It was late. The young Technoid employee felt maximum discomfort coming here. It was underground, and clearly, a hang out for many pirates. It was shabby, clearly thrown up very fast, as a make shift base of sorts. A old model droid served small portions of snack, and soft drinks. The clientel was pirates for sure, or associated with them. He wondered if he should tell Duke Maddox about this place, they could easily find a way to finally trap Blackbones now that they ventured into the areas he was sure to hide in. Sonny himself seemed to be hard to find, even more now after his injury. It seemed evident the pirates had taken him somewhere safe to recover. Technoid knew the rumours was that the pirates second in command, Corso, was acting on Sonnys behest now. That indicated he was injured still. He had delivered the message to the one pirate he recognized, Stevens, the pirates striker. Then, the droid had brought him something to drink, while he waited for Sonnys reply. Stevens had not said a word, just took the handwritten message from him,and had someone else take off with the message for Sonny, making sure he cold not see where they were headed. Now, he saw Stevens approached the table where he as sitting. He handed a card to him. It looked plain and the message was clear. Sonny had cleared a secure channel for Duke Maddox to communicate with him, until he could determine if he could trust this. Not that he blamed them for that. Sonny was the most wanted man in the galaxy. He had to watch his back all the time, especially from Technoid. He was also in hiding, due to the injury from the hospital. But that was not Duke Maddox worries now. It was all about The Xenons and their mysterious loss of energy, that led to them now being out of the cup. It was the buzz of the week. Everyone talked about it, but no one could explain it. What had happened to The Xenons during the first elimination match of the final sixteen? And tomorrow, The snow kids prepared for their match, facing The Gyros. It had Technoid worried, and on stand by. The Xenons had appeared dazed and confused when they were found outside their hotel. There was also the incident of the missing galactik kids that had been kidnapped a few months prior to this. Technoid kept it out of the media, but they now knew, Sonny Blackbones and his pirates had been called for help on the matter of tracking them down. Wich was a god send. Technoid could do many things, but this kind of tracking was by far outside their territory. The pirates had the know how, and had acted within hours, with little to no information. Their skillset, despite being of the criminal kind, was amazing. And that same skillset was the reason for Technoid now reaching out with an olive branch to the pirates.

He looked at Stevens.

"Is Sonny close by?I would like to talk to him" he asked.

Stevens shook his head.

"You best be careful what you ask. Technoid represenatives is not someone we trust, especially not where Sonny is concerned. he will keep his distance for now. You dont need to worry for him. He is safe and trying to figure this out. If the situation calls for it, Duke Maddox will hear from him in time. Until then, there will be silence on his part" Stevens said.

The young Technoid employee looked around.

"And if I was to bring Technoid here, to have you all arrested, in an effort to track him down?" he asked.

Stevens chuckled.

"This is just a temporary set up, with pirates helping out. It is not our real hide out. You may as well give up. You are not going to capture Sonny. He is too well protected and smart to let you pick up his trail. For him to generously offer you a direct secure line to reach him, is rare. Dont misuse this opourtunity. And now, it is time you leave. You will be escorted back, by a few trusted men.I will inform Sonny of this. you wont find this place again" Stevens said.

The young Technoid employee nodded.

"He is still injured from the laser blasts, right?That is why we have not seen him lately" he asked carefully.

Stevens had to nodd that.

"Dont worry about it. Sonny receives medical care from some of the best, the wounds are healing just fine. he is ready to get back in action,it is just a safety measure that he is not coming out of hiding. But he is hard at work with this matter. I pray he finds a solution, before another team suffers the same way The Xenons did" he said.

The technoid employee nodded.

"I dont know much yet, all I know is that Duke Maddox is very serious about solving this. He said that despite all our expertise, Sonny and Clamp is the ones at the top with flux related their expertise is needed to crack this open" he said.

Stevens nodded.

" He is right. And they are trying to come to terms with how to handle this matter. As soon as they have something concrete, Sonny will inform him, till then, there will be radio silence. Sonny is being more than fair, considering it is not all that long ago that he was held captive in a hospital,being prepared to serve a sentence of an unknown lenght" Stevens said.

The Technoid employee nodded.

"If we had succeeded, Sonny would not have been hurt. Duke Maddox would have welcomed him back at any time. Sonnys skills are that unique" he managed.

