Chapter Three:

A Week Later:

A week passed with no contact of any kind from Chris. Martin was crushed, his brother hated him and had left, he knew he wasn't perfect but was he really as bad as Chris said? For the first couple of days after Chris left Martin stayed in his room, he didn't talk to the others and they were worried about him. Then two days later he came out; but he was different, he was cold, and whenever anyone tried to bring Chris up he'd snap at them refusing to talk about him. He threw himself into work, he no longer smiled or joked around and the others were even more worried.

With Chris:

After leaving the Tortuga and joining Xavier, Chris tried to forget his past and embrace his new evil future. He tried to move on, but it felt wrong being with Xavier; he had only ever worked with his brother, they knew each other and how to work as a team, being with Xavier felt strange. The more he thought of Martin though the angrier he became and he used that to push himself when working with Xavier.

Two Days Later:

He wandered around in the grass looking for any sign of the lion pride that had been living there, but hadn't been able to find even paw prints. He continued walking until he heard a lion's angry roar from his left; he quickly rushed towards the noise and went into a clearing. He saw a large truck with cages already in the back holding the missing pride; he hid in the grass and watched as an unknown man locked a cage containing five cubs. As far as he could see there was only the guy, there didn't seem to be anyone else; but after years of doing this the one thing he learned about bad guys is to always expect the unexpected! He took his Creature Pod out and called the Tortuga; this would be his first mission without Chris and he'd need all the help he could get if he was to be successful!

"What's going on MK?" Aviva asked as she answered his call.

"This!" Martin answered turning his pod around so they could see what was happening.

"Is that the missing pride?" Aviva asked.

"Yep! I need to know who he is and what he wants!"

"I'm on it MK!" Koki said typing things into her computer. "Okay, I have something. His name is Xavier Brooks, he's a very rich man, but not much is known about how he got his money. He has no known associates, and is known for his quiet, but volatile personality!" Koki said.

"That's it?" Martin asked annoyed he had been hoping for something helpful. "Nothing about any of his past schemes? Trouble with the law? Anything useful?" Martin asked.

"Nope, sorry MK!"

"Great!" He said sighing. "So, I'm basically going into this blind! Just what I like!"

"I know you're there Martin! I think its time for introductions, don't you think? Keep your little toy on, I'd like your friends to meet me too!" Xavier said his back to Martin.

"How did you know I was here?" Martin asked as he came out into the clearing. "Are you psychic?"

"No, he said you would come and where you'd hide." The man answered.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Martin demanded.

"Ah, straight to the point! I like that, no wasted breath on useless chatter!"

"Then answer me!" Martin responded.

"Very well! My name is Xavier Brooks…but I'm sure your little friends already told you that, so I won't bore you with useless background filler!"

"Why are you here?" Martin asked.

"I'm here to capture powerful animals for my plan to take over the world! I of course began my adventure alone, but I have just acquired a new partner!" Xavier said smiling.

"Partner? Who?" Martin demanded.

"Me!" Chris answered from behind Martin.

"Chris?" Martin asked shocked.

"Yes, young Chris is now my partner! It was his expertise that helped me capture these magnificent animals! He also knew you'd come and where you'd hide!" Xavier said proudly as he patted Chris on the back, Chris' eyes never left Martin.

"You lie! Chris wouldn't…"

"Believe it Martin! It's all true!" Chris said cutting Martin off.

"What's gotten into you? Did you hit your head?"

"No Martin I didn't! As for what's gotten into me…the truth! I'm tired of living a lie!"

"Lie? What are you talking about?" Martin asked confused.

"I'm talking about finally doing what I want without being held back by you!" Chris answered. "All our lives I've been the mature one, and I'm sick of constantly trying to keep you from getting hurt or killing your foolself!"

"So, you thought you'd help the first villain you came across?"

"You still don't get it Martin! I joined Xavier because I'm done being a good guy! I have never felt more like myself, then I have since I joined Xavier! I've been feeling so bored and unhappy with life for so long and no one noticed; not even you Martin, my own brother! Xavier did though, he's a stranger and he knew more than you did about me!"

"So this is your fault!" Martin said angrily looking at Xavier.

"No, Martin the only one to blame is…you! I'm through being a good guy, I'm through being a Wild Kratt, and most importantly I'm through being your brother!" Chris yelled.

"Chris you don't mean that?" Martin begged.

"The hell I don't!" He answered.

"Listen to reason, I…"

"Ha!" Chris began cutting Martin off. "That's funny, you reasonable!"

"I won't let you hurt animals Chris, brother or not!" Martin said.

