A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews everyone, they helped us. Anyways, I know I'm making it a personal rule to make as many author's notes. But just to announce, Volume 1 of this story has officially been finished. This chapter starting volume 2. So hooray on that.

Enjoy chapter 10, please read and review.

Chapter 10

-Finding Mandarin

The robot rocketed away from earth. Everyone panted in relief at the close call with the formless. Gibson rubbed his sore back as he glanced at him team, whom all laid on the floor in exhaustion.

"Great scott that was a close one."

Antauri nodded as he placed a firm hand to his chest. "Indeed, that sudden attack was most unusual. I did not sense Skeleton King anywhere nearby." He caressed his chin. "Concluding the formless minions' arrival to be unknown."

Otto looked up, his fur still soaking wet. "Well at least I saved the crystal before we lost it!" Smiled as he glanced over to Nova. "Thanks for saving me by the way, I would've been a goner if ya hadn't pulled me out of the water when ya did!"

"Your welcome," She smiled. But the grin faltered when she scratched her cheek confused. "But I never pulled you out, you were already washed up on the shallow end. I was to bombarded by formless to come get ya. So lucky for us nature was on our side today huh?" She smiled huge.

Otto's eyes popped as he dropped his grin. He rubbed his helmet. "I could've sworn I saw your hand. But guess I might've been seeing things."

As everyone pondered, Sprx snarled. He pushed past Gibson and Antauri and marched right up to Vex, who was standing silently in the back. "You know what I think? I think you had something to do with those attacks!" He summoned his magnets and pointed them threateningly at her.

She sighed and shook her head at this predicted accusation. This reaction angering the hot-head even further.

"It makes sense! We're suddenly attacked by a bunch of skeleton drones right when we find something that could be linked to his plans. Also observing the fact you did nothing to help us fight!" He irked an eyebrow when he felt all eyes land on him. "Oh yea didn't think I'd notice did ya? I saw you run away right when those formless attacked!"

Vex narrowed her eyes the closer the red pilot got to her. She stood to full height and faced him fully. "Formless?"

Steam blew from Sprx's ears, his face boiling a red ten shades deeper. "Don't play dumb, you know, Formless! Mindless monsters made from Skeleton King's black ooze and do his bidding!"

She touched her side, eyes shutting. Contemplating the multiple memories of ooze leaking from her skin. "They lack reasoning?"

Sprx transformed his hands back and screamed some more. "Are you freaking kidding me? They can't think for themselves! Why the monkey hell are you asking all these dumb questions for?"

She looked away, eyes narrowing. "Was just asking lad." She put a firm hand over her ear to drown out the smaller male's accusing yodels.

"Enough!" Chiro yelled, getting between Sprx and Vex. "Sprx enough of this, we don't have time to fight! The point is we took them out, we have the crystal, and there is no signs of Skeleton King."

"Maybe the bone head was too scared to face us himself." Nova added with a confident smile. "So he sends his lackeys to do it for him."

"We can debate this later. Right now we must view the crystal." Antauri added as he used his mind over matter to levitate the leather bag into the lab.

As everyone followed, Vex turned around and went the opposite direction. Her nerves rising the longer she pondered on this 'formless' topic. As she cluelessly stepped into the next room, a beeping sound alerted her.

The bleeping was faint. She scanned all around the room for the source of the sound. But when she found nothing, a small shock zapped her brain. Using the clean surface of one of the machines as a mirror, she saw her blind eye flashing blue. Sighing in frustration, she tapped her sightless ocular lens.

A small stream of light beamed from her eye and hit the floor. A small holographic model of Mandarin appeared on the screen. The monkey's ugly scowl burning through the screen as if he were Satan himself.

"Taking your sweet time to get the boy, aren't ya?"

Vex glared back with equal furiosity.

"You presume I can just grab him and walk away? As much as I can pull a rabbit from my top hat."

