"To remember is divine,

Though memories are never joyful,

For happiness and sadness are combine,

To make one wonderful."

(APP)

Chapter 9: Nightmares

While unconsciousness over took Cleburne, he began to dream. A vision appeared in his eyes. It was of a teenage Shego smiling at him while she walked up to him in a school hallway. Before she was to him, Shego started to fade away while everything went dark. A moment later, a new dream started. It was of a little girl playing on the floor, who turned her head and looked at him, smiled at him, before she waved at him to come to her.

The little girl asked when Cleburne got to her, "Want to play with me...Nathaniel?"

"Sure, kiddo," Cleburne heard himself say before his dreaming changed again. This time it was the day of his first mission.

"You understand Nathaniel that the prime minister nor his family is to be hurt. There are reports of an assassination attempt is to take place within the week. You're their last hope. Don't fail us or the Russians might look to take Georgia back by force," said an old man looking at Cleburne over the rim of his glasses.

"Understood...General Copper," Cleburne heard himself say without any emotion.

The dream changed again to the day Cleburne met the prime minister and his family.

"So...you're the one they sent. Can't believe they only sent one man," said a middle age man in a business suit while they stood outside a house while snow fell around him.

Cleburne was dressed in an urban fatigue and he was wearing a mask with only holes for his eyes and with the same gun, he brought to the center, cradled in his arms.

A translator came up Cleburne, but Cleburne waved him off and spoke the native tongue himself, "I'm more than just a man Mr. Ptouv. Get everyone inside until this thing blows over."

"Ok. But we're counting on you," Ptouv said while he shook his head and waved Cleburne into the home.

After they went into the three story house, a little girl, that was playing on the floor at the first of the dream, ran by Cleburne, bumping into him.

"Hey kiddo, you always that hyper," Cleburne questioned while he watched her go into the next room.

"Excuse Shelly, she's always that way," Ptouv explained while he went into the living room and motioned Cleburne to follow him.

"So...Mr. Ptouv, do you know whose after you and why," Cleburne inquired while he sat on a couch beside Ptouv.

"Well...all we know is it might be a hired hit man out of Germany and the Russians hired him to shut me up. They will kill my family to make sure I do," Ptouv said with sadness in his voice while he rubbed his forehead with a hand.

"It's the interest of the US to see that you live until everything is settled," Cleburne stated while he watched people moved about the house.

"You act like this is just another job to you," Ptouv said while he snapped his hand from his head.

Cleburne shrugged his shoulders and stated, "It's...my first job and don't let looks fool you. I'm more capable of keeping everyone in this house alive."

"Your first job! Oh great. I paid good money to the US, which should have bought me an entire squad of their finest! But they send one man and it is his first time in the field," Ptouv snapped while showing the anger he felt by beating his hands against the arms of the chair he was sitting in.

"Fine. I prove to you I'm more than capable of protecting you and your family," Cleburne said before his suit activated.

"What in the world," exclaimed Ptouv while he jumped out of the chair.

"Relax...Prime Minister. As I said I'm more than just a man," Cleburne said in his choking voice while he looked up at Ptouv with his red eyes.

Ptouv stared at Cleburne with wonder for a second before he relaxed and said, "Umm…yeah I see that now. I feel better now. Would you like to walk around the place for a bit?"

"Yes...I would," Cleburne said while he got up to walk over the house and turned his suit off.

Cleburne walked around the house for a while before he came into a bedroom. There, sitting on the floor, was the little girl, who was playing with dolls. She turned her head when she noticed Cleburne standing behind her and she asked softly, "What's your name?"

"I...don't know, but I go by Nathaniel," Cleburne said while he looked around the bedroom.

Shelly let out a giggle and asked, "Want to play with me...Nathaniel?"

Cleburne shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sure, kiddo."

After Cleburne's statement, he walked over to Shelly and kneeled down beside her. He played dolls with the little girl for a little while before he stood up and headed to another part of the house. When Cleburne entered a long hall his dream changed.

He was running back up the hall to the same bedroom, in the dead of night with his gun to his shoulder, while there came sounds of the little girl screaming. Cleburne ran right through the door into the bedroom, knocking it into the floor and he turned his gun to the right, only to see a man kneeling with the little girl at his side. The man wore a black suit with red stripes on its side. His hair was short and was the color of gray. His eyes were pale blue, on most white like Cleburne's. The man was speaking softly in German to the little girl, who was just looking at him with a scared look.

When she saw Cleburne standing there, she screamed, "Nathaniel, help me!"

"Hold on, kiddo. Who are you and what you want," Cleburne said while he clicked the safety off on his gun.

"My name isn't important, but it will be someday. So...until then call me...Warwick," the man said while speaking in German.

"Well, Warwick, leave her alone or I rip you limb from limb," Cleburne snapped back in German.

"I like to see you try," Warwick said before a smile appeared on his face.

Cleburne didn't hesitate has he brought his gun around, pointing it at Warwick, and fired a three round burst. To Cleburne's surprise, a suit like his own covered over Warwick when the bullets met him. When the bullets struck against Warwick's suit, they ricochet into the little girl, killing her. After the girl fell to the floor, Cleburne just stood there with a shocked look in his eyes while Warwick got up, laughing at the scene. Cleburne just stared at the little girl, hoping what just happened hadn't and lowered his gun down, dropping it. Cleburne wasn't even watching Warwick, who was walking up to Cleburne.

When Warwick got to Cleburne, he said in a hissing voice, "Well, Nat. Don't think I could have done that any better myself."

Cleburne just turned and looked at him with lifeless eyes. Warwick pulled back one of his fist and struck Cleburne in the chest, causing his suit to activate, but sent him right through the third story window. Cleburne didn't even fight the fall while he watched Warwick, back normal, looking down at him through the broken window. Cleburne fell right into the top of a car parked at the house, crushing the car and he laid there, still looking up at the window while the snow continued to fall.

Cleburne heard all kinds of screams coming from the house, but he had no will to get up and help while choked sobs came from him with the suit still on. While the screams continued in Cleburne's mind, he woke back up in the large room, staring at a rat squealing in his face. Cleburne sat straight up, but he rose too quickly because the second he was sitting up right, pain rocked his body, causing him to fall back down. While he laid there feeling the pain, a feeling of complete shame washed over him while the pain subsided.

Have I failed again? What good can I do now? Is there still time, Cleburne questioned to himself when he looked at his watch, only two minutes had past.

He let out a sad sigh and tried to get up again. After he stood on his only good leg, Cleburne tried to hold his broke arm with his good arm, but his ribs hurt more, so he let his broke arm hang limp at his side and held his chest instead.

While Cleburne stood there in his broken state, he thought, Not again. Too many are counting on me. If not me who then? Shelly counted on me. I failed her. Shego and the kids are counting on me. Can I fail them too? I must try to be of some help even in this shape. Even if I die trying.

After his thought, Cleburne started limping slowly toward the door leading to either his success or failure. When he got to the door, he nearly collapsed, but he fought to stay up. After he managed to get his footing back, Cleburne turned while he went through the door and headed the way Shego and Warwick went.