Somethings never change. The green woods looked very much like this several hundred years ago. It's been close to a century since Sam had admired the simple joy of a tree. She stood before the tallest one in her vision. She clasped her hand around its trunk. Her hand was clearly not skin, but the bark felt all the same underneathe it. Her claw-like fingers dug into it and flaked away a piece. She examined it fully, noting the sticky sap and texture. Tossing that aside, she curled her toes against the pine-needle covered forest floor. Just like her hands, her feet could feel the texture of the ground as if she were bare foot. It was a unique sensation, to say the least. Life was beautiful, she thought. She scanned the wilderness which stretched on as far as the eye could see and immediately regretted having spent her past life mocking environmentalists. There was a beauty to the natural world that one comes to appreciate having flirted so heavily with death. In Sam's case, that was more like marriage and divorce.

"..Sam?.."

She whips around, hearing someone call her name, but sees nothing. "Who.. is it?" She's been dead for ten years, anyone that recognizes her is liable to be trouble. "Show yourself if friend, run away if not, you don't want any of thi-"

"It's me! Ronnie!" the voice says again. It does sound like him.

"Where are you..?"

"Back at my lab. There's a small microphone and speaker in your jaw and ear, respectively. After all, what good is a weapon if-"

"-if you can't control it, I gotcha'. What's up?"

"Oh, I figured I could give you the briefing over the phone! You don't actually need to be present, after all."

Sam drops to her rear on the soft ground and reclines back against the tall tree, letting out a soft sigh "Hhhookkayy, lay it on me, Doc."

"Sam, you possess the most advanced set of cybernetic enhancements modern biomedical science could produce. It's no lie to say you're worth.. well.. many.. many millions! Let me start from the beginning. When you were brought in, I worked the funeral Home. It was--"

"Doc, level with me... how did I..?"

"Heart failure. Your heart just gave out in your sleep. Your daughters came over and found you."

Sam ran her fingers through her hair, coming to grips with what happened. "Motherfucker, no.. no no.. they found.. oh man.. fuck.. How could I.."

"Sam, we don't get to choose where or when we go, it wasn't your fault. As far as I know, they went on just fine.. I kind of kept in contact with them for a few months after, but eventually.. I guess they moved on. I mean I don't mean it like that, they were I.."

"Heh.. Doc don't.. don't worry I got what you mean. Good, I'm glad they moved on. They deserve happiness, I hope that they found it. Anyways.. go on."

"Ok, I worked at the funeral home when you were brought in. Gotta pay tuition, right? They demanded the most immaculate preservation of your remains. I knew who you were. I remember watching a presentation in school about legendary outlaws and how they benefited from the days of lawlessness. There was only one outlaw that thrived in the contemporary age of order and that was you. I was already pretty knowledgeable on how to preserve a brain, how could I pass up the chance? I did something I'm not entirely proud of and stole your.. brain. I took it to the lab and claimed it was from a family friend who passed away and volunteered to be a subject to an experiment on brain reanimation. I even forged the paperwork and came up with an alias! Eventually, I moved my operation to this little outlook. I needed privacy! So, for the past 5 years, your brain.. well really you, have been here! Previous experiments had shown that subjects were never able to adapt to a completely robotic body, leaving them as little more than a talkative computer. Growing back a whole body was just out of the question. It took too much effort and well... they found out about my little fudging of the permission papers and I'm lucky to have gotten away without an arrest. I'm no doctor anymore, officially. So, I've been hiding here and monitoring you. I decided to grow some of your body, but not all. Your skin from head down to about.. oh.. midsection is your skin, it was produced from a culture of your DNA. You were grown back from the head down. Skull.. ribcage, shoulders.. grew in, then muscle. Your vocal chords, your skin, it's all yours! But, your heart.. well.."

"Sounds like my old one didn't win in the reliability trials did it?"

"Yeah.. I decided against any natural organs. Less material used, more in the event of accident during the.. cooking I suppose, and more robust in the end as you now have artificial organs. Heart, lungs, stomach, all that!."

