


Truce

by VinnyLB



Category: Zeta Project
Genre: Adventure, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2001-11-04
Updated: 2002-03-26
Packaged: 2013-05-05 20:57:37
Rating: T
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,325
Publisher: www.fanfiction.net
Story URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/443032/1/
Author URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/62272/VinnyLB
Summary: Ro is captured by an old enemy, and Zeta has to team up with the NSA to find her. Finished!





	1. Chapter One

Truce 

_Truce_   
**by Vanessa**

Summary: An old enemy returns for revenge. When Ro is captured, Zeta must join the NSA to find her.   


**Chapter One**

It had been unusually quiet lately. Zeta and Ro's entire week had been oddly devoid of any attacks by the NSA, malfunctioning synthoids or distractions from crazed child geniuses. Zeta planned to use the time to determine where Doctor Selig would make his next appearance, and he assumed that Ro would take the time to relax. No such luck. Relaxation was the _last_ thing on the mind of his hyper accomplice. 

'C'mon, Zee!" she urged him. "I'm bored! Let's do some exploring." 

Zeta, however, was not feeling as adventurous that day. "I think it would be better to stay inside the hotel. If we were to leave, we could be spotted by Bennet, or--" 

"What happened to 'smelling the roses,' huh?" she interrupted. "We're in a new city, and it's been really, really calm all week. Let's just enjoy it while we have it." She watched him as he began to think it over, and she smirked. "Buuut, I guess if you're not up for some fun, I _could_ go by myself." 

"I'll go with you," he said quickly. "I would feel better if I were there... just in case."   
She grinned. "I had a feeling you'd say that."   


Nearly every city they stayed in had a mall, and Ro always seemed to be able to find it. Zeta could never understand her obsession with shopping, and he doubted that he ever would. Still, he wanted to learn more about humans, and going with her would give him an opportunity to study the activity. 

He began by watching Ro as she rummaged through rack after rack of clothing, acquiring a large armload of outfits. Most of them, he realized, would probably be left behind when the NSA found them, but with his unlimited cred card, that made no difference to him. Finally, when the mountain of clothing in her arms completely hid her face, she began to walk away. "I'm gonna go try these on." 

"Okay," he replied, and followed her. 

She stopped and stared questioningly at him from behind the mountain of clothes. "Umm, Zee... What are you doing?" 

"Following you," he answered calmly. "I came to protect you, didn't I?"   
"Well, yeah, but... you can't go in the women's dressing room." 

His appearance shifted and was immediately replaced by that of a young black-haired woman. "There," he said in his usual male voice. "Now I can." 

"Zee!" she hissed, frantically glancing around to be sure his transformation hadn't been noticed. "Change back before someone sees you!" He immediately did as he was told. "Look," she continued, "I know you think you have to be all protective, but really, you don't. Now, I'm going to go try on these clothes. You _stay here_." 

She was probably right, he thought. What was the worst thing that could happen to her in a dressing room? He stopped worrying and resumed his study into shopping. One young couple had moved nearby. The woman was busily pulling clothes off the rack and tossing them into a cart, while the man looked as if he wanted to be somewhere else. Zeta, for some reason, felt sympathy towards him. 

Suddenly, a scream rang out from the direction of the dressing room, followed by a rumbling, whirring sound and more shouts. The first scream, however, had sounded like Ro, and Zeta was immediately worried about her. He ran towards the source of the noise, a million thoughts running simultaneously through his positronic mind. Was Ro okay? Had she been injured? Taken by the NSA? What had caused the sound in the first place? 

When he reached the dressing rooms, he had an answer to the last question. Heavily armed NSA agents were all over the area, some questioning the mall workers and others keeping curious onlookers at bay. Ro, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen, and a huge hole was neatly cut, as if by laser, in the wall beside one of the stalls. 

He managed to slip past the NSA agents and ran through each of the rooms, calling for Ro. In the last one he checked, very familiar clothing was scattered on the floor. One shirt in particular caught his eye, and he reached down to pick it up. It was a black shirt, marked on the front with thin white lines. Ro's shirt. 

He ran out of the stall, looking around in panic. "Ro?! Ro, are you there?" There was no reply. Then, the answer hit him. Someone, most likely Bennet, had _taken_ her to get to him. He grew angry, more angry than he ever thought he could be, and he clenched the shirt tightly in his fist. The killer robot that he was programmed to be was resurfacing, conflicting with his moral evolution... 

And the killer robot was winning.   


