Hero
Lightning was the only thing to pierce the blanket of rain that coated the city of Tremorton. It fell in droves on a black-clad group gathered around a small stone embedded into the ground, with a mound formed in front of it. One man stood at the head of the group behind the headstone, holding an umbrella over his head so the falling rain wouldn't ruin the small book from which he was reading.
"All things of this Earth... must one day return to the Earth." He spoke in a firm, yet oddly comforting tone of voice. "Today... we at once mourn and celebrate the returning of Tyler Davidson. We mourn that he is beyond our reach... and we celebrate that he is in a better place now." A woman near the middle of the group burst into tears, burying her face in her handkerchief.
Jenny looked down at the ground guiltily, wishing she was anywhere but there at that moment. She was wearing a black raincoat to keep the water out of her system. She was the one who'd killed Tyler... she'd put a fist through his chest... it didn't matter that it had been self-defense. She wanted to leave, but her creator standing beside her kept a firm grip on her arm. She couldn't physically stop the robot from leaving, but her influence was more than enough.
"May this boy find peace in the land from which we've all grown... amen." The gathered group responded with a solemn 'amen' as the priest nodded and turned to leave. The gathered crowd began to dissipate. Jenny turned to leave, but Mrs. Wakeman held fast to her arm, moving toward the Davidsons.
"No, mom, please..." Jenny muttered desperately.
"You're going to confront them XJ-9. I want you to see what 'feelings' really bring." Mrs. Wakeman dragged her up to the Davidsons. Mrs. Davidson had her face buried in her husband's shoulder. He was stroking her back, with tears running freely down his own face. "Excuse me... we had to offer our condolences... after all it was XJ-9 who was responsible for this..." She said, pulling Jenny over to face them.
"Thank you..." Mr. Davidson replied with a demure smile. "We know what happened... and we don't blame Jenny for it... but..." He choked up, shaking his head. Jenny looked away, trying to keep her eyes anywhere rather than meet their gaze. Mrs. Wakeman stared at her, and finally nodded.
"I'll stop by later to see how I can help..." Jenny's creator patted one of Mr. Davidson's shoulders before turning to head toward her car, pulling Jenny along behind her. Jenny remained silent until they climbed in the car and Mrs. Wakeman began the short drive home.
"You wanted to feel so badly XJ-9... you wanted to feel everything we feel." Mrs. Wakeman smirked. "How does it feel now? Is it everything you expected?" She asked. Jenny remained silent, letting the soft pitter-pat of raindrops on the roof fill the uncomfortable silence inside the vehicle. "I created you as a hero..."
"You created me as a weapon." Jenny retorted acidly.
"You're better than us XJ-9." Mrs. Wakeman insisted, turning to stare at Jenny. "And you're going to realize it." She pulled up to their house and climbed out. Jenny headed for the house door before Mrs. Wakeman could even get her car door the entire way open. "Before you try to 'improve' yourself again, remember what you saw today." Jenny stopped in mid-stride. "Learn your lesson XJ-9. You're not meant to be human... you're meant to be a protector."
"My name is Jenny." Jenny replied simply before marching inside, heading upstairs and slamming her bedroom door. She marched over to the bed and sat down, gripping the sheets tightly. It had been two weeks since the incident at Brittany's house... and she hadn't been allowed to leave her house for a moment. She hadn't seen any of her friends... she hadn't even gone to school. Things were going back to how they had been before Tuck found her...
"I don't want this!" She stood up and marched to the window, crossing her arms over her chest. She wanted to go to Brittany's... she wanted to be with her. Why was that so damn wrong? Was her mother afraid that she would hurt someone else...? No... she was worried she would lose her weapon... that was all she cared about. She never showed the slightest interest in what Jenny wanted...
"Forget it then..." Jenny pushed the window open and activated her repaired pigtail engines, taking off through the rain and thunder toward the mansion in the middle of the city. She landed and walked up to the large double doors, already feeling the water beginning to leak through the cracks in her frame. She knocked loudly.
The door opened a few moments later. Tiffany cocked her head to the side curiously. "Well... it's the recluse. What brings you out of your hole?"
"I wasn't in a hole, just my house..." Jenny replied. Tiffany rolled her eyes, but Jenny decided to ignore it. "I just need a place to stay for a while... my mother wouldn't be happy to find me..." Jenny replied. Tiffany's eyes narrowed appreciatively.
"You ran away from home? Damn girl, that's some guts." Tiffany stepped back to let Jenny enter. "Brit's in the living room feeding Jennifer."
"Thank you." Jenny replied. Tiffany nodded and turned to head into the kitchen, so Jenny made her way into the living room. Brittany was sitting on the couch, holding the baby up to one of her breasts so it could drink to its heart's content. Jenny paused when she saw the black girl... it had been two weeks... could things have changed in such a short time? "Good afternoon... Brit..."
Brittany looked up in surprise, her face lighting up when she saw the robot. "Jenny, I was beginning to think Mrs. Wakeman disassembled you!" She smiled and gestured to an empty seat on the couch. "Have a seat, Jennifer should be asleep soon. She's been awake since three this morning..." She grumbled and heaved a soft sigh.
"Thanks..." Jenny walked over and sat on the couch, putting her hands in her lap nervously. "Brit... I didn't see you at Tyler's funeral..." She said. "Everyone said you should have been there... since he was your daughter's father and all." She said.
"That a few specks of his genes float in my daughter's blood doesn't tie me to him at all." Brittany scowled. "And to hell with anyone who thinks it does... Ow." She winced and looked down at Jennifer, who had bitten down a little too hard on her nipple. She sighed and watched the baby feed.
Tiffany walked into the living room wearing a long red raincoat. "I think I'm gonna head out for a while Brit." She said.
"What? Why?" Brittany asked.
"Personal stuff." Tiffany grinned and winked before turning to leave, closing the front door behind her. Brittany rolled her eyes while Jenny scratched her head in confusion.
"Personal stuff?" Jenny mused.
"Forget about it..." Brittany looked down, noticing that Jennifer had finally stopped suckling. "Give me a moment, and I'll go put Jennifer to bed." Jenny nodded, watching Brittany get up and head into the back toward the bedrooms.
The robot blinked in surprise when her chestplate opened and the 3-D image generator emerged in front of her. Mrs. Wakeman looked positively livid with rage. "XJ-9! What do you think you're doing leaving the house without permission!? I have half a mind to remove your free-will circuitry!" She screamed. "Where are you?" The screen started to turn, but Jenny caught it.
"No, mother!" Jenny pulled the screen back to face her. "I'm not coming back until you realize that I don't WANT to be a weapon! I want to live my life! And to Hell with you if you don't agree!" She gripped the screen and pushed as hard as she could, pushing it away from her until the circuits that linked it to her chest severed.
The screen went dark as she yanked it right out of her chest cavity before throwing it across the room where it shattered into dozens of pieces against the wall. Jenny's chestplate closed as she leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms over her chest when Brittany entered again. This time she was alone, and wearing a shirt.
"It must be rather serious this time." Brittany commented as she moved to the couch. Jenny stared at the shattered pieces of the image generator, knowing she'd just crossed a bridge she might not be able to get back over again.
"She wants me to stay in my room forever, like before... but I can't go back to that after I've experienced what all there is out here." Jenny sighed.
"Then don't go back." Brittany suggested. "She can't keep you there, that's slavery." She smiled slightly and put one hand on the robot's shoulder. "You're free to stay here with me if you wish. My parents don't come around much, so it will basically be just us."
"Where are your parents? Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing them in all the times I've come here." Jenny asked.
"Out working... paying for all of this." Brittany gestured broadly to the house around them, which was indeed rather large and well furnished. "They don't even know about Jennifer yet... God knows how they'll react when they do find out." She shook her head and sighed. Jenny looked down at the carpet, trying to imagine what it would be like to be really alone...
"Whatever they say... I'll be here for you." Jenny reached over and squeezed Brittany's shoulder. The girl looked over at her and smiled, reaching over to pull her into a firm hug. "We just have to stick together. Everything will work out if we do." Jenny wrapped her arms around Brittany, leaning her cheek against hers.
"Quite right." Brittany nodded and stroked Jenny's back. "They can't touch us..." She turned the robot's head with one gentle hand so she could kiss her on the lips. Jenny closed her eyes as Brittany deepened the kiss, her arms clasping tighter around the robot's torso.
After six months, Jenny knew how to act. She also knew full well where all of Brittany's pleasure centers were... and in what order to stimulate them. Her hard drive stored all of the information until she needed it... and when she called it up, she could send her lover through the clouds in a matter of minutes. But she also knew Brittany liked to take her time.
The two figures sat intertwined on the couch, Brittany's clothing soon finding its way to the carpet. Her dark, smooth skin shone in the lightning flashes from the storm still raging outside, pierced by her soft moans and panting as Jenny expertly ran her hands up and down her body.
Their motions stopped when a small piercing wail broke through the sound of rain hitting the roof. Jenny looked over her shoulder and Brittany rolled her head back onto the couch. "Bloody blasted..." Brittany trailed off and gently pushed Jenny off of her. "Excuse me, I need to go kill myself." She stood up and headed toward the back, grabbing a robe from her room and slipping it on before entering the baby's bedroom.
Jenny watched with an amused smile, sitting back on the couch. Children apparently weren't much good for relationships. Oh well... she could make sure she made it up to Brittany later on.
The robot stood to head into the baby's bedroom... but stopped when she saw a red light flash through one of the front windows. She crept up to the window and cautiously pushed the curtain aside. Her eyes went wide when she saw at least a dozen police cruisers parked out front, barely visible under the heavy and oppressive rainfall. Her mother was standing in front of them all with a smug look on her face.
"I don't believe it... she called the police on me!" Jenny shouted angrily. She pushed herself away from the window, fuming and clenching her fists. "That does it... I'm not going to take this lying down!"
Brittany rushed out of the bedroom, holding a small bundle in her arms. "What's all that yelling about Jenny?" She asked. Before the robot could respond something broke through the window, landing on the floor with a dull thud. "Is that a... grenade!?" She'd barely finished speaking when a thick white gas began issuing forth into the room.
