Early in the morning KK finished his wiring, he stepped over to the other side of the large concrete basement. He stopped at a desk that was lit by a bare bulb suspended from a lone wire, it's light flickered over a large pile of blueprints. KK moved them off to the side and looked down upon a map of the world, as he studied it Millie jumped up and stood directly on top of a small mountain range that was close to the equator. Mrooouuwww. "Hmm, yes. That would be quite adequate. Good girl." Mrrouuurrrrrr. "Indeed, lets get ready to move."
Wanda leaned back in her desk chair, she turned it around and gazed out of the 75th floor window view over the city of New York. It looked friendly and peaceful from up here. Suddenly her intercom buzzed, interrupting the moment of silence. "Ms. Andertol? There's someone here to see you. Carter." "I thought I told him to take a short vacation." "You did ma'am, but he insists." "Okay. And tell him to bring up some coffee with him." "Yes ma'am." Wanda sighed heavily and standing up moved closer to the window. Three minutes later she heard a slight sound behind her, she turned and nearly slammed into Carter, her Second. "Ohh. Carter don't sneak up on me like that." He smiled wryly and leaned back onto her desk. "I thought you used to like having me around." "Not to give me heart attacks." " I brought coffee." "Your the best." "I am." She mock glared at him while accepting the mug. "Don't be to smug." He cocked an eyebrow at her, "You used to think so too." "Are you here to try and relive our past or did you need something else?" "I actually came to tell you that we could a have a problem. You know that irrelevant intel group, S.A.T.I.R. or whatever?" "Yes. But I thought they were just a law investigation unit, like something between the police and the F.B.I." "That's what we all thought. But I've been doing some digging. Their much, much more. I poked as deep as I could. And here's something interesting. I got past the fake stuff, and was denied access." "They don't have ability, or clearance to deny access to your kind of clearance level." "So I thought as well, but I checked around and it's all legit. Even more, their currently working on the Cabby Killing case, they pulled rank on the police and are keeping things so tight that the F.B.I doesn't know anything about it!" "This is big. I'm going to drop everything and work on this. ...You helping?" "That do you think? So, just like old times eh?" "What's gotten into you, the past is long gone." "Even a decimated plain can become green again." Wanda sighed again, "You always speak in riddles. Why not speak plainly?" He smiled again, "Your coffee's getting cold."
Essa looked at her phone as it buzzed with an incoming call. She glanced over towards Damian who was driving, "It's the boss." He made a wry face. Essa flipped the phone open. "Mr. King." a moment of silence. "Yes...Yes...I'll have a progress report out very soon....Yes. No. No, we're in pursuit now. But we do have Nexo with us. Yes.... Okay...I'll do that. Thank you Mr. King....Good bye then." The phone beeped as she hung up. Damian glanced away from the road in front of them, "What's up?" "Progress report. He sounds so tired." Damian glanced at her again but didn't reply, she was deep in thought. Things were about to get interesting.....maybe.
Thad woke up and rubbed his eyes, sighing he ruffled his hair then he slid out of the sheets on the bed. A few minutes later he shuffled into his huge kitchen and plopped into a comfy chair. A girl across the kitchen brought him a cup of coffee out of the automatic coffee machine. "Uhhgg, oh, thanks Maya. How are you this morning?" "Fine Thad. I have breakfast here." She moved back towards the fridge and stove area, then she turned her head slightly around. "What's with the creepy guy downstairs? He stayed up all night, with his weird cat." Thad took another sip, "Oh, thats my dad. He's.....different." "Uh, no kidding." She moved behind him and leaned on his shoulder, "Babe, what's going on. I should be one of the people you can trust, tell me what's up." Thad grimaced, "Trust. That's one thing I'm running short on." Maya moved into the chair facing Thad and looked worried. "Thad. Are you in trouble." He looked her in the eye for a moment, then sighed. "I really don't know. But you don't have to worry about it. You wont suffer, I promise." "You have money, prestige, friends, but even you can't protect me from everything. You need to face that one day. " Thad put his cup down on the table harder than necessary. He shoved his chair back and stood up abruptly. "NO. I can. I'll prove it." the fear deep in his eyes swirled, "I'll be upstairs. I'm going to go with my dad for a while but I'll be back....You'll see me off won't you?" Maya looked into the fear he always buried deeply, his guard was down. She sighed softly and one corner of her mouth went up in a sad smile. "Of, course." Thad nodded and then turned to walk away ruffling his black hair as he went. A worried habit of his. Maya sighed, alone in the kitchen. She put her head on her folded arms, why was this happening. What was he hiding from her, they never kept secrets! They were to close for that....she thought they were at least.
