You know, no matter what I am or what I do for a living, I'm still, you know, the husband and the dad and the protector of the house, and I have to be conscientious about that.

~Richie Sambora

"You don't have to do this you know." I insisted gently, watching Mrs. K finish dabbing the ointment onto my cuts. She rolled her eyes, but switched the ointment for gauze.

"Perhaps not, but I want too. Besides, it's the least I can do." She insisted back smiling. I gave her a strange look, but watched the gauze wrap around my hand. In seconds it was done, and I pulled it close to rub gently. Ripping the hem of my shirt would have been just as easy to do, but the ointment probably would have been better. Less chance of infection until I'm more settled in here.

Ugh. Moving sucks.

"Thanks." I said, turning just in time to see her shut her trunk, and smiled gently at me. Her purple eyes (I mean seriously? Purple?) Glimmered happily at me as she nodded.

"You're welcome. Now, if I may?" She asked. I knew what she meant, and looked back to my bandaged hand. The other ran through my bangs, and down the back of my pony tail. Bringing the long strands in front of me as I gathered my thoughts.

I knew she wanted me to tell her about It. I didn't have another name for the mass, but it was going to be a very hard story to get through.

Groan.

"It started a few years ago. Just after I where I was living got attacked – for a little back ground info, I was born and raised on a special opts military base. I lived there 'till I was ten." I started, l leaned on her car.

"The base got attacked by Iraq terrorists. We weren't prepared for it; we didn't have any warning either. One minute, life is good and the next hell fire is raining down and the world is exploding around me. There was a bomb shelter at the center of the base, and it was drill weak so everyone knew that on the slightest sound of a siren we run for the bunker. No one was really close enough to get there aside from me and my older brother Galen. We were a few feet away from it, running towards it actually when a missile dropped and exploded behind us. I was sent flying into the bunker with the roof caving in on me, and Galen was blown to pieces. Most of his body was scattered around and under rubble when they finally got around to where I was."

"My dad was the Executive officer, code name Jointwind. I could hear him shouted for everyone to get cover, and get out of the line of site from where I was pinned down. He always was overly loud. There was so much confusion and chaos that in the middle of it, my mom –code name Starshadow, and best sniper on base and head of tactics- noticed Galen and I weren't there and went off in a panic. Dad stuck with her and they tried to find us. I… I found them huddled together over Galen's body and head when I was rescued." I stopped, breathing heavily to try and collect my thoughts, and steer away from the memories that were being stirred up.

"When I was found, apparently I was on top of two survivors who had been trapped in some rubble below me. They... They didn't make it. They died on scene. It kind of showed up after I was cleared from the hospital and I moved in with my Grandmother. It started as just a whisper, someone I could talk too and vent out the nightmares that would keep me up for nights on end and leave me crying when I dwelled on them too long. Then Grammy died. It started telling me to do terrible things, and I was only eleven by then."

"My whole family—all the people that had ever loved me were gone and dead. I lost my mind out there in the desert, and it wasn't until I was… fifteen, maybe sixteen that I finally got my head on straight. It stuck around, and I only ever felt anger from It, and It fuelled the anger I already had. It's how I ended up in the institute to begin with. But do to good behavior I got out… You know the rest of it by now…" I finished, reaching a hand to rub over my chest. I had gotten so off track in so many different ways it was ridiculous.

But that entire time, Mrs. K never once interrupted me. She just let me speak and listened to everything I spilt to her.

She didn't even comment, just sat there watching me as I spoke.

It was certainly new. I'm used to people talking and asking questions.

"Good god…" she murmured. I snorted a comment ready to burst from my lips as I looked up at her until I saw the tears. I straightened, a jump in my heart as I tried to go through why she was crying.

It didn't make sense, no one EVER cried when they heard my stories, if I wanted them crying I'd be telling all the gruesome details.

"What? Why are you crying?" I asked cautiously. She hiccupped, and rubbed her tears away with a handkerchief.

