched one of the guards extremely hard with her left arm, causing the guard to fly backwards and drop his weapon. CyberGirl then rotated her body around while raising her left leg up high into the air and slammed her leg into the side of the nearest guard close to her. CyberGirl then quickly shut off her flight suit as she landed on the ground next to the team of guards. The young girl quickly reached up and grabbed the leg of the guard she had just kicked and grasped it tightly. She turned and swung the guard like a stick, slamming the guard into two more guards who turned to try to engage the assaulting teen. The guards fell backwards as they flew a few feet away. CyberGirl then felt her right arm shift and transform back into the her regular arm; she leapt into the air and grabbed the face of the last two remaining guards with both hands, she then proceeded to quickly lift them into the air and slam the pair of guards into the ground, causing the concrete floor underneath them to shatter and crack.

CyberGirl then quickly stood up and faced the three guards she had hit earlier. All three now stood up and were preparing to attack the cyborg. One guard pulled out his side arm while the others drew knives from their side, holding them above their head as if to stab the girl.

CyberGirl turned to look around and spotted the cart that she had been transported into the hangar with next to her. She dashed forward as she heard gunfire erupt from her left side, she grabbed on to the side of the gurney and lifted the table up with ease. Then, she threw it across the room towards the guards.

"LOOK OUT!" one of the guards yelled as the cart flew towards them. The cart slammed into the guard who held the pistol; it bounced off him and left him on the ground. The other two guards turned in time to see the young robot girl running towards them.

CyberGirl ran towards them with great speed. Her visor was instructing her on the best methods of attack as it pointed out and analyzed the perfect method to dispose of the two guards. CyberGirl dropped to her knees and bent her waist as her head slung backwards. The robot slid across the floor as she felt her hands reach out and grab the thighs of both guards.

As CyberGirl engaged the two guards who had drawn knives out towards her, the guard who she punched earlier was starting to stir. Slowly, the guard sat up. The guard looked up to see CyberGirl fighting the other two guards with such power and ferocity that it was frightening. The guard looked around and spotted his sub machine gun off to the side. The guard tried to crawl towards the gun as he knew that no matter what, he had to get that gun.

CyberGirl lifted the two men up into the air and flipped them in a cartwheel like style, causing both men to drop to the ground and release their knives. CyberGirl quickly turned and punched one of the guards in the base of their spine, sending them flying across the ground like a ball, the sound of bones breaking could be heard loudly.
CyberGirl then felt her left arm get tucked in someone else's arm as she felt the second guard who had just got up and was attempting to stop her on the spot. She turned to see the guard try to punch her straight in the chest, in her armor plated chest. She felt the impact hit her armor, but but not pain; instead, she heard the sound of bones breaking as the guard slammed his fist into the armor, followed by a scream of pain. She took the opportunity to free her left arm and grab the guard by the shirt collar. She then slammed the guard onto the ground face first as she lowered herself to one knee.

CyberGirl turned to see how Dr Asagami was performing. Had she finished draining the tank and free her sister?

"You OK?" Tasha asked.

Dr Asagami was holding the UZI 9mm in her hand as she continued to punch in a series of commands into the control panel. Asagami turned to give a thumbs up but froze instantly.

"LOOK OUT!" Asagami said as she lifted the UZI and aimed it off to the side of CyberGirl.

CyberGirl heard a gun from behind her open fire. The bullets, however, whizzed past her.

Asagami shuddered backwards and lurched her body as she flew her arms into the air. Small spots of blood sprayed from her body as she screamed in pain. The doctor fell to the ground.

CyberGirl turned to face the guard who shot Kei Asagami and charged her arm cannon. She turned to fire the cannon on her arm at the guard, sending her opponent flying to the ground as the blue and white orb slammed into the guard's body with a loud crack. CyberGirl quickly turned and ran towards Asagami. She threw a terminal away as she found the doctor laying on the floor in an ever growing pool of blood.

CyberGirl examined the doctor; bullet holes riddled through her torso, and along her stomach.

"What do I do?" CyberGirl asked. "How do I fix you?"

Kei breathed heavily as she felt immense pain from the wounds.
"There's nothing you can do..." Dr. Asagami said as she lifted her hand up to try to reach out to CyberGirl.

Instinctively, CyberGirl gripped Dr. Asagami's hand and held it.