KK turned around to face his sons footsteps. "Are you ready?" His son's eyes smoldered with inner turmoil. "You better know what your doing, I have a lot at stake here. Including the only person who means anything to me!" Thad locked eyes with KK and stared deeply into their blackness. He stepped up nose to nose with him and jutted his jaw out. "I may not like you much, but I swear, if you ruin anything that I care about. I'll personally make sure that you never forget it." Diastemer steepled his forefingers and lowered his chin. "Don't worry my son. Fate is in control, nothing can change it's course, and I am simply doing the only thing that can be done. We will not fail, this is the only way." Thad shouldered a large bag and turned away, "We'll see won't we." Standing under the lone light bulb, KK smiled slyly. His cat leaped onto his shoulders and purred, "Yes we'll go now, and wait for destiny to take it's course." meeeww.
Nexo looked over at Simon. "So, what are you guys supposed to do anyway?" Simon cocked an eyebrow at him, "You mean our organization? We are supposed to enforce justice, liberty, and freedom. Those sorts of things." Nexo pondered on that for a second. "So, does it work that way really?" Simon looked very serious, "Do you want the truth?" Before Nexo could respond Essa called back, "Hey, guys. We have just arrived at KK's last known hideout." Everyone clambered out of the car and stretched. Damian leaned closer to Essa and whispered with a concerned look on his face. "Who tipped us off about this place, I thought that the boss said that they couldn't find it?" Essa shrugged slightly, "I think Fealon actually tipped them off." "Hmmm." Was all that Essa got in return. She tilted her head in his direction. "What's wrong?" Damian shrugged in reply. "Nothing yet. But I got a weird feeling that KK's got something we don't know about in here, and I always listen to my gut." Essa, smiled wryly in return. Cautiously they entered. Essa drew her weapon, then turned her head to stage whisper to the others, "Okay, the hallway goes left and right here. Lets split up. I'll take Nexo, Fealon and Simon with me. Damian you take the rest. Fealon? You tipped 'em off to this place, wanna guess which way we should go." Fealon looked up quickly, his browed creased nervously. "Perhaps it would be wise for Elliea to go left and for Damian to go right." Essa nodded, "You heard him boys, lets do it." As the groups split up Simon followed Essa slowly, then he touched Nexo's shoulder. They stopped and Simon looked deeply into Nexo's eyes, with a strange sad look. "You asked for the truth. The truth is, No one is ever “free”. True freedom...liberty, they're not about your body." He put his finger on Nexo's heart, and his voice was suddenly husky. "It about your mind. When you stop limiting yourself, well that, is where all that we know...ends." Simon turned away and went to catch up with Essa, leaving Nexo a lot to chew on.