"Natasha, I had no idea... God how much do you-"

"Pardon me?" Blinking, I scowled and turned to face the teacher, ready to snap at him for interrupting a private and important conversation until I caught his onyx eyes.

Then everything started screaming at me.

He had onyx eyes, as previously started. But he had obsidian hair to go along with his eyes. He was dressed like every other teacher, suit, tie, and the trench coat for the cool weather. Except he was wearing the coat now.

And even I don't have that much resistance against the heat. I narrowed my eyes, watching him while he shifted uncomfortably under my gaze.

Then I saw his eyes glitch.

Just a faint flicker, like a brief reset before he cleared his throat and smiled kindly to Mrs. K.

"O-oh, Kyle. Sorry, we were having a private discussion. Is there something we can help you with?" Mrs. K asked, smiling and mopping up her tears best she could.

"It's no problem Mrs. K. I was actually hoping to speak with you in private about our second languages class." He said, giving me a side glance then looking back to her.

I didn't believe his ass for a fucking second. I took a step forwards when he went to speak, and blocked his site of Mrs. K. My knees shifted to shoulder width apart, and bent just slightly to give me more movement. I shifted my hands up to my shoulder height, both curling into fists as I glared at him, practically daring him to do something while his eyes widened.

I didn't dare take my eyes from his, just encase he decided to use whatever he was hiding under that coat of his. This is why I hate holograms, you can never tell whether or not the coat or the weapon is real and it's practically asking to die if you make a lung for him and the weapon and coat are real. There were a number of reasons he could be here for.

There are a lot of ways this could go.

Horribly and I get expelled.

Really good but I'm arrested for something that I'll probably end up doing like punching a cop.

And lastly, my personal favorite.

I die because of something stupid.

He wants Azuki!

"Miss please move, this is a teachers only-"

"Yeah I'm not taking that bullshit." I told him, flexing my hands slightly. He made a face, and went to speak while taking a step forwards. My hand lashed out; punching through the hologram and gripping the actual coat he was wear. I ripped, yanking the gun with it as he yelped. Gun in hand, I pulled it apart without looking, watching him stare at me horrified before throwing the pieces under a car.

"Bring it bastard." I snapped, grabbing Azuki from behind me.

"RUN!"

He's right behind you! Run faster! I glared at the racing black blur and pushed faster towards the school, Azuki stumbling behind me and protesting the entire time.

"You could help you stupid thing!" I snapped, glancing at it, and then cursing when it vanished.

What a perfect time for it to vanish.

"Natasha what's going on?!" I glanced back to Azuki, and cursed myself for not letting her in on what my mind was working on. I'm surprised she isn't freaking out too badly though.

I did just punch her colleague and pull apart a weapon in about ten seconds.

"I'm not sure, I've got two possibilities in my head and neither are good things." I told her. I hit the door, and cursed when it wouldn't give under my weight or strength.

"SHIT FUCK! Who the hell thought it was a good idea to lock the damn doors?! Are they computer locked?" I demanded, looking to Azuki. She was paying attention; something else was more interesting than my attempt to get us inside.

Azuki was paler than any ghost I had seen, and the frozen, petrified look in her eyes made my follow her gaze.

I almost dropped dead at her feet at what I saw.

A monster- robot- THING was looming over the far roof of the school. Orange lenses gleamed in an angry way, and the thing was focused straight to me. Its frame was a pale brown and a turquoise like green. Its hide was obviously organic, by the way it moves…

It had to be mechanical too.

"I don't know how you knew I was a hologram, BUT I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR BLOWING MY COVER! FUCK MY CLIENT!" My eyes widened, and I shoved Azuki towards the back of the school.

"Go go GO!" I shouted, chasing after her as it crashed into the doors and the school. I kept a hand on her shoulder, continuing to shove and push her faster as the thing swung around, the cameras below the lenses giving off a red light.

