Loonatics: United
Episode 29: Renewed Sympathies
Lexi was sitting on the floor, devastated for what she had just seen, a tear was trying to escape from the corner of her eye, it finally did so with a blink of hers. Duck was about to just enter his room like the others had done, but he then looked at Lexi and couldn't help it but to feel sorry for her, he sighed and walked towards her. "Uhm, you want to, talk?" He secretly hoped she said no, but there was just silence from her instead, which made him to sit down next to her. "Hey, it's not that bad, as you've been saying, he is not him."
Lexi sobbed. "That's not what worries me, Duck." She gazed at him. "What if he never comes back?"
"We've all been in worst situations Lexi; Tech will surely find a solution; he always does." Duck said.
Meanwhile, Tech was landing on the roof of an apartment tower; he turned off his jetpack then went downstairs to the tower´s last floor. He headed to the elevator then pressed a button that took him to the fifth floor. The elevator's doors opened, and he exited from it then headed to the apartment that was marked with the number twenty. He didn't hesitate to knock the door after he had got in front of it. With no major delay, the door was opened, Susan received him with a happy, yet dazed look, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a black blouse. "Oh hi, love!" She embraced him like if she hadn't seen him for ages then kissed him for a few seconds. "What a, uhm, great surprise."
Tech just gave her a strained smile. "Hi Susan." He briefly gazed at the apartment's interior. "If you are busy, I can just…"
"Oh, what things you say, come in! Dinner is just ready." Susan let him in with a gesture, he walked past her then she closed the door and went to the kitchen at the other side of the bar. "I hope you like lasagna." She looked at Tech from the kitchen; he was sitting on the dining table with his gaze lost. "Love?"
Tech suddenly managed to pay attention to her voice. "Oh, yeah, lasagna is fine."
Later, they were both eating the lasagna Susan had made. "I missed this, Susan." Tech said before bringing a piece of lasagna to his mouth with the fork.
Susan cleaned her snout with a napkin. "You are not the first one who misses my food."
Tech chuckled. "Well, that's also true, but I mean…" He made a gesture to refer to the general situation. "This, the two of us, spending time together, I just feel bad for never having time to be with you."
"Oh, sweetie." Susan took his hand over the table. "I'm okay with that; I mean your job is a demanding one."
"Technically, it's not a job." Tech said.
"Well still." Susan smirked, then she ate the last bit of her food just before Tech did the same.
"Wonderful as always." Tech said then took his plate, and Susan's, he walked to the kitchen followed by his girlfriend.
Tech started to clean the dishes on the sink. "Susan, have you seen the news lately?"
Susan chuckled. "The weird, screaming lady? Yeah, I heard you managed to defeat her."
"If only we just had, my team only could trap her temporarily inside the field, but I don't know for how long." Tech stated.
"And you need some advice." Susan said.
"I wouldn't call it that way." Tech placed the last dish on the drawer after drying it with a towel, then exited the kitchen.
"Oh, so is not that." Susan stated then followed him, he had gone to the living room.
Tech sighed and sat down in the couch that faced the large window. "Well, it's…"
Susan sat down next to him. "Come on, it's fine if you need help." She leaned closer to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Tell me."
Tech sighed then looked at her. "I found a way to attack her, to hurt her, it worked well for a moment but she is very strong." He growled. "It could've worked if it wasn't for Ace."
Susan raised an eyebrow. "Ace?"
"He insisted in not sending Lexi to support us, he didn't want to lead the mission or even accompany us." Tech said. "Then I decided to organize a secret mission behind his back."
"Tech." Susan scolded him.
"Just hear me out; he is not the same, Susan, he's been acting oddly since Mourn attacked him, he is overprotective, unstable and aggressive." Tech turned his gaze to the floor. "We even had an argument; he beat me up then I came here."
Susan gasped subtly as her eyes showed concern. "Oh dear, are you alright?" She started to rub his arm.
"Yeah, don't worry, my regeneration powers handled the issue quite well." Tech replied.
Susan frowned. "I may have a couple of things to say to your boss then."
Tech shook his head. "No, this is more complicated, I mean he certainly did so, but I know the Ace I have admired ever since we started working together would never do that, to anyone."
