A donut; the favourite snack of every L.A. cop, this particular one had pink icing and sprinkles on it.

The cop reached out for it and was surprised when the pastry suddenly exploded, covering him head to foot in sugary mush. He looked closely at what remained to see a firecracker inside, and dumbly wondered how that got in there. Little did he know that this was the handiwork of two youths, who were in silent hysterics behind his car. The cop started the engine and drove away to investigate the store he’d bought it from, leaving John and Kevin to laugh aloud.

“Nice one.”

“Did you see his face?”

“Ah, priceless.”

John wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and stood up. This was just one of the many tricks they had played on the cops these past days, and it was getting better every time. Kevin had quite the imagination when it came to practical jokes. John was about to ask what he wanted to do next when a familiar voice called his name.

“Oh, crap, fun’s over.”

Sarah pulled up, got out, marched towards John, grabbed his arm, and started to drag him back to the car. John shook himself loose and took several steps back towards Kevin, who had an amused look on his face.

“And I thought my mom was grabby.”

“You watch your mouth.”

“Why, what are you gonna do? I’m not your son.”

“And I can be thankful for that. C’mon John.”

John remained where he was. There was no way he was going to back down in front of Kevin. Besides, he thought, why should I?

“No, we’re not finished.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Says who?”

“Me, now come on, we’re leaving.”

John crossed his arms together and dug his heels in.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Sarah took a few steps towards him, her voice becoming dangerous.

“You’re getting in that car, one way or the other.”

Kevin stepped forwards, stopping at John’s shoulder.

“You heard him, lady. He’s not going anywhere.”

Sarah was livid; she hated being called lady.

“And who the HELL are you?”

“I’m John’s new best friend.”

“Not for long. John, get in the car, or so help me God, I’ll…”

“What? You’ll do what, exactly?”

John took a step closer and lowered his voice.

“You know you can’t do anything to me; I’m too important, remember?”

Sarah had had enough. She grabbed John by the wrist and twisted his arm around his back, then marched him into the car. Once he was inside, Sarah turned to Kevin, who wore a look of contempt.

“I can get you done for that.”

“Just you try. Stay the hell away from my son. I mean it.”

She then got behind the wheel and drove away, with a brooding John in the back. Kevin smiled to himself.

“So do I.”

--

Cameron knocked for the second time, but received no answer. She carefully inserted the lock pick and began rattling it around; just like John had shown her many weeks ago. After a few seconds, the lock clicked and she opened the door, revealing a small apartment. She stepped onto the threshold and closed the door behind her. The place was clearly empty, and Cameron assumed that Jason was out.

She was not willing to go back home, however, and decided to wait for him to return. She carefully explored the apartment and took note of its Spartan design. Jason never was one for indulgence, she thought. After exploring his bedroom, Cameron attempted to enter the second, only to find it locked. She spotted the key on a peg to her left and used it to unlock the door, wondering what was behind it. The door swung open to reveal a man chained to the wall.

“Derek!”

Derek was dozing, but immediately snapped awake upon hearing her voice. He got to his feet and moved forwards, but was held firmly in place by the chains. Cameron stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Derek was expecting this ever since Sarah had chained him up in the old shed. In truth, he was surprised that it took her so long.

“So, you gonna kill me or what?”

Cameron regarded him with her head tilted to one side. She looked a mess; her eyes were pink and her hair unkempt.

“No. I just want to talk.”

“Talk? Are you kidding me?”

“No. I’m not kidding you.”

Her voice was barely audible and sounded a little hoarse.

“What the hell is this? Why do want to talk? You do remember I hate you, right?”

“I remember. It’s just… I have no one to talk to. I’m alone.”

Derek hated himself for it, but he couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of sympathy for the machine. He sat back down and watched her closely.

“Welcome to the club.”

“What club?”

“What?”

“What club are you welcoming me to?”

Derek sighed. Why are machines so damn stupid?

“It’s an expression. It means I know how you feel. Not that you actually feel anything.”

“Oh, thank you for explaining.”

Cameron sat down next to Derek, her back against the wall. Derek wasn’t sure what her game was, but he wasn’t fooling for it.

“So, what is it you want to talk about? Past times? Wacky torture tales? Take your pick.”

Cameron stared up at the ceiling, her gaze seemed distant.

“John.”

“What about him?”

