3034: The Awakening

Roland Returns

Z P.O.V.

"What do you want Roland?" I snap.

Flicking on a bright light he takes a few steps toward me. I glare at him and growl giving him a fair warning not to step closer.

"Calm down Z I am only here to help."

"You speak lies! Why should I trust you?!" Behind every word is a low and menacing growl.

"I don't know how to make you trust me, and I didn't expect you to….not after what I did" his eyes advert to the ground.

Roland's face is paler than usual, what used to be so full and would have a fair color now has sunken in and purple underlines his gentle eyes. His posture has fallen into a slouch. He looks to have suffered a great deal in his absence. But was this all for show?

" Roland just cut the s**t will you, why are you here truly?"

"Like I said, I am here to help Z." His tone is still calm.

"Help me with what?" I beckon the question.

Reaching into his white lab coat pocket he pulls out two green microchips and holds them up between his thumb and index finger.

" These will awaken Nicole and Natasha bringing them back online."

My brow furrows and I show my teeth at him, I hate to say that I may need his help. I hadn't really thought of a way to get out of here trying to carry them all back down would be damn near impossible. Then again on the other hand trusting someone who has already betrayed all of us before...hmph...this truly is a no win situation.

"Z there are no tricks here, I don't want to be here, I don't want to help Solarious. His whole plan to do a galaxy takeover is not what I signed up for." He looks at me not flinching and keeping his eyes trained on mine.

'He seems to be genuine Z' Leona pitches in.

'How can we trust him again, after all he has done?' I respond.

' At this point Z what other options do we really have? Most of our strength has diminished'

Knowing that Leona has a valid point I reluctantly agree with her.

" While I don't fully trust you I really don't have a choice but to take the help you have offered. However, if you try to betray any of us I will kill you." I point at him.

Roland nods and makes his way to Natasha and Nicole he presses a button that hides behind their necks. Camouflaged to match their pink skin keeping its location hidden. Since Roland helped build thousands of cyborgs in the past he has the knowledge on reactivating or deactivating them.

The chips he pulls out from them have been fried and scratched with black markings that make a starburst like shape on them. Setting the chips aside he places one of the good ones back inside Nicole's neck. Her eyes flicker a few times and a robotic voice sounds saying "reactivating."

He does the same to Natasha and stands back on his feet. Dusting his hands together waiting for the reactivating program to complete.

"Those chips should complete all needed procedures and restore them to how they were before Neese's attack." He places his hands on his hips.

It's forceful to say the least but I am obligated to at least tell him thank you. Nodding to me an awkward silence comes between the two of us. Hardly knowing what to say to one another. I mean what can you really discuss when you're stuck in a room with the people you betrayed?

"Activation complete, cyborg Natasha online" the voice floods away the silence.

"Natasha, can you hear me?" I bend down to try get close to her level.

She sits straight up catching me off guard and looks at me.

"Yes, I can thank you for saving me."

I smile at her and shake my head no, placing a hand on her shoulder I point to Roland.

"He's the one who saved you and your sister." She looks from me to him and back to me.

" I do not understand, why would Roland help us after he betrayed us?"

Clearing his throat Roland steps forward a bit. A look of shame plays across his face, he does seem genuine when he said he wanted to help.

"I was a fool and I made a grave error on turning against you, I should've seen Solarious for the scum he was and I was blinded by my own selfishness, to realize what his true intentions were." He waits and places his hands in his pockets.

Nicole sits straight up next looking between the three of us.

"A grave error indeed, but one you can correct nonetheless." She smiles at him.

"You were always the one to forgive the quickest sister." Natasha stands next to me.

"Worry about him later, right now we have to get out of here before we are discovered." I interrupt.

Just then an alarm blares with a deafening whistle sound. Unable to hear each other we all go up the hatch.

"You just had to say that didn't you?"

I glare at Natasha and shrug.

With the ear-piercing sound beneath our feet metal gates begin to cover all windows and exits out of the building. Reaching to pick Emily off the roof I notice her body has already begun to heal itself.

"I guess immortality is a blessing, " Nicole says looking at Emily as I hold her in my arms.

The bruising has started to fade away revealing the flawless white skin that lies beneath it. Her perfect skin tone color emerges back across her body and soon you can't tell she had ever been in a fight.

"No, not a blessing, a curse" I look at Nicole and leap off the edge of the roof.

Sliding down the side I did my claws into the side keeping me anchored and steady. Roland, Nicole, and Natasha follow close behind me repelling down quicker than I am sliding. Looking down I can see reptilians and serpents alike beginning to make a formation around the headquarters blasters at the ready.

" What now?" I ask them looking on.

" Run as fast as you can and hope they all suck at aiming, " Roland chuckles.

"Since when did you develop a sense of humor?" I replied quickly, shooting him a go to hell look.

"Since now, I mean if we're going to die might as well have some kind of fun."

I look around trying to come up with some other plan. The others could easily carry Emily and get away, all they'd need to do is make about a two thousand or so jump from the building to put enough distance between them and the reptilian and serpent army that awaits us.

'Z, if you stay behind you will die...we both will.'

' We have no choice Leona.'

Nodding in agreement we stop our descent abruptly. The others come to a halt just as quickly looking at me confused.

"Z?" Nicole asks, watching me closely.

"Take Emily, the three of you can make that jump and clear enough space to get away, when you do, don't go to the hideout I want you to board the Luxious and flee."

They begin to protest all at once telling me no and there is another way. Even I know we're running out of time. Right now this is the only plan I have and best case of getting Emily out alive.

"Enough!" I shout, putting my free hand up to stop them.

"Take her and go, get out of here, help Emily get that cure, that is the top priority right now. I'll be fine."

They all stay silent and nod in agreement, Natasha and Nicole don't have to say anything; the tears that dwell deep within their eyes say it all. They all plant their feet and push off the side of the building pieces breakaway and fall down to the ground below, holes develop from where they all just were. They glide through the air and are soon out of my sight behind the many rows of other buildings that spread throughout the city.

'Ready?' I ask Leona.

'Ready' she growls.

Letting go of the wall we push off ourselves and plunge freely towards the cement ground below us. Two hundred to one should be interesting.