Knight of the Shadows

Chapter 3
It was early morning, and Dante, Fury and Karr sat in their garage spaces. Kitt and Echo were off chasing leads. Trying to find the current location of the man who had once been called Garth Knight but now was simply known as 'Mobius'. The man was responsible for building the huge truck, Goliath, that had destroyed Dante's team mates. Just then Dante heard voices and groaned.
Karr and Fury were quarrelling again.
" So I got lost," Fury said, "the maps given to me were outdated!"
Karr snorted in derision, "you could get lost inside an Internet chat room," he said.
Dante winced. To a computer, that was a great insult.
"Says the computer that couldn't hack his way into a kindergarten database!" Fury retorted. Karr growled threateningly at the Ferrari. Dante sighed, knowing that there was nothing he could do to break it up, if he tried he would just be ignored. Fury would only listen to Kitt or Michael and Karr only paid attention to his driver. Before Karr and Fury's discussion could degenerate into name-calling Kitt and Michael arrived back, with Dannie and Echo not far behind.
*And not a moment too soon*, Dante thought.
"You'd better call your drivers, guys." Echo said, "We have had a sighting of Goliath."

The Nissan Skyline rolled cautiously through the abandoned industrial estate, scanners alert for any signs of trouble. Kitt and Michael Knight were on the other side of the estate also checking for any sign of Goliath or Mobius. Karr growled, he wasn't detecting anything at all and his short supply of patience was rapidly running out. He was about to declare the whole thing a waste of time when he finally found something.
"Rick," Karr said to his driver, "I am detecting a very large vehicle emerging from a building. The building itself appears to be shielded from my scanners." Karr informed Richard.
"Hmm, party time." Richard said with a grin. Karr almost sighed. Why wouldn't Richard take anything seriously?
"Hey Michael," Richard called Kitt's partner, "Looks like we've got some action."
"Be right with you." Michael replied. Richard and Karr drove over to the large warehouse and saw a huge grey truck head off toward the desert.
"Does that thing have the MBS?" Rick asked his car, sounding a bit shaken.
"Yes," Karr replied, "It is also armed with several high powered missiles."
"My scans indicate that they are the same frequency as those that destroyed TKR," Kitt's voice came over the comlink.
Richard regarded the building in front of them. "Did you say you couldn't scan this place?" He asked Karr.
"Correct." The Skyline replied.
Rick sighed, "Guess I'll have to do this the old fashioned way." He said and got out of the car. Just as Richard reached the open hangar doors, one of Garth Knight's nasty surprises activated. The small missile launcher took aim at the human intruder and fired.
Kitt detected the incoming missile and cried out a warning, "Richard! Look out!"
"Nooooo!!" Karr howled and shot in between the missile and his partner. There was an almighty exploding crash. Karr's MBS held, but it left a terrific dent in his side. "Karr!" Rick called, "Are you okay?"
"Yes," He replied, but his voice was strained, "Are you alright?" Karr asked.
Richard smiled weakly, "I'll live," he said patting the Skyline's hood, "thanks to you, anyway."
Karr had been prepared to sacrifice himself for his driver.
Somehow, that shocked Michael, he found himself wondering exactly how much Karr had changed.

Kitt sat thinking about this afternoon's events. Had Karr changed? Was there now a caring personality beneath the harsh exterior? Suddenly Kitt recieved a signal across the comlink, and to his surprise, realised it was Karr.
"Kitt?"
"Yes?"
"May we talk?"
Curious, Kitt agreed "If you wish. What about?"
"I wish to apologise for my actions when we met before." He said.
"You remember it?" Kitt was surprised. He had thought that Karr's memories would have been erased.
"Not everything, no," Karr replied, "Rick said that keeping the memories would hurt me. I trust him, and I trust you, Kitt."
Kitt was taken aback. He hadn't expected this from someone who, only a few years ago, he would have automatically declared the enemy. For one of the few times in his life, Kitt found himself lost for words.
"I apologise for my previous actions." Karr then said.
"It wasn't your fault, Karr," Kitt tried to reassure, "it was your programming."
Karr gave an electronic sigh, "Perhaps," The older AI said, "goodnight Kitt."
So...Karr *had* changed.
"Goodnight, Brother." Kitt replied.
Karr's yellow scanner flickered from side to side in what could almost have been a smile.

It had been almost a week since the Knight Shadows had had a lead on Mobius or Goliath, and the strain was beggining to show on Dante's partner. He had not been sleeping well, his dreams haunted by images of the destruction of TKR, Kyle was wound as tight as a guitar string. If they did not find a lead soon, he was going to go insane. The only person he really felt capable of talking to was Dante, he was so terrified of forming a relationship of any kind with any member of this team, or indded anyone. But Dante was safe, he denied any emotion so vehemantly that it was very hard to form any sort of attachment to him, even though they were bonded in some way he coudn't even begin to describe, for some reason almost beyond his comprehension, he *needed* that stuck-up, haughty, pedantice AI.
Kyle wandered past the offices and garages, trying to walk off some of his anger and guilt, as he passed Fury's space he saw Jade who had fallen asleep at her computer, for the third time in as many days, she had been working very hard, contacting almost everyone she knew who had contacts in the grey areas between law and crime, and that was a surprisingly large amount, she had also become increasingly worried about him, frequently sitting him down and making him eat, even when appatite evaded her. The command prompt was flashing insistantly, but Jade was oblivious, her head pillowed on the wrist-rest. Kyle took her by the shoulders and shook her lightly.
"Jade," he said, "Jade, wake up."
"Huh?" She murmered blearily. Then she saw something on the computer screen and instantly came to life and started tapping madly on the keyboard.
"What is it?" Kyle asked her, trying to keep the excitement from his voice.
"I've managed to locate two possible sites for Mobius' current base," Jade began but was inturrupted when Fury ahem'ed.
Jade rolled her eyes, "Sorry Fury," she sighed. "*We* have managed to locate two possible sites for Mobius' current base," Jade tried again. Two maps appeared on the monitor, the locations outlined in red. Kyle grinned viciously, 'Finally' He thought.

