Chapter 8

-Lost, But Now Found

Vex sat on the staircase's first footstep, listening to the clock count down its remainder thirty seconds. For ten minutes she had offered this cutthroat a chance to painlessly face the music, but the longer he hid, the more his chance of mercy was slipping away. Right now, he was at her mercy, no way he was getting out, so why does he entertain any hope he has of escape? She shook her head, patience slipping away by the minute.

"Sealing your own agony…" she whispered before the clock rang again. "Tiring I become with this wait…"

She could smell the salty sweat mixing with tears drip off his skin. Right in the kitchen by the fridge was where he hid, not like it'd take any effort from her part. Oh well, this was his decision.

"Lad," she whispered out, the purple lighting of her black armor pulsating through the darkness. "Choice to pursue certain paths lead to eventual blockades."

As if reality hit that he knew he was not getting away, the young man finally answered out.

"What do you mean? You got my friends arrested!"

"Plans were successful… hundreds would be killed. Punishment inflicted was far from what it was worth."

"Since when do you write the laws of right and wrong?"

"Judgement is moral when impact risks others' lives." Vex got up and picked up the clock, having enough of this cat and mouse game. She rounded the corner and stood before the young man, the purple lights of her armor projecting a spooky glow over his fear-stricken face.

"And… your fate would've been less… if not pursued the attempt of my execution." She lashed out and grabbed his throat, squeezing his thin neck tightly till his face blemished into a suffocated blue. "Should've headed my warning…"

Dragging him into the center of the kitchen, she easily flung his frail body against the table, shattering the wood to splinters. He coughed harshly in a fight to restore his air. Vex crossed her arms, robotic eye studying him through night vision. Not that she needed it.

"This is why… decreeing darkness as your domain is a grave mistake." She brought her right hand forward, long dark claws sliding out in jagged points that gleamed in her cybernetic lights. "No matter how strong, eventually, someone stronger will always best you. Ending your reign… no matter how important."

Reaching behind him, the young man felt the surface of a cold metal brush against his palm. With the knife grasped firmly, he waited till the old simian got within his range as he lunged forward and plunged the knife into her stomach. A twisted grin slithered across his mouth, sweat pouring from his forehead as he began to chuckle.

"Not as smart as you thought, huh?"

Vex looked to the weapon pressed to her gut before grabbing his wrist. Slowly she pulled the blade out in a sickening lurch. She twisted the blade in her hand, eyeballing her victim, as if he'd given her an idea.

"Guts you possess… Makings of a good hunter. Something cannot be allowed."

She smacked him across the face, knocking four teeth out as he crumbled to the ground. Raising the weapon over her head, a sliver of pain stabbed her heart. Organic eye going bloodshot, Vex felt something freeze her arm, like an invisible force jammed her arm up.

Pain, this familiar pain, burned right through numbed ice cloud. A male voice suddenly came to her, but it was not Wisp. Blackness engulfed her sense of awareness.

"You are given an opportunity to change" a broad array of aurora borealis lights encircled her. "Yet here you stand before me, throwing away the forgiveness given to you… just for revenge?"

"But the human male is a prime hunter in progress… Why let such an individual walk free?" Vex argued against the voice she knew all to well. "I am merely preventing harm to come to others."

"But this is not your place to decide his fate."

"You insist I do nothing?"

"I insist you do the right thing… and forgive him."

"He tried to murder me, how is that aligned for a mercy discount?"

"Weren't you once in his place." That phrase was a statement, not a question.

Vex paused, completely thrown off by the point. She looked down to her claws, tightening them till she launched her eyes angrily back to the voice.

"If so horrible I was, why allow me one more chance when I blew my second one?"

"Because I never run out of forgiveness for those I love." The light grew brighter, inching to the distraught simian. "You're hurting, I see your pains. Being amongst hero's is not easy, even with new friends you still isolate yourself. Why do you do this…?"

Vex stared at the lights, completely dumbstruck.

"You forget what I was, no mere hunter, an esteemed murderer. Others may forgive me, but I cannot. How can one sleep under the same roof with others that are miles ahead of where you intend for me to stand?"

The voice grew quiet as Vex began a monotonous rant. Though her face seemed blank, The Being could see the emotions trying to explode. So, he remained quiet and allowed her to vent.

