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Titans of the World - Creations (edited)

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Well, this is the third part of the story. I'm writing it kind of weird as I've had this part on my computer for months and I already have an ending written out... mostly. Anyway, I have to fill in the rest but it's super slow. Anyway, don't read if your not supposed to, yada yada, like it will stop those who shouldn't. I know it never stopped me!

All Characters Copyright of The Copilot

Edited by Warrior Scribe

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(Chapter3)

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"Where the hell am I? What's going on? Is there anyone out there? I must be dead... I want to go home."

All these thoughts ran through Gabriel's mind, he didn't know what the hell had happened. All he remembered was a mortar detonating near the striker, dieing slowly on the road, passing out multiple times on the rescue plane, and meeting... a large... walking... talking... wolf?

"I must have been hallucinating, I'm not sure what saved my life. And now this, purgatory?"

The room seemed to shrink in on him at that point, appearing infinite yet small, a distortion of reality perhaps? He couldn't tell how large it was.

"This sucks, I was better off dead," mumbled Gabriel.

"You can hardly say that and no, this is not purgatory, it's the white room," called out a voice.

"Who said that?" Gabriel blurted out, trying to find the source.

"I did," called that voice again. "I'm the Company's Central Computer. Most people call me Cen."

"Where are you, I can't see you."

"Just like you humans, only looking around, never up? Or is it down," Cen. said.

Gabriel fell towards what he thought was the roof at that moment. Upon picking himself up, he came nose to nose with a man dressed in a modern suit. "Well, took you long enough."

"How did you do that?"

"This is my world, here no rules apply but the ones you put upon yourself."

"Why am I here, what do you want?"

"Humans, always think people want something from them. Get this straight right now human. You are dead, it was my choice whether or not you live. This procedure is... a creation of mine.

"Creation?"

"Yes, a creation, just like Sam. He's the one who brought you to me Gabriel, does this look familiar?"

At that moment, a very familiar looking wolf was on display, seemingly lifeless and rotating through the air.

"He... it... that thing was real?"

"Very much so... and Sam is not one who likes to be called a thing."

"So I'm... dead? But why am I here?"

"To be trained. Your body is much different now, you are much stronger, you have more senses than could ever imagine, yet it has limits. You must now learn them.

"What do you mean it's different? How am I different, what did you do to me?"

"You no longer appear... the same as you did, Gabriel. Now you, like Sam, share the appearance of a bipedal canine."

"... What?" Gabriel whispered.

"Here, take a look"

The suited figure changed, warping and distorting, all the while smiling, as it grew larger, taking on fur as it went. In the end, the figure looked nothing as it had, it was a tall German Shepherd dressed in Camo battle fatigues.

"It looks so familiar... why?"

"It's yours, that's why." The image of the Shepherd switched back to the suited figure, eyes still a neon green.

"What do you mean mine, what happened to the way I used to look?"

"Well, I hardly had time to reprogram the nanites that were used to rebuild you. Their current program alone took me six months to write, and I'm a billion times faster than any human programmer. The program picks a species to begin building on based on a persons personality, then extrapolates the structure of the new body based on that of your old body. It looks familiar because it is you."

"No way in hell you are telling me I'm a fucking dog now!!!"

"No, not a dog, an android like Sam. The only difference is that you have a complete conscience already, I just have to upload your mind to you new body."

"But I liked my old body, why do I have to look like a dog?"

"This whole procedure was my only option. These nanites where completely programmed and since you were at the point that even I though your death might be slightly more permanent, I had no choice. You were dead bellow the neck, Sam had to rig a lot of equipment to keep your brain alive.

"After you arrived, I discovered your nervous system was already decaying and those connections were what I needed to give you back a usable body. You see, even when a mind is downloaded from a living body to an artificial one, the connections your mind will look for can never be emulated with the correct amount of feedback. That's why we have to tear down your original body and map out its system. I just didn't have enough time to reprogram the nanites to make you look anything... human."

