~Chapter 9:

Virtual Access~

The night had been a crazy turn of events that transpired. Police cars and ambulance trucks surveyed the entire parking lot of the Crossworld Café. Some officers took this opportunity to interrogate a number of witnesses involved from the time that Decimator emerged. On the other hand, while all of that went on, medical personnel arrived to undergo checkup on their conditions.

Sitting inside the back of the ambulance, a doctor had finished stitching up Ryan from the bruises sustained from the battle. He sported a rib tape that had been bandaged around the abdominal of his waist.

"Gosh that stings," Ryan said.

"You should be good to go. Take it slow when you get up though," the doctor advised him. Coming off the heels of an intense battle, he struggled to fathom what purpose did it served for the wielding swordsman to make his move in assaulting random innocent civilians.

"Are you hanging in there? How much damage did they do to you?" J.B approached his friend after finishing up an interrogation with the police.

"Barely," Ryan summarized his reaction in one word. "Decimator nearly murdered me back there. All of that beating took a toll on my body. Thankfully, I didn't lose as much blood as I would imagine it being."

"With the Skugs showing up in our reality, I had a bad feeling something like this would happen," J.B said alluding to an encounter he had with the foot soldiers from the alley.

"Tell me about it. Never mind the fact of all the trouble that robot put us through. I don't even know what Decimator had in mind when he attacked that employee. Something doesn't add up," Ryan reflected upon the aftermath of the attacks.

"Bottom line, all that matters is you're okay," J.B provided with some sense of optimism.

Meanwhile, a familiar red Mazda parked along the lot. Exiting out of her car, Kaitlin arrived at the parking lot to spot Ryan and J.B by the ambulance.

"Thank goodness you guys are alright," she said making her approach towards her friends. "What the Hell happened out here?"

"Apparently one of Grimlord's servants that we fought from the beta attacked an employee. Ryan risked his life to protect everybody in the Cafe," J.B explained.

"Then what about you? Why didn't you lend him help when you had the chance?" Kaitlin wondered much to her bewilderment.

"Knowing Decimator's rules of battling, he wanted to take on one opponent," Ryan said.

"It doesn't make any sense given he fought all three of us at the same time," J.B added reflecting back from their initial encounter with the swordsman.

"That was too irrational of me. I mean having no protection gear almost had me killed back there. The fact I managed to survive all of these beatings felt surreal. At this rate, these fiends are already on my last nerve," said Ryan going all in on the confession.

"Ryan, you made the right move protecting all of us. Even if it meant taking a risk, who knows how worse things could've turned out," J.B told him.

"Let's be real. I don't deserve all of the credit for what went down here tonight. None of this would have been possible if you hadn't made the call," Ryan owed his gratitude in regards to J.B's contribution alerting the first responders.

"So let me get this straight. The Skugs almost had me and J.B destroyed yet here we are with Decimator, a swordsman who brags about battling with honor yet decides to attack random civilians for the sake of it. Now I'm beginning to wonder what sort of parlor tricks does Grimlord has in mind," Kaitlin took a moment to process her experience with the Mutant Empire.

"That's what I'm concerned about. We don't know where and when exactly will they strike next. Not even the police will realize that the criminals they hunt down aren't necessarily us every day humans," J.B said with concern over the surrounding scenario.

"Hey Kaitlin, have you been able to get any sleep as of late?" Ryan wondered.

"I can only get four hours worth at most," Kaitlin answered. "Even when I do sleep, I'm still creep out from what the simulation did to us. I mean, whether it's the Fire Jets firing shots at our every move or the Skugs drawing us into an ambush. Next thing you know Decimator is annihilating us with his trademark sword. I cannot for the life of me get through the middle of the night without rolling out of bed."

Upon hearing the difficulty she had to endure, J.B chimed in with a confession. "I haven't been honest about this but you're not the only one going through all of that."

The astonished frown upon Kaitlin's face lit up to her end. "J.B, you've been experiencing it too?"

Ryan stepped forth in light of the revelation. "I've been having a hard time sleeping for the same reason as you guys."

The trio expressed a sense of guilt upon sharing what appears to have been a matter of a convergent dream.

"Apparently that would make three of us," Kaitlin concluded. "Next time we have something we're afraid to admit, better safe than sorry to talk it out."

