5th Exploit: "See You in the City"

A Chapter by Jeffrey J Dotson

After a considerably longer hiatus I'm back... again! Just in time for a Turkey Day release too. I won't make promises I cain't keep but lets see if I'm able to keep on track this time.

Antonio, Clarice and Jace stand outside of the hideout of a now deceased Veto. Victorious at least partly in accomplishing what they set out to do, and before nightfall to boot. Clarice has her blade tucked safely into her sheath. Shes clutching at her side, still feeling the after effect of the veto-bots punch. The knife wound has been slightly wrapped. Jace, on the other hand, has a more emotional pain coursing through him as he looks at the remains of of his sword, still lamenting over its destruction. Antonio appears to be just fine in spite of his severe injuries. One couldn't tell he had two broken ribs just by looking at him. Clarice turns her head to Antonio and looks at him concerned.

"I'm impressed by your fortitude. A normal man would be in a heap by now, what are you made of, Iron?"

Antonio lets a laugh escape his mouth before he responds. "Of course not! I'm made of the same material as anyone else." Tony places his hand over the wound intended for his heart and smirks. "Hell two years ago this woulda killed me outright. Now, it might as well be a mosquito bite."

"Now that I don't believe. That at least broke a rib."

Tony raises a brow. "So? I fractured my bones all the time back in the forest. They always heal quickly enough. I'm more worried about the bullet lodged in my back more then anything." Tony shrugs. "I'll just have Luke dig the damn thing out when I get back. Right now I'm more upset at how pathetic these guys were, especially the robot. It was junk before I even got to it!"

Jace looks away from the hilt and at Antonio. "Where do you think they got a machine like that anyways?"

Antonio sighs angrily. "I don't know or care enough to find out. As far as I'm concerned its history. Right now we should probably be heading back to the village.

"I'll accompany you. I need to gather some travelling supplies before I head home and I figure its as good a time as any to get better acquainted."

Jace smiles. "Sounds good to me!" Tony's the first to start walking away. The other two pick up their feet and catch up relatively quickly. "Its always nice to meet new people that aren't complete jerks, even if they're a little scary." Tony begins to laugh while Clarice sighs. "Erm, n-n-no offense Miss Clarice! Tony's way more scarier then you!"

This seems to agonize Clarice a little more. Antonio smirks as the three enter the small opening in the woods where they came through prior. Back at the hideout all is quiet. The hole in the roof where Veto-bot was sent flying has stopped crumbling. The one conscious bandit is helping a barely conscious Onex stand up.

---

Twenty minutes pass. It is darker but not quite nightfall. Tony and Jace have warmed up to Clarice, and likewise, indicated by their body language and the way they're speaking as if their previous problems were water under the bridge. Jace is in the middle of telling Clarice and Antonio a story.

"-and just as it would seem my luck ran dry Tonys brother showed up and saved me from the wild pack or Razor-backs!"

Tony smirks. "Guess you've been givin' Luke a little work in my absence. Good on you little guy, good on you."

"Yeah... he gave me a long lecture about travelling by myself."

Clarice chimes in. "Its because he cares. Imagine how distraught your mother would be if something awful happened to you."

Jace looks to the ground with an almost blank expression and a frown. "I guess." Clarice notices Jaces change in demeanor after mentioning his mother, but decides against pursuing any further. Jace looks up and forces a smile. "Anyways we're back in 'Inizioville! Feels good to be home right?"

Antonio shrugs. "Its better then nothing. Anyways-" Tony turns his head to Clarice. "-you gonna follow us to the little guys house or..."

"Can't. I wish to catch the general store before it closes, and I don't have any wish to pay for lodgings now that everything's been cleared up." Clarice extends her hand to Antonio. "It was an honor to meet you two."

Tony smirks as he grabs and shakes her hand. "Likewise. Don't be a stranger alright?"

Clarice smiles at the two reassuringly as her hand parts from Tonys. "Before I leave you two a contact number, just in case you're ever in trouble or just wanting a familiar face to speak with in the city." Clarice removes a small piece of paper and a pencil. She jots down a bunch of numbers before handing the paper to Antonio, who has a confused look on his face. "Here's my cell number."

Tony and Jace look at each-other, then at Clarice and respond in unison. "Cell number?"

