Right now, it is Magenta's turn to say the disclaimer.

Magenta: Haven't you already made nine people say this disclaimer?

Maybe, yeah, uh-huh...

Magenta: Are you ever going to say it yourself?

Maybe...um...

Magenta: How about for chapter 10? Ten is one of your favorite numbers, right?

I guess I could say the disclaimer...

(grins evilly)

But it's more fun when I make other people do it! Take your turn, Magenta!

Magenta: ( rolls eyes) Fine. Gemina owns nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Bupkas. Nihil-

Okay! Okay! They get the idea! And I do own the know-it-all Talia and some of the teachers...

Warren's question hung in the air for a few seconds. Tenten tried to look really friendly.

" Because we're your friends."

Warren blinked in surprise and confusion.

"What?"

Tenten almost wished Neji was awake...and not crazy. He would have known how to handle this. Instead, she had Lee, who at this moment had already come up with an explanation.

"We're your pen pals from Japan!"

Tenten smacked her forehead as Warren looked even more confused.

" What the heck...?"

Tenten whacked Lee's arm. Lee grimaced and made a small whining noise. Tenten turned back to Warren with serious look on her face.

" To tell you the truth, we are actually ninjas hired by the Board to protect you."

This actually confused Warren even more, but when he saw the others nodding in agreement, he decided they were probably telling the truth. Other than the pen pal part. He'd never had a pen pal.

Zach grinned " Isn't that cool?! I mean, you have, like, personal ninja guards!"

Everyone rolled their eyes at that, except Neji, who was unconscious. Warren looked around the room.

"What about the one with the weird eyes?"

Tenten grinned and nodded.

" Yeah, he's supposed to protect you too."

Warren looked around the room again. Tenten seemed to realize something, and pulled back the curtain around a bed to reveal Neji sleeping peacefully...with a giant lump on his head. Tenten noticably sweatdropped.

" He's...uh...He's sleeping." She dropped the curtain.

Zach, who'd gotten uncomfortably close to Warren's ear, hissed " They killed him or something."

Warren rolled his eyes.

"Get away from my ear, Zach."

----

A half hour later, Warren had told them what he could about Baron's plans, which wasn't much. He'd apparently been knocked out early on in his captivity, and was barely conscious long enough to know about the chip.

Tenten sighed. If Neji was awake, he'd probably put two and two together. But he wasn't, so she'd have to think through this herself:

1. Warren is kidnapped by his father.

2. Locater chip in his shoulder.

3. No guards in the prison.

4. Awake only long enough to see the chip placed.

5. No security system, as far as she could tell.

6. He was in the very last cell.

7. He didn't have a neutralizer bracelet on when they brought him back.

8. Baron was supposed to be a genius.

9...

She couldn't think of anything else to add to her mental list. She turned the details around in her mind for a few moments. Then it came to her; maybe the first chip was just a distraction, and something else was planted in him. She'd have to have Neji...right...Neji was unconscious. She looked up at the other people in the infirmary.

Will looked like he was concentrating really hard. The mission report had said that he was Warren's best friend, so that made sense. Layla was calmly sitting there, probably turning the facts around in her head, just like Tenten. Magenta was typing furiously into the computer, then shaking her head and pressing backspace. Ethan was writing something out on paper. And Zach...was Zach.

She cleared her throat to get their attention. Everyone turned their heads, except Ethan who was very focused. Will poked him.

"Ow!"

"Sorry."

Will didn't always realize his own strength. They all turned to face her again. Tenten mentally double checked her list, then continued.

" Okay, I was thinking everything over, and I realized that the chip in his shoulder might have been a decoy. "

Ethan nodded. " I was thinking the same thing."

Zach shook his head. " No, I think he's a clone of Warren, sent here to infiltrate the superhero ranks. " Everyone looked skeptical. " I saw it in a movie." Zach added, as if that proved his point. He scooted closer to Warren.

" What's your middle name?" He asked suspiciously.

Warren rolled his eyes.

" I don't have a middle name. You know that, glowstick."

Zach opened his mouth to ask another question, but Magenta interrupted him.

" Shut up, Zach."

Ethan turned back to Tenten.

" So what do you think could actually be planted in him?"

Tenten went over her list again. Maybe another chip? She shrugged. She didn't really have much experience dealing with chips and computers and complex evil plans. Ethan looked back over his own list, which he had written down.

" Well, whatever it is, how are we going to detect it? It's not like there's an x-ray machine here, and that would take too long to develop."

Tenten seriously wished she hadn't knocked out Neji. Then she hit on an idea. " Maybe it's metal, and we could use a magnet of some sort to find it?"

Warren nodded. He stood up.

" There's a strong magnet in the gym." He turned to head out the door.

"Wait." Ethan raised a hand. " If you're talking about using the magnet Coach Boomer uses for drills, then you're going to get anything metal ripped right through you. "

Warren shrugged. " Do you have a better idea, popsicle?"

Ethan thought for a second. His eyes roamed around the room for a few seconds, then fell on Magenta's computer. "That's it!"

Magenta looked ready to be protective of her computer.

" What's it?"

Ethan reached for her laptop.

"May I?"

Magenta grudgingly handed it over. "Fine."

Ethan immediately started typing furiously.

" If I'm right...then I can probably use the computer to detect any signal Warren might be emitting."

He grinned. His eyes scanned the results and he gave Warren a thumbs up.

" You're all clear, no tracking devices."

Warren looked somewhat skeptical.

" What about other devices? What if I'm rigged to blow up?"

Ethan shook his head.

" I don't think Baron would blow you up. When we get out of here, we'll get you looked over, okay?"

Grumbling, Warren rolled his eyes. " Great."

Yeah, I know, I finally updated! I had writer's block, but now I have a great plot. Just keep your eyes open for hints. All reviews will be memorized and quoted during conversations with my twin!