One of the great things about being me is that, for someone my age, I tend to not give any semblance of a fuck for things that people my age generally care about. This does not include school or my future because I will downright murder someone for both but that aside. One of the great things about being me as this story's author, it's that I generally don't give a fuck. I'm not here to get popular or to get featured on EQD because refer back to my previous statement. I'm here to write. And I write for some twisted combination of the small audience I have and myself for fun generally. No competition, no worries, no deadlines but my own.

However there is one person I do have to compete with when I write this story and that ugly son of a bitch is myself. Looking back at this story I'd be able to point out massive mistakes and weak points in it that would lower it's rating significantly. This is probably due to the fact I wrote it and similarly an architect will always know his building best. But there is one problem I will be facing rather soon as we approach the final chapters of this story, (Holy shit it's almost over?). Slowly as the quality of this story has increased I've had to consistently one up myself with everything I do from the character interactions to the fight scenes and quite honestly, I'm having trouble figuring out how I'm going to out do myself for some of the final scenes in this story. So for those of you who know me well enough this next bit of news will shock you. Expect writer's block for the final few chapters because quite frankly they will be like giving birth to sextuplets to publish. But hopefully by the end of it all I'll have crafted the perfect ending for this story that is worthy of your enjoyment. But again, expect massive delays because they will be there unless some miracle inspiration comes along gives me a deus ex machina way out of this current situation. Now enough of my rambling, I really must be getting to sleep.

Spitfire rarely came across a problem that she couldn’t solve. A challenge she couldn’t overcome. Surviving flight camp? Please. Easy as pie. School? While not easy it was survivable. Wonderbolt Academy? A challenge but she passed with flying colors, earning her a place in the Wonderbolts. Accident at one of your shows that lands you on an alien world with your only company being a robot and his dysfunctional family? Okay… different but she adapted and thrived in her new environment. This, however, was something different.

The wing of her plane, the one Jett had personally designed and personalized for her, collected the sunlight perfectly. Spitfire herself was lying across it.

Today was an abnormally hot day, in spite of the approaching winter.

“Okay, yep, alright then. Goodbye,” Dane said pocketing a cell phone.

Spitfire turned, “Well?”

“Well they’re not going to press charges on him meaning I stayed up for those two days memorizing your legal system for nothing. Apparently they didn’t want to risk a counter suit and court date that would probably go along the lines of, ‘he assaulted us and put one of our pricks in the hospital.’ ‘Yes but you tried to kill him with a motorized vehicle.’”

“Well that’s good,” she sighed.

“Yeah… So how’s he doing with this… revelation if you want to call it that?”

“I don’t know. He’s been quiet these last few days. He’s showed up for work every day but… I don’t know.”

“And I thought he had problems before. I don’t even know how I would deal with this situation if I was him or you.”

“Why for me?”

He sighed, “Well for one, you fell in love with him. Only now, you can’t even be sure who you fell in love with. You may have fallen in love with the personality of that boy’s older brother.”

Spitfire rolled over on her plane’s wing, “No… no I don’t think I have.”

Dane blinked, “How can you tell?”

“He may have some of his older brother’s traits, but that’s just part of being family. He may look like his brother, maybe, but again, he’s not him because his brother is not here. He may have some of his memories but he also has his own experiences to add to it, unique only to HIM that defines him as a person.”

“He was supposed to be a copy of his brother. Those experiences unique to him could still just be how his brother would react to them.”

“Yes but… you can’t copy someone’s soul.”

“How do you know beings like us even have ‘souls?’ We’re machines. Complex computers.”

Spitfire sat up and flashed a small smile, “Yes! But, none of that matters. Those are just surface features. What matters is on the inside. Isn’t that what parents tell their kids?”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying is that even copies and replacements are unique in their own right. There’s no way he’s exactly like his brother, because he’s not his brother. He may be having trouble getting that through his head but… his brother is dead. And like it or not he’s already developed into a good person.”

“Yes but how do you KNOW that?”

Spitfire frowned, “I don’t KNOW for sure. I just… I just FEEL it. Here, in my heart. Just look, I mean, his father seemed to have accepted that he was his own person and didn’t try to change that.”