"But I am not going to leave you," she said as she looked down at the doctor. The visor on CyberGirl's head scanned the bullet wounds. The bio scan all came back with the same results… the wounds were fatal. CyberGirl ignored the analysis; she and wanted to hold Dr. Asagami, she wanted to save her from the dark and cold base she had been trapped in for a few years.

"I'm getting you out of here." CyberGirl said defiantly.

"No." Kei said weakly. The doctor released her hand from CyberGirl and slowly pointed towards the stasis tank. "You need to get HER out of here."

CyberGirl looked at the tank which kept Saki Asagami in her deep sleep. The sister… she was the sole reason that Kei stayed inside the facility and worked for Estrada for so long.

CyberGirl turned to look at Kei as the blue visor on her face retracted into the sides of the antenna like headgear that sat over her ears.
"What do I do?"

"You… Just have to hit...the button." Dr Asagami said with tapered breath. "Then you both need to… get out of here."

CyberGirl turned to look at her in confusion.

"I'm...I'm so sorry that...I did this to you." Kei said mournfully.

CyberGirl looked down at Dr. Asagami as she listened, realizing what she was saying.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry I did this to you." Asagami said as tears rolled down her cheek. "Just please… Live your life… And...and..."

CyberGirl placed her robotic hand next to the side of Asagami's face, in an attempt to comfort the dying woman.

"I will take care of it." CyberGirl said as she slowly stood up.

CyberGirl walked over to the terminal on the side of the tank and looked over the container. She spotted that the metal case that Estrada had given Asagami earlier had been placed inside a small compartment on the back of the tank and was now opened as if it was waiting to receive something. CyberGirl looked down at the terminal and spotted the status bar of the tank.
Initiate Transfer Sequence Y/N

"I want to see." Asagami said weakly.

CyberGirl reached out and hit the Y button on the keyboard. She quickly turned around and walked towards Dr. Asagami. She reached down and wrapped one of the doctor's arms around her shoulder as she turned to bring the doctor towards her sister. The doctor moaned and grunted from pain as she reached out and touched the glass on the stasis tank.

She felt weak and cold, like she could fall asleep any minute. She knew she was bleeding out every second; however, she had to stay alive just for a bit longer, so she could see her sister safely out of the area. It was her last dying wish.

Dr Kei Asagami winced in pain as she placed her blood-covered hand on the cryo tank. She gave all her strength to try to keep herself balanced so that she could see the task carried out, her vision blurred as her body tried to give out on her from the immense pain. Yet her mind and soul were burning with the desire… The desire to see her sister safely taken to safety.

"Sayōnara o nēchan" (Goodbye my sister) Asagami said as tears filled her eyes.

Tasha looked down at Dr. Asagami as she realized that she could also understand what the doctor was saying through a translation program in the visor's system. Sympathy crept over the teenager's mind as she realized… These were the doctor's last words.

"Watashi wa anata ni shita koto o hontōni mōshiwakearimasen" (I'm Sorry for what I did to you.)

The tank shifted and whirled as the transfer sequence began. Inside the tank, the back half opened up and revealed the inside of the case. The case's inside was round, with a small compartment on the side of which held the life support system of the case. From the inside of the tank the oxygen cord that was attached to Saki's body slowly retracted and pulled out of her mouth. Bubbles flowed out of the woman's mouth as a pair of mechanical arms came out from the side of the cryo tank and wrapped around the patient's naked body. The small cord that was attached to the woman's navel detached as well; a small streak of blood flowed from the belly button as the tube retracted back into the cryo tank. The arms of the tank then carefully moved the limbs of Dr. Asagami's sister into the fetal position, a tight yet compact ball. The arms then took the balled up woman and gently placed her inside the case. The young woman was placed carefully and snugly inside the case as the arms retracted; the case closed up and sealed the patient inside the case. The case then retracted backwards as it disappeared behind the mechanical sliding door of the cryo tank.

CyberGirl looked down at the small panel that sat on the side of the tank. The health monitor showed that the patient that was once inside was now safe and snug inside the transport case, her life signs were perfectly stable.

"I think she's good." CyberGirl said as she turned to look at Asagami, who was still hunched over the cryo tube where she had been left originally. Her hand slowly smeared downwards, leaving the blood that had been on her hands as her legs gave out and finally she fell to the ground.