"Stomach? I have to eat?"

"Oh yes! The brain still needs natural energy. Same for all of your natural parts. The good news is that you don't need to eat much and you should be able to use 100% of the edible mass you ingest!"

"... no more bathroom runs.."

"Correct! Your artifical body needs energy, too, but fortunately you're doing that right now! In a nut shell, it's solar powered. The more sunlight, the better! You won't slow down in the darkness, but don't be planning any trips to the darkside of the moon, you'll slow down after about 3 days of activity  without light of any kind."

"Is that why the sun feels fucking awesome, now?"

"Yes! Positive mental reinforcement is key to survival! Same goes for pain, too. Pain is essential to survival, though you will have quite a hefty threshold for it! So, as you grew, I implanted various upgrades. Growing the skull took the longest and the jaw never quite came in right, so you have an artifical one.. mostly. That is your skin on it, but it's titanium, otherwise. So, the skull took years to grow, but when it finished about 8 months ago, you really filled in. 5 months ago, I might have.. stole what are now your arms and legs.."

"Haha, now you're taking after me, that's a bad idea, Ron."

"You are the most advanced cyborg on the planet, without doubt. I was afraid your body would reject the implants, but quite the contrary! It embraced them fully. Integration and software writing was not even a day's worth of work. Your brain seemed to have interfaced with them very readily. It should all feel natural to you. The eyes were my biggest concern. Those artifical eyes of yours, while they feel real, are a lot more durable and can even serve as a video relay to me! Everything from your hands, feet, to your tail and vagina. In additon to the-"

Sam sat forward at the mention of genetalia. Her hand gripped in between her thighs to check. She grew a confused look in her face and asked "...You gave me a vagina..?"

"... well yes.. sexuality is a big part of our psyche an-"

"Why the fuck would you give me a vagina? I don't have a fucking artificial uterus, do I?"

"... I could install-"

"NO! How would that even work.. you know what? I don't want to know." She crossed her arms, smugly.

"I just figured you might want it, given how promiscuous you were in life."

"..Did you use it?"

"WHAT?! No! No! I didn't! I swear!"

"Are you lying?"

"No! I'm gay! Ok! There!"

"If I find out you put my brain in a me-themed sex doll, I'm taking you down."

"I didn't, I didn't ok? Ok. I swear. Anyways, your body grew fast, I stole those multimillion dollar limbs from the university and .. well you woke up. Actually, if you come back, I do have an addon for you.. that isn't a synthetic uterus."

"It better not be, I'll drive you through a wall." She stood back up and brushed herself off. It was a short sprint back to the small hide out where Ronnie was already outside waiting. Sam couldn't help but notice that, regardless of how hard she ran, she didn't even feel winded during this transit. She whips past trees in a blur, starting to laugh like a school girl as the sheer thrill of speed balled up joy in her chest like nothing else. Slowing down was clumsy, but she would get used to it eventually, she thought to herself. Ronnie wafted away the cloud of dust that she kicks up as the shark cyborg slides to a halt.

"Whooof.. anyways, knowing who you are, protection is high on your list of desires. So, I have.. this!" The fox hoists up a heavy looking scabbard device. It held some kind of cutting utensil. Sam took it from his hands. He was having trouble lifting it, but she held it up with little effort. "Oh.... yeah I'm sure you've noticed your strength is greatly increased. Now then, this is a cool toy! This actually.. hooks into your hip" He directs an arm from the scabbard into a point on her mechanical hip. The moment it clicked in, she felt a little chill crawl up her back and into the back of her head. Before he could prompt her, she discovered the holster could pivot and move on its own. Within seconds, the scabbard positioned straight up. The hilt was propelled from its seat in a loud puff of compressed air and Sam's hand clamped around it. She waved the weapon around a few times before looking it over. It was a very thin and straight weapon that only curved into the tip. "Oh.. heh you figured out that it has actuators of its own... ok well, this is called an alloy blade. They're mostly used for manufacturing and construction. There's a trigger on the hilt, if you squeeze it, the cutting edge will heat up."

