By: Axle and Zandra

Axle was pushing Blue north at top speed. Well, it was top speed for normal bikes. She had installed her own hyper-drive engine in Blue ages ago, and was able to surpass the speed of sound whenever she so desired. Right now she was being held back by a friend that she did not want to leave in the dust. Aztec’s bike was clearly fighting hard to keep up, and Axle was beginning to get annoyed. Finally fed up with the whole thing, she screeched to a stop on the side of the road. Aztec noticed her quick stop, but was a mile ahead before he finally managed to stop his own bike. She pulled up beside him, and looked at him through her helmet’s face shield.

"Get on! Josh may not survive his first encounter with Stone if we don’t move!"

Aztec eyed her oddly, but did not move to dismount. "I cannot leave my ride it…"

Axle’s last nerve snapped. She had been fighting all day, and now she was racing to save the life of a friend of someone she cared very much for. She responded as only she would; she screamed at the top of her lungs in anger and frustration. "NO ARGUMENT! We ain’t got time for this! If you’re coming with, GET ON NOW!!!"

Aztec quickly dismounted, and seated himself behind her, wrapping his huge arms lightly around her waist. "Hold on!," she said as she wrapped her tail tightly around his waist. He placed his hands on her hips to stabilize himself, and tightened his legs on the seat. She fired up the hyper drive thrusters and they shot away at what seemed to be a hundred times faster than they were going only moments earlier.

Aztec watched as the road rushed into a blur around them, and wondered how it was that she managed to avoid the other vehicles on the road. Suddenly, he found himself airborne, and realized that she avoided them by jumping them when they got in the way. He blinked, and missed the car passing under them, but was nearly thrown off when they landed. Axle laughed to herself, when his grip tightened instinctively. She wrapped her tail tighter, and fought the urge to say ‘told ya so.’ Eventually, he got the hang of her driving, and was able to relax a bit.

As they raced towards Stone’s humble abode, Axle thought about the Saturnite male behind her. The driving itself, she left up to Blue; not even her reflexes were enough to avoid traffic at their current speed. She had found herself oddly attracted to Aztec the moment she had met him. She had never been attracted to anyone as fully as she was to him, and she got the feeling he had not experienced such an attraction either. Something in the back of her mind warned her away. She had the odd sensation that something was terribly wrong, but could not figure out what it was, nor did she know where it might come from. Of course, she could not explain her attraction either, and that was probably what scared her; well, that and the fact that Aztec was Saturnite royalty. Not that she had anything against Saturnites, or royalty for that matter, but he was used to being treated like…well, like royalty, while fraternizing with the most well-bred and beautiful ladies in the galaxy. She was as far from being a well-bred lady as one could get and still be female, and let’s face it, her half-machine body was not the best looking. Yet, Aztec was clearly attracted to her. Especially if what he had said to her in her kitchen was any indication of his heart. Axle blushed and shivered slightly at the memory of those words.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh… Oh, yeah, fine."

"You’re sure you’re not cold? You’re not properly dressed for this wind." Aztec referred to Axle’s top, which was nothing more than a square of leather, just big enough to cover her breasts thoroughly, secured by two straps, one around her waist and the other looping behind her neck. She had always been partial to leather, finding it the easiest thing to fight in. She was especially fond of this particular piece because it had been made by a good friend, gave an exquisite amount of free movement, and was just comfortable in general. Fortunately, she had gotten used to riding at this speed without a jacket, and it was not really bothering her. In fact, she had not even noticed the wind until Aztec mentioned it. Aztec nuzzled a bit closer to her in an attempt to warm her. As she felt his body press closer to hers, Axle fought hard to restrain the incredible urge to slam on the brakes and make her feelings known right there on the side of the highway. But, that would mean trying to explain to Earth’s authorities what they were doing, and what they were, and she didn’t have the time to fool around with paranoid humans. Therefore, she continued to fight herself, finally managing to ease the intense physical need, but not the mental images. She knew her place, and reminded herself that he was royalty, and that there were more important matters that needed to be taken care of, and got even those to go away after a while.

"Yeah, yeah… I’m fine. Don’t worry ‘bout me. Been in colder weather wearing less."