“Hmm?”

“Yes. His father accepted his new name and the new person he became. His sister viewed him not as a replacement for her older brother but as a separate, younger sibling. She never once referred to him as ‘Daniel’ or anything like that. And then there’s you guys.”

“Us?”

“Yes, you and Gin. You two never treated him as anything less than a full on individual. Even now, what’s changed? Even now, after finding out that he was supposed to be a copy of someone else, what’s changed about him? Isn’t he still the same person you met several years ago.”

Dane frowned, pondering her statement. Then he gave a small smile and looked up, “No, he’s not the same person. Because ever since you dropped in on us he’s been more positive and content in his existence. Of course that throws out the past week and all the events that went with it but you get the gist of it. But this problem is something different and… I think you’ve always been the protagonist of this story. This is your story; make your own happy ending.”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked.

“What do I want you to do? It doesn’t matter what I want you to do. Though I would certainly love to watch this story have a happy ending, this is your ball. Do what you want.”

Spitfire sighed, running her fingers through her fire like hair, “Alright. I’ll figure something out… In the meantime… Fleetfoot wanted me to ask you a question.”

“Odd that she wouldn’t ask me herself but, anyway, shoot,” Dane frowned.

“She, uh, wants to know if you’re free this afternoon.”

Dane glanced back towards the complex and his room that contained a massive pile of now useless legal books, “Yeah, I think I’m free. What does she want to do?”

“Beat’s me,” Spitfire said with a sly grin, “But if you ask me… I think she’s grown a little bit fond of you.”

She hopped off the plane and began walking back towards the complex.

***

“So… how have you been feeling?” Ajax asked.

Kana turned away from the window. Beyond the glass was the endless sea of stars. Behind it was a hotel room of the leisure ship Cloud Nine. Ajax herself was projected sitting in an arm chair.

“Better,” she replied, “I don’t think I’ll ever be perfectly normal again but… I don’t know.”

“You did what you were ordered to do. You did what you needed to protect the fleet.”

“I guess I’ll have to learn to live with it then, won’t I?” she smiled sadly.

“Yes you will. But you’ll be fine. Just… forget about it for now. Don’t forget it entirely but just… push it out of the way for now. Focus on the good things.”

“What good things do you want me to focus on?”

“Well from what I hear that boyfriend and a few other friends of yours got transferred over to my ship. And again, from what I hear, there’s a position opening up in the Artificial Intelligence lab on my ship as well. And word has it that a certain A.I. has the ability to pull some pretty hefty strings around here,” Ajax smiled.

Kana smiled back, “You’re a bitch.”

“The best.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Now get out there. The water’s nice, the air is clean, and you’re going someplace that has people more your age.”

“What about you? Are you gonna be around?”

“Nah, I have some things to finish up,” the A.I. replied, “But how about this, I’ll catch up with you later today. Sound good?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Good. Now if these sensors are working correctly, Mr. Takeya is standing outside your door debating on whether or not to ring the buzzer.”

“Guess I shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

“No you shouldn’t.”

***

“Ah! Hey!” Jett yelled as a large pack smacked him in the face, “What the hell is this?”

Spitfire stood over him with a similar looking pack on her wings, “Get up, we’re going spelunking.”

Jett rubbed his head, “What?”

Spitfire sighed, “Look. I know you’re still trying to sort some things out but, I want to do something with you today and I’m your boss so get your lazy ass off the ground and let’s go!”

“Just where are we even going to be going?”

“The Crystal Caves underneath the city. We’re getting you out of your man cave today. And bring a bathing suit. We may run into a little bit of water.”

He sighed, “Fine, fine. I’ll go.”

“Good,” she smiled.

He got up off the runway and headed inside to grab his things.

Spitfire let out a sigh, “Thank Celestia that was as easy as it was.”

***

2405. Earth.

“What’s wrong, Admiral?” Ajax asked.

“Something you said a few years ago. When I first created this project,” he replied turning around in his chair. The A.I. walked over to the window and gazed over the Martian landscape.