Having acknowledged her advice, Ryan and J.B nodded in agreement.

"Those first responders managed to scare him off like a group of villagers defending their land. I have a feeling the next time they strike, those robots will come back more aggressive than before," Ryan said.

"Hey that reminds me. Remember back at the professor's lab there was a display case of those armor suits he showed to us?" J.B recollected.

"You mean the ones that he and my father helped create?" Ryan looked to clarify.

Kaitlin reached inside her purse to pull out the business card Horatio gave to her.

"I think that may be our ticket to fending off Grimlord and his goons," said Kaitlin. "As long as they're sticking around, the law enforcement agents are going to need the help they can get. We can't afford them harming anyone else."

"That's a good point. We better head over to the professor's place and let him in on all the details," J.B advised.

As Kaitlin brought out her phone, she dialed the phone number indicated on the card. The journalist waited patiently to hear a response from the professor. When the signal failed to reach through, Kaitlin proceeded to hang up the line.

"No response. He's probably still finishing up his class lectures for the night," she took into assumption.

"It's scary to think where and when Grimlord and his army will strike again. My gut instinct tells me they won't be playing around for much longer," Ryan addressed his concern towards his friends.

"You guys have a point. After the crap he's put us through, he's going to have some serious competition coming in his way," J.B concurred.

"Let's just get into our vehicles and pay him a visit. He should be on his way home by the time we arrive," she said.

"I'm going to get the truck running and I'll follow you two while you're at it," Ryan told them.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright driving alone?" J.B asked curiously.

"I'll be fine. The past month has been crazy enough as it is," Ryan insisted otherwise.

J.B followed Kaitlin inside her Mazda. As Ryan entered his truck, he turned on the ignition keys in preparation for his departure. The trio managed to drive out of the parking lot and onto the highway they went.

Rebecca's eye lids twitched like a flickering light switch. As she began to regain consciousness, she soon found herself strapped to a machine. Held captive inside an unknown layer of her husband's laboratory, a sense of fear escalated from the police chief of Crossworld City. No matter the effort it took to break free, this restraint deprived any chance from her way of escape.

"It is a pleasure to have you with us." Emerging from the dimmed lit corridor, General Ivar made his approach towards the room while confronting Rebecca.

"Who in the Hell are you?" She cursed with the impression behind the motives coming from the military themed robot. Despite overhearing her retort, Ivar failed to respond.

"Are you responsible for killing my husband?" Rebecca wondered. "Answer me you son of a-"

Suddenly, Colonel Icebot arrived on the scene to monitor the activity going on in the room.

"It's not appropriate to be spewing out all of that profanity. Coming from a foul mouth daredevil like yourself, you don't realize who you are up against," the Colonel interrupted during the middle of her speech.

"I've spent my entire career investigating and arresting suspects as my team brings them to justice. That includes even the toughest and smartest criminals that have been one step ahead of us time and again," Rebecca vented after enduring some personal struggles that gradually boiled up to this moment.

"I wouldn't be so confident about that if I were you. Our leader and ruler of the Virtual World took no prisoners for anyone who opposes him," General Ivar let her in on the memo.

"You're making a big mistake. My agents are going to find me and hunt you down like the cowards you are," Rebecca rest assured.

"Don't point the blame on us. We're just being ordered from our leader to ensure that you remain here at all times," said Colonel Icebot.

Despite their bickering, Rebecca demanded to know the truth behind her abduction. "Who is this leader you speak of? What would they want from me?"

"It's so good to see you again Rebecca Steele." A sinister voice reverberated throughout the room. As Grimlord unveiled his presence, Rebecca's face lit up with familiarity witnessing the same fiend responsible for the lab's destruction. "I'm sure there are more questions you like to ask of me. But fear not because I'll be more than happy to answer them."

Instant call backs began to flash through her eyes. Just to witness the gruesome demeanor from his face once again sparked a feeling of intimidation that haunted the chief.

"Take your time. I'm sure you hate to admit your fear towards me," Grimlord told her.

"Why did you do it? Why did you kill my husband?" Rebecca retorted with a set of questions in which the creature spoke up.

