Hi there!

Well, as the next part might take a bit longer to upload (because I have to make sure it is not too dramatic or anything), I wanted to do this one faster :) It's a bit shorter from the other chapters.I hope you'll like it.

Dory, I really didn't know how to respond to your review :) I can't say much a thing, as you'll read it in the chapter, but anyway...

Disclaimer: No, I don't own A.T.O.M. Not yet xP

--

The team are all on their rides, going on full speed to Paine's lair, exactly where Garrett had directed them.

Axel hisses through his communicator.

'He BETTER be alright.'

'Yes, like... how the heck is he a better actor than me, anyway? It's like... uh...'

Everyone half turns to stare at Hawk, this being a bit too much. He, on the other hand, has his own worries, just trying not to show it.

'I think he'll be alright, though.' King says. 'Like... even Paine can't kill his own son, right?'

'Dunno, if he doesn't intend to set a...'

'Hawk, please!' Axel says in a fierce voice. 'You are so not helping!'

Lioness's hands grip the handles more tightly, her face behind her helmet shows every kind of worry.

-Flashback-

'Guys - I wasn't supposed to tell you that - but...'

'And why is that?'

'He never betrayed you.'

-Flashback-

'He is... gonna be alright, isn't he?'

They all hear this, even when it is nothing more than a whisper. Axel could almost sense the tears behind the helmet. He sighs.

'He is. He better be. He better just... hold on till we get there.'

--

In the underground house.

Magnus slowly approaches the metal bars of the prison Shark is now in, playing with the bars with her index finger, using her magnetic powers to make an annoying, tingling sound.

'Look at you... Poor fishy.'

Shark turns his head, still facing the floor. An evil smirk crosses Magnus's face as she stops for a second, her finger still on the bars.

'And when your friends come...'

This is what makes Shark look up. He struggles with the ropes still around his arms, apparently to no avail.

'No! Don't touch them! Paine!'

Paine comes out of the shadows, tut tutting to himself.

'Now now, is this any way to talk to your father? Teenagers nowadays has no respect for their parents.'

'Yeah, if there will be any time I respect you.'

Magnus walks to her father, one hand on her hip. 'Let me punish him for disrespect, daddy.'

'All in good time.'

He checks his watch and then looks at Shark, his smile turning into an evil smirk.

'His punishment is already on its way.'

--

The team stops their vehicles. Axel looks at his alphacom to Garrett.

'Garrett, is it here?'

'Right below you. Guys... be careful.'

'Yeah.'

He turns off the alphacom and looks at the team, then at the sewer entrance.

'Let's go and get Shark.'

--

A man of Paine enters through the doors.

'They are coming.'

Hearing this, Shark struggles a bit more, but he is already weak. Paine nods.

'Let them be our guests.'

--

They went through the sewer system, flashlights shining. King suddenly sees something.

'There! His signal is coming through this... Ew...'

They look through a mud - and some slimy stuff - covered bars. Lioness tooks aim.

'Get back.'

King and Hawk get back just in time for Lioness to shoot the bars apart. They go through...

--

No one. Not one person is left in the room. Shark looks around, as if to check out if he is really alone. He tries to tear the ropes around from their hooks, but this action only gives him more pain.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he hears hurried footsteps. His head shoots up as he sees the team rushing in through the back doors.

'Don't, that's a trap!'

'Too late!'

Paine comes out of his hiding place, and pushes a button on a remote control he is holding. The wall and the door with it bursts. There is no cave in, due to the strong building of the place. The team ducks out of the way, and when they get up...

'Shark!!' Lioness cries out.

Hawk frowns a bit. 'Is this him? He seems... different.'

'Hawk, King, deal with Magnus and the others. I will take Paine. Li...'

No need for other words. She is already running toward the prison, having waited for that. One of Paine's men gets in front of her, but she basicly high jumps over him, and lands on the other side, as King comes to fight him.

She reaches the prison a second face softens as she looks at her friend.

'Shark...'

He turns her head weakly at her, smiling a bit.

'Hey...'