"Hardest I try, yet to no avail. Their smiles show their efforts, to which I cannot… never can I be like them. It does not hurt, it destroys me. Why allow this? I understand not, for I've hit the end of my rope!"

"Forgive yourself…" the voice seemed to warm up her icy heart that constantly left her skin in goosebumps. Her eyes widen as intangible arms filled with amazing and unmatched power gently encase her fragile soul.

"No sin is beyond my forgiveness… I have not helped you because you still ran from me. Never do I wish you to suffer, but to simply learn from life's pain. Please, dear one, look at yourself right now, as deep as you can… and decide what is it you want."

Vex gazed at her feet, refusing to speak or make eye contact.

"I can only be limited by those who keep me at arm's length. Never will I force my will on another. But open the door, let me in without hesitation, and let me see the real you. Decide… now is the time. Once and for all, let it end.

Color jumped back to her vision as everything from awareness to motor controls exploded back to life in her processor. Looking to the young man trembling on the floor, she looked to the knife in her hand. Her stance was still in attack mode, the blade but five inches away from meeting the throat of its mark.

"Just do it!" The young man snapped, no longer showing any signs of a struggle. He accepted his fate. "Stop with this mockery and just finish what I know you came here to do, do it!"

Before she could move the weapon any further, the knife's clean surface pinged, catching her attention. Her reflection glared back at her, showing the killer look in her eyes, the way her snout was pulled back to allow all her teeth to flex forward. The emotionless look in her eye, truly… if there were words clearer then transparency, never had she ever understood her appearance till that very moment.

The knife bounced off the floor with a loud CLANG! The young man looked up to his assaulter, hearing metal begin to rattle in tune with a few soft sniffles. Vex's shadow turned away from him as she drunkenly stumbled to the door. Hands grasping her throat, tears began to fall.

Backing up, she rammed her head into the wall, leaving a huge dent as she took out her inner frustrations. The numb cloud within her couldn't hold this new blazing typhoon of emotions that came exploding into her mind and heart. Digging her nails into her helmet, she done something she hadn't done in nearly a century.

Cry her heart out.

"What have I done?" She yelled at herself, slamming her face against the wall in a desperate attempt to 'wake up'. All that built up finally released itself in one go, so much so, her heart finally crumbled.

The young man was completely shocked, unsure of what he was seeing at the stone-faced simian just out of the blue broken down in the most pitiful mess of emotions he'd ever seen. Looking to the knife, he extended a shaky hand as quiet as possible till the discarded weapon was in his grasp.

Vex couldn't stop the tears, she hid her face beneath the sanctuary of her arms.

'Every place went I hurt someone… and there's nothing I can do to change what was done,' She thought as the tears grew heavier. The pressure going full power. It could be supported no more, the anger she once felt dissipated like steam from a charcoal grill.

The man slowly rose from the floor, blood dripping from where Vex had clocked him. His eyes slowly shifting to her downed form.

'There's no way out of this dark place… things I took from them I had taken from myself.'

He gradually limped over to Vex.

'The assassin, the empty skulled tyrant… never their fault. Revenge only helped my further desensitization…"

The young man stood right over Vex, this time his eyes finding a weak spoke into her mechanical half that exposed her bio-technical heart.

'If any souls my claws had taken can hear me… P-please… forgive me.'

With the knife raised over his head, the man-made no plans of messing up this time. Just as the knife dived right for its target, a broken glass halted him.

"Monkey mind scream!"

A powerful array of pink rings blasted him, knocking the knife and him to the ground. Ears ringing as he covered them up to stop the pain. Antauri, with claws drawn, glared down at the man that had tried to murder his wife. Using his telekinesis to push the man over into a closest and lock the door, he shot his attention at a downed Vex.

"Vexahlia!" the fully robotic monkey dashed to his knees till he his arms were around her and shaking her like a leaf in the wind. "Are you okay? Please, answer me."

She could feel those familiar cold metal hands on her oozy fur. The constant shaking bounced her gears around like a ping pong ball till she finally mustered the strength to look up to his face. Expressions of fear and worry ran rampant over him, like he was hanging onto one string of hope that was about to be cut. His trembling body revealed his manic stage of panic, it almost put Vex in a similar state: never had she seen sterling so panicked.