_Chapter Two coming soon!_

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	2. Chapter Two

Truce 

_Truce_   
**by Vanessa**

  
  
  


**Chapter Two**

Convincing the government that he no longer wanted to destroy didn't matter to Zeta anymore. Nothing at all mattered to him except finding Ro, and she might have been hurt. Her captors would pay for her injury. An NSA agent dashed past him, and before he could think twice, Zeta reverted to his synthoid form, stretched his arm out, and grabbed the unsuspecting man by the neck. He struggled to escape from what he recognized as the robot assassin, but Zeta reeled him in, held him high over his head, and glared into his eyes. 

"Where is Ro?"   
The man gasped for air. "Wh-who?" 

He tightened his grip on the agent's throat and shook him. "Rosalie Rowen, the girl I travel with! What has Bennet done to her?" The man choked out an unintelligible reply. 

"Zeta!" 

He whirled around, still holding his victim in the air. Agent Lee, the most sensible member of Bennet's team, was pointing a gun directly at his head. "Drop him!" she ordered, and he literally did. The frightened man leapt to his feet and scrambled away. 

"What has Bennet done with Ro?" Zeta demanded again, ignoring the fact that he would have abandoned his principles and strangled that man had she not intervened. 

"Bennet didn't do anything!"   
"Then who took her?" he asked, displaying the shirt.   
She hesitantly lowered the gun. "Do you remember Krick?"   
"Yes, from the candy factory. He tried to kill you." 

She nodded. "Well, he's escaped, and he's after you... but not for a reward. It's all about revenge now. He's been studying you, Zeta, and he knows that the girl is your main weakness. He tracked you down, he took her, and now he's waiting for you to make your move. We think he may be hiding in Gotham City." 

He changed back to his usual appearance, the young man in the purple jacket. "Gotham City," he repeated coldly, and turned away. 

"What are you planning to do?" Lee called after him.   
"If he has hurt Ro in any way, I'm going to kill him." 

"Whoa!" She ran to catch up to him. "Zeta, are you sure that killing him is the answer? I mean, if you kill a man, that won't exactly win your freedom, will it?" 

He stopped and turned to her. "Then what do you propose I do?" 

"You can't do this alone. You need help, or at least someone there to keep you from doing the wrong thing." 

He eyed her skeptically. "What would Bennet say if you abandoned the NSA to help me?" 

"I don't intend to abandon the NSA. I'm asking _you_ to join _us_. Help us track down and recapture Krick, and you might actually convince the government that you've changed. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but isn't it worth a try?" 

He considered it. Joining the NSA on this mission could possibly give him the freedom he was fighting so hard for, and he and Ro-- provided she was safe-- would never have to run again. On the other hand, it could be a trap to catch both Krick and himself at the same time. It all came down to whether or not he could trust Agent Lee. 

"We're wasting time," he said finally. "Take me to Bennet."   
  


"Absolutely _not._ No!" 

Lee stood between Zeta and James Bennet, partially to protect the synthoid, but more to protect Bennet from the currently enraged Zeta. Agent West stood in the back, skeptically watching the two, unsure of whose side to take. 

"Sir, Zeta has fought Krick before," Lee argued. "He even saved my life! It would be in our best interest to join him." 

Bennet glared at her. "Agent Lee, we've been over this before. Zeta does not _save _people. He is a killer robot and we can't trust him!" 

Zeta stepped around Lee and stood directly in front of him. "I do not like the idea of working with you, either," he said coldly. "I don't think you'll ever believe that I have stopped killing, but I will do what I have to in order to get Ro back. Agent Lee has convinced me that this is the best possible way. If you can't believe me, then let me do the job I was programmed to do. Let me track down Krick like the Infiltration Unit I'm supposed to be." 

"Sir, I think he's telling the tr--" 

"Shut up, West!" Bennet snapped. He frowned and looked from Zeta to Lee. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "It may be useful to have you on our side. But once this is over, don't think I'm letting you or your accomplice get away from me again." 

"Of course," the synthoid replied, and his clothing was holographically replaced by an NSA agent uniform. He extended his hand, and Bennet hesitantly shook it. "Then I suppose we have a truce."   


_Chapter 3 coming soon_   
  
  
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	3. Chapter Three

_Truce_   
**by Vanessa**

  
  
  
  


**Chapter Three**

Zeta sat alone in a corner seat of the NSA jet, isolated from the three agents. He stared blankly out the window as city after city passed by below. They were all cities that he and Ro had been though on their journey, he thought sadly. Fenton City, where she had met him in the botanical garden... Hillsburg, where he had posed as a celebrity and met her unusual family... He was sure he even saw Spring City, where she had joined him. And now, he was headed towards Gotham, where everything had started. 