Aztec picked up Axle’s mental image of the situation she referred to and found himself battling his own urges. As a member of Saturn’s royal house, there was nothing he wanted that had ever been denied him. Essentially, if he wanted it, he got it. He hardly had to ask for anything before it was dropped into his lap. He had found himself strongly attracted to this Martian female from his initial encounter with her. The attraction had not ebbed, but had grown with each passing moment. If the flashes he picked up from her mind, and the looks he caught her giving him from time to time were any indication, she felt the same way. Then again, she was still extremely distant with him, offering nothing more than absolutely necessary. He had to admit that he had never fully understood females, but this one was truly puzzling him. He had fallen "head-over-heels", as Earthlings say, in love with her, and he prayed that she could return his feelings. His greatest desire was to take her in his arms, and make his feelings known, but his princely manners strictly forbade such actions. (He did so regret not being born a commoner every so often.) Thus, he could do nothing until she made it clear that advances of the physical nature were welcome. Not that she had been pushing him away thus far, but neither had she invited him to go further than the casual sort of touching. Consequently, he chose to spend this time on small talk, having learned some time ago that she would not talk about herself, or her past. "Who is this ‘Stone’ we are going to meet?"

It took Axle a moment to realize that Aztec had said something to her. Once she did, it took her a couple more seconds to decide exactly what to tell him. She and Stone had a very confused past, and neither of them had ever shared the details of their entanglement with anyone. She decided to give him the simplest explanation for their acquaintance, one which left out everything but the vaguest of details. "Umm…he’s an old friend. We’ve done each other a few special favors over the years."

Aztec sensed that there was more to their relationship, but chose not to prod the subject in order to avoid offending her. Instead, he chose a much less personal question with which to further the conversation. "If I may ask, why is he called ‘Stone’?"

"Ask anything… well, almost anything you like, darling. Let’s just say Stone’s name fits his person exactly."

Aztec pondered this answer, but was unsure of how to phrase the question that it left in his mind. Instead, he changed the subject a second time. "Why did you send Josh to him?"

"Stone’s had a lot of medical training, but he’s a whiz with the brain. He’ll be able to right whatever’s screwed up in his head in no time. He’s been trying for years to help…."

When she did not complete the thought, Aztec prompted her. "Please continue." Axle’s response was uttered much more harshly then she intended. "NO! It’s not important!" She caught herself, took a deep breath, and continued in a gentler tone, "What is important right now is getting there before Josh gets under Stone’s skin. His one major flaw…he has no patience, and an incredibly violent temper."

The remainder of their ride together, all thirty seconds of it, passed in silence. Axle stopped her bike, got off quickly, and pulled a laser pistol from one of the bike’s compartments. She tossed the pistol to Aztec, and motioned him to be silent. She then spoke in a near whisper, "Stone’s place ain’t far. We can’t run the risk of bein caught goin in the front, or anybody seeing us at all for that matter. We’ll circle around. Use the back entrance."

Aztec looked puzzled. "What’s wrong? I don’t understand. It seems more logical to take the front entrance."

Axle whirled around, annoyed that her judgement was being questioned. Her motives had never been questioned before, especially in situations where it was clear that she had the superior knowledge. Fortunately, she was more concerned with keeping quiet than much of anything else at the moment. She eyed Aztec, and spoke in a harsh whisper. " Look, Stone’s business attracts a lot of…unwelcome attention. There’s always somebody watching his place, and anybody or anything, that makes a ruckus going in is liable to get more trouble than they were bargaining for. Don’t worry, I’ve been using the back way for years. I ain’t never been noticed using it before; or at least, they’ve never made a fuss about me coming and going. We’ll just have to hope my luck is still with me." With that she crouched into the shadows, and took off.

Aztec was astonished to see a white mouse blend into the shadows so well, but found that she was nearly invisible. In addition, her movements were so fluid that she seemed more part of the night than a separate entity. He followed, nearly as skillful, but his bulk made it much harder to disappear as efficiently, or move as imperceptibly. Whereas Axle could move between any of the shadows, no matter how small, he was forced to dash between the larger ones to remain even partially hidden.

After about fifteen minutes, Axle stopped in an exceptionally dark corner and crouched low. Aztec was at her side a moment later. Her voice was still impossibly silent, and he strained to hear her this time. She gestured to a small gray square on what was, otherwise, a normal looking brick wall. "The entrance is across the way there. See the panel?"

Once she got a nod from Aztec in confirmation, she outlined their next moves. "I’ll keep watch here while you go on in. Once you’re inside safely, and I’m certain nobody’s watching, I’ll follow. I doubt this entrance is watched, but for Stone’s sake, I have to be certain. Just touch the panel. The door’ll open. It closes automatically once you’re through. If Stone meets ya, just tell him you’re with me, and he’ll leave ya alone."

Aztec surveyed the area in a preliminary check. Then, he dashed across the alley from their hiding spot to the wall. A red pinpoint of light appeared on his back. Axle recognized it immediately as a laser scope’s target, and acted without conscious thought. In an instant, she dashed to Aztec, and pushed him down. In the same movement, she whirled to try to take out the sniper. Unfortunately, she never finished the motion. A bullet ripped through her chest and she choked back a howl of pain as she crashed to the ground. She began gasping for breath and realized, with horror, that the bullet had pierced her lung. She winced and braced herself for the next shot that she knew would end her life. But, it never came.