Susan nodded. "I understand."
"Thank you, anyway." Tech took her hand. "But now there are bigger issues to solve besides that."
"And what will we do?" Susan asked.
"See this?" Tech showed her his bracelet. "This little device produces and shoots waves with the help of Lexi's brain blast, we used them to confront Mourn, but as I said, it wasn't enough." He sighed. "And I'm afraid we might have no more time to find another method."
Susan got thoughtful for a moment then turned her gaze back at Tech. "Why change the method? Maybe you just need to make it great scale this time."
Tech raised his gaze from the floor then looked at her. "Like, bigger bracelets?"
Susan gave him a serious look. "I know you are smarter than that."
Tech chuckled. "And I appreciate that knowledge of yours, let's make that wave cannon."
"You've just read my mind." Susan said.
Tech smirked and stood up from the couch. "And I thought you had read mine."
Susan and Tech had arrived to the terrace next to the HQ's lounge via Tech's jetpack, Susan unwrapped her arms off him as they landed. "Your flight is getting less sloppy as I can tell."
Tech chuckled after shutting down his jetpack. "I have to be careful to give my girl a pleasant trip." He walked towards the window. "Open." The window slid upwards at his command then he let Susan enter the HQ before him.
"I think the boss hasn't come back." Tech said while they were heading towards the lab.
"So it really was an argument." Susan said.
"Yeah, I…" Tech got interrupted.
"Doc…" Ace was standing behind them in front of the exit towards the terrace.
Tech turned around with hesitation to look at him. "Boss."
Ace started to walk towards him, Susan took Tech's hand from behind, Tech assumed a defensive position with his gaze locked on Ace's, as his boss got in front of him, he prepared his fists for the worst but Ace gave him a hug of apology instead.
"Sorry man." Ace said. "I don't know what the heck happened to me, it won't happen ever again, I promise." He broke the hug and looked at his comrade. "Forgive me, Doc. For everything."
Tech's gaze showed doubt, but then he smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "There is nothing to forgive, boss."
The rest of the team had seen the entire matter. "Ace." Lexi walked by her friends towards his boyfriend, she gently placed both hands on his face and looked attentively at his eyes, she smiled as she knew he was back by the peaceful look of his gaze and started to kiss him.
Duck rolled up his eyes. "Yeah, show off your love to us, the lonely and forgotten ones, go ahead." He then looked at Tech and Susan, who were just sharing looks of mutual love while having their hands interlaced. "Whatever." He said as he crossed his arms.
Lexi separated her lips from Ace's. "What shall we do, boss?"
"That depends." Ace turned his gaze towards Tech. "You got something, Doc?"
"Yes, well, now it's just an idea but Susan and I will get it done in no time." Tech replied.
"I'm glad to hear that." Ace added.
Rev ran fast to get in front of his boss. "I know all you might want right know is to forget the surely horrifying experience you lived but I just want to know, how did you go back to normal, you know, you being yourself again."
Tech looked at Ace. "Actually, that information would be of great help."
Ace scratched the back of his neck. "Well, all I can remember is that I started to have terrible, dreadful thoughts, but I wasn't able to stop them, they started to be more and more and then I just, woke up, you know, like from a nightmare."
Susan gasped subtly. "Mind overcharge?" She whispered to Tech.
"It could be." Tech stated.
"What?" Ace inquired.
"Mind overcharge, it is supposed to happen when the mind gets out of control and starts to generate random thoughts, then it just reboots, like a computer crash." Tech explained.
"And the point is?" Duck asked.
"The point is, Duck, that if we manage to replicate whatever happened in Ace's mind and apply it towards Mourn, we can unstabilize her and defeat her." Tech responded.
"Great, we just need someone who has a slight idea on replicating these, uhm, mind issues." Lexi argued.
"That's…actually something important to consider." Tech looked at Susan. "Do you have any idea on how to do this?"
Susan chuckled. "Ask that to the ten minutes course about mind and technology I took months ago."
"Of course she did so." Duck expressed.
Ace smirked. "Time to work then, Doc. You take the lead this time.
