*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 11

Freedom

 

                "Good work people..."  Beremin said slowly, "I was worried for a minute there.  We almost lost BOTH our subjects."

                On one of the workers posed a question Beremin had been thinking, "Sir?  What about the reptiles?  Should we send out the drones?"

                Beremin scowled for a moment.  He hated having to trust those machines, but they DID follow orders better than Griffin, "Yes.  Bring the reptiles, and make sure no other humans know about them."

                "But sir!"  The same person asked, "The report you received stated that the larger reptile was visiting a human!  What if it's gone to that person?"

                "Tell the drones..."  He paused, but only for a moment, "...to kill any humans the reptiles might be with."  He left.  He had to be there when the rebellious Griffin came home.

 

                Griffin woke, feeling cold air on his face.  It felt odd...and wonderful.  He had never woken up before feeling anything but the heat they used to wake him.  His gel, though it had been cooling, had been warmish when he'd gotten out of it that morning.  This new feeling was exhilarating.  He opened his eyes to see just what was happening, "Wait!  We're going back!  I don't WANT to go back!  I want to see the island!!!"  He twisted, slipping out of Poseidon's grasp and catching the wind on his own wings.

                It was too late by then.  A strange net that GLOWED shot out, caught both of them and sent them to the ground.  Griffin braced himself for impact, was surprised when it was so soft.  He looked around.  A crash pad had been placed underneath them, had cushioned their fall, "Poseidon?  Are you alright?"

                Poseidon had already reverted back to his curled up position.

 

                Kim would not let go of Johnny.  She'd lost him once...and wouldn't let that happen again.  Maiky was squealing too, happy to see his father again.

                Johnny tried unsuccessfully to pry himself loose from her hug, "Kim...are you going to let go?.."

                "Never..."  She whispered through her tears.

 

                James would have loved to watch this little reunion, but, thankfully, there was a more pressing issue at the moment.  He lightly nudged the little anthros with a finger, "Hey you two...I'm going back out to look for Don.  He didn't come back, and neither did Griffin."

                Johnny frowned, "Okay...but RUN from danger this time?"

                James rolled his eyes, "Only if Griffin's back to being the bad guy."  He left Johnny and walked outside.  The area around Christina's place was nice and clear.  He took off, hoping to see the two anthros just lagging behind.

                They weren't in the air, "Damn...what happened THIS time?!"  He wished he could ask, but a glint of metal caught his eye.  He looked down and saw, worriedly, that the weird robots that had captured him earlier were advancing toward Christina's place, "They're after me, not her.  I won't let them get her..."  He swooped down, causing enough of a surprise attack that he managed to take out two of his metallic foes.  There was a burst of confusion as the robots reorganized themselves and chased him.  THIS time, James knew what to expect.  The nets they shot at him never touched.  He even managed to blow up a few more robots!

                The things learned though.  When it was clear that the nets wouldn't touch him again, they tried to shoot him down.  One shot got frighteningly close.  James could feel the heat of the lazer as it swept by, barely missing him.

                Strange...this part of the forest seemed...familiar?  How could that be?  Were they..."They're pushing me!  They WANT me to go this way!!"  He experimented and began to turn.  The lazers suddenly intensified in the same direction.  James quickly straightened out, and the lazer blasts lessened, "They're taking me back..."  James tried going straight up.  Interestingly enough, the lazers didn't intensify until it became clear that he wasn't trying to go in the same direction.  They HIT him this time.  James shouted in pain and quickly changed course to head where they wanted him.

                The building soon loomed ahead.

 

                "Subject is being pushed back sir.  No casualties."

                Beremin nodded, "Just make sure that dragon gets here alive.  I don't care if he's wounded, but I want him here ALIVE.  Tell the drones to stun, not kill."

 

                James cried out as the next shot hit him, "But I'm GOING the way they want me to!  Why are they trying to hit me now?!!"  He swerved left and right, up and down, to avoid the blasts.  Another shot hit him and, for the slightest moment, he couldn't feel his left wing.  It wasn't enough to make him fall, but it still unnerved him, "They're getting way too close.  I've gotta watch it!"

 

                Laser blasts?..what for?  Griffin had his head pressed firmly against a wall, trying to hear what was going on.  Poseidon, the poor guy, was now huddled up in a corner, watching that same door with expressions of terror that sent shivers through Griffin.  He tried to ignore his roommate and listened intently.  By the judge of that roar he'd just heard, it was James...if size or strength of sound counted for anything.