"Cover your mouth!" Jenny lunged through the smoke to push Brittany toward the back. Brittany was too busy trying to cover her daughter's face with the thin blanket in a vain attempt to keep the smoke away from her. "Come on, away from the smoke!" Jenny pulled her toward the stairs, rushing up as fast as she could. It didn't make any sense... if they came for Jenny why would they use gas grenades? They knew she didn't breathe... were they aiming to knock out Brittany?
More grenades broke through the windows in the back, blocking the bottom of the stairs with thick, voluminous smoke. Brittany stumbled back, coughing and trying to keep her daughter's face covered. Jennifer was screaming through the thin fabric, startled by the noise. A lightning flash erupted outside the window, revealing a line of officers surrounding even the back door.
"That's it... enough games." Jenny raised her arm, aiming it straight at the guards outside. Her elbow split in half and a laser sight raised out of it while a barrel emerged from her palm. She took aim, but Brittany grabbed her arm and pushed it aside.
"Don't, Jenny... remember what your mother said..." Brittany broke into a coughing fit. Jenny paused, looking through her memory. She soon found it... 'Just be more careful in the future... if it happens again there won't be anything I can do.' Of course... they were trying to make her fight back. If she attacked them they would have legal cause to retain her... possibly even dismantle her. It seemed unreal that her mother would plan something like that... but it was the only conclusion she could reach.
Brittany heaved a heavy cough, leaning against one wall. She kept the blanket over her daughter's face to protect her, ignoring the smoke filling her own lungs. "We're getting out of here..." Jenny pointed her cannon toward the ceiling and opened fire. The emerald blue lasers cut through the entire house, punching through into the cloud-covered sky.
She knelt down and lifted Brittany off the ground. The girl held the screaming baby firmly in her arms as a pair of bladelike wings spread from Jenny's shoulder blades, each tipped with an engine the size of her foot. Fire erupted from them, and she soared up through the hole in the ceiling, emerging into the storm overhead.
She saw her mother watching her from the ground as the scene faded behind them, lost to the wind and rain. Jennifer's wailing was the only sound that cut through the rain aside from the occasional crack of thunder that lit up the city. They needed a place to stay... but Brad lived too close to her mother and Sheldon was still in the hospital for the concussion he'd suffered. That left only one option...
They landed shortly at a nearby house, soaking wet in the middle of the rainstorm. Jenny could feel the liquid leaking into her body, making her twitch somewhat, but it wasn't bad enough to disable her. She knocked loudly, and they waited until the door was finally pulled open.
"Brit? Jenny? What's goin' on?" Tiffany exclaimed in surprise.
"We need a place to hide out for a while..." Brittany replied softly. Jennifer was screaming from fear and the cold, and Jenny was staring in the other direction at the sky.
"Sure... come on in." Tiffany moved aside and let them walk inside. Brittany moved into the living room and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, rocking the crying baby back and forth. Jenny marched into the kitchen and pulled her belly button bolt out, letting the water in her body trickle into the sink. When all the liquid was purged she screwed the bolt back in.
Tiffany approached Brittany and put a thick towel around her shoulders. She brought a smaller towel for Jennifer, so they removed the sopping wet clothes and wrapped her up in the towel. This seemed to calm her down somewhat, though she still whimpered. "What happened? What are you hiding from?" Tiffany asked.
"It's a long story." Jenny walked back into the living room, carrying a warm mug of cocoa. She held it out to Brittany, who smiled and accepted it. "I'm... sorry I dragged you into this Brit. If I'd stayed home you wouldn't be a fugitive with me..." She sighed.
"Hey, don't fret over it." Brittany flashed her a comforting smile. "Stuff happens." Jenny sat down on the couch beside her, with Tiffany still sitting on her other side.
"By the way, Tiff... didn't you say you had something personal to do? What are you doing home so early?" Jenny asked. Tiffany blinked while Brittany burst into laughter. Jenny looked back and forth between them with a blush spreading across her cheeks. There was something she should have figured out... she hated when that happened.
"I think I took care of it." Tiffany replied with an amused grin on her face. Brittany chuckled and Jenny looked over at the window. A lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the horizon outside the window for an instant. The robot blinked... there was a black shape outlined against the lightning bolt. Someone was outside the house.
Jenny stood and approached the door. "Is something the matter Jenny?" Brittany asked. Jenny gestured for them to be quiet and gripped the doorknob, slowly pulling it open. The rain still fell in waves, and another lighting strike lit up the area. This time there was nothing there... could there be something wrong with her eyes?
Without warning a blue cone of energy slammed into her stomach, sending her hurtling back into the living room. Brittany and Tiffany lunged out of the way right before the robot slammed into the couch, smashing it into pieces and rolling to a stop in front of the fireplace. "Jenny! Are you okay!?" Brittany shouted.
"I'm fine..." Jenny pushed herself to her knees, staring at the door. A shape was clearly outlined in the door. It stepped forward into the building, finally being illuminated enough for them to see it... it was a copy of Jenny. Its body structure was the same, but its pigtails were razor sharp and extended down to its knees. It had another pair of wing-like blades sticking out the back of its waist and still another pair sticking out from its elbows, though those were aimed upward instead of down like the others. Its hair and armor pieces were painted black, and its eyes were pools of white without pupils. On its chest, in red paint, was the name 'XJ-10'.
"A friend of yours?" Tiffany asked. Jenny didn't respond, staring at the copy and clenching her fists. Her mother couldn't have built it... Jenny had only left two hours ago. She wouldn't build another in the XJ series while Jenny was still there... would she?
"As if I didn't have enough to deal with..." Jenny's fingers drew into her palms, letting five blades extend from the holes they normally occupied. XJ-10 raised its arms, the same blades extending from its hands. "Brit, Tiff, get out of here."
"As if we have anywhere else to go." Tiffany scoffed. "You guys ran from Brit's place, and I'm guessing your mom wouldn't be too happy to see us." Jenny narrowed her eyes. She was right... so Jenny had to get rid of this robot without causing too much damage to the building.
She braced herself as XJ-10 lunged forward, bringing its blades around in a pair of wide arcs. The two robots' blades met in a shower of sparks, but Jenny thrust downward, driving her opponent's blades into the ground and leaping over them with a whirling kick. Jenny landed in a crowd while XJ-10 stumbled back, yanking its blades out of the floor.
Jenny retracted her finger-blades as she lunged, letting a pair of rapiers emerge from the palms of her hands. XJ-10 followed suit, blocking her thrusts with two quick outward parries. It thrust one leg forward, slamming it into Jenny's stomach hard enough to drive her into the wall beside the fireplace. Jenny pulled herself out of the indent, but XJ-10 pressed the attack, plunging both rapiers into her stomach.
"Jenny!" Brittany and Tiffany shouted. Jenny looked down in surprise, then up into the cold white eyes of her opponent. The sound of approaching sirens was interrupted by another lightning strike, making the robot's entire frame flash with white light.
"Let go of me..." Jenny grabbed the blades and twisted her arms, snapping them in half before back fisting XJ-10 across the face. The other robot fell to the ground, suddenly flashing red and blue from the police lights flooding into the room from outside.
"Our informant was right, XJ-9 has to be inside!" A rough man's voice shouted from outside.
"We've got to get out of here!" Jenny exclaimed. Brittany and Tiffany nodded wordlessly, but all Jennifer did was coo, having yelled herself to sleep long ago. The sound of footsteps approaching the door prompted all three of them to rush upstairs before they were discovered. On the second floor Jenny grabbed both of the girls, running for the far window.
Two sets of steel wings opened from her back like a butterfly before she broke through the window, sailing into the dark rainfall outside. Her legs retracted into her torso, replaced by a massive engine that propelled them away from the scene.
"My house!" Tiffany screamed. Jenny and Brittany looked back to see the entire building surging with electrical energy. The following explosion was powerful enough to knock Jenny off balance and send a fireball high into the sky. The rain quickly began to douse the flames, but the house no longer even remotely resembled what it had been before.
"We've got to get out of this rain..." Jenny turned and flew off again, ignoring the lightning strikes that rained down around them. She found her way to a small shack on the edge of town that Brad had showed her a long time ago. He liked to come here to get away from the world every now and again... well that was exactly what Jenny wanted right now.
She landed inside and resumed her body's normal shape, setting the girls on the small couch in the middle of the room. Brittany looked around curiously. "This is an odd little place."
"Nobody should look for us here..." Jenny stood up, muttering to herself. "As long as Brad doesn't lead them here..."
"So what exactly are we supposed to do now?" Tiffany demanded. "We can sit here as long as we want, but it won't solve a damn thing."
"Tiff, we're wet, we're cold, and we're all tired. We need to rest before we can do anything." Brittany said. Jenny looked back at her and smiled, giving her a slight nod. She was a robot and didn't need to rest... but there were more kinds of exhaustion than just physical. "All I want to know is how Mrs. Wakeman knew where to find us..."
"I don't think she built it or sent the cops there." Jenny stared out the window as the storm, which was slowly letting up at last. "She doesn't put the production numbers on her robots, and it seemed too... imperfect. Like it was a mindless drone."
"That only raises more questions." Tiffany grumbled. "My head's going to be as fried as my butt when my parents find out I torched the house while they were gone."
Jenny looked over at her curiously. "Your parents are gone too?"
"Work. It's not easy living that comfortably." Tiffany replied.
"I think it would be best if we all got some rest for the night." Brittany stood up from the couch, holding Jennifer close to her chest. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn in." She turned to head into the back, walking in the one bedroom of the place without batting an eyelash. Jenny and Tiffany exchanged a steady gaze, as if challenging each other over the right to the other half of the queen sized bed inside.
"Go ahead... I wouldn't feel the comfort anyway." Jenny ended the standoff and sat down on the couch, leaning back. She reached down and offhandedly pulled XJ-10's rapiers out of her stomach, dropping them on the floor. They had pierced through her casing, but missed her internal circuitry. If they hadn't missed she would have instantly deactivated.
"Good... 'cuz you know you owe me for dragging me into this." Tiffany got up and walked into the bedroom, leaving Jenny alone. That morning she had been alone but comfortable... one long day later and she was on the run from the police, her own mother, and that new robot. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes and plunged into sleep-mode to wait for the following day.
