A/N: Yeah, sorry for teh wait guys. Its getting to be the hoilday season, and i got two jobs. joy joy. YAY NEW CHAPTER! Im trying to stay true to my rotating real steel stories, so Challenge is up next! Enjoy!
"Alex?" Max called softly into the woods. He held another plate covered in plastic wrap. He had been calling out for 15 minutes now.
"Whats up little man?" Alex said, appearing to his left. Max jumped, looking towards her position. Atlas was not far behind her.
"My dad's almost here. I want you to meet him." Max said, looking mainly towards the robot. Alex laughed, looking towards Max's house.
"How are we supposed to meet him if you good people are supposed to report us?" she asked, and Max shrugged, looking towards the house as well.
These woods dump you out towards the edge of the town. Can you meet up at the diner down there?" Max asked, and Alex nodded, catching sight of the plate in his hands.
"That for me?" She asked, and Max passed it over, watching with amusement as Alex tore into the steaming food, relishing each bite.
"When you want us to meet up with you and your pop?" she asked, and Max shrugged, pulling out a spiffy phone from his pocket. He punched in a number and started talking into it.
"Dad? How close are you? I asked her to meet at the diner. 2 hours? She will be there." Max said, and he waited, nodding slightly to the things his dad said.
"Yeah, I love you too." He said and he slid his phone in his pocket, looking towards the girl. She handed him back the plate.
"Here all that?" Max asked, and Alexa nodded looking towards Atlas.
"We will be there." She said, and they melted back into the woods.
"So cool." Max said and she turned and walked back into the house, putting the plate into the dishwasher and walking into this room to check his packed bag.
"Hey Dad! You ready to go?" Max asked, running up and hugging his father. Charlie Kenton ran a hand through his hair, hugging his son hard.
"Yes I am. Debra knows?" Charlie asked, and Max nodded. He had told Debra about this impromptu dad vacation earlier today. She said that it was fine, he had no school and they were going on a trip anyways. Max ran to the truck, looking to the glass to see Atom sitting in his recharge booth.
"You sure are eager to get away from here for a while." Charlie said, starting up the truck and pulling away from the curb. Max nodded, looking out the windshield and watching as they made it closer and closer to the diner.
"Wanna eat while we are here?" Charlie asked, and Max nodded, searching the booths for the familiar girl. She wasn't there.
"Two?" the waitress asked, and a breathy voice cut in.
"No, three. Sorry I'm late, guys." Said a feminine voice, and Charlie turned, an eyebrow raised to see a scrawny 16 year old standing just behind max. Max turned and smiled up at her, nodding to his dad.
"This way please." The host asked, and I walked over towards a booth near the back of the diner. I walked slowly, running a hand through my hair and trying to keep it out of my eyes. It kept falling into my face, hiding it from view.
"Your waiter will be along shortly." The host said, and she walked off to help the next couple that walked in. Max sat next to his dad, and I sat across the table from them.
"So. Max said you wanted to talk to me?" Charlie asked, and I nodded.
"I'm Alex, by the way. I got a proposition for you." I said, and I started to look over the menu in my hands, my stomach growling lightly. It had been a long time since breakfast. Charlie glanced over the menu, made sure they had what he wanted, then shut it and set it on the edge of the table. He sighed, looking at me as I fidgeted slightly under his gaze.
"And what would that be?" Charlie asked, Max peeking over his own menu at me, intent on hearing my answer.
"I want to box. Well, my bot does. I fight, pay you for energy consumption, possibly save up enough for my own truck, then leave you be."I said, setting my own menu down. Max ducked behind his menu as he was caught staring at Alex.
"And why do you think that I will take you on?" Charlie asked, leaning over the table. I sighed, running a hand through my hair again. I looked out the window, staring at the cars passing through the street outside. Charlie's truck was parked right by the curb, blocking most of the view of down town.
"I have no good reason to say. No excuses. I just…need some help to get on my feet. Get me away from this town and ill leave. Anything would be helpful." I said, and the waitress came to the table, asking for drink orders and food orders.
Everyone ordered, and the waitress whisked away, taking the menus with her as the company at the table sat in quiet. A country tune played softly from a jukebox near the front of the diner.
"You realize that I could indebt you to me forever, right?" Charlie said, and Max elbowed the larger male, glaring at him. He looked at his son, shrugging his shoulders slightly as Max shook his head.
"And? Anything is better than now. Atlas is losing power faster than I can block it." I said, and Charlie looked back at me, his head cocked slightly to the side.
"What do you mean, faster than you can block it?" he asked, and I sighed again, letting my head fall back against the booth behind me. I reached out with my hand, catching Charlie's own. My hand was cold and slightly clammy to the touch. Charlie jerked slightly in reaction; it was almost 96 degrees outside.
"Max didn't tell you?" I asked, and Charlie shook his head, looking from me to his son. Max shrank slightly in his seat.
"It really isn't something to talk about here." I said, and the waitress arrived carrying three plates of food. Everyone dug in, the table falling quiet.
"Check please." Charlie asked, and they paid for their food and walked out, walking towards the green truck.
