Summary: When Hacker starts stealing seemingly insignificant power crystals, the Cybersquad is stumped as to what he's up to...until too late.

Rating: K+ to T (meaning it could change)

This will be a bit darker fanfic than some of my past ones, at least once it gets going. It's also setting the scene for a very pivotal fanfic that is to come after this one. Please note that while it seems like this fanfic picks up from where "Backup Support" left off, that is not the case. Like always, this is next in my ongoing series of Cyberchase fanfics, and as such, will make reference to fanfics past. While not necessarily required, it might be a good idea to make sure you are familiar with these fanfics.

There also have been requests from you readers for longer chapters. While this chapter obviously does not qualify, (it's merely an intro chapter anyway) I will try to meet these requests. However, please note that I only have so much time to write these chapters, and in addition to this fanfic, I am working on two others and have to update them at the same time. So, in short, I will try to make the chapters longer, but most likely won't be all that much longer than they already are.

Anyway, enjoy. :)

CYBERCHASE

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE

1.

Searching and Spying

The Grim Wreaker set down quietly, hiding itself from sight by the tall jungle trees that surrounded it. Before the dust that had been blown up into the air during the landing had settled, the Wreaker's entrance ramp had lowered, and the robotic henchmen, Buzz and Delete were stepping down it.

Delete coughed on the dust, nearly dropping the shovel he carried. "This can't be good for my allergies." he sniffed.

"Oh hush, ya don't hear me complaining." Buzz muttered, holding out a small device, resembling a PDA. He pointed. "That way."

The two started walking off in the stated direction.

"Why did the boss send us out here again?" Delete asked, wiping his nose with a handkerchief.

"To get the crystal." Buzz replied, distracted.

"Another one?" Delete repeated. "How many does the boss need?"

Buzz shrugged. "I just know we gotta get it, and it's that way." he pointed again, studying the display on his scanner.

They continued walking.

"What are those crystals anyway?" Delete asked.

Again Buzz shrugged. "Some kind of power crystal, I'd guess, considering what Hacker's been using them for." he guessed.

"Kinda like that one power crystal that was supposed to keep the boss recharged forever before the Earth kid's stole it?" Delete asked.

"Kinda, but they must not be nearly as powerful, because Hacker hasn't tried using them like that yet." Buzz pointed out.

"Any idea what Hacker plans to do?" Delete asked.

"Might have something with that secret-thing-we're-not supposed-to-talk-about-no-matter-where-we-are-unless-the-boss-says-otherwise that we got from that equally-secret-cybersite." Buzz replied dryly. "Delete, don't ask questions that pertain to such secret things, it really tires my mouth out." he stopped for a moment, studying the scanner for a moment. "Over there." he said, and started leading the way up a hill.

Delete, having the carry the very heavy shovel, began to struggle in the climb upward, and fell back for a moment, but once they reached the top, he began conversation again.

"You think that, whatever the boss's plan is, it'll work?" Delete asked.

"Hacker certainly thinks so." Buzz pointed out, stopping and pointing at the patch of ground front of him "But then all of his plans are like that."

"Yeah, and all of them have failed at one point." Delete added, as he began to dig at the indicated spot.

"I think the boss is losing his touch." Buzz thought out loud as he watched Delete work. "And it's gone to his head. Haven't you noticed how...odd...he's been acting?"

"Like the time he interrogated his dinner to see whether or not it stole his sock?" Delete offered, panting as he continued to dig.

"I was actually thinking of the time he thought everything around him was fake, but that works too." Buzz said idly.

"He's been working in his lab a lot lately too." Delete added, stopping to catch his breath before continuing again. "What do you think he's working on?"

"Who can say?" Buzz asked. "We're not allowed in there, so we can't see. Might be some kind of backup plan that he's working on."

"Well, if it is, he doesn't get them very often." Delete said. "I mean, usually, he could have one plan fail and go for months on end before he gets another. Remember that one time when..."

But he trailed off when his shovel hit something hard with a loud clunk. He peered into the hole and announced, "Found it!"

Both he and Buzz dug at the hole with their hands for a moment before they withdrew a fairly large and oddly shaped crystal, about a foot in diameter. Once they had pulled it free, though, they did not take the time to study it, for they had seen several more like it before now.

"C'mon lets go." Buzz said, picking up the shovel to carry, while Delete carried the crystal.

They didn't get far before they were stopped by a flash of light and an odd noise.

"What was that?" Delete asked.

Buzz thought for a moment. "Well, we are on Tikiville, and the boss said they were having some kind of celebration today." he reasoned. "Maybe it was a firework."

"In the middle of the day?" Delete asked in mild disbelief.

"Guess it was a late bloomer." Buzz stated.

"Don't you mean early bloomer?" Delete asked.

"Whatever! Let's just get that crystal back to the boss and get out of here." Buzz said, annoyed.

And they hurried off. It was only once they had left that Creech popped out of a row of bushes, pulling the still developing photograph from her camera.

"Yes, please do." Creech said to herself as she watched the photo develop to porttray Buzz and Delete with the mysterious crystal. "And the sooner the better, so I can tell some friends of mine what you're up to..."