Her systems powered up to find Tiffany already awake early in the morning, a little before the sun had even begun to rise. The rain had let up during the night, leaving the land outside damp but blissfully devoid of lightning or wind. The TV in front of them was powered by a car battery Tuck had set up for that purpose, and was currently tuned to the news.
"You're awake awfully early." Jenny mused. "Bed not comfortable enough for you?"
"Who could sleep?" Tiffany grumbled. "I kept thinking I saw lights outside." She shook her head and looked over at Jenny. "I don't know why me and Brit are even here. They're after you, not us."
"They almost gassed both Brit and Jennifer to get me in trouble." Jenny replied. "You're not safe with them, not until we find a way to diffuse the situation. None of my friends are..." They both fell silent as the news anchor on TV droned on with the morning's happenings. None of her friends... what if they did something to Brad or Tuck? No... they couldn't know Jenny was friends with them. Sure her mom knew but she wouldn't turn them in... would she?
"In a startling twist in our usual reports involving super powerful robot XJ-9, it appears that the robot has turned renegade." As she anchor spoke a picture of Jenny in full battle formation appeared in the corner of the screen. "She disappeared late last night, kidnapping two of her classmates, Brittany Krust and Tiffany Krust."
"Kidnapping!?" Jenny exclaimed. Tiffany shushed her quickly.
"Four police officers have already been killed by this renegade, so remember, if you see her report it to the proper authorities immediately. She is to be considered heavily armed and very dangerous."
"I didn't hurt anyone!" Jenny jumped to her feet. "It must have been XJ-10... IT killed those people before it torched the place!"
"Sit down before you wake up the baby." Tiffany grabbed her arm and pulled her back down on the couch, staring at the TV.
"Several students who have had contact with the robot have already been brought in for questioning early this morning." The TV screen switched from the reporter to a view of two figures being led into the prison. They weren't handcuffed or anything, but the smaller one looked a little freaked while the older one tried to play it cool. Their faces were hard to make out because it was still raining on the tape, but the red hair was a dead giveaway.
"They arrested Brad and Tuck..." Jenny growled, clenching her fists. "Why that's the most low-down dirty... I'm going to get them!" Jenny turned to the door and stomped forward.
"Do it and they'll have you where they want you." Tiffany stopped her with a knowledgeable tone. "We gotta play it cool, something they wouldn't be looking for." Tiffany and Jenny looked back toward the bedroom door as Brittany pushed her way out, yawning and holding Jennifer up to one breast with part of her shirt pushed down. She stopped when she realized they were both staring at her.
"What? She's hungry." Brittany complained.
"The least likely conspirator in the world... a young mother." Tiffany grinned. Plans were made and time passed, until the sun found its way to the top of the gray, but relatively dry sky. The afternoon found Jenny and Tiffany perched on top of the small bank that across the street from the Tremorton Police Station. Brittany was walking toward it with Jennifer held firmly in her arms.
"Are we sure about this? They could be looking for you and Brit too." Jenny mused worriedly.
"But they didn't say anything about Jennifer. As far as the public knows, me and Brit are the only ones missing. They won't be looking for a girl with a daughter... I hope." Tiffany replied. It seemed odd to Jenny that Jennifer's disappearance would go unreported by the police... normally children going missing were the first things mentioned...
Jenny reached down and opened the hole in her palm, where she'd stuck a small walkey talkey. "Brit, I have a bad feeling about this... maybe you should get out of there."
"But I'm already in the prison cell area..." Brittany replied softly. The walkey talkey was hidden in Jennifer's blankets, so the sound was muffled, but Jenny could pick out her words as clear as day. "Give me a few minutes, I can at least make sure your friends aren't hurt." The walkey talkey fell silent and Jenny sat silently, waiting for another transmission.
"Come on girl, it doesn't take this long to check on someone." Tiffany grumbled.
"Something's wrong... I know it is..." Jenny activated the walkey talkey again. "Brit, get out of there now... they wouldn't hurt Brad and Tuck, it would be too embarrassing for them." Jenny released the frequency. The radio remained silent however. "Brit, talk to me."
A hauntingly hollow voice came back over the walkey talkey. "XJ-9, I know where you are. I know what you've done. I will find you." Jenny stared at her palm, her eyes going wide.
"H... hey... who is this!?" Jenny exclaimed. Tiffany stood up, clenching her fists. "If you want me come get me, just leave Brit alone!"
"Your time will come soon." The voice replied simply.
"Hey!" Jenny punched her palm, but no matter what she did static was the only response she got. "Brit... they caught her... they were ready for her..." She collapsed to her knees, staring at the small hole in her hand. "Nobody knew about Jennifer except us and the doctors who delivered her... how could they have been looking for a girl with a daughter?"
"Well this is just fantastic." Tiffany growled. "They actually locked her up... with her daughter! I swear if they try to take Jennifer from her I'll rip their lungs out!" She panted, squeezing he air in front of her like she had hold of XJ-10's throat. "And now everyone who might help us is in prison!"
"Maybe not..." Jenny looked to the side, spotting the top floor of the Tremorton Hospital halfway across the city. "If Sheldon's awake he could help us. They wouldn't think to look out for him, and he's good with robots. He could help us figure out what to do about XJ-10."
"Sounds about as good as any plan at this point." Tiffany grumped. So Jenny lifted her and dove into the alleys between the buildings, activating her pigtail engines to fly between them out of sight of everyone else. They reached the hospital soon and Jenny landed in an alley across the street. "I'm gonna go find out what room he's in, then you go find him."
"Right." Jenny nodded. Tiffany straightened her clothing and marched toward the hospital, going inside like she owned the place.
Jenny waited patiently in the alley, and was rewarded when Tiffany returned thirty minutes later. "Well... this may sound weird but... he's not here."
"What do you mean not here?" Jenny asked confusedly. "Are you telling me he got out and never came to see me? That's not like him at all."
"It gets worse. He got out two days after he was checked in." Tiffany added. "The doctors weren't sure he was fit to leave, but they couldn't hold him there against his will."
"So Sheldon's missing?" Jenny rubbed her head, which probably would have ached if she could feel pain. "Why does everything bad have to happen at once!?" She yelled in frustration.
"All this stuff might be related..." Tiffany replied. "But I'm not sure how. A psychotic geek, an overbearing mother, an informant, and a mysterious robot. It doesn't go together." She looked at Jenny with a discouraged expression on her face. "What are we supposed to do now, exactly? You could try to break Brit out of jail... but they're probably ready for you."
"I'm not breaking anything..." Jenny grumbled. "XJ-10 is obviously taking orders from someone, and those orders are to get me." She stroked her chin, narrowing her eyes. "I could lure out the police and XJ-10 to find its creator and prove that it wasn't me who killed those cops... and XJ-10's controller would probably be the informant."
"Sounds like a plan, but one problem... XJ-10 alone is as strong as you. Add in the whole Tremorton Police Department and you'd get your butt handed to you." Tiffany pointed out.
"Not if I'm right about how XJ-10 is programmed..." Jenny stood up. "You should find someplace to hide, Tiff... if I'm wrong you can at least find a way to escape the city."
"And go where? If I leave I got nothing, even my parents couldn't find me." Tiffany stood up beside her. "Besides, I don't quit on my cousin. I'm not resting until Brit is free." Jenny opened her mouth to complain again, but Tiffany slapped one hand over her mouth. "Just shut up and live with it."
"Fine... come on, we have to get going." Jenny grabbed her and took off through the sky again, making for the football stadium in the middle of town. She landed on the lip of the bowl, setting Tiffany beside the one-eighth-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Jenny reconfigured her left arm, pulling a small shell out of her leg with the other. She popped the shell into her newly formed cannon and raised it to the air, firing the shell at the clouds. It streaked high into the sky before detonating with a concussive blast, sending fire hurtling outward and toward the ground. The flames dissipated however before they touched the ground.
"That should get their attention. Now you wait here Tiff." Jenny activated her pigtail engines and flew up to the statues torch, sitting comfortably on the tip of the flame with her legs hanging down. The sun was surrounded by a dull gray sky, darkened by more approaching rain clouds. Barely thirty minutes had passed before flashing lights and sirens began to approach the stadium. Jenny looked down from her high perch to watch the police officers swarm around the building. "All I need now is XJ-10..." She looked around, but didn't see the other robot anywhere. Maybe its creator didn't see the explosion?
Her eyebrow quirked when she saw her mother enter the stadium alone. There were a handful of guards waiting at the entrance, but the vast majority of them were still outside. Mrs. Wakeman moved to the center of the field and looked around... probably looking for Jenny.
Jenny leapt off the torch and fell toward the ground, activating her pigtail engines at the last minute to soften her landing. Mrs. Wakeman whirled in surprise as Jenny stood up straight, facing her squarely.
"Come with me XJ-9..." Her creator began.
"I don't think so! I don't trust you!" Jenny smirked. "You arrested Brad and Tuck! And you detained Brit even though she had a kid! How sick is that!?"
"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Wakeman scratched her head. "Brad and Tuck were brought in for questioning, not arrested. And we didn't detain anyone... YOU broke into the police station and took someone who was visiting at the time. Don't you even remember?" Jenny's eyes widened, then narrowed darkly. She looked around, noticing the police officers slowly moving to surround her.
"It wasn't me, mother... please don't make me fight anyone." Jenny kept her body as straight as possible. Mrs. Wakeman shook her head and looked down. Her eyes widened when she saw the small holes in Jenny's stomach.
"XJ-9... you're damaged. Who could damage you?" Mrs. Wakeman asked.
Jenny's gaze stopped on a figure that was now standing on the other side of the stadium lip. Mrs. Wakeman followed her gaze to the shadowy figure, who had his arms crossed over his chest. "That's not the question... the important thing is, who did YOU damage?" A familiar, high-pitched voice shouted.
"Sheldon!?" Jenny exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here!? What's going on?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Sheldon made a beckoning hand gesture and XJ-10 floated up over the edge of the stadium, holding a bound and gagged Brittany in its arms. "Don't you know the results of the pain YOU caused!?" XJ-10 landed beside him, dropping the black girl to the ground. Brittany huffed in pain from the impact, curling into a ball.
"Another robot... that's what committed those other crimes..." Mrs. Wakeman muttered softly to herself.