"Where's your bot?" Charlie asked, and a large metal form appeared behind me. I smiled, patting his leg, and I looked towards Charlie again. He stood away, standing in front of Max as he started at the large military bot behind me.
"That's no boxing bot." he said, and I nodded, crossing my arms and cocking a hip. Charlie likened it to Bailey when she was in one of her moods.
"Got a problem with it? I can try to find someone else who can help." I asked, and I turned to walk away.
"Wait, that's not what I meant." Charlie said, and I turned back around, my face blank and void of emotion.
"Come on into the truck." Charlie said, and he lowered the platform for Atlas. The bot stepped up, stumbling slightly as his powered drained even more.
[I need to charge soon.] he said ,and Ipatted him again, nodding. They walked further into the truck, seeing Atom sitting on his charge pad.
"The only problem I have is Atom needs somewhere to go while your bot is charging." Charlie said, and I growled slightly, glaring at him through my hair.
"His name is Atlas. ATLAS." She said, and Charlie held his hands up, backing off slightly.
"Ok. Atlas can charge, but where is Atom going to go?" he asked, and Max looked at Atom as I looked around the small inside of the truck.
"Can we jerry rig something to make him stay in the back of the truck?" I asked, pointing at the workbench and the various straps and metal pieces left everywhere.
"I guess." Charlie said, and he went over to Atom, unplugging him and turning him on. I gasped, dropping to my knees as a new presence slammed through my feeble defenses around my mind.
{whereami whereismax whyisthereanewbot whoisthegirl arewefighting howcanimakemyboyproud?} a new light male metallic voice slammed into my mind, wrecking my thoughts and almost severing my tie to Atlas.
I didn't realize I was screaming aloud until someone shook me by my shoulder hard enough to give me whiplash.
"ALEX!" someone yelled, but the voice inside of my head drowned everything out until it sounded like I was underwater.
{whyisthegirlscreaming whyaretheyshakingher whathappenedtoher whyistheotherbotryingtohurtme whereismyboy whereismax whereismax whereismax whereismax} the voice continued. It sounded like a child talking and talking. I realized then that no one else could hear it.
[ALEXANDRIA YOU NEED TO COCENTRATE ON MY VOICE LISTEN TO ME AND WE CAN BOTH BLOCK HIM OUT] said a thin voice underneath the child's voice, and I latched onto it. I didn't want to drown inside my own mind. A feeling of a plug being pulled out and draining of water as the voice slowly faded behind iron thick walls. I blinked, looking away from the new bot that had snared my mind. Atom stared back at me, his blue gaze rivaling Atlas' own. I tore my gaze away, looking dazedly at Charlie who was the same height as me. I squinted, confused; wasn't Charlie almost a foot taller than me?
"Alex? Are you ok now?" Charlie asked, his strong hands on my shoulders. I nodded, feeling drunk; was this was feeling drunk felt like? I was so confused. Atlas bumped into me, reminding me of my solid link to sanity. My walls never wavered while he was around.
"Get….get Atom out of my sight. Please, Charlie. Take him outside. With Max. Max…." I said, and Charlie moved too fast for my still taxed systems to compensate for. Atom clanked past me, almost touching me; I shrank away from his touch like it would kill me.
And until I got control over myself, it probably would.
"What the hell happened there, Alex?" he asked me as I shakily got to my feet, watching as he moved Atlas until he was charging on the seat Atom just left. I sat on a bed I found, letting my weight rest heavily like I just discovered gravity.
"I…am not like you, Charlie. No, I'm not an alien. I am a normal human girl. I was experimented on by the government. They found me on the side of the road. I was dead for 15 minutes. Don't remember a damn thing." I said, and Atlas watched me, motioning me over slightly. I sat on his leg, his arm encircling my waist to steady me. Charlie stayed quiet as I took a breath.
"They put a chip in my brain that connects me to Atlas. I was to be their prototype. The one person who can control a robot. Can you imagine the possibilities?" I said, laughing slightly as the world spun again. I tightened my grip on Atlas as the dizzy spell passed.
"They had me for a while. The days blurred together. We finally escaped. Ended up in your boy's backyard. And you know the rest." I said, and Charlie shook his head, watching Atom and Max interacting outside.
"Why did you freak out when I turned Atom on?" he asked, and I glanced at Atom. He was copying Max's moves down to the very microsecond it took for Max to move.
"Your bot? Atom?" I said, and Atlas tightened his grip on me and I cuddled with his shoulder, ignoring how uncomfortable it was.
"Somehow, I connected with him. As in I was able to understand him in my head. He drowned Atlas out. He is like a child. And he certainly cares for Max." I said, and Charlie ran a hand through his own short hair, looking between Max and myself.
"Well, that's a likely story." He said, and a small voice piped up from outside.
"It's the truth." Max said, and I looked at Atom, shrinking away from his gaze. I could feel him trying to tug his way back in. Atlas wasn't having any of it.
"Well, this will make things most interesting now won't they?" he asked, and he motioned for Max to come in with Atom.