Twenty minutes later, something seemed to be wrong. Essa and her friends entered a large, high roofed room. It seemed virtually empty. "Okay. Nothing here, lets move on." "Wait! Uh, I think we should check the place out. You never know right." Everyone looked back at Fealon surprised. Essa shrugged nonchalantly, "I guess it couldn't hurt anything. Fealon's the one who's had all the good ideas lately." Essa had holstered her weapon and they all moved towards the back wall. As they stepped closer Simon realized that there was a small door in an alcove. He turned and lifted an eyebrow and tilted his head at Nexo. Nexo shrugged and moved forward to investigate. Essa and Simon stood behind him watching to see what happened, as Nexo reached for the door handle, Simon briefly wondered where Fealon had wondered off to. At the same time as Nexo grasped the knob, there was a contemptuous laugh. They all turned and saw Fealon. He stood near the other door and sneered, the light reflected on his glasses as he tipped his head. "So. It was as KK promised, Destiny is to much to resist. You have been easy enough to handle." He moved back farther and palmed something. "I hate to leave you like this but I have other things to take care of. But because your all so good a fixing things, how about replacing the roof and walls for me, they're quite old." "You traitor!" Simon yelled, he started stalking forward, but was knocked off balance by a sudden tremor running through the entire building. Fealon smiled confidently and turned to leave, but looked back. "Oh, I almost forgot. To make sure you don't follow any time soon." He slammed the door behind him and suddenly the floor crumbled in front of the alcove. Essa screamed as the floor disappeared from under her feet. Nexo ,still close to the door and on solid ground, threw himself onto the floor and reaching out grabbed Essa's hand and Simon's. He gasped when his shoulder felt the shock of their hanging weight, for a few agonizing seconds, he strained to pull them up. Then he yelled down to them over the rumbling of the damaged building "I can't pull you up, can either of you climb up my arms?" They both shouted the negative. Nexo groaned as sweat poured off of him, "Think fast, I don't know how long I can hold you guys!" He gritted his teeth and willed the screaming muscles to hold out longer. Simon looked up at him. "You can't hold us both! Elliea is lighter than I am!" Nexo looked into the calm, resigned face of his friend. Then he realized what Simon was thinking. "NO. Don't you even think of that Simon! Don't! What are you doing!" Simon's determined eye locked onto Nexo's. "What needs to be done. Remember what I said!" Nexo gritted his teeth again and gripped his friend's wrist with everything he had, but Simon twisted his hand and slipped out of Nexo grasp. "NOOOOOO!!" A tortured yell mixed with Essa scream. But Simon was no longer in sight, only darkness hung beneath them. Nexo summoned strength with his will and jerked Essa up next to him, they lay on their backs panting, Essa shook with sobs. Quickly Nexo stood up, he wiped at his face and pulled his friend up to her feet. "Come on we have to get out before this whole place comes down!" Essa wiped at her face too and they both bolted for the outside. Grief would be saved for later.
Damian rubbed the back of his head and looked around, "Hey Lilly. Where the brick are the others? We've been waiting here by the car for for eleven minuets past the meet up time!" "I dunno. I whoa!!!" They all suddenly fell to the ground as it heaved and bucked under them. The building in front of them shook, the glass blew out and dust billowed forth from the broken windows. Nexo and Essa barely made it out before the old place began to cave in on it's self. Everyone was thrown back from the blast of air. For a few moments every thing was silent as thick blankets of dust settled ad small pieces of debris fluttered down. Then Damian stood up from behind the car and coughed out the dust he'd inhaled. "Nexo?! ESSA??!! NEXO???!!!" He saw them on the other side of the car and he ran quickly over to them. He flipped Nexo over and thumped him soundly on the back, "Breathe Nexo!" Damian shook his new friend hard then thumped him again, this time in the ribs. Nexo began to cough the dust out of his lungs. "Brick Damian, you trying to finish what Fealon started?" Damian sighed in relief, "Sorry." Then he moved over to Essa who was standing up cradling her left wrist. "How bad is it?" "Broken, but that's all. I'm ok." Soon Lilly made her way over to where they were all standing. She surveyed the group and then gave a short laugh. "We all look like we've been dust bathing." Nexo shook his head sadly, "What now?....Fealon betrayed us and left." Essa smiled as sneakily as she could. "Yes, he did leave didn't he.." Damian looked at her suspiciously. "Okay. what did you do?" "Oh nothing much. I just slipped a tracking device on him when he wasn't looking. Just as I did with Lilly and Nexo. It was a safety precaution. But now...." Nexo looked up quickly, "He'll take us right to KK!" Essa nodded happily, "Yup. It couldn't have been better if I'd planned it! Let's load up!" Every one piled into the battered car, except Damian who continued to gaze at the ruins of the building. Essa came up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "He didn't make it, did he." Essa looked down sadly and shook her head. Damian tried to clear his throat, but his voice was still husky with emotion."He, was my best friend, in the whole world. I.." His voice broke mid sentence. Essa swallowed hard, "He gave his life, so that others might live. His sacrifice will never be forgotten." Damian nodded then straightened up. "I'll drive." "Okay." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Danny King pulled his jacket on and tightened his tie back up. "Uh, Sweety? Sweety Callihan?" She poked her head in a round his door, "Yes sir?" "I'm going home now. Oh and I'll not be coming in for a few days, I have to meet with the First and her Second. Some how they managed to find out some stuff about the Fourth Wall files that was supposed to stay unknown. Now they want some explanations." "Understood sir, I'll hold down the fort here." "Thanks Sweety. Your the best secretary in the world." Then he rushed out past her. "Well thank you sir?"
*tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* ......She looks up from the file on the table in front of her. "What is all this. A secret organization?" King looked board as he looked The First in her steely calm eyes. "I really can't say..." "All due respect, but I do rank far higher than you. There's not much I don't know. And even less that I can't find out." There were several moments of silent, tense will power bashing and bluffing. "Okay. I can say that it is an elite group with a special and beneficial purpose to this good green earth." *tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* More tense silence. W.A. sighs. "Since you will not willingly tell me what you know how about I tell you what I found out, Hmm?" She picks up a sheet of paper from the manila file in front of her. "A signed document, basically, giving the task of protecting our world to teenagers with un-natural powers. Allowing them full access to all government documents, vehicles, resources, and the Fourth Wall. Signed by one King... and with a very strong firewall keeping me from finding out about this. Anything to declare?" "I don't know how you got past the security measures, but they were in place for a good reason. I'll explain. You were not supposed to find out because the more people that know the higher risk we run." She gave a small smile. "My Second happens to be good with such things, fortunately. I'm afraid that I will be assuming control of this little "Pet Project" of yours." Kings grimaced. "Such a same. I was having a brick of a time." "Very cute King. You have four days until I will be assuming control. I would suggest that you be very careful in what you do during that time. I will be watching. Good day." King put his hat on. "Yeah, good day." For the first time the Second stepped forward and spoke, though he had been hanging around for a while. "This way if you please."
Time: some time at night Place: in the middle of a small desert
The campfire snapped and sparks spiraled up into the vast black canopy of sky stretching above them in any direction. Small stars winked down at them as the teens made camp. Damian had his back to the fire and was snoring away in his sleeping bag already. One arm flopped out awkwardly and the other tucked under his pillow. Essa sat a short distance to Nexo's left listening to music on a portable handheld device and poking the fire with a stick. Nexo figured it was a good time to ask Lilly some questions since she was just staring at the leaping flames before them. "Hey?" He nudged her shoulder. "Earth to Lillyyyyy...." She blinked a few times then turned to him, pushing her red gold hair away. "Sorry, what was it you wanted." "That's okay, I just figured it was probably a pretty good time to learn that...whatever it was. Ya know, before we confront KK and all that." She gazed at him a moment, confusion in her eyes. He shrugged and tried again. "The....You know...Whatchama thingyy. Unlicking or what ever." Realization crossed her face and she began snickering at him. "What?" He looked slightly hurt. She laughed louder and choked out, "You mean UnLOCKing?" "Well.....Yeah." She regained control of her humor and smiled at him nicely, "Right Unlocking is the process of discovering your power. You also are confronted with a choice." Nexo ,still looking a bit wary, whispered. "And it doesn't involve licking any rocks or dirt or anything?" Lilly responded in attempted seriousness, "No. Nothing to do with...snick snick...licking." Nexo relaxed a bit hearing her reassurances. "Oh, good I was afraid there for a bit!" Rolling her eyes at the sky to avoid laughing again she smiled and took a few breaths. "Okay close your eyes. Tell me what you see and feel." Nexo obediently closed his eyes and thought for a moment.
