Wheeler had taken to kicking the wall panels in order to find the touch-sensitive circuits. Doors slid open violently, but he'd given up hope. Gi wasn't there. Blight was nowhere to be found – and neither was MAL.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and headed back down the corridor. Kwame, Ma-Ti and Captain Planet were all sticking together. Each of them seemed to be suffering greatly now they were no longer on Hope Island.
"No one's here," Wheeler muttered, confirming their thoughts.
"There is no other transport missing," Kwame said, rubbing his brow. "She must have travelled via..." He trailed off and motioned to the tractor beam.
"So send me," Wheeler said suddenly. "Use it on me. I'll follow Linka and Gi. I'll bring them home." His heart suddenly lifted and he felt a huge sweep of relief. It was as simple as that – using the teleport beam would lead him to the girls.
"I can't let you do that," Captain Planet said reluctantly.
Wheeler glared at him. "Why not?"
"It'll be three of five at the wrong end of the scale. It will tip the balance of the Planeteers into the other dimension," Cap explained patiently. "I'll break apart."
Ma-Ti glanced at him worriedly. "You will?"
"You have to understand how fragile and unstable everything is," Captain Planet said. "Blight and Zarm are attempting something that could rip the universe apart at the seams. I have no idea what they're attempting to do, but with Linka and Gi already pulling away from me, I have to keep you guys here." He looked at Wheeler and gave a slight shrug. "Sorry."
Wheeler's hopes crashed again. He leaned against the wall. "So, what now?" he asked softly. "Blight's gone. MAL's gone. We're not going to get any answers from them."
"There must be some paper work or something here somewhere," Kwame said desperately. "Blight said she has been here for years. There must be clues as to what she has been doing and who she has had contact with."
"Sometimes it's not even hidden," Captain Planet mused.
Wheeler blinked at him. "What are you talking about?"
Captain Planet nodded to the central desk, where Blight had apparently spent most of her time. "Seen any other photos around?"
Ma-Ti reached out with slightly trembling fingers and picked up a photo frame, turning it around to show the others.
Looten Plunder smirked back at them.
"Call me crazy," Cap said with a slight grin, "but I think that's a clue."
"What the hell is that?" Blight asked, gazing down at the giant orb below the surface. She was too terrified to feign any other sort of emotion.
"I'm not entirely sure," Zarm mused. "I've never checked."
Blight spun around and pointed her teleport gun at him. "Take me to shore," she demanded. "If you think you're pushing me overboard to be eaten by that thing, you've got another thing coming."
Zarm laughed. "Dear, dear Dr. Blight," he said. "Do you really think I'd lead you out to the middle of a lake only to see you smashed up by a giant sea-creature?"
Blight glared at him with her good eye. "You led me out to the middle of a lake for something," she said icily.
"My friends are alerted whenever the creature stirs," Zarm said, sounding bored. "It stirred when you started rowing out here. That's how I knew you'd arrived. Nobody else is stupid enough to float out here."
"Fuck you!" Blight shrieked hysterically. She clutched MAL's laptop to her chest and kept the gun trained on Zarm. "Get me out of here right now!"
"Just wait," Zarm said. "They'll get us out of here safely." He glanced to the five figures on the shore again. "Regardless, that won't work on me," he added, nodding towards the teleport gun. "Not until I'm a solid form, anyway."
"Don't be so sure," Blight said breathlessly. "Poor MAL was subjected to some very nasty experiments before I tried this on solid beings..."
Zarm blinked, silent for several long moments. "Trust me, Blight," he said seriously. "My friends here are very good. This is the ultimate test – the biggest enemy I could possibly have summoned. And they will prevail."
As the first enormous tentacle rose up out of the water, Blight looked out towards the five figures standing on the shore. Blue pulses of light raced along the water's surface, and everything heaved as a heavy roar erupted from the frothing waves.
Wheeler was doing his best to stay calm, but it was difficult. Kwame watched as Ma-Ti carefully explained the plan again.
"We cannot leave Captain Planet," Ma-Ti said gently, motioning to himself and Kwame. "The further away he goes, the more pain we are in. I do not think I could stand it if he went beyond the next room..."
Kwame nodded in silent agreement. It was a constant headache and a heavy, heavy weight in his stomach. He found himself hovering close to Captain Planet and occasionally reaching out to grasp his shoulder in an effort to ease the discomfort. Contact seemed to help.
"So we all go together," Wheeler said desperately. "We know where he is, right?"