When Sam gave it a squeeze, the cutting side of the blade glowed a brilliant reddish-orange. Her thoughts turned to the lightbulb in her staircase on her last night alive.The moment she let go of the trigger, the edge's color bled away, cooling off. Ronnie eagerly pointed out "The alloy actually cools down to room temperature when you release the trigger."

"10 years later and we've... given up on the gun?" Sam asks, confused as to why such a weapon exists.

"Oh no, they're mostly used to cut metals at construction sites. I made that out of.. boredom. I'm kind of a sword geek.. I built it while waiting for you to grow, pretty much. I can't get you guns, sadly, I'm sorry." The fox possessed a look of disappointment.

"Well, it's mostly fucking useless.." Sam reaches out and places a hand on Ronnie's shoulder. ".. but totally fucking cool. Thanks, really. You've done.. well what millions have tried. And succeeded. Important question, though.. Ronnie.. how do I turn off my.. head.. phone.."

"Oh, buttons on the back of the neck, just below the hair line."

"Gotcha. I'm off. I have a shit load of catching up to do."

"Oh, before you go, here!" Ronnie tosses a set of keys in the air which Sam snaps up with her hand "My car, it's a.. piece of junk but you won't give yourself away so easily that way. There are... people out there that hate cyborgs. And cyborgs that hate everyone."

"I thought you said I was the only one?"

"No, I never said that, I said you were the most advanced."

"Oh yeah... sorry about that."

"Well keep quiet, don't cause trouble and you won't be troubled. But, just in case and so it doesn't come as a surprise... do you remember dreaming?"

".. like.. last night? Yeah."

"What were they about?"

"Combat, why?"

"I ran you through a virtual training program. In your head. It was totally safe. But, you've got almost 10 years of experience in swordcraft, now."

"You know, I should be pissed at you since that seems like brainwashing, but really? That's cool. Thanks for that. Keep low, Ronnie"

"Yeah... you, too, Sam."

"And Ronnie... call your boyfriend. I meant what I said earlier: Life is precious. Don't squander it."

He nodded as she slipped into the seat of the old sedan and started it up. It was a good old internal combustion engine, just like she was used to. She thought 'what? not start up sequence?' right before the dashboard lit up and audibly spoke up "Good day, Ronald." Sam swore quietly before replying "Not Ronnie.."

"Oh, then you are?"

"oh for fuck's sake of all the useless shit you can put in car.."

"Good day, oh for fuck's sake of all the useless shit you can put in car."

"Rrrff.. No, My name is Sam."

"Good day, Sam."

The sedan rolled down the dirt road to the pavement and stops before it rolls onto the street. "What can you do, exactly?" Sam asks in a smarmy tone as she scans for a road sign that indicates speed limit. 

"I can provide you GPS tracking, advice, weather, and addresses directory" came the reply in that disinterested feminine tone. "Heading, Southwest, speed is.. 44 miles per hour. Speed limit is... 55 miles per hour. You are 10 miles per hour under."

"That's actually.. not a horrible thing to have. Ok, so what kind of addresses you got?"

"What is your destination?"

"I'm looking for.. two people."

"Accessing my files.. State their names...?"

"Erin Saiga.. and Denise Saiga."

"One moment please.... Sam, this is of extreme convenience. Two individuals by those names live next door to one another in the Shady Pines neighborhood."

Sam burst into laughter as a flood of good memories poured forth. "Oh, those two were inseperable, always were.. Let's go there... what do I call you?"

"You may call me KITT."

"... fucking seriously, Ronnie? You weren't even ALIVE when that show was on the air.. and no, I'm not calling you that. I'm calling you Cav. As in Car with an Audible Voice." 

"Surely, that would be Cwav, Sam?"

"I don't care, Cav." 

"Very well, Sam. Follow my instructions."