“Something has happened to him.”

Derek’s blood turned cold. She can’t possibly mean…

“What happened, is he okay?”

“No. He’s changed. He’s become… cruel.”

Derek laughed. Here I was expecting the worst when John has simply seen the light in regards to the machine.

“So I’m guessing you and he aren’t cuddling buddies any more.”

A single tear ran down her cheek. Derek revelled in the moment. Finally, John’s seen sense.

“I knew it. I knew this would happen. Maybe you should’ve just let me destroy you at the Prom.”

“You’re right. I wish you had killed me then.”

Derek hadn’t expected her to agree with him. In fact, he expected to be dead already, not talking to the machine. There was more going on here.

“Is that why you’re here? You want me to kill you?”

Cameron considered his query carefully before answering.

“No. There’s still a chance I can reach him. He saved me. I have to return the favour.”

“Save him, from who?”

“From himself.”

Cameron’s words echoed Sarah’s. It seemed everyone was trying to save someone these days.

“What makes you think he needs saving?”

“He met a boy at school, and ever since then… he won’t talk to me. I don’t recognise him as the John I knew, in the past or the future. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

“What does Sarah have to say about all this?”

I bet she’s thrilled.

“She can’t control him. Everything is falling apart. I’m losing everything that matters to me.”

Derek should’ve been glad for John, but the way things sounded, he was off the rails, and not in a good way.

“You think he’s heading for a fall?”

“I think he’s going to destroy himself, and I can’t stop him.”

Derek wanted more than anything to be free right now, but he knew that he’d have little success in reaching John, even if he were to walk out today. There was only one option.

“You’re gonna have to talk to him. If he’ll listen to anyone, it’ll be you.”

Cameron turned her head and looked at Derek directly.

“I’ve lost all hope.”

--

Sarah gave the rifle one final wipe before placing it back in the trunk. She’d cleaned every weapon in the house and still didn’t feel any better. John had locked himself in his room, refusing to speak to her. He hadn’t taken lightly to being dragged home against his will. The things he’d said to her; Sarah felt like she never knew her son, never knew he could be so cruel. She found herself crying and wondered why the house wasn’t flooded by now, with all the tears that had hit the floor these past weeks. Cameron was crying bucket loads each day, and nothing Sarah said or did made any difference. The machine was trapped in purgatory and only John could save her, but he wouldn’t.

Sarah heard the front door open and close. She wiped her face and went into the living room to find Cameron examining the TV remote.

“What are you doing?”

“Remembering.”

“Remembering what?”

Cameron smiled ever so slightly.

“I couldn’t figure out how to play a video. John was angry at me for letting Jordan die, but he still showed me how to do it. He could’ve let me struggle, but he didn’t. He still cared.”

She looked up at Sarah, her face desperate.

“Please… tell me John still cares.”

Sarah felt awful. Cameron was on her last legs, there was no telling what she might do next.

“He does. Deep down, I think he does. He’s just become twisted by hate and guilt.”

Cameron put the remote down and looked hopeful.

“Oh, Derek wants to see you.”

“Derek? How do you…”

“I went to visit Jason, but he wasn’t there. So I talked to Derek instead.”

“Oh, I’d better go to him then. Stay here and keep away from John. Just give him time.”

Sarah picked up her jacket and left. Cameron continued to stare at the remote, her thoughts dwelling on the past.

--

“I didn’t expect to see you so soon, if at all. I figured the machine would throw herself off a bridge by now.”

“She is very upset.”

“No kidding, John’s really screwed with her programming. Crossed the wrong wires, if you know what I mean.”

Sarah sighed. She was in no mood for Derek’s tedious “I hate Cameron” rants.

“She said you wanted to talk. So talk.”

“First, I want to know something. Cameron told me that John…”

“Believe every word.”

He found it hard to believe that things could go so wrong.

“How did… I mean Cameron said he’s met a boy at school, but… where is all this coming from?”

“It started about a week ago. Cameron caught John kissing a girl and accidently killed her.”

“She killed the girl.”

“Accidently. John went crazy after that and met a boy called Kevin, a genuine piece of bad news. They’ve been going around the city causing chaos wherever they can find it. He’s out of control.”

Derek flexed his muscles slightly.

“Sounds like someone needs to sort this kid out, set the machine on him, she’ll mess him up good and proper. It’s what she does.”