Stevens shook his head.

"You know that wont happen. Sonny will cooperate if the situation requires it, but he wont return to Technoid. It is not like The Pirates would let him either. He is our leader, and we will protect him against any danger. Be glad he chose to give you this option now, if it was me, I would not" Stevens said.

They had reached the outer perimeter of this makeshift pirate lair, Stevens had some others escort the Technoid employee out, before he ordered the place cleaned up and taken down. A pirate would never lead Technoid into their real lair. That would be careless. Stevens then reported to Corso so the next step could be initiated...

This was the night. The Gyros, an unknown team, was to take on The snow Kids, the current three time champions.

What could they expect from The Snow Kids this season? It seemed impossible to think they could do it a fourth time. By now, everyone knew their play style. Had The Snow Kids changed strategy? Nothing was less certain. Callie was excited. However. She had seen The snow Kids make changes that was totally unexpected before. The Snow Kids was a team she had followed since Aarch had formed it. And the Team had been through ups and downs along that path, changes that had made them stronger, and value the friendship they shared that much more stronger.

During the day, while preparing, D'Jok had invited Mei for a walk in Genesis forest. This area was of limits to the public, during the cup matches, it was a safe heaven for the teams participating, to clear their head and get some personal time. Mei had locked her fingers in D'Joks as they were had been through so much on their way back to each other had challenged her on her own insecurities and sometimes overly high ambitions, and D'Jok on his big headeddness had changed a lot over the time that had passed since they they had come close to being permanently over. It was only thanks to the help of friends, and also the pirates, that they had found the courage to talk things over. Mei sighed. Much of what had happened, she did not really want at all deep down. But With her mothers interference, her ambitions for her daughter, It had almost ended things for her and D'Jok in a way that there would have been no turning back. Sinedd had allowed her to play striker with The Shadows. It had helped her with some of her insecurities and also, gain a perspective. Mei felt good about playing defence, she was no striker. But her mom had never felt at home with it, or her new role. And now, knowing whom D'Joks father was, it felt both safe and also a bit nerve wrecking at times. But what mattered the most, was alone time with D'Jok. They prepared mentally for the match, but she could sense he was worried.

"Are you worried about the match D'Jok? After what happened to The Xenons, I have to admit..with an unknown team like The Gyros, I am worried about wheter we have the right strategy" she confessed.

D'Jok led her over to a bench and sat her down. He knew they had to talk this out now, if not, it would affect their play. And that was one thing they could not afford now.

"Mei, You and The Snow Kids are everything to me. I had to have my ego pretty deflated to see this, but now I do. I cant guarantee we will advance. But I am as frightened as you at what we saw happen to The Xenons. I hoped Dad knew what was going on, to learn that he is still piecing this together..I am worried we are in over our heads. I think..we may have to play with the strategy we agreed upon for the first half, pace ourselves, to see how they play. If we do as The Xenons.." D'Jok let the words hang in the air.

Mei nodded. There was a slightly frightened look in her eyes right now.

"I try not to worry, but I am not sure I know how to handle being eliminated this early on either" she said.

D'Jok nodded. For once, he was glad they slept in separate rooms at the hotel It was enough that his escalating nightmares about them being defeated due to him sustaining a serious injury,kept waking Micro Ice, he had to plead with him not to tell Sonny. If his father knew,D'Jok felt he would be stopped from playing.

They continued to walk in silence, the threes made it have a calming feel to it. Genesis forrest was an oasis of peace. Mei led him over to a bench, there they sat down. D'Jok could not explain the gesture, he was certainly not a flower guy, that was more Rockets thing, but he bent down to the ground and he picked up a white flower, with a tiny blue rim on it, and put it in Meis hair. Mei looked a bit shy as he did this. She was not used to this from him. D'Jok looked at her, like he saw her for the first time. They had both carried masks for so long. It had been all about the football for him, and he had failed to see how they all had changed. How Mei needed space every now and then. She was a promising young model, with many contracts, not to mention a mother that tried to control her. Maybe it was love, but it was getting hard to see at times. He looked down, as he felt Mei wrap her fingers around his hand. Her sapphire blue eyes looking so seductively at him. He could not resist, he felt her lips on his, as the kiss grew deeper. They were so caught up in their own world, they failed to notice the player that hid in the shadows. Three times champions true, but not this cup belonged to his team,and the new galactik ruler to be, Magnus Blade. Soon it would be a full on victory...

