Okaayyy, so I lied. I said this would be done by August, but I'm a lazy ass of a person. *Rolls eyes* Not to mention the whole issue with hurricane Irene… going without any power or internet wasn't terrible, just irritating, and I couldn't get online to upload this once it was complete. The good news is though, it is done. No, this isn't the final chapter; it's just one of the last three. I will be posting daily until every chapter is used up. (That way you don't fry your brains on all the awesomeness. Nah, I'm kidding. Honestly, I have no idea why or how you people have stuck it out this long.)

So enjoy. (If you dare~!) o3o

"DAMN MONKEYS!" Chiro roared, his face red with anger. "You can't hide from me forever. And when I find you… Oh… You're all gonna pay!"

To say that Chiro was angry was an understatement. He was seething. Furious. Enraged. Outraged. Livid. Seeing red. Other words synonymous to "mad" but much worse that just plain old "mad." He was fucking pissed.

"You!" He yelled, turning and to point at a soldier at the end of the hall "Get over here!"

The soldier hurried to the boy gleefully, having sensed a dangerous aura about him and wanting to be a part of the action.

"The prisoners have escaped! Round up a search party and find them!" he fumed, then, pausing for a moment, a revelation came upon him "And the traitor who helped set them free. I want his head on a platter."

The Formless nodded, then scurried off to find other willing participants in the man – monkey – hunt.

"When I get my hands on you four, I'll make sure you suffer for what you've done."

Mandarin turned the key in the door's lock and pushed it open.

The monkeys' oculars widened as the light from the room washed over them. Inside the (surprisingly) pristine, white room were two metal tables. And on those two tables, restricted by heavy bands of metal, were the still forms of Antauri and Jinmay.

The monkey team rushed over to their unconscious teammates; Otto and Gibson began to inspect the metal belts, trying to find a way to open them, and Sprx and Nova began to reactivate the two robots.

"She's not waking up!" Nova exclaimed when Jinmay's eyes failed to open after the reactivation sequence.

"Antauri's not wakin' up either, guys." Sprx added worriedly.

"The bands…" murmured the blue monkey "They seem to be generating an energy or signal of sorts to prevent these two from reactivating."

"So? Cut 'em off of 'em Otto!" Sprx ordered.

The green mechanic shot an anxious look to the red and blue simians "Uh… I-I would, but it's a really bad idea. If I cut somethin' the wrong way, they could get stuck like this."

"Well, we gotta try!"

"We? No we, me."

"Whadda mean, you? We're a team!"

"Yeah, but I'm always the one that cuts through things!"

"But I have magnets! Maybe my magnets can disrupt the signal…"

"No, it's too risky!"

"But-!"

"Tell me, are you all stupid, or do you only see what you want to see?"

Four heads shot around towards Mandarin's voice, and they found him standing in front of a control panel.

"While you four were spewing lines from a bad soap opera, I took the liberty of entering the pass code for the restraints. You can just lift them; once they are removed you can reactivate those two." He rolled his eyes.

Sheepish looks were exchanged for a moment before Nova and Gibson lifted the metal cufflinks strapping the two to their respective tables. Otto reached over and reactivated Jinmay, Sprx woke up Antauri.

Moaning, the two robots sat up and took in their surroundings, their eyes coming to rest on the colorful simians grouped around them.

"How're you feeling?" asked Nova, reaching a concerned hand toward Antauri, but he waved it away.

"I should be asking you that, seeing as you were unconscious only a short while ago. Are you sure you can be walking around?" he responded, shooting a look at the blue medic of the team for confirmation.

"As much as I would enjoy having her on full bed rest for at least another forty-eight hours, we are not in a position that allows it."

The silver monkey nodded solemnly, took Nova's still outstretched hand, and slid off the table. Jinmay hopped off her bench and glanced forlornly at the floor.

"Chiro's still…?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Ah-hem." Came an agitated huff from a corner behind the team "If you all have death wishes, please, continue just standing around. I, on the other hand, wish to live, so if you want to leave here alive, you'll come now, and not delay any longer."

"Oh! Ah, now, don't freak out…" Nova reassured the silver monkey and the pinkette.

"Mandarin's the one that set us free." The pilot informed.

"And he's helping us get out." Otto added.

Gibson muttered under his breath. "It's not suspicious at all…"

"Is this true, Mandarin?" Antauri questioned.

"Yes, yes. Now can we go?"

The six comrades spared one final glace at one another before starting towards the door.

The demon monkey rolled his eyes and followed suit, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Come, quickly." He hissed, motioning over his shoulder for them to follow.

The colorful group hurried down the hall after the skeletal monkey, being careful to keep quiet. Minutes wore on as the team ran in silence, the halls twisting and turning before them.

Suddenly, Mandarin came to a screeching halt at an intersecting hallway. He motioned for them to get against the wall.

"Hide!"

The Hyperforce wasted no time in running toward the shadows in the dimly lit corridor; Otto had just squeezed in-between Sprx and Antauri when a group of Formless soldiers stalked past.

Curiosity and panic seized Mandarin for a brief moment, and he called after them; "Stop, you moronic lumps of ooze! Where are you going?"

Due to the fact that they could not talk, the Formless had to convey their orders through a series of complicated hand gestures (though to the monkey team, it looked like charades). When they conveyed to Mandarin that they were looking for the escaped monkeys and the person that set them free, he did his best to feign shock and anger, which, in reality, was rather good, even though it was not difficult to fool Formless.

"Why was I not told sooner? I saw them being escorted with Sakko in the North Wing, I thought that they were being led to their punishment! Go find that snotty little drag queen and bring him to Skeleton King! I'm sure that he would find great enjoyment in torturing that little traitor." He lied easily. Sakko had always been an annoyance and Skeleton King had never listened to that sorry excuse of an evil minion anyway; Sakko's attempts at telling the truth should therefore buy him more than enough time to get the Hyperforce out of the fortress and come up with a believable story as to how he was mistaken.

He watched as the group of Formless scurried off down the corridor to carry out orders. Mandarin waited until they were out of sight before motioning to the Hyperforce to come out.

"They know we've escaped." Antauri said. It was a statement, not a question.

"They know these four," Mandarin gestured towards Nova, Sprx, Otto, and Gibson "escaped. I'm sure they do not know that you two have, or else they would have suspected me. Only the higher ups, myself, Sakko, Chiro, and Skeleton King, have a key to the room you were locked in."

"So you led them to suspect Sakko? Why betray him?" Nova questioned.

"Simple. I hate him. Now, let's go. I cannot lead you much farther, but I will go as far as I can. Hurry!"

With that, the six Hyperforce members took off down the hall after Mandarin, towards freedom.