I'm worried that love is just something that can't be explained. You can't derive logic from it, you can't understand it in its parts, because it exists as a whole. It exists as an abstraction, a dream that you cannot tune like a robot; you can't control it because it's a feeling. It's a feeling of powerlessness. That's what love is.

A feeling of powerlessness.

The sun was beginning to rise among the buildings, lighting up Slaine's pink face. It was morning. Asseylum was looking at him, as he patiently waited for his answer.

"Let's not fall in love." She said.
"But why?"
"Because I can't be powerless. And I can't confine us within four letters,"
Slaine looked into her eyes and then stared down, "I thought you liked me too,"

"I do, we are family. But,
I can't give you what you want,"

. . .

Jimmy had woken up at around seven in the morning and he insisted on setting up monkey bars around his podium since he believed it would help him do various moves and fight better. Axel helped him set up the bars.

MiK was cooking the breakfast and Lucifer was reading the newspaper. Lupin lay on his bed, with Norman massaging his back.

"Lucifer, you slept with Lupin last night?"
"Yeah, I was drunk and I confused our rooms." Lupin looked into the newspaper.
"Thanks to you-- I'm sore! Is what Lupin is trying to say." She said.

Lucifer kept the newspaper aside, "Be grateful that I, the great lord Lucifer himself, touched you and cleansed your very soul!"

. . .

Slaine got up from his bed and looked at the longboard kept before him.
'You lead me on, only to let me down,'
He grabbed the board and walked out of his room.

"Where are you going, Slaine?" Mr James asked. Slaine didn't reply and just slammed the door.
"I guess this is what they call the rebellious phase." Norman said.
"Looks more like a love rejected, tear drunk normal human teen to me, if I must say." Lucifer looked over his newspaper.

Slaine went downtown, cruising on his longboard. "This isn't so bad actually. But I still prefer skateboards."

Back in the future, Gotham stood inside a transparent water tank, staring at Dexter. They were inside Ben's old laboratory in Mechapolis.

"There are some technical issues with the spare machine so for now, let's use the time machine." Dexter explained, "Gotham, I want you to go to the past and bring me the past Ben-- Alive. He would let us study how he is alive for so many centuries. Once we find that, you and I will live forever. And we can also extend the lives of X-DROIDS from forty years to four hundred."

"Are you sure about this?" He threw a long shirt into the tank.
"I have grown before Ben and I've heard stories and even seen video evidence-- Proving that he has been around for very long."
"This is definitely interesting."

Dexter smiled and pulled the control gear.  The time machine started and the water tank lit up blue.
"Mr President, Ben is here." A robot maid informed him.
"Well then, you'll be there within the next five minutes. Good luck."
Gotham smiled and he walked out of the laboratory. She suddenly disappeared from the tank.

As Slaine was riding past the East waters, he decided to take a look at that same spot where he met that girl into the water. He reached there and held his longboard into his hands. He leaned towards the water and pushed his head inside. It was cold and dark, he pulled out and coughed.

"I can't breathe underwater anymore!"
The clouds above him rumbled. It seemed as if it was going to rain. But the weather was just fine a few minutes ago. He moved away from the water and suddenly lightning struck him hard. He disappeared and in place of him, Gotham stood there instead.

Lucifer sensed her presence from the bar and got up from the sofa immediately.
"You're finished reading? Help me cook, will you?" MiK said.
He turned to the north.
"Lucifer?"
"She's here."

"Who?"
He looked at MiK, "Gotham."
MiK's eyes widened, "What?"
"We must leave, now!"

Gotham fell into the water and pulled out her tail which slowly transformed into two legs. She had no toes and her feet had scales all over them. She slowly got up. She wasn't used to feet as it had been a while since she last used them. She wore the shirt while she sensed her surroundings, "Ooh, there are a lot of humans here-The smell of blood surrounding me is so arousing."

. . .

Slaine opened his eyes and found himself inside a water tank with his longboard. He quickly swam up and breathed. He looked around the room, it looked like some laboratory. He looked at the clock. It was six in the evening, the day was Monday, June 25th, 2430."

He was in the future and he knew it. He jumped down from the tank with his board and landed on the floor. He looked around. It was filled with small tools and gadgets he had never seen. Most probably, it was a robotics laboratory. He walked out of it. Everything was quiet. It was supposed to be June but it was still very cold. In the silence, a voice stuck his ears from afar and he followed it. He opened a small window and peeped down from it.

A handcuffed man stood before another man.
"So, Ben. How are you feeling?"

'Ben? So this is Ben!' Slaine thought as he peeped through the window. Ben's back was towards him so couldn't see his face.

"There's someone in my mind," Ben said, "And it's not me."
"I love these little hints you give here and there." Dexter walked towards Ben and raised his chin with his hands.

"You have no idea what you've done." Ben glared at him.
"Of course, I do. I've opened the gateway to eternal youth!"
Ben smirked, "Eternal youth, my ass. We don't even know if we'll survive what's coming."

"What does that mean?"
"She has fooled you into doing what she wants. Gotham wanted to go to a place filled with humans and you sent her to New York of the 22nd century. Don't be surprised if she refuses to come back-- Leaving you all alone in this world that you destroyed."

-To be continued

Gotham
5500 Rebellion