CyberGirl ran over to help catch Asagami as she slowly let the young doctor fall to the ground.

Asagami laid back against the cryo tube and breathed heavily with a loud and raspy sound, as fluid filled her lungs.

"Get the case." Kei said with baited breath.

CyberGirl nodded as she turned and ran to the back of the cryo tube. She reached for a handle and pulled it back, revealing the case sitting inside the slot where Asagami had put it in. CyberGirl reached in and pulled the large box out, to her surprise it was incredibly light and easy to lift. CyberGirl then turned and ran back over towards Dr Asagami.

A loud bang could be heard from the end of the hangar, gathering both women's attention. The sound came from one of the blast doors that Asagami had sealed.

"They...Are trying...to break in." Asagami said weakly.

CyberGirl turned back to look at Kei with concern.
"We gotta get you out of here." CyberGirl said as she reached for Asagami.

A loud grinding noise came from inside the hangar as both women looked to the door. Sparks flew from the small crevice of the door, indicating that the security team was attempting to break in.

"Let's go." CyberGirl said as the blue visor shot out from the sides of the cybernetic ear covers and connected, the visor glowed as it activated.

Asagami slapped CyberGirl's hand away as she looked up at the cyborg, shaking her head slowly. "Leave me… I won't make it."

"I can't… I gotta get you out of here." CyberGirl said as she looked over Dr Asagami's body, still yearning to ignore the visor's diagnosis.

"I want this..." Asagami said as another loud bang come from the far end near the entrance to the hangar.

CyberGirl slowly reached for Dr. Asagami's hand and grasped it.
"I saw the video..." CyberGirl said in a somber voice.

Dr Asagami looked up as the color from her skin slowly started to fade.

"Thank you for saving my life." CyberGirl said as tears formed in her eyes.

"Don't...Waste it." Asagami said as she reached for the Uzi that she had been holding earlier and pulled it up to her side. She then turned to look at the case that sat next to CyberGirl, the case that housed her sister.

"Watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu" (I love you) Asagami said in Japanese once more as she started to convulse. "Watashi wa anata o mite irudeshou" (I will be watching you.)

Asagami then turned and looked CyberGirl in the eye. Even with the bright blue tint on her visor, she could still see deep into the young woman's eyes. Her hand reached out, soaked in blood as she grabbed the armor chest piece and pulled her closer.

"Go to France..." Asagami said firmly. "FIND AELITA!"

CyberGirl nodded as she picked up the small case and held it close to her. She felt the armor on her back shift and convert as the rockets fired up, causing her feet to lift off the ground slowly. She then turned and flew towards the observation booth, her arm shifted and transformed into its cannon mode and fired, blasting a hole through the glass observation booth and into the room, striking the metal tube that lead to the elevator. She accelerated on her rocket pack and flew in the air. The flying cyborg wiggled as she tried to stabilize and eventually flew through the hangar. CyberGirl flew through the observation deck and into the metal shaft of the elevator. Shel looked up as she saw the shaft was long and wide.

"Perfect!" She thought. She hit the boosters on her heels and flew up towards the top of the hangar. CyberGirl held out her arm cannon and fired several rounds towards the ceiling. As the blasts hit the ceiling, pieces of rubble and metal debris fell towards her, the visor showing her the trajectory of the debris so she could avoid them.

As the smoke and rubble cleared, Tasha could see a bright light; it was a sign that she indeed hit a hole in the elevator shaft to reveal the outside world. CyberGirl flew fast as she felt the sunlight hit her skin for the first time in months.

The cold and stale exterior of the hangar gave way to the bright daylight. The sky was gray with overcast. CyberGirl paused as she balanced her engines on rocket pack out and looked around. She was unclear where she was. She saw a vast amount of buildings, some new and recently built while others were decadent and deserted. What caught her attention was what appeared to be a large broken down silo that sat to the far right of her.

The visor flashed as the suit detected high amounts of radiation in the area. The visor then charted a course for CyberGirl to fly to avoid the contaminated pockets of radiation.

CyberGirl's visor flashed as it pinpointed her location. But no sooner had it showed her where she was than the cyborg pointed herself towards the south west and accelerated her jet pack, flying far away. Buildings gave way to tree lines as she flew at great speeds.

She was free.