Ma-Ti looked at the scrap of paper in his hands. They'd found it in Blight's bedroom after turning everything else upside down in an effort to track Plunder's whereabouts. An address that looked as though it had been crammed into the back of a drawer for several years...
"I think someone should stay here," Ma-Ti offered carefully. "Maybe there's a way we can reverse the effects Blight has put in motion. Maybe we can bring Linka and Gi back by using the equipment that is already here. Gi was not hit with the beam the second time but she was still transported. Maybe it does not require a direct hit. Maybe we can track them somehow and bring them back..."
"Okay, okay let's do that then," Wheeler said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was swaying on his feet.
"I still think finding Plunder is a good idea," Ma-Ti said firmly. "I think you should try and find him, Wheeler."
Wheeler sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Okay, yeah. I'll go do that. I'll take Blight's jet, if you guys are okay to stay here until I get back..."
"Wait, Wheeler," Kwame said softly. "You cannot go yet."
"Why not?" he asked irritably.
"You are exhausted," Kwame said softly. "You must sleep, first."
"I can sleep on the way," Wheeler snapped.
"You will be no help to any of us if you crash into the ocean," Kwame answered, somewhat impatiently. "Get some sleep before you leave." He softened his tone again and looked at Wheeler desperately. "Please."
Captain Planet clapped Wheeler's shoulder. "Come on," he said. "Just a few hours, Wheeler. Linka and Gi are together, I'm sure."
"You are?" Wheeler asked weakly.
Captain Planet nodded and smiled kindly. "They can take care of themselves," he said. "Get some sleep, okay?" He turned to Kwame and Ma-Ti. "You too, guys. I'll hunt around for the hardware listed in Blight's plans for the ray gun and when you wake up, we'll tackle this thing head on."
Wheeler wanted to argue. He didn't want to sleep. He wanted to find Linka. Now. But he found his knees sagging and Kwame had to half-drag him to the nearest cell, lowering him heavily onto the bunk.
He patted Wheeler's shoulder, breathing heavily, feeling the effects of his new distance from Captain Planet.
"Sleep, my friend," he said. "You will need your wits about you if you are going to find Plunder."
The noise still rang in Linka's ears. The high, wailing screech that had pierced the air as the – the thing, whatever it was – had risen from the lake with tentacles and teeth raised. She and Gi had emitted matching screams of terror before fleeing towards the woods, heading for the shelter of the trees. One heavy, dark tentacle had flung outwards and slammed into the hill, creating a new valley and uprooting the grass and trees as it thrashed about angrily.
The woods, as it turned out, had been the most dangerous place to run. The tentacle had swept sideways, crashing through the trees, uprooting them and snapping them in half like toothpicks. Linka had barely registered the flashing lights on the opposite shore – so desperate to get away from the monster and the towering waves of water she ignored everything but the ground in front of her and the grip of Gi's hand on her own.
"Gi?" She lifted her head. She couldn't remember falling. She shifted gingerly, disturbing broken branches and torn grass that lay scattered about on the ground around her. The smell of wet earth was rich and warm, and leaves and debris clung to her as she sat up.
"Gi?"
Panic washed over her. She couldn't remember letting go of Gi's hand. What if she'd let go and left Gi behind? What if she had been hurt?
She scrambled to her feet. "Gi!" she cried desperately, not caring about the possibility of being overheard by the lake creature or its light-flashing friends.
"Gi!"
"Here..." Gi sat up weakly, clutching her head. She could feel wet blood on her cheek, which was still stinging.
Linka ran and crashed through the debris until she reached the Water Planeteer, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms around her.
"Thank goodness," she breathed tearfully. "I was afraid I was alone again..."
Gi smiled tiredly. "Nah..."
Linka shivered and looked back towards the surface of the lake. The water was a muddy, bloody brown. "Did you see what happened?" she asked.
Gi mumbled something, her eyelids fluttering.
"Nyet, Gi, do not fall asleep," Linka begged tearfully. "Please..." She shook her gently, but the effects of Gi's earlier concussion, combining with her exhaustion and the dizziness that had been forced upon her by Blight's technology, all caused her to sink into a faint.
Linka looked down at her worriedly. She shook Gi's shoulder gently. "Gi, please," she moaned, "I do not want to be here alone..." She wiped her eyes and waited a moment to see if Gi would wake.
Looking around, Zarm and Blight were nowhere to be seen.
Please still be alive, Blight, Linka thought desperately. You are the only way we can get home.
Wheeler awoke with a jerk. He'd been dreaming again.