"What brings you here…?" She asked, face refusing to show the sob fest she had seconds before.

The fear on his face halted to befuddlement, mechanical eyes darting around the destroyed area before anger burst forth.

"What brings me here? What brings me here?" He stood up to appear more dominant to the larger monkey. Mind running a million miles per hour.

"I have asked you to stay with me till my recharge was completed. Not only have you gone back on your word, you disappear and get into the same problems I fear!" He grabbed her shoulders, grip so tight he almost dented her armor, so much anger radiating off him. "I expected more common sense than this!"

Vex said nothing, just stared blankly at him. This fueled his wrath even further.

"Are you even listening to me? Do you not see the hurt I am suffering?"

When she raised a brow line, Antauri dug his fingers into his helmet.

"You think by refraining yourself you are helping me, but you're not. This secrecy is hurting me Vexahlia! I speak but your face remains blank, as if you're not comprehending what I say!"

He jabbed a finger to the man he locked in the closet. "You wander away without informing me, and what I do find? Officers informing me someone got shot, YOU got shot! And when I manage to track you down here, I see you almost get killed again. Why, why are you doing this? You don't treat loved ones this way, Vex. You are so blind you fail to see how much hurt and grief you're putting me through over never knowing what's running around in that head of yours!"

She still didn't respond. He panted, tightening his teeth, like he wanted to reach out and bop her over the head.

"Well? Say something! Show me you care, why you keep me out, why you don't accept me completely. Why—" He ran quietly when a small tear drizzled down her organic eye.

"I… am so... so… so sorry."

Falling quiet, Antauri felt his anger evaporate as the female revealed all the hurt in her eyes. The fact he saw an emotion without hawkeye perception floored him. As if a bulb called an epiphany just clicked on in her brain.

"What happened?" He asked, much gentler than his second before rants.

"I…" she breathed in to take a small breath to calm herself. "Found myself."

As he was about to ask the meaning behind her statement, she lashed out and caught him in a tight hug. This time, she buried her head into his helmet, surprised at how soft and warm his metal skin felt.

"I didn't intend to worry you…"

He leaned into her embrace, these new emotions pouring from her felt like a hatch just opened. An entrance that allowed him an escape from a cold lonely place and into a fire lit bedroom with a soft bed waiting to comfort him. Its blankets being the arms of the one he was so scared for.

"Sorry for yelling at you, I just need you to understand how sick with worry I get when you wander off." He pulled her back to look him in the eye, a silver hand placed upon her non-damaged cheek. "I don't wish to control your life… but to be apart of it. That means including me on stuff, wither for any external or internal things. I want to be there for you, but I can't do that if you don't give me a place to stand… I can't be kept at a distance anymore. It kills me never knowing what you're going through."

She nodded, understanding now what the second in command was trying to explain. Though she did pay attention, communication was something she was very poor at.

"I… felt so lost," she whispered in his ear. "Fear kept me from you… to prevent your arm, but also avoid your judgment."

"What?" Antauri asked, releasing Vex to look her in the eye. "Why would I ever judge you? Have I ever given you reasons to believe I'd do such a thing?"

"Negative… no." She shook her head, feeling a sad smile slowly emerge. "Just felt… you as pure. Innocent in nature. As you've done no wrong… and I…"

"And you felt as if you were unworthy of me…"

She sighed and gave the male a tiny nod, clearly ashamed for thinking such a thing.

"Knew you weren't like that… but… insecurities in me still… prevailed."

"Truth?" Antauri asked as he sat lotus style on the floor, placing his hands over one of her's. "I felt intimidated by you as well. True, I have not… quite had the colorful history you endured, that did blind me to one side of life I never saw clearly. I believed life to be set in stone, as simple as seeing evil and good for what they were at face value. But seeing you just confirmed something, that even in darkness… love can still be found. You challenged my former beliefs and made me even wiser than I thought possible."

She stared at him, utterly shocked to hear this. Unused to this level of conversation, she scratched her head and nervously looked off to the side. Not wanting to ruin this moment but also not wanting it to end. Antauri noticed this and gifted her with a good-natured smile.