Asagami pointed the gun at the door weakly as she prepared for the guards to enter. With a loud bang, the metallic door swung open; a group of armed guards finally entered the hangar.

Asagami fired her Uzi at the guards wildly. Only a few shots rang out till she ran out of ammunition, but not before the guards had returned fire.

Dr. Kei Asagami's body fell to the ground, lifeless and cold. Yet even in death she had won, she freed her sister and saved Tasha, who was now CyberGirl.

The guards searched around the room as they cleared it. A series of all clears rang out as a sign that the room was secure.

Tyrone and Estrada both entered the room. Estrada had his hands tucked behind his back as he made a b-line straight for the cryo tank and Asagami's body.

"I told you she was not meant to be trusted." Tyrone said as he held his hands out to his side and looked towards Estrada. "She built all those cyborgs from past patients and then when she perfects one, she uses it to escape!"

Estrada said nothing as he walked over and spotted the limp body of Dr. Asagami on the ground. "Her brain still has value." Estrada said as he motioned a few of the guards to his location. Two of the guards walked over and picked up Asagami's body. "Even the dead have secrets, Doctor Lowell." Estrada said as he turned to watch the guards walk off. "Always remember that." Tyrone turned to look at Estrada in confusion.

"We should scrap the facility." Tyrone said. "If she gets to France, then that brat will know and come for us."

"Good. We still have the other cyborgs that we can use." Estrada said as he examined the now empty Cryo Tube.

"They are brain dead corpses who barely operate." Tyrone said, frustrated at the prospect. "We need to-"

Before Tyrone could finish he felt a tight pressure around his neck. He found himself gasping for air as Estrada reached out and choked him. Estrada then swung Tyrone from his right and threw him into the cryo tank, cracking the glass and causing some of the fluid to leak.

"You need not concern yourself with the cyborg prototypes we are creating, we will finish them." Estrada said as he peered straight at the now panic driven Tyrone. "Use your terminal as you call it to try and stop Aelita while we prepare on my end."

Tyrone gasped as he tried desperately to breathe, yet the immense strength of Estrada not only surprised him but caused him great pain.

"And should you fail me..." Estrada said as he moved closer to Tyrone. "I'll tear your brain from your lifeless skull as well."

Estrada released Tyrone. The scientist dropped to his knees, gasping for air as he coughed.

"I won't fail," Tyrone assured him.

"I hope for your sake you don't, doctor." Estrada said as he glanced down and looked Tyrone in the eye. "After all… I may have you to thank for saving my life, but I also own yours now."

Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

Nonos Greek Restaurant.

"God, I'm so hungry." Laura said as she opened the door to the incredible classy Greek restaurant, leading in the four other agents behind her.

After a few hours of debriefing in the parking garage, she had somewhat gained the trust of the three American and the British agent. It had been a long day of concern and fear… fear that they may have been compromised, fear that the case they were investigating may have been infiltrated by an outside party.

Ever since the Las Vegas incident, the existence of the Lyoko Warriors was mostly met with positive public outlook. Ordinary people around the world celebrated the idea of superheroes existing in reality. It was like comic books and movies coming to real life. However, there was a growing number of public officials who were against the idea of teenagers having such power and such abilities...They believed that such power, technology, and abilities should belong to the government alone and should be controlled and mitigated.

French President Francois Hollande praised the Garage Kids when they first appeared, however several members of the French government, such as the deputy Secretary General of the Elysee, Emmanuel Macron, who was touting the idea of a presidential run, advocated for full control over the Supercomputer. Members of the Russian government, including Vladimir Putin had been vocal in the joint cooperation with the Lyoko Warriors in dealing with the Xervix A.I. However, there were fears and concerns that the Russian government may want to obtain the Supercomputer or replicate it for their own purposes. In the U.S. President Barack Obama celebrated the Lyoko Warriors. However, there were rumors that his Vice President, Joe Biden, was 100% against the gang using a supercomputer and believed the gang should surrender the computer and in a sense, Aelita herself. It was a touchy and concerning situation that left the world teetering.

Laura sat at a single table and motioned the other agents to join her, inviting the stern and professional Secret agents with a wide smile and friendly wave.

"Is this how this investigation works?" Richardson asked as he looked around. "We let children run this show?"

Travis Dalesman turned to look at Richardson. "Well... considering everything we have been through, you get used to it."

