TTNG: Ch. 2. Fathers Day.

At the police station, there is a is a young boy running around the desks. He is happy, but, he stops when he hears a gunshot. CJ wakes. He is drenched in sweat. Moments later, his alarm goes off. It's a news reel.

" Gooood morning, everyone. Rise and shine. It's a beautiful morning at seventy-five degrees. It's especially good for you Dads out there in the listening area, for it's Fathers Day."

CJ closes his eyes, tight, as the radio continues on. Later that morning, CJ walks into the living room, looking depressed. He sees Robyn and Blaze messing around on the computer.

" HEY DAD!" They yell.

They are talking to their father. CJ looks across the room to see Dakota, covered in glitter, paper bits, and glue, snipping away at a cardboard box.  She, then, holds up a picture saying " I love you, Daddy." She holds it with a huge smile on her face. CJ just looks away. After getting a drink from the fridge, he goes to the gym. On his way, he passes Lexions room. Having been injured from her first day, she has been confined to crutches for the last week. She is levitating, facing out the window. CJ sees her and looks away, but then, she giggles. CJ looks back.  Lexion is in telepathic communication with her father. CJ looks away again and walks to the gym.

The sound of thuds can be heard ringing through the hallways. CJ is hammering away on a punching bag. Each punch gets more intense after every swing. He looks at the bag with fury, hitting the bag harder and harder. He rears back and slams his fist into the punching bag. It explodes, fluff flying everywhere. CJ lowers his arms in grief. Later, Dakota, Robyn and Blaze walk out of the living room.

" You think my Dad will like this?" Dakota asks.

" I'm sure he'll love it, Kota." Robyn replies.

Lexion walks in on her crutches.

" Hey, Lexion." Blaze says.

" Hey, guys." She says. " Have you seen CJ. I haven't seen him all morning."

" I haven't." Dakota replies.

" Me either." Blaze adds.

" Not a clue, sorry." Robyn says.

" Oh... Well, If you see him, tell him I want to talk to him."

She walks away.

" Uh, hey, Lex?" Robyn says.

" Yeah."

" I might know where he's at."

On a ridge, over looking the city, sits a cemetery with a tree. CJ is standing over a headstone in a tan coat and grey hoody. He looks at it all depressed. The headstone says " Here lies Victor ' CYBORG' Stone. Friend, Husband, Father." He closes his eyes, turns and walks away. He walks down the path leading to his car, when a man brushes past him. Cj stumbles and glares at the man. He does not stop. CJ ruffles his shoulder, and walks away. Storm clouds form in the distance.

Back at the tower, CJ sits in his room staring at desk. There is a picture of his family, when CJ was young. He stares at it, motionless. There's a knock on the door.

" Hey, CJ?" Lexion calls out. " You in there?"

" ...... Not today, Lex." CJ responds.

Lexion is curious.

" CJ, what's wrong?"

CJ opens the door and locks eyes with her.

" I said.... Not today."

He closes the door, leaving Lexion speechless and worried. CJ sits back down on his bed, and stares back at the picture. Moments pass and something crosses CJ's mind. He gets up and walks over to his laptop. He hacks into the police database and pulls up a file. It's a man with orange hair and blue eyes. He also has a scar under his right eye on his cheek. The man CJ ran into at the cemetery earlier that day. Name: Alex Watson. Wanted from murder. CJ glares at the screen.

On the roof, CJ stands alone and watches the clouds from the storm move in closer. He takes a deep breath and leaves. In the hallway, CJ walks with anger in his stride. He is almost to the stairs when he sees Lexion, leaning against the wall.

" Not now, Lex, I'm not in the mood." He says, hastfully.

Lexion blocks his path with her crutch.

" Yes, now." She insists. " What's wrong? You've been, seemingly gone all day."

" I've just been busy."

" No you haven't. You've been sitting in your room."

" Lex......" He raises his hand. " Not now. Move."

" No."

CJ tries to walk around, but, Lexion blocks his path again.

" You are trying my patience, girl."