Michael peered at the maps, trying to decide who to send where. He had never wanted to be in two places at the same time so badly. The others in the room stared at him expectantly, except Kyle, who had a knowing look on his face. Michael sighed deeply and made his decision.
"Okay, Kyle and Jade are with me at the biggest site. Dannie, Rick, you guys check the smaller one." There, he had done it. Speed combined with strength, He hoped it would work out. As the others left Kyle walked over and grinned at him.
"Not as easy as it looks, right?" He smiled
Michael just glared at him.

Kyle sat in Dante's drivers seat looking at a picture that had been brought up on the small monitor set in Dante's dash. It was a picture of who Mobius had once been, Garth Knight. Kyle had been startled to realise how alike Garth and Michael looked, their features were almost identical. But there were some differences, Garth's hair was a shade darker, he wore a beard and mustache and his eyes blazed with madness. Kyle shuddered. Michael and Garth were alike, but also very, very unlike.How many lives had Garth destroyed? And what was to come if the Knight Shadows could not stop him?
No He thought It won't happen, not while i'm still breathing Determination filled him Garth would not win this time.

The three sports cars and their drivers arrived at thier destination. They split up to search different areas of the compound. Kyle and Dante got the central building which appeared to be some kind of office. Kyle got out. "Kyle," Dante spoke up suddenly, "be careful."
Kyle smiled, touched by his cars' concern, "I will, Dante."
"Is there anything in there that I should know about" He asked. Dante ran a quick scan, although he was still getting used to the capabillites of his new body "All I can find are some human life signs and some flammable chemicals in the far end, one of the life signs is in a wheelchair." Dante replied.
"Hmm" Kyle said, "see if you can knock out the power supply, that should give me time to find Mobius."
Dante didn't like the tone of his partner's voice, but kept quiet about it."Very well," he sighed. Kyle entered the building, his eyes and ears alert for anything. From ahead of him he heard the sound of heavy, laboured breathing. A man in a electric wheelchair rolled to a stop in front of him.
"Mobius." Kyle said, his voice devoid of inflection.
"Welcome, Mr. Stewart," Mobius cackled, "welcome, to your death,"
Kyle didn't move. He could see the same blazing insanity in Mobius' eyes as had been in the picture of his younger self. "What do you want, Garth?" He asked flatly.
Mobius laughed again, "I haven't heard that name in a very long time. As for what I want, that is simple. I want every last remnant of my Father's dream destroyed, and that includes you, Stewart. That is why I have watched and waited all these years, my greatest triumph will be to destroy Michael Knight, the man who took my name and my face and in return, gave me this broken body."
Kyle remained motionless, "Is that why you took Kitt's CPU?"
Mobius cackled again, "But of course! What better way to lure my brother to me than to take his beloved partner?"
Suddenly, from behind him Kyle heard the sound of an explosion. Dante must have succeded in taking out the power supply. Kyle tried to make a run for it, but was restained from the behind.
"You are not going anywhere, Mr Stewert. When this building blows up, so will you. Then I will go after your friends, one at a time, until they are all dead. I was not prepared for your little attack on my warehouse, but rest assured I will not make that mistake again.This team is doomed Stewart, just like the last one was." Mobius said. He then touched a control on his chair.
Nothing happened.
Kyle would have to thank Dante for that later.
He swung a punch at his captor, hitting him on the side of the head and knocking him to the floor. The mans' gun slid right to Kyle's feet.
He picked up the gun.
The flames crashed through the wall, and bgan creeping towards the far end.

Kyle Stewart held the gun pointed at the now helpless man in the wheelchair, rage filling his mind And in that moment, Kyle couldn't see the man a few feet away from him, he couldn't hear Dante's pleas over the comlink for him to get out of there, and he couldn't feel the heat from the fires all around him. All he could see was the explosion that had consumed Domino and Jenny, all he could hear hear was her screams as she had died, and all he could feel was fiery hatred toward the man who had caused it to happen.
Kyle pulled the trigger.
At the same time the flames reached the highly flamable chemicals in the far end of the building The wall behind Garth Knight exploded, enveloping him in a huge fireball.

Dante finally managed to reach his driver.
"Kyle! My God man! Get in!" The Corvette gasped. Kyle almost fell through the open door, his mind in a daze. Dante crashed through one of the remaining walls and raced over to where Fury and Kitt were waiting. Michael and Jade both got out of their cars and ran over to Kyle, who also got out.
"Are you okay?" Jade asked, concerned.
"I...Don't know." Kyle replied staring at the gun in his hand.
Michael looked equally concerned, but all he said was; "Lets go home, huh?" And walked back to Kitt. Jade gave him a strange half-smile and also returned to her partner. Kyle looked from the gun to the building.
He would never know what had killed Mobius, his bullet, or the flames.
But for now, he decided that it didn't matter.
For now, he was happy to just be with his partner, doing what he had always wanted to do;
Make a difference.

THE END
By Rebecca Duty