The holographic form of her 'boss' flickered as he slammed his fist against the control panel. "Hold your tongue you snake! I am watching you, so don't think about pulling any stupid stunts. Our lord is not one to be displeased, so don't even think about taking any detours."

"Sure," She waved her hand, unfazed by the clone's threat. "But this goose chase is fruitless, I can't nab the lad, their eyes always follow him, especially sterling."

Mandarin smacked his forehead with his good hand. "Then stop skulking around in the dark and start getting closer. Antauri is obviously the most watchful over the hairless monkey, so you'll have to win their, mostly his, trust."

"You know, socializing isn't exactly a personal talent."

"This is not a joke!" Mandarin hissed as he got right up to her face. "Do not blunder this, Skeleton King is not known to be forgiving for screw ups. So get it done!"

Nodding, she turned and hit her eye. Hanging up on the formless clone. She growled as she paced back and forth in frustration. Once she stopped walking, she turned and looked in the mirror again. Rubbing her face, she eyed her unpleasant mug. Snarling, she slammed her fist into the surface. Shattering it to splinters.

"What did that rat do to me?" She asked to no one in particular, staring at her opened hands in a state of loss.

~Later~

All eyes stared at the dark gem resting behind a safety glass. Chiro looked to Antauri, who floated right next to his head. "Right before the formless attacked, I saw a planet show up in it."

"What did the planet look like?" Gibson asked curiously as he held a pen and paper. Taking notes of everything he was observing about the crystal.

"It's a big metal planet, almost looks like a moon sized space station. Had all sorts of weird bunker looking buildings. Some buildings were like skyscrapers, others like small warehouses. I'd never seen this kind of planet before."

"Moon sized space station?" Gibson's face turned pale after he figured out the identity of inhabitance they were discussing. "Oh great Scott this can't be. Oh just wonderful, this one of all planets!?"

"What? What is it?" Chiro rushed in to ask.

Gibson slammed his head against the computer's keyboard. "This planet is called Cranius-Epsolon… it's where I trained many years ago. It's a university based planet where many gifted individuals study years' worth of knowledge documented by some of the galaxies' most brilliant minds."

Chiro's eyes popped open as he glanced around to the others. "So the place Gibson trained for years… was at a school?"

"Please, I highly doubt the word 'school' is even worthy enough to be used in the same category as this miraculous place."

Now Chiro was getting even more confused. "Okay I don't understand, you talk so highly of it, but just seconds before you were groaning like you hated this place?"

Gibson rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Well let's just say I was not exactly the popular student, lowest on the pecking order. I had a few rivals, so my studies are the only warm recollections I have of that place."

"Well we can't let personal reasons over power us." Antauri stated calmly as he hovered. "Set our coordinates for Cranius-Epsolon."

"Aye aye chief!" Otto saluted as he punched in the coordinates for the planet. Setting the robot's course for their brother's planet.

~Hours Later~

As the robot glided through space, its hull shifted. All the busied teammates rushed away from their activities and into the command room. Chiro stood at the main screen as his eyes enlarged with shock. The monkeys didn't have time to question before a huge shadow blinded their cameras.

They approached a ship that dwarfed the super robot in size. Its goliath sized rockets kept it moving at a steady pace. Its surface was black as space with red jagged circles painted all around it. Weapons of mass destruction littered all angles of the titan craft.

The team's eyes reached the size of dinner plates. "Oh dear me, that is.. One big space craft." Gibson stammered out in fear.

"Quickly, turn the robot around." Antauri ordered as Chiro rushed to the controls. He watched as the lanky teen yanked on the levers, but the robot did not respond. The silver monkey started to sweat as he rushed over and proceeded to help their leader. But his added tugging did nothing but dent the rod.

Nova bounded forward and grabbed the levers. Using her raw strength, she forced the switches to the right. But still the robot refused her commands as it continued to get closer.

"What's going on!?" Sprx asked in alarm as he grabbed his helmet in distress. "The robot is overriding our commands again!"

"What's going on big guy?" Otto asked to the monitor, trying to speak to the super robot.