"Why couldn't you use another procedure, I never even gave you permission to do anything for me."

"Technically, you were a corpse when you arrived, Gabriel, without me that would be all you were. As for the legality of the matter, we have family consent."

"Fine, you win. Can I see that body again?"

"Look in the mirror," said the computer.

"What mirror!? There's not one," Gabriel growled. 'Did I just...' his thoughts were shattered like glass as the entirety of the room filled with mirrors, all around him row by row. When he finally saw himself, it wasn't the face he'd grown used to the past twenty plus years. It was long and drawn out like a dogs snout, his ears now at top of his head, though they were pinned back against his skull at the moment, and what he saw next made him yelp. It was a tail, drooping through his legs like a cowering dog."

"I... have... a tail?" Gabriel cried.

"I'd say that's readily apparent, wouldn't you?" Cen replied, smiling over Gabriel's shoulder.

".. I... I.. damn," whispered Gabriel, passing out shortly after.

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A bucket of cold water landed on him and he screeched as he jumped off the ground. It was the computer, he had doused him after.... after he realized he had a tail.

"Wake up!"

"What the hell, that was cold!" Gabriel yelled.

"I know, but it was effective. Come now, we have some training to do. That's a 7.2 trillion dollar body you'll be toting around and you have to know what it can do. More importantly, what it can't."

"Can I dry off first."

"First of all, this is virtual... you are already dry. Second of all, think before you talk."

"Fine, what do you have in mind?"

The computer just smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~

"You want me to do what?"

"You heard me perfectly fine, I want you to walk through that wall."

"But it's solid, how can I do that?"

"Give me some credit Gabriel, I did save your life."

"Fine, fine... this better work."

Gabriel started walking, he closed his eyes and approached the wall and bounced off. Rubbing his nose, he heard Cen call out.

"Did you learning anything from that?"

"Yeah, don't trust computers. You lied to me?"

"I didn't, you just weren't listening. Walk through the wall, not at it. You need to visualize that and your nanites will take care of the rest."

Turning back to the wall, Gabriel closed his eyes yet again and pictured himself walking through the wall, again he hit the wall but something was different. Gradually he began to slip through, the more he willed it, the faster he went. After a few seconds passed, he slipped through, a smile upon his muzzle.

"And you thought I was lying, now onto your tactile training. Fold this I-Beam."

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"When will we be able to see our son again?" Mrs. Fox asked Sam.

"Soon, I hope. He won't be the same, he's not your son on the outside anymore," said Sam softly, he was still sitting next to the Fox's.

"But he's still Gabriel, no matter what happens to him. He's still my son and that's all that counts," said Mrs. Fox, looking down to the floor.

Ambrose walked into the room, "Follow me please, he's ready."

Walking to the door they were led to, the Fox's paused. "It's okay, go on," said Sam, opening the door for them. As they walked in, what they saw amazed them. Standing before them was a large German Shepherd.

"MOM! DAD!" shouted the dog, running to embrace his parents. When he saw the look on his mothers face, he stopped dead in his tracks. "What? What's wrong? Mom, Dad, it's me... Gabriel," his tail drooping behind him.

His mothers face twitched a little upon hearing his voice, a look of realization and astonishment flashed across her face as she flung herself upon her son.

"Oh Gabriel, don't you ever make me go through this again!"

Ambrose and Sam both exited the room, shutting the door behind themselves, allowing the family to their own devices.

"Ambrose, did we do the right thing," asked Sam.

"What do you mean."

"By dragging them into this?"

"Sam, they deserved to know. We couldn't exactly keep him from seeing his parents."

"I know, but... Mrs. Fox, she seemed so... sad."

"Do you think she would be any better off thinking he had died?"

"No, but..."

"Then we did the right thing."

