Authors Notes: I'll throw another Chapter later tomorrow. This ones short and I apologize. Got family around forest fires and hurricanes right now. Trying to get them evacuated.

The Key

Chapter 6

Forces

Everyone stood staring outside past where the door had been pulled out with incredible force. Yet nothing was outside, nothing at all. It was a bit upsetting and concerning to them. Near looked up at her dad. He kept trying to scan for something, anything that would cause such a phenomenon.

"I just don't get it..." Forge said looking at the door and then where it used to be. It was a clean pull almost as if someone willed it to bend one way then another. He walked outside and looked up and outside of the base.

"An ultralink sir?" Jefferson suggested.

"No...to...thought out." Forge said looking around at Jim who nodded running his hand over the hinges.

"I just don't get it. What happened to these doors?"

"How are we going to close the doors now?" Near asked not really expecting an answer.

"Get have an extra door. We can fit it in no time." Berto said looking at the technicians.

"These people really know how to do their job." Near said slightly amazed at what was going on. Two tanks were positioned outside the base as well as several guards. They would be there till the door was fixed.

"Whatever it was...its targeting us." Steel hitched a ride on Nears shoulder going back inside.

Suddenly as Near stepped into the base the entire power grid went offline.

"Uh oh..." Alex said squinting his eyes looking through the door seeing his team easily, but everyone else not to well.

"Are you going to be alright Near?" She was clutching Steel to her chest.

"I'm alright. I just was surprised is all." Near said looking up at Jim who patted her head walking by to look over the turbine reactors.

"Its been overheated." He said looking up at Berto. "These don't look any better." He called down to his new boss.

"Its kind of scary isn't it? All this stuff shouldn't have happened...but it has." Rayne said backing into Cytro. He put his hand on her back protectively.

"Perhaps we should find a safe zone?" Cytro suggested. Jim nodded his head and pointed toward the door.

"I agree with Cytro. We should get everyone to the inner most part of the base. It'll be safer there with all four walls around us. Whatever is this is...I'm sure its already inside." Jim said pulling out his cell phone pecking at it.

"Calling for reinforcements?" Forge asked.

"No telling Molly we might be late for dinner."

"Oh...same thing." Forge shrugged his shoulder. Near giggled trying to stay positive. Although inside her she was very scared. She looked down at Steel still in her arms.

"It doesn't eat Ultralinks...right?" Steels eye grew bigger with it looked this way and that.

"Oh I hope not..." Near followed closely behind Max who she could feel was amused by their fear.

"Scardy links." He teased. Near stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't tease Max. Poor Near is the one scared...I'm just...scared for her thats all." He tried to rationalize his fear. "Besides...what could do all this?"

"What indeed?" Everyone in the room heard the voice over the intercom. "Oh where could he be? Did you miss me?" A huge screen turned on along the wall. A familiar face of Miles Dredd flashed.

"I knew you were alive Dredd...just didn't care." Jim said having displayed his distaste for the man after the Morphos incident a few years back.

"I hear a few secrets here and there." Dredd said motioning toward Max.

"Some curious...secrets. Like how your little turbo team has grown from two to five. How...fascinating. Wonder how you did that." He chuckled slowly almost like venum was dripping from his fangs...if he still had teeth.

"What do you want Dredd?"

"What everyone else wants. What Mortum had. That neat little toy of yours could make me whatever I want right? How fascinating."

"Its destroyed Dredd...when Mortum was killed it was destroyed with him."

"Oh but you've made another...I have...ways of knowing. You have a few leakers in your business...one of which is your surveillance systems. I can peek in and see whatever your doing...whenever I want." His eyes went from Jim to Near. Near gasped and jumped behind Max.

"I don't know what your talking about Dredd." Max said blocking Dredds sight of Near. "This is my sister."

"I could be wrong...but wasn't your dad missing for 16 years. Having another child like that would mean she's...either older then you or your mother isn't as faithful to your father as we would have hoped she would be." Dredd suggested.

"Adopted." Jim said hatred written all over his face. "But that doesn't matter."

"Of course it does. Give her to me, or I'll take her by force. Either way...she's mine tonight."

"I'm not Connect Tech." Near said out loud looking at Dredd. His eyes flared looking over the girl.

"Yes or no Jim." Not wanting to listen to the young girl.

"She isn't connect tech Dredd." Jim said.

"Last...chance." His finger hovered over a button for a second...then he pressed it. The doors locked and the vents began to spew purple gas. Almost immediately everyone within except Steel, Near, and Cytro began to cough.

"Max!" Steel linked up with him covering his face with the helmet. Everyone else however fell to their knees coughing.

"Keep her safe Max..." Jim coughed out. Everyone had passed out within seconds. Max held Near to him. She was shivering to scared to link up. This was what she was for.

"Have you ever wondered...if you could ask Connect Tech for anything...what would it be?" Max asked trying to get Near to calm down long enough to link up. Near stopped panicking for a few seconds. It worked, and she disappeared into her chest.

"Oh very curious...but still not good enough." Dredd fired something at Max forcing both Near and Steel to become dislodged from Max and all of which passed out. Cytro ran forward firing his cannons at Dredd. Naught jumped through the ceiling and crashed down right on top of him.

"Well thats one way to do it." He said smiling happily.

Dredd grabbed up the passed out Near and walked toward the door.

"We're done here Mr. Naught." Dredd said.

"We could kill him right now sir."

"Oh but then we'll loose my best chance at entertainment..." Dredd said.