"I'm glad you asked. Tyler was a passionate scientist who poured his heart out to construct the most effective project possible," said Grimlord. "He and Horatio Hart have been working on creating specially enhanced armor suits to improve the military's ways of defending themselves in combat. When I overheard Karl Ziktor discussing about his company's funding of the project, I stepped in and infiltrated the lab to obtain the Virtualizers for myself, or so I intended. Unfortunately, they were hidden away from where I could retrieve them. Think of what my army could do in these armor suits that will greatly impact the landscape of your reality. You wouldn't realize just how important it is of us to have that kind of capability."

"What did you with Ziktor since I passed out?" Rebecca continued to push his buttons. Regardless Grimlord took none of the offense whatsoever.

"You have no reason to worry. That coward pleaded for us not to kill him and so we let him go," the grueling creature explained. While their discussion went on, a sudden ring tone blared from the speaker of her phone.

"Oh my who do we have here?" As Grimlord confiscated her device, he observed the caller's ID tracing back to the Crossworld City Police.

"It seems like your folks are concern about your whereabouts," the creature cackled.

"You're a sick freak. What did we ever do to you that made us want to kill us?" Rebecca asked.

"My family has spent generation after generation maintaining control of our world. I was no exception to that. I spent my youth training with my predecessors in learning how to defend myself even when a group of invaders threaten to destroy our turf. When I witnessed the death of my parents in front of me, I was mortified. It was that instant where I took their expertise to heart and continue carrying on their legacy. But defeating them wasn't enough. I single handedly made those so-called war heroes suffer the similar kind of pain they did to my parents. By doing so, we forged a treaty in acquiring their territory and with it their army. Together we began to capitalize on that achievement conquering more land to create an empire that would strengthen our unity than ever," said Grimlord addressing the question that the police chief remained curious about.

"You were mortified of their deaths yet you had the nerve to take away the one person I loved, and for what reason? You're not making sense," Rebecca replied.

"Oh he knew what he was getting himself into. I just happened to teach him a lesson not to play tough with a vile mutant," Grimlord backed up his claim. While continuing to hold the chief's phone, he signaled Ivar to hand over another mobile phone belonging to her late husband.

"I've never felt so thrilled than to witness you suffer once you hear the sounding of Tyler's voice. How about we start listening to his voicemail just before his tragedy?" The creature taunted in attempt to get under Rebecca's skin. As he played the audio recording, she tried her damndest to fight back the tears of grief embodying her from the inside. But it was too much.

After listening to the voice mail, he placed Tyler's phone on the console board as he watches the helpless Rebecca weep in sorrow.

"This is going along as I thought," said Grimlord. He would then crush the chief's phone with his bare hands preventing any chance of contact from her peers and acquaintances. "From this point forward, you won't be making contact with anyone except all of us representing the Mutant Empire. We will extract any trace of humanity in you and sell your soul to the mutants that will soon inhabit not only Virtual Reality, but the real world as you've come to know it. Colonel Icebot, will you do the honors?"

The fuming anger in Rebecca's eyes couldn't be any more apparent.

"As you requested," Icebot complied strapping the immersion helmet over her head. The Colonel was given the cue to adjust the wires from the circuit breaker. This generated enough electricity needed to jump start the machine.

"Lord and behold the viewing screen. What you see here comes from the memory bank of our lovely woman held prisoner," said Grimlord. Similar to observing a memorabilia, the monitor displayed a variety of images chronicling the life of Rebecca Steele ranging from her early child life into adulthood.

"What are you doing to me?" Rebecca shouted.

"We just so happen to be experimenting on how we can tap into a person's troubling mind," said Colonel Icebot. "As a former psychologist myself, I've helped constructed this special head gear as a way of understanding brain activity in behavior. You don't realize how much effort it took for Strickland and I to develop this hardware device."

Grimlord chimed in. "These photo stills displayed on this monitor screen demonstrates the hardships and sorrow that you seem to struggle. The need to be around someone who isn't around to offer you comfort - the need to admire the beauty or a sense of optimism when it comes to the hardships of your duty as a law enforcer. You miss your husband so much but what about your son?"

"Leave him out of this," Rebecca threatened.

"I'm sure he is just as worried about your safety. But as far as we're concerned, there is no one here who can save you. I've got the whole world right at the palm of my hands. Rest assured all of that is going to change. Any trace of empathy you have in the need for others will no longer be intact," said Grimlord.

