32 Productions Presents…

A HIVE Team Story

The HIVE Team In…

"Technology Sucks"

Chapter Three

Basement

Krystal reappeared in the darkness and held up her hand. It lit up, allowing her to see. Night vision was her brother's forte, not her own. She had light for that.

Computer: Please return to the main room, Ms. Krystal. I don't wish to start a confrontation.

Krystal: Sorry, I can't hear you.

Computer: You clearly can.

Krystal: Nope, not a word.

Rather then continue this pointless conversation, various weapons and arms came from the walls, floors, and even the ceiling. Krystal's jaw dropped with a SQUAWK! …because that's a funny sound to make when surprised.

Krystal: Oh c'mon! Why the hell did Gizmo BUILD this stuff? I'd kick the crap out of him if he wasn't so damn adorable and squishy.

Krystal started teleporting around the room, avoiding the grabbing arms. It was hard. There was no light down there, limiting her powers. She was still plenty powerful, but with each use, her supply dwindled. All she had to do was get to the cube thingy. Then she could blow it up and be done with it. She had just about reached it when a black light beam fell from above. Krystal cried out and covered her eyes. She tried to run out of it, but the light followed her. Finally she was hit by one of the guns. The blast stunned her and she fell. The arms lowered down and captured her, pulling her through a series of vents and tunnels until…

Main Room

Krystal was gently placed on the couch by the robotic arms. With a shout of rage, Blackfire hurled a bolt at the arms as they went back up, destroying them. Gizmo sighed.

Gizmo: That's not going to help.

Blackfire: I don't give a damn! Your stupid program hurt her!

Computer: I did no such thing. She is perfectly unharmed.

It was true, there wasn't a mark on Krystal's body. Jinx sighed. There had to be a way…there HAD to be. The floor!

Jinx: Blackfire, Mammoth…tear the floor off.

Computer: No, don't!

The computer's plea was enough to spur them on. Whatever Jinx had planned, if the computer was afraid of it, it must be good. Their fingers digging into the floor, they ripped up the plating.

Computer: I warn you again…don't go into the basement. Logic suggests that in order to protect you from permanent harm, I will have to cause temporary harm.

Blackfire paused.

Blackfire: …I can't go down there.

Sonic: You wanna watch Krystal?

Blackfire: Yeah. You guys go ahead. Good luck.

The HIVE dove down into the hole.

Computer: They will never make it to the basement. I won't allow it.

Training Room

On the way to the basement (crawling through the piping systems) Mammoth got stuck. They would have to get him out later. As fate would have it, the crawl space (what little there was) led through the training room. Unfortunately, the training's floor is designed to move. All of the sudden, the HIVE found themselves actually in the room.

Computer: I warned you. I won't hesitate to harm you if it will protect you from future and more severe harm.

The programs started up and the exit sealed shut. All manner of weaponry started up. The HIVE scattered as they were attacked.

Sonic: This is crazy! How are we going to get out of here? That stupid computer will make us fight until we drop from exhaustion!

Jinx: Gizmo, THINK! How else can we shut this computer down?!

Gizmo thought hard as he used his flight pack to maneuver around the various obstacles that came into his path. The computer would have disengaged all but the primary shut down. Only from the basement could the primary shut down be activated. There had to be something… Red X flipped away from the stun blasts.

Red X: Gizmo, what about a system crash?

Gizmo: How would we cause one?

Red X: Like this!

Pulling out an X-blade, Red X stabbed herself in the palm. Everything immediately froze. It was so quiet, they could hear the blood drip to the floor.

Sonic: Red, have you…!?

Red X: Shh. Computer, did you see that? I hurt myself.

Computer: I…

Red X: I hurt myself and you didn't stop me.

Pulling the blade out, she rolled her sleeve back and ran it along her arm.

Red X: I did it again. How can you prevent me from hurting myself, computer? Strap me down? I could hurt myself straining and eventually I'll get bed sores. Drug me? Still the bed sores. Any place you put me, I can hurt myself. How do you protect me from me?

The computer was silent for a moment.

Computer: My…my job is to…prevent harm.

Jinx: Yet Red X has been harmed.

Computer: Your job is to be harmed.