“Hmm?” Ajax turned, “What is it?”

“You were right.”

“About?”

“Everything. I wanted my son back. A perfect copy. But this… boy living in my house now, the one my daughter considers an abomination, while he may have some of the same interests and even the appearance of my son, he’s not him. He hasn’t developed into the same person.”

Ajax remained silent.

“You once told me you couldn’t copy a soul. Well you were right. This boy is far more curious, far more tenacious and far more creative and imaginative than Daniel ever was or could be. He’s rude, he talks back to his teachers when they get something wrong, he’s a smart ass, and yet… unlike Daniel he has a certain respect for authority. He’s grown into his own person.”

“What about those memories you implanted him with?”

“They’ve failed to take. Looking back I suppose that’s a good thing. Let him be his own person. As a parent I can only offer guidance. I can’t force him to be something he’s not, or never will be.”

Ajax crossed her arms, “So what are you going to do now?”

“Raise him like a normal boy. Cat may not accept him as a replacement but… maybe she’ll accept him as her little brother. I have a vacation coming up so maybe that would be the perfect time to get some bonding in.”

“Glad you’re thinking straight again,” Ajax smiled.

“Yeah, so am I.”

***

“So what do you think?” Spitfire asked as she and Jett moved along the rocks of the cave.

Jett looked up at the ceiling sprinkled with glowing crystals. They bathed the room in a dim rainbow of color that still kept the cave well lit. The crystals littered the walls and floors as well. A small crystal clear stream flowed through the cave farther below them as they walked. It was almost magical.

“It’s beautiful here,” Jett said, “I like it.”

“I’m glad,” Spitfire smiled, “So what have you been thinking about?”

“What?”

“You’ve been preoccupied over the past week. You’ve been thinking about something. What is it?”

The pair continued walking through the cave with Jett following her.

“I don’t know. I’ve done everything from go through those memories to contemplate my mortality or lack thereof.”

“Lack thereof?”

“I have no definitive limit placed on my existence.”

Spitfire sighed happily, “That must be something. Thrilling really.”

“Thrilling?” Jett asked, “How do you figure that?”

“Well, anything can happen. Your life is an adventure. With me, I know I won’t always look this way. I’ll get old eventually. My wings will eventually fail me. I’ll lose my vitality and slowly succumb to age and time. You have the gift of being young forever. Only the princesses have that gift.”

“I’m designed to age as I grow older. Theoretically I could control it if I so desired. But… I don’t know. Immortality can be a mixed blessing if you catch my meaning. But for me and my situation, it could almost be a curse.”

“A curse?”

“Living on for eternity without ever knowing who I am or could have become. That’s one thing you have that I could never hope to achieve.”

Spitfire began giggling. Her giggles soon evolved into full on laughter.

“What about that statement was funny?” Jett asked, slightly irritated.

“It’s just funny because you’re wrong,” she replied still giggling.

“How do you know that?”

“Because you can’t copy someone’s soul. Maybe if he’d been revived then that would be different but trying to copy someone? You just can’t do that,” she said walking along, “Even if you’re a little bit like him, so what? That just makes you more human than you already are!”

“More… human? How do you figure that?”

“Because, it sort of makes you, like, actually related to your family. My sister and I, though we sometimes don’t get along, both have the same kind of temper. We’re both good at flying and share a love for it. Though we’re also different. For instance, she’s more prone to act on her temper than I am and she isn’t as good as expressing herself emotionally as me.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the pleasure of meeting your sister,” Jett said as they continued hiking through the cave.

“Well if you’re ever unlucky enough to piss her off, run. She’s built like a tank. You couldn’t tell by looking at her but she could probably take Gin in a fight.”

Jett scoffed, “I’m not so sure about that one.”

“I’m serious!”

“If you say so…” he sighed.

“We’re still not off our previous line of conversation, here. And for some reason I’m getting a sense of déjà vu here but… I still think you are your own person.”

“And I’m going to ask you: what makes you say that?”

“All the times where you acted a certain way and only you could have acted that way.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well for one, your brother Daniel appeared to be more successful with women than you,” she laughed.