It was quite a long journey. Ronald lived way out of the city. Sam was overjoyed to find that Ronnie's piece of junk had an autodrive option. She spent most of the ride leaning back in her seat and pondering. She thought about everything that had been dropped into her lap. Still, despite the emotional weight of it all, she was thankful beyond belief. She couldn't help but smile and laugh as she recalled memories of her twins growing up. Both of them turned out to be little tomboy trouble makers, just like she was. She only hoped they didn't turn out the way she did. She prayed they didn't turn into little Sams. They went to college, she never did, so hopefully that was a deciding factor. Still, if they were as mischievous as she was, it would spell bad news. Though, the fact that the car's directory listed them off as living was most reassuring. Her emotions would do nothing but dredge up concern, but her logical told her they were just fine. She told herself over and over they were just fine. The cycle repeated itself over the next two hours with Sam remembering good times then reassuring herself they were fine. She didn't even notice the sun was starting its downward turn in the sky by the time they were pulling into the entrance of the neighborhood.

"We are at Shady Pines, Sam"

She peeks out the tinted windows to see modest but nice housing. The kind of model neighborhoods so many aspire to live in. It was most definitely summer as Sam noticed kids hosing each other down with water guns on the perfectly green lawn of a friendly looking suburban house. The waterguns looked more like the real thing than what she was used to. They even sprayed in bursts to mimic fire from a real weapon. It depressed her. "Are we so irresponsible..?"

"My driving has not broken any traffic laws, I assure you, Sam."

"No, not that, just... violence is an unavoidable reality and it pays to be wise with weapons. After all, pray for peace but prepare for war. But, that's not right. I don't know, I guess little boys and.. heh... some girls, have played soldiers since the concept of the professional combatant was a thing. I don't know, I'm just a concerned mom, I guess."

"I am unable to process much philosophical information, I am just a driving aid. Though, internet searches indicate that you are not alone. In addition, our stop is around the next corner. Both residences are on the right, 2442 Oak street and 2444 Oak street, the two houses immediately after the one on the corner itself."

"Stop right here. I'm going to walk the rest of the way." 

"Very well, Sam, should I idle or turn off?"

"Turn off, no sense in polluting." Almost immediately, the engine cut off.

"Understood."

Sam takes the key out of the ignition and steps into the lovely heat of the afternoon sun. Finding the sidewalk, she paces slowly, following a series of white picket fences, toward that street corner as it looms ominously before her. When she rounds it, she could come face to face with one of her daughters. She'd been gone for ten years and they wouldn't even recognize her, probably. She adopted them when she was in her 60's, she looks like she's in her mid twenties, now. How would they react? How would she react? How would they even believe her if she walked up and declared out right to be their mother. This wasn't just some long lost mama routine, she had died. They found her corpse, they laid her to rest, and they grieved. How could they possibly believe her when their mother was now a pile bones in a graveyard, some where? That thought made Sam's skin crawl, too. Some where, out there, is her body. Her corpse. Though, at this point, it'd just be a mass of bones. She calmed down from the idea and actually warmed up to it. After all, having your own skull on display would be a pretty metal thing to have. She shook the sophomoric thoughts from her head. Coming back from the dead was easy, it was just a matter of waking up for her. But this was the hardest thing she'd ever done. How could she even prove she was who she said she was? That would be impossible.

But, it was game time. The streetcorner came a lot quicker than she wanted it to. Her vision directed around the corner in that common instinct to know where you're physically headed before you make that turn. People do this millions of times through out their life, but this time it was terrifying for Sam. On the front lawn of one of those lovely pre-fabs was not one but both of her daughters. They weren't her flesh and blood, but she loved them all the same. They were tending to the lawn, together. One was pulling weeds, the other cutting grass. Sam froze dead in her tracks, it was the first time she was this terrified of rejection since she was a little girl trying to fit in at a new school. Two pretty 29 year old girls doing yardwork in tatter jeans and dirty white t-shirts, laughing and enjoying a beautiful afternoon were more terrifying to Sam than any crooked cop, mafioso, or terrorist ever was. She watched in slow motion was one, Erin, tilted her head back as if she felt Sam's presence. The shark's heart, though artificial, seemed to drop into her metallic feet before quickly leaping into the air, clearing the picket fence and landing on the roof of the house next to theirs. She was a mess of panic and tears perched on a stranger's roof like a bird. Her breathing was heavy and panicky as she whimpered in defeat, a victim of her own emotions. Her daughters were all she had left in this second life, but yet she didn't have them. It felt like total and complete defeat. She eventually calmed herself and stood up from her curled position. She noticed the little boy in the backyard of the house she perched on. He was looking up at her, in awe and amazement. She grinned nervously through tear filled eyes and gave him a thumbs up with the corny statement of ".. Stay in school, kid. It worked out for me." With that, she leaps off, lands on the sidewalk with a great deal of grace and sprints off for Ronnie's car. She hurls her body inside and exhales loudly before making her demand "CAV!.. CAV! DRIVE!.."

