Ch9

(Julie's Pod: Five Minutes Ago)

Julie had just gotten Jacob's warning when she saw the old man's eyes become wide with fear. The same happened with her other friends, and they all started shouting and gesturing behind her frantically.

"Wh-what?" Julie asked.

Then she felt another presence behind her. She turned around and who it was.

Standing behind her was Red, and by his stance he looked like he meant business.

One of his gloves was pointed at her, palm out, and he said, "The boss demands a meeting with you Ms. Kane."

Julie screamed and ducked as Red shot at her with his concentrated beams. He intentionally missed and hit her monitor. Now she was cut off from calling for help.

Julie reacted quickly. She helicopter- kicked Red's legs and the man went down while Julie jumped back up. She lept over him but he grabbed her ankle and sent her back down. She caught herself by her palms and kicked Red in the helmet.

The man screamed and released her as a piece of his protective cover fell onto the floor.

He got up and felt the place where the chip had fallen out as Julie rubbed her foot. She looked up and saw that the bottom part of his helmet was damaged, revealing a mouth that was curled into an animalistic smile. A very familiar mouth.

"Impressive Ms. Kane. Very impressive," he leered.

He flicked his wrist and a staff, similar to Mike's, appeared in his hand. Another flick and red sparks came out of it as he lifted it to strike. But Julie was faster and got out of the way before the end came anywhere near her.

She then remotely opened the couch from the wall and landed a blow of her own.

"Ky-AHHH!" she cried as she side-kicked him into the couch.

Pushing the button again the furniture closed back on him, sealing him inside. Yet as Julie was catching her breath...

BOOM!

Red rolled out amid some black smoke and Julie had to duck again as his staff came crashing down on the coffee table. It was hit so hard it flipped over and the top was destroyed. Julie looked at the place where her couch was and saw that it was pulled out of the wall with its wires hanging out dangerously.

Red stood erect and offered a free hand to her, "Now Julie, why don't you be a good girl and come with me peacefully? Your dad won't be very happy with me if I get you to him completely bruised."

Her eyes darted around the room before they came to rest on the chair next to her. She grabbed it and launched it at him. Red jumped and flipped over it as it sliced itself through the window.

Julie took the opportunity and raced to her only safe haven. Her Privacy Room. She had to find her weapon and get out of there.

He looked back at it and commented, "You're much stronger than you look."

He turned to her but was met with only empty air. His own eyes darted around and landed on the door to her Privacy Room that was about to close.

With blinding speed he raced to it and pushed it open, making it malfunction and stick inside the wall.

As Julie frantically searched her drawers for her electronic boomerang she sensed Red and activated a smoke pellet, causing the room to fill with a thick fog.

While Red tried to grope his way toward her Julie located her boomerang and turned to face him when...

ZAP!

"AHHHH!" Julie screamed and fell down on the floor.

Her eyes fluttered to stay open but all she could make out was Red's exposed mouth as it opened in a triumphant laugh.

Then all went black.

(Mike's Cell: Present Time)

Mike panted and felt his sweat drip from his bangs. Since Kane had left he had been yelling and straining at his bonds.

Now he had just finished watching Red and Julie's fight on one screen while Red was communicating to him from another.

Red turned his head in Mike's direction, "So Chilton, how'd you like the show?"

Mike smirked, "Pretty good. You mind re-winding the parts where Jules hit you and stuffed you in the couch? I wanna commit that to memory so I can have a good laugh when this is over with."

Red's fist clentched at his side, "You still think you're getting outta here? What, you think there's gonna be a full-out rescue team coming in here and you'll ride off into the sunset with your princess in tow?"

"Yeah, pretty much," he answered cockily.

"Well think again!" Red yelled. "Right now Kane is making a deal with your precious Julie and it'll be an offer she can't refuse."

This time it was Mike's fist that tightened, "Julie will never agree to anything Kane says."

"Not unless it meant your freedom."

"What?"

Red smirked under his helmet, "That's right, Kane's playing Julie's weakness the way he played The Duke's. He knows Julie would do anything to keep you and the rest of your Burner club safe before tomorrow's coronation. It wouldn't surprise me if they hadn't already shook on it."

"Then you're a fool."

Red looked at him questionably as Mike continued, "Yes Julie would do anything to keep the Burners safe, but she would do much more for the sake of Motorcity. She knew from the beginning sacrifices would be made, even if it meant turning against her own father.

"She could've just stayed out of it and left everything as it was, but she didn't. She's proven time and again that she's as much of a Motorcitizen as she is a Deluxian. She's the most trustworthy person my friends and I could ever ask for."

"But you left her behind on your last mission," Red said.

"Because I knew I could trust her to pick up the pieces. She's the strongest of any of the Burners and the very heart of our cause. She's the reason I began to ask questions about Kane's methods, why I started thinking outside of my comfort zone, and why I still keep fighting no matter the odds."

Red chuckled, "This sounds more a lover's speech than a hero's monologue."

Mike grinned, "Maybe it is."

Red's helmet titled as Mike concluded, "That's right. I'm in love with Julie Kane!"

At that moment Mike heard a slow clap and turned his attention to the door to see Kane coming toward him, a big grin on his sinister face.

A.N.

Well, now that I got all of my chapters in the right order let's see what Kane has in store and if Julie agreed to his demands.