"What are you going to do to her? And what did you do to Jennifer?" Jenny demanded. Sheldon didn't seem to hear her though.
"Ever since you came to school, I've done nothing but give my heart to you. Time and again I offered it to you, I helped you, and I did everything I could. But when it came time for you to make a choice... to help me... you abandoned me for HER!" He jerked his finger down to the limp form at his feet. "One of the most stuck up students in school. XJ-10... she'll never abandon me..."
Jenny stepped forward, clenching her fists tightly. "You built that thing because I wouldn't go out with you? Because you got a bump on the head? Well here I am... come and get me!"
"XJ-10, take her out!" Sheldon yelled. The second shadow leapt off the wall, the blades on her elbows extending outward. Jenny leapt back to avoid the slash, whirling again quickly to avoid the follow up kick. The police officers lunged to get out of the way as Jenny lurched back again, a pair of blades extending from each wrist.
XJ-10 and Jenny clashed again, their blades colliding amid a shower of sharks. Jenny thrust the blades back, slashing her opponent across the chest with all four blades. She was caught off guard when XJ-10 whirled, slashing her across the chest with one of the wing like waist blades. Jenny stumbled back, holding her chest.
XJ-10 lunged again, the blades on its elbows coming at Jenny in a wide arc. Jenny blocked them with her own blades as before, pushing the blades down and kicking XJ-10 in the face.
Jenny leapt forward as her opponent stumbled back, but to her surprise the robot suddenly lunged forward... going right underneath her with a powerful punch. Jenny landed and lashed backward with one foot, kicking XJ-10 in the back and sending it to its knees.
Jenny rushed to take advantage of the situation, but XJ-10 whirled to its back and lashed upward with a long blade extending from its palm. The blade pierced the center of XJ-9's stomach, plunging through several important pieces of hardware.
"Ugh..." Jenny grabbed the blade and snapped it off again with one arm while the other arm grabbed XJ-10 and hurled it across the stadium. It whirled in midair and landed on its feet off-balance, falling to the grass. Jenny hunched over, pulling the broken blade out of her stomach. Something was strange about XJ-10... it wasn't adapting...
Of course! XJ-10 was a physical copy of Jenny, but Sheldon wasn't good enough to create an artificial consciousness. All of its moves were pre-programmed based on the circumstances it found itself in. All Jenny had to do was create a circumstance Sheldon couldn't have foreseen, and XJ-10 would be completely powerless against her.
Jenny reached into the wound in her stomach, pulling a pair of wires out. Her body twitched with weakness and the surrounding observers gasped in surprise. Jenny wrapped the wires around the bottom of her right arms' wrist blades. This sent a constant surge of electricity through them... electricity that would give XJ-10 a nice surprise. Jenny herself was protected by a series of buffers she was sure Sheldon wouldn't have thought to install.
Jenny watched XJ-10 climb to its feet, another pair of blades extending from its arms. Jenny held up one hand and beckoned it forward, keeping the electrified blades behind her back. XJ-10 rushed at her, bringing the long blade around in a wide arc.
Jenny thrust the electrified blades forward to block. When the blades touched, a jolt ran through XJ-10's blade, straight into its main circuitry. Jenny pressed the attack, the electrified blades colliding with XJ-10's blade every few seconds. The almost constant stream of electricity was quickly eroding her opponent's circuits. XJ-10 twitched and stumbled back, letting Jenny leap forward and plunge the blades into its chest.
XJ-10 twitched spastically, but despite that its knee length pigtails slowly turned upward. Jenny looked up in surprise as electrical energy ran between them, building up steam like a bomb ready to go off. A suicide attack... given Sheldon's state of mind, she should have seen that coming.
She yanked her blade out and turned to the others. "Get out of here now!" She shouted. The police officers rushed to leave, but Mrs. Wakeman stayed on the other side of the field, watching her steadily. Jenny shook her head and ran to get her as XJ-10 began to surge with power, the hum of electricity filling the air around it.
Without warning a crack of thunder exploded across the sky, and a pearl white streak cut the air. It cut through XJ-10 like a knife on its way to the ground. The energy that had been built was dissipated instantly, and the robot slowly collapsed to its back. Jenny looked back, a slight smirk on her face. Of course, electrical conductors attracted lightning... and those were some powerful conductors Sheldon built.
"It doesn't matter!" Sheldon screamed. Jenny and Mrs. Wakeman whirled to see Sheldon holding Brittany over the edge of the bowl. It was a long way down the other side, and Jenny wasn't sure she could get there in time. "She's the reason you abandoned me anyway... if she suffers, then you'll suffer!"
"You hurt her or Jennifer and I swear I'll kill you Sheldon!" Jenny shouted back. Mrs. Wakeman gave her a sidelong glance, but Jenny wasn't about to apologize or relent.
"You already killed me inside..." Sheldon pushed Brittany over the edge and Jenny took off flying as fast as she could. She didn't have to rush though, because Tiffany lurched out from one of the ladders that led up to the top and grabbed the rope around Brittany's torso before she could fall. "Hey, let go of her!" Sheldon stomped on her spine, drawing out a sharp cry of pain.
"SHELDON!" Jenny streaked down and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, hauling him high into the air. Sheldon screamed in surprise and fear, but Jenny only went higher. "Tell me what you did with Brit's daughter! Where is she!?"
"What, do you think I'd hurt a baby? I left her at my mom's house..." Sheldon replied. "Come on Jenny, let me go!"
"Suits me fine." Jenny stopped her ascent, letting her fingers begin to loosen. Sheldon looked down, realizing they were still hovering higher than the tallest buildings in Tremorton.
"No! Don't let me go!" He clutched at her arm. "Don't let me go Jenny!" He squeezed his eyes shut, bursting into tears and sobbing. "I'm begging you... don't kill me..." He sobbed. Jenny stared at him steadily. Killing was what had caused all of this... she'd lost her temper because someone had attacked Brittany. Was she going to make the same mistake twice? Was the going to become what her creator thought she was? A killer?
Jenny began their descent, tightening her grip on his shirt again. When they reached the ground Jenny pushed her former friend to the ground, staring down at him. "Don't come near me or Brit again..."
Sheldon nodded furiously as several police officers surrounded him to take him away. Jenny looked up to find Brittany and Tiffany sitting on top of the stadium lip together, both unharmed. The robot sighed and looked down, watching her creator approach calmly.
"Now do you understand why it's best for you to be removed from the rest of society? Your power makes you dangerous when bad things happen." Mrs. Wakeman said. "You must remain calm at all times... and that's impossible in these conditions."
"No, mother..." Jenny shook her head, surveying the commotion around her. "I still want to be a part of society... but I do need your help with something." Jenny looked over at her creator, who was staring back curiously. "Help me learn how to control my emotions..." Mrs. Wakeman smiled slightly and nodded.
"That sounds like a reasonable compromise." She put one hand on Jenny's shoulder gently. She turned to leave, but Jenny called after her.
"One more thing." Jenny said. Mrs. Wakeman turned around again. "Were they really trying to gas a two-week old baby at Brit's place the other night?"
Mrs. Wakeman shook her head. "Of course not... we knew you would get them out of the building... or attack us. It was a test, to see how much you were malfunctioning. And you passed with flying colors." She waved and gave her a half smile before turning to leave the stadium. Jenny sighed and looked up at the Krust cousins on the side of the stadium.
She activated her pigtail engines and floated up to them, landing in front of them. A steady wind was blowing as the rain storm from the night before began to pick up steam again. "Brit..." Jenny began. She didn't have time to continue before Brittany got up and flung her arms around the robot, burying her face in her neck.
"Thank you Jenny... that robot jumped me in the prison... I didn't even have a chance to get away. But Jennifer..." Brittany's voice cracked.
"She's fine... Sheldon says she's at his place. I'm going to go get her now." Jenny replied. Brittany heaved a huge sigh of relief, though she was still shaking from worry. "You both can come with me if you want." Brittany nodded and climbed into her arms, but Tiffany shook her head.
"I have to find a new place to stay until they can rebuild my house." Tiffany explained. Jenny nodded and took off across the dull gray sky. It was a dark day, but to Jenny it seemed darker than just her eyes perceived.
They landed in front of Sheldon's house and knocked. An older woman opened the door, holding a baby in her arms. She looked frightened, looking over them and clutching the baby to her chest. "Wh... who are you?" She asked.
"Jennifer!" Brittany lunged and grabbed the baby before the older woman could react, clutching it to her chest. "Oh God I'm so glad you're okay..." Jennifer cooed happily for a change, waving her little arms around.
"Head down to the police station, ma'am..." Jenny told the confused looking woman. "They can explain everything there." The woman nodded and rushed down the sidewalk, still looking frightened. Sheldon must have given her quite a shock with his diabolical plans.
"Let's go home Jenny..." Brittany moved closer to her. Jenny looked down and put a hand on her chest, keeping her away. "Jenny? What's going on?"
"I can't be your girlfriend anymore... Brit." Jenny said.
"Why not?" Brittany cocked her head to the side, her eyes brimming with tears. Whether they were from this new revelation or from finding Jennifer alive Jenny wasn't sure, but the effect was the same.
"I'm... dangerous right now." Jenny replied. "My mom was right about that... if my emotions get away from me I could seriously hurt someone. That's what this was all about. I have to learn to control my feelings... until then I can't let myself feel anything too intense... like love."
"How long will it be?" Brittany asked softly.
"I don't know..." Jenny raised one hand and ran it over Brittany's cheek, giving her a gentle smile.
"Well we'll be waiting." Brittany smiled slightly, looking down at Jennifer in her arms. Jenny smiled and nodded back wordlessly as her pigtail engines activated. She took off into the sky, flying through the air. She had no idea how long it would be before she could trust herself to love again. It could be days... weeks... or even decades. She didn't expect Brittany to wait that long, no matter she said...
With a soft sigh she turned to head back home, for once looking forward to the peaceful solitude of her bedroom. Still despite how terrible the last two days had been... it would probably turn out for the best. But whatever happened, she wouldn't give up to responsibilities as a hero. Because that's what she was. Even if her mom made her as a weapon... Jenny decided what she would be. Maybe in the future she would be more, but for now, being a hero was enough.