Jett frowned, “Yeah… not funny.”

She sighed, “Yeah I know. But point is, I know you, and you are not very confident when it comes to girls. Though I think Starry Skies is the exception only by the simple fact that your damn head once again got fucked up. And other things too. I just can’t place it. It’s a feeling.”

“And I’m supposed to believe your feelings?”

She turned, “Let me ask you this: Do you trust me?”

He blinked, “Do I trust you?”

“Yes. Do you trust me?”

“What the fuck kind of question is that? Of course I trust you. I almost ended up sacrificing myself to save you; TWICE, before you pulled off your damn magic trick.”

“So you trust me? Fully and completely?”

“Yes of course. I’ve never had any reason to suspect otherwise.”

“Then trust me when I say that you can’t copy a soul. You are unique.”

“If you say so.”

Spitfire turned and glared at him, “Hey, I’m serious. Be more positive about this. That’s a fuckin’ order.”

Jett sighed and rubbed his head, “Yes ma’am. I will try ma’am.”

“Don’t call me ma’am! It makes me feel… old.”

“Well you’re older than me by eight years.”

“No I’m not. You’re seventeen now right?”

“Uh you’re forgetting I was created as a seven year old kid.”

“Oh… right…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” she replied before saying under her breath, “Now I feel like a fucking lolicon. I’m in love with a ten year old robot boy.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Let’s keep going. Our destination is just ahead.”

“What is our destination?”

“Little spot of mine I found when I was younger,” she smiled, “My own little oasis.”

***

“So Spitfire said you wanted to hang out today?” Dane asked.

Fleetfoot blinked, “Uh, yeah. I didn’t think you’d actually say yes.”

Dane leaned back in his chair, “Well I some time on my non existent schedule so I figured why not? Plus from what I’ve seen you’re pretty cool so… yeah.”

“You know I’ve heard quite a bit about you from Spitfire,” Fleetfoot gave a slightly playful yet slightly devious grin, “Apparently you’re quite the ladies man.”

“I prefer to use the term Active. I get around. I’m a social person. That’s not exactly a crime is it?”

“No, no it’s not. Just from what she’s told me, and that’s a lot, you don’t seem to be behaving like yourself.”

“Well, uh, no offense but from what I’ve seen here, and that is limited, but my general view of the females of this planet can be summed up by the phrase, ‘Bitches be crazy.’”

Fleetfoot laughed, “Bitches be crazy?”

“Yes, Bitches be crazy. Hell from what I’ve seen here most of the girls here appear to be jack shit out of their fucking minds with the exceptions being few and far between though most of you girls here seem sane enough.”

A noise behind them got their attention as Gin stumbled into the cafeteria with Blaze right behind her.

“And I said we’re doing KICK BOXING!” Gin yelled.

“And I said we’re doing AERIAL BOXING!” Blaze yelled back.

“You stupid bitch, I don’t know how many times I’ve said this! I DON’T HAVE WINGS!”

“And I can’t flip a fucking truck over at will!”

“Well get over it because that’s what we’re doing!”

“Flipping over a truck?” Blaze asked.

“Is that what I said, idiot?” Gin rolled her eyes.

“You’re an idiot!”

“You’re a bitch!”

“Annoying!”

“Stubborn!”

“Stupid!”

“Dyke!”

Blaze blinked, “Damn right,” before violently grabbing Gin’s face and kissing the girl with almost inhuman force. Gin, rather surprised almost fell onto the floor before Blaze broke free, her wings clamped down to her back rather tightly.

Gin stood up and whipped her mouth, “Crazy bitch.”

She rather quickly punched Blaze in the face.

“That was for touching me without my permission,” she grinned, “Now we’re even.”

“That fucking hurt.”

“Well so did the cramps that I used to get every month. Get over it. Besides,” she rolled her eyes, “I think we can finish this elsewhere.”

“Oh, uh, alright.”

“Crazy bitch.”

The two again left the cafeteria, hurling insults at each other.

Dane turned back to Fleetfoot, “Do you see what I mean? I could go outside and point out every shade of psychobitch under the sun here.”