"Go to Hell," Rebecca scoffed but Grimlord laughed it off in response.

"Which is exactly where we are Ms. Steele," he clarified.

From her head gear, Rebecca continued to suffer the effects as a result of the device's functioning. To witness a compilation of still frames coming from her memory bank, Grimlord and his lieutenants were enthralled by their success.

"Your objective here is complete. I will take over from here," he told them.

"As you command sire," said General Ivar providing a military salute to his ruler. Along with Colonel Icebot, the two would vanish in an instant flash of light.

"In just a short while, your brain will be cleansed from all the ongoing emotions clouding through your mind. When that's all said and done, you and your husband will reunite soon enough," Grimlord said in a sinister tone.

Having parked along the driveway in the middle of the woods, the gang arrived just outside of the professor's cabin. Ryan along with J.B and Kaitlin exited from their respective vehicles as they approach the front porch of his safe house.

"His lights are turned on inside. I just hope he's in there," said Kaitlin. She rang the doorbell while waiting for the professor to open the door.

"I'm not one to complain but this weather is starting to give me the chills," J.B mumbled. The trio folded their arms to preserve the warmth from their bodies. Suddenly, a low beam headlight illuminated from the Uber that pulled over besides the Mazda.

"Thanks again for the ride," said Horatio thanking the Uber driver for the transportation. The driver departed thereafter while the professor waved his hand.

"Professor," Ryan welcomed with a warm greeting.

"I wasn't expecting any visitors at this time of hour. What are you guys doing out here so late?" Professor Hart wondered.

"An incident went down from the Crossworld Cafe just now. One of Grimlord's servants nearly annihilated Ryan and J.B. We're wondering if you plan on initiating the armor suits you and Tyler built to thwart off his army," Kaitlin encouraged.

"You don't realize what you're getting yourselves into," Horatio took into account.

"Professor, we've saved you twice in the past. One of the employees that worked at the Café had to get taken to the hospital," J.B informed.

"Now that you mention it, I was beginning to wonder how you managed to receive those bruises all over your bodies," the professor took notice at Ryan's physical condition.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Ryan said in his defense.

"Between the crap that the Skugs put us through and the stunt Grimlord has pulled off, Crossworld City could use some serious help," Kaitlin concluded. "Your invention may be the key we need to take them out. I can't stress this out enough but it could come in handy."

As Horatio unlocked the front door of his cabin, he proceeded to direct the three friends inside his home.

"You guys can explain everything to me when we all get inside," the professor insisted. After closing the door behind him, they followed the professor inside of the living room directing them over to a cushion they could sit on. He gathered along with the young adults while remained seated on the sofa.

"I could provide you with some drinks while you make yourselves welcome," Horatio offered as the trio settled down.

"Thanks I think we're good for now," Ryan politely declined.

"I know it's been a long night but how was work?" Kaitlin asked.

"Somewhat exhausting but that's what expected when it comes to teaching," the professor provided with an answer. "It's been hard coping with everything these past several weeks. Having to lose a fellow colleague by an unknown evil force threatened to murder him and his employees. Even coming back from my extended leave, it's still hard sometimes to pull through."

"What made you decide to keep working given how much grieve you've been enduring?" J.B questioned.

"Growing up I always appreciated psychology and the study of mind and human behavior. Sometimes I sit and ask myself why people do things for one another or why some folks act in a way that may seem odd," said Horatio. "When I met Tyler in college, he was a person with a lot of ambition in achieving his craft. I admired him so much for the simple fact that he reminded a bit of me in a way. It was our appreciation for science and our ability to solve problems through logic and reasoning. I kept working hard even when there were a couple of hiccups that had me thinking I couldn't do it, and wanted to give up. But I never did. Shortly before we graduated, he and I started brainstorming some ideas for a project we had in mind. We were planning to open up our facility devoted to that interest. This was where the earliest seeds of Steele Labs came to be."

Ryan responded with intrigue. "I guess as the saying goes 'the rest was history'."

Kaitlin dived in on the subject. "I know we discussed about the Café incident so no need to reiterate too much. But from what we can gather, Decimator was responsible for the bruises that Ryan sustained in battle."