Duke Maddox looked at the data he was presented. All the Xenons had resonance,a phenomenon he knew very little about. But the effects was such, it rendered the player drained of his flux and energy on the pitch. It was possible that his new team, the former team paradisia could bypass it,being cyborgs. But he wished he had Sonny Blackbones captured now. He didnt think Sonny was responsible for the resonance, it wasnt like him. Someone else was behind this, And that someone had every marking of being a dangerous adversary. Sonny had named him, the leader of the pirates before him, Magnus Blade. Duke Maddox vaguely recalled the masked pirate, a mask he had seen in many raids targeting Technoid. Sonny had been far more open, not hiding behind a mask, and with a loyal crew behind him. Maybe attempting to capture him was the wrong way to go about things now. Duke Maddox decided to see if he could establish contact on the communication link the pirates had given him. Despite going back to where his assistant had met with Stevens, it was clear that the pirates did not intend on letting Sonnys whereabouts be known. The location was whiped clean, no sign the pirates had ever been there. Possibly he was still hurt and laying low while he healed. But the fact that a secure link to communicate with him had been created,suggested that what was going on was bad, and it seemed Sonny had realised he could not do this all by himself. Was there was a chance to make up for the past? Sonny had every reason to mistrust him now,and that was nobodys fault but his own. Duke Maddox punched a code and brought up Sonnys file, all the known data they had on him. Could it be, he had been mistaken? Duke Maddox studied the theft files. It was not overly much stolen either, just enough to get by for the pirates. And then there was the espionage. Their field of expertise. The data could have been sold for profit, but that didnt seem to be the data that was hacked. A closer study, showed a pattern, missing pirates, or associates to them, family. Duke Maddox had never taken the time to really study his former employee closely, he had relied on his staff, to tell him the truth. It seemed that had not been the best choice. Duke Maddox processed what he had just learned. He owed Sonny an apology. But the pirates would not let him near. Sonny was protected behind an ironclad defence,he had learned that much at the hospital. Duke Maddox had secretly realised years ago, they would never catch Sonny unless he himself wanted to be taken. And at this point, whatever had hit the Xenons, was very likely to surface elsewhere too. But whom would be the next team hit? Duke Maddox looked at the list. Tonights match was Snow Kids versus Gyros. Both Teams had participated in the Paradisian cup, wich started to appear as the origin for this resonance. The Xenons had explained that some faint symptoms of what they now experienced, had first surfaced there. Lord Phoenix had to have known of this. But it seemed he had died on Paradisia, until Sonny had revealed that Magnus Blade and Lord Phoenix was one and the same. What could be the motive for his actions? Duke Maddox decided to take a real hard look on the information they had at Technoid. If the pirates was willing to cooperate, this would not be a small thing. And if they were to solve it, he had to take the pressure off of the pirates for now. Duke Maddox made his decision.

He called his secretary to his office.

"Halt any and all arrest warrants for Sonny Blackbones and his pirates. We need their help, and Sonny is not going to come out of hiding if he suspects he is being chased. Give him some breathing room, but leave the wanted poster up. Just notify all units, if he is seen, to not seize him. We need someone with their skills now, to do the digging, this is out of Technoids league. I never thought I would say this, but this time, Technoid needs the Pirates help"...

Time to get ready. D'Jok and The snow kids were ready to head out on the pitch to face The Gyros. A totally new and unknown team to them. All they knew of their playing, was the information in the file The Pirates had brought them. While it was likely that The Gyros also knew a lot about them. They were three time champions, the one team everyone wanted to beat. The only team to successfully do that, was Team paradisia. D'Jok had an uneasy feeling as he set foot on the pitch. There was something in the air, he just could not explain it,but he had a bad feeling, tonight something would happen, something bad. He looked at The Gyros. These creatures was strange to look at, almost half human and half goat. But for now, just another team they had to beat in order to advance in the cup. The snow kids took their places, D'Jok smirked at Micro Ice whom was to start off todays match. Sinedd was waiting in the coaches pod, to replace whomever would need it in the second half.

"Remember, we all play by the new strategy tonight, The Gyros dont know that. Use the first half to feel out how they play, then, we will play for real in the second half" Sounded Rockets voice.