Gizmo: And only one job can be accomplished. Red X has harmed herself, so…?

The computer shut down. It was faced with a paradox it couldn't deal with. It was impossible to protect someone who didn't wish to be protected, but protecting them was the meaning of its existence. With no purpose, no meaning, it couldn't exist. Logically, it had to shut down. Lock down was undone. Jinx sighed.

Jinx: Good work, Red.

Red X: I must be watching too much Sci-fi. If you'll excuse me, I need to get to the med-lab.

Red X left to bandage her hand.

Jinx: Gizmo…dismantle that thing.

Gizmo: Damn right.

Gizmo left. This left Jinx and Sonic alone in the room. Jinx glanced at Sonic out of the corner of her eye. Sonic opened his mouth.

Sonic: Jinx, I…

Jinx: We need to get Mammoth out of the piping before he has to pee or something.

Jinx quickly departed, leaving Sonic standing there with his mouth open. He sighed and shook his head. Now he was really confused. Didn't she at least want to talk about it?

Sonic: …damn, and I was hoping to do it again tonight too.

Sighing, he trudged out of the room, kicking bits of robots junk along with him.

Roof: That Night

Jinx sighed as she stared up at the stars…or at least where they would be if it wasn't so damn cloudy. So far she had managed to avoid talking to Sonic about the night before, but she was only running from the inevitable. It was for that reason that she tensed up when the door opened behind her. If Jinx jumped…could she teleport herself back inside?

Gizmo: Okay, it's all dismantled. Problem solved.

Jinx sighed with relief. It wasn't Sonic.

Jinx: Good.

Silence reigned for a moment. For a time, Jinx thought he had left.

Gizmo: What are you doing anyway?

Jinx: Laying on the roof and staring at the sky.

Gizmo: …I'd expect that answer from Krystal.

Jinx: I'm sure it's an answer she'd love to give.

Gizmo: Seriously, what are you doing? Look at those clouds, it could rain any second.

Jinx sighed.

Jinx: I'm avoiding Sonic.

Gizmo: Wow, he was bad, wasn't he?

Jinx growled and tilted her head back so she could look at him. The fact she was staring at him upside down made the glare lose its impact.

Jinx: What do I have to do to make you get it?! We didn't do anything but sleep!

Gizmo: I'm just kidding! Damn.

More silence.

Jinx: …hey, Gizmo…

Oh great. Gizmo knew what was coming. What was it this time? A gun mounted on the roof? Maybe a new cappuccino machine?

Jinx: …I just want…to apologize.

Gizmo: Huh?

Jinx: I hear you muttering when you walk away, and maybe you're right. Maybe I am getting too wound up. I'm pushing you pretty hard, more so then I do some of the others. I don't mean to be a bitch to you.

Gizmo: …okay, so he wasn't bad after all.

Jinx: …ugh. No, no. He rocked my world. There, I can take a joke. But seriously…I don't want you to think I don't like you. You're as cuddlely as a porcupine in your mannerisms, but you're still my friend.

Gizmo was taken aback. Then again, it wasn't THAT surprising. With Jinx's behavior recently, he wouldn't be surprised if she sprouted a second head that only sang opera. …though he would get a camera and record it if that happened.

Gizmo: …it's okay. I know you don't mean it.

Jinx: …how's things with Pam?

Gizmo: Uh…alright, I guess.

Awkward silence. Man, Jinx didn't realize how rare it was that she talked to Gizmo about something other then working. Finally, however, something happened that took the awkwardness away.

Wonder Girl: There you are! I escaped from jail again! Now…GIVE ME BACK MY LASSO!

Jinx: Oh for crying out…why didn't the alarm go off?!

Gizmo: I dismantled it!

Jinx: I didn't want it ALL dismantled, you boob!

Wonder Girl sweatdropped as the pair continued arguing.

Wonder Girl: …I'll…just come back later.

Confused and rather hurt that she would be ignored, Wonder Girl floated away.

THE END

Author's Note

Wow, I never thought I'd finish this story. Nobody seemed to like it, so I never posted the ending. Thankfully SOMEBODY reviewed. Thanks, MrSarcastic. …but you realize with a name like that, it's hard to tell if you're complimenting or insulting someone, right?