Officer Hillsabeck and Special Agent Knight walked over and sat at the table with Laura, glancing around in concern and confusion to where they were seated.

"Should we be sitting here?" George asked.

Laura smiled as she watched Special Agent Dalesman And Captain Richardson walk up and pull out their chairs.

"Do you know why I made a reservation to this restaurant?" Laura asked as she glanced around the table, gathering a few blank stares. "Because when you are being chased by people who want you or the secrets you hold, the last place they will look is someplace flashy and extravagant!"

George gave his friend Travis the somewhat confused look.

"And what do we do next?" Jessica asked.

Laura paused as the waiter came up and gathered the attention of the table.

"I'll take the special." Laura said with a smile as she raised her hand.

"And the rest of you?" the waiter asked as he glanced around the table.

Jessica, Travis and David shook their heads no… George looked up and stared at the waiter.

"I'll take the special as well."

"So that will be two pita sandwiches, a salad and a drink correct?" The waiter asked.

"And two sweet teas." Laura finished as she looked over at George in attempt to confirm the agent's preference in drink.

George turned to look at Laura in confusion and amazement, and nodded in approval.

Before the waiter walked away, Laura caught his attention one more time and motioned him to come closer. The waiter leaned in and turned his ear so he could hear the young lady properly. "The Spartans held the gate, and hold it to this day." Laura whispered.

The waiter stepped back and looked around the table as he took glances at the people around Laura. He then turned his attention back to Laura and responded. "Long live King Leonidas."

He then walked back to the kitchen.

"What was that?" Travis asked in confusion.

"As long as I am here, we eat for free." Laura said with a smile as she placed her palms and arms on the table.

"And if you leave?" George asked.

"We gotta pay, sadly." Laura said with a smile.

Travis leaned forward as he attempted to address Laura as he was confused as to how she knew the waiter and what the words she had said to the waiter actually meant.

Laura looked over at Special Agent Dalesman and noticed the concern on his face and realized he was wanting more of an explanation.
"He's what we call a scouter for the E.D.F." Laura said as she turned her attention back to the group. "He keeps an eye out for individuals who may be either Neos or OT Neos."

"Right. Neos if I recall are people with super powers, correct?" George asked.

"They are people who have the Genetic Neofibidol Mutation Virus." Laura said as she looked at George. "Anyone can gain a type of super power this way."

The waiter returned with two glasses of tea and nodded as he turned to walk away back towards the kitchen.

"Aelita has superpowers but she not inflicted with the Neo Virus." Laura said as she took a sip and turned to look back at Special Agent Dalesman. "She would be classified as an Other Than Neo, or a O.T. Neo."

Travis tilted his head as he stared at the young woman in confusion, He still had many more questions than answers when it came to this Earth Defense Force... or these Neos. Why didn't he ever hear about this? Why wasn't there anything in the intelligence community that confirmed these people's existence?

"OK, so...What do we do next?" Laura asked as she glanced around the table at the members of the task force.

Jessica glanced at Travis as she looked for approval to explain to Laura what they were working on and what their next step is.

Travis sat back in his chair and placed his hand on the table, he turned to look at Jessica and nodded as he gave her the approval to debrief Laura and, in a sense, Captain Richardson.

"Right now our situation is very fragile." Officer Hillsabeck said. "Jeremy, the teen who seems to be the leader, has the hostile A.I. Xervix, contained inside the Super Computer, where it is unable to cause any problems or launch any attacks."

Laura stared at the female officer in confusion. "Attacks?"

"Yeah, I am confused too lads." Richardson confessed as well.

George took a sip of his tea as he turned to address the two confused new arrivals.

"Somehow, Xervix activates a tower on Lyoko and can somehow manipulate the world outside." George responded as he leaned in closer to speak to the group. "Like just the other day we had to deal with a powerful storm and an electric form of one of the Titans, who are, like, Xervix's elite warriors on Lyoko."

Richardson turned to look around the table. "I feel like this is over my head, I am afraid."

"I get it!" Laura said as she turned to look at Richardson to explain. "The tower on Lyoko acts like a node or access point and how Xervix can manipulate the outside… Physical world is possibly through a various assortment of radio waves so that he can manipulate the various molecules in the air, and possibly even use those radio signals to manipulate anything from, say, creating a storm to possibly even controlling the human mind."

