Gathering up the medical supplies, Sean started up the steps only to stop. Setting the medical stuff on the stairs, he went to his room to retrieve his computer tools. Carrying them both up to Mark's bedroom, he hesitated to enter. Mark was laying back across this bed and panting heavily. Amy gestured him inside with a worried expression. Entering quickly, he set the stuff down on the floor by the bed and told her uneasily. "So, how are we going to do this?" Amy bit her lip, telling him honestly. "I can't knock him out... He'll be awake for this. I can monitor his shield and hack the system to try and keep it thinking that he's calmed down... but if it spikes... You'll need to get back quickly." Sean looked down at his shaking hands, mumbling out. "Ya... Doesn't sound too bad then." Amy crossed her arms over her chest, her voice glitching a bit as she shuffled her feet and nervously said. "You don't understand. Mother is monitoring his vitals too. If I tamper with his vital outputs and his emotions spike... It could draw her full attention to him."

Sean opened up the supply boxes, answering dryly. "You'd think she'd be concerned with his vitals now." Amy kneeled beside him, her voice turning motherly as she said softly. "She is. Mother knows the problem... She just can't fix him. And that upsets her deeply. He is her firstborn... Her favorite." Sean removed a set of rubber gloves to put on as he told her seriously. "Well... maybe I can see something she can't." Amy removed a set of medical tools to lay on a towel across the floor by him, lightly replying. "Doubtful. She's a highly sophisticated Artificial Intelligence. You are just a human." Sean narrowed his eyes on her, whispering back playfully. "Hey. Don't underestimate me. Having a high I.Q. doesn't mean you see everything. It just means you over think the little things. Not everything needs rocket science solutions." Amy blushed with a sweet smile, telling him hopefully. "Well, in that case... I hope you do see something that mother and her android doctors missed." Giving her a small smile, he inhaled and asked her calmly. "Alright. Tell me what to do."

Amy took a square piece of plastic. Tearing it open to reveal a sterile cloth, she handed it to him and paused a second. Sean took the cloth while he waited, then she told him casually. "Ok. His shield is down. Wipe that across the back of his arm from wrist to elbow." Mark turned his arm over on the bed for him, his fingers curling over the edge of the bed. While Sean removed the bandages on his arm, he couldn't help locking eyes with Mark. Mark looked so tired. With his shield down, Mark looked like he might just fall asleep. Wiping down the fresh cut along his arm, Amy told him coolly. "This will be a bit easier. Just cut along the same line that is there and go deep until you see bone." Sean swallowed, taking the small silver knife from her. He had never cut into anyone that he didn't want to kill before. Bringing the knife to Mark's skin, his hand shook, just thinking about cutting into another human was messing with his head. Hurting someone was one thing... but watching it happen slowly was worse. He liked things to be quick. This wouldn't be. He could just imagine how painful this was going to be for someone not knocked out.

Amy leaned closer to his ear, whispering to him gently. "The trick is to breathe and not think too much about it. Just focus on what you have to do. Nothing else." Sean locked his jaw and pressed the knife across the redline on his skin. Pressing the knife in, he watched the skin part easily and flinched as Mark began to bleed heavily. Amy pressed white cloth to the blood that was leaking, cooing to him sweetly. "It's ok. That's normal. You're doing great. I got it." Mark's fingers curled tighter on the bed, but he stayed still. Amy took the knife from him and handed him what looked like scissors with weird tongs on the end that kind of made it look like a key. Amy guided his wrist into position, telling him casually. "You want to lower this into the seam and open the ends only enough that you can see the bone. This will keep the skin and muscle out of your way. Just be careful. Take it slow." Sean did as she instructed, noticing the computer vein strips along his bone structure. Sean let out a low whistle. He was almost horrified to think that Mark's bones might be covered in this stuff.

Following the computer strips, he found the small encased circuit board. Sean let go of Mark to reach for a tool when Amy blurted out. "Don't touch them! Keep you hands on him. I've got it. Just tell me what to take." Sean pointed to the small tools that he needed, and she took them. After watching her spray them down with something from the medical kit, she handed them to him. Taking one, he made sure that it wasn't wet. Amy rolled her eyes and showed him the small pray can, telling him coolly. "It's a dry spray. Sanitizes the tools." Sean gave her a worried look, before mumbling out. "True... but the chemical could cause the circuit board to spark if it holds a charge." Amy bit her lip, mumbling out. "Sorry... Just trying to help." Sean shrugged, reassuring her. "It's fine. Just be careful." Sean removed a charger checker from the box and touched the tool to it. When it came up negative, he continued. Unlatching the small cloudy plastic case, he flipped it open and found himself unable to breathe. The circuit board had seen much better days... It should have been blue in color with green like veins going to all the tiny parts. Instead, it was black with bright neon yellow veins.

