Elemental Force
by WebMistressGina
Chapter 16 - Mind Games
Chip stood outside the Diner's door, arms folded in a classic reproduction of his father. A scowl on his face, he watched the people go past him and walk into the Diner, some giving him strange looks, to which he gave menacing ones of his own. Some of the binomes were beginning to wonder whether or not the boy was being treated right at home. "I knew that Matrix boy was way too rough and tumble to have children." said one binome mother. "It's a shame his daughter is the same way." said another. "I wish they had gotten more from AndrAIa's codes than his."
Chip could easily hear their conversations. He had gotten more from his mother, such as her incredibly hearing and sight. He knew what everyone thought of him, as a juvenile delinquent, but right now he didn't care. He was playing bodyguard to his twin cousins. After what happened to him in the alley with Gain, the boy took no chances. He walked them to school every second, as well walked them home afterwards. No matter where he was, he'd always be there when they needed him. It was times like this he wished Sabrina or Kit would come home. They were so much better at being the adults and protectors of their younger siblings. Chip sighed and went back to his stance.
He told his dad he'd be an adult and that's what he was doing.
AndrAIa walked along the sidewalk, headed to the Diner. She too was thinking about the mysterious stranger that had come into the system and the conversation they had just the other second. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something was very odd, if not troubling, about the young sprite. The way their conversation had shifted to her and her children wasn't setting well with the game sprite at all. She thought about telling her suspicions to Matrix or Dot, but had shaken them off as a bad impression. He probably just wanted to know what kind of system he was in.
Looking ahead, she saw Chip standing in front of the door, in a stance much like his father. Smiling, she walked over to him.
"Playing bodyguard, are you?" she asked, jokingly.
"You can say that." the boy replied.
"Mind if I ask who you're guarding?"
"Nikki and Jet." he said.
"I bet they're proud to know they've got a tough little man like you to protect them, huh?"
Chip tried to remain strong, but the redness coming to his cheeks told AndrAIa he wasn't that strong. "Mom..." he said, in embarrassment. "You're ruining the tough guy image. I'm supposed to be a renegade, a bodyguard. Now, I'm all flushed and embarrassed..."
AndrAIa laughed. "Sorry Chipper." she said, removing the boy's hat and messing up his hair. "Didn't mean to ruin your 'tough as nails' image."
"All right now, cut it out!" the boy giggled, as he was tickled. He immediately stopped laughing though, when he saw a familiar figure coming towards them.
Gain walked towards the two, a small grin ~more like a smirk to the two~ on his face. He loved seeing the flash of fear mother and son got as he came towards them. "AndrAIa." he said, addressing the game sprite. Smiling evilly at Chip, he said, "Chip." before walking into the Diner.
* * *
The uncertainly in the air lifted as two familiar sprites came back home. Kit and Sabrina were met by Phong and their parents as they left the ship they arrived on. Right away, Kit wanted to know the progress of Hexadecimal, as well any new developments in this odd and strange case. Sabrina just wanted to go home and go to bed, the long trip had worn her out. Secretly, she too wanted to know what was going, but was too tired to have much of an interest. The whole Mainframe family was reunited again.
To the sheer delight of a nonresident.
The next morning, Sabrina awoke in her own bed and in her own pajamas. Her room was just as she left it. And by the smells coming from the kitchen, nothing had changed. Taking a quick shower and booting into some shorts and a t-shirt, Bri ventured out into the hallway and the kitchen. "Good morning, Daddy dear." she sang, giving Matrix a kiss on the head. "Good morning, Mom."
"You're certainly in a good mood." her mother replied.
"It's good to be home." Seeing her brother, she said happily, "Rat boy."
"Fat cow." came the reply.
"Just once, could you two be civilized?" AndrAIa sighed. "Just once?"
"You're right, Mom." Sabrina replied, turning to her brother. "I see your head has shrunk." she said. "It's not as big as I remember it."
"That face lift you got has really taken away all those wrinkles you had before." Chip replied, with a smile.
AndrAIa just rolled her eyes.
Sabrina turned to grab her breakfast, as Chip replied, "I see you've lost that added weight. On both sides."
His sister turned, anger gleaming from her eyes, but instead she leaned over her brother. With a sweet smile, she said, "Tonight, when you're all nestled and snugly in your bed. I'm going to come in and strangle you."
"You say that all the time." the boy retorted, watching as his sister continued her task. "And you never do it."
"Of course not." Sabrina said, looking over her shoulder. "Too many witnesses."
The family sat down to breakfast. The perfect time in Sabrina's processor to bring up recent events. "So," she said. "What's the file here? What's going on?"
"Trouble with a capitol T." Chip muttered.
"That does narrow it down." Bri said, sarcastically. "No, really. What's up?"
"You know about the Hex thing?" Matrix asked.
"Everyone and their mom knows about the Hex thing." Sabrina sighed. "Other than that."
"You hear the one about Alexander Gain?" Chip asked.
"No." Bri breathed. "Who's that?"
"Just some guy from out of town." Matrix said, sending a look towards his son.
"Say what you will, Dad," the boy replied. "But I'm telling you, he's not who he seems."
"And what makes you such the hot authority on the matter?" Sabrina asked.
The boy's face became hardened with hate as he mumbled, "Let's say I have some experience in the subject."
This comment did not go unnoticed by the boy's mother. "What're you talking about?" AndrAIa asked.