She lifted her head to see Aztec holding a smoking pistol, and running to her side. She was struggling to maintain consciousness knowing she would probably not survive if she allowed herself to sink into oblivion. He lifted her body, and ran for the aforementioned door pleading with her lifeless body. "Please hold on, my darling. I will help you. Just hold on a few moments more." As promised, the back door to Stone’s building opened with a touch, and closed the minute the two had passed through. By this time, lack of oxygen and blood loss had won the battle, and Axle had passed out. Aztec’s voice could have been heard all the way to Saturn had Stone’s walls not been sound proof. "Stone! Axle…!"

Before he finished the call, Stone, having seen the altercation via one of his security cameras, had Axle out of Aztec’s arms and was gone. He carried her down a short hallway, and into a large room, that closely resembled a highly sophisticated makeshift hospital. By the time Aztec caught up to him, Stone already had Axle on a metal surgical table, draped with a white sheet, in the center of the room. He was hurriedly grabbing equipment from a bench against the far wall, and placing it on a small tray, which he carried over to a rack beside the surgical table. Looking up, he warned Aztec to stay back if he did not want her to die of infection, then pushed a button on a nearby machine. A sterile shield encircled the surgical table, and the closest equipment. Then a beam flashed across the enclosure, sterilizing everything it touched instantly. He turned to another large machine behind him, and grabbed a laser scalpel.

After the initial cut, Stone examined the wound, and swore loudly, "Dammit, he got the lung! Why is it that you never get a minor wound, Axle? Huh?" He continued talking to himself as he worked, his words causing Aztec further worry. "Lot of blood loss, here. Just have to hope that closing the wound will be enough. Be a lot happier if I could do a transfusion, kid. But, we’ve both seen what that does." Stone worked quickly, and had the lung wound repaired, and her lung reinflated in no time. The flesh wounds followed almost as quickly. He then proceeded to clean the bright red-orange blood from her fur, and bandage the wound.

Once he was done, he dropped the sterile shield, and tried to wake her. He used no anesthesia knowing that her body would only reject the formula. Now, he was alarmed that the pain caused by his cuts had not forced her into consciousness. "Come on, Axle! I’ve seen you walk away from worse than this. Girl, I’ll toss you out on that furry butt of yours if you don’t wake up this second!" Even as he spoke, he moved Aztec out of his way, and carried Axle to his own bed down one of the many hallways leading to this central room. Once there, he laid her down, then slapped her so hard, the room reverberated with the sound.

Aztec moved so fast that an onlooker would not have seen any movement at all. One second he was standing in the doorway like a lost puppy dog, the next he was across the room, suspending Stone two feet above the ground by his throat. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?!"

Stone’s own hands were still hanging at his side, completely unconcerned at the seemingly threatening position he was currently in. "Calm down, dude! That’s the one thing I knew would wake her up. I had to do something or she would have lapsed into a coma. This place is well equipped, but not well enough to properly monitor her vitals if she’s in a coma. I had to do something. Besides," he said pointing to the bed where he had put Axle, "it worked."

Aztec turned to see Axle holding her ribs, and trying to sit up. He dropped Stone unceremoniously, and was at her side like a flash. He gently forced her to lay back down. "Be still, my love. If your friend had allowed me, I could have saved you both a lot of pain." Aztec lay his hands across the wound, and closed his eyes. Moments later, he moved his hands, and pulled off the bandage to reveal skin that was as whole as it had been only twenty minutes ago.

Grabbing his hand before he got too far away, Axle looked up, "Quite a trick you got there, cutie." She reached up and pulled his face towards hers. She looked deeply into his eyes, silently asking him to stop her if she was out of line. Aztec’s only response was to move closer and to pull her into a gentle embrace. Suddenly, Axle realized what she was doing, and shifted so that the kiss brushed Aztec’s cheek instead of his lips. Aztec pulled back to see a very solemn expression on Axle’s face. "Thank you," she said in a near whisper.

Aztec started to speak, but Stone beat him to the punch, recognizing the silent plea from Axle. He moved closer to inspect the place where Axle’s wound had once been as he spoke, "Well, I guess you won’t be checking out on us after all. You had me worried for a minute there, gal."

Thankful for the interruption, Axle turned her attention fully to her friend. "Yeah, well… Ya do good work, hot shot. When’d they start guarding that entrance?"

As Axle and Stone discussed the matter, Aztec took his first good look at the man. Stone’s name really did fit him. The man appeared to be an animated granite statue; his skin was even the color of granite. His features were perfect, and his muscles went beyond well defined, as though a master craftsman carved them from the very Earth. The only indication that he was not truly made of stone was his hair. The white mane was pulled into a ponytail with a leather tie, and appeared to be softer than silk. His black eyes were as lifeless as his namesake. His voice was the deepest bass Aztec had ever heard. As though he was trying to show off his physique, he was wearing only a pair of jeans and hiking boots.