THE END
Lightning was the only thing to pierce the blanket of rain that coated the city of Tremorton. It fell in droves on a black-clad group gathered around a small stone embedded into the ground, with a mound formed in front of it. One man stood at the head of the group behind the headstone, holding an umbrella over his head so the falling rain wouldn't ruin the small book from which he was reading.
"All things of this Earth... must one day return to the Earth." He spoke in a firm, yet oddly comforting tone of voice. "Today... we at once mourn and celebrate the returning of Tyler Davidson. We mourn that he is beyond our reach... and we celebrate that he is in a better place now." A woman near the middle of the group burst into tears, burying her face in her handkerchief.
Jenny looked down at the ground guiltily, wishing she was anywhere but there at that moment. She was wearing a black raincoat to keep the water out of her system. She was the one who'd killed Tyler... she'd put a fist through his chest... it didn't matter that it had been self-defense. She wanted to leave, but her creator standing beside her kept a firm grip on her arm. She couldn't physically stop the robot from leaving, but her influence was more than enough.
"May this boy find peace in the land from which we've all grown... amen." The gathered group responded with a solemn 'amen' as the priest nodded and turned to leave. The gathered crowd began to dissipate. Jenny turned to leave, but Mrs. Wakeman held fast to her arm, moving toward the Davidsons.
"No, mom, please..." Jenny muttered desperately.
"You're going to confront them XJ-9. I want you to see what 'feelings' really bring." Mrs. Wakeman dragged her up to the Davidsons. Mrs. Davidson had her face buried in her husband's shoulder. He was stroking her back, with tears running freely down his own face. "Excuse me... we had to offer our condolences... after all it was XJ-9 who was responsible for this..." She said, pulling Jenny over to face them.
"Thank you..." Mr. Davidson replied with a demure smile. "We know what happened... and we don't blame Jenny for it... but..." He choked up, shaking his head. Jenny looked away, trying to keep her eyes anywhere rather than meet their gaze. Mrs. Wakeman stared at her, and finally nodded.
"I'll stop by later to see how I can help..." Jenny's creator patted one of Mr. Davidson's shoulders before turning to head toward her car, pulling Jenny along behind her. Jenny remained silent until they climbed in the car and Mrs. Wakeman began the short drive home.
"You wanted to feel so badly XJ-9... you wanted to feel everything we feel." Mrs. Wakeman smirked. "How does it feel now? Is it everything you expected?" She asked. Jenny remained silent, letting the soft pitter-pat of raindrops on the roof fill the uncomfortable silence inside the vehicle. "I created you as a hero..."
"You created me as a weapon." Jenny retorted acidly.
"You're better than us XJ-9." Mrs. Wakeman insisted, turning to stare at Jenny. "And you're going to realize it." She pulled up to their house and climbed out. Jenny headed for the house door before Mrs. Wakeman could even get her car door the entire way open. "Before you try to 'improve' yourself again, remember what you saw today." Jenny stopped in mid-stride. "Learn your lesson XJ-9. You're not meant to be human... you're meant to be a protector."
"My name is Jenny." Jenny replied simply before marching inside, heading upstairs and slamming her bedroom door. She marched over to the bed and sat down, gripping the sheets tightly. It had been two weeks since the incident at Brittany's house... and she hadn't been allowed to leave her house for a moment. She hadn't seen any of her friends... she hadn't even gone to school. Things were going back to how they had been before Tuck found her...
"I don't want this!" She stood up and marched to the window, crossing her arms over her chest. She wanted to go to Brittany's... she wanted to be with her. Why was that so damn wrong? Was her mother afraid that she would hurt someone else...? No... she was worried she would lose her weapon... that was all she cared about. She never showed the slightest interest in what Jenny wanted...
"Forget it then..." Jenny pushed the window open and activated her repaired pigtail engines, taking off through the rain and thunder toward the mansion in the middle of the city. She landed and walked up to the large double doors, already feeling the water beginning to leak through the cracks in her frame. She knocked loudly.
The door opened a few moments later. Tiffany cocked her head to the side curiously. "Well... it's the recluse. What brings you out of your hole?"
"I wasn't in a hole, just my house..." Jenny replied. Tiffany rolled her eyes, but Jenny decided to ignore it. "I just need a place to stay for a while... my mother wouldn't be happy to find me..." Jenny replied. Tiffany's eyes narrowed appreciatively.
"You ran away from home? Damn girl, that's some guts." Tiffany stepped back to let Jenny enter. "Brit's in the living room feeding Jennifer."
"Thank you." Jenny replied. Tiffany nodded and turned to head into the kitchen, so Jenny made her way into the living room. Brittany was sitting on the couch, holding the baby up to one of her breasts so it could drink to its heart's content. Jenny paused when she saw the black girl... it had been two weeks... could things have changed in such a short time? "Good afternoon... Brit..."
Brittany looked up in surprise, her face lighting up when she saw the robot. "Jenny, I was beginning to think Mrs. Wakeman disassembled you!" She smiled and gestured to an empty seat on the couch. "Have a seat, Jennifer should be asleep soon. She's been awake since three this morning..." She grumbled and heaved a soft sigh.
"Thanks..." Jenny walked over and sat on the couch, putting her hands in her lap nervously. "Brit... I didn't see you at Tyler's funeral..." She said. "Everyone said you should have been there... since he was your daughter's father and all." She said.
"That a few specks of his genes float in my daughter's blood doesn't tie me to him at all." Brittany scowled. "And to hell with anyone who thinks it does... Ow." She winced and looked down at Jennifer, who had bitten down a little too hard on her nipple. She sighed and watched the baby feed.
Tiffany walked into the living room wearing a long red raincoat. "I think I'm gonna head out for a while Brit." She said.
"What? Why?" Brittany asked.
"Personal stuff." Tiffany grinned and winked before turning to leave, closing the front door behind her. Brittany rolled her eyes while Jenny scratched her head in confusion.
"Personal stuff?" Jenny mused.
"Forget about it..." Brittany looked down, noticing that Jennifer had finally stopped suckling. "Give me a moment, and I'll go put Jennifer to bed." Jenny nodded, watching Brittany get up and head into the back toward the bedrooms.
The robot blinked in surprise when her chestplate opened and the 3-D image generator emerged in front of her. Mrs. Wakeman looked positively livid with rage. "XJ-9! What do you think you're doing leaving the house without permission!? I have half a mind to remove your free-will circuitry!" She screamed. "Where are you?" The screen started to turn, but Jenny caught it.
"No, mother!" Jenny pulled the screen back to face her. "I'm not coming back until you realize that I don't WANT to be a weapon! I want to live my life! And to Hell with you if you don't agree!" She gripped the screen and pushed as hard as she could, pushing it away from her until the circuits that linked it to her chest severed.
The screen went dark as she yanked it right out of her chest cavity before throwing it across the room where it shattered into dozens of pieces against the wall. Jenny's chestplate closed as she leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms over her chest when Brittany entered again. This time she was alone, and wearing a shirt.
"It must be rather serious this time." Brittany commented as she moved to the couch. Jenny stared at the shattered pieces of the image generator, knowing she'd just crossed a bridge she might not be able to get back over again.
"She wants me to stay in my room forever, like before... but I can't go back to that after I've experienced what all there is out here." Jenny sighed.
"Then don't go back." Brittany suggested. "She can't keep you there, that's slavery." She smiled slightly and put one hand on the robot's shoulder. "You're free to stay here with me if you wish. My parents don't come around much, so it will basically be just us."
"Where are your parents? Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing them in all the times I've come here." Jenny asked.
"Out working... paying for all of this." Brittany gestured broadly to the house around them, which was indeed rather large and well furnished. "They don't even know about Jennifer yet... God knows how they'll react when they do find out." She shook her head and sighed. Jenny looked down at the carpet, trying to imagine what it would be like to be really alone...
"Whatever they say... I'll be here for you." Jenny reached over and squeezed Brittany's shoulder. The girl looked over at her and smiled, reaching over to pull her into a firm hug. "We just have to stick together. Everything will work out if we do." Jenny wrapped her arms around Brittany, leaning her cheek against hers.
"Quite right." Brittany nodded and stroked Jenny's back. "They can't touch us..." She turned the robot's head with one gentle hand so she could kiss her on the lips. Jenny closed her eyes as Brittany deepened the kiss, her arms clasping tighter around the robot's torso.
After six months, Jenny knew how to act. She also knew full well where all of Brittany's pleasure centers were... and in what order to stimulate them. Her hard drive stored all of the information until she needed it... and when she called it up, she could send her lover through the clouds in a matter of minutes. But she also knew Brittany liked to take her time.
The two figures sat intertwined on the couch, Brittany's clothing soon finding its way to the carpet. Her dark, smooth skin shone in the lightning flashes from the storm still raging outside, pierced by her soft moans and panting as Jenny expertly ran her hands up and down her body.
Their motions stopped when a small piercing wail broke through the sound of rain hitting the roof. Jenny looked over her shoulder and Brittany rolled her head back onto the couch. "Bloody blasted..." Brittany trailed off and gently pushed Jenny off of her. "Excuse me, I need to go kill myself." She stood up and headed toward the back, grabbing a robe from her room and slipping it on before entering the baby's bedroom.
Jenny watched with an amused smile, sitting back on the couch. Children apparently weren't much good for relationships. Oh well... she could make sure she made it up to Brittany later on.
The robot stood to head into the baby's bedroom... but stopped when she saw a red light flash through one of the front windows. She crept up to the window and cautiously pushed the curtain aside. Her eyes went wide when she saw at least a dozen police cruisers parked out front, barely visible under the heavy and oppressive rainfall. Her mother was standing in front of them all with a smug look on her face.
"I don't believe it... she called the police on me!" Jenny shouted angrily. She pushed herself away from the window, fuming and clenching her fists. "That does it... I'm not going to take this lying down!"
Brittany rushed out of the bedroom, holding a small bundle in her arms. "What's all that yelling about Jenny?" She asked. Before the robot could respond something broke through the window, landing on the floor with a dull thud. "Is that a... grenade!?" She'd barely finished speaking when a thick white gas began issuing forth into the room.