"E! Anytime now!" I called, panic and adrenalin giving me a chance to focus more on getting the teacher to safety. A blur of black blocked my site for a second, and I felt the air brush my hair as the things claws nicked it before it gave a loud, painful screech. I spun, watching it rear back and lash out at itself. Oil and some sort of carbonized liquid spraying everywhere.

"Natasha?!" I swung around, and shoved Azuki harder towards the stream of children and teachers running for the streets in a panic.

"They Have it! Just go!" I snapped shoving her forwards.

"YOU BITCH!" I gave a startled cry as it's claws ripped me from the ground. Azuki screamed, and I shook the daze away and fought.

"RUN! DON'T LET HIM GET TO YOU AZUKI!" I screamed, snarling at the machine as he squeezed painfully and lifted me up to eye level with him. I felt the snap in my ribcage, and the small breaking along my arms and hips.

"I'll kill you first, then I'll deal with her." he snarled. Gathering spit in my mouth, I shot the loogie at the optic, and watched smirking as thing rear back with another screech.

"I was in this shit hole for six months! I kept my cover, kept my head down, taught these bastards, and NOW YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!" He roared. I watched the other claw raise and flex, the blades gleaming as he squeezed hardly, bunching me up as the pain blinded my vision.

I couldn't hold it anymore, the pain was too much for me to handle, and I could breath-

so I did the one thing I could do in this situation.

I screamed.

"NATASHA!" Suddenly I was flying through the air, I could feel the blood that had started gathering in my mouth spit out as I gasped frantically for air while flying. The world was white noise, and I could hear what anyone was saying or what was going on around me aside from the occasional explosion and shout of pain.

Nothing made sense, just made my head hurt worse until I was caught and held. With steady ground under me, I gasped out as the world swam into view. Pain flared up in my chest, sides and my arms. It gave me something to grip onto, and steady the swarm of confusion and everything became clearer.

There was so much shout and so much chaos and explosions and pain and blood and- oh god where was my family where were my parents-!

NATASHA! Natasha focus on me! The mass of black took over my vision, I could feel tears cascading down my cheeks, and the cupping the thing had on my head.

Breath you're having a PTS lasp. You need to breath and clear your head, tell Drillboy to put you down, they won't be able to beat this thing without him. Focus Smallfry, you can do it! I nodded, and forced my eyes shut.

'One inhale, out. Two inhale, out. Three inhale, out.' I gulped the air between counting, and focused again on the pain flaring in my ribs. It finally gave me a stable thing to cling too, and I pressed a hand there. More pain, and finally I got a grasp of reality. I built the pain into anger, then lifted my now open eyes to what was around me.

The school was destroyed, ruins against the battling mechs on the ground. One was yellow, built with construction vehicles and a tiger on it's chest. The second was white, black and red. Some sort of rescue vehicle and a cop car I think. A third was hovering and firing at it with a shot gun, and a fourth was firing at it with-

was that SHURIKEN?!

Nope, i'm not even going to ask.

I watched the entire scene grow smaller until the feeling of hovering left, and I now saw some of the build. Drillboy had sat down on the building, and the shaking feeling in my chest and in my core was starting up.

That was always a good thing.

I focused biomecha. Watching him fight and dodge and move against the constant fire of the other four bots.

"COME ON GUYS! LAND A HIT!" Drillboy whined. The mecha's attention was diverted, and I felt that shaky feeling light a fire as he gave an opening to his right.

"DUCK LEFT RIGHT UPPERCUT!" I screamed, cupping my hands around my mouth to make it travel farther.

"Do what- GAH!" I cursed as he got hit. Some of the face mask coming away with the hit.

"JUST TRUST ME!" I screamed in english this time. I watched the green optics of the rescue vehicle mecha flare brightly, before he dodged left, and threw a right uppercut to it's head. I cheered as the robot went flying back, then flinched down in pain.

"DRILLBOY COME ON WE NEED YOU!" I glanced back at Drillboy, watching his conflicted face as he cupped me up to his soccer ball-

Wait a fucking minute, soccer balls? A quick once over confirmed that he had a soccer ball on his chest.