There wasn't a response and it angered her. "CAV! DRIVE, DAMNIT! DRIVE!" She remembered she needed to put the key in the ignition first. Fumbling it in with a shakey hand, she turns the key and finally gets the car's AI.

"Hello, Sam."

"CAV.. DRIVE!" she says again, through stining eyes and heavy panting.

"Where to?"

"JUST.. DRIVE! Anywhere, but here! And don't turn right, fuck's sake!" She rubbed the tears from her eyes as the car rolled forward. With one last look over her shoulder, she watched her kids disappear from sight in the rear windshield of the car. The waterworks weren't through just yet as Sam's face contorted with anguish as she saw them exit from view. Back into the fetal as she buried her face into her hands, bawling as hard as she could. It was the most horrible feeling. Her most beloved children were a shout away, but she couldn't say a word. For a moment, this second chance at living, this second life seemed less and less like a blessing and more like a curse. 

It wasn't until the sun was burning a soft orange in the evening sky that she calmed down. Cav directed the vehicle to a gas station and alerted Sam "This vehicle requires refueling, I have found one for your convenience, Sam. I do hope I am not imposing, your emotional state is quite alarming."

"No, it's ok. Thanks." She responds softly, waiting for the car to pull into a pumping station. When the engine turned off, she steps out, softly closing the door and glancing out over that burning sunset. Her first day back alive was one of utter joy and sheer agony. Would it be like this for the rest of her extended life? She wasn't sure she could take it. If it was to be like this, then she'd just go back to Ronnie and ask him to pull the plug on her and let her slip back into eternity. To her daughters, she'd been dead for 10 years and there just didn't appear to be an option to undermine that belief. A wise man once said that there are only two certainties in life: Death and taxes. She dragged her feet to the station only to notice that the sign declared in big bold lettering 'NO SELF SERVICE - WAIT FOR ATTENDENT'

"Shit.. of course.."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Ma'am! Can I help you?" A young shark asks inquisitively. It was nice to see another toothy smile.

"Oh, yes please. Top her off, will you-oh shit.. I'm broke, damnit, damnit, damnit.."

"It'll be on the house, Miss...?"

"..Saiga."

"Oh, so are you an aunt or something of Erin and Denise's?"

Sam's heart dropped once again as she thought 'Son of a BITCH!' The swindler came up with a lie quickly. "Oh yeah! I take it you know them? Don't tell them you saw me, hehe.. heh.. I'm surprising them!"

The shark laughed and nodded eagerly "Oh yes, Miss I never met you before! You got it!"

Sam sighed with relief before leaning against the car. "So, what do they do? Erin and Denise?"

"Oh, well Erin is a youth teacher, I believe.. 10 year olds? Nah wait.. 7 yeah, I knew it was young. And Denise is an accountant with the gas company that owns this station."

"Ok, you are?"

"I'm Seth. I met them in school, they were quite a bit older than me, but I just finished university and I'm job searching! Just workin' this until I can find a better job."

"Hah, yeah ain't that the case with everyone" Sam laughed as she looked about. It did seem like a nice neighborhood. Until she heard the cackling howl. Her attention was directed to a wooden fence which was in the process of being defaced by a pack of losers. The largest of them was a wolf with grey fur, white chin scruff, and clearly cybernetic arms. "And those are."