"I'm not hurting them!" Chris said.

"Oh really? So, capturing animals to use in some sick, twisted plan isn't hurting them?"

"Stay out of my way Martin; I don't want to hurt you!" Chris warned.

"Too late!"

"Come Chris, we have work to do." Xavier spoke.

"I'm not letting you take the lions!" Martin said angrily clenching his fists.

"Don't make me do something you'll regret Martin!" Chris answered.

"You're going to have to, cause I'm not letting you leave with them!"

"Damnit!" Chris yelled as he punched Martin knocking him to the ground, before he knelt by him and punched him two more times. "Stay down!"

"Come on Chris, lets go!" Xavier said gently.

Martin got up as they were loading the lions into the truck, Xavier got in the drivers seat while Chris looked at Martin before he spoke.

"Stay out of my way Martin!" He said before he got into the truck and they left.

Once gone Martin made his way back to the Tortuga, he couldn't believe what just happened…Chris had become his enemy! He went inside and was greeted by Aviva, Koki and Jimmy he met their eyes, but no one spoke. They had seen and heard everything and yet none of them could believe Chris had really become a bad guy! Martin sighed before he went to the control room, they followed and Aviva spoke gently.

"Martin we…"

"I'm going to go change and get cleaned up, then we'll start coming up with a plan to stop them!" Martin said cutting her off, he wiped his bloody nose with his sleeve.

"Martin do you…"

"Give me 10 minutes, start getting things ready." He said cutting her off again before he left.

He went to his room and quickly changed before he cleaned up his face, he then rejoined the others in the control room they had been talking quietly, but stopped when he joined them. He sat in his chair and began to talk avoiding their eyes, trying to hide the pain and betrayal he felt.

"So, we know Xavier is going after powerful creatures so that narrows down the list of…"

"Martin are you okay?" Aviva asked gently cutting him off.

"I'm perfectly fine! Why wouldn't I be? As I was saying, we need to stop Xavier before…"

"It's a complete shock what happened! None of us can believe it happened!" Jimmy added again cutting Martin off.

"It did and we need to stop him before more innocent animals get hurt! We need to come up with a…"

"Its still too insane to think of him as our enemy now!" Koki said sadly cutting Martin off for the third time making him angry.

"ENOUGH!" Martin yelled standing. "Just stop! I don't need you to keep reminding me that my own brother is a traitor! It changes nothing! Brother or not he's still hurting animals and needs to be stopped, and I will stop him with or without your help!" Martin yelled as he left the control room.

With Chris:

After their confrontation with Martin they went back to Xavier's jet, Chris had kept silent the entire way thinking of Martin. When they arrived they unloaded the lions before Chris sat by himself outside. He couldn't stop thinking of Martin and the hurt in his eyes that he had tried to hide, but Chris saw. Maybe it wasn't too late to fix things? If he let the lions go and went to the Tortuga and apologized…maybe there was still a chance? He never noticed Xavier watching as he fought with himself until he joined him and spoke.

"Is everything alright Chris?"

"What? Oh…oh yeah, everything's fine!" Chris answered faking his smile.

"Christopher I thought we were family?" Xavier asked.

"We are…I think!" Chris answered.

"Then why are you lying to me?"

"I'm sorry, you're right! I was just thinking of what happened today. I just…I'm confused!" Chris answered sighing sadly.

"I think after what happened today with Martin things would be clear!"

"Easy for you to say…you didn't just beat up your brother!"

"It will get easier Christopher, I promise!" Xavier said smiling.

"I…I don't think I'll ever get used to hurting Martin!" Chris said sadly.

"Christopher did he think about you when he put your life in danger day after day?"

"No, but…"

"What about all the fights? The constant mess up's you had to deal with?"

"I guess so! I…I still…"

"Chris, he told you himself he doesn't need you remember? I took you in when you had no where to go without hesitation because I care about you!"

"You do?" Chris asked shocked.

"Of course I do, dear boy!" Xavier said patting his back. "You did well today my boy, your plan went perfectly!"

"I guess…I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head."

"Good idea, I'll have dinner waiting when you return." Xavier said smiling.

"Thanks!" Chris said as he left.

Chris walked with no destination until he found himself at the lake he first met Xavier at and sat on a rock. He was so confused, he felt torn had he made the right decision? He sat by the lake thinking about Martin and Xavier. The longer he thought the more he remembered how tiring and frustrating life with Martin was; constantly fixing his mistakes, risking his life everyday because of Martin! Xavier was right, he had made the right choice by joining him and brother or not he wouldn't let Martin stand in his way!

TBC…