A/N: I know, I know it's been a LONG time since an update, but I have a good reason!

...

Well I actually don't, I've just been a lazy bastard... sorry for not updating. Since I'm so lazy I'm just going to update to where CK left off (currently at Chapter 24) and I'm not going to be responding anymore because I'm an asshole... and because I'm lazy as hell. (Remember I'm just posting for CK, so yeah... it's my bad not his.)

ETA: And I just realized FF doesn't let me use the double dash as a divider anymore. -_- Or at least I can't at the moment...

Reign of the Cameron: Chapter 21, by The Crusader

Originally posted on January 4th, 2010

The remaining survivors fled to the emergency shelter, one that they built for this very occasion. They had built it underground many miles away from their base, but had built it for many more people. The soldiers all sat against one of the three walls. The fourth kept emergency weapons on one side, and a large communication desk on the other. The soldiers all grieved for the loss of their comrades, and could not shake the horrible images of those who ended their own lives. Looking at the despair in their faces, Kyle wondered if the soldiers here were contemplating suicide themselves. Particularly in the case of his brother, who hadn't even closed his eyes once, he just stared at the floor. Kyle got up from his spot and walked over to his brother, then sat down. For awhile they said nothing, then surprisingly, Derek was the first to speak up.

"You hear to tell me, not to blame myself? That there was nothing we could've done."

"It doesn't matter what we could've done or what we did. Only what we do now."

"And what the Hell do we do now?"

"You're the General. You tell me."

"It's just a title."

"Use it. It's what they need right now."

"What we need is a miracle."

"We've got other soldiers out there. The smaller bases may have survived"

"Not enough to beat the coming army. Those things will find us, they always do."

"So we're going to sit here and wait? In the mean time, no one else knows what happened to Allison."

"And no one will ever find out."

"She's like a sister to me."

"To both of us."

"Well just because you can sit here and-"

"YOU THINK IT'S EASY FOR ME?"

The sudden change in Derek's voice made everyone look up. Derek realized this and calmed down. Finally he spoke again.

"You know their patterns. They're gonna try to lure us out, tell us they've taken captives when they've really killed them."

"They don't know Allison."

"That's not the point. They want us to come out of hiding."

"You just said that if we stay here, they'll find us."

"Doesn't mean I'm about to expedite things for them. Everyone, listen to me. These are my orders. No one leaves this place."

"What if it you were out there. Machines stronger than ever, hunting after every human in sight. You'd want me to come for you."

"I'd want you to be safe. And it doesn't matter, cause she's not out there."

"She's alive. She has to be. To Hell with your orders, I'm going after her."
Kyle turned around and left. Derek stood and angrily called his insubordinate brother back, but it was no use. And Derek soon knew that. What authority did he have left? Could he lock up his brother in the brig when there was no brig to lock him up in? And how did he even know if it was the right decision? Ever since this happened, Derek began to reflect on his role as General. He began to wonder if he were truly qualified for this. What did he do to earn this rank? He wasn't ever in the real military, unlike the late Colonel Martin Bedell. He was chosen, elected General. Elected because of several successful missions, but there were several others like his brother who had done the same. He began to wonder if the people who elected him made the right choice.

The machines worked hard in transforming the Resistance Base into Skynet's ultimate stronghold. Like the Qurac building, it would be controlled by a powerful computer program, which would activate many traps throughout the complex. The machines knew that sooner or later, someone or something would try to invade their base. They were counting on it. The Endo-Cameron oversaw the entire construction, hurrying the other endos along. They were behind schedule, as Skynet expected this complex to be completed a long time ago. But Skynet understood how long it would take to find the human's base. Still, it would not be long before this complex had visitors, especially not after what Endo-Cameron planned to do. She took hold of the communicator that she used to contact the boy named John Connor.

"John." She said. Using the voice of the cyborg that John fell in love with.

"Cameron?" His voice answered back.

"Where are you?"

"We should be back at the base within 24 hours. Why?"

"The base was attacked."

"WHAT?"

"Yes, by a force of machines, led by an impostor. Someone with my old face, except the eyes. The eyes were white."

There was silence for a moment.

"Where is she now?"

"We defeated her army, but she's still out there somewhere. Without any skin, so if any Terminator comes after you, run away. Do not engage, she is too dangerous. Run."

"Where is the General and his brother?"

"I don't know. I wish I did."

"Cameron, I have to find them."

"I will make sure that they are found. I have a team on it already. John you must come here, and do it quickly."

"Here? Where's here?"

"The base."

"But you said the base was attacked."

"Yes, but we fought and overtook it. We are trying to bring survivors back here. Then we can plan for an effective counterstrike."

"Cameron, if Skynet's forces failed they are going to double their efforts. Shouldn't we stay away from there?"

"Skynet will not send any more forces here. Remember how well I know Skynet. Trust me."

Silence again. At which point the Endo-Cameron spoke again.

"You trust me, don't you John?"

"I always have."

"Then come to me. And hurry please, I miss you. I love you, John."

And with those words, words she knew that John wanted to hear, she ended the communication. It would all be a matter of time now.

"I miss you. I love you, John." Her voice said. Then the communication ended.

John was puzzled by what he just heard, and had kept the volume low enough so only he could hear it this time. If he was going to be in charge, the people had to hear orders from him, not from Cameron. Now he had to explain it to the other 6 soldiers with him. They all had anticipation on their faces as they all sat at the bottom of a hill. They had taken rest when John heard Cameron page him. Now John had to relay the information. But how was he about to tell them this sad news, especially after all they went through.

"Things are much worse than we thought." John said.

"Just tell us and get it over with." Max said.

John dropped the bombshell on them. They seemed completely numb after what they went through and were actually more curious about the nature of the attack, not what it had done.

"So there's another terminator out there, one who claims to be your Cameron? And she's the one who attacked the base?"

"She did more than that. She killed Allison."

They all looked to each other in disbelief. John saw anger on their faces, for the first time even Lewis seemed angry.

"When were you gonna tell us that?"

"I saw her die. She was killed right in front of me. I couldn't bring myself to think about it again."

"You saw her die. And what did you do?"

"I shot her. But I couldn't kill her. She escaped before I had the chance."

Suddenly they were moved with pity, realizing what John went through. It almost made him sick, knowing that he didn't deserve it. He didn't mention that the only reason he couldn't kill her was that he didn't think she was the enemy. She bore the face of the woman, the machine that he loved. He regretted that decision when he first made it, let alone now. Still nothing made him feel worse, than keeping the secret about who Cameron was. John knew little about it, but in another future, HIS Cameron killed Allison. If they had known that, and could even comprehend that, they could never forgive him. And could he blame them? John had done so much that he couldn't forgive.

After some time, John finally suggested that they kept moving. As they did, John pondered many questions. The Vengeful Cameron was everything John hated about HIS Cameron, only multiplied. Still they both acted on what they thought, or wanted to think was the best for him. But how could she think that the destruction of the Resistance was beneficial to him? And where did she get an army? And how did she learn of the base's location? At least that last one had an answer to it. She must've listened in when he last spoke to the Endo-Cameron. She must have hacked into the communication and learned the location of the base. The army was the same one who attacked his camp. After all, it showed up just after she left.

But why attack him now? She had many of opportunities to kill him. Unless it wasn't him that she was after, it was the Resistance. It seemed to make sense. But something still didn't sit right with him...

NEXT CHAPTER -

"It is time that you learned the truth."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this installment and I hope you enjoy the next ones! :D