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"This is part of your tactical retraining, down below are your old team mates. They are training here too. They know you are alive, but they do not know that you are... different. Disrupt communications, and take them down with the stunner. I had them use live rounds to drive home just how different you are. Sam will be along for the ride, you are to work together. Now, wait for my signal," Cen's voice stated through his transmitter.

"Signal, what signal?" Gabriel asked.

"Oh, you will see."

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Commander Thomson stood with his squad readying their gear, they were told they were competing against Gabriel, the very soldier he ordered left and though to be killed in action. Not only that, they were also going to use live rounds... things were not adding up.

"Commander, is it true. Is Gabriel really alive?" Kayla asked eagerly, bouncing.

Thomson turned around, staring at their resident scout.

"Well, apparently but, I don't see how. I thought they got him."

"I can't wait to see him, I'm so happy that--" Kayla was interrupted by a loud klaxon over the camp's P.A. system.

"Attention all beta squad members, prepare for action!"

"They cannot be serious, I don't see anyone?" shouted Commander Thomson,

"Lieutenant! Get on the sat tracker now, find the other team and fast!"

"Yes sir!" replied Kayla.

"Squad, mount up on the double!" shouted Thomson walking around the command tent. Only old equipment was used in training, it supposedly brought them back to the basics.

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"Do you think that was the signal?" asked Sam.

"I hope so, can you block the sat scan?" asked Gabriel, looking down upon the camp below.

"No. I recommend we take cover."

"No, they've got Kayla with them... you cannot hide from her."

"Then what should we do?" asked Sam.

"I have an idea, let's use active camo."

"You can do that?" asked Sam, utterly shocked.

"Of course." stated Gabriel, fading from view, his nanofiber fur weaving and laying flat all upon his body as he was completely surrounded by a cloaking field.

"That's our own tech down below, can't they see us.?"

"Not me, and now they can't see you either," said Gabriel, a spike of silvery liquid forming on his hands.

"What are you doing?" asked Sam.

"Giving you an upgrade," said Gabriel, stabbing the spike of nanites into Sam's arm.

"Okay, last one there is a rotten egg," shouted Gabriel, taking off.

Sam was stunned, the feeling of the nanites upgrading him was... different. He felt scared.

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"Commander, I have nothing on satellite. I'm not sure they're out there."

"Try sonar, they could be shielding themselves from the satellite."

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Alvarez, take point. Husker take up the rear. Everyone else form up around the tent and protect Kayla, she's now our eyes and ears."

"Sir, yes sir!" resounded through the camp.

"God help us all, we're fighting a dead man," mumbled Thomson.

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"I have to take out Kayla, she's going to find us and then we are screwed," Gabriel sent through his communicator.

"What we need is a distraction, any ideas."

"Yeah, but they are a little scary," then it hit him. "Wait, I've got one. Just wait here for my signal, I'll take care of this."

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"Kayla, where are they?" asked Thomson.

"Still searching, the radar is still focused on the hillside tree line."

"Find them now!" Thomson yelled over the comm.

At that moment gunfire sounded from the camp loud speakers, first behind them, then in front before sounding off all over.

"Kayla, what's happening."

An eerie voice answered back over the comm, "I'm sorry... the person you are trying to reach is dead, the yelling cannot be completed. Please hangup and try again, or press one for more options."

Thomson ran to the back of the tent, "Kayla?"

"I heard the transmission, it was a broad-wave. I'm still trying to locate it."

"Any ideas?"

"None sir."

"Hmm, Look here you asshole, who ever you are stop hiding and face us," Thomson shouted over the comm.

"At this point you must be yelling, do you remember what happens when one person holds down the button on a radio without letting up? The idea of a communications block is that you cannot talk... at all," Gabriel announced.

"Gabriel... what in the hell are you playing at?"

"Pick your jaw up off the ground Thomson, gawking doesn't suit you."

Pick up... my jaw? "Listen up everybody! He's close, he can see us so keep up your guard!" shouted the commander.