"I take it you're referring to the Japanese sword fighter?" Horatio clarified leaving for the three to nod their heads. "My wife bought an action figure of his for our grand kids during Christmas. When I found out, it caught me off guard. Given my disdain for Metal Fighters and the creators behind the franchise, I had a hard time accepting the fact that the ideas Tyler and I came up with had been plagiarized."

Ryan spoke up. "Did you do anything about the situation, like confiscating any products related to the property?"

Horatio shook his head. "I didn't want to take away something that made them happy just for my own sake. But from what we've been witnessing lately, there is definitely something fishy going around in this city. Now I realize Grimlord and his army won't stop until they achieve their main goal. I can't imagine the potential havoc they would cause if they manage to gain control of the real world."

"That is why we wanted to ask if we could use the suits you and my father had been working on. I don't think we have much time left," Ryan said addressing his concerns to the professor.

"Have you been hearing the news about the incident that happened at the Expo awhile back? There was an electrical outage that went on throughout the building that left three beta testers traumatized by the event. We think it may have a connection to why the Skugs and Decimator have been floating around in Crossworld City," J.B added.

"I don't see how that can be farther from the truth," Horatio said.

"Well," said Kaitlin as her hesitance nearly prevented her from delivering a confession, "Those beta testers happened to have been us."

Although the professor seemed to be at a loss of words, it became clear to him after confronting the trio on previous occasions.

"For all the times I was being mugged, I should've known you three managed to help me in some way," Horatio complimented them on behalf of their heroic deeds.

Reaching inside her purse, Kaitlin scrolled over to a sent photo from her phone that had been taken by a Steele Labs scientist.

"A coworker of Tyler's sent me an attachment that contained images of the fire that was breaking out. Sometime after you escaped, Commissioner Steele stormed in the building to find her husband. She told me that she saw an evil creature lurking around the fire. While we don't have clear evidence, we have a hunch Grimlord may have been responsible for destroying a chunk of Steele Labs that night," she elaborated.

"Dear lord," the professor reacted scrolling through the photos displayed on screen. "All of this pandemonium has led from one tragedy to the other. This may explain how all of these creatures were released," Horatio said in an attempt to draw connections that could lead them to the big picture. "He must have discovered a way to shatter the barrier that served as a bridge between the virtual realm and the real world we live in."

"Did you and Tyler stumble across anything superstitious beforehand?" Kaitlin continued to interrogate.

Professor Hart sighed gathering all the details in his head before delivering a response.

"Unfortunately we did. Grimlord jump started the breach in the lab when all of this went down," he confessed. "Tyler and his team aided me while I was down with a fractured knee. When we witnessed Grimlord's attack, Tyler stepped in to make the save. Everyone else including myself evacuated the lab. That was the last time I saw him."

"What was the last thing you remember him saying?" Ryan asked.

Professor Hart closed his eyes as a stream of teardrops flowed down his cheeks.

"It was too much in me to witness just how heroic the way he went out. He saved a lot of lives back there including mine. Tyler knew what he was getting himself into," he stammered taking off his glasses as he took the time to clear his throat. "From what I remembered, the last words that Tyler said, he looked at me dead squared in the eye, 'Tell Rebecca that no matter where I am, I'll always be in her heart. Just let her know how much I loved her, and I wish I could be there knowing she and my son always comes first.' I assumed he meant prioritizing his family over his work. The instant I saw him shed a tear, it became clear he wasn't going to make it out alive."

Ryan placed his hands over his face. The more he learned about the events leading into his father's untimely sacrifice, the intense wave of emotions that followed.

"Ryan," Kaitlin whispered placing her hand on the back of his shoulder.

"Professor, we know well that all of these stories and incidents aren't of any coincidence. When Grimlord stated he was going to sever the reality barrier, it's going to leave a bad mark from where we're at," J.B confessed.

"J.B is right," Kaitlin agreed. "Are you able to activate the armor suits from your lab especially with the Virtualizers ready to be of use?"

"You do realize the potential hazard once you've embraced the suit. It can have a potential side effect in taking toll on a person's mind and body, even with the risk of death being a likely factor," Horatio warned.

"Somebody has to take a stand in stopping these creatures. Even though law enforcement takes care of that kind of stuff, we don't know what they could be up against," Kaitlin spoke strongly on the matter. "Please Professor. Our world could use some extra allies."