"Cover your mouth!" Jenny lunged through the smoke to push Brittany toward the back. Brittany was too busy trying to cover her daughter's face with the thin blanket in a vain attempt to keep the smoke away from her. "Come on, away from the smoke!" Jenny pulled her toward the stairs, rushing up as fast as she could. It didn't make any sense... if they came for Jenny why would they use gas grenades? They knew she didn't breathe... were they aiming to knock out Brittany?
More grenades broke through the windows in the back, blocking the bottom of the stairs with thick, voluminous smoke. Brittany stumbled back, coughing and trying to keep her daughter's face covered. Jennifer was screaming through the thin fabric, startled by the noise. A lightning flash erupted outside the window, revealing a line of officers surrounding even the back door.
"That's it... enough games." Jenny raised her arm, aiming it straight at the guards outside. Her elbow split in half and a laser sight raised out of it while a barrel emerged from her palm. She took aim, but Brittany grabbed her arm and pushed it aside.
"Don't, Jenny... remember what your mother said..." Brittany broke into a coughing fit. Jenny paused, looking through her memory. She soon found it... 'Just be more careful in the future... if it happens again there won't be anything I can do.' Of course... they were trying to make her fight back. If she attacked them they would have legal cause to retain her... possibly even dismantle her. It seemed unreal that her mother would plan something like that... but it was the only conclusion she could reach.
Brittany heaved a heavy cough, leaning against one wall. She kept the blanket over her daughter's face to protect her, ignoring the smoke filling her own lungs. "We're getting out of here..." Jenny pointed her cannon toward the ceiling and opened fire. The emerald blue lasers cut through the entire house, punching through into the cloud-covered sky.
She knelt down and lifted Brittany off the ground. The girl held the screaming baby firmly in her arms as a pair of bladelike wings spread from Jenny's shoulder blades, each tipped with an engine the size of her foot. Fire erupted from them, and she soared up through the hole in the ceiling, emerging into the storm overhead.
She saw her mother watching her from the ground as the scene faded behind them, lost to the wind and rain. Jennifer's wailing was the only sound that cut through the rain aside from the occasional crack of thunder that lit up the city. They needed a place to stay... but Brad lived too close to her mother and Sheldon was still in the hospital for the concussion he'd suffered. That left only one option...
They landed shortly at a nearby house, soaking wet in the middle of the rainstorm. Jenny could feel the liquid leaking into her body, making her twitch somewhat, but it wasn't bad enough to disable her. She knocked loudly, and they waited until the door was finally pulled open.
"Brit? Jenny? What's goin' on?" Tiffany exclaimed in surprise.
"We need a place to hide out for a while..." Brittany replied softly. Jennifer was screaming from fear and the cold, and Jenny was staring in the other direction at the sky.
"Sure... come on in." Tiffany moved aside and let them walk inside. Brittany moved into the living room and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, rocking the crying baby back and forth. Jenny marched into the kitchen and pulled her belly button bolt out, letting the water in her body trickle into the sink. When all the liquid was purged she screwed the bolt back in.
Tiffany approached Brittany and put a thick towel around her shoulders. She brought a smaller towel for Jennifer, so they removed the sopping wet clothes and wrapped her up in the towel. This seemed to calm her down somewhat, though she still whimpered. "What happened? What are you hiding from?" Tiffany asked.
"It's a long story." Jenny walked back into the living room, carrying a warm mug of cocoa. She held it out to Brittany, who smiled and accepted it. "I'm... sorry I dragged you into this Brit. If I'd stayed home you wouldn't be a fugitive with me..." She sighed.
"Hey, don't fret over it." Brittany flashed her a comforting smile. "Stuff happens." Jenny sat down on the couch beside her, with Tiffany still sitting on her other side.
"By the way, Tiff... didn't you say you had something personal to do? What are you doing home so early?" Jenny asked. Tiffany blinked while Brittany burst into laughter. Jenny looked back and forth between them with a blush spreading across her cheeks. There was something she should have figured out... she hated when that happened.
"I think I took care of it." Tiffany replied with an amused grin on her face. Brittany chuckled and Jenny looked over at the window. A lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the horizon outside the window for an instant. The robot blinked... there was a black shape outlined against the lightning bolt. Someone was outside the house.
Jenny stood and approached the door. "Is something the matter Jenny?" Brittany asked. Jenny gestured for them to be quiet and gripped the doorknob, slowly pulling it open. The rain still fell in waves, and another lighting strike lit up the area. This time there was nothing there... could there be something wrong with her eyes?
Without warning a blue cone of energy slammed into her stomach, sending her hurtling back into the living room. Brittany and Tiffany lunged out of the way right before the robot slammed into the couch, smashing it into pieces and rolling to a stop in front of the fireplace. "Jenny! Are you okay!?" Brittany shouted.
"I'm fine..." Jenny pushed herself to her knees, staring at the door. A shape was clearly outlined in the door. It stepped forward into the building, finally being illuminated enough for them to see it... it was a copy of Jenny. Its body structure was the same, but its pigtails were razor sharp and extended down to its knees. It had another pair of wing-like blades sticking out the back of its waist and still another pair sticking out from its elbows, though those were aimed upward instead of down like the others. Its hair and armor pieces were painted black, and its eyes were pools of white without pupils. On its chest, in red paint, was the name 'XJ-10'.
"A friend of yours?" Tiffany asked. Jenny didn't respond, staring at the copy and clenching her fists. Her mother couldn't have built it... Jenny had only left two hours ago. She wouldn't build another in the XJ series while Jenny was still there... would she?
"As if I didn't have enough to deal with..." Jenny's fingers drew into her palms, letting five blades extend from the holes they normally occupied. XJ-10 raised its arms, the same blades extending from its hands. "Brit, Tiff, get out of here."
"As if we have anywhere else to go." Tiffany scoffed. "You guys ran from Brit's place, and I'm guessing your mom wouldn't be too happy to see us." Jenny narrowed her eyes. She was right... so Jenny had to get rid of this robot without causing too much damage to the building.
She braced herself as XJ-10 lunged forward, bringing its blades around in a pair of wide arcs. The two robots' blades met in a shower of sparks, but Jenny thrust downward, driving her opponent's blades into the ground and leaping over them with a whirling kick. Jenny landed in a crowd while XJ-10 stumbled back, yanking its blades out of the floor.
Jenny retracted her finger-blades as she lunged, letting a pair of rapiers emerge from the palms of her hands. XJ-10 followed suit, blocking her thrusts with two quick outward parries. It thrust one leg forward, slamming it into Jenny's stomach hard enough to drive her into the wall beside the fireplace. Jenny pulled herself out of the indent, but XJ-10 pressed the attack, plunging both rapiers into her stomach.
"Jenny!" Brittany and Tiffany shouted. Jenny looked down in surprise, then up into the cold white eyes of her opponent. The sound of approaching sirens was interrupted by another lightning strike, making the robot's entire frame flash with white light.
"Let go of me..." Jenny grabbed the blades and twisted her arms, snapping them in half before back fisting XJ-10 across the face. The other robot fell to the ground, suddenly flashing red and blue from the police lights flooding into the room from outside.
"Our informant was right, XJ-9 has to be inside!" A rough man's voice shouted from outside.
"We've got to get out of here!" Jenny exclaimed. Brittany and Tiffany nodded wordlessly, but all Jennifer did was coo, having yelled herself to sleep long ago. The sound of footsteps approaching the door prompted all three of them to rush upstairs before they were discovered. On the second floor Jenny grabbed both of the girls, running for the far window.
Two sets of steel wings opened from her back like a butterfly before she broke through the window, sailing into the dark rainfall outside. Her legs retracted into her torso, replaced by a massive engine that propelled them away from the scene.
"My house!" Tiffany screamed. Jenny and Brittany looked back to see the entire building surging with electrical energy. The following explosion was powerful enough to knock Jenny off balance and send a fireball high into the sky. The rain quickly began to douse the flames, but the house no longer even remotely resembled what it had been before.
"We've got to get out of this rain..." Jenny turned and flew off again, ignoring the lightning strikes that rained down around them. She found her way to a small shack on the edge of town that Brad had showed her a long time ago. He liked to come here to get away from the world every now and again... well that was exactly what Jenny wanted right now.
She landed inside and resumed her body's normal shape, setting the girls on the small couch in the middle of the room. Brittany looked around curiously. "This is an odd little place."
"Nobody should look for us here..." Jenny stood up, muttering to herself. "As long as Brad doesn't lead them here..."
"So what exactly are we supposed to do now?" Tiffany demanded. "We can sit here as long as we want, but it won't solve a damn thing."
"Tiff, we're wet, we're cold, and we're all tired. We need to rest before we can do anything." Brittany said. Jenny looked back at her and smiled, giving her a slight nod. She was a robot and didn't need to rest... but there were more kinds of exhaustion than just physical. "All I want to know is how Mrs. Wakeman knew where to find us..."
"I don't think she built it or sent the cops there." Jenny stared out the window as the storm, which was slowly letting up at last. "She doesn't put the production numbers on her robots, and it seemed too... imperfect. Like it was a mindless drone."
"That only raises more questions." Tiffany grumbled. "My head's going to be as fried as my butt when my parents find out I torched the house while they were gone."
Jenny looked over at her curiously. "Your parents are gone too?"
"Work. It's not easy living that comfortably." Tiffany replied.
"I think it would be best if we all got some rest for the night." Brittany stood up from the couch, holding Jennifer close to her chest. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn in." She turned to head into the back, walking in the one bedroom of the place without batting an eyelash. Jenny and Tiffany exchanged a steady gaze, as if challenging each other over the right to the other half of the queen sized bed inside.
"Go ahead... I wouldn't feel the comfort anyway." Jenny ended the standoff and sat down on the couch, leaning back. She reached down and offhandedly pulled XJ-10's rapiers out of her stomach, dropping them on the floor. They had pierced through her casing, but missed her internal circuitry. If they hadn't missed she would have instantly deactivated.
"Good... 'cuz you know you owe me for dragging me into this." Tiffany got up and walked into the bedroom, leaving Jenny alone. That morning she had been alone but comfortable... one long day later and she was on the run from the police, her own mother, and that new robot. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes and plunged into sleep-mode to wait for the following day.
