{ Chapter 6 - So I'm going to give it to you }

Sulphur paced restlessly around her hotel room before standing at her window and looking out towards the City. The City that never sleeps. That was New York for you.

She and KARR had been here for just over a week now with no lead on this Curtis Pridmore and Sulphur was getting bored and KARR was getting dangerously bored. Two people had gone missing in the city of New York and twice, KARR had come back to the hanger with blood on his front so Sulphur knew exactly where those people had gone. She was near panicking, since she knew that if Thowra didn't contact them soon, KARR would go on a killing spree and he only had so many disguises. She pursed her lips, shutting the windows and drawing the curtains, she threw herself onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling for a while.

Indeed, Thowra had done wonders with the hotel rooms, having them at the height of style and contemporary design. Her bed was a double king size with its sheets were half white and half black and adorned with cushions. Her room was large, spacious and various creams in colour with plentiful lighting. Sulphur smiled to herself as she slid under the warm covers and turned off the lights. Laying in the darkness for a while, she let herself unwind before turning over and drifting off to sleep.

What she didn't expect to happen was to be woken up at near midnight by KARR hacking the sound system. She turned over to her stereo, blinking in a confused manner and switched on one of the overhead lights with a groan of irritation.

"KARR! It's midnight! What the hell do you want? I know you don't sleep but I happen to do just that!" she complained at him, her voice thick with sleep. KARR voice when it came back was neither cheerful or comforting. In fact it had a dead-pan tone to it, laced with ice.

"Michael and KITT have just been seen on a few CCTV cameras. I thought you would like to know."

Sulphur yawned loudly and switched off the light, rolling back over.

"Not really. Leave them be, my love." she said sleepily and fell asleep again almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

888

Down in the hanger, KARR cut off all communications, double checked where KITT and Michael where, switched to stealth mode and made his silent exit.

He made it out of the hotel grounds successfully but kept in Stealth mode as he sped down the streets, hitting speeds of up to 100mph, not making any real effort not to knock people over, they just got out of his way, luckily enough. He had to travel two miles into New York to find his enemies. Just as he got to the top of Central Park, he felt like something had just intruded into his systems, so he attacked it but found nothing, although that heavy sheet still lay there. KITT's scanners. He realised that he had been picked up but then again, he had picked KITT up on his scanners as well. if KARR could have smiled evilly, he would have, but instead, he switched to his normal mode, allowing the engine noise to growl freely and accelerated past Central Park into the Hudson Hotel car park.

Slowly, he entered it and scanned the whole place. There was a heat signature of a male standing next to a car. An AI to be precise. Michael and KITT. KARRs' engine growled and he stalked towards them, using his visual integrity to pin-point them now.

He pulled up close to them, cruising slowly past Michael and he was next to KITT, nose to rear bumper, but this didn't mean he couldn't see them. His engine rumbled and then died down as he cut off.

All was silent for a while and tension hung thick in the air. KARR's Bio Matrix scanner showed Michaels' adrenalin levels where extremely high and he chuckled at that and then decided to speak.

"Well then, aren't you going to ask me why I'm not dead?" he sniped at Michael.

"No, because I couldn't care less. The question on my mind is, why haven't you killed us?" bit back the muscular male leaning on KITT. KARR chuckled again and sent an internal surge through KITT who snarled at him. Michael looked over quickly at KITT who was now silent.

"Because at the moment, I have better things to do. I know why you're here and I'm here for the same reason. I'm just going to tell you and acknowledge that we have different ways of dealing things." KARR paused as Michael started to speak but was cut across by KITT. The younger AI's voice sounded colder and harsher than KARR cared to remember and it chilled him somewhat, but also, he jeered at the other AI, for he knew the coldness only came because of his protectiveness over his driver, not because he was truly cold like KARR.

"So then, where is your new driver, if you are here for the same reason we are?" snapped KITT

"My drivers' location is of no concern to both of you." replied KARR calmly, even though he felt a spike of fear. If he revealed Sulphurs position, they may try and get to her. God help them if they hurt her.

"Alright then, carry on." this time it was Michael, giving KARR an insolent and hate filled look. KARR didn't bother revving his engine. He knew such tricks would not work on his rivals since they had faced him in a much scarier form.

"As I was saying, our methods are on different end of the scale and, for now, I respect that. But, if you do get in our way, I will kill you."

"Weren't you going to do that anyway?" Michael sounded indifferent and bitter. Emotions. Such a weakness. KARR openly laughed at him, revelling in the way the man shuddered and pressed harder again KITT whilst the AI's presence became more threatening towards him.

"Ha! I would have done so already. No my plan for you is much more...complicated. I'm just warning you now," he fired up his engine and reversed and turned so he was facing KITT and Michael head on and his scanner bar focused on them and flared up.

"If you get in our way, you will be taken down without mercy. Last time was just luck."

Michael snorted and KITT's presence reared up threading to overthrow KARR's. KARR backed down for now and let KITT win and lowered his front end deviously and raised his back end and watched KITT fire up his own engines and Michael shift uncomfortably. They honestly thought that he would attack them right now. Heh. Bless them.

KARR lowered his rear end, his spoiler once again hidden and KITT seemed to calm down but both their engines still growled. Suddenly, KARR snarled at KITT who roared right back. KARR gave a deep rumble of a growl and KITT mimicked him. Then KARR roared and KITT replied. It was a roaring contest between both Mustangs and Michael looked alarmed at this change in mood and indeed, KARR was getting aggressive. He raised the suspension on his front and edged closer to KITT who lowered his suspension and raised his rear end and started to circle KARR, who followed suit.

