Chapter 3

(Danny POV)

I was still thinking about more jokes to entertain myself when someone opened the door. I saw Sam's shadow and she was holding a green container just like the one I was trapped in.

'At last,' I thought. 'Someone has come to rescue me.'

But I was wrong. On a closer look, the person had white hair. And oh no! The real Sam was trapped in the small green container! She was vacuvated by her clone and brought to this room with me!

SA-2 put the small green container down next to mine, walked out of the room and slammed and door shut. I turned on my v-com for illumination.

"Sam!" I yelled. "Can you hear me?"

"Danny, you don't have to shout," she replied.

"What happened? And where's Chris and Cathy?" I asked.

She sighed and turned to me. "It's a long story," she began.

She told me about the rescue plan, how she met her clone and finally ended up in her container.

"My clone knew all of my moves," she said. "That's the only reason why she managed to defeat me and vacuvate me."

"I bet this whole plan was your idea, right?" I asked.

She nodded. I was thinking of joking that this was her first plan of failure but I really didn't want to hurt her feelings. So instead, I comforted her.

"Chris and Cathy will be here at any moment," I said. "I'm sure we'll be free in no time!"

"I hope you're right," she said. "But if I faced my clone alone, it means that they're two against three at the front!"

"Numbers don't have any meanings," I said. "The problem is that my clone probably has a brain as large as mine, and it would be difficult for Chris to think of a way to win him by tactics."

"Danny! No time for jokes!" she said, annoyed. "Just help me think of a way to get out of here." Then she tried hard to push her container, hoping that it would fall off the table.

"That's no use," I told her. "I've tried that trick a million times since I got into this room. You're just wasting your energy."

But she ignored my words and kept trying and trying. In the end, she panted and sat down.

"You're right, Danny" she said. "There's no way to escape."

"I told ya," I said. "The Danny's always right."

"Well, if you said that the Danny's so smart, why don't you figure out a way to get us out of this room?" She still didn't like my joke.

"The Danny will think of something," I assured her.

'Nothing will work,' I thought. 'As the commander said, our clones know what we are thinking. We can't keep our plans as secrets. That explains why the diversion failed. SA-2 studied Sam's plan and picked a place to ambush her. Then she managed to beat Sam in a one-on-one situation. Even if I can think of a plan to escape, my clone may know it as well.'

'Where are Chris and Cathy?' I thought. 'If they don't get into this room soon, we'll be stuck here for ages!'

(Chris POV)

I was exhausted when we got into the clubhouse. Cathy was feeling worse. I assisted her to the sofa and she lay there, covering her wounds with her hands. I asked if there was anything I could do.

"Find Grandpa," she told me. "He can cure me quickly with his powers."

I nodded and ran to Mr. Smith's house. As I did, I thought about Sam. Undoubtedly, she was in trouble. But how big was the trouble? If she couldn't get Danny out of that place, our diversion wasn't successful. Unfortunately, I've lost connection with her.

I stood in front of Mr. Smith's house and rang the doorbell. To my surprise, no one came to answer.

"Mr. Smith!" I shouted. Nobody answered my voice. I turned the knob and slowly walked into the house. Everything was deadly silent. I looked around and finally decided to go upstairs.

As I was walking in the corridor, a door in front of me suddenly burst open. A person with white hair, wearing a mask, stood and yelled at me. I jumped backwards. He took off his mask. It was Mr. Smith!

"Mr. Smith," I said, taking a deep breath. "We have no time to play. You know, at one moment I thought you were a clone!"

"Sorry Chris," he said. "I was just looking for my old Rhapsodian mask when I suddenly heard someone walking up the stairs. You came looking for me, right? What's the problem?"

"It's a long story," I said. "But now Cathy's hurt in the stomach, and I think you better go to the clubhouse and have a check on her."

I followed him to the clubhouse. Cathy was lying on the sofa with her eyes closed. Mr. Smith got close and examined her.

"Don't worry," he told me. "Cathy's going to be fine. By the way, where are Danny and Sam?"

I sighed and explained that Danny was captured and that I've lost contact with Sam. I tracked Sam's location with the computer and found out that her tracking signal was coming from exactly the same place as Danny's!

"I'll need some medicine to cure Cathy," said Mr. Smith, and he walked back to his house.

After a few minutes, Sam was still staying at that location.