It had been another trip to Antarctica. Their second, if he was remembering correctly. Blight. Again.
And he, Wheeler, had been hasty and irrational in a mission to save Captain Planet. Linka had tried to stop him – tried to tell him that his way was not the best way. That it wasn't always action that mattered. It took careful planning and strategy, first.
It took Gaia's arrival to stop their bickering, and he'd apologised first, already knowing he was the one who was wrong. Linka had apologised too. Shrugging at him adorably, looking at him from beneath her lashes and smiling shyly. He'd felt his stomach ripple with a delightful flurry of nerves and at that moment he managed to convince himself that it was worth being wrong if she was going to look at him like that.
But she had been right. And if she had been there beside him in his current predicament, her advice would have been the same – strategy and careful planning before action.
Maybe. Then again, maybe not. He shook his head.
"Bet you wish I was all action now, babe," he muttered to himself. "I'd be there in a flash, I swear..." He sat up slightly and ran his hand over his face. Stubble scraped his palm and in the back of his mind he registered the need for a shower and a shave.
He looked about himself. He wasn't sure he'd had enough sleep, but he couldn't face another hour of sitting still.
He made his way back into the laboratory, stumbling slightly as he hit the harsh glare of the corridor. Kwame and Ma-Ti were both curled up on thin mattresses on the floor, sleeping. Captain Planet stood nearby, leaning over Blight's desk, gazing down at the plans.
"Hey," Wheeler whispered, clapping Captain Planet's shoulder gently, "I'm goin'."
Cap looked at him carefully. "You had enough shut-eye?"
"All I'm gonna get," Wheeler muttered, wishing he didn't sound so defensive.
"At least wait for the others to wake up," Cap said softly. "Kwame will worry if you head out without going over everything again."
Wheeler sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face again. "I'll give it an hour," he said. "That's it."
Captain Planet nodded, knowing he was lucky enough to have won one small battle with the Fire Planeteer.
Suddenly, a thought occurred and Wheeler froze. "Shit," he whispered, his eyes wide.
"What?" Cap asked in concern.
Wheeler clutched his hair briefly and breathed a sigh. "I gotta make a call.
Gi held her arm close to her chest. She still felt dizzy and sick.
"Is it broken?" Linka asked worriedly.
"I don't think so," Gi said, closing her eyes against a wave of nausea. "It just hurts. I fell on it..."
Linka took hold of Gi's arm gently, inspecting it. She couldn't see any physical injuries, but that didn't mean there was nothing wrong. She bit her lip and shrugged herself down next to Gi, their backs up against a splintered tree that lay flat along the ground.
They sat in silence for a while. Despite their current situation and general feeling of helplessness and the need to pull together, neither of them could forget the turmoil of their own personal relationship.
Gi felt slightly, stupidly grateful towards Blight. Terrible and frightening though it was, the situation seemed to be forcing Linka and Gi to get along.
"Hey, Linka?" Gi asked softly.
Linka looked at her rather nervously.
Gi could feel herself growing tearful again. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Linka shook her head and brushed the back of her hand over her eyes. "I do not want to talk about it, Gi. Right now it feels like I will never see Wheeler again and..." She stopped and gave a sob, curling her knees up to her chest. "Every time you apologise I think about the two of you together."
"I'll stop," Gi hastened to say, forcing back the urge to apologise again. She took Linka's hand and squeezed it gently. "We'll be okay, Linka. Wheeler's going to get you home."
Linka just nodded, though she didn't appear to look entirely convinced.
She drew a shaky breath. "Gi," she said after a moment, "it was just that one time..." She trailed off, leaving half a question hanging in the air.
"One and – one and a bit," Gi stammered. "Just that one night, and some kissing. Just on that mission."
Linka wished she hadn't asked, but the curiosity had been too much. "There was nothing through all the years after the Planeteers split?"
"Oh, no," Gi said firmly. "No. I didn't see or hear from him at all for two years. He kind of – cut me out. But I don't think he meant to. I don't know. Things were hard for him. Losing you, and then his mom getting cancer like that..." She trailed off and shrugged. "He called when things got too bad, but we were always just friends. I met Jin and – anyway." She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. He always wanted you. What happened between Wheeler and I was comfort and impulse. Nothing deeper. You're the one he's meant to be with."
Linka wasn't sure if what she was hearing was comforting or not. On the one hand, it was difficult, remembering how terrible things had been. It was hard to imagine Wheeler and Gi being together. Though, that memory had certainly been the most prevalent over the past ten years. Trying to imagine it despite the fact she didn't want to.
