Kanpachi's POV

That hour seemed to last no more than a few minutes. I was barely ready to go and already our whole group was climbing into the ATV to travel back to the plantation and confront Itoh.

I still had that little pistol-like weapon that Quote had given me. This time, I also brought along a small dagger that I usually used for gutting fish. It would aid me should I find myself in close-range combat.

I was scared, yes, but something seemed a little different this time. Perhaps because I was so upset about Jack's death, I felt more resolute and ready to retaliate.

I've noticed my outlook on danger has changed slowly and discretely over the last few months. It seems more and more I find myself faced with situations where lives are on the line, and often mine is one of them. And each time, I've been nearly paralyzed with fear, yet, somehow, I manage to act and to succeed, or at least escape, in every situation. Sue says I'm getting braver. It's true that I'm becoming more involved in these heroic missions, but can a coward like me really be considered brave?

I continued to think about the consequences of our next mission as we neared the end of the road to the plantation. What would Itoh and his minions do to us this time? Would our lives be endangered? Would anyone be killed? Would we be able to fight if Curly was defeated before we could free Quote?

My head swam with questions, but thankfully I didn't have much time to dwell on them as we arrived once again at the plantation. Balrog flew us up to the entrance Itoh's cave like last time, and we cautiously entered.

"Okay, everyone…" Curly whispered once we were inside. "Be very quiet, we're going to try to sneak to the prisoner's chamber and see if we can find a quiet way to get inside."

We tiptoed through the dark passages. Sue and I were at the rear of the party.

Sue and I occasionally exchanged worried glances, but nothing impeded our progress, and after a while, we found ourselves back in the room where the prison door was, the dent from Balrog's previous ramming quite apparent.

"Now," Curly whispered. "Professor, see if you can find a way to disconnect the door's hinges. Parts of them are now exposed since the door is all bent up."

Professor Booster carefully placed his toolbox on the ground, and gingerly extracted a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, and began whittling away at the door hinge while the rest of us stood silently, on alert in case Itoh or Pooh Black should find us.

After a few minutes, the first hinge was removed, and Curly lifted the professor up so he could get to work on the upper one.

I kept my eyes on the place in the wall that I knew the hidden door to Itoh's inner sanctum was concealed. I expected it to open at any moment, exposing us before we could rescue the captives. I had to hope the scientist was busy and not intending to come explore the prison chambers.

KLANG!

I whirled around, to see that Professor Booster had accidentally let the extracted upper hinge fall, which had landed noisily on the rocky floor. Everyone stood completely still, gazing at the hidden door, but no one emerged. After a few minutes, Curly whispered, "I think we got lucky," and we resumed with increased caution.

Carefully, using her above average android strength, Curly lifted the metal door aside and placed it gently on the floor. We entered the chamber.

Off to one side, a long cell was inhabited by a number of trapped mimigas. And on the other side was something much more unusual.

A strange machine whirred quietly in the corner. From the top of it, some sort of energy bubble was being projected, creating a hollow ball-shaped force field in which Quote was contained. He appeared to be trapped in some sort of suspended animation, likely caused by the energy current surrounding him, and so he floated unconsciously within the sphere.

"I guess the regular cells couldn't hold Quote," said Curly quietly. "We need to get him out of there; he can help us rescue all the others."

Curly walked to a table in the corner, where Quote's captors had laid all the weapons that robot had had with him. Curly picked up a small, brightly colored weapon.

"This should do it," she said. "This is the fireball gun. I should be able to overload the force field projector with it."

Curly groped around on the machine until she found a small hatch leading to the power circuits, into which she inserted the barrel of the weapon.

"You guys should stand back," she whispered. "I have a feeling the energy discharge will be kind of violent."

I didn't need to be told twice. I retreated to the opposite corner with the rest of the group. Curly waited a few seconds, and pulled the fireball's trigger.

The resulting blast of flame from the machine totally engulfed the android, but, unlike us organic life forms, a quick scorching wouldn't deter her. Almost totally unaffected by the fiery discharge, she smiled as the machine sputtered, causing the force field to falter and go out, dropping Quote to the floor like a rag doll.

"Quote, you alright?" Curly asked, bending over her companion.

He sat up and dusted himself off. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Good," said Curly. "Now come on, we have to free all the mimigas."

"I don't think you shall be doing that," came a deep voice from the doorway.

Everyone turned to face Pooh Black, returned to his dark mimiga form, who blocked our exit. A few moments later, Itoh appeared behind him, standing at the prison's entrance.

Itoh looked rather annoyed. "Again you are trying to mess up my research?" he asked tiredly. "Why must the lot of you meddle in my affairs?"

"Look here, Itoh," said the Professor. "I don't think you're thinking quite clearly. We know you've been experimenting with red flowers, and one of your 'projects' has already attacked the mimiga village, and had to be killed as a result."

"We can help you," Jenka continued. "But we're going to need you to trust us. I will explain everything, but I'm going to need to turn you into a mimiga so I can reverse the effects of…"

Itoh cut her off. "Turn me back into a mimiga? That's a preposterous idea! I'm working on my mimiga research; I have a lot to do and no time for such silly distractions."

"Mimiga research?" asked Sue. "Dude, you're just acting like the Doctor all over again."

At the mention of the Doctor, Itoh's face contorted with rage. "I am not like the doctor!" he shouted. "I shall accomplish far more than the Doctor did! And hindrances like you lot will not get in my way!"

All of a sudden, the walls of the room began to shift and pulse as if they were alive. From the shadows stepped at least a dozen chunky, rock-like creatures, clad in robes and togas.

"These creatures ran the plantation during that accursed Doctor's reign." Itoh said. "They seem to have taken interest in my studies. And they will punish you for getting in my way!"

The huge creatures advanced, as did Pooh Black, and all at once, everybody was fighting. Quote and Curly fired at the monsters, but they retaliated with crushing blows that knocked even the robots off their feet. Booster's weapon and Jenka's spells seemed to have little effect on the creatures. And in the thick of it all, I found myself buffeted by confused bodies, doing all I could just to avoid being trampled.

It was clear that we were in over our heads. Occasionally, one of the monsters was slain, but more and more were coming out of the walls. We were badly outnumbered, and the odds were getting worse and worse as time went on.

Over the confusion, I heard Curly and Quote calling for retreat. I tried to leap through the confusion and almost crashed right into Sue.

"This way!" Sue said. "We've got to get out!"

She motioned for me to go forward between two of the rocky behemoths. I darted through, but I heard Sue cry out behind me. Turning around, I discovered, to my horror, that Itoh had picked her up and we holding her in the air as she struggled helplessly.

"Let her go!" I roared, changing direction immediately and charging at Itoh while drawing my fishing knife. I might have reached him too, but at that moment, Pooh Black leapt between me and my target.

"Outta my way, you!" I said, holding my knife up even as Pooh Black held up his. I'm sure we would have stabbed each other, but at that moment, Quote grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and yanked me from the room.

"Go back!" I yelled as I was carried away with the rest of the fleeing heroes. "We have to go back! They have Sue!"

"Help!" Sue cried as she disappeared from view in Itoh's grip.

Quote hesitated for a moment, but the monsters were advancing. And, to my dismay, he turned and continued to follow the others in the escape.

"No!" I screamed. "Sue! Sue!"

Author's Note: I bet I'm driving you all crazy with these cliffhangers. Keep up the reviews, and don't worry, I'll get chapter 11 up at my first possible convenience.