“I didn’t even know Gin rolled that way.”

“Meh, where I come from it’s a normal thing. Of course it took a few hundred years, the deaths of a few religions and a few uses of the pimp hand to shut up the fundamentalists that felt that they had some divine right to define what marriage was but hey, if she’s happy then what do I care?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. Just that… that was rather unexpected.”

“No, not unexpected. In fact I was wondering when something like that was going to happen with those two. No, what would be unexpected is if Jett and Spitfire ever got together.”

“Why would that be unexpected? Spitfire’s fucking infatuated with him.”

“It takes two to tango. And believe me when I say that Jett’s head is a lot more than just bullet proof.”

“Oh… so what about you?” Fleetfoot asked.

“Me? What about me?”

“Are you thinking of dating anyone?”

Dane turned, “Girl, if I was a normal person I would have died from some mutated disease by now. I’ve ‘dated’ people before… just not for more than few hours.”

“So you’ve never been in a serious relationship?”

“Define serious.”

“Lasting more than your typical one night stand.”

“Oh, uh… no not really. Never really got around to it back home. Well that along with the fact that our football team had a monopoly on that for the most part but hey. I played the part of the back street boy. And like I said earlier, the girls here are just… crazy.”

“Well I’m not crazy. Or at least I’d like to think I’m not,” Fleetfoot frowned.

“Yes well you haven’t tried to commit vehicular manslaughter over a silly breakup/cheating scandal. And like I said, most of the girls I’ve seen here are fifty shades of psychobitch with guns, cars and wings. Forgive me if I seem a bit hesitant.”

Fleetfoot frowned in thought before standing up and walking over and grabbing Dane’s hand.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“Showing you that not all of us are homicidal psychobitches as you but it,” she laughed, “Now come on. I know a place down town that seems like it would be just your style.”

***

Jett turned, “You know, I’ve seen people die in places like this.”

“Nonsense, this here is a paradise!” Spitfire grinned proudly. They were standing in a rather large open room. Glowing crystals of all colors littered the place all over from the walls to the ceiling. In the center of the room was a crystal clear pool of water than ranged in depth from a few centimeters in some areas to a few meters in others. The water itself had glowing crystals at the bottom though they were more rounded off and not as jagged possibly due to erosion. At one end of the pool, near one of the shallow ends was a water fall that fell in from a ledge close to ceiling height while at the other shallow end of the pool was a small opening that led to the small river that flowed through the cave.

“Oh really, and just how deep is that water and where does that cave over there go?”

“Fuck if I know. I just came here a lot as a kid.”

“And I watched I shouldn’t be Alive as a kid.”

“Oh get that stick out of your ass and come swimming with me. Besides, I’ve been down that river in a raft before and it doesn’t drop you down anywhere dangerous.”

“Yeah, if you have wings. For the rest of us it opens up in the side of a cliff that drops you down almost five hundred meters.”

“Yeah well I highly doubt you’re careless enough to have that happen to you,” Spitfire said dropping her bags and stripping her shirt off, “So get those clothes off and hop in with me.”

Jett sighed dropping his bag, “Fine, but if I die you’re paying for my multi billion credit corpse.”

Spitfire tossed her shorts away leaving her clad in nothing but a rather well flattering bikini, “Please, you were traveling faster than the speed of sound when you tore up our courtyard. So come on.”

She dove into the crystal clear water. Her athletic wings propelled her along beneath the water’s surface before she emerged in the middle of the pool, tossing her hair back and out of her face.

“Come on, the water’s perfect!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming, I’m coming,” Jett said removing his shirt. Spitfire again glimpsed his torso and the connections where his arm attached to the rest of his body. Again there were almost lightning like scars coming off of the connection point. Since he was already in a bathing suit he simply tossed off his shoes and dove in after her before allowing himself to sink to the bottom.

Spitfire frowned, “You know this isn’t what I had in mind!”

Jett just held a hand to his ear.

She sighed and dove down to meet him and repeat her previous statement only it came out sounding more like she was choking on a massive… thick… long… tooth brush more than anything else.