On the other hand, she felt a sweep of relief at Gi's insistence that it really had just been impulsive moments and comfort. She remembered that mission. She could remember falling asleep on the couch, wishing she could crawl into Wheeler's bed to have him make a sleepy joke and wrap his arms around her in a soothing moment of comfort.
"It does not matter, now," she said softly. "Wheeler and I – we are together. Or – or we will be when..." She swallowed.
"You will be," Gi said, giving Linka a small smile. "Whatever the hell this place is, it's not far enough or weird enough to keep him from you."
Linka gave a soft chuckle and rested her head on Gi's shoulder. "I have missed you," she admitted. "I have not had many friends since the Planeteers split."
Gi kissed the top of her head and rested her cheek down with a sigh. It was tempting to fall asleep.
"We should try to follow Blight and Zarm," Linka said eventually, sounding just as exhausted as Gi felt.
"Did you see where they went?"
She shook her head slightly. "I do not remember what happened," she admitted, frowning in confusion. "The – the tentacles... The teeth. And the water, everywhere... it was in towers and waves. Did you see it?"
"Yeah," Gi breathed. "I saw it."
Linka looked at her curiously. "What is it?"
Gi looked back at her in surprise. "You've seen water do that before," she said. "I've done it. Lots of times. Linka, didn't you notice the lights?"
"The lights," Linka said, her eyes widening a little as she remembered.
"Yeah..." Gi swallowed. "Those lights came from Planeteer rings."
Wheeler had discovered Blight's stash of cigars. He didn't fancy them much, but the craving for nicotine was too much. He watched the smoke rise into the still air, coiling and swirling gently, as he held his cell to his ear, waiting for an answer.
"Hello?"
"Mishka, it's me," Wheeler answered, feeling sick.
"Wheeler, do you know what time it is?"
"I'm sorry," Wheeler answered, automatically reverting to Russian at the sound of Mishka's voice. "Listen – somethin's happened."
There was a heartbeat of what seemed like very loud silence.
"You there?" Wheeler croaked.
"What has happened?" Mishka asked sharply.
"Linka – she's uh... She's gone," Wheeler said.
"What?" Mishka asked, sounding confused. "Is she coming home?" He sounded afraid, suddenly. "Victor?" he asked in a soft voice.
"No," Wheeler answered, closing his eyes. "Worse."
"How can it be worse?" Mishka asked angrily. "Wheeler, what is going on?"
"I know where she is," Wheeler said. "Sort of. She's in – she's not..." He drew a deep breath. "She's in another dimension."
"What?" Mishka snapped.
Wheeler felt a new wave of guilt and misery and helplessness wash over him. He let his knees buckle and he sank into the snow piled by the front door of Blight's fortress.
"I know where she is," he repeated. "I just don't think I can get her back."
He could hear Mishka's breath, desperate and afraid. "Wheeler, this is not possible," he gasped.
"Lots of things don't seem possible, Mishka," Wheeler muttered, resting his head back against the wall behind him. "You know what we deal with, here. This has got to do with Gaia's side of things, I think. I don't understand all that stuff, myself. But Blight managed to send Linka into a dimension she's been trying to enter using teleportation."
"Oh, God," Mishka said desperately.
"She's not alone," Wheeler said. "Gi's with her."
Mishka barked a short laugh. "I am sure Linka is very happy about that," he said. "I am sure Gi was her first choice."
"Look," Wheeler answered tiredly, "I'm too exhausted to argue about that, man."
"Well what can I do?" Mishka asked. "Tell me."
"We're on it, I promise," Wheeler answered softly. "I'll keep you posted, okay? I just had to let you know what had happened." He took a breath and continued before Mishka could interrupt. "I won't stop," he said softly. "I'll never stop looking for her. I'll find a way to get her back. Somehow."
It was a long time before Mishka answered. "I know," he said eventually. "You will keep looking for her. And I am sure she will wait for you to find her."
Wheeler found himself smiling wryly down at the snow. "Nah," he said. "Linka's done sitting around waiting for stuff to happen. For some reason, I've got the feeling she's about to take charge."
Mishka gave a soft chuckle in response. "I hope you're right," he answered.
"I think I am," Wheeler whispered. "Blight should watch her back."
"And you?" Mishka asked. "What are you doing to find her?"
"I'm gonna track down an old friend," Wheeler answered, digging Plunder's address out of his pocket. "It's time to get some answers. If anyone knows how this all started, it's Looten Plunder."