Horatio took a moment to reconsider his stance. Was it worth the risk than to have a group of civilians tampering with high tech equipment that they may be unfamiliar with? Did he realize the repercussions of what these three friends were getting into? After given some thought, the professor would reach a final verdict.

"I won't be held accountable for your injuries if I were to proceed with this action," he stated. "It's going to take some time for me to get the suits functioning. I'm going to head back to the lab and get everything situated. I'll notify you with a text message as soon as they're ready. For right now, make yourselves right at home. I have some snacks over by the kitchen table and some drinks I stored inside the refrigerator," Horatio weighed in on the game plan.

"We appreciate it Professor," J.B complimented. As Horatio got up from the chair, he grabbed his keys from the dining room table before exiting the cabin.

"I'm going to head out by the porch and clear some air. There's just so much going through my mind right now," said Ryan as he sat up from the sofa. Following his comment, J.B and Kaitlin eyed on their unstable friend providing him solitude to maintain control of his emotions.

Grimlord continued to monitor the brain wiring process demonstrated on Rebecca. As defenseless as she was, she could not penetrate the restraint binding her.

"In just a matter of moments, your mind will be cleansed like a set of saved files from your computer hard drive The size of your amygdala will shrink significantly indicating your ability to empathize with the people around you will dissipate." With an evil smirk from his face, Grimlord signaled one of his key lieutenants providing him with a syringe to weaken the chief's heart rate.

"I know it hurts to lose someone dear to you. I've been there before. Ever since I lost my wife, I could not embrace the sheer amount of grief and loss that I had to burden," he continued. "With this technology that Colonel Icebot devised, I am no longer alone. Despite her absence, I felt cleansed as ever than to remove the one trace of weakness a person could have: Love."

As Grimlord touched the face of Rebecca, she could feel the pounding of her heart immense. The pressure running through her mental state instigated a series of which she could witness the final moments in her life become nothing but a figment. Photographic memories she had with her husband and son were scrolling through the mind like a series of computer document files scanning from a flash drive; From vowing her marriage with Tyler on the altar to giving birth to a child named Ryan, one after the other, those memories were prepared to be digitized from her memory bank.

"Don't fight the pain. Let it consume you. Only then will you step out of the light and into the darkness where we will gladly take you under our wing," the creature cackled. Grimlord leaned in on a kiss beside the corner of Rebecca's lips easing her tension. Using this distraction as an opportunity, he injected the syringe onto her arm. Gradually, she began to fall unconscious once more as her body underwent a deep sleep.

"By the time this place goes boom, you will no longer succumb to the insecurities plaguing your heart. After this experiment translates well with the rest of our recruiters, the landscape of humanity will never be the same again," he snickered.

Outside on the back porch of the professor's cabin, Ryan stared blankly at the stars and constellations scattering across the evening sky. To say the past month has been a wave of emotions would be an understatement. From his father's untimely tragedy to being evicted out of his studio apartment, the amount of adversary that Ryan has faced could only contain so much that his mental condition could endure.

"Hey, I figured you could use a little drink to cheer you up." Stepping outside of the doorway, Kaitlin approached the porch in which she watched her friend leaning in front of the rails. With a glass bottled soda in each hand, she provided Ryan with some refreshments to alleviate his anxiety.

Thanks Kate," he said. As he received the bottle, he glanced at the brand label that captured his attention. "Ah Cheer Wine, now that's an appropriate drink to describe how I'm feeling."

"It was always your favorite. I didn't expect to find one in the fridge mind you," Kaitlin replied with a smile.

"Ah hail to nostalgia," Ryan joked twisting the cap open to consume the beverage.

"Remember when you and I used to play together in Little League? Besides working, your father would spend his free time coaching us and the rest of our teammates. He really brought out his best and encouraged us to give it our all win or lose," Kaitlin stammered choking up from the impact Ryan's father had on her. Maintaining her sanity, she continued, "There was this smile of his that had been ingrained in my mind. He always brought out that sense that even if you were feeling down on a bad day, he'd tell you that tomorrow will be better than before."

Like with Kaitlin, Ryan fought his best to control the on goings of his emotions.

"I can't forget that time I helped the team score first base. We were trailing behind but the game was just so close. Just like that, with a blink of an eye, we turned the tide and ended up winning our only regional championship," said Ryan reminiscing a particular moment in his childhood.

