Brotherhood

Uno and Dos

Adam was spoonbending again, this time running his hand over Blake's body, fingers hovering just above the surface. Dos was somehow helping. Her left arm was around Adam's waist. She rested her right hand, long fingers splayed, on the back of his head. Like Adam, her eyes were closed as she concentrated. "There," she called.

Adam opened his glowing eyes and looked ruefully at where his hand had stopped, directly over Blake's left bicep. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"What?" Blake asked.

"The tracer," Adam sighed. "It's imbedded there."

"Uh, what?"

"I definitely have to take some time and scan your mind," Uno grumbled. "How could you have an implanted tracer in your arm and not know it?"

"That is an excellent question. Blake, how... Hey!"

Blake yelled as well. Dos had released Adam to reach past him and grab Blake's sleeve, ripping it open with careless disregard. "We need to lose this tracer, and now," she explained. "There's only one way to get it out."

Blake's eyes grew wide as she produced a wicked-looking knife. "Uh, about that," he stammered. "Do you have any... Ow, fuck!"

"Easier if you don't know it's coming," Dos explained. The knife had sliced into the skin of Blake's arm and deftly popped out a small electronic device. Seven caught it as it fell and passed it up to Uno's waiting hand. Uno opened the window and tossed it out. Meanwhile, Dos had already healed Blake's arm.

"You guys do real delicate work, you know?" Blake complained, rubbing at his arm. "You both look like you're in your thirties, but you act like kids!"

"They'll probably still find our rendezvous point," Uno called, ignoring Blake. "We're going to have to stop and insure any who come for us. Seven, you're out of alignment."

"I'm aware. Talk to the big sexy idiot to my left, it's his damned fault!"

"In this case, that's an advantage." He pulled over. "Dos, take the wheel, I'll bring him in."

Adam frowned. "This isn't the time for this, Uno. My brothers are fighting! You can't just..."

"Protecting Shelton is our objective," Dos called, climbing back over the seat into the driver's seat. Her clothing was stained with Adam's blood. "And we need you with us now."

"What's going on?" Blake asked Adam quietly as Uno jogged around the car and climbed in next to Adam.

"They want to pull me partially into their integration, to take advantage of my power," Adam explained. "It'll help with the fight, but..."

"Seven is concerned, because it means he'll be much farther out of alignment with his Shard trio, and his brothers will lose some of what he provides," Uno told Blake as the car started moving again.

"Can he be pulled out completely?"

"Blake!" Adam exclaimed.

"Only Unum has that power," Uno replied, nonplussed. "He can break a trio, but that's not what you're asking. Seven can't ever be pulled completely out of Shard integration."

"Did you not see what just happened?" Dos called, looking annoyed. "He's not your lover anymore, Shelton! He's not human, and cutting him off from Shard wouldn't change that."