Lioness looks at the bars for a second, searching for a weak spot. Then, in one powerful kick, she knocks the door down and hurries inside.

'What in the world... did you do to yourself?'

'Talking about the new look? I was just trying a new style, y'know...'

Lioness looks at him weirdly. Shark just smirks half heartedly and shrugs. Lioness gathers herself up and starts fiddling with the bonds.

'I think I told you not to come in.'

She looks up at him. 'I think we told you not to rush into anything.'

She has unbound his right arm. He brings it in front of his face, trying to relax the muscles, feel the sense coming back to his fingers. Lioness has started to unbound his left arm. He hisses in pain and flinches as she did so. Lioness looks at him worriedly, then looks at his arm. She gives a quick cry of anguish.

'Did he do this?'

Shark pulls out of the ropes, trying to seem careless.

'It's nothing. Really.'

'Yeah, nothing, right!'

She goes to his other side and puts her arm under his shoulder to support him.

'There is no need to...'

The girl looks at him sideways, anger and worry literally written on her face.

'We will talk about this more with the others later.'

--

Fighting with Hawk, Magnus looks up and sees Shark and Lioness nearly coming out of the prison, him supported by her. A look of anger stretches over her face.

'Oh no, you don't!'

She raises her hand, and some junk come over from nowhere and knocks Hawk down. She holds her hand up again...

--

Shark suddenly hears a grinding sound behind them and turns back, and his mouth drops...

The metal bars had risen from their posts. The prison is shrinking in on them, with a horrible dragging sound.

'Go, go!'

He and Lioness sprint towards the door with all their might. At the very last moment, they manage to get out.

Lioness gets up on her hands, looking at the wreckage of metal.

'Whew... We did it...'

Shark gets up to his feet, and helps her up, too. He grins at her in a kind of an embarrassed way.

'Yeah, this was not exactly the plan I made to greet you, but...'

She is watching him intently, apparently trying to control her emotions. But she couldn't. She comes slowly closer to him, forgetting momentarily their situation. Shark looks very surprised as she did so. But she had understood at last. It wasn't coincidence, or just disappointment that she felt so sad, so empty for the last few days. She had understood at last that she actually feels something towards him, too, just as she had suspected when he told her. She stops right in front of him, and they look at each other for a long moment, she, certain of her feelings, and him, just confused. The time itself feels like it is stopped, the fight means nothing to them just for that seconds. Then, taking the first step again, Lioness closes that little distance between them, and lets her go in his arms, trying very carefully not to hurt him. Shark doesn't seem to know what to do for a second, but then he just lets go, and hugs her tightly with his good arm. She cuddles a bit more to his chest, smiling to herself slightly, hapy at last after the nightmare she has been in...

--

Just at that moment.

Axel turns at that same moment to see if his friends are alright, and is stunned, frozen to the ground...

Seeing this lack of concentration, Paine suddenly comes from in front of him and grabs him by the head.

Hearing Axel's scream of agony, Lioness and Shark quickly break apart. She holds her breath.

'No...'

Paine smirks and turns around so everyone can see his face.

'I think the fight is... officially over, heroes.'

They just glare at him, not knowing what to do. Shark grits his teeth.

'Let him go, Paine!'

'One might think this is enough punishment for you. Fortunately, I don't think so!'

'Let him go!!'

Paine's smirk grows more evil as he intensifies his touch, and Axel is nearly unconscious with pain. Shark sighs, drops his shoulders.

'Let him go - please, father.'

'Now, that is the attitude.'

He drops Axel to the ground. The team all sigh with relief. But this is just for a moment. Paine towers over Axel again, who looks only too weakly up at him, his vision blurry.

'Y'know, I can kill you here and now, easily.'

He draws his gun and puts it to Axel's head, under the terrified look of the others. King, Hawk, Shark and Lioness all start running towards them.

'But... I have a better idea.'

He turns in a quick move and points the gun toward Lioness, who stops dead in her tracks, her eyes widened...

BUMM!!

And everything... gets buried under a heavy silence.