After sweeping the rest of the base of any stray mavericks and repairing what damage was done, the three humans and the reploid gathered around in the Command Room, where Tina and Stan watched Pisces' blunder from earlier using the big screen. It also served as a little break room, just for the three of them, complete with fridge, cabinets, a microwave, and a stove/oven combination.
Okay, break room didn't cut it. It was more of a kitchen.
Stan high fived the reploid, much happier after all the mavericks had cleared out. "Nice job out there!" he said, patting Pisces on the helmet. "Could have done it without ya, but you blew a hole in that damn fire wolf, so I don't really mind!"
"Please watch the fins," Pisces mumbled. "And it's no problem, really. I was designed to help humans, after all."
Stan snorted, moving his dirty blonde hair away from his eyes as he replied, "They were designed to help humans, and yet they turned against us, whether from a virus or from their own free will. That's the case for most big-time mavericks." He pulled out another cigarette when Pisces started intensely at him. He made sure not to light up and instead looked outside the window, watching the sun set over the horizon. "We try to fix up our mistakes, only for them to continue holding a grudge. They wiped most of us out just from their actions from the Space Colony incident; now we're both having trouble surviving this crazy thing we called life."
Sasha leaned against a wall, holstering her guns and brushing back her hair as she said, "They only wish to be independent and disagree with us, but go about it through violence. And so, we have to fight back, when we can."
"Right," Pisces said, leaning back in his chair and staring at the wall. "That's how it's always been. Kill or be killed. You're either with them or against them. It's not so black and white, but nobody seems to see any sort of peaceful compromise."
"They gave that up the moment they started killing people without a second thought. When they allow mavericks like Frostmane and Firemane to live and ruin lives just because we are different."
The fish reploid couldn't help but slump and mutter, "I still believe there are more peaceful ways," but out loud, he replied, "And we have to fight against that, and change things for the better, I know."
Stan glanced over at him before smiling at him again. "Well, let's change the topic then," he said, brushing away his hair and putting his hands on his hips. " Mind if you join us? We're a little shorthanded on reploids helping us, and we can't say no to someone who helped us out!"
"I dunno... I don't really like fighting all that much. I fight when there's no other choice."
"You say that as if we like to beat up the big bad robots!" Tina cried. "I don't like beating them up either, unless they were really, really bad and mean and hurt people, but we have to do it, you know?"
Stan shrugged and added, "I guess I must be an exception, since I love punching the hell out of their faces."
"Just like you, we do not like combat, but we prepare for the worst," Sasha said, making eye contact with the fish reploid and speaking in a low voice. "It is for our own survival." After a few minutes with no response, she added, "If you don't wish to, that is fine. We won't force you. But we would much appreciate the help."
Pisces considered her words carefully. Of course, they would appreciate the help. And of course, he would be willing to help. They were capable in their own different ways. On the other hand, he only stopped here for shelter. He had a different objective, someone he needed to find...
But... he could do both, right? Help them, and find the person he sought. He wanted to see the hope they would bring for himself, whether they can bring not just humanity, but all life out of the darkness and into the light.
And then... somewhere along the way, he would find him. That person who caused all the death and destruction back at "home", in the lab he was created in. That person who left broken reploids and dead humans behind, his creator among them. The one who may have taken away the other Zodiacs...
The one who killed Aquarius in their rampage throughout the lab.
He needed to find him. Had to. He needed to unravel the truth behind her death and many others.
And what better way to find clues than to join the Resistance?
"Alright, alright," Pisces said, straightening up and smiling, "I'll help out! I might run up maintenence costs, though; I am such a frail little reploid!"
"We've seen worse," Tina admitted. "Mr. Spider was always breaking his legs because they were made out of some super weak metal, and he left to find someone to make them more durable! He was really hard to take care for."
"Good riddance," Stan grumbled. "He was more of a pain in the ass to protect than he was worth."
"Stan!" Tina crossed her arms and glared, tapping her foot impatiently. Stan only shrugged and went back to staring out the window.
Sasha didn't smile back. Instead, she handed him card keys. "Welcome aboard," she said. "Good to have you. Those keys will be your way into some of the areas that are for us only. Some are classified libraries, others are our bedrooms."
"Speaking of bedrooms, we gotta show him where he's goin' to sleep!" Stan piped up.
Tina quickly grabbed both of Pisces' hands and pulled him out of his chair, dragging him along as she chirped, "Come on, come on! I'm gonna show you all of our rooms, and we're gonna be best friends, and we're gonna have milk and cookies! MILK AND COOKIES!"
It had been a long time since he saw any form of human life.
But Pisces couldn't help but feel blessed that he stopped here, meeting such awesome people.
Just the beginning of the wild ride that lay ahead of them.
-FIN-
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The screen lit up during the dark night, fingers dancing along the keys as data appeared. The head of Frostmane lay on a table, head opened up and chips already stripped out and downloaded. The only sounds anyone could here, were they awake, were the gentle taps on the keys and the crickets that chirped outside.
A new file was downloaded. He was told to get it as soon as he woke up from his stasis. Told that it would help him with his search, among many other things.
I hope I'm not putting anyone in danger for doing this.
Click click.
The screen suddenly turned purple, a diamond insignia showing in the middle before returning to a normal state. Only now, there was a little reploid, a girl with purple hair, white armor, and purple earrings, floating around the screen. She noticed who was behind it and flew to the middle with tears in her eyes!
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod you have NO idea how long I waited to see you again, I missed you a lot, then again I miss everyone a lot, but especially you Barry, because you were there and a very good listener and ohmygodiamsogladtoseeyou"
"Ssssh, not so loud! You might wake them up. Sorry I took so long to reach you. I don't want to leave you on here; they might mistake you for a virus or something, so let me download you or something-"
"You know, you could have like, directly downloaded me from that internet app I know you have in your head."
"No wifi, sorry to say."
"What kind of base doesn't have wifi? I need to speak to their managers! Just so rude! Humanity desires internet, and internet it shall have!"
"Not so loud! Sssssh!"
"Oops. Just put me on a chip and download me that way, and we're gonna be BFFs! With emphasis on the last F! Foreeeever!"
Click. Wrrrr. It only took a minute or two to actually get the strange AI onto a chip and downloaded, then the program deleted off the system. And now, he had the AI doing stretches in his H.U.D. and speaking to him through there.
"You know, Barret? I really did miss you. Welcome back!"
I missed your company too, Gemini. Now, tell me what went on in the couple years I spent asleep...
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