Amy glanced between the circuit board and him, asking with concern. "What? What do you see?" Sean licked his dry lips, telling her in a low whisper. "The whole thing looks fired. The chip looks brand new... but the circuit board is the problem. It can't process the power required to run the chip properly." Amy hugged herself, asking him anxiously. "What does that mean? Can you fix it?" Sean looked over the circuit board more closely, honestly telling her. "No... Parts of this circuit board are completely melted... They need to be completely changed out." Amy shook her head, nervously interjecting. "You can't... Mark's parts are special. They aren't made anymore... He needs them! Can't you unmelt them?!" Sean chuckled, taking ahold of the little square black chip to pull it from the circuit board. Once he pulled it free, the neon yellow lights dimmed to a whitish blue color. Setting the chip in a little box, Sean answered her with smirk. "You can't unmelt metal like this. It's fragile as it is." Amy began to pace, mumbling out a bit distortedly. "His shield is down... Mother can feel it. She knows something is wrong. Sean..."

Sean didn't hear her; he was distracted by the circuit board. Talking to himself, he said under his breath. "This circuit board... It's outdated." Mark rolled to his side without moving his arm, asking him in a cool voice. "I know. But they can't be replaced. They were built sturdier than my brothers. It allows me to run everything around the city. Things my brothers were eventually designed for." Sean looked up from his arm, answering casually. "That may be true, but these parts have suffered too much. If it corrodes anymore, there will be no place to even put the chip. The case could become corrupted and leak a chemical that could eat away your bones and flesh. Mark... It needs to be replaced." Mark shook his head, mumbling out. "I'll lose my control over the city. I'll be forced to bend to my brothers control over details." Sean pointed to the circuit board, snapping back. "If this keeps melting. You're going to lose more than your control. You'll lose limbs, Mark." Mark sighed, saying flatly. "Mother will never approve... I know she secretly wants me to still be in complete control over my brothers... If I undergo an overhaul... I could lose memories... Feelings."

Sean shrugged, seriously telling him. "And if you stay like this... You're going to get worse... and then when you want an overhaul... It will be too late." Mark lowered his eyes to avoid Sean's. Sean inhaled deeply, telling him hopefully. "If we try to overhaul you now. I might be able to save some of your memories. But it all depends on how the other circuit boards look. Transferring data over will be quicker... but Mark... You are still human. You won't lose feelings and certain memories close to you. You do know that... don't you?" Mark's eyes slowly looked up at him with a fragile and distant look that made Sean's heart twist. Sean couldn't believe it. The computer had Mark so twisted. So isolated that he didn't know how human he was. Sean reached out to touch Mark's cheek, whispering to him gently. "Mark...? These are just implants... They aren't going to change who you are useless-" Amy screamed, her body glitching and distorting until a woman that Sean had never seen before stood in her place. Mark looked to her as she glared at Sean and sternly said something that Sean couldn't hear.

Mark raised a hand toward her, answering her unspoken threat. "Mother, I told him to do it. He's helping me." The woman stormed closer to the bed, yelling something that gave Sean goosebumps. She was furious and causing the lights in the house to glitch and the electric shutters to vibrate. Mark winced, before saying coolly to her. "He thinks he can fix me." Mother's face softened only a little as she relaxed the tension slowly from her body. When she asked him something, Mark answered honestly. "He thinks he can overhaul me without loosing the data." Mother began to pace and talk, causing Sean to ask nervously. "What is she saying? What did she do to Amy?" Mark was distracted listening to Mother, before he answered him casually. "Amy's fine. Mother wants to know what your plan is. If I lose memories... I could forget how to talk to off-worlders and that could end badly..." Sean sighed, gesturing to the circuit board as he said as casually as he could. "Your parts may be out of date... but what about the parts in your brothers? We could use-" Mother started pointing at him and snapping out something that he couldn't hear.