" I just want to know what's wrong with you."

" There is nothing wrong. Now move."

He grabs the crutch and throws it out of his way. He takes a step, but, is stopped by a black telekinetic hand to his leg.

" Not until you tell me what's wrong.... Please."

CJ shakes the hand off and walks away. Lexion grabs him by the hand. On the moment of contact, CJ reaches around, grabbing Lexion by the shoulder and throws her to the floor. She slides to the stairs, where Blaze is walking up.

" HEY!" He yells.

CJ realizes what he has just done. Lexion is holding her knee in pain while looking at him. Blaze looks at him as well. CJ stares at Lexion.

" It's best that you just stay away from me today, Lexion. I'm not even close to kidding."

He blows past Blaze on the stairs. Blaze hurries up to Lexion, who is still cradling her knee.

" You alright?" He asks.

Lexion, angrily, throws up her arm to stop him.

" I'm fine." She snaps.

Lexion slowly hops up onto her good knee, then levitates to her feet, crutches under each arm. She still winces in pain. Blaze looks down the stairs, then back at Lexion.

" You know, he's not mad at you." He says.

" Then, what's his deal?" She replies, furiously holding back her tears.

Blaze sighs.

CJ walks through the living room, gathering his Sonic Bracers and coat. Dakota looks at him while inside a box. She ducks down, then pops back up when CJ walks by, throwing paper bits into the air.

" TAH DAH!!" She shouts.

CJ stops and looks at her. She is covered in paper and a smile. CJ barely wavers and walks away.

" I'm going out." He says. " I'll be back later."

Dakota looks depressed as CJ opens the door, going out. Upon opening, Lexion and Blaze enter the room.  Lexion glares at CJ as he passes.  They walk in and CJ walks out, the door closes.

" What's wrong with him?" Dakota asks

Blaze walks down to the sofa and pulls out his communicator.

" Robyn, come to the living room. Now, please." He says.

" Alright. What's going on?" Lexion asks.

" I'll explain when my sister gets here."

Moments later, Robyn walks in. She sees Blaze, Dakota and Lexion sitting around the center table, silently. She sighs and walks down to them.

Minutes pass as Lexion explains what happened before.

" ... And then he just throws me onto the floor." Lexion ends.

" I see. " Robyn says. " Well, you know, it was nothing you did."

" That's what Blaze told me, but, I just don't understand."

Robyn gets up and walks to the window. The storm clouds moving closer every hour.

" You know what today is?" She asks.

" Yeah, it's Fathers Day. So." Lexion says.

" Then you should know why CJ can't celebrate it."

Lexion lowers her head and tone.

" Yeah.... It's because Uncle Cyborg died, right?"

Robyn pauses and Blaze leans over the table.

" Look, you and Kota were too young to remember this or to even know it. But, CJs Dad didn't just die. He was murdered."

Dakota and Lexion gasp.

"But, " Dakota says. " Mom told me that his power cell failed."

" Yeah, " Lexion agrees. " Mama said the same thing."

" Well, it didn't." Blaze includes. " The shot was from an armor piercing round, fifty caliber, says the police report. From point blank range."

Lexion and Dakota sit in awe.

" Also, " Robyn includes. " CJ doesn't celebrate today not only because he doesn't have a father anymore, but, because today is the day he lost his father."

Lexion pauses.

" ... Did they ever catch the guy who did it?" She asks.

" No." Robyn replies. " He's still out there."

Lexion stares off into space, then realizes something.

" Kota, when CJ was in the room with you, did he grab his Sonic Bracers?"

" Yeah, why?"

Robyn turns around.

" You don't think?"

" I do."

The door opens to CJs room and Robyn walks in, followed shortly by everyone else. Robyn moved over to CJs computer and turns it on. The screen is blank.

" Has he been doing anything?" Blaze asks.

" Don't know, " Robyn replies. " Let's find out."

She starts tapping away on the computer.

" What are you doing?" Lexion asks Robyn.