"Your stance secured my desire for you till it became near obsession. In which your desires of me were met with fear to the point you didn't want me. But this helped me realize what I had been missing," he leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth.

"I cannot lose you… ever." He admitted while tightening his grip on her hand. "So please, unless circumstances permit, don't ever put me in this position ever again… never gamble your life again. Do you swear to me?"

She nodded to him and placed her hand over his helmet. Looking to the closet, she glanced back at her mate.

"What actions must be taken for him?"

"The police are already on their way, which reminds me." Antauri stood up, dragging his wife along till she was standing by him. "You probably should vanish and allow me to fix everything here."

"Mr. Wise one," she bluntly whispered, though emotionless, he could sense an ounce of humor etching her words. "You covering for an assailant? Does not fit your style."

"True," he artistically wrapped his fingers into her claws. "But sometimes," he breathed a deep sigh into her ear. "Rules are meant to be bent."

"Broken you mean."

"Bent," he sternly corrected.

She rolled her eyes and shrugged, "Glad this has happened." As she moved in for a kiss, a finger halted her, pushing her mouth back. A confused eyebrow raised.

"This, however, will not happen again. No more seeking out the trouble that requires me to break our laws. Understood?"

"…Already I have given my word to you."

"Your recent oath hasn't been reassuring. In time will I allow me to relax in your word again. But, till then, you're under 'house arrest' for this morning's dilemma."

Vex just stared as if the male had lost his marbles.

"You're… 'grounding' me?"

"Yes, and you won't be leaving my sight till I say otherwise."

"I am not a thoughtless youth."

"In age, no. But recent behavior has suggested otherwise," he pulled out a tracker and placed it on her helmet. "You are to return to the robot this instant and don't take any detours, for if you do…" he tapped on the tracer installed in his head. "I will know."

Rolling her eyes, the female nodded to him as she went and vanished into the darkness. Antauri smirked, finally giving himself a moment to breath to handle the officers that were just about to break down the door.

~Three Weeks Later~

The team was having breakfast at the park, all were laughing as Sprx passed around some recently bought burgers. The sun shined in a clear blue sky with a warm breeze blanketing everyone. Trees and grass as green as could be, it was a day they didn't experience very often. Having no immediate threats to blare up the alarms was also a nice touch.

Sprx and Nova sat next to each other, attempting to feed each other their food as some other couples nearby were doing. Though from an outside perspective, they were clumsily just making a mess as Sprx would drop a chunk of food in Nova's lap, resulting in her splashing the drink on him when she proceeded to clean it up.

Chiro and Jinmay were having better luck as they settled for just sharing their drink. Otto and Gibson settled with arguing over their next plans for an invention. Antauri and Vex, on the other hand, sat a little further away from everyone.

"Hungry?" The silver male asked as he offered his veggie burger to her.

The large female smelt the burger and gagged. But his saddened face refuted her efforts to resist as she took the sandwich and gaggingly picked at it. This restoring his smile as he went back to drinking a freshly made vegetarian shake.

"It wouldn't hurt you to start eating healthier."

"Wouldn't damage you to water lawns instead of cooking it."

They stared at each other until they broke out in a series of soft chuckles. He wound his arm around her shoulders till he pulled her mane around him like a stylish scarf.

"Glad you willingly came along today."

"Aren't I always willing."

"No, I can practically hear the complaints you mutter under your breath."

Vex shrugged and forced down another bite of his sandwich.

"Cooperation is all needed…"

"Yes, that's all I ask for." He chuckled and patted her helmet, "Continue this good streak today, and later you may decide on any evening activities."

"Fact I am consuming lawnmower sauce indeed raises my expectations for you." She nibbled another bite till she wiped her face and washed it down with a cool cup of water.

"Yes yes, I know." He chuckled before looking out to his family having a good time with each other. Smiling, he couldn't stop himself from looking at the awkward gestures of Vex's gagging face as she forced another bite of her veggies down. Such a strange sight, yet so amazingly sweet.

He wouldn't ask for anything else. Right here, right now, was where he wanted to be.

THE END

A/N: I hope all you who followed this story enjoyed every chapter, hope it was to everyone's best interest. Feel free to leave me a review, tell me how you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for sticking with me!

Stay tuned for the next srmthfg story!