"....I see dark and feel stupid." "No. focus on something you like. Then visualize an image of that going into a doorway that leads to your consciousness." Immediately he thought of her smiling face. Inwardly he shrugged and struggled to visualize a doorway to put the image through. "Whoa!!" Suddenly as he moved through the visualized door he was surrounded by swirling thoughts, images, emotions, and the pulsing light of energy moving through his cranial mass. "What should I look for?" He addressed his friend even though he couldn't really see her. Her answer materialized into his awareness as his brain translated the sounds of her voice. "You'll know. Just look around." Thanks a lot. Very helpful. Taking a quick look around he saw nothing specifically aw-striking. So he visualized other areas of the place he was in. Then after a minute of two he saw something out of the corner of his perception that caught his attention. He moved closer to it. It appeared to be a small nodule made of blueish light. It was very bright as he beheld it and guided by instinct he visualized stimulating it. It flashed in response and folded into a flower like structure of light. Again he visualized it blooming and unfolding. It did so and like water out of a dam, liquid-y blue ran all over everything in his brain. It turned so bright and shiny in his consciousness that he opened his eyes lurching forward as he did so. "WOAH!!" What was that??!" He looked over to where his friend sat smiling. "Did I do it? I don't feel particularly different." "You did. Now your like us." "Can everyone do that?" "No. Only some." "Wow. So what's my power?" "I don't know! Try it out." Nexo hopped up and putting his hands out squeezed his eyes closed and pictured the liquid blue stuff. Lilly's surprised and delighted squeal made him open his eyes. Blue-silver fire danced on the sand as it dropped from his fingers. It burned on nothing and his effort to smother it with a pillow did nothing. After a moment it winked out and left a pile of cooling glass ,from the sand it was on, in front of their astonished faces. "Try something else." Lilly said turning to him with dancing dark blue eyes. Nexo had destroyed now he attempted to create. Picking up a near by twig he focused on it. After a moment he opened his eyes again and saw blue-silver shiny buds all over the twig ,which was encased in the same colored metal now. The delicate metal buds looked just as realistic as real ones as they pranced along the branch in varying stages of blooming some all the way opened into flowers. They both stared at it for a moment before Nexo wordlessly handed it to Lilly who examined it closely. "It's beautiful." Their gazes met in amazement for a moment. "Can Essa and Damian do things like this?" Lilly nodded, "All of us in the force can and I suspect The First and Second can too but I've never been able to prove it." They looked back at the twig. Lilly's gaze still rested on it as she spoke up quietly. "Get some rest Nexo, we're glad your on our side for this." Nexo nodded feeling tired and numb as she gestured to his sleeping bag near Damian's His head hitting the pillow was the last thing he remembered.
Time: sometime in the morning Place: same place in the desert that they were
Nexo resurfaced from his deep sleep feeling like cork bobbing in water. After a moment the fuzzy cotton balls in his brain cleared and he realized that there was something covering his eyes. Reaching up and brushing it aside he found that it was Damian's arm that had been flopped on his face on accident. Nexo stood up, stretched, rolled up his sleeping bag and threw it into the jeep they'd picked up at HQ and THEN realized he was not in his new house. He was standing in the desert with crazy powers, on a desperate mission to stop another super power baddie. He sat down hard, and tried to calm his swimming head. Who would have thought that HE, out of all the random Joe's, got to be part of this. He glanced around the camp, the others were all still fast asleep. His stomach rumbled, demanding attention from him and he turned to rummage through their supplies in an attempt to concoct breakfast. Almost thirty minutes later the smell of coffee and frying bacon beckoned the others awake. Essa sat up and shaking the sleep out of her eyes, looped her long braids up, pinned them and began putting her standard issue combat boots on. Nexo glanced down at his, grateful he could wear something over his socks finally. Lilly sat up and wandered into the tent they'd erected last night to change and brush her hair. Nexo shifted his gaze to Damian wondering how he would awaken. Moments later Damian shot up and hobbled up to the campfire. Essa turned and started at her friend's appearance. "Ah! oh, Damian....uh your hair...your face....uh..hmm." Damian blinked muttered something then turned to Nexo, who backed away in shock. "Coffeeeeeee........" "Uh sure sure!" Nexo poured him a mugful unable to look away from the sight in front of him. Damian snatched it from him and shuffled back towards his sleeping bag. "Coffeeee...." Essa and Nexo shared unnerved glances before Nexo went back to flipping the bacon. After a moment of quite Lilly bounded out of the tent and plopped down next to Essa. She glanced about taking it all in. "Wow, I didn't know Nexo could cook!" "Ha ha. I've been a bachelor for years. And I can't live on pizza no matter how nice it sounds." She smirked at him, "Where's Damian?" "DON'T ASK!" Essa and Nexo both shouted simultaneously. "Oh. Okay then." Damian returned and got a second cup of coffee, this time he was all put together and he sat next to the others chatting happily. After they polished off breakfast and tidied up Essa announced that they were moving out and continuing to track Fealon.
