Fraction

Fraction Chapter 30 - Three Years

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!!" Adam 40 screamed. Rob.E.R.T. fell to his knees. "You can't... save her?" he asked in a trembling voice. Adam 40 face palmed. "The Oasis was a one-time deal. Diana can't rebuild it now. I trusted you and dismantled it to conserve- never mind that! Where is she now?! You didn't leave her alone with the Backup, did you?! DID YOU?!" Rob.E.R.T. buried his face in his palms. "Of course not. I have the Backup with me... But tell me you can save her." Adam 40 sighed and sat down. "Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I can save her. Of course, I need to examine the Backup first. With that, I can do it." Rob.E.R.T. breathed out in relief and got up. "Master!" the watch shouted in a mechanical female voice, "Teleport! Get out of here!" Rob.E.R.T. frowned and looked at Adam 40. "What's the matter, Diana?" he asked. Adam 40 looked at his watch. His expression twisted into that of absolute horror. Rob.E.R.T. saw blood suddenly burst out in front of him. He looked down and processed what he was seeing. A gaping hole in his chest.

"Master! Get away from here now!" the watch shouted. Adam 40 narrowed his eyes. "Stay alive." He said as he disappeared into a flash of light. Rob.E.R.T. nodded and fell to his knees, palms on the ground. "So you're finally showing your true colours..." he said weakly as he lifted his head and faced his opponent. Evening Star grinned and stared back at him. "I must thank you for carrying me so close to your heart. It made it all the more easy for me to build my body." She spoke as she bent down. Rob.E.R.T. grinned back at her. "Just because I was carrying you in my pocket-" he coughed out blood before he could complete the sentence. "Shhh... you shouldn't really be talking in your current condition." Eve spoke, "But since you're going to die anyway, I'm going to ask you one question. How does it feel to be killed by your own student?" Rob.E.R.T. closed his eyes and collapsed on the ground. "Don't... play with words..." he said as he gasped for air, "Backup..." Eve's expression grew cruel. "I don't appreciate being called that..."

"Oh? You think you're the same as the original?"

"Shut up! Like you would know anything about me!"

"Fine, I'll not go down that road. I won't even ask you why you're doing this. Just promise me... you won't hurt her."

"Huh? Are you stupid or something? Why would I hurt Eve?! I am her Backup! The sole purpose of my existence is to ensure her continued survival! I am her! She is me! She must live! I must live!"

"Okay, yeah, I got that. Now, would you mind leaving me alone? I'd like to die in peace."

"I thought you would like to die looking at someone you loved. You are my teacher, after all."

"You're really stupid if you think that. I care about no one. Anyone who comes close to me ends up getting skewered by me. Get lost."

"Fine. Whatever..."

Suddenly, a hand reached and grabbed Rob.E.R.T.'s hand. Eve's Backup looked at the guest. "Yes, sir." The woman spoke, "This is Eve 30. I have secured the Porcupine. I will be bringing him back to HQ." The woman disappeared in a blinding flash of light, along with Rob.E.R.T. "Damn teleporters..." Eve's Backup said as she covered her eyes with her hand, "I guess I shall go find Evening Star now."

"Good work, Eve 30. We can now reconstruct his body." A man who looked exactly like Adam 40 spoke, Rob.E.R.T. struggled to keep his eyes open. Most of his vision was blurry. He could make out that he was in some kind of room. White walls. White roof. Something glowing across the roof. "Who... are you...?" he asked. "Ah, you're still conscious. I am Adam 1. As you may have deduced, my friend here is Eve 30. We will now hand you over to Adam 40 for reconstruction. I..." the voice drifted away as Rob.E.R.T. closed his eyes and felt everything go dark. With the last bit of his consciousness, his lips moved to let one word escape. "Artemis..."