 

                "OW!"  James growled.  The shots were starting to find their mark a LOT more now.  Mostly, it was just annoying, but every now and then the shots hit a particularly vital spot he needed for flying...his wings, his arms...one had even hit the back of his head!  If he decided to go giant..."No!  They see that, I'll never be able to get away!"  Although...with the way things were going now, he might not get away as it was.  He swore and changed.  There.  Being THIS big made all those puny laser shots barely tickle.  He laughed and, with one quick swipe of his tail, managed to destroy more than half the robots after him...the half that got away had been too low for his tail to reach without taking out most of that forest beneath him.  He landed and, without paying attention to all the screaming he could suddenly hear, tore off the roof to the building.  He quickly picked up Griffin and Don, then with two in his hand, he stomped on the remaining robots and took off again.  James stopped at Christina's house and told Griffin to get Johnny.  Once they had everyone, James said his goodbye's and left for Dragon Isle.

 

                "GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS!  WE ARE NOT LEAVING UNTIL WE KNOW THE SAMPLES ARE ALL SAFE!!!!!"  The threatening sound of his voice managed to drive some back, barely enough to check through everything quickly...Beremin vowed to kill the ones who had continued to run.  While the people ran around, checking on the less important tests, Beremin checked on the three newest ones...the most promising ones..."Good.  Nothing happened."  There were suddenly screams all around him.  An earthquake shook the place, Beremin saw some walls collapse...killing all of those who had stayed to help.  It didn't matter...so long as these three experiments were safe, nothing mattered.

                He would have his dragons...and ONE of them would be able to become a giant!  He smiled to himself, knowing that if THIS particular experiment succeeded, he WOULD have the ultimate fighter.  A giant with martial arts skills could easily destroy cities in minutes.  He laughed.  One experiment would make a godzilla wannabe come into existence.  The other would breed something exactly the opposite.  The third...well, that one showed some promising ideas, at any rate.

                Beremin walked away through the rubble.  He would leave, and come back later with supplies so that he could continue the expermients by himself.

                Nothing was going to stop him now.

                Or, so he hoped.  There was ONE last thing..."That weak version of Griffin is susceptible to the control chip.  If I can get into contact with that one last time..."  He looked around for a computer.  If one, just one, worked, he could still pull this whole thing off.

                He found one, "Now all I need is to expand the range of the signal.  Once I do that, nothing will keep him away from me."  Beremin smiled as the computer worked flawlessly.  This wasn't over by a longshot..."I...What the--NO!!!"  Furious, Beremin tried to reroute the power, "Of all the damn--WHAT?!!!"  The screen had gone blank..."No...no...I NEED that data...NO!"  He slammed the screen, fuious.  There was no help for it.  He couldn't get at that chip..."I can't let anyone discover that technology...if anyone were to discover how we managed to control that creature, they might try controlling entire cities!  They can't!  I made that chip, I won't let anyone use my ideas!"  He had a tiny remote.  He gazed at it, hesitant to do this..."I have to.  My technology is inside them.  I won't let anyone but me control them.  I hold the power, no one else."  He sighed and pressed the single button on the remote, then tossed it away.  It was useless now, as was teh second chip inside BOTH subjects' heads.

 

                Poseidon slowly uncurled the farther away they got.  He sighed and relaxed.  They were getting away...finally.  And James hadn't gone animal!  That should count as a plus, right?..right?.."Hey, Griffin, you're gonna love the island.  You might even meet a girl there you'll like."  He smiled trying to cheer Griffin up, who stared longingly over the ocean they were just now crossing.

                Griffin attempted to smile, but stopped, "Thanks...it's just that I'm leaving behind my entire life...I don't know what to expect...and that scares me...what do I do?  I've never been around my own kind except for YOU guys.  Will they even accept me?"

                Johnny called from Poseidon's shoulder, "Meh, you'll do FINE.  Just about every girl you meet'll fall for you 'cause of how you look right now!"

                "What?"

                "Your muscles?  They'll count for SOMETHING!  I promise that!"

                Poseidon smiled and gazed through the cracks between James' fingers.  They were LEAVING!!!  Haha!!!!!!!.."OW!"  He shouted and held his head.  What the hell had THAT been?!

                Griffin looked in similar pain, but he'd kept silent.  He shook his head and looked at Don, "Hey...you can let go of your head.  I think I know what just happened."

                Don did, but the feeling didn't leave, "So...what happened?"  He asked while trying not to grit his teeth.

                "One of your chips broke.  One of mine, too."

                "Wait...then..."  Don tried to lift Johnny with his chip, sighing in relief when he managed it, "It wasn't that chip...it was--"  His eyes widened when he realized it, "That other one...I'm free!  They can't control me anymore!!!!!!!"  Poseidon fell back, shocked, "I'm free..."

                Griffin nodded, slowly, "Yeah...you can put it that way..."  But no one noticed how sad Griffin looked as they started to descend.