Jett just rolled his eyes and surfaced with her.

“You know that wasn’t what I had in mind,” Spitfire coughed.

“And what did you have in mind?”

Spitfire grinned. This wasn’t the kind of happy, cute grin you get when you see when you see something cute, no this was the predatory kind of grin that a cat would get if it could smile when it was about to take down its prey or the kind of grin a priest gets when he sees a- you know I’m gonna stop now at risk of offending some people.

“Me… you… alone in this beautiful setting…”

“Oh, I see what’s going on here. You’re inferring that because we are close friends and are alone in this cave and are unlikely to be disturbed that we could advance our relationship to a sexual one. Of course your desire to do so would be of course purely because of my character and not the fact that I’m a machine with stamina and knowledge to make Ron Jeremy jealous,” Jett rolled his eyes.

Spitfire just stared at him before she burst out laughing, floating onto her back and using her wings as floats while she howled into the ceiling of the cave, “See? I knew you had a sense of humor!”

“And I knew Dane’s personality rubbed off on you a bit.”

“Oh shut up. I may be a pervert but I’m not like THAT.”

“And I masturbated my left arm off,” Jett said sarcastically.

Spitfire started cracking up again.

“What?”

“You’re funny as hell is what,” she giggled, “Even when you’re not trying to be.”

“Well maybe my purpose in life is to be your jester,” he said floating on his back staring up at the crystal dotted ceiling.

“Wouldn’t that be something?” Spitfire said joining him as she spread her wings out to better accommodate herself, “Ah, this is nice.”

“What?”

“The water, the temperature, this setting, you, me, everything is perfect for relaxing like this.”

“Well with all the work you’ve been putting in I’m sure you deserve this.”

“Yeah… delays pushed our opening day back until after our Gala show with the Shadowbolts. Big performance that night but luckily it’s only one.”

“I don’t know how you’re gonna pull that off,” Jett said, “If that was me I’d probably shoot a certain two of them down.”

“I can understand that, but the only person I’m worried about is my sister and if I know her, it’s that she’ll get the job done without a hitch and keep her team in line.”

Jett scoffed, “Keep her team in line? Forgive me if I find that hard to believe.”

“Why? She runs a tight ship.”

“Because I’ve taken more beatings than the Battlestar Galactica. Sorry but when her subordinates try to run me down with a car…”

“Well I think she was visiting with Shining Armor that night to discuss security. Speaking of which I have to do that tomorrow.”

“Why do you guys need to talk security? Isn’t your ‘elite’ guard gonna take care of that?”

“Well normally but security has been increased in recent years following an attack on the city. Can’t take any chances.”

“Well, again forgive me for saying this but I think your guard needs to step up.”

“Well maybe you can volunteer as a consultant for the guard at the Gala.”

Jett laughed, “What makes you think they’d do that after all the encounter’s I’ve had with them?”

“Well considering all that, maybe they’d hire you just because they’re tired of losing to the alien robot from across the stars,” she replied.

“Maybe…”

“So what are your thoughts on Dane and Fleetfoot?”

“What are my thoughts about them? What are you asking?”

“Oh come on,” Spitfire stared off longingly, “I know you see the way she looks at him. Hell sometimes he even looks back at her.”

“Well if something does happen between them I say great. Asshole deserves someone who can keep up with him and that certainly isn’t me.”

“Please, I think it’s more him that has to keep up with you,” Spitfire replied with a smile.

“Me? What makes you say that?”

“You’ve got your head in the clouds Jett. You don’t live here with us, even when raging pissed off or depressed or confused, you’re already orbiting some far away star, standing on some far off world and looking to the next. You’re light years ahead. The rest of the world is just dragging on behind you.”

“Really… Maybe that’s how you see it… Me? I don’t know how I view the world anymore. I’m not even among the race that created me anymore. And my father… I can’t help but feel guilty of leaving him behind.”

“But… he created you as a copy of your brother. To be a replacement. If that were me I’d be upset.”

“Yeah, maybe you but I feel sorry for him. He’s now lost everyone he’s ever known or loved. Including me since I’m now light years away from his reach. As far as he knows I’m dead.”