"Ugh. That's Danny.. what ever the fuck his last name, he insists everyone calls him Butch, though. He's got a dad in the PD and, instead of making him a model citizen, he lets him get away with anything he wants. Assholes." He shook his head as eyes rolled. Sam followed them with her gaze, sizing them up. There were five of them. Three of them were all natural, Butch and his number two seemed to be the only ones with body modifcations.

"Well, Seth, go inside."

"Wait, what are you planning.."

"It's better off you don't know, and remember: My kid-I mean my neices don't find out about me. Got it?"

"Yeah.. ok.. see ya..?"

She was already gone, jogging slowly and following the pack of thugs to see what they would do. They catcalled and howled at every woman they passed, being the disgusting cretins they were. But, as uncouth as they were, it wasn't a crime. It would be several minutes of laughter, howling, and insults before they did something if interest. Butch and his number two looked over their shoulders to check for anyone that could be watching. Sam was used to shadowing people and she was not easily spotted. Those two ran across the road into a dirty lot where they hid behind a bush. Two of the normal three ran on ahead while one stayed behind and paced about in the road. Sam didn't have a clue what they were trying until the cry "GET THESE GUYS!" went up from the advance scouts. The one that was left behind, limped across the road as a car drove up. He stopped short of the limping thug right as he ran off, clearly uninjured and giggling like a madman. Butch and his cyborg lackey then rushed the car and literally picked it up, terrified occupants and all. They carried it into the dirt lot and set it down on blocks, clear of the ground and prohbiting an escape. This was a shake down. They dragged the occupants from the car, a family of wolves that consisted of mother, father, and a daughter.

Sam didn't want to intervene, but she had no choice. She can't make herself known yet. She vowed then and there that, unless they were physically threatened, she'd not get involved. She observed the make up of the gang: Butch's number two was some kind of reptile and his other goons were two more wolves and a fox.

"SOOOOO Where's all your valuables, exactly?" Butch sneered as he tore through the purse of the mother. She was in tears, holding her daughter who was also bawling madly in terror."

"That's all we have!" the dad says before getting a foot to the chest that sends him sliding back on the dusty lot.

"Shaddup, I was talking to your wife... man, you ain't got nothing worth shit."

"'ey Butch, where do we take 'em?"

"Eh.. creek? Maybe the resevoir, I dunno where else to dump 'em?"

Of course they'd say that, Sam thought to herself. She made a promise to herelf and it was time to make good on it. Besides, a good exercise will help clear her mind. She laid down heavy foot steps as she approached the gang, fists clinched in anger. 

"Hey! Who the fuck are you?" Butch yells as soon as he notices Sam coming closer and closer "I think we gotta' Heeeero, boys?"

"Heroine. I'm female."

"Ohhh, could'a fooled me, y'dyke!"

"With men like you, being a lesbian seems like the only sane option. Now, let's stop talking about your tiny pecker and get down to brass tacks. You let them go. I don't hurt you. Fair trade?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are? Beat this bitch down, you three!" there was definitely a divide between cyborg and non-cyborg here. The three unmodified members of the game got up and started to saunter toward Sam, switchblades flicking out.

"Ohhh you want to play with knives, do you?" It was time to stretch and give this silly sword a try. The scabbard extended out straight, fired the weapon up with a blast of compressed air, and into her waitng hand. With a pull of the trigger, the blade's edge glows orange and she swings it once, leaving a reddish orange blur through the evening air. "Mine's bigger and meaner, little boys. I see how you guys view women. I guarantee you though, you won't find any pleasure here. You're just find a dosage of 100% pure bitch and, when it's over, it'll just make you wish you had been born a faggot." She secretly wished her posturing and smacktalk was enough.

It was for those three. They dropped their knives and back away, hands in the air.

"Oh you little pussies. Alright, Viper, let's kill this bitch." Butch draws out what looks like an old rusted machete while the lizard, apparently named Viper, pulls out a smaller but similar weapon. They spread out, stepping slowly toward either flank of the Shark.