He couldn't make himself stop wondering if Ro was hurt, or even dead. Krick was twisted enough to be capable of anything; he had learned that during their last encounter, when the bounty hunter had tried to kill Agent Lee and frame him. But, he thought angrily, if Krick dared to hurt another innocent person this time, he wouldn't _live_ to escape the NSA again. 

"Still planning to kill Krick?" Agent Lee's voice interrupted his thoughts. He glanced up at her for a moment, then turned and glared back out the window. 

"Yes." 

She sighed and sat down in the seat beside him. "Not the answer I was hoping for... This isn't like you at all, Zeta. Maybe Bennet doesn't realize it, but you've changed. You've evolved past your programming." 

"Agent Bennet will never realize that," he replied coldly. "No matter what happens, he will see me as a malfunctioning weapon, so it does not matter if I kill Krick." 

Lee glared at him. "Yes, it _does_ matter. Don't prove him right. You've got this mission to convince him that you're different, so don't blow your chance on some ridiculous quest for revenge." 

He was silent. She sighed again and stood up. There was no point in trying to reason with an angry robot, she decided. She would have to trust him to make the right decision. As she began to walk away, Zeta looked back at her. "Agent Lee?" 

She turned around. His cold, hateful expression was gone. Instead, he looked extremely worried, and if he had been human, he would have been on the verge of tears. "What is it?" she asked quietly. 

"Do you think that Ro's still alive?" 

She smiled. Krick had definitely found the synthoid's weakness. Rosalie Rowen was all that Zeta seemed to care about. He was even willing to sacrifice his freedom to save her life. "Of course she is. She wouldn't be a very effective bargaining chip dead. And you'll save her, Zeta. You always do." He lowered his eyes and turned his attention back to the window.   
  


"So, what'd the synthoid have to say?" 

Lee shrugged and sat down beside her partner. "He's just worried about his friend. It's understandable." She purposely left out the part about Zeta wanting to _kill_ his friend's kidnapper. 

"No, it's not. I don't understand how a robot could even develop emotions like that. It doesn't make sense." 

"You're right, it doesn't make sense, and I don't know how it's possible, but it _is_. Krick isn't the only one who's been observing Zeta. I've seen him display a variety of emotions: concern, friendship, happiness... even love." 

West gaped at her. "_Love_? You can't be serious."   
"And why not? It's pretty clear that Zeta sees Ro as more than a friend."   
"But... she's a human... he's a synthoid... ew!" 

She looked back at Zeta, still staring out the window, and smiled. "I don't think that matters to him, West. Sometimes love can cross any barrier..." The smile faded to an evil grin. "And besides, I've seen the way he looks at her. It's the same way you look at me." 

West's mouth dropped open in shock, then immediately clamped shut again. Lee smirked and leaned back in her seat. _There. That shut him up._   
  


Agent Lee was right. She had to be. Ro was worthless to Krick if she died, and the bounty hunter wanted Zeta, not her. That made sense. Lee was right, he told himself again. He had to take his mind off killing before he reverted to Infiltration Unit Zeta, a walking government weapon. He had to stay in control, and he had to convince Bennet that he was telling the truth about not killing... even if he had come close to it just an hour before.   
  
He looked towards the front of the plane, where Agent Bennet was sitting. Every few minutes, the man would glance suspisciously back at him, frown, and face the front again. Zeta sighed. How was he ever going to convince such a narrow minded person?   
  
He closed his eyes and prepared to recharge. He had to be at full power when they reached Gotham City. He would need it for the fight with Krick... and anything else that might happen, he thought, remembering his most recent trip to Gotham.   
  
_Hold on, Ro,_ he thought before shutting down. _We're coming to help you. And one way or another, all your problems are going to end with this mission._   
  
  
_Chapter 4 coming soon!_   
Author's note: Yeah, this one was short. But this was my "stall for time because I can't figure out what comes next" chapter. ^_^; Expect the next one to be much better!   
  
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	4. Chapter Four

_Truce_  
**by Vanessa**

  
  
  
  


**Chapter Four**

"Zeta... Zeta..."

Ro's voice called out to him, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. A white fog surrounded him on all sides, making it impossible for him to see her, or for her to find him. "Ro?" he called out. "Ro, can you hear me?"  
  