The only response they got from their ship was some beeps and flashes. Informing them all efforts at resistance was futile. Nova narrowed her eyes in worry as she gave up and released her hold from the steering mechanism.

To their surprise, a big light blinded them. The side of the unknown ship's neck slid open, revealing a calm entrance for them. As the team looked at each other in question, they felt the robot fly towards the opening. Once they got within the ship, the hatches slammed shut behind them.

Everyone looked out the open window. Eyes wide at what they saw. For inside the ship was millions and millions of small warehouses. Heavily armed guards marched around the metal flooring like patrolling army ants. All sorts of electric doors sitting around every corner, guarded by a few unmoving guards.

"What is this place?" Otto asked in awe at this shocking environment.

"I don't know but it's really starting to scare me." Sprx muttered with a hand pressed to his forehead in attempt to calm himself. "This feels like that freak-a-zoid space probe encounter all over again!"

The robot flew through the ship's installed gravity chambers. A set of light up arrows began to blink as a man wearing a neon orange waved at them. Using hand gestures to guide them to an empty slot next to other parked ships. The robot's blocky feet landed with a heavy thud. Shaking the rafters under its heavy weight.

Once parked, Chiro and everyone else, even Vex, trekked out. Once their feet hit the ground, they looked down the barrel of many guns aimed at them. Otto and Sprx leaped behind Chiro in fright as Antauri quickly raised his hands.

"Please we mean you all no harm, we are simply lost." He tried reasoning in a firm yet gentle manner.

The guards looked at each other before drawing their guns back. They straightened their postures and stood off the side, forming two straight rows. Then the tallest guard came forward. Her grey armor was thick with two riffles housed on her back, a plasma pistol on her hip, and a big micro-blaster shot gun folded on her lower back. Her azure eyes scanned the odd band before her.

"Welcome to our ship travelers." She greeted in a deep monotone voice.

"Hello to you to," Chiro greeted back, offering his hand for a friendly shake. But when the woman just stared at him, he reeled his hand back nervously. "Okay um, what is this place? If you don't mind me asking."

"This is the Collector-275, class X. Largest slave trader union in this end of the galaxy."

"'Slave trader?" Antauri asked, the words feeling like distasteful flavors plaguing his tongue. He furrowed his helmets' brow line. "Holding innocent lives for profit?"

"I can tell you're not from this side of the galaxy." She pointed her bladed finger-tipped gloves to the silver monkey. "Keep your goody-goody judgment to yourself and state why you have burdened us with your presence."

Chiro quickly jumped in, nervous of the silver monkey's sudden rise in frustration. "We were having problems with navigation and our robot just came here, please forgive us. We're just a little loss."

"If you need directions, I advise getting an intergalactic map."

As everyone discussed, Otto got bored and wandered off. As he looked up to all the big guards, something caught his eye. He spied a big wall housing thousands of small holographic images. Mug shots of different prisoners littered the wall. The mechanic scratched his chin in confusion as he walked closer. Running his finger along a few of the pictures' edges. Till one shot caught his attention.

There in the furthest corner was the picture of a familiar face. Messy orange fur and bruised up eyes narrowed as broken claws held up a number sign over his chest. A bandaged up broken tail drooping lazily behind the jacked up monkey.

"Mandarin?" Otto whispered out in horror. Staring at the image in disbelief. He rubbed his eyes before double checking, just to make sure he was not mis-looking. But upon seeing the same face, his jaw dropped. "Guys come here!"

Alerted by the yell, everyone came rushing over. Observing the image of the traitorous orange monkey, their jaws also dropped as they exchanged dumbfounded looks.

Chiro turned to look back at the captain towering over him. "Excuse me, but where did you get this monkey?" Using his thumb to point to the orange monkey's mug shot.

"Prisoner #398001? He was given to us under an anonymous name. Sadly, we're making very little money off him. He's weak, malnourished, and refuses treatment. So we just let him rot in his cell, only thing he's good for is cleaning the ship's engines and stuff."

