Terminator: Return of the Fallen

Part VIII

That night, I go to a bar by myself. Humans are always trying drown the sorrows at the bottom of a beer bottle. I was never much of a drinker, but tonight I make an exception. My girlfriend hates me, my friends don't know me yet, and I am beginning to doubt my own humanity. This is as good a time as any to start drinking.

"Are you the guy who sent one of my men back with a hole in his chest?"

"Depends, who the fuck are....Trent?"

"Shit! Charley?"

"Haha! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Weren't you dead?"

"Yeah, I was. What are you doing here?"

"I had to get away man".

"What?"

"I couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't take the shit that was our lives".

"You deserted".

"I chose to live as a fat cat in the past, rather than as a target in the future".

"You deserted. You fucking coward, you just left your comrades like they didn't matter".

"Oh yeah, well what about you? What are you doing here?"

"I have no fucking idea. All that I know is that I would give anything to be back with the guys. We are brothers in arms, Trent. You don't abandon your brother, not for anything".

"Well, I guess that is the difference between you and me Charley".

"Lieutenant Zacks, to you. That is a title that I wear with pride, buddy. Don't ever...uh oh".

"What?"

"The guy in the corner. Does he look familiar to you?"

"What guy...in the...shit a T-800!"

"We have to take it out!"

"Why? Why us? Let the Resistance take care of it".

"We are the Resistance, you blockhead".

"Not anymore. If you want to do something heroic and get yourself killed, you go right ahead".

"I've been killed before. Just help me get these people out of here first".

"How do you propose I do that?"

"I don't know, just do it without hurting anyone that isn't mechanical. I'll take care of the T-800".

"Unless you are hiding a fifty cal in your pants, I don't think you stand a chance against that thing".

"Just get the people out of here, Trent. I'll do the rest".

"Ok. You're funeral".

Trent walks over to thugs under his employment. I can't believe he actually deserted. Right now, I have other concerns. How the hell am I going to kill that thing? Connor actually dumped one into a vat of molten metal, and it still wouldn't die. I don't have a lot of time to think this over, because Trent and his boys start to fire machine guns into the ceiling.

"Out! Everyone get out! Now! You! Put down that fucking phone and get out! Come on! Move it!"

Thank you, Trent. I might not survive this, but at least the civilians will be out of the way. The T-800 get's up to leave, but I catch him by the arm. My God, he is huge!

"Going somewhere?" I think he recognizes me.

"Lieutenant Charles Zacks. Killed in action April 4th, 2018".

"Why do all T-800s have an Austrian accent? Seriously, don't you have any other voice templates?"

Apparently, T-800s do not have a sense of humour. He throws me into a wall. I don't believe it, he is actually stronger than the T-888. Why did they stop making these? He grabs me by the hair and pulls me up, and I respond with an uppercut to the jaw. He punches me in the face, and I kick him in the stomach. The T-800 lands on a jukebox and completely demolishes it.

"You do realize that you will have to pay for that".

T-800s are not as talkative as the T-888. At least, not as talkative as York. The machine picks up a pipe and smacks me around with it. I eventually catch the pipe and push him into a wall. There is a small crater where his head impacted the concrete. I back-hand him in the face, followed quickly by a right hook to the chin.

Then, things start to go badly. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I trip. I trip and he catches me, and then tries to twist my head off. His hold is too strong, I can not break free. This is it, I am going to die. Again! Then, part of the wall explodes and partly blinds the T-800. I have no idea what just happened, but I use the distraction to try and get out of his grip. Then, he pushes me straight into Cameron.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"John Henry asked me to keep an eye on you".

"So you've been following me around all night?"

"You made me drop my gun!"

"Oh shit!"

Everyone scrambles to get it. Just as the T-800 is about to grab the weapon, I grab him from behind and put him in a headlock. Cameron picks up her weapon, but the T-800 throws me over his shoulder and into her again.

"Sorry about that".

She just pushes me off and scrambles to her feet. I do the same thing. That's when I notice the T-800 has the gun. He is aiming for Cameron's head. She is going to die and it is all my fault.