'What is wrong with her?' I thought. 'Why didn't she get Danny out of there?' Soon I learned the reason. She was probably captured and held in the detention room as well! I was so worried about her. I hoped Cathy will be well soon so we could bust the clones once and for all.

I pressed a button to contact the Commander.

"What is it?" he asked me.

"Commander," I said. "The clones have captured two of our members and Cathy was injured."

"It seems that the clones are far more powerful than I expected," he said. "Now…the…only thing…is…"

The transmission was greatly interfered and the hologram became blurred and eventually disappeared. I checked the security cameras. Oh no! CH-15 was sabotaging the cables on the roof of the clubhouse. My clone has been following me all the way to this place!

I quickly went to take my gadgets. Cathy was awake on the sofa.

"What's wrong, Chris?" she asked.

"The clones have come to attack the clubhouse." I replied.

"I can help, hand me a blaster," she said.

"You're still too weak to move," I said but I still handed her a blaster. "Stay here and wait for your Grandpa."

I took two blasters, one in each of my hand, and walked to the door.

'Time for the final battle,' I thought. 'And I have the home court advantage.'

I sent a message through my v-com to the only person who could help me at that time. Then I walked to the door and opened it.

I walked out of the clubhouse and fired my dual blasters at CH-15 on the roof. He ran across the roof and dropped to the ground on the other side. Then I saw CA-97 standing on the telephone pole. She swung down from it and tried to kick me. I ducked and avoided her leg, and then kept firing my blasters at her. She took the lid of a trash bin to dodge my shots while returning blasts at me. CH-15 also took out his blaster and fired at me. Avoiding their shots, I jumped behind a fallen table on the lawn.

'Mr. Smith is taking far too long to fetch his medicine,' I thought. 'I could really use his help right now.'

I looked up and saw CA-97 jumping over me and trying to land behind me. I fired my blasters at her. She managed to dodge my shots with her metal lid but she lost balance and fell onto the grass.

'They're not that tough,' I thought.

CH-15 kept firing at me so I couldn't get to CA-97 and vacuvate her. I lay down behind the bushes to take cover.

I saw a small figure around the corner running towards me.

"John!" I shouted. "I'm so glad that you've got my message." And I threw him one of my blasters.

We both got up and fired at the clones. They dodged our shots and returned fire at us. CA-97 was trying to breach open the door of the clubhouse! CH-15 drew out another gun and blasted the bushes in front of us into pieces. We lost our cover!

"Don't you mess up with my plants!" shouted Mr. Smith. He grabbed CA-97 and threw her to the ground. Then he stood in front of the clubhouse door and created an enormous energy shield surrounding the clubhouse with his Rhapsodian powers. I realised that our only hope not to get shot was to get under his shield.

"John, get under the shield," I said. "I'll cover you."

John lay flat on the ground and slowly crawled to Mr. Smith. But CH-15 got in his way and stepped on his blaster. It broke into pieces. John was terrified when my clone aimed his blaster at him.

"John!" I shouted as I threw myself at CH-15 and pressed him to the ground. We got up quickly as John crawled safely under the shield.

"Hurry, Chris!" John shouted at me.

I ran to him as quickly as I could but something pulled me back. I turned around and saw CA-97 pulling my hand to my back with her stretched arms. I dropped my blaster. She had great strength and I couldn't move!

CH-15 was approaching me slowly, holding a vacuvator. I closed my eyes. I only heard a loud noise but felt nothing. When I opened my eyes, I only found out that I was trapped in a small green container carried by my clone! I was vacuvated by my clone!

I heard CA-97 said to CH-15, "Take this back to our base. I'll finish off the Rhapsodian girl." Mr. Smith could no longer hold up the shield as he and John ran back into the clubhouse followed by CA-97.

(Cathy POV)

I was lying on the sofa when Grandpa and John rushed beside me. A stretched arm blocked the door's path as CA-97 squeezed through the gap and went into the clubhouse!

I held out the blaster that Chris gave me and fired at my clone. The blast knocked her blaster out of her hand. But she stretched her arm and snatched my blaster! I didn't have the strength to resist.

Grandpa, John and I were all too frightened to move as CA-97 switched the blaster to a vacuvator and aimed at us.

"The story of the Monster Buster Club ends here!" she said.

End of episode.

The next episode will be a sequel to this one.

Special thanks to FanFLover 10 for reviewing the previous chapters.

PLEASE REVIEW!