"Yeah for my cell phone?"

Tony and Jace tilt their heads, even more confused. "'Phone'?!"

Clarice strokes her chin as she begins to grow confused herself. "Are there no phones or even means of contact outside of this place?"

Jace speaks up. "Well, there's word of mouth and mail but that goes for the other villages around here too."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. There's not even electricity in this place, but to think neither of you have seen or even heard of a phone before? You haven't lived your whole lives in this one spot have you?"

Both nod in unison, though Jace stops as if to remember. "Well, no actually I was born in one of the cities in Central Norot but Ive spent a good cut of my life here." Jace places his finger on his necklace and smiles fondly. "The only thing I remember from my old life is my first friend. I often pray hes doing better then me."

Antonio smirks and ruffles Jaces head of hair. "If its any consolation I intend to venture city-wise very soon."

"Well-" Clarice speaks as she forces the piece of paper into Antonios pocket. "-while you're 'venturing' go and pick up a cell phone. We're comrades now, you've helped me out and I'm more then happy to return the favor. It becomes more difficult to help if there's not form of communication. Phones are invaluable in importance."

"Yeah yeah I'll get a damn 'cell phone'."

Clarice shakes her head and sighs as she turns around. She raises a hand up and waves. "Ive dawdled a little too long. Once again it was an honor guys, I hope to see you in the city."

Jace smiles as he waves back. "You have a safe walk back!" Clarice smiles. She lowers her hand as her distance between the two grows. Jace turns to Antonio and grins. "Man shes really cool isn't she Tony?! She kinda scared me at first but I can tell shes a really good person!"

"Sounds like someone's got a crush."

Jace begins to blush. He waves his arms sporadically and speaks with a fluster. "N-n-no I j-just respect and a-a-a-admire her!"

Antonio nudges his elbow into Jaces shoulder a few times while smirking. "Oh I bet you do, I bet you do I bet yo-"

"AAAAHHHHH! Stop teasing me you jerk!" Antonio snickers. Jace 'tackles' him. The two laugh as the sky grows progressively darker.

---

A quarter mile away from Vetos hideout lays the mechanical carcass of his personal robot. It lays in a unkempt field just twelve feet away from a highway. Its lower half is several feet away from the upper body. Standing over Veto-Bot are three individuals in suits, all of which seem to carry a TC emblem on them identical to the scratched out TC on Veto-Bot and all wearing their hair back. The middle guys hair is a pinch longer then the others and his skin is a shade darker, and the left fellow has dark brown hair as opposed to jet black but otherwise they're relatively identical. All three men look worried as they stare down at the wrecked android.

"Hes not going to be happy about this." The brown haired fellow says as he nonchalantly kicks the androids shoulder. He turns his head to the other two and forces a smirk. "So, who's gonna break the news to Clark?"

"Not it." The middle man says immediately.

"Yeah, I'm not really in the mood to tell him ei-"

"Not it!" The man to the right says. He lets out a little laugh. "Guess that means you're gonna tell him anyways Joe, whether or not your 'in the mood'."

Joe, the one with the brown hair, lets out a long sigh. "A little seriousness goes a long way guys." Joe pulls out his cell phone and begins to dial. "Clarks one of those trigger-happy impulsive ***holes, if I break the news the wrong way I might lose my job." Joe brings the phone to his ear and begins to sweat. "Hey sir? We found the missing model."

Somewhere in an expensive restaurant residing inside of Central Norot is a man with a highly valuable cellular phone to his ear. This man wears an expensive dark red suit with white fluff at the neck line. He dons the same TC emblem on the left pocket of his coat. His eyes are sharp, his iris a dark green. His hair hangs past his shoulder, with one bang falling forward over one eye. He has dark orange hair. His face is young and white, with no wrinkles or no signs of facial hair. He looks to be in his late teens or early twenties when in reality he is thirty. This is Clark Rweise, the head Engineer and Scientific & Technological manufacturing, and hes just found out one of his precious 'creations' have been found.

"About time! Where was it?!"

"Well sir-" Joe says, almost with a cracked voice. "-we found it in the field along the way to Ferland. Its in shambles." Clarks eye twitches. "We're not sure what happened but by the looks of it someone shoved a bag of grenades into its midsection."