Chip quickly ate the rest of his cereal and stood up. "Gotta go." he said, grabbing his backpack and heading for the door.
"Chip!" the game sprite exclaimed, wanting to know more about this incident he had had.
"School, Mom." he said, opening the door. He said a quick goodbye before exiting the house.
"Now, that's the first time I've ever seen anyone in such a rush to get to school." Sabrina mused. "Even Kit. But now that he's gone, you guys can tell me what you think of the new guy."
* * *
A soft noise was heard as something stumbled into the bathroom. Flipping on the light, Bob walked over to the sink and started running water. The nightmares were starting again, something he had tried to get rid of once he came back to Mainframe. It was the same thing over and over again. That fateful second in the Web...the act of defense...the results of the battle still seen on his shoulder. Letting the water run for a bit, the blue guardian washed his face, trying to get those long ago images from his processor.
Looking up into the mirror, he was startled.
Looking at him was the new visitor to the system, Alexander Gain.
Startled and obvious shocked that this sprite had somehow gotten into his bathroom in the middle of the night, Bob turned around, only to see the wall behind him. Turning back to the mirror, he clearly saw Gain seemingly leaning against the wall of his bathroom. Bob shook his head clear, when Gain spoke.
"Nightmare, Bob?" he asked, sarcastically. "Still being plagued with those memories of the Web, huh? Tsk, tsk. That's too bad."
Bob looked at him in shocked confusion.
"Oh yeah, Blue Boy." he sneered. "I know your dirty little secret. How does it feel to be a murderer, Bob? Does it build up your spirits?"
Bob shook his head. "You're not real." he whispered. "You're a dream."
"An apparition, Bob?" Gain asked. "I'll tell you something, Guardian. This isn't the last time we'll see each other."
"Are you all right?"
Bob looked up again, this time seeing his own shaken image in the mirror. The question had come from Dot, who stood leaning against the door jam. Bob continued to stare into the distraught face of his reflection, wondering if what just happened had actually happened.
"Bob?"
"Yeah."
"Are you okay?" Dot asked again, this time slightly more alert than she had been.
"Yeah." Bob sighed, nodding in agreement. "I'm okay. I just...I'm just restless I guess."
"Well, if you're sure." Dot replied with a yawn. "Come back to bed."
Bob turned to her. "I will." he said, a smile on his face. He watched her leave and turned back to the mirror.
"You should listen to her, Guardian." Gain taunted. "I'm sure it's past your downtime."
In a blink, he was gone.
* * *
It had been a few seconds since the return of Kit and Sabrina, only about two seconds since Bob's strange encounter with Gain in his bathroom mirror, and about two cycles since Hexadecimal and Scuzzy had been attacked by some strange powerful force. Kit thought this was an interesting turn of events. First Hex and her familiar are attacked in their home. Then the arrival of the mysterious Alexander Gain. Since that time, Chip was very protective, Bob wasn't himself, Matrix and AndrAIa were also having odd feelings towards him and just recently Mike the TV had completely forgotten everything that was said after having a drink with the mysterious Gain.
Kit was having some suspicions of his own.
The recent behavior of his family was starting to worry him to no end. So he took a walk around the little system, the way he did at the Science Institute. It not only gave him a chance to refamiliarize himself with his home system, but it also gave him the opportunity to try and dissect this new problem on their hands. Organizer in hand, Kit began looking through records from the Super Computer on anything suspicious in the Net lately. Coming through the alley on the way to the Diner, he found that a small system named Servo had gone through the most random thing. The whole system was deserted, like a ghost town.
Now that is strange, Kit thought to himself. How does a whole system disappear?
Sensing he wasn't alone, the teenager came to a stop.
"Alexander Gain, I presume." he said, staring at the stranger in his path.
"The infamous Christopher Lan." Gain replied. "Or is it Dr. Lan now?"
Kit chuckled. "I'm a long way from being Dr. Lan, Mr. Gain." he said. "Though I must say, your reputation proceeds you. You seem to be the talk in my family."
"I can't help it if I'm popular."
"Apparently." Kit joked. "Well, as much as I would love to stand around here and talk, I do have work to do."
As Kit brushed past him, Gain called out to him. "How's it feel to be a murderer, Kit?"
The accusation stopped the boy cold in his tracks. "I don't know what you're talking about." he muttered, not turning around.
"Sure you do." Gain replied, walking over to the lad. "I do a lot of checking up on the systems I visit, you know. I know your family's secret, young Christopher. A family of murderers, huh? Don't think I don't know what happened in the UFL. I do. I wonder if the Science Institute knows about that. Wouldn't be interesting, say, if you and your friend were to go for the title? Kit Lan vs. Roscoe Bettyoskin! A match made in...heaven, Kit?"
Kit turned slowly to the sprite. "What do you want?" he asked. "Money? Power? What?"
Gain laughed at the teen. "No, my dear boy." he said, stepping closer to him. "I don't want your money."
"Then what could you possibly wa..."
Kit stopped mid sentence as a sheering pain went through his circuits. He could feel the pain had started in his stomach, but he didn't know what was causing it.
"I just want your powers." Gain said, mockingly, watching as the young man's energy was slowly being drained from him.
Pulling his deadly claws from the lad's stomach, Gain watched as Kit fell to the ground, groaning in pain and clutching the gaping hole in his stomach. Gain took a deep breath, feeling Kit's powers going through his circuits. Smiling at a job well done, Gain left Kit in the alley, on his knees and trying to regain his senses.