A/N: A little adult conversation later in the chapter. Just thought you should know. Hope you're enjoying it. :)
Chapter 7
While the team tried to figure out how to scan for their foe, Rottenella hid in an old abandoned shopping plaza on the other side of town. The plaza had been deemed unsafe after a soil sample was taken and it was discovered that the swamp that it had been built on was contaminated by years of toxic dumping. Needless to say everyone avoiding the place like the plague and it made an excellent hiding place.
Sportacus had had an idea and now headed toward the very place where the emotion chip challenged android hid. He had left Trixie and Stingy to get Ziggy while he promised to check in with the police. Talking to the Chief had taken all of five minutes and now he went to the one place he figured someone immune to the toxins would hide.
"Just where do you think you're going?" Sam asked as he caught up to the hero.
"Getting some fresh air to clear my head," Sportacus smiled.
"We have to work on your lying. Nobody gets fresh air from the direction you're heading," the former soldier shook his head.
"All right. I'm heading to the one place no one would go. I figured what better hiding place could there be? I'm half metal so…" the hero trailed off.
"Then if all you need is some metal, I'm coming with," Sam said, knocking his fist on his leg.
"Did the Chief ask you to follow me?" Sportacus wanted to know.
"Nope. I got off shift and thought it might be a good idea. After all I didn't like the look on Dooright's face," his friend said.
"All right then. We'd best get a move on before the sun goes down," the hero nodded. The two walked in relative silence for a few moments before the hero said,
"How do you…" he paused and Sam looked at him.
"What's on your mind? I can see the gears turning," the policeman inquired. Sportacus heaved a sigh before continuing with his question,
"Stephanie and I are close. We almost always have been but since getting my legs, we haven't been close. If you know what I mean."
"I'm beginning to," Sam said.
"We talk and we joke but it feels as though the fact her Uncle was just in the other room, wasn't the only reason we weren't…" he trailed off.
"I got you. Not sure of how to go about it or just concerned that there's a bigger underlying issue?" The former Marine asked.
"Both probably," Sportacus admitted.
"Ah. Well this sounds like we need to get some beers and sit down and chat. When this whole mess blows over, that is," Sam told him.
"Sounds good," the hero nodded.
"So is what she said true?" Sam wanted to know.
"What did she say?" Sportacus asked as they approached the outside of the mall. He never got an answer to his question as Sam pointed out that the chain-link fence had been tampered with. They both immediately fell silent and the former Marine pulled out his off-duty weapon and pulled another one out and handed it to Sportacus. He'd never fired a weapon in his life and he was about to protest when suddenly the mall exploded in a ball of flame knocking them back onto the pavement.
To Be Continued…