Sarah narrowed her eyes slightly.

“And how would you know that?”

Derek stared into the distance, his mind on the past.

“We were on patrol. Me, Kyle, my team, we were attacked by HKs and captured. Except for Kyle, he got away, thank God. They took us to an old house, chained us up, and one by one, took us into the basement. And that damn music… She was there, Cameron. Everything after that was a blur, but I remember how screwed up it was. I remember begging for death, and never having my wish granted. I ask you; what kind of torture is so horrible that your mind buries it so deep that you can only scrape the surface?”

Sarah had no answer. She now understood why he hated Cameron so much, and couldn’t blame him in the least. But he was broken. As Cameron developed her humanity, he was slowly losing his.

“Maybe it’s time you put the past behind you.”

“Don’t you mean ahead of you? This did, does, happen in the future you know.”

Sarah chuckled, the first time in days.

--

He’s done it again. Why is he doing this to me? John was no where to be seen. He’d abandoned her again. Cameron let out a sigh and began the lonely walk home. Mr. Holland, her psychology teacher, took note of her morose attitude and called her over to his car.

“Hey, err, Cameron, right? You okay, you look like your favourite puppy just died.”

“My brother left without me again. I have to walk home alone.”

“How far?”

Cameron did a brief calculation before answering.

“3.4 miles.”

“Ouch! Tell you what, why don’t I give you a lift, save you the walk.”

Cameron considered him for a moment before agreeing and getting in the passenger seat.

--

The trip was relatively short. Mr. Holland had asked Cameron about her relationship with John, to which she answered truthfully. She told him about how cruel John was being towards her, and how upsetting it was. Mr. Holland seemed sympathetic, so much so that he seemed to have not paid attention to where he was driving and stopped in a sheltered picnic area, near the woods where Chloe had died. When Cameron pointed this out, Mr. Holland just smiled at her.

Cameron suddenly felt very uncomfortable, there was some intent behind his eyes, and before she could act, he reached out and grabbed her by the wrists. She struggled against him, but was afraid of losing control and killing him. John would hate her even more, and she couldn’t risk that. So she resigned herself to whatever Mr. Holland had in mind, crying out in despair and hopelessness.

Before he could progress any further, however, the driver seat window suddenly shattered and Mr. Holland was dragged out of the car. Cameron got out in time to see Jason kicking the teacher between the legs and then pinning him against the car.

“Say you’re sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“She didn’t hear you.”

“I’m sorry!”

“Mean it!”

“I’M SO SORRY!!!”

Jason then threw the teacher over the bonnet of his car and took hold of Cameron’s hand, leading her away from the would-be rapist.

--

Once they were safely away from Mr. Holland, Jason placed his hands on her face and examined her closely. He’d never seen anyone so miserable, least of all a machine. He felt his heart clench at the sight.

“Mei mei, what has happened to you?”

She quickly dissolved into tears, and told him everything. Jason held her close as she poured her heart out, he hated himself for not being around as much as he should. Once she had finished, Jason wiped the tears from her face and told her everything would be fine, before taking her home.

--

Cameron stopped at the door and turned around to look at Jason. He gave her an encouraging smile.

“Don’t worry, mei mei. Everything will be fine. You just focus on getting better, okay. Oh, and in the future, don’t accept rides from strangers.”

She smiled at him, a grateful smile, one that told him just how much he meant to her at that moment.

“Thank you.”

“You’re quite welcome, little sister.”

--

John was in his room, as always. Cameron slowly approached the open door and knocked. John looked up from his homework and scowled.

“Go away.”

Cameron said nothing; she just stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She was wearing one of his long t-shirts, and little else. She’d cleaned herself up and applied lipstick; she was the picture of beauty. Cameron slowly approached John, who glared at her. She slowly extended her hand towards his face, but he caught it and moved away.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to say sorry.”

“Sorry?”

John’s nostrils flared, he cast her hand aside and grabbed her by the shoulders. Cameron expected him to kiss her, but instead he pushed her backwards and shoved her outside, slamming the door in her face. It took Cameron a moment to register what had just happened, and once it sunk in, she went totally numb. He was lost to her, and nothing she could do would change that. He was gone, and so then was she.

For without John, she had no purpose.

Next: Chapter Five: Love's Sacrifice
Previous: Chapter Three: Devil on His Shoulder