…

“Hmm. Well as long as you left on good terms with him then I suppose your regrets about the situation would be limited, hmm?”

“I suppose. We still got along better than most people and I’m grateful for that. But still… A lot of things still bother me even now. Things I don’t think I’ll ever resolve.”

“Why is that? You’ve always been the problem solver.”

“And you’ve always been the optimist. There’s an old saying of my race that goes back two centuries: The optimist is the wishful thinker while the pessimist is the realist.”

“What kind of saying is that? Optimism is always the best policy!”

Jett sighed, “Spitfire you grew up in the very definition of paradise more or less. We’re from two different worlds. Your people are the very embodiment of the qualities my people always viewed as good. Honest, caring, generous, loyal, kind, and happy. All things my people almost never were. Here, Spitfire, you could have everything you could ever desire. Back home, we had to bring our own air to breathe wherever we went. I’m a product of my environment and I’m not afraid to admit that just as you are.”

“I suppose you’re right about that, to a degree that is.”

“To a degree? What other degree could there be?”

“Well for all intents and purposes, unless you some kind of high tech space ship stored up your ass, you’re stuck here with me forever. Maybe my little mindset will rub off on you.”

“Don’t tempt me. We still have a destroyer in orbit right now, well beyond your reach.”

Spitfire looked towards him and said rather nervously, “You’re not thinking about leaving are you?!”

“No, no, the thought crossed my mind a few times but… there are some things even I can’t do. And right now, FTL is one of them because that ship isn’t equipped with one. And it’s not like I can build one.”

“Oh… good.”

“Good?”

“Sorry, I just like having you in life is all and I don’t want you leaving.”

“Sometimes we don’t have control of those things. Just look at what happened with my sister… We can only cope with it.”

Spitfire turned, “You miss her don’t you?”

“Every day. She was more of a mother to me than my own mother was. She always tried to be around when she could. She was a better mother to me than most real mothers are. I loved her and… I just wish she could have lived to see this world. She would have loved it here.”

“Well I’m sure wherever she is she wouldn’t want you to be sad like this. She’d want you to remember the good times but also to look towards the future to making more good memories to be remembered.”

“Thanks for the sentiment but I don’t believe in an afterlife. At least not for robots.”

“I don’t know… that book you read to me a while back got me thinking…”

“Thinking? About what?”

“Oh, nothing. So you think Dane and Fleetfoot could work?”

“Well from what I’ve seen, yes. They appear good for each other. Plus I think she could do well to drop Dane on his ass every once in a while because lord knows he needs it.”

Spitfire laughed, “So what about you?”

“Me?”

“Well now that you’re back on the market and everything… would you ever consider dating again?”

Jett scoffed, “Yeah, after that first one went soo well. I’ve seen divorces that are less violent than that one break up. I don’t know. I’d maybe consider it but… again, I don’t know. Unlike the last psychopath I was with I can at least acknowledge that I’m a bit of a sociopath sometimes.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I’d say you’re more… what’s the word? I think you’re more special than most.”

“Gee thanks,” he rolled his eyes.

“No, not like that! I mean that you’ve been though some things. After all the crap you’ve taken it’s understandable. You deserve someone that can actually understand you for who you are.”

“But does that person deserve me? And I don’t mean that in an aristocratic sense either. I mean, would that person deserve to have an angry, sociopathic machine as their partner? Right now… I just don’t know what I want to do. Just… don’t try to get me back up on the horse because I’m not even sure if I like equestrian things like that at the moment.”

“Irony.”

“Shut up, it’s not like I did that on purpose. Still. I’m still confused about a lot of things… Times like this, when everything is peaceful that I just like to think.”

“I see…”

A silence filled the cave as the two floated around the pool.

Spitfire spoke up, “Hey Jett?”

“Yeah?”

“Confused or not, I’m still really glad I met you. Even if we are from two different worlds.”

He gave a small smile, “Me too.”

***

“Just what the frak is this place?!” Dane yelled over the loud music a certain blue haired DJ was playing.

“You’ve more than likely been to clubs like this!” Fleetfoot yelled back with a wild grin.