"Don't forget I also had a hand in that too," Kaitlin added. "If it hadn't been for that curveball he taught me, we wouldn't have had a chance for a homerun. When he first brought me in, some of our teammates poked fun of me during practice. I wanted to play because I loved baseball and I was eager to do whatever it took to learn more about the game. Next thing you know, we brought out the best in each other, proved our doubters wrong, and that led us to where we were. I owe you two for guiding me and believing that I could pull it off."

Ryan and Kaitlin chuckled with joy in their ongoing nostalgia. They cherished the life and influence Tyler had on them and how his wisdom helped maintain a strong bond they possess to this day. Every memory they shared with one another brought shed of tears forming from their own two eyes.

"Gosh it's too much to take in," Ryan paused briefly before resuming his sentence. "My dad was a lot of things. What I don't understand is who would have a grudge with him to the point that they wanted to leave him dead? I mean, why did they think it was a good idea to sabotage a family just so they could obtain something seemingly important to them? It just begs of me to ask even more questions."

Placing aside their beverages on the rail beam, she continued to offer Ryan her additional support.

"Sometimes there are questions out there we don't have answers for, some that we may never know. But all I know is that an item doesn't hold as much value unless you have someone to share it with," said Kaitlin.

"That's quite the philosophy coming from a reporter," Ryan pointed out.

"I miss him just as much as you do. But don't forget the people close to him are also having to deal with his loss," Kaitlin rebutted. "Your mother is strong but she could definitely use some company. At this point, it doesn't matter if something or someone was responsible for killing him. If there is ever a time when family members need each other the most, the door is open right in front of you."

Ryan reflected on the advice Kaitlin addressed towards him. For as long as he had known her, she saw the good in people no matter how much they tend to deny. The more profound her encouraging words became, Ryan could feel the weight in his heart intensify.

"It's been a few weeks already. I haven't even told my mother about possibly moving in," he said. "By the way, J.B did tell you about my eviction?"

Despite a lack of verbal response, Kaitlin's face signified with the impression that she had been informed beforehand.

"Let's say I am no saint when it comes to paying the utility bills on time," Ryan continued.

"Bottom line is that no matter what happens we'll be here for you. Depending on the choices we make, the real world can be either really kind or cruel," Kaitlin let him in on the advice.

"I'm getting the impression you've been reading a lot of books lately," Ryan said insinuating based from her comments.

"Let's just say that I've had the best people around me to learn and appreciate life around me. I really want to make the most out of it as I can," Kaitlin told him. "Don't give up Ryan. Somehow you'll pull out of this one way or the other, and I'm sure your mother can do the same. No matter what happens, we're here for you."

While in the midst of their discussion, J.B emerged behind the door to alert his friends of some breaking news.

"Guys there's something you should see," he advised his friends. Ryan and Kaitlin followed J.B back inside of the cabin. With the television blaring in the background, the trio came across a bulletin concerning the abduction of the CCPD's police chief. As the news anchor continued to address the situation, a photo still of Rebecca Steele was displayed on the upper right corner of the screen. With the slip of bottled Cheer Wine from his hand, shards of glass scattered on the wooden floor. This instant ignited shocked expressions on everyone including Ryan.

"Mom," he muttered. While more details gathered, footage cuts towards the officers outside of the lab conducting live interviews by news reporters. "I can't stand this. We should get over to the professor stat."

Before J.B and Kaitlin could respond, a vibration coming from his phone began to rumble from Ryan's pocket. While picking it up, he noticed a familiar caller ID indicating the name and number of his mother.

"Ryan, what's going on?" Kaitlin wondered.

When hitting the green phone icon, Ryan proceeded in responding to the call.

"Mom, are you okay?" Ryan wondered doing his best to remain calm in the situation.

"No this is Lieutenant Combs of the CCPD. I'm calling you from her work phone as we speak. Your mother's last whereabouts were in the remains of the wreckage that your father Tyler was at the time of his death," the lieutenant spoke to him.

"Are there any clues to where she may be?" Ryan asked.

"A rental vehicle that belonged to her was parked out here prior to her disappearance. Currently, we've been surveying the lab both inside and out in search of her whereabouts. We're doing everything we can and get back to you when we find her." While the lieutenant intended to keep in touch, Ryan began to overhear some static echoing from the speaker of his phone.