Suddenly, KARR lunged at KIIT, his suspension dropping and he headed right of KITT side. KITT dodged and span so that he was blocking Michael from KARR's line of fire.

No weapons were drawn though. None were needed and neither were the transformations.

Once again, they faced each other and both scanners where still and they had brightened considerably and they glared threateningly at each other before KARR laughed and backed down. KITT would have pulled a confused face, but as it was he returned to his original position beside Michael who leant on him again and passed his hand over KITT roof. KITT growled quietly.

"So then, you've decided to harder up after all, KITT." mocked KARR.

"I will be more than you can ever hope to amount to, KARR." replied KITT, venom in his younger voice. He was furious. It looked like KARR had won in that show down but nothing had been proved at all. They had both been equal and no contact had been made. Now he faced off with KARR and his headlight blazed dangerously. KARR flared his briefly right back. It was the equivalent of KITT glaring at him and KARR raising and dropping his eyebrows.

Michael stepped in-between both AI's. A dangerous move, he knew, but it was the only way to break them up. KITT's headlights died to their normal brightness and KARR backed up a little and went to the side of Michael who watched him cautiously and KITT tensed up again.

"Is that all, KARR?" inquired Michael, his eyes narrowing at KARR who returned to his normal suspension setting and growled. An affirmed yes.

"That is all." he confirmed and started smoothly forwards.

"Mike" he addressed himself to Michael and then turned his attention to KITT and snidely sent a surge power through the connection they had and then addressed him.

"KITTen." he purred before dropping his engine dropping into stealth mode, cruising past Michael and circling round a car to then pass back past the duo on out of the car park. He could feel Michael's eyes on him the whole way until he left and hit the gas pedal, silently streaking back through the night.

888

Back at the Hudson Hotel car park, Michael leant heavily on KITT, a cold sweat drenching his body, scarcely being able to believe that he was still alive. He had just stood in front of the most dangerous car known to man and it had let him go. His breathing increased and then went back to normal.

He sat upon KITT's hood gently and patted his car on the sensors fondly.

"KARR has just left my sensor range. Are you alright, Michael?" asked KITT, still stinging from the name pun. Michaels'' sudden explosion of laughter shocked him only briefly but it was the look Michael gave him. It was full of mischief and his grin was devious.

"KITTen?!"

KITT hissed at him then realised what he had just done and groaned as Michael dissolved into laughter and collapsed on his hood. Payback time.

KITT reversed quickly and Michael found himself face down on the still warm tarmac of the car park. Spitting out gravel and stones, he stood up, still laughing as his car rolled up to him and nudged him quite hard on the leg.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry buddy."

"And so you should be." muttered KITT drawing away slightly as Michael caressed his sensors. It wasn't like Sulphur caressing KARR, it had no sexual meaning and KITT found the touch comforting, not arousing.

Michael sighed and opened KITT's driver door and yawned.

"But on a more serious note, pal, KARR is one scary AI. I'm surprised he let us live. He really creeps me out." confessed Michael in a quieter voice. KITT's engine hummed in agreement.

"True. But there is something about him. I would like to be able to meet him properly at one point in time. Not when we're trying to destroy each other by flashing horsepower." confessed KITT, his own voice soft and thoughtful. Michael did a double take at that and choked out a laugh.

"You go do that, buddy. I won't be there for back up. I'll be safe at home somewhere." he choked out sitting forward to clear his throat out and lay back again, stretching out his massive 6ft something frame, conscious that KITT was watching the flex of his muscles. He tried to keep himself calm so as not to show how slightly turned on he was from the encounter with KARR and KITT's show of muscle. He relaxed and sighed in contentment, a smug grin oin his face as he looked at KITT's red "eye"

KITT sighed and sent a slight electric shock through to him and got the reaction of a yelp and Michael almost smacked his head on the steering wheel...again. His driver glared at him in a fury.

"What they hell was that for, supercar?"

"I'm serious, Mike. I would like to meet KARR on his own. Without any interuptions, mybe we could work something out."

The silence was harsh, oppressive and KITT wanted to plead with Micheal to say something. He took a "breath" and started to say something but Michael held his hand up and started to speak himself.

"Buddy, it's been a long day and if you're secretly falling in love with KARR, I'm going going to be very upset."

KITT chuckled and flipped the question, his voice coming out low and sultry.
"But what about if it's you I'm falling for?" he asked

Micheal did a double take at that and attempted to back away, pressing himself against the soft leather. Micheal was grinning but also looked alarmed at KITT's change in attitude.
"Oh! We are SO not taking this conversation any further!" he laughed and KITT joined in.
They both calmed down again and KITT assured him he was not falling in love with anyone, let alone KARR. Micheal seemed sasfied but still puzzled, inisting there was something not right about KARR.

"There were things that had been modified on him, though. His spoiler is higher than yours, for example. KITT, pull up the on screen keyboard."

A blue keyboard flashed onto KITT's windshield and typed in a query for KARR's modifications and KARR's exhaust pipe came up on the screen. Michaels' eyes widened at the size of it. It was at least 2 inches thicker and wider than KITT's. No wonder his engine sounded like hell being brought to the earth. KITT was concerned at Michaels' face and his hormones levels rose as well. Michaels' voice was a husky whisper crossed with something like admiration. KITT wondered what it would take to tip Michaels' hormonal balance out of whack.

"Gods...Fuck me, he's big."

KITT would have narrowed his eyes and grinned if he could.

"Affirmative."