“Yes but you have people flying in here!”

“Well duh,” She winked, “Some of us do have wings.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Psychobitch crazy?”

“No not that crazy. Just crazy.”

“Well then come on snowball. Don’t be a sour puss. Come dance with me!” she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the mass of people stomping the floor in front of the DJ booth. The DJ did a head bang, her neon blue hair whipping behind her. She gave Fleetfoot a cocky yet knowing grin.

“I still think you’re crazy!” Dane said getting into the beat of the music.

“And I think you’re hot so we’re even!”

“What?”

“What?!” Fleetfoot smiled back.

Dane shook his head with a grin, “Crazy girl.”

***

Nightshade frowned, “Tisk tisk tisk. You know, if you had just followed orders and stayed inside that night none of this would have happened.”

Charger lay in a hospital bed with two broken wings while Starry Skies had her leg in a more proper cast and was sitting next to him. Stratus had a small bandage on his head while Dusk seemed rather unscathed at first glance though he had some bruising underneath his shirt.

Starry Skies looked up, “Captain! You’re actually defending that robot?!”

“Yes, I am. Quite frankly you two have been just one massive fuck up ever since that break up of yours. You can’t just play two people like that and not expect consequences.”

“And what about me?” Charger asked bitterly.

“You’re a dumb fuck is what you are. You tried running him over with a car and look how that turned out for you. You see, that’s your problem. You don’t fucking think at all!”

“Geez, no need to be so harsh there Cap,” Dusk said.

She turned and glared at him, “Shut up pussy. You’re just as stupid as they are for getting involved in it.”

“And what about Stratus?”

“I would berate him but he just doesn’t give a shit so I won’t. You did this to yourselves, so no charges will be filed.”

“So you’re just gonna let that robot fuck walk away home free?”

“The only thing he could do that would make me go after him is if he hurt my sister. And so far, all he’s done is given your asses a good kicking back into line. So here’s the deal, you are all going to mind your own business from now on and you’re going to leave that robot alone unless I say so otherwise. Got it?!”

Charger mumbled something under his breath.

“Charger if you don’t fucking speak up so I can hear you I’m going to tear your fucking ball sack off and feed it to you. So what was that again?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. You’ll all still be flying at the Gala so I expect all of you to be on your best behavior. If I see any of you causing any trouble you’ll answer to me. Go it?!”

The Shadowbolts sighed, “Yes, ma’am.”

***

Kana set her smoothie down and glanced at her pad. She frowned. In theory she could do what she was thinking but she would need a bit more experience before hand to do so.

Takeya climbed out of a nearby swimming pool and sat in the beach chair next to hers, “Hey, whatcha looking at there?”

“Just a little something about my next assignment,” she replied.

“Ugh, you’re already thinking about our next assignment?” he replied with a bored expression.

“Yes I am. Our entire class got transferred so it would make sense to learn about our new duties a bit before we arrive. I mean, we are moving to the flagship of course.”

“Thank god for that really. I filed so many damn complaints with the maintenance crew on Pegasus about that noise in that vent but I never heard back from them.”

“Well the Admiral’s ship is top of the line so that problem should go away.”

“With all the battles this fleet has been through how can you even consider any ship top of the line anymore? Hell our last assignment got so many damn holes blown in it that it looks like Swiss cheese.”

“I know all the ships look like that but repair crews are getting to that. And besides, the Eternity has Ajax so that’s pretty cool.”

“Oh yeah, so we’re going to be on the ship that houses the fleet’s A.I.”

“Well one of them at least. I’ll be working in the Artificial Intelligence lab. Where are you gonna be?”

“Tactical,” he replied, “Which at this point in the game is kind of useless so my secondary will be working the hololab.”

“Ah, so we’ll all basically still be around.”

“Yep… so what are you looking at?”

“Just a little something about advanced robotics. I have an idea for a project that I can start when I get to the lab.”

“Cool. But for now, put that down. We still have some time left so let’s have some fun!”

“Oh alright,” she smiled saving the program and putting down her pad and diving into the nearby pool.