Mark quickly told him afterward. "She doesn't like that plan. My implants were built to withstand more than my brothers. And their implants are just pieces of what I have." Sean huffed, telling her firmly. "Exactly my point. Can't you just use similar pieces of what they have to put them in him? Run them on separate drives and increase the output to those circuit boards. They'd run faster and smoother without interfering with the job of another. His shield can't run at the same time as anything else... Can it? Even before it started glitching, am I right? Don't you see the problem? The tech used on him no longer exists because it was fixed. His brothers are proof of that, aren't they?" Mother blinked, her gaze falling to the floor as green data code ran over the dark pupils of her eyes. Mark raised an eyebrow as he looked from Mother to Sean and asked softly. "Where did you learn that?" Sean blushed, mumbling out under his breath. "I told you. My bike is everything to me. I'm always upgrading her and tampering with her to help her run better. It's all I know how to do."

Mother lifted her head, saying something with a warm expression. Mark huffed, saying a bit surprised. "Mother has confirmed that it could work. She's bringing the stuff needed." Sean blinked, mumbling out. "What?" Within a minute a Valkyrie walked up into the room with a small plastic box to set by Sean. Sean's eyes widened as Mark translated for Mother. "She says these are the chips in my brothers... She wants you to remove mine and install them." Sean gawked at them, before stating out. "Fucking hell, she works fast... Amy wasn't kidding when she said you were her favorite..." Mark chuckled, then told Mother casually. "He'll need Peebles back, Mother. You can't walk him through it if I'm hazy and he can't hear you." Mother nodded, then rippled out to let Amy reform. Amy shivered, hugging herself as she whimpered out. "That was unpleasant... Everyone ok?" Mark nodded, telling her a bit weakly now. "Help him. Mother is going to send you the information you need." Sean hesitantly looked at Mark, honestly whispering to him. "I'll do what I can... but I'm not a doctor..." Mark chuckled, replying sarcastically. "Good. I don't need a doctor. I need a mechanic."

Sean rolled his eyes and then listened to Amy. Amy told him to press something on the circuit board and he watched in fascination as the computer strip veins slowly retracted into the sides of the warped circuit board. He then proceeded to follow orders on how to remove and install the two new circuit boards for both Science and Security. She even gave him a blank chip to install that would be for Mark's Diplomatic and Entertainment knowledge. Sean found it all fascinating to learn how an Elite worked. The security chips where put in the arms and legs. They enhanced Mark's strength, stamina, speed, and worked his shield. While the other chips had to be installed through Mark's stomach to be attached to his spine. Allowing him to store knowledge and process it like a supercomputer through the nerves of his spine. Luckily, some of the older chips in the older knowledge circuit boards were ok enough to allow a transfer of its data to another newer chip. The process took hours because he was so slow... but he didn't want to screw anything up. By the time he finished, Amy told him with relief. "Mother says that she's going to handle the wireless download and transfer of data. We can go relax now."

Sean looked over Mark. Mark had fallen asleep sometime during the procedure. It had to be relaxing to feel the pressure ease off his joints. He had even managed to use the healing tool to get rid of all his scars except for his stomach scar. He could see the implants blinking under his skin at a slow steady pace as the download and transfer started up. Amy put a hand on his shoulder, happily telling him. "You were right. You may have just saved his life. His vitals look better than they have in years. Come with me. Let him rest. He's had a long night." Sean moved closer to the bed, causing Amy to ask him gently. "Sean...?" Sean reached out to touch his forehead with the back of his hand to feel his temperature. Even if Amy said he was ok, he wanted to know for himself. Mark felt warm... but he always felt warm. Mark moaned softly in his sleep. Smirking, Sean pulled the covers up over him. Leaning over him, he whispered into Mark's ear in a warm voice. "Now we're even." Straightening up, he noticed the ring on Mark's finger and blushed.

Reaching out, he tried to discreetly take the ring while Amy was distracted with adjusting the shutter curtains. He barely got the ring past Mark's knuckle, when Mark's hand turned quickly to snatch his wrist. Sean jerked, expecting his hand to be crushed. Instead, Mark's grip was gentle as his sleepy voice purred out with a grin. "Nice try, Underdog." Sean blushed, biting his lip. Even though Mark hadn't opened his eyes, he told him with a small chuckle. "Can't blame me for trying." Mark released him, curling his fingers up as he slipped his hand under the covers. Amy gestured for him to leave, taking the supply boxes for him. Sean made it to the door, when he slowly took in Mark's room. He had never really looked at it before and now that he had... his heart went out to him. This wasn't just a normal room. It was a mini house with vending machines on the wall that we deactivated now but clearly had served him food at some point in time. It had a private bathroom and marks on the wooden floor from a change in furniture. The thing that sealed the deal was what was along the doorframe.