Dust and sand billowed wildly in a massive cloud around their jeep as they drove along. They were going probably faster than they should have been, but Damian was driving and there were no law enforcers around so…. Essa looked down at the screen showing the blip representing Fealon. She had Damian adjust their course slightly to the right then hollered back to Lily over the rumbling crunching of the tires. "Got anything on what the location's like where Fealon's headed?" Lily leaned forward and shouted back, "Yeah. Looks like mountain ridge Treachner. Vaugly in the direction of the volcano there, the one called Mt. Armageddon." "Isn't that the largest active volcano anywhere?" "Yeah, the Tistian Plains are behind the Treachner ridge. He may be headed there for a pick up or rendezvous." "Thanks Lil!" Things were quite for a while as the sun beat down and sand got everywhere you didn't want it. Damian ate up the miles and as the fifth hour of the evening struck they saw the distantly imposing mountain range grow to life size. The little village at the base was filled mostly with goats and small camels and cows. However they did pull over there for the night. The people there sold them food and water but they were suspicious naturally, no one would take them in for the night. As the rest of the gang ate the delicious roasted beef over rice and drank their honey sweetened camel milk, Nexo got busy folding down the back of the jeep. After that he started tying the heavy duty rainproof canvas tarp to the roll bars and frame of the vehicle. This achieved a tent of a kind. Then he folded the backseats down and laid the front seats back into a reclining position. This created a semi-comfortable place for the girls in the front and the flat back for the boys. I wasn't a feather bed but it would work for one night. Full and sleepy the foursome bundled into the jeep, stretching out and wrapping up warmly they all dozed off the the flickering light of their campfire of the canvas, and the gentle bleats and lows of the vast herds around them.
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Not far, deep within the vast caverns of the volcano Armageddon, KK looked moodily of into the dark starry night stretching in every direction. The slight sound of a step scuffing on stone caused him the glance over his shoulder. His condesending gaze found Fealon standing unreadable and waiting. "Is it done Fealon?" "Yes, sir. It was just as you said, they are predictable and easy to manipulate." "The device?" "Right here sir." Fealon palmed the small round button like device. "You've been tracked hopefully. I have little doubt that you were. Well expect them, what?" Meerw, "Yes, tomorrow night I think. We are prepared here for them. We'll just throw into motion the final preparations, shall we?" Fealon watched as KK strode over to a curtain and yanked it aside. The red glow from deeper inside the volcano shone on the gleaming metal behind it. Fealon smirked and Mille meowed loudly from her shoulder perch. KK tilted his head and smiled faintly, "Yes, destiny will not be stopped."
They were hiking up the mountain as the sun rose behind them. It's pale gold rays struck the gray pebbles and dirt around them, turning them a slight blue color. Nexo spoke for the first time in several hours. "I hate to rain on the parade, but we don't even know what to look for. A secret door? A passage way?" Essa hiked her small backpack higher and answered him without stopping or slowing her ascent. "This mountain has a large crater instead of a peak, it's not super steady because of the last eruption from 100 years ago. Once we reach the crater we'll find the entrance." Nexo walked and walked and walked, he closed his eyes, blocking out the now heavy sun, sweat dripped off his hair and down his nose. His feet continued their set way even with his eyes closed. "Nexo." He stumbled slightly, "Nexo, listen." His ankles felt wobbly and his head tipped forward towards the ground, his eyes felt good closed. "You are with me. You are safe. Sleep." The next thing he knew a sharp, tingling, stinging feeling on his cheek woke him. He forced his eyes open and saw his friends staring down at him in concern. Damian was rubbing the back of his hand absently. Nexo touched his cheek trying to clear the wool from his mind. Damian grimaced, "You my friend, have a hard face." "You slapped me?!" "You just keeled over and wouldn't wake up. We were really scared!" "What happened?" "I dunno. I was feeling really tired, then I heard this really nice voice in my head. It said it was safe to sleep." Damian sneered, "And you believed it?" Nexo glared back irritated, "I couldn't help it. I couldn't seem to fight it or think." Everyone shared glances. "Well if you hear it again tell us immediately okay?" Nexo nodded wearily and they trekked on. Half an hour later the reached the crater. The view was spectacularly breathtaking. Vast green plains surrounded by the small strip of tanned desert. Everyone looked at the other and took a deep breath. "For Simon." Damain put his hand out in front of them, and the others placed their's on his one by one. They all shared a solemn glance then single file they all made their was to the boulder ringed doorway. Inside it was dark. Stifling. Nexo could hear the fast breathing of the others, his heart beat in his ears. Once he stumbled over rough ground. After walking about fifteen minutes they all could see a faint red light glowing around the bend of the tunnel. Turning down it and squinting into the light they'd become unaccustomed to they beheld a large room. Severel hundred feet away the floor dropped into a cliff that led into the writhing pool of magma far below. The teens all stood quietlty and close together. It felt like the perfect place, for a trap!