Aztec would have been impressed by the man’s build had he not been preoccupied with Axle’s behavior. He thought she meant the kiss to be more meaningful, and he had definitely seen heated desire in her eyes. Of course, he had wanted it just as much as she seemed to. Yet, when she got close, she changed. He doubted it had to do with Stone’s presence, as he got the feeling that she would do whatever she wanted whenever and wherever she wanted. Above all, he was worried about the look on her face when she pulled away. There was a great amount of sadness written there, and his heart ached at the thought that he might be the cause of that distress. He suddenly realized that Stone was talking to him.

"…him?"

"Forgive me, my mind was wandering. What did you say?"

Stone eyed him for a moment. His glare seemed to pierce to Aztec’s heart. He chuckled lightly at whatever he saw there, then continued. "I asked if you’d mind helping me get some stuff set up so we can take care of your friend in there. Axle’s gonna need to get cleaned up and get some rest before she does anything else."

"I told you, I’m fine! I just want to get this blood offa me and find some less holey clothing. I don’t suppose I left anything here last time, did I?"

"As a matter of fact, you did. It’s in the closet, there. Since you know where everything is, we’ll leave you alone. Join us in the workshop whenever you’re ready. But, please, don’t push yourself too much. You know I can handle this, and besides, I’ve got your new friend here to help out." Stone threw an arm around Aztec’s shoulder and gently forced him out of the room so that Axle could get cleaned up.

Once the two males had left the room, Axle rested her head in her hands for a few moments. Then, she got up, and moved over to the closet to find the clothes Stone said were there for her. Axle spoke softly to herself as she searched. "What the hell are you thinking, girl? Have you lost your mind? Ya can’t do this! Get your mind back where it belongs. No sense in setting yourself up again. Haven’t ya already lost enough?"

Having found the clothes and steeled her mind/heart, Axle walked into the bathroom and hurriedly showered to get the last of the blood and street dirt out of her fur. She reasoned with herself that it was best that she bury her feelings for Aztec. She had lost too much already, and was unwilling to risk it again, besides she had made a vow. The final bit of strength came with the memory that she was a hunted person, and if she allowed him to get any closer, her inevitable death would hurt him deeply. She would keep him at a distance, and get rid of him if he seemed to be getting too involved.

Axle joined Stone and Aztec not long after they left her. Her new clothing was very different from her usual attire. She had traded her skin-tight leather pants for loose blue jeans. To top the outfit off, she wore a shorter pair of boots, and a skin-tight white tank top. Her hair was still wet and cascaded randomly across her shoulders and down her back, leaving water trails through her fur and the fabric of the shirt. She crouched beside Stone, ignoring the fluttering of her heart when she saw Aztec, and asked how she could help.

"Actually, we’re all set up here, and ready to start." Stone looked up as he made the final adjustment. "Jeez, Axle! You look like hell. Tell you what, I’ll take care of Josh, here, and you go get some rest." She started to protest, but Stone put a finger to her lips. "No! You will not argue this with me. I got this, and you know it. I’ll do what I can, and send him back to your place to recoop. Aztec said there are some folks there that might be happy to see him. From what I can tell, it’s just some low-level synapse damage. Shouldn’t take more than an hour or two. Now, go!"

Having been previously introduced to Stone’s resolve, Axle did not fight him. Instead, she kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thanks, bossman. You always did know what was best for me." She got up and walked across the central room, down another hallway, and into his kitchen. She helped herself to a small glass of whiskey and sat down. It was not that Axle drank much anymore, but she did so like the aroma of Earth’s liquors. She often just sat and allowed the vapors to lull her into a dreamy state, never even tasting the liquid. Today, however, she yearned for the dulling effects that always accompanied the strong drink. She had had way too much action in relation to the relative dry spell she had been experiencing beforehand, and felt too much pain the last couple of days. To top it all off, she had let her heart forget its place and had fallen in love with Aztec.

She sat silently and sipped the whiskey slowly. Actually, her exhaustion pulled her into the black abyss known as sleep after only about half a glass. When her body relaxed, the glass dropped from her hand, and smashed on the floor. Axle, herself, followed the path of the glass moments later, embedding large shards of it into her arm, and side. But, she was out like a light, and not even the pain woke her up.

Aztec and Stone were up and running to the kitchen as soon as they heard the ‘crash, thump’ that resulted from Axle’s mishap. Aztec lifted her and moved to lay her on the table, but Stone stopped him. "I know what you’re thinking, and I ain’t letting you do it. Those cuts aren’t a major problem, she’s had a whole lot worse in her time. Besides, you look nearly as exhausted as she did. You get some rest, and I’ll get her wounds cleaned and dressed."