"Zeta!" Slowly, she appeared out of the mist, walking towards him. She was smiling.  
  
Not waiting for her to reach him, he ran to her. "Ro!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around her and hugging her tightly. "I am so glad you're safe... Did Krick injure you?"

"No... no, I'm fine." She smiled up at him. "I knew you'd come, Zee." He smiled back at her, staring into her eyes...  
  
From somewhere in the mist, a shot was fired. Ro's eyes widened in shock, and she collapsed to the ground.   
  
"No!" Zeta shouted, horrified. He fell to his knees beside her, carefully rolling her onto her side. She was bleeding badly, and he knew she wouldn't live. "Ro," he said quietly, shaking her. "Ro, answer me, please..."  
  
Laughter echoed around him, and the form of Krick materialized in the fog. "Now I have you exactly where I want you, Zeta," he growled, raising a gun.  
  
Zeta glared at him, holding Ro close. Her eyes opened halfway, and she drew in one final breath. "Zeta..."  
  
  
  
"Zeta! Hey Zeta, wake up!"  
  
He leapt out of his chair, the spinning blade rising from his wrist, pointed at his victim, who shrieked like a little girl. "Ro!" he shouted angrily.... then his optic sensors focused, and instead of Krick, he saw a very terrified Agent West. _It was only in my mind_, he told himself. "I... I'm sorry, Agent West," he stammered. "I didn't mean--"

"You were dreaming," Lee interrupted calmly. "You had a nightmare... Was it about Ro?"  
Bennet, who had joined the others, narrowed his eyes. "Robots don't have nightmares, Agent Lee."  
  
"Zeta does several things that robots don't _do_, she replied icily, then turned her attention back to Zee. "We've landed in Gotham. West and I are going to check on a few leads, then I promise you, we'll find Rosalie Rowen. And Krick." Zeta nodded and slowly sat back down, clearly guilty about nearly slicing a government agent in two.  
  
Lee smiled briefly at him, then grabbed West by the arm. "C'mon, we've got work to do."  
"He-- he almost killed me!" the traumatized agent squeaked.  
"Don't worry, West, we can't get rid of you that easily."  
  
As they walked away, Bennet glared at Zeta. "You may be able to fool Lee," he said in a low voice, "but I am _not_ as inexperienced and gullible as she is. You almost murdered West, and after we find Krick, you're not going to get away with it." He turned his back on the synthoid. "Agent Lee!"  
  
She looked up from the computer screen as he approached. "Yes sir?"  
  
He pulled her aside. "I think that what just happened is proof that Zeta hasn't changed. I really don't care whether or not you still choose to believe him, but I do ask that you remember whose side you're on."  
  
"But--"  
  
"No buts... unless you want to be court-martialed and tried along with the girl for assisting an escaped murderer. Is that clear?"  
  
Her head lowered. It wasn't a good idea to argue with Bennet, at least not yet. "Yes, sir."  
"Good. Continue your search."  
  
  
  
Bennet had spoken quietly, but Zeta's advanced auditory sensors had picked up every word. Another person was in danger because of him. He wouldn't allow it. He looked towards the front of the plane, where the NSA's tracking systems and computers were located. The agents were all distracted; he stood again and made his way towards one of their computers. A cable shot out of his wrist and hooked up to the machine, downloading and checking each of the NSA's leads. Finally, he found what he was looking for.  
  
He glanced back at the three agents. He had promised Lee that he would work with the NSA to find Krick, but that was no longer an option. He couldn't be caught by Bennet, and he couldn't endanger her career or reputation. He had to find Krick and rescue Ro on his own. Silently, he opened a window and slipped out.  
  
Ten minutes later, the NSA found what Zeta had discovered first. "Got him!" West exclaimed. "We know where he took the girl!"  
  
Lee grinned and turned to where Zeta had been sitting. "Zeta, we--" She stopped. He was gone, and the window at the far end of the plane was open.  
  
Bennet sighed. "Well, now we have a deadly bounty hunter and an unstable synthoid on the loose."  
  
_He's gone after Krick on his own_ , Lee thought with a frown. _And if he gets to him first, he'll never have his freedom. He and Ro will have to run again, but this time, he really won't be innocent._ "What do you suggest, sir?" she asked, trying to remain calm.  
  
"There's only one thing we can do on such short notice. Call for backup."

  
_Chapter five coming soon!_

  


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	5. Chapter Five

_Truce_   
**by Vanessa**

  
  


**Chapter Five**

Terry McGinnis stumbled into the underground lair of his boss, the millionaire Bruce Wayne, and pulled off his mask. "I'm slagged," he groaned. "Please, tell me I'm done for the night." 