Travis turned to look at Laura as he stared and listened. He was aware months ago that Jeremy mentioned that Xana, the A.I. prior to Xervix used similar abilities to control people's minds. "Back in the late 70's and early 80's, the Russians and the U.S. poured massive amounts of research and funds into the ability to control the human mind through drugs, or subliminal messages, or even implanted memories and brain washing."

"MK Ultra?" Travis stated, confirming the process Laura spoke of.

Laura nodded. "There was an earlier program in the Soviet Union in which they proposed that they could control a person through various electrical impulses by creating what they called a Polymorphic program system, which was composed of radio signals. It was controlled remotely by a computer that could basically hack into a human mind, and the human would be controlled by whoever controlled the computer."

"Really?" George asked.

Jessica turned to look at Travis in confusion as she remembered something Jeremy had explained to them weeks ago. She turned back to Laura in amazement.

"Jeremy said Xana could perform a similar technique… he called it a Polymorphic Specter."

Laura turned to look at Jessica in concern and fear. "This computer can do that?"

"Yes," Travis added.

Laura drifted her head to the left as the words processed in her head. She couldn't believe what she just heard.

"The Soviet Union invested millions into research, they could never get the process to work properly." Laura said as she detailed the history of the method.

Travis sat forward and stared at Laura, placing his hands on the table and folding his arms up to his chest.

"This Jeremy..." Laura said as she watched the waiter place her food and Special Agent Knight's food on the table. "He sounds like an incredibly brilliant person."

"He's quite smart." Travis said as he glanced over at George, watching George begin eating his food, looking on in disappointment. "Why?"

George took a bite out of his pita and chewed his food as he looked up towards Special Agent Dalesman. He quickly swallowed his food and responded to Travis.

"Hey, I was hungry." George said in his defense.

Jessica glanced over at George and snickered lightly.

"OK, Odd." Jessica joked.

Laura poked her salad with her fork as she grabbed a piece of lettuce with a small, brown mushroom on it. She plopped it in her mouth and allowed the crisp vegetable to savor in her mouth. She quickly chewed her food as she rejoined the conversation.

"When do I get to meet the Lyoko Warriors?" Laura asked as she continued to eat her salad.

Travis turned to look at George and Jessica, their eyes locked as they could read each other's expressions. Their eyes all showed the same mistrust and concern.

Richardson also saw the look on their faces as he sat back and remained silent. He had already been questioned heavily when he first arrived in the country and did not want to repeat the process all over again, he also knew that he was only on loan from the British government and was only on site to help and assist in the investigation on the Lyoko Super Computer and the Mal-Tech situation and involvement.

Laura looked up and saw the look on the agents' eyes, she could read them perfectly as she placed her fork on the table and sat back in her chair.

"I'm sorry Ms. Gauthier." Travis said as he turned back in concern. "You have answered many questions about the case we're studying and trying to solve, but you have also raised more questions."

Laura glanced over at Special Agent Knight and Officer Hillsabeck as their gaze matched each other's. She then turned to look at Captain Richardson, who remained silent. and glanced around the table, reading the faces of the members of the task force.

"You don't trust me?" Laura asked as she turned to look at Special Agent Dalesman.

Travis didn't say a word as he stared at Laura, his body stayed almost absolutely still as he continued to process how to proceed with the young woman who was questioning him.

"Hey, I get it." Laura said as she broke the silence at the table. "These kids are dealing with something that very few people have dealt with in the past."

Travis squared his head up and looked at Laura as he listened to the young woman speak in an effort to show compliance.

"And you are protective of these kids because they have saved your lives… and the trouble they are going through is unprecendented."

Jessica nodded slowly as she agreed with Laura's analysis. "Imagine..." Laura started as she turned and looked around the table. "Your mother is gone, your father is dead and you are alone in the world; the only thing you have left is your friends and your boyfriend who is breaking the law to forge you an identity."

George looked at Laura in amazement as he realized that Laura was revealing something that only Travis, Jessica and himself were aware of. "How did you know that?"

"And then the very thing you were afraid of, the very thing that cost you everything… returned in a new form." Laura continued.

"Wait wait wait..." George said as he raised his hand up and interrupted the blonde haired girl. "How did you know any of that?"

Laura turned and looked at George as she realized that she had indeed said too much.