"Lieutenant, I can't hear what you're saying," he informed him.

"Oh well hello there," he said repeatedly doing everything possible to keep contact. As the line was disconnected, it wouldn't be long before he received another call. Only this time it contained a Face Time invitation from an unexpected caller - his ID recognized as Tyler Steele.

"No," he mumbled much to his astonishment. Ryan pressed the icon on his phone to accept the invite.

"Well if it isn't Ryan Steele." Over on the screen, an image of Grimlord appeared on the feed much to the man's chagrin.

"You," Ryan scolded. "Tell me what did you to my mother? Where is she?"

"It's funny that you ask," Grimlord cackled. "Commissioner Steele is doing just fine inside a secret layer in the lab only Tyler and Horatio have access towards. I would be more than happy to have you speak to your mother before she succumbs to our loyalty."

Following his statement, the creature toggled the camera from Tyler's phone to witness Rebecca strapped to a chair along with a head gear wired to a machine.

Ryan retorted. "Grimlord, I swear if you lay a hand on her I will..."

"...Will what? What exactly will you do that can stop me from causing destruction in the so called 'real world'?" Grimlord interrupted on behalf of his comment. "I know you're thirsting for vengeance. I can sense it straight in your eyes. You resent the fact you didn't get a chance to speak to your father before his demise. Now is the time to right that guilt by saying your final words before the 'Rebecca Steele' you know becomes a soulless being."

Their conversation came to a halt when the voice of Colonel Icebot echoed in the background.

"Master, I detect a disturbance on our radar. It appears we have some police agents scouting the building. We only have a matter of time before they discover our presence," the Colonel said communicating with Grimlord from his earphone.

"Send a creature out there at once and have him show no mercy on our guests," Grimlord instructed.

"He should be on his way momentarily," the Colonel answered. "General Ivar had just sent out the Skugs to hold them off as we speak. Decimator will be on patrol to ensure they don't notice where you've hidden her."

"Let me know when they've been taken out," Grimlord instructed.

"Affirmative Master," said the Colonel before concluding their transmission. Shortly that followed, Grimlord shifted his focus back on Ryan.

"The police can do all they want. Even if they find out where I'm holding the chief, they won't stand a chance to take me down. They'll have to get to me before they could free her," he continued. "If you like to have any last words, now is your chance to do so."

Temporarily, Ryan stood silent. Backed in a corner, it was all or nothing offer in regards to his mother's fate at the hands of a gruesome fiend.

"What is your decision Ryan? Where exactly do you stand in all of this?" Grimlord taunted. After a moment of hesitance, it all came down to the wire.

"Mom, if you're listening to this..." Ryan stammered taking his time to put his thoughts into sentences. "If you could hear me, help is on the way. We're not going to let Grimlord take away another life. Not under my watch."

Once again Grimlord let out a maniacal laugh.

"Well it's just as I suspected. When morning comes, you'll be sorry that you made such high expectations only to not deliver them," he threatened him. "Now if you excuse me, my army and I have some business to take care of."

As their Face Time chat concluded, Ryan slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Grimlord has done it. I lost my father because of him, and I'm not going to let him take away my mother," he said fuming with anger as the war between reality and virtual reality has since molded into a matter of saving a beloved family member.

"Ugh he hasn't even left a single text," Kaitlin said checking the inbox from her phone. As opposed to waiting for an update, she took the alternate route by calling the professor's number. "Oh hi Professor, I know you wanted us to wait but I'm afraid it's urgent. Is everything ready to go?"

"I have the suits operated at one hundred percent capacity," the professor informed them.

"Thank you so much. We'll be on the way," she replied as she immediately hung up.

"Let me go ahead and clean up all of the glass shards. I'll catch up with you two in a bit," J.B advised grabbing a dustpan along with a broom from the Porto closet.

"Thanks J.B but it's my mess," Ryan insisted otherwise.

"You've been through enough as it is. Just head to the lab and I'll take care of the rest," J.B encouraged the two.

"Don't worry Ryan. The police won't be the only ones to save her," Kaitlin said providing some reassurance in light of an intense situation.

"Mom, just hang tight," Ryan mumbled clenching his hand into a fist.