Bruce shook his head. "You should know better than that by now, Terry. I've got one more job for you." 

"I was afraid you'd say that," he sighed, pulling the pointy-eared cowl back over his head. "So, what is it now? Jokerz? The Royal Flush Gang? Or is Mad Stan throwing one of his little tantrums again?" 

"No," the former Batman replied. "Nothing as easy as that. Commissioner Gordon just contacted me. It seems some of your old friends are back in town... James Bennet... Zeta..." 

"Zeta? Not again... Let me guess. Bennet has more evidence that Zeta's really a cold-blooded murderer, despite the fact that he's never even tried to kill anyone, and he wants me to hunt him down and make a fool of myself yet again when I find that Zeta's really innocent?" 

"Something like that. Actually, Zeta was working with Bennet this time, trying to track down an escaped convict named Krick, who kidnapped Rosalie Rowen. Zeta apparently had other ideas. He hacked into their computer system and found Krick's location before the NSA did. He went after him alone." 

"So what's the problem? Let Zeta catch the bad guy and prove himself to Bennet." 

Bruce frowned. "It's not that simple. Agent Lee also contacted Gordon just minutes after Bennet. She thinks that Zeta's become vengeful and will resort to anything to get Ro back... even if it means killing Krick." 

"Killing? But Zeta doesn't kill anymore." 

"Lee and Bennet both seem to think that he might. And if there's even the smallest chance that he's reverted to his original programming, you have to find him before he gets to Krick." 

"He could be anywhere," Terry said, turning to leave. "And I don't have a chance of finding him unless I talk to Bennet first."   
  


"We first captured Krick in the abandoned Cody Koala candy factory, where he was holding Agent Lee hostage in an attempt to lure Zeta to him. According to Lee..." Bennet glanced skeptically at her, "he tricked Krick by posing as her. When West showed up, they arrested him, giving Zeta and his accomplice time to escape." 

"Well, obviously he didn't stay arrested," Batman replied, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes. "What happened?" 

"We made the mistake of repairing his bionic arm. He couldn't function normally without it. Of course, we didn't program it with the superhuman strength that he had before, but we underestimated him. He reprogrammed his own arm in prison, punched through the wall, and went after Zeta again." 

"And when he couldn't find Zeta, he took the girl as a bargaining chip," Batman finished. 

Lee shook her head. "Krick knew where Zeta was all along. He took Ro as part of his revenge. He knew it would drive him mad." 

"It seems that it has," Bennet said. "Lee tells me that it was Zeta's original intention to find Krick on his own and kill him." 

"But only if he hurt Ro," Lee added quickly.   
"And he almost killed me!" West squealed.   
Batman ignored his comment. "So, do you have any idea where Krick might have taken her?"   


"Did you get all that?" Terry asked as the Batmobile lifted into the air above the NSA's plane. 

_"Yeah,"_ Bruce Wayne's voice answered. _"So, Krick is hiding in an abandoned warehouse outside of Gotham?"_

"Of course. Isn't that just typical of the bad guys?" 

_ "I can't count the times during my career that criminals have hidden in abandoned warehouses and factories. It's too easy. He must've wanted Zeta to find him. Be careful, Terry. If Krick is expecting Zeta, then the place is bound to be trapped."_

"I can handle Krick. It's Zeta that worries me. What am I supposed to do if Bennet's right this time? What if he really has snapped?" 

_"Just make sure he doesn't kill Krick. If the girl is alive, then everything should be fine."_   
  


"You're really sick, y'know that? You're just completely messed up in the head. If I had been the one to arrest you, I would have locked you in a little padded room and given you a jacket with reeeeeally long slee--" 

"Will you shut up?!" Krick snapped, looking away from the door long enough to glance at his hostage. "They'll be here any minute." 

"Yeah, fine." Ro twisted her hands behind her, trying to slip out of the rope she was tied up with. "But really, hiding in an abandoned building? Tying your victim to a chair? You're like the worst bad guy ever!" 

"Be quiet," he growled, "or I'll give you back to Zeta in pieces." 

"Okay, I'll shut up... and ew, by the way." For a long time, she was quiet. "What's next, are you going to slowly lower me into a vat of boiling acid?" she muttered under her breath. 

He turned around and walked over to her, getting right in her face. "Don't tempt me." 