"Who could've done this to my baby?!"

Joe cringes. 'We're not sure Mr. Rweise but-"

"IT WAS A RHETORICAL ****ING QUESTION YOU HALF WIT!" Several of the noble men dining around Clark look at his direction with contempt and fear. Clark grins angrily. "Whatever happened to C-002 is bound to be in its memory bank, as long as the head is still in one piece. We'll get the full life-span. Who stole it, who broke it, everything! I look forward to punishing the ***holes responsible for this!"

"Uhhhm ssir?" Joe nearly stutters. The other two are examining the other half of Veto-Bot, or rather C-002. "we-"

"What's with that worried tone? Don't tell me the heads destroyed!"

"No of course not! It has a few dents but its still in okay condition. Its just that we don't think it was stolen. It couldn't have been. Its more likely that..." Joe pauses. He sighs. "That it dropped out of the vehicle during transit. The driver himself reported a week ago that he didn't stop for anything between Central Norot and Ferland, its just no one had the time to report that part back to you-"

Clarks angry grin turns into a full on scowl. His eyes burn with rage as he takes the golden fork on his plate and stabs violently into the slab of stake on his plate. "Let me get this ****ing straight, you mean to tell me one of my products, one of Tai Corp's products, wasn't stolen but LOST?! Then why in the **** am I getting the report that it was STOLEN two weeks ago!? Do you realize how bad of an idea it is to jerk around my ****ing chain?!? This is going to come back on you kid, you and that ****ing driver!!!" Clark sighs. "Either way it doesn't matter. Someone messed with my supplies before its purchase and I want that someone reprimanded! I want you and whatever clowns you have with you to take C-002 and have it shipped back to Tai Tower. I want that recording on my desk by tomorrow or you're fired!"

"Yes sir! Sorry for the bad news sir." Clark hangs up. Joe looks over at the other two, who are messing around with the lower half of C-002, one of the guys is standing on its pelvis and making a dumb pose. "Hey get off of that! We've gotta drag this crap back to the boss!"

Back at the restaurant Clark is looking around him, giving every look a retort with his own nasty glare. He is absolutely infuriated by the news hes been given, to the point where his hand is fondling the gun in his coat, aching to use it.

---

Antonio was in a state of anger and Jace was laying outside of his house, weeping. On the door is a note that's been read by both men already, and the after effects are obvious. Its a note left by Jaces mother, and it reads as follows.

'I can't do this anymore. I tried to keep things going after your father left but its just too much, even in a Podunk place like this. The bills are too much, not to mention always having to deal with your conditions. I can't do it anymore. I'm moving far north. Jace you're sixteen now you can figure something out.'

Tony grits his teeth and spits to the side, obviously infuriated by the situation. "She didn't have to lock you out of the house too did she?" Jace just weeps. Tony walks over to him and lifts him off his feet. "Come on buddy, we'll think of something. Luke'll be fine with you staying over for the time being."

Jace speaks through his whimpering. "Why do lose everything I love?!"

Tony wraps a hand around Jace and lets him lay his head on his shoulder. "I'm here Jace, and I won't leave you alone again." Antonio stands up and pats Jace on the shoulder. "I'm gonna take you to the city with me, alright champ?"

Jace sniffs and wipes his tears off of his face. "Thank you Tony."

"Hey bro-" Tony ruffles Jaces hair. "-that's what friends are for right? Lets go."

---

"Sorry Tony I'm not up for babysitting." Antonio gives Luke a crooked look, almost offended by his statement. The two are talking inside of the dojos workout room. They're standing next to one of the rows of workout benches. Jace is elsewhere in the dojo. "Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for the little guy but I have my own students to worry about without having to worry about that frail kid as well."

"Its only gonna be for the night you heartless b*****d. I was plannin' on taking him to the city with me, we're going as soon as hes ready."

Luke gives his younger brother a serious look. "I don't think I can condone that Tony. You leaving for a bigger life is one thing but its dangerous out there, especially for someone like Jace! You might be able to handle the struggles but he won't!"

Antonio shakes his head disagreeingly. "You underestimate him Luke, just because he wasn't physically able to endure your teachings doesn't mean hes hopeless. The guys got a big heart and its at risk of breaking here. He needs this, probably more then I do! I can and will shoulder the weight of the world if I have to!"