Unaccustomed to his host’s stony resolve, Aztec protested. "I am fine. I don’t wish her to suffer even this small pain. Let me do this."

"You are not fine, and she will not suffer from those scratches. There might be one that needs stitches. Now, you will go rest, or I’ll knock you out myself."

"Very well, I’ll do as you suggest. Please, wake me the moment she regains consciousness." He gently transferred Axle to Stone’s outstretched arms.

"You can use my bed. Just make yourself at home. I’ll get her taken care of, and pull out one of the extra beds." Stone turned and took Axle into his workshop, where he laid her on the same table he had used earlier. He pulled a light closer, and began to pull the glass shards out of her arm. It turned out that several places needed stitching, and it took him a lot longer than he expected to stop the bleeding. He assumed it was a side effect of her earlier massive blood loss, and still wished he could get her a transfusion. Knowing her sleep patterns, he hoped to be done before she woke. Too many times he had thought her dead to the world only to have her wake an hour later. He was fairly certain that it was impossible for her to sleep longer than a couple of hours naturally. Even drugs failed to put her out for more than a couple of extra hours. Axle stirred just as Stone completed the final stitch, and was wrapping her arm in gauze bandages.

"Decided to join us again, eh? Next time you help yourself to my liquor cabinet, make sure you intend to drink it, not spill it all over the floor. That stuff cost me a pretty penny, ya know."

Axle was thoroughly confused and eyed Stone oddly as he finished dressing her wounds. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Stone chuckled, "I knew you were exhausted, but I didn’t figure you’d pass out. Just got the machine configured to fix that Josh fellow, when we heard a crash, and a thump. We found you lying in broken glass on the floor, my best whiskey all over the place. Aztec would’ve healed you himself, but the poor guy was already dead on his feet, so I sent him to bed, and told him you’d be fine."

Axle got up and walked over to look at Josh, checking the progress on one of the many, lighted displays. She muttered absently, obviously trying to avoid something, "Looks like he should be fine in no time."

Not willing to allow her to avoid something that he knew needed to be handled, Stone pressed the subject. "He asked me to wake him when you woke up."

"Josh!? Why the…?"

"You know very well who I’m talking about. Don’t change the subject!"

"Sorry. Please…don’t. Let him rest, he needs it."

"Axle, what the hell is wrong with you? I ain’t never seen you avoid something this important before. It’s obvious that that guy is crazy for you, and unless I’ve missed my mark, you feel the same way. So, what’s going on?"

Axle turned and smiled, trying to convince Stone to believe her lie. "Stone, have you lost your mind? You know me better than that. I can’t risk getting involved with anyone. There are too many of ‘them’ out there, just waiting for me to present a weakness."

She tried to leave, but Stone caught her arm, careful of her injuries. "You can’t fool me, bosslady. I’ve known you too long. Like I said, it’s painfully obvious that you’re both mad for each other. Yet, you’ve done nothing. And, before, when you were thanking him for saving your life; I’ve seen that look in many an eye before. You wanted more than a peck on the check. That look in your eyes when you pulled away was sheer pain. I’ve never seen pain that deep in my entire career, not even after our sessions. What’s the deal?"

Axle pulled her arm out of Stone’s grip, and gave him an icy glare. "I can’t! I swore I’d never…" Her glare melted, and her eyes pleaded as sharply as her voice as she continued, "Just leave it alone…please. I got it covered."

"You know I can’t do that. You’re hurting, and I swore I’d help you whenever I could. Please, let me help now."

"There’s nothing you can do. I have to handle this alone."

"You never have to be alone in anything again. I made that vow to you a long time ago. I will NOT let this die. You won’t suffer under this roof so long as I live. Talk to me. You never had a problem with telling me anything before. What the hell is going on, babe?"

Axle studied the tile pattern of Stone’s floor for several long, drawn out moments. Finally, he put a finger under her chin, and lifted her face so he could look into her eyes. "At least tell me your problem."

"Fine…" she sighed. "But after this, your debt to me is repaid. Promise never to mention it again."

"You have my word. Come on, we’ll be more comfortable in the den."

Stone’s den was a large room, filled with books on nearly every subject in the world. It was more like a library one would expect to find in the home of a cultured millionaire, rather than that of the crime world’s top physician. Yes, Stone catered to the top crime lords in the galaxy. Whenever any of them had a medical problem too great for their own medics to take care of, they came to him. Unfortunately, this meant a lot of them kept a sharpshooter on watch waiting for the chance to kill a rival. Even worse, these snipers were known to fire on innocents, a fact Axle had learned the hard way twice now. Stone was still working on that problem. But, we were talking of his den, weren’t we? Anyway… The carpet was a deep burgundy, and all the furnishing had a luxurious mahogany finish. There was a large leather couch against the far wall, with two matching high-backed armchairs facing it. An antique floor lamp sat between the two chairs, and was the room’s only illumination at the moment. Stone flipped on the overhead lamp, and the room was flooded with light.

