Authors Notes: Apologies for this taking so long to have a new chapter. I've been emotionally derpy lately. Oh and I hope you like cliffs cause our robo boys probably don't anymore, and neither will you ;)

Please read and review!


Twisted Cogs:

Shadows

Chapter 6

River

The smell of burnt wires, the bright flashes of welding, and the all to common sound of arguing from the engineers to swear they know they're right. Borg sat at the table looking over the blueprints making adjustments whenever he could. Luckily for them Borg didn't hear the arguing, he was most interested in one thing.

"Why doesn't Echo have one?" He asked Lloyd. Lloyd shrugged.

"Zanes idea. Echo doesn't know anything about this. He wants him to stay safe." Lloyd said

"Really?" Dr. Julien said looking rather amazed. "I figured he'd keep him with him."

"For a nindroid who boasts not having emotions he sure does care for his brother." Borg said pushing the next set of blueprints toward an engineer who promptly started to argue with another.

"Are those guys going to be okay with those?" Cole asked rather amazed at the quickness it took for them to start arguing over his mech.

"Oh no no...they're brothers, its how they communicate." Borg said waving his hand at the question as if desmissing it. Lloyd looked up at the others of his team sleeping either on the couch or having fallen off last night. Kai was on one side of his sister having fallen off and Jay was cuddled up against her. He honestly wondered why Nya hadn't fallen off too, but then again Jay does have that death grip hug.

"Mr. Borg are these mechs going to be airtight." Lloyd asked looking at the blueprints again. His blueprints were under his hand. Its weaponry were very unlike what he was looking for, but against his father, compromises must be made.

"Of course Lloyd." Borg smiled wheeling away to look over the last bit of the modifications to the water strider. It was the smallest so it would probably be the first to be finished.

"Alright...this is coming along beautifully." Borg said smiling as the legs were tested. "How about we take it out on the water and test it. Ms. Nya…" Borg wiggled her foot. She looked up at and then put her head back down. She turned to look at Jay who was still nestled cutely against her side.

"Hey meatball...get off me." Jay jumped up landing perfectly on the back of the couch. She sat up and stretched. Kai rubbed his eyes.

"What time is it?" He asked Lloyd watched him yawn.

"Almost 5:30 am." LLoyd said. Kai groaned and climbed up onto the couch and cuddled cutely with Jay who was also trying to go back to sleep. He looked almost amazed for a second, but realized it was to comfy not to just sleep against the fire elemental. Lloyd let out a small chuckle and going back to the water strider. Watching Nya pull her hood down over her face.

"Ready when you are!" She called down. Borg pulled the megaphone up to his mouth. "Theirs a release switch within your water strider. Its large and green." Borg said.

"Green for go...got it." She pushed the button and the roof opened and the clamps released. Nya was able to walk the strider out those doors and look around. "Are you sure about this Mr. Borg...it'll float on water?" She asked.

"If we did this right Ms. Nya...you won't only walk on water, you'll be able to do so much more then just walk."

Nya took a deep breath and steered the strider onto the water. It did what it was designed to do and it walked perfectly on water. Nya giggled and gave a thumbs up to the camera. Nya began to make the strider run on water. Her confidence began to grow and soon the strider wasn't only walking, or running, but jumping around as if it were a dolphin. Nya could swear if she pushed it hard enough it would do some flips too. But she brought it back and parked it in its spot. She smiled looking up at Borg and ran forward hugging the man. He laughed nervously as he patted her back.

"Thank you Mr. Borg I never thought i'd be able to do that in the mech." She giggled and went to tell her brother only to see Jay and Kai sleeping together. Jays arm being drooled on.

"Oh...ew…"


The was hot and muggy. The nats and other bugs swam through the air around the brothers heads.

"Its hot…" Echo grumbled swatting the flys. He was thirsty, and his oil was dangerously low. He was pretty sure his brothers was too. He drank a lot of it. But he didn't complain about it. Then again he never would. Zane hardly ever complained unless it really really needed to be done. Specially his rebellious attitude. When Echo first started to develop the attitude presana he would get really snarky toward his brother. Zane would walk away and find a quiet place to sit for a little while. One night he supposed Zane just couldn't take his brothers attitude anymore and he yelled at him about it. Tears streaming down his face as he stood there breathing hard. His finger still in Echos face when he finally stopped realizing just what he had done, and said. Zane stood up straight and ran into his room locking himself in. He woke up the next day to his brother quietly making breakfast. Their father had went into work early so he was alone with his brother. When Zane noticed Echo had left his room he walked over to him and hugged him. It was the first time Zane ever burned breakfast.

"I am aware of the temperature brother. Come…" He held his hand out to his brother he walked over to him and took his hand. He released some of his ice and surrounded his brother in a cold mist to cool him down. "I know its not a permanent fix brother, but it'll cool you down for the moment. You are burning a little hot. You still aren't 100% fixed." He told his brother who leaned on a tree blowing out steam. Zane scanned his brother and smiled, the patch was holding for now.

"Come on brother I think I hear a spring close by." He told him. Echo nodded and they continued walking again.

"I could use a long drink brother…" Echo said trotting after his brother who was half a head taller then him.

Both the brothers looked on at the river in front of them that Zane had mistook as a spring.

"Thats...thats a...thats a river brother." Echo said looking up at Zane. The look on his face was that of laughter.

"Yes...that it is brother. Scans says however that its clean." Zane said and walked his brother over to the rocks and slid his feet into the cool rapids. Cupping his hands he took a drink and looked up at his younger brother.

"Its cool! Come brother and drink your fill." He said watching his own brother walk over and lean down to drink some water. He smiled and let out a little giggle as he drank the water. He felt his brother pour some water onto his back. He sighed in relief letting his brother do pour more over his back where his radiator was.

"Where do we go fro…" Echo jumped feeling his brother grab his hand just as the rock they were sitting on dislodged from the side of the river bank and plunged them both into the water.