Gibson looked back to the captain. "How long have you had him?"

"A few years."

Otto glanced back to his team, eyes huge. "I know you guys are gonna call me crazy, but we gotta help him!"

"What –Otto are you crazy!?" Gibson lashed out at the mechanic's comment. "This has got to be the stupidest idea you ever had. Why, in the name of science, do you wish to free our former leader? What lunacy has possessed you to even conceive of such an abnormal action!?"

Otto looked away, eyes drooping in sadness. "I know Mandarin has horribly wronged us, but come on guys, everything he did before the dark one worm was a clone! It just does not feel right to leave him here!" He looked between the shocked faces staring at him. "Come on guys why do you think the robot brought us here anyways?"

"By chance I must say." Antauri stated calmly as he shot a hard glare to the captain. "But whatever the case, I do not feel this would be a wise decision Otto. I sense we must leave now."

"But Antauri-!"

"No," The second in command stated firmly. "Forgive my tone my friend, but Mandarin, clone or not, has made his choice. Whatever has happened, Skeleton King had sent him here as a means to rid himself of Mandarin. While I sympathize with our former leader's plight, there are just somethings we cannot control."

The green mechanic shot Chiro a pleading look. Mentally begging his leader to change their second in command's mind. But Chiro's faltering look made Otto's hope deflate like a woopie cushion.

"We're sorry Otto…" Nova started gently, cupping his shoulder. "I know you and Mandarin were once best friends, but the past is in the past. We have to go anyways."

Vex watched the scene from her usual spot in the back. She raised a brow as she glanced to the captain, whose back was to her.

The tall woman marched forward and raised her arm. Directing the Hyperforce's attention to the exit. "Leave now before we arrest you all for trespassing."

"Sorry for wasting your time." Antauri apologized as he hovered ahead, waving his team to follow. "We'll be departing from your ship immediately."

As they walked off, Otto lingered a moment longer. He stared back at the photograph of a busted up Mandarin. A micro tear building up as he covered his mouth and looked away. A hand reached out and took his own.

"Otto, I'm so sorry. I can only imagine how you feel…" Chiro started quietly. "I wish I could do something, but you heard Antauri. It's probably for his own good anyways."

Quickly drying his tears, Otto slumped his shoulders. He leaned against Chiro, hugging him tight. "I-I know," He sniffled out. "B-b-but I just can't help but wonder, if Mandarin could change…"

"I understand," Chiro whispered as he leaned down and hugged the distraught monkey.

The sound of metal jingling brought the duo's heads up. Hanging inches in front of their eyes were silver chromed keys. Big ebony claws hanging onto the circular rim that tied all the cards together. Vex gave them a blank stare as she glanced in different directions.

"I advise haste."

Chiro took the keys from Vex's war-claws, his eyes swelling up at the sight. "V-vex did you just take-"

"The captain is not a particularly sharp individual." She walked past the two. "Go, before the guards and your teammates come looking."

"Woah woah, are you crazy?" Chiro asked in horror as Otto ran after the black monkey. "Otto hang on, we can't do this!" He grabbed the monkey's arm, pulling him back to his side. "We can't break Mandarin out of a heavily guarded security system!"

"But Chiro this might be our only chance!" He whined in protest, ripping his arm free.

The young teen waved his hands, gesturing his refusal. "Even though we have the keys, how do we even get into the elevator? Everything in here is locked up tight." He walked behind one warehouse so the three could discuss this in private.

As Chiro and Otto argued, the undead primate eyed the nearest elevator. Casually approaching, her pinky knife extended eight inches. Eye zooming in, she prodded the lock. She poked around the gears a few seconds before the lock fell off. Powering down the electric gates.

"Passage freed, enter if you desire." She stepped aside, gesturing with her helmet for the pair to continue.

"Woah woah, seriously are you two even listening to me? This is so-!"