D'Jok nodded.

"Lets show them why we are The Snow Kids, the only team to ever win the galactik football cup three times in a row" said Micro Ice.

"Thats the spirit. And while we are at it, lets just focus on the game, and try to remember it is just that, a game. We dont need to prove anything,just have a good time out there"said Tia.

There was the ball, and the game was on...

Magnus watched as The snow Kids, true to their habit, went in strong and hard. That was a move meant to intimidate The Gyros. The Gyros was a team he had considered as his chosen team, but they were too strong willed for his taste. They could easily win the cup, yes,but what they wanted in return for doing so for him, was a price he was not willing to pay. He was a pirate god damn it. Pirates never made bad deals where they did not come out as winners on the other end. Especially not where money was concerned. Magnus knew, in order for him to establish himself as a galactik ruler, he needed money, lots of it. Not everyone would surrender to his reign easily. Some could be bought off, others he needed to fight with. Then, there was the situation with Sonny. He liked the man, he admitted that, but Sonny was not going to play by his rules. He was going to try to foil things any way he could. At this point, Technoid was best equipped to deal with him. Sonny would not be harmed,he just would not be able to get in his way. But first, he needed to find him. And Sonny was hard to track,since he had failed to get any men inside his camp to keep an eye on them. The corso clone had been deactivated and put in storage. It was clearly a tool used to keep an eye on him. Magnus shook his head. D'Jok was making a run for the goal, aiming for a high up pass from Micro Ice. He was halfway up, when it seemed all his flux vanished. Magnus nodded. It seemed the hypnotic fail safe he had used on the boy, was really going to cause a problem for him now...

At The snow kids coaches pod, Clamp and Dame Simbai looked horrified at D'Joks uncontrolled fall. Micro Ice leapt forwards and managed to break the worst of the fall for his best friend.

"D'Jok,D'Jok, what happened? You were making a super jump, only to come falling out of the sky, litterally" he heard Micro Ice say with a worried voice.

His Team mates had all gathered around him. He tried to sit up, but found that he felt as if he had no strength left.

"I..I cant feel my arms, I cant move" he whispered, as fear gripped him.

"Get him off the pitch, I send in Sinedd to continue the play. Dont worry guys, we will take care of D'Jok" sounded Rockets voice from the communicator.

D'Jok closed his eyes as he was lifted of the pitch. His nightmare was becoming a reality...

At The snow kids hotel, now a safe zone for the pirates to operate from, Corso looked mortified at the screen. If only it had been any other player than D'Jok. Sonny had turned away from the screen, but Corso could see how he opened and clenched his fists, hard, to the point of growing white. This was a side to his friend that never bade well for the one that caused it. And it was clear what Sonny thought.

"Have we got anything at all that can neutralize the effect?" he asked.

Corso almost cringed at the sound.

Sonnys voice was changed, from the mild mannered pirate chief he loved and respected, to a cold and nearly unrecognizable one.

"I will make something. But Sonny, what happened, its resonance right?" he asked, fearing the answer.

Sonny nodded as he froze the image.

"with a side order of hypnotics. I need to get to D'Jok, see how bad this is, then, I will find a way to counter it, or at least stop it from growing worse" he said.

Corso nodded.

"Let me find a safe way in. Techoid is present at the pitch, they havent earned the right to arrest you yet" he tried.

Sonny nodded as he looked at the screen where the game continued.

"First Rocket, now D'Jok, the most powerful players of each team. This is not good Corso. We too have players that play this aggressive" Sonny thought out loudly.

"They didnt have their flux during the paradisian cup Sonny, you kno, they may still be immune" Corso suggested.

Sonny nodded.

"If they are, they are the only team that is. the other teams that played would also be affected. I dont know Magnus plan yet, but from what I see, this is about a galactik takeover, much the same as Bleylock and Harris had in mind, only, he may actually have what it takes to make it happen" Sonny said.

Corso felt as if he grew pale.

"Sonny, if so, he has completely lost it. But he cant do this without help" Corso said.

Sonny agreed.

"He has helpers out there, and we must find out who they are,before the galactik resonance strikes at all the football teams this galaxy has. That has been his plan all along, take out the fluxes, so no one can stop him" Sonny said.

Corso nodded.

"No one but the ones that is considered outlaws, our team, The pirates"...