Richardson turned to look at Laura as a realization had raced through his mind… It all made sense, why she had arrived and why she had known so much about the situation and the case that the Americans had been investigating.

"You were investigating the case on your end as well?" Richardson deduced.

Laura turned to look at Richardson as she realized that the tall raggedy agent figured out the truth. She said not a word as she lowered her head and nodded.

Travis squinted his eyes as he turned to look at his colleagues. They were just as shocked and confused as he was.

"No one comes here and reveals all the information and even her line of work unless she was invested in the case." Richardson spoke slowly and clear enough for everyone at the table to hear.

"I've been investigating the case for a few years." Laura said. "They are a part of a much larger case that I can't talk about."

Travis turned to look at the young woman as he stared at her. It almost all made sense, why she was here and why she knew so much about the case.

"I'm sorry, Laura." Travis said as he made a decision. "We can't introduce you to the gang yet."

Laura nodded her head in slow reluctant approval as she slowly stood up and pushed her chair in.

"I understand. If you don't mind though I have to use the ladies' room."

Laura turned and walked towards the back of the restaurant, walking slowly and calmly until she disappeared behind a corner.

Travis watched Laura walk towards the bathroom as he turned to face his colleagues who sat at the table with him; the look each of them had was almost the same as his, concern and yet at the same time understanding. The realization that Richardson commented made a lot of sense.

"We were not the only ones investigating this thing, then?" Jessica said as she turned to face George.

George finished his food as he turned to join in on the conversation, his own thoughts were matching up with the others. It was long known that other agencies were also investigating the Schaeffer case. The CIA and FBI were already heading up the American investigation, but also M16, Interpol, and various other agencies across Europe and Asia were also gathering information on the subject.

"We never heard of her so called, E.D.F. before. If they did exist then maybe they had launched their own investigation into the Schaeffer case and Mal-Tech."

"She did have plenty of information she shared about the Lyoko Computer." Travis added.

Richardson cocked his head to the side as he thought of a possible issue. "You know, even though they are in fact carrying out their own investigation, it would depend on what the end game would be. For all we know maybe they wanted to reverse engineer the computer for some type of weapon or research."

Travis looked at the British agent in confusion. "Like they are more into the idea of seizing Aelita and the Super Computer?"

Richardson nodded as he looked around the table. "Look at all the politicians and government agencies that want to know more about this situation."

"The Russian that's supposedly on their way?" Jessica asked.

Richardson nodded in agreement. "I only know what I've been briefed on with the situation but Her Majesty's Government does know that there are different companies, organizations, and governments who want access to the information, the files, the specs of the computer alone."

"And Aelita?" George asked in concern.

Travis glanced down at the table as he realized what would happen to the young girl who could not only access the computer, but also had the ability to use one of the most powerful sources of energy in the world. A crystal orb that came from parts unknown transformed the teenage girl into a godlike entity.

"Dissection." Travis concluded with a sound of remorse in his voice. "Studied by scientists from all over in an attempt to reverse engineer her ability to use the System and have her teach them how to use the Supercomputer."

"Which is what Mal-Tech wants to do." George added.

Jessica placed her right index finger on her philtrum, in the groove directly underneath her nose as she thought about the situation at hand.

"So what does she want?" Jessica asked as she pointed towards the ladies' restroom.

Travis glanced around to ensure that the mysterious Laura wasn't coming back as they were deep in the process of discussing her. A lot of what she had said and shared had in fact added up, there was just one problem. She revealed too much to them. Most of it was almost to good to be true. It was as if Laura had given them a treasure trove of information for the sole purpose of gaining trust. But what kind of trust and how far did it go? Would she actually help with the Lyoko situation or would she turn on them at the first chance she had?

"I say, for now, let's keep her away from the kids and the factory." George suggested. "Until we know for sure we can trust her."

"And what of me?" David asked as he glanced around.

As soon as Travis attempted to answer, the waiter returned and placed a slip of paper on the table in front of George. He then proceeded to stand in front of the group of Special Agents as he waited. George picked up the small piece of paper and looked at it. Confusion gave way in his face as he realized what it was.

It was the bill.

"Wait a minute," George asked as he looked directly at the waiter. "I was told the meal was free."

The waiter looked at George in confusion. "Who told you that?"

By this time the entire table was staring at the waiter as they realized what the waiter had just said. They came here because Laura mentioned she was hungry, she suggested this restaurant and that she was going to cover the bill.