Axle turned, and spoke softly, "Don’t. I…I’d rather the dark, if ya don’t mind." She then curled up into one of the armchairs.

Stone turned the overhead back off, and sat on the couch directly across from Axle. He waited patiently, allowing her all the time she needed to gather her thoughts before beginning. He was beginning to believe she had fallen asleep when she finally started. "I told you I was thrown onto the streets when I was only two or three years old, that I joined a group of kids who’d lost their parents, and that they became my true family, right?"

"Yea…"

"Well, what I didn’t tell ya was that one of those ‘kids’ was especially close to me. His name was Slash. After a couple of months, the two of us had become inseparable. We quickly became the best fighters, and were respected by everyone. After a couple of years, a local shop owner got us and some well-trusted friends of ours jobs to try and help us out. Slash and I worked longer and harder so we could help the younger kids out. Before long, we formed our little ‘family unit.’ Slash and I were the oldest. There were four others, a year of two younger who had managed to get jobs too, but they still relied mostly on the two of us. The six of us pooled our earnings and shared with the sick and the newbies. We took in all the new kids and taught them the ropes. Slash tried to find homes for them; he never wanted to see them live on the streets as long as we had. We knew it was too late for us, but the little ones still had a chance at a normal life. We managed to find a few of them homes. Got a lot of the sicker ones a place in a local monastery that would nurse them, give the boys a place to stay, the girls went to work in a hospital, or a nursery.

"I was luckier than most of the street kids. I still had some connection to my family - Throttle. Didn’t spend much time with him, just he’d help us out when things got real bad. Most of the others had lost their families in some sort of disaster. Slash and I were the only ones we ever met that had been thrown out. Maybe that’s why we were so close. We both knew what it was like not to be wanted by your own flesh and blood. At any rate, we eventually became a lot closer than just friends. We fell in love, and spent every free waking moment we had together. I gave my blanket to a new kid one night, and from that night on, Slash and I shared one. We shared everything; our joys, and our pains. We could cling to one another whenever we needed to. We didn’t need nobody else, and we were as happy as we ever hoped to get. He was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. But, then things started to change on Mars.

"Those of us that lived on the streets noticed the changes faster than most. We were the first of the general populace to realize what the Plutarkians were doing. Over the years, a lot of ‘families’ had been formed on the streets, but for some reason, Slash and I were generally accepted as the top mice by everyone. Ya gotta understand that even the older thugs and stuff came to us, and thought of us as the ‘top bosses’, I suppose. They all came to us for advice on what to do about the Plutarkian situation. So, we called a meeting of all the leaders, even the crime ring bosses. We all decided that we had to bring the truth about the Plutarkians to the attention of the citizens. We had no idea that the government was in on it, and they proved to be our downfall. There must have been a spy in our midst or something because the Martian government suddenly instated a policy to get rid of all the ‘street-trash.’ Those folks who had been helping us, and trusting us for so many years stopped both once the government spoke against us. It was pretty clear from the beginning what was really going on.

"The troops were only killing the leaders, and true criminals. They handed all the younger kids over to the Plutarkians. We didn’t know what they wanted with kids, but none of us wanted to find out, so we fought back the only way we could; we went deep into hiding. Reports starting coming in from all over that groups were being discovered and destroyed faster than should have been possible. Then, we got the worst news. They were looking for me and Slash specifically. In fact, they were offering to spare anyone willing to give them information that enabled them to find us. They knew we were keeping tabs on them, and directing the others on how to avoid them, and they certainly knew that we had been the ones to bring up the idea to warn the civilians about the Plutarkians. Guess they figured since we were ‘the brains’, once they got us outta the picture, the rest of them would be easy prey. We told those in our group who could to run, but there were a lot who were too small to survive on their own, and even more who were injured.

"Slash and I made the decision to end it. We knew we couldn’t run forever, and we refused to let those left to be taken to the Plutarkians. We spent the next couple of days gathering poison for all of us. When we thought we had enough, we passed it out. We didn’t tell all of them the whole truth, instead we only told them that we’d run out of places to hide. They all knew what the Plutarkians were doing, and were scared out of their minds. We gave them a choice; either try to make it out on their own, or stay with us so that we could die as a family, in peace instead of as lab experiments. They agreed that it was right, and thanked us. We mixed the stuff up in water, and dished it up in everything we could find to use. The only problem with the plan was that we turned up two short. Slash and I left ourselves out, wanting the others to have the easy route. We agreed to see that everyone else was taken care of, then…we would… slash each other’s throats and… die… together." Axle paused, her voice breaking on the last words. Stone urged her to continue. After a few moments, she did, her voice becoming an oddly stiff tone.