A voice rang out, echoing around the chamber. "Welcome. Though you are a bit behind schedule. In the future, if there is one for you all, do try to be more prompt, and punctual." We all looked at each other in silence unsure of whether to answer or not. "Nothing to say for yourselves eh? Ah well, your right we should get down to the core of your visit. If any off you wish to surrender now, I will give you an easy death." "Never!" "No takers? How unwise. Then let it begin." Kk appeared out of the shadows in front of them and paused to survey the pitiful bedraggled teens before him. The red light shone on his metal armor, causing it to glint menacingly. "All together, we can overwhelm him!" "Uh, have you ever fought KK?" "Well, no. But I think this is the best chance we have." "Okay, lets do it." We all placed our hands together in a stack in front of us. "YEAH!" We turned around and began slowly drifting apart in separate directions. "HEY, KK! Why did you pick this place to make your last stand?" "Yeah! Face it KK, your finished!" "You've got nowhere to go!" "You might as well give up now!" cont.
KK glanced around then chuckled, "Children. Your battle tactics are pathetic." We all shared a glance then jumped at him. Essa did a side kick to the knee, while Lilly kicked the other. Simultaneously, Damian did a flying haymaker to the face. KK took an unsteady step backward, then two forward as Nexo tackled him from behind. To every ones horror though. those three steps were the only reaction to the barrage. KK smirked and lifting his hands, Essa and Damian were lifted into the air like ragdolls by an unseen force. KK made a flicking motion and the teens went flying several yard. The end of their flight met with the rock walls of the cavern. Nexo flexed his fingers open and focused into the glow in his mind. Liquid blue metal fire flowed out and hit KK . He stumbled back and grunted. Lilly pelted KK with rocks as he attempted to claw of the parietal layer of quickly solidifying hot metal. KK clawed off half of the face plate on his armor, his serious look showed though. "Two down, two to go. Join me for an extended visit won't you." "What's that supposed to mean?" Before Nexo could think or move KK threw him into the air. Nexo's thoughts raced as the ground came closer and closer. He relaxed his body to absorb most of the impact. His vision went blurry and he saw KK grab Lilly's limp body and toss it toward the others, he blinked back the darkness and saw KK's footsteps coming towards his face. His vision faded, he felt sleepy and his body felt heavy. Darkness descended.
The strange white-blue glow of the computer washed King's face as he stared at the screen. W.A stood behind him looking over his shoulder with her arms crossed. C.W paced around behind her staring up at the roof. They had been at this for about six hours. "Blast it King, why did you have to give your agents such efficiant security? It shouldn't take six plus hours to hack a teenager's phone!" "Hey now. This is the Fourth Wall were talking about. Not some hot dog vernder's stand." King turned in his seat and frowned. "Fine, good point there. Thought I'm still not sure what to think about the Fourth Wall being kept a secret for how many years?" W.A gestured irately. "400 Last year, we had our Quadricential for the nation. But whose counting." He shrugged without looking away from the screen. "Yes, I was there actually. How much longer?" "Can't say. Anytime now." "Anything I can do to help this along?" "Yes, Be quite for a few blessed minutes." "I'll check on the equipment and vehicle." W.A walked away quickly. There were several moments of silence, then the computer beeped rapidly. "HA! It found it. Accessing now……We're in!" King leaned forward eagerly and pecked rapidly at the keyboard. "I have they're location.You ready to kick some KK C.W?" C.W paused for a moment, then rubbed his hand along his jawline, "I need a shave."