Stroking the age heights on the frame, he exhaled slowly. Mark wasn't kidding. He had been raised in isolation. Swallowing, he stepped through the door and closed it behind him. Venturing down the steps, he asked Amy a little curiously. "Has Mark always lived here?" Amy got to work setting stuff out to make dinner in the kitchen as she answered cheerily. "Yes. Why do you ask? Do you not like his home?" Sean moved to wash his arms in the sink, replying a bit grimly. "No. I just... The way Mother took you over earlier... Made me think that part of her is here. Built in almost." Amy grimly frowned, setting a pot on the stove as she told him bluntly. "Well, of course. Mother is in everything around Valhalla. She's the power source for the whole city. Even the Slums." Sean dried his hands on a towel that she handed him, adding coolly. "Where do his brothers live?" Amy thought for a moment, then answered casually. "Different districts around Valhalla. Mark is the closest to the Olympus Tower though. She likes having him close."

Sean set the towel on the counter, lost deep into his thoughts. The thought plagued him a little. Did Mark really believe that he was human? The look he had given him earlier made him think that Mark wasn't so sure that he was. Did Mother want it that way? As her favorite... She was blinded to how she could fix him. Or was she afraid too? Did she think fixing him would change something? Amy yanked the towel off her counter and tossed it into a small kitchen hamper as she muttered out. "Eww, Now I have to disinfect the counter AND the sink." Rolling his eyes, he shook himself out of his thoughts. Turning around to lean his hips back against the counter, he watched her work. She cleaned the sink and counter without telling him to move. She just moved through him, until he scooted himself farther away. Crossing his arms over his chest, he mumbled out to her. "Amy...? Can you...? Would you be interest in...?" He felt silly asking and stopped himself. Amy paused as she gathered food from the fridge, asking over her shoulder nicely. "What? Something on your mind?"

Sean pointed weakly to the stove, mumbling out embarrassed. "Can you show me how to use it?" Amy's eyes grew big as she giggled out. "Sure. I can teach you. I'm making soup. You wanna help me chop up some veggies first?" Sean nodded, watching her show him how to do it. Once she set him up, she removed a cookbook from a shelf and set it out to tell him excitedly. "I haven't had to pull this out in years. Here. Look. This is what I'm doing. Just follow these steps and I'll show you how to do the rest. Ok?" Sean nodded, then set to work cutting up the vegetables. After everything, he liked chopping the food into little pieces. It took his mind off everything. Glancing over his shoulder, he raised a cup full of chopped veggies to ask her if it was enough... but she was gone. Blinking, he asked aloud. "Amy? You here?" Across the room, the playroom door opened and Amy skipped out to tell him. "I'm over here. I'm trying to coax him out... I think he's scared of me." Setting the bowl down, he watched as Nate timidly leaned against the doorframe. Nate was eyeing Amy with wide untrusting eyes.

Rushing around the counter, Sean excitedly called out. "Nate?! Are you ok? How are you feeling?" Nate raised a hand to put on Sean's chest to stop him from going in for a hug. Coughing a little, Nate grimly grunted out. "I'm feeling sick..." Sean smirked, taking his wrist to pull him out toward the couch. Sitting him down, Sean pulled a trashcan closer, telling him a little too excited. "Ya. It's that shit they fed us in the Slums. It's got this food poisoning shit on it. It will pass though." Sean thanked Amy silently and she grinned before bringing a blanket over to drape over Nate's bare back. Coaxing Nate to lay down on the couch, he nicely told him. "Don't worry, Buddy. I'm helping to make dinner and you should be able to keep it down. Just wait until you try-" Sean stopped talking when he noticed Nate giving him a weird look. Shrugging, he asked him nervously. "What?" Nate sat up a little to look him in the eyes as he said almost in disbelief. "You just... I don't think I've ever seen you so... happy? Sean, do you like it here?" Sean's heart fell to the pit of his stomach.

Covering his mouth, Sean quickly got to his feet and headed stiffly back into the kitchen. Leaning on the counter with his back to Nate, he took shaky breaths. He hadn't realized it himself until just now. Was he happy here? He didn't have to fear for his life like he always did in the Slums. His guard was down... Or was his guard down because of his traumatic experience? Amy appeared at his side, whispering to him sweetly. "Deep breaths. There is nothing wrong with feeling safe and happy here. In fact, I would like to believe that you enjoy my company... even a tiny bit." Sean looked at her to see her innocently hopeful smile that made him smile warmly in return. She was growing on him.  Her friendly nature was comforting to him.  To Be Continued...