(Jim)

“That makes #78, and only 32 computers to go…” I said, trying my hardest to stay awake. This was exhausting! There were different types of viruses on every other computer! I ate the lunch that Mel packed for me a long time ago and my stomach was empty, but this guy was a slave driver! He wouldn’t even let me leave to go to the bathroom.

“Just remember that you are earning money to help pay for the ship, Jim, you are doing good, you are doing very good and you are almost done…” I kept telling myself that. I found it weird that the guy was not going to let me leave the room with the computers, but he never stayed to survey my work or anything. He just kept making constant phone calls.

“Ugh, I hope Mel didn’t take me seriously when I told her to not make dinner for me. I’m gonna need it if I can stay awake long enough to eat it.” I still couldn’t get why the guy wouldn’t let me run to the bathroom, its not like it was far away, he was next door to it! Its not like I was going to run as soon as I left the room before I was done, we needed the money! I really have to learn how to pick my job offers better.

“# 79…oh god I wanna go home…”

The guy just looked at me and got this weird smile over his face, and all of the sudden, I didn’t think this guy was gonna pay like he said, so I asked him just to see what his reaction would be.

“Hey, you are going to remember to pay me right?”

He frowned. “If you get your ass in gear and fix the rest of these computers.”

“Alright! Alright! Geez, what an ogre!”

I started in on the next one, and then I decided to go in a little further and try to figure out who sent all these viruses. Of course, being the computer genius I am, I learned about a few viruses and how to trace them…

“Let’s see…who is the generous virus giver…” I mumbled to myself. A few minutes later, I found a username, and with a few more minutes, I would be able to find the profile. I found the Email address.

I stopped. I looked at a business card that was beside the computer. The Email address of the virus-giver was the same as the man who hired me! So that means that he has been trying to keep me distracted all day. I was probably in trouble, so I tried to send a distress signal to the laptop I had back at the garage, hoping that someone would hear it as it received the signal. I was so busy with devising the distress call that I didn’t even hear the guy as he walked in and saw what I was doing.

“You stupid brat! It’s too late for your friends and yourself! With you out of the vicinity of your gang, they won’t be able to think fast enough to save that android of yours!”

“What?!” I glared at him. Luckily for me, I never leave home unprotected. I pulled the gun out of my jacket and aimed at him. I had to get back and warn the others, but I also wanted to know who was attacking.

“Who put you up to this?”

“None of your damn business, brat!” I shot him in the leg. “Tell me. NOW!”

“Just a group of people who want to know the technology behind the android!” he groaned, holding his injured leg.

“WHY?!” I demanded. He looked spitefully at me, until I aimed the gun at his other leg.

“Alright, they want to be able to create an android that can carry a bomb without any chance of detection, into any environment possible. Bombs are too easily detected these days with the new upgrades they have in the customs areas”

“You sold Melfina out to a bunch of terrorists!” I yelled. I shot the gun at the ceiling directly over the guy’s head, so the debris would knock him out. I started running as quickly as possible to the garage. I just hope I am not too late.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Meanwhile…[Hanmyo’s POV])

“That was great! I’m so full!” I said with a smile. Melfina smiled back in appreciation.

“The kid’s right, Mel! This is great!” Aisha said as she ate her fourth serving…

I couldn’t help but feel happy, these people were so wonderful…I still wondered if I would have the courage to tell them what I used to be…

Then we heard a beeping sound, coming from the living room. It was a laptop…but laptops don’t usually make sounds like that…it sounded more like a distress signal from a ship. Melfina walked over to it and opened it. A moment later she gasped.

“What is it, Mel?”

“Gene! Jim says that the man who gave him the job offer was faking it! He put viruses in his own computers…he thinks we might be in trouble!” She said, getting frantic. I stopped. Jim? Jim…what?

“W-who’s Jim?” I asked timidly, paling as I sensed the answer in my head.

“Jim Hawking is my partner and he is the brains of this group, Mel, I am sure Jim will be ok, he always carries his gun with him—“

My mind went numb…Jim was Gene’s partner? I had tried to kill him all those months ago and I never knew it! And he is the brains of the group…? That means that the strategy used to beat me, Kemi and Mata…

“Oh god…” I began to moan, trying to choke back the tears that were forcing their way out of my eyes after the initial shock wore off.

“Come on, Hanmyo, we should be able to protect everyone if we do get attacked—“

“NO! It’s not that…Gene, do you remember being attacked by a pirate ship 6 months ago?!” I cried, getting hysterical.

They all stared at me, unsure of what to think…Suzuka’s gaze upon me intensified.

“How did you know that, Hanmyo?” Gene asked, looking me straight in the eye.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I let tears run their way down my face.

“Because I was the one who attacked you! Me, Kemi and Mata!” He just looked at me in disbelief.

“Hanmyo, what are you saying…you can’t possibly be…?” He started. Suzuka stood up.

”Now I remember why your name sounded so familiar. You were one of the Anten Seven!” I looked down and nodded. She drew her Bokkan and pointed it at me, in a fighting stance.

“Are you the attacker Jim is warning us about?” She questioned me, never lifting her gaze from me. I looked up in desperation.

“No! I am not! I took a job of delivering cargo to other planets to earn enough money to rent a ship to look for Jim! I took this assignment as a chance to thank Gene Starwind for killing Hazanko and the other Anten Seven, because he enabled me to start over! I never wanted to be an assassin, that’s just what he trained and raised me to be!” Suzuka’s glare didn’t soften, but I saw something flicker in her eyes. I couldn’t tell what it was? Acknowledgement? Hatred? Understanding? My eyes were too blurred with tears to tell. Then an explosion was heard. I dropped to the ground and covered my head. The explosion came from the ceiling. I heard Melfina scream and Aisha growl as she lifted a large piece of the ceiling off of her. I looked up and saw these men in masks trying to drug her and trying to carry her off.

“MELFINA!!!” I screamed. I got up and jumped to attack the man trying to pick her up around the waist. He didn’t see me coming and he dropped her. She landed with a thud on the floor. I ran to her side to pick her up and bring her back to Gene.

“Mel! Hanmyo! Get down!” Gene yelled as he shot off a bazooka. It destroyed about a quarter of the building. I looked over at Aisha and saw her transform into a tiger-like creature. My eyes went wide as she attacked some men who had just come in from where the ceiling used to be. We were quickly getting outnumbered, I quickly got up and stood in a fighting stance, Gene was going to need all the help we can get. Suzuka jumped up and sliced the ropes the men were using to climb down into the house. I glanced at Melfina and helped her up. I tried to take advantage of the distraction of everyone and tried to rush her to the bathroom to temporarily hide her and so I could get my rose, and stuff it in my shirt. I needed protection right now...

Chapter #6