"The young woman who claimed she knew you?" George said as he tried to remind the waiter.

"What girl?" The waiter said smugly. "You four came in by yourselves."

Travis suddenly realized something Laura had said when they had just arrived. Something she had said and now it made sense.

Travis immediately jumped up as the table rattled loudly. He turned and made his way down towards the women's restroom. Travis glanced behind him as he spotted Jessica following as well.

"What's going on?" George asked as he stood up as well.

"What did she say when we got here?" Jessica said.

George thought for a second as he realized the answer. "She said the meal was free as long as..."

Travis walked up to the women's restroom and reached into his jacket pocket he could feel his right hand grip the side of the Glock pistol that was holstered underneath his arm. He then took his fist and banged on the door of the women's restroom.

"Laura!" Travis said loudly as he banged on the door louder and harder. There was no answer.

Travis quickly pulled his Glock out, yet concealed it form the other restaurant patrons. Travis glanced at Jessica, who followed suit with her pistol as well. Travis looked at Jessica and nodded.

Jessica turned and ran her fingers over the door of the ladies restroom, looking for any type of wire or object that could set off a device of some type. Nothing. Jessica then pulled out of her jacket a small electric screwdriver and inserted the head into the side of the door. The device was designed to pull the latch and tumbler back on the locking mechanism so that the door could be opened easily. The device made a quiet humming noise as the door clicked loudly, indicating it was unlocked. Jessica stepped back to the side as she nodded at Travis, signaling the door was clear.

By this time George and David Richardson had joined them, both ready with their own pistols.

Travis then lifted up his right leg and with a mighty kick, the door swung open and hit the side of the wall in the bathroom. Travis watched as Jessica moved in first, followed by George ad David. Pistols drawn, they entered the room and glanced around the room looking for the target. Nothing.

The restroom stalls were all open. A window above one of the toilets was opened and the screen removed, laying on the floor.

Laura was gone.

"Dammit!" Travis said as he holstered his pistol.

George placed his gun in his holster as he walked over to the toilet and stood on the stool to look out the window.

"Not far of a drop really." George said as he turned to look at the others. "She definitely jumped out this way."

Jessica turned to see Travis and David staring at the bathroom mirror, she then turned to see a note was scribbled on the wall with black marker. See you at the factory.

"We gotta go." Travis said as he pulled out his cellphone.

"Who are you calling?" George asked.

"Jeremy." Travis said as he put the phone up to his ear. "She's heading right to them."

Authors Notes: Hello Everyone, I know it has been a long time since writing or posting a chapter and im extremly sorry for the lack of content..it has been a hellacious year.

First of all in feburary of this year, My girlfriend who suffers from epilepsy underwent brain surgery to try and treat her seizures. The process and the recoverey has been slow quite stressful on us, however as of writing this she has had zero seizures from what I can tell. There are some strange episodes she has been having which we are going to see her doctor about and try to understand what exactly is going on. However for the most part she has been doing well and is now prepareing to come off most of her seizure medication.

Second is my health, In july when I originally finished the chapter I threw my back out, after a few weeks and painful visits to the chiropractor, my back is finally stable and im not in seering pain when I stand up or move around...but then shortly after I suffered from a impacted tooth that needed to be surgically removed and was limited to fluids for weeks after its removal...lets just say the rate im going my medical bills will probably match as well.

Third is my finacial situation. Due to the many doctors visits I have had to take up extra hours at work in order to pay for my expenses and some of hers, as well as purchase a new car since my old one...well it blew up...not as in a micheal bay style explosion, just blew the head cylinder gasket which if your a car lover like me is way to expensive and difficult to properly replace, especially on a old piece of crap like I drove. All this and still during this pandemic I have not contracted covid, (Knock on wood) unfortunatly my family did and I exposed myself taking my father to the emergency room and getting him treatment, fortunatly he is alive and I never contracted covid. So at least heres to that.

So once again I am so sorry for the lateness of the chapter and im so sorry for lack of communication, I will try my best to continue the story till we reach the climax and endgame that I feel the show needed and could of gained from what I watched, saw and heard...thank you for your attention to the story and thank you for being adamanet and great readers. Spread the word on the story so we get more to see how even in our darkest moments, we can be stronger after all. - Optimus304-