" Hacking into his mainframe, seeing what he's been up to today."

" You can do that?..."

Robyn looks at her.

"...... Sorry."

Robyn continues on and finally gains access to the police files CJ looked up before.

" Is that..." Dakota asks.

" It must be." Robyn says. " The search ends here."

" Alex Watson." Blaze says.

" Maybe we should talk to CJ?" Robyn adds. " Try and calm him down."

" Talking sounds like the best idea." Blaze says.

" Maybe I should go?" Lexion says. " I want to apologize for being a real pain to him today."

" I don't think that's a good idea, Lex. I think you're the last person CJ wants to talk to."

" So, then what?"

" I'll go. He probably just needs to have a man to man conversation."

Blaze walks away.

" Too bad there isn't a man around for him to talk to." Lexion laughs.

Blaze twitches.

" Oh, burn." Dakota laughs as she gives Lexion a fist bump.

Blaze continues to walk.

" Blaze, " Robyn adds. " Be careful. With all that he's got here, I'm starting to get concerned."

" No problem."

Blaze lifts into the air and flies toward the door. Back at the cemetery, CJ silently stands over his fathers headstone. The wind is picking up from the approaching storm.

" I figured I'd find you here." Blaze says as he lands next to CJ. " How's it going?"

" What are you doing here?" CJ askes.

" What, I can't talk to a friend?"

" That's not the reason."

" ... Right. We told Lex and Dakota what happened."

" Yeah, thanks for that." CJ says sarcastically.

" Look, they needed to know... Lexion is sorry for being a brat. And Dakota is worried sick about you."

" Tell her not to be."

" Victor, we know what you are planning. And it's not the way to go."

" Just stay out of it."

" ...... Do you even know where to start looking?"

" I've got a lead on the guy. He normally visits a local bar for breakfast."

" Which one?"

" Not telling."

" Then Lexion will find out."

" Not if I have this."

CJ pulls out a small device.

" It's a Mind Jammer. Meant to keep Lexion out of here."

" Okay. I'll tell them you've gone for a walk."

Blaze starts to walk away.

" Wait, just like that... You're not even going to try and stop me?"

" This is your choice, CJ. And even if I do try to stop you, you wouldn't listen."

He continues to walk, but, stops and turns around.

" Oh, plus... Even if you do try to extract revenge from this... You won't be able to do it. It's not because you are weak. But, it's because you'll see that it's not what your father would do."

Blaze turns and leaves as CJ stares off into the storm. Minutes seem like hours and CJ remains standing near his father headstone. Thunder roars before CJ looks up. In the distance, lightning dances across the clouds. He stares into the light as the lightning flashes.

During the day, the local bar is a routine family bar and grill. It is beginning to rain as a man exits the building. He throws a hat over his orange hair and flips up his coats collar. In the shadows of the buildings across the street stands CJ, the shadow from his hood covers his face. The man starts walking, he then notices CJ slump back into the shadows. He starts walking faster. Soon, CJ steps out of the shadows and follows him from a distance. They walk seemingly for hours.

" Where is this guy going?" He asks himself.

CJ soon finds himself on familiar ground, they are on the road that leads to the cemetery.

" What is he doing?"

The man enters the grounds and walks straight over to Cyborgs grave, then falls to his knees. Shortly after, he brings his hands up to his face. CJ is surprised, the man who killed his father is on his knees, crying over his fathers grave.

" I know you've heard me say this..." Alex weeps. " But, I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I didn't want to do it, but, I just had to."

CJ moves closer, Sonic Bracer ready.

" Why did I do it? Least of all to you, the man who saved my family from a collapsing building. I'm just.... I'm sorry........ I hope you can forgive me."

Cj stands behind him. The man realizes that someone is behind him. He turns to face him.

" Oh, " he sniffles. " Sorry, I must have been thinking out loud."

CJ stares at him.

" .............. Did you know this man had a family?" He asks.

" Well, no. Sorry, I didn't have a clue."

" He had a son." CJ looks up. " And he will never forgive you."