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Kayla was rearming the sonar after reprogramming it to scan the camp itself, she had a hunch and hoped she was wrong. Just as the sonar passed behind the tent, her monitors went dead. Text started scrolling across them, it said, " All work and no play killed me. Good evening Kayla, would you like to play a game?"

She typed in "Who are you?"

"Gabriel of course."

"Where are you?"

"Turn around, I'll show you." That wasn't on her screen.

She whipped around gun at the ready but it was all too late, the creature, what ever it was, grabbed her gun and in a flash it went off in its hand, smoke pouring out of it's fist.

"Now now Kayla, I thought we were friends?" said the animal, taking the gun and crushing it into a small ball before letting it clatter noisily to the floor.

"Commander help!"

"Good night Kayla," stated the dog as his stunner fired, knocking her out after her scream.

Thomson and the squad surrounded the tent in seconds, pulling open the flaps. What they saw froze them in place.

"Good evening ladies and gentleman," stated Gabriel smiling. "Care for a game of chase?"

"Gabriel?" Commander Thomson gasped.

"Yep... now, the game is afoot!" shouted Gabriel running at them. As he did, he gripped the guns of two anonymous grunts on either side of Thomson, simultaneously sliding down and between the commanders legs, dragging those soldiers to the ground. He wrenched the guns out of their hands as he slid through under Thomson, swinging the guns up to connect with the groins of both Husker and Alvarez, bringing them to the ground as he took off between the camp buildings for cover.

Thomson was stunned. Blind without Kayla, four grunts down in seconds, and armed only with his thin gun. He only had Marcus and Joe for backup, both of which were burdened with the cumbersome automatics.

The street Gabriel was running down began coming apart with the flak of the automatics, and seeing it as his only option, he turned left, weaving each strand of fur into armor. Rather than walk through, he crashed through the wall, ruble flying about him. Immediately caution alarms began flashing in the corner of his vision, he had damaged his shoulder and would definitely have to recharge later. The nanites stole massive amounts of power when making repairs.

He had to take out those gunners, but how? At that moment, the air behind him shimmered and the wolf appeared. "Need help?" Sam asked.

"I'm damaged, can't cloak. Sam, can you take out the heavy gunners so I can take out the commander?"

"Why don't I take them all out?" asked Sam.

"No... the commander's mine! I owe him something," growled Gabriel.

"Yes sir," saluted Sam, disappearing in a shimmer.

When Gabriel heard the muffled shots and shouting, he leaped through the hole he had created in the building and quickly rushed the Commander, leaping and tackling him to the ground. "Well Thomson, I win. Your team is incapacitated and I hold your life in my hands."

"No, I hold yours in mine," stated the Commander, smirking as he nudged Gabriel in the ribs with his pistol. Gabriel smiled, slowly reaching the gun and taking hold of the trigger, Thomson panicked as Gabriel pulled the trigger, shooting himself in the chest with a muffled thump. Releasing the gun in his panic, Gabriel took it away from his commander. Smiling back down at Thomson, he stated "Nope, I'm sure I win," and with that Gabriel grabbed Thomson and hauled him up of ground, brushing him off. Walking towards the nearest power supply, the command tent, Gabriel shouted, "Okay Sam, now he's yours!"

In a shimmer, Sam appeared behind the commander and stunned him before he could blink.

~~~~~~~~~~

"That was a nice stunt you pulled there Gabriel, four down in one move!"

"I thought so, I figured I would have fun with it, though, now I have to get the nanites to make repairs." Upon examining his hand and shoulder, he found his fingers and ribs to be gleaming in the sunshine.

"Ah, well... what's next then?" Sam asked.

"You are to stay here and rejoin your squad, you have a lot to explain to them," Cen. stated through their subspace beacons.

"I would imagine so, all they saw was a... well, a dog... that sounded like a dead man," stated Gabriel.

"No, at that pace some only saw blurs!" Sam laughed.