Her systems powered up to find Tiffany already awake early in the morning, a little before the sun had even begun to rise. The rain had let up during the night, leaving the land outside damp but blissfully devoid of lightning or wind. The TV in front of them was powered by a car battery Tuck had set up for that purpose, and was currently tuned to the news.
"You're awake awfully early." Jenny mused. "Bed not comfortable enough for you?"
"Who could sleep?" Tiffany grumbled. "I kept thinking I saw lights outside." She shook her head and looked over at Jenny. "I don't know why me and Brit are even here. They're after you, not us."
"They almost gassed both Brit and Jennifer to get me in trouble." Jenny replied. "You're not safe with them, not until we find a way to diffuse the situation. None of my friends are..." They both fell silent as the news anchor on TV droned on with the morning's happenings. None of her friends... what if they did something to Brad or Tuck? No... they couldn't know Jenny was friends with them. Sure her mom knew but she wouldn't turn them in... would she?
"In a startling twist in our usual reports involving super powerful robot XJ-9, it appears that the robot has turned renegade." As she anchor spoke a picture of Jenny in full battle formation appeared in the corner of the screen. "She disappeared late last night, kidnapping two of her classmates, Brittany Krust and Tiffany Krust."
"Kidnapping!?" Jenny exclaimed. Tiffany shushed her quickly.
"Four police officers have already been killed by this renegade, so remember, if you see her report it to the proper authorities immediately. She is to be considered heavily armed and very dangerous."
"I didn't hurt anyone!" Jenny jumped to her feet. "It must have been XJ-10... IT killed those people before it torched the place!"
"Sit down before you wake up the baby." Tiffany grabbed her arm and pulled her back down on the couch, staring at the TV.
"Several students who have had contact with the robot have already been brought in for questioning early this morning." The TV screen switched from the reporter to a view of two figures being led into the prison. They weren't handcuffed or anything, but the smaller one looked a little freaked while the older one tried to play it cool. Their faces were hard to make out because it was still raining on the tape, but the red hair was a dead giveaway.
"They arrested Brad and Tuck..." Jenny growled, clenching her fists. "Why that's the most low-down dirty... I'm going to get them!" Jenny turned to the door and stomped forward.
"Do it and they'll have you where they want you." Tiffany stopped her with a knowledgeable tone. "We gotta play it cool, something they wouldn't be looking for." Tiffany and Jenny looked back toward the bedroom door as Brittany pushed her way out, yawning and holding Jennifer up to one breast with part of her shirt pushed down. She stopped when she realized they were both staring at her.
"What? She's hungry." Brittany complained.
"The least likely conspirator in the world... a young mother." Tiffany grinned. Plans were made and time passed, until the sun found its way to the top of the gray, but relatively dry sky. The afternoon found Jenny and Tiffany perched on top of the small bank that across the street from the Tremorton Police Station. Brittany was walking toward it with Jennifer held firmly in her arms.
"Are we sure about this? They could be looking for you and Brit too." Jenny mused worriedly.
"But they didn't say anything about Jennifer. As far as the public knows, me and Brit are the only ones missing. They won't be looking for a girl with a daughter... I hope." Tiffany replied. It seemed odd to Jenny that Jennifer's disappearance would go unreported by the police... normally children going missing were the first things mentioned...
Jenny reached down and opened the hole in her palm, where she'd stuck a small walkey talkey. "Brit, I have a bad feeling about this... maybe you should get out of there."
"But I'm already in the prison cell area..." Brittany replied softly. The walkey talkey was hidden in Jennifer's blankets, so the sound was muffled, but Jenny could pick out her words as clear as day. "Give me a few minutes, I can at least make sure your friends aren't hurt." The walkey talkey fell silent and Jenny sat silently, waiting for another transmission.
"Come on girl, it doesn't take this long to check on someone." Tiffany grumbled.
"Something's wrong... I know it is..." Jenny activated the walkey talkey again. "Brit, get out of there now... they wouldn't hurt Brad and Tuck, it would be too embarrassing for them." Jenny released the frequency. The radio remained silent however. "Brit, talk to me."
A hauntingly hollow voice came back over the walkey talkey. "XJ-9, I know where you are. I know what you've done. I will find you." Jenny stared at her palm, her eyes going wide.
"H... hey... who is this!?" Jenny exclaimed. Tiffany stood up, clenching her fists. "If you want me come get me, just leave Brit alone!"
"Your time will come soon." The voice replied simply.
"Hey!" Jenny punched her palm, but no matter what she did static was the only response she got. "Brit... they caught her... they were ready for her..." She collapsed to her knees, staring at the small hole in her hand. "Nobody knew about Jennifer except us and the doctors who delivered her... how could they have been looking for a girl with a daughter?"
"Well this is just fantastic." Tiffany growled. "They actually locked her up... with her daughter! I swear if they try to take Jennifer from her I'll rip their lungs out!" She panted, squeezing he air in front of her like she had hold of XJ-10's throat. "And now everyone who might help us is in prison!"
"Maybe not..." Jenny looked to the side, spotting the top floor of the Tremorton Hospital halfway across the city. "If Sheldon's awake he could help us. They wouldn't think to look out for him, and he's good with robots. He could help us figure out what to do about XJ-10."
"Sounds about as good as any plan at this point." Tiffany grumped. So Jenny lifted her and dove into the alleys between the buildings, activating her pigtail engines to fly between them out of sight of everyone else. They reached the hospital soon and Jenny landed in an alley across the street. "I'm gonna go find out what room he's in, then you go find him."
"Right." Jenny nodded. Tiffany straightened her clothing and marched toward the hospital, going inside like she owned the place.
Jenny waited patiently in the alley, and was rewarded when Tiffany returned thirty minutes later. "Well... this may sound weird but... he's not here."
"What do you mean not here?" Jenny asked confusedly. "Are you telling me he got out and never came to see me? That's not like him at all."
"It gets worse. He got out two days after he was checked in." Tiffany added. "The doctors weren't sure he was fit to leave, but they couldn't hold him there against his will."
"So Sheldon's missing?" Jenny rubbed her head, which probably would have ached if she could feel pain. "Why does everything bad have to happen at once!?" She yelled in frustration.
"All this stuff might be related..." Tiffany replied. "But I'm not sure how. A psychotic geek, an overbearing mother, an informant, and a mysterious robot. It doesn't go together." She looked at Jenny with a discouraged expression on her face. "What are we supposed to do now, exactly? You could try to break Brit out of jail... but they're probably ready for you."
"I'm not breaking anything..." Jenny grumbled. "XJ-10 is obviously taking orders from someone, and those orders are to get me." She stroked her chin, narrowing her eyes. "I could lure out the police and XJ-10 to find its creator and prove that it wasn't me who killed those cops... and XJ-10's controller would probably be the informant."
"Sounds like a plan, but one problem... XJ-10 alone is as strong as you. Add in the whole Tremorton Police Department and you'd get your butt handed to you." Tiffany pointed out.
"Not if I'm right about how XJ-10 is programmed..." Jenny stood up. "You should find someplace to hide, Tiff... if I'm wrong you can at least find a way to escape the city."
"And go where? If I leave I got nothing, even my parents couldn't find me." Tiffany stood up beside her. "Besides, I don't quit on my cousin. I'm not resting until Brit is free." Jenny opened her mouth to complain again, but Tiffany slapped one hand over her mouth. "Just shut up and live with it."
"Fine... come on, we have to get going." Jenny grabbed her and took off through the sky again, making for the football stadium in the middle of town. She landed on the lip of the bowl, setting Tiffany beside the one-eighth-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Jenny reconfigured her left arm, pulling a small shell out of her leg with the other. She popped the shell into her newly formed cannon and raised it to the air, firing the shell at the clouds. It streaked high into the sky before detonating with a concussive blast, sending fire hurtling outward and toward the ground. The flames dissipated however before they touched the ground.
"That should get their attention. Now you wait here Tiff." Jenny activated her pigtail engines and flew up to the statues torch, sitting comfortably on the tip of the flame with her legs hanging down. The sun was surrounded by a dull gray sky, darkened by more approaching rain clouds. Barely thirty minutes had passed before flashing lights and sirens began to approach the stadium. Jenny looked down from her high perch to watch the police officers swarm around the building. "All I need now is XJ-10..." She looked around, but didn't see the other robot anywhere. Maybe its creator didn't see the explosion?
Her eyebrow quirked when she saw her mother enter the stadium alone. There were a handful of guards waiting at the entrance, but the vast majority of them were still outside. Mrs. Wakeman moved to the center of the field and looked around... probably looking for Jenny.
Jenny leapt off the torch and fell toward the ground, activating her pigtail engines at the last minute to soften her landing. Mrs. Wakeman whirled in surprise as Jenny stood up straight, facing her squarely.
"Come with me XJ-9..." Her creator began.
"I don't think so! I don't trust you!" Jenny smirked. "You arrested Brad and Tuck! And you detained Brit even though she had a kid! How sick is that!?"
"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Wakeman scratched her head. "Brad and Tuck were brought in for questioning, not arrested. And we didn't detain anyone... YOU broke into the police station and took someone who was visiting at the time. Don't you even remember?" Jenny's eyes widened, then narrowed darkly. She looked around, noticing the police officers slowly moving to surround her.
"It wasn't me, mother... please don't make me fight anyone." Jenny kept her body as straight as possible. Mrs. Wakeman shook her head and looked down. Her eyes widened when she saw the small holes in Jenny's stomach.
"XJ-9... you're damaged. Who could damage you?" Mrs. Wakeman asked.
Jenny's gaze stopped on a figure that was now standing on the other side of the stadium lip. Mrs. Wakeman followed her gaze to the shadowy figure, who had his arms crossed over his chest. "That's not the question... the important thing is, who did YOU damage?" A familiar, high-pitched voice shouted.
"Sheldon!?" Jenny exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here!? What's going on?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Sheldon made a beckoning hand gesture and XJ-10 floated up over the edge of the stadium, holding a bound and gagged Brittany in its arms. "Don't you know the results of the pain YOU caused!?" XJ-10 landed beside him, dropping the black girl to the ground. Brittany huffed in pain from the impact, curling into a ball.
"Another robot... that's what committed those other crimes..." Mrs. Wakeman muttered softly to herself.