She glared at him. "You don't scare me, you know... And if you think Zee's going to fall into your little trap again, you're wrong. He's not stupid. He'll stop you again, and this time, you're not getting away." 

Krick raised his cybernetic arm and backhanded her across the face, so hard that it knocked her to the floor, chair and all. He drew a gun and pointed it at her. "I should have killed you from the start, girl! Zeta still would have come looking for you!" 

And that was how Zeta found them-- Ro, sprawled out on the floor and tied to a chair, her face scratched from Krick's metal hand and starting to bleed... Krick, standing over her, aiming a gun at her head... Before Krick could even blink, let alone fire, Zeta ran up behind him and kicked the gun out of his hand, then caught the weapon before it hit the floor. 

Krick recovered from the surprise quickly and smirked. "It's about time you got here, Zeta. You're late. I thought your little girlfriend here meant more to you than that." Zeta's eyes narrowed, and he slammed the gun into his target's chest. "You wouldn't kill me," Krick said, but there was a hint of doubt in his voice. "You don't kill." 

"I've changed my mind. I've decided I'm going to kill _you._" 

"You can't!" He tried to remain calm, but he didn't doubt now that the synthoid would kill him. Maybe he had pushed Zeta too far... Maybe Zeta _would_ kill for the girl. Over the time he had been watching and studying the two, he had seen them grow very close, closer than friends. Had Zeta become so attached to Ro Rowen that he would do anything for her, even if it meant losing his freedom? "You can't..." 

"I have the gun, don't I?" 

"Drop it, Zeta!" 

He didn't even flinch at the sound of Batman's voice in the doorway. He kept his eyes locked on the now-terrified convict in front of him. "No. Don't try to stop me, Batman." 

"Don't do this. You'll just prove to Bennet that he was right all along!" 

"I don't care." For a robot, Zeta sounded extremely depressed and sad, and his gaze shifted from Krick to Ro. "It doesn't matter anymore. He killed Ro, and he'll die for it." 

"Is that what this is about? You want to kill him because you think he killed Ro? She's not dead, Zeta." His cowl was giving him readouts of her life signs as he spoke. Ro wasn't dead as Zeta had thought-- just unconscious. 

"He didn't kill her?" Zeta lowered the gun and stared back down at Ro. 

"No, he didn't. And if you paid less attention to your little quest for revenge and more attention to her, you would have noticed that, too!" Zeta didn't hear him, though; he had dropped the gun and sat down next to Ro, untying her from the chair and pulling her onto his lap. Batman turned his attention back to Krick, who had taken the opportunity to attempt an escape. "Get her out of here!" he snapped before going after the bounty hunter.   
  
Zee lifted Ro off the floor and held her tightly, carefully wiping the blood from her cut cheek. Her eyes partially opened, and she smiled up at him. "Zee... I knew you'd come." Then, suddenly, she frowned. "What are you _wearing_?"   
  
"It's a long story. Right now, we have to leave. Batman's fighting Krick, and the NSA will be here at any minute. We're not safe here." She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he dashed towards the door of the warehouse.   
  
"ZETA!" Krick had seen them try to escape, and he threw Batman to the side. "I've worked too hard and too long for you to get away now!" He raised the gun and fired at them.   
  
Zeta didn't know where Ro had been hit, but he heard her scream and saw her eyes widen, just as they had in his dream. Everything else was a blur. His first idea was to turn back and finish what he started, kill Krick... But saving Ro was more important. He held onto her more tightly than before and ran from the warehouse, leaving the fighting to Batman.   
  
"Freeze, Zeta."   
  
He had run right into Bennet and a team of NSA agents. They surrounded him, pointing various weapons at him. _I don't have time for this,_ he thought frantically. _I don't have time to fight them all!_ "Please..." he said quietly, looking from Ro to Bennet, "help her."   
  
"Where's Krick? Have you killed him?"   
  
"He's inside, fighting Batman. Please, take Ro to a hospital. Help her. I don't care if you take me back to the government, just don't let Ro die!" 

Bennet stared skeptically at him for what seemed like an eternity. Then, finally, he motioned to West and Lee. "Do it. Get her in the plane and fly her to the nearest hospital. I'll deal with Zeta and Krick."   
  