"Unfortunately, our charges were denied the easy way out we desired to give them. Slash and I were standing at the door. Just as they were about to drink, the door slammed in, and we were grabbed from behind by Plutarkians troopers. They were ordered to hold us, while our family was savagely murdered in front of our eyes. They didn’t even have the decency to make it quick. They choked them to death with their own slimy hands. Those that tried to fight back were beaten to death. Damn them! They were children! They didn’t deserve to die like that!"

Stone’s heart ached for her, and tears began to well up in his eyes as she described the slaughter. Despite her anger, and the tears that were now streaming down her face, Axle continued, never faltering for a second. "When the bastards were finished they drug us out into the streets. We were too horror-stricken at seeing our only family killed so viscously to fight back right away. It wasn’t long before we came to our senses, though. Once we were outside, Slash was in my head, telling me his plan. He was pissed and determined that one of us would get away to warn the rest of the planet about the Plutarkians. He told me to run. I knew that one of us had to escape, and that his chances of fighting his way free were better than mine. I agreed to make a dash for it the minute they were distracted.

"Our chance came quickly. Slash twisted, grabbed his knife, slashed his guard’s throat, and screamed for me to run. I didn’t waste any time, but I didn’t go too far. I was determined to wait for him as close as possible, go back if need be. I had barely gotten a block when I heard a laser blast, followed by Slash’s scream. I turned in time to see his body hit the ground; a hole burnt through his chest. They didn’t give me time to react. They started firing on me immediately.

"Somehow I managed to escape, and made my way to my brother’s room. I didn’t want to live without Slash, but was resolved that his death would not be in vain. I wrote a message to Throttle, telling him everything, and laid it on his desk where he’d be sure to find it when he woke up. I sat with my back to the wall in the darkest corner of his room, and pulled my knife from my boot. The only thing I could think of was how much I wanted to be with Slash.

"I must have made some noise when I slashed my wrist, because Throttle stopped me before I got to my other arm. I begged him to let me die, and passed out. When I finally came to, I vowed that I would never get that close to anyone again. My heart was broken, and my soul ripped out when Slash was killed. I can’t live through anything like that again."

The tears were gone, and there was an anger like nothing Stone had ever seen before left in Axle’s eyes. Her voice had barely risen above a whisper, and she hadn’t moved an inch. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, staring straight through Stone. When she had finished, she did not give him time to react, but got up and walked further into the shadows.

"You were right, Stone. I did fall in love with Aztec. I don’t know when, or how it happened, but it stops here. I won’t betray Slash."

"Axle, listen to yourself. You’ve finally found someone you can be happy with, and you’re throwing him out the window. Do you think Slash…?"

Axle was across the room in an instant, rage in her eyes, and a knife at Stone’s throat. Her whole body was shaking. Had anybody but Stone said something like that to her, she would have killed him or her without thinking. But, he was a trusted friend, who had helped her get her past back, and that stayed her hand. "Don’t you dare presume to know anything about him! You have no right!"

Stone grabbed her wrist, and forced her to drop the knife, then wrapped his massive arms around her torso. "Calm down. You’re right. It was stupid, and I’m sorry. But, you can’t go on like…"

Suddenly, a bright light appeared from across the room. Stone stopped and looked up, keeping Axle’s head pressed against his chest. What he saw was the first thing that ever truly frightened him in his life, and would probably be the last thing. A Martian, clearly no longer among the living, was standing on the other side of the room. His fur was solid black except for a white, jagged stripe running diagonally across his face. His hair was as white as snow, and was tied back with a strip of red cloth. His clothes were ragged and he wore no shoes. From what Stone knew of Martians, he judged him to be a young adolescent. The boy looked at Stone only a moment before speaking. His voice was surprisingly deep, and soothing.

"Axle-baby, what’s with you?"

Axle caught her breath, and snapped her head up. "It can’t be…" Stone released her, and she turned around very slowly. "Slash?!"

Slash smiled at her, "It’s been a long time, Love. I’ve missed ya."

Axle walked forward, and dropped to her knees only a few inches away from Slash.

"It simply can’t be…"

Slash bent down, and took Axle’s face in his hands. "You’ve changed, Love. But you’re still as gorgeous as you always were." He pressed his nose to hers, and their antennae moved to touch each other. (This is what I believe a Martian kiss to be like. After all, these mice don’t have lips. The antennae touching is only done by the most intimate of couples. Yes, I know that I mentioned her kissing before, but remember, she’s been around humans for a long time. And, who’s to say that she doesn’t add her own ‘kiss’ in there with the human kiss, huh?)

