Sorry for being so late on this chapter everyone. And really I have no excuse. I went on the trip to Dallas to the a concert for The Maine, A Rocket to the Moon, This Century, and Brighten and I just got lazy along the way and didn't want to write. I had internet to upload, but I didn't have chapters.

I promise I will do better in the future and hopefully, I can have this story finished by the time summer band comes along so I won't have to worry about both writing and marching in my schedule.

I do not own Grojband or Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja!

Chapter 10

In McFist Industries

Laney let out what felt like the millionth "oof" as she hit the floor of a prison cell. It wasn't mid-evil, like she had expected, but instead futuristic than anything. The place was covered in shiny metal with two standard cots and a table in-between them.

Laney faintly heard someone else fall next to her, but she didn't pay attention. She was too busy trying to jump up and run out of the of the prison, behind the robot gorillas that threw them in there. Just when she was almost out, a type of electrified force-field manifested itself in front of her, cutting her off and shocking her to the ground.

She fell to the ground, screaming and twitching. She felt someone's hands on her and hope rose in her chest, but quickly faded when she finally calmed down and saw that it was just the girl in the red dress from earlier.

"What's going on," the girl asked, looking around worriedly. Laney could feel herself coming to and sat up slowly, groaning at the pain that spread through her body.

The girl helped Laney stand up and as she stood, she noticed a figure on the other side of the force-field. As it approached she realized that it a tall African American man in a pinkish lab coat. He didn't seem like he was happy; more like annoyed.

"Stupid robot can't even do it's job right," he grumbled to himself. "It only got one band member and some other girl."

Laney's eyes widened as he said those words. This one of the guys, if not the guy, who had created the robot and kidnapped her.

"What do you want with us," Laney said, all of her strength returning in the form of anger.

"It's not me who wants you," the man said, "it's my boss."

Laney felt her hands curl into fists as she spoke. "Then what does your boss want with us."

The man chuckled and a smirk formed on his lips. "Actually," he said, "that's another thing. My boss doesn't really want you," he pointed at the girl in the red dress, "he wants you," his finger moved toward Laney, "and the rest of your band."

Laney fell silent as she thought about that. Randy had said that the robot wanted the band before she had gone to hide, but it was still very unclear about why these people wanted Grojband. What sense did that make?

The man sighed, and as if reading her mind said, "My boss wanted Grojband kidnapped because the school wants you. If the student body wants you, the ninja wants you. If the ninja wants you, he's willing to do anything to get you back."

The girl next to her gasped and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. Laney snarled at the man.

"So that's why they wanted us," she mentally told herself, "As some sort of ransom deal or bait to real in Randy." It all made sense once she put the puzzle pieces together.

"Do you understand," the man asked slowly, as if speaking to two-year-olds.

The other girl seemed to be in a state of shock. Laney couldn't help feeling a little sorry for her. She couldn't imagine what it would be like, hearing that you were being used to lure in your childhood superhero to his possible doom. Laney had experienced many things, but never that.

She looked the man straight in the eyes and said, "Crystal." He nodded and turned around to walk away. Once he was gone Laney turned to the other girl. "Are you okay," she asked her.

The girl was snapped out of whatever she was thinking about and looked at Laney. "I'm fine," she said, a little shaky. "I just can't believe the situation I'm in."

Laney nodded and went to sit on one of the cots. "I know," she sympathized. "Corey and the twins have gotten me into some real shit, but never anything as dangerous and crazy as this." Laney felt a little empty at the mention her her bandmates.

The girl went to the other cot and a silence fell between the two. Finally, the girl spoke, "My name is Theresa, by the way." She smiled sweetly at Laney. "Theresa Fowler."

Laney returned the smile, as best as she could. "I'm Laney. Laney Penn." Theresa's smile turned an all out grin.

"So," Theresa said awkardly, "I heard you went to the dance with Randy."

Laney blushed and looked down at her shoes. "Yeah, but I didn't really spend any time with him because we were playing the entire time," she said.

"Do you like Randy," Theresa asked. Her voice was laced with curiosity, but Laney could detect the slight amount of hurt that was buried deep beneath the surface.

She threw herself back on the cot and stared up at the ceiling. Of all the conversations to be having in a situation like this, why did this girl have to pick this one? It hardly seemed fitting.

"I don't know," she admitted. "He's cute and I feel like he can actually see ME, but," she paused debating if she should go on. She sighed and continued, "but I'm already in love with someone else. He's just to oblivious to see it and I'm not even sure he knows that I'm a girl half the time."

As she went on her mini-rant, Theresa sat there, listening and nodding, like she understoood. "I see," she said once Laney was done. "It sounds to me like Randy's making up for the neglecting that this other guy has been dishing out toward you," she said matter-of-factly. "I don't think you really like him, but I can understand wanting him around as a friend."

Theresa smiled sweetly at Laney, who had propped herself up on her elbows to get a better look at the girl. Theresa looked like she was... relieved to hear that Laney didn't really like Randy.

Laney smirked at the girl. "Looks to me like I'm not the only one with boy troubles," she said and the smile on Theresa's face was replaced with a look of shock, followed by a blush.

"Yeah," she admitted. "I've always thought Randy was nice and I've known him since elementary school," she sighed then continued, "but back then he thought girls had cooties, then in middle school he was too consumed with video games and learning how to play keytar, that he didn't even notice me." She looked down at her feet, dejectedly. "And now that we're in high school, he's never around or he's doing something so hair-brained with Howard that I question why I even like him."

Laney giggled and sat up completely. "I know where you're coming from sister," she said, but stopped. "Wait, I didn't know Randy could play keytar."

"Oh, yeah," Theresa said, the blush on her face darkening slightly. "Him and Howard formed a band called 30 Seconds to Math. He plays keytar, while Howard plays drums."

"Learn something knew about someone every day," Laney thought. Theresa was lying down on the cot, getting comfortable to go to sleep. Laney pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the digital clock. 12:07 in the morning.

Laney followed Theresa's lead and got comfortable on the cot to sleep. "Merry Christmas," she thought to herself, before closing her eyes. Just before she drifted off to sleep, the last thought that crossed her mind was, "Core, where are you? And are you safe?"

Once again sorry for the late chapter and make sure you check in tomorrow for the next chapter, maybe even two to make up for my laziness. ;P