Nope, not gonna ask about that either.

"But boss said!"

"We can't beat this thing without you! Come on!" He made a sound, but placed me gingerly on the roof. My world spun and blurred again, and breathing was suddenly the hardest thing to do in the world.

"Don't move okay?! I'm gonna be back soon!" And then he was gone.

Everything was hurting so badly I wanted to cry. My throat, my chest, my sides all of it. It was like deja vu all over again.

Everything was moving so fast and so suddenly and places were being blurred out and people were screaming and I felt like I was getting stabbed and oh god there was so much blood-

Blood…

Everything came crashing to a stop, and I shakily pulled my hand up to my mouth. I could feel the warm liquid on my lips, and dripping down my chin and throat. I smeared it, then looked to the blood on my hand. My other one went to my stomach, and I followed it down.

A eerily familiar gash was bleeding heavily, and petrifying scratches and bruises marred my skin in all the places that they had first show up on ten years ago. A spark of panic lurched into my chest, and a sound welled up in my throat, and I could feel terror and adrenaline start mixing with my panic and suddenly breathing didn't seem like a thing anymore.

Smallfry, relax it's not real. Just take a deep breath and breath. I nodded shakily, and pressed my hand to my side. Hissing out in pain when it pushed my broken rib to scratch against my lung. The pain kicked the world back into view, and suddenly I was gasping frantically for breath.

I couldn't breath-!

I hacked harshly after a few panicking moments before crashing onto my hands and knees. One of my hacked triggered a gag reflex, and a large splatter of blood burst forwards from my hand onto the pavement. Coughing, I brought my hand to my mouth and whipped away the blood. Smearing it all over again as breathing finally was the new trend.

"Miss? Are you alright?" I gave a long, loud groan before slowly pushing myself back onto my feet. Kneeling there a minute, I continued to gasp air before nodding to the concerned metallic voice. I gingerly lifted a hand to my side, and felt along the break. A messy snap, but otherwise it would be easy to push back into place then rip up my shirt and bind my chest.

Ugggggh. So much for joining the kickboxing team.

"Miss?" I groaned again, and looked to the purple mecha. His optics were glowing emerald in concern, but I could detect the brief flicker of amusement between my actions and my responses. I whipped away the blood onto my shirt, and offered a painful smile to him.

"Guuugh. Yeah, i'm alright for the most part. My ribs are broken and probably all fractured. My lung got scrapped a little bit, so breathing deeply is a no no. But all around aside from setting the one rib I'm okay. So much for school huh?" I asked, stumbling to my feet. The world spun again, and specks of white and black danced in my vision as a gentle hand curled around me.

"Wooo okay that was fun. Lots of black and white, joy. Nope no moving until I can stand on my own." I groaned. He chuckled softly, and I leaned back into his servo as the world stopped spinning, and finally faded back to colors.

"Sorry about that. Do I need to repeat anything I said for ya? Not everyone knows english after all." I offered to him. He shook his head, and hovered his hand around me as I finally pushed to my own feet. His hand there was good, my balance was still bad, but I could move okay for the most part.

"No, Gunmax is a large help in learning english. Translation will not be needed." He confirmed, before giving me a curious look. I blinked, but followed his arm over to the ledge slowly. Surprisingly enough, the metal was warm under my hand, and seemed to pulse with life bellow my finger tips.

That, I WILL ask about on a later date.

"Ooo the shemale's american? Sweet all the fun conversations with him then." I hummed, grinning weakly when he chuckled again. He moved, and I made a sound at my loss of stabilizer. But the sudden loss of ground actually made me yelp startled this time.

"Jesus shit fuck mary ellen." I wheezed, shaking the white stars in my vision.

Once it was cleared, a gentle faceplate was in my view. His head was styled like a medieval knights should be, fin flares on the side and all. I could pick out the sorrow in his green optics, as well as remorse and something else. He said something in japanese, I couldn't understand it at first, but a quick translation in my head pointed out that this was actually a memory.

"I'm so sorry little one…"