Reluctantly, Zee handed Ro over to West and Lee. They took her to the plane and immediately left for the hospital. He didn't know what would happen to her now that the NSA had her, but anything was better than staying with him and risking her life. Besides, his search for Doctor Selig was over. He knew he would be returned to the government and reprogrammed, turned back into the killer Infiltration Unit. He'd always known that he would give up his freedom to save Ro, but he never thought he would actually have to.   
-----------------   
  
_Well, this chapter was longer than I thought it would be... ^^;; There are probably going to be two more chapters, maybe one depending on how I end this story. Sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed... Fighting scenes aren't exactly my favorite ones to write._   
_Poll: Should I kill Krick off or just let the NSA arrest him again?_   
  
  
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	6. Chapter Six

_Truce_   
**by Vanessa**

  
  
  
  
  


**Chapter Six**

"Congratulations, Bennet," Zeta said quietly. "After all this time, you've finally captured the killer synthoid." 

"My priority right now is catching Krick," Bennet said with a frown. "As far as I'm concerned, the truce is still in effect. Now, are you going to help me take him down or not?" 

Zeta seemed surprised, but he nodded solemnly and followed the agent back into the warehouse. Actually, after what he had just seen, Bennet would have felt _guilty _capturing the synthoid. Zeta had seemed so desperate for them to help Ro, so protective of her. Terrorists couldn't have programmed him to actually display emotions, could they? Maybe Lee had been right about him all along... 

He blocked out the thought. It was his mission to bring Zeta in for reprogramming. It didn't matter what his opinions were on the subject. He couldn't defy the government's authority, so why waste time thinking about it? Still, as hard as he tried to ignore it, there was a nagging question in his mind: Was Zeta really innocent? 

Batman and Krick were still fighting when they entered the warehouse. Batman's enhanced suit and Krick's cybernetic arm made it impossible for either to gain the upper hand in the fight. Hopefully, with a synthoid and a team of NSA agents on his side, Krick could be beaten. Zeta glared up at the bounty hunter as he fought. Krick had shot Ro. He didn't know how seriously she had been hurt, but if he allowed Krick to live, he would only come after them again. He couldn't count on the NSA to keep him under control. 

Bennet saw Zeta out of the corner of his eye. He saw his expression go from desperate to furious, and before he could stop him, Zeta leapt to the upper level. "This is my fight!" he told Batman. "Get out of my way." 

"Zeta--" 

"_Move!_" He shoved the hero to the side and walked menacingly towards Krick, who, apparently remembering how close the synthoid had come to killing him before, backed away slowly. Zeta advanced towards him, full of uncharacteristic rage, and soon, Krick's back hit the wall. Zeta's hand shot out, grabbed him by the neck, and spun him away from the wall and over the edge of the upper level. A fall from that height would easily kill Ro's would-be murderer. 

"You wouldn't!" Krick choked, clawing at Zeta's hand in an attempt to break free. 

"Why shouldn't I?" Zeta asked coldly. "You have done nothing but torment Ro and me from the moment we met you, and Ro could be dead now because of you! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't drop you." 

"Would Ro want you to kill me?" Zeta's eyes widened slightly, and Krick smirked. "What would she say if she found out you killed me? She wouldn't stay with you, Zeta. Would you be willing to risk that if it meant having your revenge?" 

Zeta stared at him. He was right. As much as he had tried to fight it, he was being driven by revenge. Ro would not condone killing, even if he did it for her sake. He wasn't used to emotions, and they were controlling him. He had to continue fighting his original programming. He narrowed his eyes and pulled Krick away from the edge, dropping him onto the floor. "You're not worth it," he muttered, then turned his back on him. "Arrest him," he told the agents. 

Krick, apparently, wasn't ready to be beaten yet. He pulled a weapon from his side, where it had been hidden by his jacket, and Bennet immediately recognized it. It was a gun similar to one they had used on Zeta in the past, but in addition to immobilizing him, it could wipe out his entire positronic mind, turning the synthoid into little more than scrap metal. He must have stolen it from the NSA after escaping prison. Before Krick could fire, Bennet drew his own gun and fired at the criminal. 

Krick fell. 

Zeta looked in shock from Bennet to the bounty hunter. "He's dead..." he finally said. 

"He was going to destroy you. I had to make a choice... let someone die just because they wanted to protect a friend, however misguided they were, or kill a known criminal. I was wrong about you, Zeta. You would give up anything to protect people, wouldn't you?" He extended his hand, and Zeta smiled and shook it. This time, the truce was permanent.   
  


Ro, as usual, had been lucky. Krick's shot had hit her in the shoulder, and aside from minor blood loss that left her weakened, she was fine. She just needed rest. Just as he had done when she had been knocked unconscious by IU7 nearly a year ago, Zeta stood by her hospital bed. "I almost lost you again," he said quietly. "Because of me, you almost died... again. It's over now, Ro. No more running, no more dangerous risks. It's all over." He leaned down and quickly kissed her forehead. 

