"Okay..." EVE lead the group forward, "We'll spread out and look for Forthright. When you find her, call out to everyone else and we'll come back together to fight. Remember your groups."

Aya and Nos traveled together through the city, just kind of looking around. It was all relatively quiet though, besides the rain that was beginning to fall.

Nos absently ran his drill-teeth, "Lemme guess, she's going to jump out when we least expect it?"

Aya shrugged, "Pretty much. I like to think of that as the author not knowing what else to insert into the story."

And I like to not be judged by my own characters!

"The author, huh?" Nos chuckled in amusement, "Is that it? Are we just in a story?"

"I'm not actually sure about that, but it is a pretty weird coincidence that things go horribly wrong right before a solution is reached." she replied, "Plus just how Auto died. The author was probably planning that months before it actually happened."

"Is that so?" Nos looked into every alleyway to make sure they weren't being watched, "How can you be sure about that?"

"I'm not, but I watch a lot of old sci-fi movies." she said, "Have you ever heard of Star Wars?"

"Are you kidding!? I love Star Wars!" Nos replied, "Maybe it was an author's intention that we meet."

"Really!?" Aya was excited about that, "All my sisters think I'm crazy!"

"Well, all I'm saying is that maybe I was originally supposed to die in Zurg's spacecraft, but ended up here instead because an author willed it so. It did make an interesting story, after all."

"Maybe that's what happened to Chibi Telly and Giga!" Aya beamed wildly, "Maybe they were just put through that situation so we could meet them, because that made an interesting story too!"

Nos laughed, "Or we just have a big imagination."

Aya frowned, "Or that."

"Hey guys!" Forthright appeared out of nowhere, "What are you talking about?"

"Forthright!" Aya exclaimed as Nos jumped in front of her, "I knew it!"

"Maybe an author made me just so I could mess with all of you!" she laughed, "How thoughtful of them!"

Nos was about to scream to the others when he suddenly froze.

"Sorry, but I have to stop you there."

He was let go and he massaged his throat, "Why did you do that?"

"Because I need to ask you something real quick." Forthright leaned back in the seat of her hoverpod, "Nos, I'm going to give you one last chance. Join me for eternal glory, or ignore me for destruction. Your choice."

"I already told you!" Nos spat angrily, "I'm not interested! I FOUND HER, EVERYONE!"

She shrugged, "Suit yourself."

The battle started and Nos pulled Aya aside, "Okay. I'm going feral now. Remember your promise."

"If you remember yours." she gave him a peck on the cheek.

He blushed slightly, "I will."

"Is that all you've got!?" Forthright laughed like a maniac, "You guys are as pathetic as I remember!"

"The city!" EVE watched monster robots fall from the sky and begin attacking bystanders, "You guys! Forget Forthright! Protect the innocent!"

The group scattered as Nos brought out his energy wings and wrapped them around himself. Aya hid in the shadows as she watched him glow brighter and brighter until a red shell formed around him and cracked, shattering to pieces. She caught a glimpse of his face as he spread his wings out and attacked Forthright, lightning streaking across the sky.

She gasped. Every speck of softness was gone from his expression. His optics were reddish-orange before, but now they glowed bright red, his fangs bared threateningly. He moved so fast that he was just a blur, attacking with all the ferocity of a starving lion. She could barely even recognize him.

"Ack! What's happening!?" Forthright exclaimed.

Aya could barely believe what she was watching as Nos dug his fingertips into Forthright's protective pod and scratched away at it. It was hardly anything, but it was progress. He dug again and again, until there was a hole the size of a basketball in the casing. Forthright was in a panic.

"NO!" she tried to yank the pod away from him, but he held on as it flew through the air, "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO ME!"

All the monster-bots stopped attacking bystanders and dove to protect their master, going straight for Nos as he tried to get inside to finish her off. He was distracted by them, throwing them aside, biting them, clawing into their systems, batting his powerful wings. They quickly short-circuited from the intense downpour. Aya shrunk further into her hiding spot. Finally, Nos grabbed ahold of Forthright and yanked her from the pod, throwing her onto the ground.

"LET ME GO!" Forthright realized what was happening to her, "NO! I CAN'T DIE! I HAVE A WISH TO FULFILL!"

Nos didn't hear a word she was saying as he sunk his fangs into her neck, electricity sparking off the wound like the lightning in the black sky. Her expression went from fear to sadness, "No...Grampapa...I'm so sorry..."

Everyone gathered around to watch Forthright sink into Oblivion, finally accomplishing the mission they'd set out to complete for over a decade.

A ten-year-old Shannon Forthright played with her yarn doll, Poppy, on the floor of her Grampapa's study. He was hunched over his work, listening to his great-granddaughter hum a chipper tune.

"What are you singing, dear?" he asked.

"It's called 'Put On Your Sunday Clothes'!" she replied, "It's from a musical called Hello, Dolly!"

"You do love those old musicals." he replied, "I remember when you got that song from 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' stuck in your head."

"That one's great! I wanna fly a magic car someday..." she went back to humming.

Shelby finally wrapped up what he was doing and stood from his chair.

"Can you play now!?" Shannon jumped up onto her feet excitedly.

"Not right now, Shannon." he replied, "I'm very old, you know."

"Oh...right..."

"But I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay." Shannon lay down on her belly, swinging her legs in the air, "What is it?"

Shelby carefully sat down on the couch across from her, "You've seen your mother's flowers, have you not?"

"Yeah! They started as little seeds, and then they got bigger and bigger!" she giggled, "They were under those really bright lights, and Mommy gave them water, right?"

"That's right. I took care of them after your Mother's passing. I always wanted to keep her strong in my memory. You see, she was my only granddaughter."

"Yeah? Hey, Grampapa..." Shannon made Poppy dance, "Can't plants grow on their own?"

"They could, back when the Earth was green. Now it's an empty barren wasteland. I wish we could've done something to fix it. I tried, but it wasn't enough. No plants would grow. It was very difficult to breathe out there with no plant life."

"Will they come back now that we're gone?"

"It's unlikely." Shelby replied, "Though, maybe in a thousand years, Earth will begin to heal."

"I want to see it like that!" Shannon said sadly, "Not just in books and movies, but in real life! Will we ever go back?"

"No." was his automatic response, "Even if life is sustainable, it's impossible. Far too dangerous. I saw the carbon dioxide levels there before I sent that message to all the autopilots. They are far too high for humans. It's out of the question."

Shannon was disappointed, but she understood, "Okay..."

"Don't look so sad, Shannon." Shelby said, "It's not good for my health. I need to see you happy, or I can't live. Do you understand?"

Shannon smiled, "Of course." she ran to her grampapa (Poppy abandoned on the floor) and sat in his lap, giving him a great big hug, "I love you, Grampapa..."

He held her gently in his wrinkled arms, "I love you too, Sweetie..."