cont. Thaddius looked out over the sweeping landscape surrounding the mountain. He closed his eyes and inhaled, the sharp fresh air stung his lungs a bit, but it felt good. He tried not to think of anything, to just enjoy the moment. But a bad feeling niggled in the back of his awareness. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn't have anything to do with his father…But here he was. He frowned his eyes opening, there was that familiar feeling. Empty, hollow. To get rid of it he practiced thinking of all the things that he had. Convincing himself he was satisfied. Almost. A soft footstep crunched on the gravel behind him. Thad spun around, then relaxed. It was only Fealon here to relieve him on watch. "Why do you feel the urge to creep up on me so quietly!" Thad snapped. Fealon blinked once, "I didn't. I just walked." "Whatever." Thad started to walk away but Fealon stepped to intercept him tapping his arm feather light. "You know, your father plans to control the whole world." Fealon whispered. His face intense with concentration. Thad felt a shiver trickle down his spine, "Yeah, so." Fealon's head tipped, the sun flashed off his glasses, his face studious and thoughtful. "So, I don't think he realizes his part in this scheme." Thad studied him warily. "He is powerful indeed, and a visionary. These things are nessicary, but ,unfortunately, not permanent. He is meerly of the pioneer species in the coming environment. But you…." Fealon's face twisted into a clever smile, "You can be so much more. You have so much potential, the potential to rise above your father in every way! More powerful than him! Better than him! Cleverer than him. Because you would be alining yourself with the winning team. Think of it. All you could ever want, and more." Thad pictured it all, the power, the glory, he would have it all, and final victory over his father for his treachery! Then he shook his head, clearing away the pictures. "Sorry Fealon as much as I dislike my father, I'm getting out. Of it all, I'm sick of being a pawn." Fealon's face turned red and twisted into a sneer for a nanosecond before it became calculating once more. "Very well. But you'll regret the choice you gave up."
Nexo's eyes drifted open slowly. He blinked a few times attempting to clear the blurry smears across his vision. After a few seconds his eyes cleared and he found himself stareing up at a plain white celieng. Turning his head and wincing he looked around. It felt like he had six german jazz bands in his head. His gaze fixed on the gurney a few feet to the right of him. Lilly lay upon it, still. Nexo moved to get up and check on her but found he couldn't. Lifting his head with effort he realized that KK, or one of his men had strapped him to the gurney, his hands were encased in metal balls. Letting his head fall back to the pillow with a poof he half closed his eyes and rested a few minutes. As Nexo rested his gaze wandered the room. Slowly a trickle of cold dread started to slide down his back, that steel and glass cabinet filled with bottles. A near by stainless steel table. The gurneys in a sterile white room smelling of antiseptic. Nexo's stomach dropped and felt like it had a cold stone in it as he realized where he was. "This is a lab!" "Very perceptive Nexo." Nexo hadn't heard KK come in, but he stood near the door now watching him through lidded black eyes. "Tell me, are you afraid? It's okay to admit it, most people would be." Nexo could hardly swallow. His throat was so dry it felt like sand should be pouring down it. "N n no." "Lying doesn't become you. Don't worry this operation won't even hurt enough to put you under. Quite painless." KK paced over to the far side of the other gurney, "And to help you I'll let you watch me do your friend first so you can see how safe it is." "You monser! What are you going to do to her!" Nexo strained uselessly against his tethers. KK chuckled warmly in response, "How cliche. I'm going to do what I've done many times before, and will do again when my empire rises. Such shame you other friend died before I could extract his powers as well. But to make an omelet some eggs must be broken." Kk snapped on rubber gloves and picked up a syringe filled with watery pale amber liquid from the tray. "Farewell to your little rebellion. You wouldn't have won anyway." Nexo lay sweating. Me next!
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