Chapter 46- Bittersweet

Niko stared in astonishment at the scene before him. He slowly lowered his wrist in a daze. Had he really just shot the only woman he had ever loved? Coming back to reality he ripped the stupid Techno gadget from his wrist and pulled Lani's limp body off the woman he now knew was Tai-San.

He knelt beside her in the sand, careful not to move her unless something had been broken. He lifted her limp wrist checking for a pulse. It was weak, but it existed. He didn't know whether or not he should give her CPR, but he tried it anyhow, hoping it would make her pulse stronger.

"Stop!" he shouted once he was certain she wasn't dead. He knew the fighting was too far off for anyone to hear him. He just wanted it all to stop. It had been nothing but deception, heartbreak, and death since the virus stole from them the adults. It had to end here.

Lani and Tai-San had been dueling in a secluded area of flowers. Niko thought this was probably where they thought Tai-San would be safe from harm. He prayed to whatever god there was that someone was near enough to hear him as he shouted again.

"Tai-San has been injured!"

Instantly through the wall of flowers a man appeared. He knelt beside Tai-San before he assessed the scene around him.

"Did you shoot her?" he glared at Niko once he had spotted the Techno zapper in the sand nearby.

Niko shook his head, "No, I shot her," he pointed to Lani's still body, "it was on full charge," he finished sadly. He had killed Lani.

The other man looked skeptical, "If I find out you did this to my wife I'll rip your heart out!"

"I don't have time to argue with you. I'm the Krait Island Medicine man. She's unconscious, but alive. You need to get her someplace warm and comfortable. She'll be out for awhile…but she'll be fine."

The man picked up Tai-San carefully, "Aren't you coming?"

Niko shook his head, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He silently crawled over to where Lani's body lay in the sand, "I just need to be alone."

The other man wasted no time in leaving him alone either and he was grateful. He scooped Lani into his arms and disappeared into the dense forest all the while muttering, quiet apologizes to the dead woman who had never caused him nothing but agony.

~0~

Dawn was fast approaching when the fighting stopped all around Danni. Confused she followed everyone else's eyes. Lex was walking through the battlefield, carrying a limp body in his arms.

"Tai-San!" she heard Josh mutter somewhere behind her.

She turned searching the crowd for him. What she saw surprised her. The beach was a wreck. Some people were lying in the sand groaning, some bloody and others seemed dazed and confused. How had they let it come to this?

When her eyes had landed on Josh she quickly made her way to him. He had a small gash above his right eyes, but seemed unscathed otherwise.

"Do you think she's dead?" she instinctively raised her hand to check on his cut.

"I don't know," he winced, shoving her hand away.

"Sorry, nurse's instinct."

He ignored her, "Do you think Lex will let you near her? To check her out?"

His concerns for Tai-San were expected, but that didn't mean Danni had to like it. She had a hard time keeping her tone in check as she answered, "Let's go find out," she turned on her heel sharply. She marched in the direction Lex had gone.

Josh followed in silent confusion. Danni always was in some mood or other, but had never been cross with him before. Since they had been on Fleur Isle she had been tense and even angrier. He wandered what it was about these Mall Rats that made her so upset.

~0~

Geo found his brother sitting in the sand muttering in silent fury.

"She'll be alright, you know that don't you?" he patted the older man on the shoulder.

"I'm not worried about Tai-San, I'm worried about Red."

"I am referring to Shadow. You know how much she hated the Techno's new way of going about things."

"You don't have to rub it in my face! I know okay? I know she wanted out and I promised her that, but I was too late and now she's going to die."

"She's not."

"How can you be sure and we don't even know if Tai-San will live to make the antivirus?"

"Because Shadow has the true formula, Skipper, she's had it for quite some time."

"What? She was a technician, not a chemist…"

"Yes, a technician who knew her way around the firewalls. She found out Mega's genius plan and began planning of her own. His antidote to the new virus was failing in testing so she commissioned Osei and Net to find a cure. Tai-San seems to remember that they had."

Skipper jumped up, "I have to go to the city then…"

"Easy there bro," Geo caught his brother as he waivered, "Have you bled out?" he checked him over.

"No," he smiled sheepishly at his brother, "I took an elbow to the head. I've been out of the fight for pretty much the whole time."

Geo laughed, "Come on, maybe Danni has some aspirin in that doctor's kit of hers."

Skipper grumbled but relented in letting his brother help him. It had always been this way, the little brother looking out for the big one. Ever since they were kids Geo had his back, no matter what. In fights, at home when their dad went loco from his drinking, or in school; it never mattered what it was. Geo always stood by his big brother.

"I'm sorry you always have to take care of me…" he stopped when they were on the stairs of the hotel.

"It's all in the past Skip…" Geo hesitated then finished firmly, "All of it."

~0~

Morning passed quickly and soon it was noon on Fleur Isle. Enemies and friends alike gathered on the beach that had only hours before been their battlefield. It was a bittersweet scene.

"What happened last night could've been easily prevented…" Cope listened to a tall woman with a child on her hip address the crowd, "…we could've negotiated, but you came here ruthless and blood-thirsty. As the result lives have been lost and one lies unconscious…"

"Who cares, bring us Ram's head on a platter!" a member of the Cliffs shouted.

He watched as a girl all dolled up, except for her make-up streaked face, ball up her fist and break through the crowd to the front. She was red with fury and spoke with much vehemence, "Listen here you ugly cow, I care! You loonies killed Sammy and he was my best friend…why I ought to…!"

But she was grabbed and pulled backwards into the crowd by some member of the Mall Rats. Only then did Cope begin to feel remorse. They had come here blood-thirsty, their anger towards Ram getting the best of them. Nobody had to die, especially not a kid.

"If I may interrupt," he spoke up over the woman speaking. His voice was deeper and louder, he need not move to the front of the crowd, "I take full responsibility for the Cliffs. They acted on my orders and therefore any bloodshed is on me. We came here at the request of Lani not to fight in her war against you, but for revenge against Ram and his general."

"What for?" Jay asked.

"Naivety has never worn well on you General, you know full and well what for. You sent us all to our deaths."

"You should know no one ordered you to be deleted."

They all turned to see Mega standing in the entrance of the hotel, "It was a lie I made to ensure you didn't interfere with my master plan."

"And you pinned it on us?" Ram asked incredulously.

"Don't act so surprised Ram, Java and I put you on a rubbish heap remember? I went through lengths to ensure I had power complete power over the city. I lost sight of what the Technos were truly about and for that I am sorry. I can't make up for any of it but none of that is important right now. Right now we need to look ahead to the future."

"The future?" Cope snorted. "What future is there for any of us now?"

"'You cannot change the world, but you can present the world with one improved person; yourself.' It only takes that one small step." The speaker this time to all their shock and relief was Tai-San.