"Illegal?" The green eyed simian asked blankly. "Because I believe there is a time and a place for rules to be broken. If it means saving a loved one."

Chiro's mouth closed as his brain failed to throw out a comeback. Looking down to Otto's big puppy dog eyes, he groaned and slapped his forehead. "Holy Shuggazoom… Fine, but we have to hurry!" He could not believe he was agreeing to this. Knowing Antauri was going to have his head after this.

"But you two owe me big time!"

Otto and Chiro leaped into the elevator. Vex scanned the area, making sure the ghost was clear. She threw her tail sideways and boxed the 'UP' button. Watching as the cart shot up, carrying both teammates to the upper decks. She turned and walked back to the robot before she was spotted. Planning to stall the monkeys to buy the pair time.

Once they reached the top level, Chiro hunched down. He spotted two guards marching past them. Their heavy boots pounding the dust right out of the floor. Their guns pointed forward as their robotic movement led them away.

Chiro looked to Otto and nodded. It was clear, time to move. Both friends acrobatically leaped from the elevator and landed on the floor. They dashed for cover when four more guards walked by. Ducking behind a warehouse, the young hero glanced to his green companion. "We got to do this fast. Find Mandarin and get out."

"Got it." Otto looked over Chiro's shoulder and spotted some electric cells glowing bright with power. He pointed in their direction. "Chiro over there, I think I see Mandarin's cell." He whispered in the dark haired boy's ear.

Chiro leaped to the wall and grabbed onto a low hanging wire. Kicking his legs back and forth, he built up momentum. Then he swung himself forward, back flipping with the grace of a trapeze artist, and caught the nearest ledge. He pulled himself up and spied the guards standing below, clueless of his presence. He waved his hands, gesturing for Otto to go.

The green monkey tip toed through the shadows. His small body masking him behind the metal crates with ease. Once he got up next to one of the guards, he took a coin and flipped it out.

The small metal credit bounced off the tiled floor. Both guards whipped around and rushed around the corner to investigate the sound.

Chiro jumped down from his perched positon and pressed his back against the wall. Otto mirrored him from the opposite side. Nodding to each other, both peeked in.

Sitting in the back of fluorescent white room sat Mandarin. The rogue monkey's back against the wall, his busted hands tied with a cloth tied around his head. He wore a tattered robe with a rope tied around his waist. His head wrapped in bandages and other medical cloths ceiling his cheeks and ears. He was an utter mess. A bucket of soapy water and a mop lied a few feet away from him.

"Mandarin…" Otto whispered out in horror.

Hearing the deep voice, the x-leader raised his head. His blood shot eyes widened at the sight of the two familiar faces staring at him through his cage. "What in the hell?" He hissed out, finding strength to sit up. But his weak rusted arms barely supported his weight as he crumbled back down.

"Don't worry we're here to rescue you." Otto reassured as he ushered Chiro in his search for the right keys.

Mandarin scowled, baring his big fangs. "I don't want to be saved, now leave."

"You want to be left in here to die?" Chiro asked, thumbing his way through the tangled mess. "Well we're already here, so we aren't giving you a choice."

His thick unruly eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "How did you even find me?"

"We'll explain later." Chiro cut him off as he finally found the key. He pressed the needle shaped tool into the black control panel. He jiggled it around before the red lights flashed to green. Accepting the key card and powering down. Granting them access into the cell.

Otto rushed in and sawed Mandarin's wrist free from the shackles. Then he noticed something odd. "Mandarin what happened? You're back to your normal size." He hoisted his elder brother up.

"Yea last time we saw you, you were like a nine foot hulking flesh monster."

Mandarin still couldn't believe the sight of two of his enemies helping him to his feet. "After I failed in the cloning operation, my former master stripped me of my powers and sent me to die here in this pathetic guild." He hissed when Chiro got his other arm. "Don't touch me!"

"Mandarin stop fighting, just let us help you." Otto pleaded as he tried to drag the heavier monkey out the door. "Before the guards come!"