Axle threw her arms around him, and they embraced for what seemed only too short a time to her. By this time, Stone was standing in the farthest corner he could find, completely forgotten.

It was Slash who finally pulled away from the embrace. "I can’t stay. I only have a few more minutes."

Axle was unable to find words, and she clung desperately to his hands. Slash lovingly stroked her face with his tail. "I been watchin ya all these years. Swore I’d never leave you alone, and I don’t break vows. I’ve worried bout ya, and hoped you’d be happy. You always could fool everyone but me, no matter how hard ya tried. This time I saw you when they didn’t. I watched you break every night, and I cried right ‘long side of ya."

"All I ever wanted was to be with you, Slash. I tried so many times, but…"

Slash put a finger to her lips. "Sshh. Love, it ain’t gonna happen. I couldn’t let it happen. I woke your brother up that first night, and I sent friends every other time. Always knew your future was gonna be longer than mine. You’re meant for great things, and ya deserve to be happy. Ya got that chance now. Please, Love, don’t push him away."

"But, I can’t… I don’t want to lose…"

Slash silenced her with a kiss this time, entwining her tail in his. "Hush, Love. It’s gonna be a’right. He was sent to ya. Please take this chance. I’m beggin ya, don’t throw this away. I can’t stand to see you torn up any longer. Just like I promised, I ain’t gonna leave ya. Rest now." He touched his nose to hers again, and she collapsed in his arms.

As he gently lay her head down on the floor, he looked up to Stone. His voice had changed. It was no longer that of the child he had been, but of the spirit that he was. He spoke with much more experience and power now. "I would like to thank you for giving her back her past, and for being such a good friend to her." Slash looked lovingly upon Axle. "I tried so hard to get her to remember, but she never heard anything I said. She didn’t really want to. I thought I’d lost her forever. I can never thank you enough." He shifted his gaze to meet Stone’s eyes. "I hope you will not mind assisting in this matter as well. For now, at least, she is meant to be with this male. They came together to see to it that the two of them would meet. I cannot see their entire future, but what I do see is brightest when they are together. It is important that he know about her past, all of it, and the vows she has made. For reasons unknown to me, it is especially important that he be made aware of the number of times she has tried to kill herself. She finds it very hard to talk about her past, as you well know, and may decide not to tell him anything. If she doesn’t, you must, for you are the only other person who knows. I beg you, do not let her lose this chance for happiness."

"You have my word. Aztec will know the truth."

Slash smiled and began to fade. "Thank you." He gently ran his fingers along the side of Axle’s face. "Be happy, Love. I beg you, embrace this with open arms." Just as suddenly as he had appeared, Slash disappeared.

Stone walked across the room, and picked up Axle. He placed her on the couch, positioning a small pillow under her head. Finally, he switched off the lamp, and pulled the sliding doors closed. Stone sighed heavily, and leaned back against the closed doors. "Sometimes I think there’s a magnet for trouble in your pocket, Axle."

On his way back to his workshop, Stone decided to check in on Aztec. He marveled to find the prince sleeping soundly on his bed. "Well, don’t know how you ever managed to sleep through all that! You have quite an interesting experience ahead of you. But, then again, anyone who runs with Axle does." Stone chuckled to himself as he pulled his bedroom door shut to keep Aztec from being disturbed while he finished his work.

Stone returned to find Josh exactly as he expected. The male was sleeping soundly on the table, his proper brain functions fully restored. "At least something went right today." As Stone removed the electrodes, and restraints, he continued talking to himself, "I suppose I should get you back to Axle’s now. That girl Aztec was telling me bout should be glad to see you." Stone threw the young male over his shoulder, and carried him over to his transporter. After punching in the proper coordinates, he sent Josh on his way.

"Well, now that that’s done, I do believe I’ve earned the chance to get some rest myself." As every other place to sleep was taken, Stone pulled out one of his spare cots, then flipped out the last of the lights. The cot squeaked in protest as Stone laid out on his back. As always, Stone contemplated his day, before allowing himself to sleep. When he first started in this business, Stone had done everything that he was asked to do. Eventually, he found it hard to sleep at night. When he probed his own mind to find the reasons, he realized that he was feeling guilt for patching up somebody that would only go out and create more madness in the world. He had found that the only way he could sleep anymore was to go back through his day, and pick over everything until he was certain that he had done nothing wrong. If he could not do it, then he got up and fixed the problem. He laughed softly as he rolled onto his side. "Axle, my dear, so long as you’re around I doubt there’ll be a single dull moment around here." And then, for the first time since Axle and Aztec had arrived, the silence Stone was so accustomed to descended upon his home.