"NO!"

I push her out of the way just as he fires. The round misses her and hits me in the right side of the head. I watch in the barroom mirror as part of my face is blown away. Now, I am mad as hell. As for the T-800, he just stares blankly. Clearly, he thought that a fifty calibre round to the head would have killed me. I charge him screaming, pushing us both into walls as I try to get him to drop the gun.

"You metal motherfucker. Give me that!"

Rational thought has ceased. Now, I am hammering away at him and trying to rip the gun out of his hand. Cameron delivers a swift kick behind his knee, causing him to drop to the floor. I get the gun away from him, and then blow the right side of his head off. The T-800 drops to the floor, the big machine is dead.

"Thank you. You saved my life".

"You saved mine. We are even".

"Yeah. I guess we are".

"Good work, Lieutenant".

"If you hadn't been there, I would have been dead meat. Erm, so to speak".

"I meant evacuating the civilians before engaging the T-800".

"Yeah. I have enough blood on my hands already. Though it at this point, I think that is from my face!"

"Very funny. Seriously, you put the lives of the civilians ahead of your own bloodlust. Catherine would be proud of you".

"That is not why I did it. But, between you and me, I do hope she is".

"Do you love her?"

"With all of my heart. I still do have a heart, right?"

"Yes you do. We need to return to the Safe House immediately".

"What's the hurry?"

"You are missing a third of your face".

"Good point. I have always wanted to wear a Phantom of the Opera mask".

"I don't understand".

"Ok. You definitely need to work on your sense of humour. Lead on, Lady Monotone".

I do my best to keep my face covered until we reach the Safe House. The T-800 is in the trunk, to be stripped of spare parts and then destroyed. Cameron and I are still puzzled by my miraculous survival. A fifty calibre incendiary round to the head should have killed me. I guess I am made of tougher stuff than most Terminators. Hopefully, the damage to my face is reparable. I would go crazy if I were stuck in the house all day. God, can you imagine a Terminator with cabin fever?

When we reach the safe house, Allison is waiting for me. I try to hide my face from her. The poor kid has been through enough already. But, I can't keep my hand in-front of my face forever. She is visibly upset by my...condition.

"Oh my God. What happened?"

"It's nothing. I just got shot in the head by a T-800".

"I hate those things".

"So do I. The metal corpse is in the trunk. Do you think you can help Lieutenant Reese haul it inside?"

"It's too heavy to lift. You should get one of the Terminators to do it".

"No problem, Corporal Young. I'll take care of it. Our metallic comrades need to start working on a new face for me".

"Are you sure you are all right, Sir?"

"Other than missing part of my face, I am in tip top shape. Thanks for your concern, Corporal".

"You are welcome Lieutenant".

Cameron and I drag the dead T-800 into the house. After we finish disposing of the remains, John Henry, Catherine, and Cameron help put my face back together. We have to use flesh from the T-800, but it actually looks good. They even managed to alter the flesh tones so that you would never guess that it came from two different Terminators.

"Well, what's the verdict?"

"It looks good Charley. Thank you".

"What are you thanking me for? You are the one that put me back together".

"For saving everyone in that bar. That took a lot of courage and self restraint".

"Like I told Cameron, I have enough blood on my hands already".

"It's one thing to talk about changing your ways. It's another to actually do it. I'm proud of you Charley".

"Thank you, Catherine. What's with the goofy smile?"

"Allison is asking about you. I think she is quite taken by you, Lieutenant Zacks".

"I hate to disappoint her, but my heart already belongs to someone else".

"Well, good luck with that Lieutenant".

"Are you still pissed at me?"

"You still have a way to go before you become the man that I loved. It's a process, Charley".

"I'll get there, Catherine. I swear to God that I will be that man again".

"Perhaps. Now get some sleep, you have had a long day".

"Amen to that, Catherine. Tell Corporal Young not to worry about me. I'll be fine".

"Roger that, Lieutenant Zacks. Goodnight".

"Goodnight, Catherine Weaver".