"Don't you see?" Mandarin lashed out evilly to his youngest brother. "I have lost all sense of purpose after I failed Skeleton King, so much my end must be done through the utter humiliation of slavery. I was replaced by a clone." Then the murderous cyborg glared at Chiro. "Now my turn, why are you helping me?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. We'll have to think about this later, for now you can either come with to the robot or we knock you out. Pick."

Wincing at the human's threat, Mandarin closed his mouth. Silently selecting the first option rather than being blacked out by a fist. Chiro nodded as he pulled the monkey onto his back. His heart sped up at feeling his worst enemy's body so close to his own. It sent chills down in his spine just to feel Mandarin's breath on his neck. Reminding him of the times where this monkey had blood thirstily hunted him down like the animal he never was.

Seeing his leader freeze up, Otto grabbed his shirt and tugged. "Come on Chiro we gotta get out of here before someone sees us!"

Shaking his head, the leader nodded. "Alright let's go!" He glanced back at the monkey he towed on his back. "And no funny business," He warned before picking peeling away in a high velocity sprint. Otto following right behind, jogging on all fours to keep up.

Mandarin brewed in silence at the awkward position he sat in. Grunting with each painful jolt of the teen's quick leaps and heavy landings. But he made no complaints with the unevenness of the boy's strife.

Once the trio reached the elevator. Alarms started going off. Red lights flashed all over the floors as guards came racing around the corner. Otto's eyes grew in size. "Oh crap they found out!"

"No time to dawdle!" Chiro yelled as he grabbed the mechanic's wrist and catapulted them off the ledge. The monkeys held on tight as their leader grabbed a low hanging chain. Pulling out a concealed knife from his pant leg, Chiro chunked the blade. The weapon hitting a nearby control switch, knocking the chain loose and dropping them down fast.

Wind blew through their hair as they fell. The chain soon ran out of room and jerked to a stop, their feet inches from the ground. Chiro sighed in relief before swinging off and racing to the docking bay.

"Nova!" The teen yelled through his . "Get the robot ready for escape velocity, now!"

"What's going on? Where are you guys!?"

"I'll explain later, just do it!" He yelled back.

Mandarin groaned at the sound of his younger sister's voice. "Terrific."

Soon an array of bullets were shot at them. Chiro showed his teeth as he raised his hand. A green glow stretched itself around his form. Soon a thin green sheet of energy overlapped the trio, the force field deflecting the bullets.

He started sweating. "I can't keep this up for long, hurry!"

Looking up, Otto spotted some big debris hanging from construction chains high above them. Smiling, he summoned his energy saws. Keep his eyes on the chain, he threw his weapon outwards. "Whirling Destructo Saws!" He yelled valiantly, releasing his detached sawblades high into the air.

Both saws went spinning like Frisbees. They sliced right though the chains as if they were warm butter. The big engines plummeted from the loss of support.

Chiro kicked himself forward and went sliding with Otto and Mandarin in grip. Barely dodging the huge chunk of metal as it crashed behind them. The collision shaking the whole floor as it knocked half the swarm of guards off the side. All falling to their death.

"Woah that was to close! But good work Otto!"

Otto blushed at his leader's compliment before he raced after them. It didn't take much longer till they finally reached the robot. Chiro rushed over to the foot hatch, opened it, and let Otto in first. He followed with Mandarin still firmly planted to his back.

Once they shot down their tubes, the sight of angry blue eyes met them. Antauri, with hands balled up to fist, glared at his teammates. "What in the world did you two do!?"

"No time!" Chiro yelled as he put Mandarin. "Hurry and get us out of here before we're blasted to kingdom Kong!"

No words could describe just how angry the silver monkey was. But keeping his composure, he hurried to the control panel. "Nova!"

Nodding to her commander, she kicked the gears forward and put the pedal to the metal. The whole robot jerked forward, nearly knocking everyone off their feet. They gunned away from the docking bay and into the chambers. The robot dodged each bullet fired at it from the wall mounted guns.