"Alright, if you low-lifes only understand violence, then I'll give you what you want. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." Sam's eyes glow with her vibrant skyblue tone. She recollected experience from tangles she'd never actually been in, but was programmed with during her 10 years as an experiment. Their stances were clumsy and unbalanced, clearly these men were just brutes and not trained in any kind of art. That familiar and beloved hazy feeling of the shark's electromagnetic sense returned to her as she read their movements. She missed it so much. Butch was the first to move, but there was something about his lunge. It felt half assed. He was a strong young man, shouldn't he be using more strength.? It immediately dawned upon Sam that it was a feignt. She ignored the massive wolf and turned for the lizard who a had just raised his large machete into the air. Turning the flat of her blade toward his, the machete struck harmlessly against it, much to the suprise of the lizard who had never seen someone move so lightning fast. She put strength behind the parry and bashed him away, sending the lizard stumbling off to the side. Instantly, she knew to reverse the motion, flipping the sword around backwards in her hands and swinging her arm to the rear. Once again, the flat of the sword meets with machete as Butch's strike is met with a parry and an accompanying hilt strike. He's quick to recover and swing his machete high into the air, to bring it down onto her. He was strong, but he was slow. His arm was too perfect a target. Flipping the blade back upright in her hands, she let an orange blur streak through the distance between herself and Butch. He was too late to realize what just happened as his machete wielding hand falls to the ground and the robotic stump of his fore arm hemorrhages hydraulic fluids from various tubes left exposed. 

He screams out in anger "AUUGGHH! YOU FUCKING BITCH! FUCKING KILL HER VIPER!!" he swore as he picked up his severed hand and cradled it. 

Viper obeys blindly, performing the exact same attack. However, his wind up places the machete behind his back and it doesn't present a good target to disarm. Sam's keen eyes pick out the cybernetic legs that Viper has. With whipping spiral, the orange blur sweeps around and blows through Viper's thighs. The cut is clean and his inertia carries him farther than his severed legs. The lizard collapses, screaming, onto the dusty ground. Sam stands up over him, holds her weapon aloft, and releases the trigger. When the weapon's blade edge stops glowing, she lets the weight of the sword swing it down backwards once more. The Scabbard jets out, ready to carry its burden again. Sam's hand opens and the sword falls into its holster before quickly being locked in and returned to her side.

The lizard crawled away, bleeding the hydraulic fluid, looking more annoyed than in agony. She takes it that her assumption about cybernetic limb amputations aren't fatal was correct. "Any other takers? C'mon, I'll go fists only. I'll even hold one behind my back just for you, Danny."

"..D-don't call me that! My name is BUTCH!"

"Your name is going to be on a slab of granite if you don't get the fuck out of here."

They didn't waste time. The three naturals picked up Viper and his legs as Butch shouted back during his flight "I'll fucking find you, bitch! You're dead! DEAD!"

Sam turns her attention to the family "Are you ok?" she asks. They can only stare on in disbelief until the dad answer.

".. yes. Yes we are."

"Good, let's get you on your way." She approaches the vehicle and examines it. Perhaps she could lift it? "Ok, on my go, take the blocks out?" Hands grip the bottom of the vehicle and lift it with surprising ease."Oh. Well ok, take them out" The father pulled the concrete blocks from under the vehicle and Sam sit it down, gently, onto its tires. They repeated this for the otherside and, by that time, they'd all calmed down.

"Thank you so much! You.. you saved us"

"I can't let the weak be prayed on by the vicious."

"The world needs more like you!" the little girl spoke up. It struck a chord with Sam. An old friend once told her she should try hero business for once. Maybe this second time around she would. As soon as they left the scene of the fight, Sam reflected on that friend's advice. He was one of the best vigilantes of their time. She hoped he lived a nice, long and full life. No doubt he was still kicking. That guy was indestructible.

Perhaps, it would be good to visit an old friend and see how her story stands up.