Authors Notes: Here we go. Next one in another hour.

Of Smoke and Steam

Fractured Code

Chapter 7

What a mess

Oh did his processor ache. He wasn't totally sure what happened, but it hurt sooo much. He slowly opened his eyes and closed them again. It looked like he and Cryptor had been thrown into a small cell together. Cryptor looked around at Zareth as he groaned and held his head.

"I'd lay still if I were you. You took a beating to your cranial unit with a crowbar." He said and looked down at his wrist. Their was a chain going from him to Zareths wrist. It was about three feet long and it would seem to be made of Vengestone.

"Crap.." Zareth said leaning back against the wall. "How long was I out?" He jumped up looking around. "Danny!" He looked around.

"Looking for this?" It was the tender voice of the woman with green hair all over again. "She's a lot lighter then I thought. Me thinking you were strong Zareth. Your just...fat."

"Fat! Hillary...resorting to name calling? You must be pretty desperate." Zareth said looking down at the suitcase to make sure it didn't look scuffed up to much.

"Perhaps...or I could just throw this into a ditch and leave it there. But...I want to know who it is." Hillary sat the suitcase down and opened it. "You seem to care a lot for this nindroid."

"She's my sister."

"Oh bullshit Zareth. You and I both know you don't have time for family." She slowly reached out taking hold of a piece of glass from Dannys wink and pulled it off. Small droplets of oil began to drip from that spot.

"You know this is incredibly expensive...who even has this much? Some freak over in the cape here created this mess about 50 years ago...wonder if he's still there." This caught Zareths attention.

"Really?" He asked and leaned on the bars and looked out. "You know your pretty smart." He gave her his prize winning smile.

"Shut up Johnny Rocket." She kicked the suitcase which resulted in it and its occupants to roll over and onto the floor. Danny lay on her side on the now closed case. "Oh look...poor things outside the box. Oh what'll happen now?" Zareth reached through the bars and grabbed Hillary by the face and pulled her to him.

"I am not...playing games Hillary. Unlock...the damned door." Gone was the smile, and the playful nature. This was a side of Zareth Cryptor had never seen. He had always seen him as being a joker, a goofball, someone the kids swarmed around to listen to stories when he went to visit Danny at work. Something told Cryptor that Zareth had more to him then anyone ever knew.

Hillary reached down to unlock the door.

"Hillary darling...why don't you go see if supper is ready hum?" A man walked up to her. Zareth pulled his hand away and looked up at the man.

"Kade…" Zareth growled and looked angrily at him.

"Always putting dolls into suitcases Zareth? Do you go door to door?" The man laughed.

"What did you do to Inky?"

"Oh nothing really...nothing that a little water couldn't cure. You see...its just a coating. Like being dipped in tar or in this case...clay. She'll be fine. But it would seem the ink within her is having a negative effect on her. Poor dear." Kade said and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. Its not like you'll have to worry about it. I have a...job...to do. You see theirs someone who wants you dead. I could also sell your metal skin as an added bonus to me." He smiled and looked around at the men within a room.

"You will go to prison for assaulting an officer of the law." Cryptor said standing up now that the fuzzy feeling in his processor was gone.

"If they find me that is. You see...I don't plan on surviving as it is. So it doesn't really matter to me." The man waited on the other side for the men to pull their prisoners up and into another room.

"If one hair is missing I'm going to…" Zareth felt his face rub into a tin wall. He could taste the metallicness of his blood. He hit hard.

"It would be best if you remain silent Zareth. My students don't like it." Kade chuckled as Zareth was pushed into a seat. "Stay there Zareth...it'll be best if y…" Their was a loud explosion not to far away from them.

"What was that?" Kade yelled.

"No idea...but three of our vans are on fire." The man yelled.

"Well don't just stand there...go put them out."

"With what? I'm out of here. Someones onto us Kade...it'll be best if you scoot too." The guy jumped up and ran. Kade jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Where do you think your going?" Kade looked up to see Zareth standing over him. Kade wasn't a very tall man. Both Zareth and Cryptor looked down at him.

"Now lets be reasonable…"

"The only reasonable I'll leave you with...is your life. But you won't have the ability to sit down for a month." Cryptor said cracking his knuckles.

"But your a police officer...your not supposed to be on their side."

"You...touched my Inky. Bad idea…very bad."

Howls of pain were all that were heard after that.

(0)

Mindroid ran an ice cube over Inkys lips. She couldn't move her mouth so couldn't drink normally. He knew she was dehydrated and her feet and hands were fully clay now. It was beginning to creep up her legs with every passing hour. He wished he could feed her something. All they had there was to hard for her. Specially since she had a major dislike for oatmeal after their venture in the city a year ago. He took a spray bottle and began to spray her body. Last thing she needed was cracks. Mins luck they'd turn into scars and she didn't need that. Min jumped hearing Inky moan in her sleep. She couldn't open her eyes but she was beginning to have nightmares and he couldn't do anything to wake her from them other then to whistle. What could he do to help her? He was only one tiny nindroid. He knew nothing about powers like this.