Max reached the top of the control center, able to retreat in the storage room where there was old files. His eyes scanned the the library.
"Where is it...?" His eyes lit red in search of the confidential package. It was something Dr. Alvin stored away before the infamous olympiad had split. He told him about it a long time ago when they were more...suitable.
It was something Max needed to give to carrying out the task.
He searched left and right, seeing ahead a dark, steel door locked by a complex security system. He made his way towards it; his breaths shallow. He didn't need Atreides to find him here at the moment. He only needed a few seconds.
Observing the keycode system, he began to scan for any faint fingerprints left since the place was nearly destroyed. Max rapidly punched in the 9-digit code and the door unlocked. He turned the handle and stepped into the dark room.
Inside were tall, traditional synthesizers that were not used to create music, but create codes and perform scientific operations. The lights remained on some of the synths, but Max had no interest of touching them.
Walking over to the desk in the middle of the room, he searched the desk coming across confidential folders about the cybersquad. His curiosity always distracted him, as he saw individual folders of each one. Something told him he needed to know.
With a swipe he grabbed the folders of the four earthlings and stored them in his blue jacket. He searched under the desk and saw a white package. It seemed to glow, red stamps covering the sides with CONFIDENTIAL.
With two hands, he reached out and grabbed the package, wanting to open it right away, but right now Max was in danger.
Lyros came back online, "Sir Atreides is on the lower level, you need to get out."
"Alright."As he strapped the package on his back and got ready to teleport. Then the ground beneath him had shook and began to crack.
"Move." Lyros warned. Max activated his boosters and made his way through the rooms hoping to escape from Atreides. He figured he would purposely destroy the place in order to take Max down. And then it happened.
The ground beneath Max shifted as it collapsed in a downwards slant, a glance of Atreides about 70 feet away. When Atreides had targeted Max; it was certain he would let him out his sight.
"C'mere Max. I'm buildin' up an appetite for some fresh meat."Atreides threatened. Max's fingernails hardened and extended so that they clung into the concrete of the falling debris.
"Let's not today shall we?" Max's eyes flared red, his defense systems powered up and Lyros in attack mode.
"You don't have the power to take him down yourself Max. For now play the defense." Lyros warned. Max stared back at the wolf-cyborg as he began to growl immensely and dribble drool from his lower lip. Max's arms transformed into massive titanium hypercannons. He charged up.
In a swift dash, Atreides reached 30 feet closer to him before the debris crashed on the lower level and sent them up in the air. In that short span of time Max unleashed a hyperblast from his arm-cannons that exploded the area around Atreides's feet and pushed him back a few feet.
"C'MERE YOU! I'M GONNA BREAK EVERY DAMN PART. YOU MAKE ME SICK!" Atreides snapped as his wolf arms made haste and pushed him up into the air and grab on the ledge. Max activated his boosters and flew upwards. But he was too slow when Atreides launched 10 feet from the pole and snatched his leg. Max's leg began to heat up. With one arm cannon now, he made another shot at Atreides as he kissed the hyperblast from Max. With this Atreides's grip on Max's leg has loosen, and finally let go with a single front snap kick to the neck as he fell on the metal parts of the building.
"That should hold him." Max sighed as he stared at his drained energy bar: 32%.
"You used 50% of your energy with the double hypercannon blasts, and you're already draining more as you sustain yourself in mid-air. I'll be forced to put you in hibernation at 15%."
"Goddamnit." Max growled.
Max looked around until he saw an opening approximately 100 feet from him. He began to levitate towards it. But his systems blared as it warned him something was approaching him.
"Atreides is gaining speed." Lyros warned before Max was tackled through several walls of concrete and metal as his Level 3 armor wall was broken through. That let him with two more and being vulnerable as a human.
Max struggled as he braced himself and stood up on his feet. He stumbled, but clenched his fists. His shoulder was short-circuited as well as his mid-torso.
/
He stood on a field covered in all white. Around him was nothing but bright. He was suited in a steam punk outfit: brown goggles sitting on his head with a rusted-color cap, a button-down honey mustard shirt, bronze vest with black caps, and bronze worker boots. In both hands he held the possessions of a pair of cracked goggles and a chained watch.
Staring up, he saw the man who has guided him through his journey. Though, his face was blurred in which he couldn't make out who he was.
"You have to go back Slyder." The man told him.
Slyder opened his eyes. He squinted at the figure. "I can't."
"Why?"
"Isn't it my time now? This is why I'm here." Slyder said. The man shook his head.
"No. No it isn't. We both know this." The man assured. "You are far from ever being here again. You have something worth fighting for. And you need to keep it."
Slyder's memories returned. And it all narrowed down to the anchor of his life: Jacqueline Eiland.
"I have to." He realized. "Will you still be by me all the way?"
The man nodded. His face cleared, revealing the masculine face of his father. He smiled.
"Of course Slyder. For start, I would love to have those back." He pointed to his cracked goggles. Handing them to his old man, he felt lighter for some reason. He watched as he snapped them on his forehead. Then he placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's go." As they walked into the brightness as it engulfed them.
/
Slyder woke up gasping for air. He fell from his chair, gripping the edge of the table as he felt his strength returned. But his vision was temporarily shadowed by darkness as his hearing as fogged. He groaned.
"Slyder? Slyder can you hear me?" He heard a familiar voice call his name. For a moment, his response caught his throat. Then he was able to straighten up on his knees and make eye contact with his dark-skinned girlfriend. He managed a smile as she engulfed him in a tight hug.
"Ugh. You're killing me". He winced as he patted her back. She scowled at his crude joke.
"I was so worried." She held him again by the neck. Soft sniffles escaped as Slyder managed to return the favor back by hugging Jackie even tighter.
"I missed you. I thought I wouldn't see you again." Slyder admitted.
Jackie sat back as Slyder stared back at his girlfriend. Her hair was down; jet black shoulder length and wavy, he reached out and ran a hand through it. He didn't know why, but it felt right.
Slyder sighed as his hand rested on Jackie's neck, as she continue to stare at him with the brightest brown eyes.
"Don't ever leave us again. Especially me." Jackie said selfishly. Slyder gave her a lopsided grin.
"I'll try harder. And..." He bit his lip before rethinking what to say. His feelings were stronger for Jackie, and he felt he could move further into this relationship with her. But he wondered if the word "love" was ever the right moment at this age and time. Things were still complicated around them.
He decided to change the subject. "Is he up?"
Jackie helped get Slyder to his feet, as he nearly stumbled. He reached over for the spare crutches leaning on the workshop, able to use his upper body efficiently. It was his lower body that was still asleep. He stared at the spot where Digit was, but he was no longer there.
"Wait. He's outside with them." Jackie stood back, amazed at the closure of the three; Inez, Matt, and Digit were all together. Slyder grinned.
He did it. He brought back Digit and fulfilled a wish of his father. He achieved something he thought we would never be able to do.
"I'm proud of you Slyder." Jackie nudge her boyfriend. "Really."
Slyder blushed. "Thanks Jackie."
In return as a prize, Jackie leaned over and kissed Slyder on the lips, as he tried to balance himself on the crutches and concentrated on Jackie's soft lips on his. He sighed against her cheek when they separated.
"Don't get carried away. That's also because I missed you." Jackie made an excuse. He chuckled, snaking an arm around her waist.
"Of course, princess." He pecked her forehead, leaning against her and on one crutch.