Her eyes opened, and she smiled up at him. "Zee..." Then, suddenly, she frowned. "Don't." 

"Don't what?" 

"I know what you're going to say," she sighed. "It's what you say every time. You're going to tell me that I should stay behind, that you don't want me to risk my life for you anymore. You're going to tell me not to help you try to get your freedom." 

"Yes, but--" 

"Well, I've already given you my answer." She struggled to sit up and glared at him. "I've already told you that it's my decision. I'll decide whether or not I go with you, and you can't stop me. You can't make me stay behind." 

He sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed. "You have to stop running. We both do." He smiled as her expression changed from angry to confused. "West and Lee are the ones who brought you here, under Bennet's orders. He believes me now, and Doctor Selig is on his way to meet with us. We won, Ro. I'll finally have my freedom." 

She grinned and threw her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as her injury would allow. "It's about time! That's wonderful!" He hugged her back carefully, and they sat like that for a few minutes. "Zee?" she whispered finally. "What's going to happen to me now?" 

He blinked. "What do you mean? I had always assumed that once we won my freedom, you would stay with me..." 

She smiled up at him. "Of course I will, Zee. Like I said, you can't make me abandon you."   
  


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	7. Chapter Seven: Epilogue

_Truce_   
**by Vanessa**

  
  
  


**Epilogue**

_From the Fenton City newspaper:_

**GOVERNMENT SYNTHOID WINS FREEDOM**

_ Saturday, in a controversial decision by the United States government, the synthoid known as Infiltration Unit Zeta was granted freedom.___

_ IU Zeta escaped from the government last January when ordered to target and kill an innocent man. Since then, he has been on the run from the National Security Agency, along with an orphaned 17-year-old girl, Rosalie Rowen. The turning point came when Rowen was kidnapped by an escaped convict. The synthoid joined the NSA to rescue her, leading Agent James Bennet to believe that he was innocent.___

_ "He's not a killer," Bennet insisted at Zeta's hearing. "He went after Krick to save his friend. Isn't that something we would all do?"___

_ Also present at the hearing was Doctor Eli Selig, creator of the government's line of Infiltration Units. Selig was the deciding voice in the case, and informed the NSA that Zeta's advanced positronic mind actually allows him to evolve beyond his programming. "Zeta can develop a conscience, a mind of his own, and even emotions," said Selig. "Mentally and emotionally, he is human."___

_ The hearing was a major victory for Zeta and Ro Rowen. "We've been running from the government for so long," Rowen told reporters. "It's about time they realized that Zee's innocent."___

_ What will Infiltration Unit Zeta do with his newfound freedom? "There is no need to run anymore," the former government weapon said. "We've decided to live in Fenton City, near the botanical gardens... for personal reasons."_   


"It's beautiful, Zee," Ro said with a smile, gazing at the house in front of her. It was a small brick house in a secluded area a mile away from the Fenton botanical gardens. Rose bushes surrounded it, and a canopy of trees sheltered it from the sun. It had been built over a very short period of time, while Ro was in the hospital and Zeta was awaiting his hearing, and now, it was almost finished. 

"It's yours," he said with a smile. "You can finally stop running and have a normal life. You can finish high school, and if you want, you can continue your search for your family." 

She leaned against him, still tired from her stay in the hospital, and wrapped an arm around him. "I thought I told you before... You're all the family I need." 

"For now, anyway," he said quietly. 

"No. Forever..." She hugged him briefly, and an uncomfortable silence passed. "Zee? Were you _really_ going to... to kill Krick?" 

He was quiet for a moment. What would Ro think of him if he told her the truth? Would she see him as the killer he had been known as for so long? Then again, could he ever lie to Ro? "If he had hurt you... Yes. I would have killed him for you." 

"Hmm." Another uncomfortable silence. Finally, Ro looked up at him solemnly, but her eyes were bright as if she were trying to smile without using her lips, and her arm tightened around him. "I love you." 

He put his arm around her and leaned his head against hers, smiling slightly and staring at their new home. "I love you, too." 

END 

_I know, this was an incredibly short ending to this fic, and I'm a bad person to keep people waiting for such a short chapter! *sobs* Can you ever forgive me?! I may make this longer later, but right now I have so many new ideas that have to be written! Possibly a sequel to this fic... ^_~_   
  


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