"What are you going to do to her? And what did you do to Jennifer?" Jenny demanded. Sheldon didn't seem to hear her though.
"Ever since you came to school, I've done nothing but give my heart to you. Time and again I offered it to you, I helped you, and I did everything I could. But when it came time for you to make a choice... to help me... you abandoned me for HER!" He jerked his finger down to the limp form at his feet. "One of the most stuck up students in school. XJ-10... she'll never abandon me..."
Jenny stepped forward, clenching her fists tightly. "You built that thing because I wouldn't go out with you? Because you got a bump on the head? Well here I am... come and get me!"
"XJ-10, take her out!" Sheldon yelled. The second shadow leapt off the wall, the blades on her elbows extending outward. Jenny leapt back to avoid the slash, whirling again quickly to avoid the follow up kick. The police officers lunged to get out of the way as Jenny lurched back again, a pair of blades extending from each wrist.
XJ-10 and Jenny clashed again, their blades colliding amid a shower of sharks. Jenny thrust the blades back, slashing her opponent across the chest with all four blades. She was caught off guard when XJ-10 whirled, slashing her across the chest with one of the wing like waist blades. Jenny stumbled back, holding her chest.
XJ-10 lunged again, the blades on its elbows coming at Jenny in a wide arc. Jenny blocked them with her own blades as before, pushing the blades down and kicking XJ-10 in the face.
Jenny leapt forward as her opponent stumbled back, but to her surprise the robot suddenly lunged forward... going right underneath her with a powerful punch. Jenny landed and lashed backward with one foot, kicking XJ-10 in the back and sending it to its knees.
Jenny rushed to take advantage of the situation, but XJ-10 whirled to its back and lashed upward with a long blade extending from its palm. The blade pierced the center of XJ-9's stomach, plunging through several important pieces of hardware.
"Ugh..." Jenny grabbed the blade and snapped it off again with one arm while the other arm grabbed XJ-10 and hurled it across the stadium. It whirled in midair and landed on its feet off-balance, falling to the grass. Jenny hunched over, pulling the broken blade out of her stomach. Something was strange about XJ-10... it wasn't adapting...
Of course! XJ-10 was a physical copy of Jenny, but Sheldon wasn't good enough to create an artificial consciousness. All of its moves were pre-programmed based on the circumstances it found itself in. All Jenny had to do was create a circumstance Sheldon couldn't have foreseen, and XJ-10 would be completely powerless against her.
Jenny reached into the wound in her stomach, pulling a pair of wires out. Her body twitched with weakness and the surrounding observers gasped in surprise. Jenny wrapped the wires around the bottom of her right arms' wrist blades. This sent a constant surge of electricity through them... electricity that would give XJ-10 a nice surprise. Jenny herself was protected by a series of buffers she was sure Sheldon wouldn't have thought to install.
Jenny watched XJ-10 climb to its feet, another pair of blades extending from its arms. Jenny held up one hand and beckoned it forward, keeping the electrified blades behind her back. XJ-10 rushed at her, bringing the long blade around in a wide arc.
Jenny thrust the electrified blades forward to block. When the blades touched, a jolt ran through XJ-10's blade, straight into its main circuitry. Jenny pressed the attack, the electrified blades colliding with XJ-10's blade every few seconds. The almost constant stream of electricity was quickly eroding her opponent's circuits. XJ-10 twitched and stumbled back, letting Jenny leap forward and plunge the blades into its chest.
XJ-10 twitched spastically, but despite that its knee length pigtails slowly turned upward. Jenny looked up in surprise as electrical energy ran between them, building up steam like a bomb ready to go off. A suicide attack... given Sheldon's state of mind, she should have seen that coming.
She yanked her blade out and turned to the others. "Get out of here now!" She shouted. The police officers rushed to leave, but Mrs. Wakeman stayed on the other side of the field, watching her steadily. Jenny shook her head and ran to get her as XJ-10 began to surge with power, the hum of electricity filling the air around it.
Without warning a crack of thunder exploded across the sky, and a pearl white streak cut the air. It cut through XJ-10 like a knife on its way to the ground. The energy that had been built was dissipated instantly, and the robot slowly collapsed to its back. Jenny looked back, a slight smirk on her face. Of course, electrical conductors attracted lightning... and those were some powerful conductors Sheldon built.
"It doesn't matter!" Sheldon screamed. Jenny and Mrs. Wakeman whirled to see Sheldon holding Brittany over the edge of the bowl. It was a long way down the other side, and Jenny wasn't sure she could get there in time. "She's the reason you abandoned me anyway... if she suffers, then you'll suffer!"
"You hurt her or Jennifer and I swear I'll kill you Sheldon!" Jenny shouted back. Mrs. Wakeman gave her a sidelong glance, but Jenny wasn't about to apologize or relent.
"You already killed me inside..." Sheldon pushed Brittany over the edge and Jenny took off flying as fast as she could. She didn't have to rush though, because Tiffany lurched out from one of the ladders that led up to the top and grabbed the rope around Brittany's torso before she could fall. "Hey, let go of her!" Sheldon stomped on her spine, drawing out a sharp cry of pain.
"SHELDON!" Jenny streaked down and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, hauling him high into the air. Sheldon screamed in surprise and fear, but Jenny only went higher. "Tell me what you did with Brit's daughter! Where is she!?"
"What, do you think I'd hurt a baby? I left her at my mom's house..." Sheldon replied. "Come on Jenny, let me go!"
"Suits me fine." Jenny stopped her ascent, letting her fingers begin to loosen. Sheldon looked down, realizing they were still hovering higher than the tallest buildings in Tremorton.
"No! Don't let me go!" He clutched at her arm. "Don't let me go Jenny!" He squeezed his eyes shut, bursting into tears and sobbing. "I'm begging you... don't kill me..." He sobbed. Jenny stared at him steadily. Killing was what had caused all of this... she'd lost her temper because someone had attacked Brittany. Was she going to make the same mistake twice? Was the going to become what her creator thought she was? A killer?
Jenny began their descent, tightening her grip on his shirt again. When they reached the ground Jenny pushed her former friend to the ground, staring down at him. "Don't come near me or Brit again..."
Sheldon nodded furiously as several police officers surrounded him to take him away. Jenny looked up to find Brittany and Tiffany sitting on top of the stadium lip together, both unharmed. The robot sighed and looked down, watching her creator approach calmly.
"Now do you understand why it's best for you to be removed from the rest of society? Your power makes you dangerous when bad things happen." Mrs. Wakeman said. "You must remain calm at all times... and that's impossible in these conditions."
"No, mother..." Jenny shook her head, surveying the commotion around her. "I still want to be a part of society... but I do need your help with something." Jenny looked over at her creator, who was staring back curiously. "Help me learn how to control my emotions..." Mrs. Wakeman smiled slightly and nodded.
"That sounds like a reasonable compromise." She put one hand on Jenny's shoulder gently. She turned to leave, but Jenny called after her.
"One more thing." Jenny said. Mrs. Wakeman turned around again. "Were they really trying to gas a two-week old baby at Brit's place the other night?"
Mrs. Wakeman shook her head. "Of course not... we knew you would get them out of the building... or attack us. It was a test, to see how much you were malfunctioning. And you passed with flying colors." She waved and gave her a half smile before turning to leave the stadium. Jenny sighed and looked up at the Krust cousins on the side of the stadium.
She activated her pigtail engines and floated up to them, landing in front of them. A steady wind was blowing as the rain storm from the night before began to pick up steam again. "Brit..." Jenny began. She didn't have time to continue before Brittany got up and flung her arms around the robot, burying her face in her neck.
"Thank you Jenny... that robot jumped me in the prison... I didn't even have a chance to get away. But Jennifer..." Brittany's voice cracked.
"She's fine... Sheldon says she's at his place. I'm going to go get her now." Jenny replied. Brittany heaved a huge sigh of relief, though she was still shaking from worry. "You both can come with me if you want." Brittany nodded and climbed into her arms, but Tiffany shook her head.
"I have to find a new place to stay until they can rebuild my house." Tiffany explained. Jenny nodded and took off across the dull gray sky. It was a dark day, but to Jenny it seemed darker than just her eyes perceived.
They landed in front of Sheldon's house and knocked. An older woman opened the door, holding a baby in her arms. She looked frightened, looking over them and clutching the baby to her chest. "Wh... who are you?" She asked.
"Jennifer!" Brittany lunged and grabbed the baby before the older woman could react, clutching it to her chest. "Oh God I'm so glad you're okay..." Jennifer cooed happily for a change, waving her little arms around.
"Head down to the police station, ma'am..." Jenny told the confused looking woman. "They can explain everything there." The woman nodded and rushed down the sidewalk, still looking frightened. Sheldon must have given her quite a shock with his diabolical plans.
"Let's go home Jenny..." Brittany moved closer to her. Jenny looked down and put a hand on her chest, keeping her away. "Jenny? What's going on?"
"I can't be your girlfriend anymore... Brit." Jenny said.
"Why not?" Brittany cocked her head to the side, her eyes brimming with tears. Whether they were from this new revelation or from finding Jennifer alive Jenny wasn't sure, but the effect was the same.
"I'm... dangerous right now." Jenny replied. "My mom was right about that... if my emotions get away from me I could seriously hurt someone. That's what this was all about. I have to learn to control my feelings... until then I can't let myself feel anything too intense... like love."
"How long will it be?" Brittany asked softly.
"I don't know..." Jenny raised one hand and ran it over Brittany's cheek, giving her a gentle smile.
"Well we'll be waiting." Brittany smiled slightly, looking down at Jennifer in her arms. Jenny smiled and nodded back wordlessly as her pigtail engines activated. She took off into the sky, flying through the air. She had no idea how long it would be before she could trust herself to love again. It could be days... weeks... or even decades. She didn't expect Brittany to wait that long, no matter she said...
With a soft sigh she turned to head back home, for once looking forward to the peaceful solitude of her bedroom. Still despite how terrible the last two days had been... it would probably turn out for the best. But whatever happened, she wouldn't give up to responsibilities as a hero. Because that's what she was. Even if her mom made her as a weapon... Jenny decided what she would be. Maybe in the future she would be more, but for now, being a hero was enough.
THE END