"You just might have to Antonio." Luke sighs. "I have no right to stop you, but if anything happens to him on your travels its on you. If the kid gets hurt or worse then you have yourself to blame. If you can live with that responsibility then go ahead and take him. In the meantime I can spare a night, but one of you will have to sleep on the floor."

Antonio looks at Luke confused for a second, but then seems to understand the possible reason. "What, you threw out Maxines bed after all this time?"

"I sure as hell did. I refuse to harbor a criminal even if its a brother, especially considering his crime is treason."

"Yeouch, how cold can you get?" Tony smirks. "I have a feeling Max wants nothin' to do with us anyways so I'm sure its no skin off his head. As for my own head I guess I'll take to the ground. Jace can use the bed-" As if on que Jace walks into the room and wearily smiles. He looks up nervously at Luke, who is as intimidating as ever. "Hey good news buddy, you've got a place to sleep tonight!"

Jace bows to Luke. "Th-thanks Mr. Dragone I really appreciate it."

Luke sighs and closes his eyes. "Don't mention it. Just have yourself a nice rest, you'll need it for the trip."

"Oh, Tony told you?"

Luke shoots a glance at his younger brother. "Indeed he has. If you two are heading north-" Luke looks back at Jace. "-then that means you're almost certainly going to see St. Costas. Ive been there a few handful of times as running practice and for fresh produce. The city is a big place Tony, you'll probably get lost. Also-" Luke turns back to Tony and leans forward. "You might not want to go to the Five Star Bar, Paul frequents the place." A tense shroud of tranquil fury looms over Antonio. Ki radiates from him and his eye begins to twitch. "Figure I would tell you now so it wouldn't come as a surprise later."

"What, so I don't 'screw up the family name' by being vengeful?!" Tony 'tsks' and turns his head upward. "I'm not allowed to start anything with the piece of **** anyways." Luke looks at Tony with confusion. "If I see him I'll do as I always do, ignore him for the trash that he is."

Antonio storms out of the workout room. Jace looks up at Luke with a bit of concern as Luke just shakes his head slowly. "Is that the 'demon' you were talking about the other day? Hatred?"

---

It is morning. Antonio and Luke stand outside of the dojo. Lukes students are beginning to enter the dojo, ready for their daily lessons. One of the students notice Antonio and freeze in fear. Tony acknowledges the kid and grins as he slowly turns his head to him. He speaks in a sinister tone.

"I'm teaching again today." The student screams in panic, another one whimpers out a despairing 'please no'. Tony begins to laugh and pats one of the kids on the back. "Nah just jokin' with you! Bro won't let me anyways!" A collective sigh of relief escapes the students. Luke slaps Tony in the back of the head.

"Don't traumatize my class."

Antonio snickers. "Aw I'm just teasing the little brats." Tony stretches and lets out a morning yawn. "Soon as Jace is packed we're headin' out anyways."

"Yeah yeah, just be careful alright? I'm not so much as worried for you as I am him. I imagine the trip wouldn't take you anymore then a few hours by yourself but with him it'll be four days at least."

Antonio tilts his head arrogantly and begins to stroke his chin. "Four days huh? Bet I could make it one with or without him."

---

Tai Tower. It stands 148 stories high and is the third largest building in the world. It is a black ominous tower that manufactures various appliances. Practically everything from toys to war weaponry. Housing thousands of employees ranging from distributors to scientists to super soldiers disguised as normal men. The tower is named after the financial genius born of a noble family; Tai Delaurance. On the hundred and forty second floor sits the head of Engineering, Clark Rweise.

His office is practically the size of a living room and almost looks the part. His distinct red coat is hung by the door. He sits behind his desk, twirling around a pencil and watching a monitor that has the recording of C-002s 'life'. He grimaces as he sees the image of Antonio smashing his fist into C-002s midsection from its point of view, then snaps the pencil as the screen goes to static. An angry smile grows on Clarks face.

"Guess I need to 'talk' to Veto and this green haired freak." Clark presses a button under his desk. The monitor shuts off and sinks into the desk. He picks up the phone at his desk and dials a number. "Yeah, I need several of you to go over this video footage. I need to know who the guy in the last part of this video is."

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