"Hurry hurry!" Sprx yelled, his body firmly planted to the wall.

Soon the robot bashed through the wall. Leaving a giant gaping hole in the ship's side. It rocketed into space, disappearing behind a flood of cosmic purple space clouds.

~Later~

All eyes were glued to the slumbering orange monkey within the medical tanks. Mechanical arms repairing all external damage while Nano chips repaired the internal.

But even the bizarre sight of their former leader couldn't distract them from the situation going on behind.

Antauri, with arms crossed and eyes shut, gritted his teeth. "I just can't believe the reckless stunt you two just pulled." His voice was calm, but the anger was still as clear as day.

Chiro and Otto both looked down, the mechanic drawing circles with his toe while the teen twiddled his thumbs. Both too scared to make eye contact with the steamed silver monkey.

"I told you two why we couldn't, yet you completely disobey me and do it anyways." He paced in front of them, his circuits sizzling.

"What if you hadn't gotten here in time, you two could've been-" Antauri trailed off, unable to say the last word. He shook his head and cut them one of his darkest looks he could muster. "Well, I promise you both this… this will not go unpunished. Your chores are doubled and training time extended until I say otherwise. Understood?"

Chiro and Otto groaned, already feeling the ache in their bones. But they fearfully nodded, accepting their punishment with no further words.

Sighing, he massaged his head to sooth his pounding cranium. "How did you two even get the keys to the cell doors anyhow?"

Vex, who stood further in the back of the room, blinked. She rubbed her head and quickly walked out before the levitating primate spotted her. Not wanting to be the next subject to his angry lectures.

"Uh, we found them I guess you could say." Otto whispered out, blushing in embarrassment.

Shaking his head, the monkey sighed and finally released his mental hold on them. "Well despite my orders, what's done is done."

Sprx stared at the slumbering traitor, eyes narrowed. "I still don't understand why you two even broke Mandarin out. I mean what were you thinking?"

Gibson crossed his arms and joined Antauri in his stern stare down. "No thinking individual would have brewed up this act. You two have a lot of explaining to do."

Holding in his breath, Otto bravely looked up. "Guys, it was not Chiro's fault. I was the one who pushed him to do it…"

Chiro's eyes widen at his companion taking the blame. "No Otto, it wasn't-" He was silenced by the green primate's hand.

"I know what we did was stupid, reckless, disobedient, and everything negative the dictionary could say. But when I saw Mandarin's mug shot, I mean the real Mandarin, I… I just couldn't leave him."

Antauri's anger subsided somewhat. Now he looked more confused than frustrated. "But that still does not explain why you chose to do this."

Looking up to his once closest friend, Otto sighed. "Because you once said no monkey team member is ever alone… and Mandarin will always be a part of the monkey team."

Sprx stared at his youngest brother as if he had lobsters crawling out of his ears. "Otto, you forgot he betrayed us right? Tried to take over the city, destroy all free will. He chose to do that out of his own free will. Mandarin was exiled, he is not a member of this team anymore."

The mechanic stubbornly shook his head. "No, I don't mean the Mandarin who left us. I mean the real him, the one who had a good heart. That Mandarin will always be a monkey team member."

Thrown off guard by the green simian's sudden wise words, everyone exchanged glances. Antauri sighed as he looked up to the staring faces. "As true as that may be, I'm afraid we cannot return him now. We'll definitely be targeted by the slave trading union."

"Great so we're stuck with our traitorous leader who tried to kill us umpillion times." Sprx added while throwing his arms out sarcastically.

"We'll keep him in this suspended state till later. Maybe we can ask him what happened." Gibson relayed as he rubbed his chin. "For now, we'll continue our course Cranius-Epsolon."

"Affirmative." Chiro nodded.

As everyone left, Otto stopped by the door. Closing his eyes, he moved his head to face the darkest corner. "Thank you for helping…"

Vex nodded to him. "Anything, green one."