Helenas hands were shaking with what D'Jok had just revealed. She already knew he was alive, but now she knew why she felt the unexplainable connection with the chief of the pirates each time she saw his wanted poster. Because Sonny Blackbones was her beloved husband. That explained so much. She had looked at Sonny Blackbones wanted poster so many times over the years, even felt a strong connection with the image in so many had felt guilty, when there was no need to. When she thought of it, in so many ways, Sonny still looked like I'Son. The changes he had made to his appearance was minimal. The most distinct for her, was his eyes. Gone were the icy blue, innocent eyes of his, replaced by some warm, and seemingly, very friendly, hazel eyes. She had taken a liking to the pirate from early on. He seemed just, like he sought the truth, not just being a common thief. Now she understood the attraction. I'Son had changed, transformed, just like Maia said. But he transformed into a stronger person than he already was. When she looked at the image of the pirate, she could see it. I'Son was still there, but to protect himself, clearly he had gone through a rough time, what he had thought happened.. she could only imagine. That explained the rage wich Technoid had been attacked with from the start. He thought they had killed her, and D'Jok. Helena herself had been tormented with what had happened to him, now, it seemed like what happened was, I'Son changed his name to Sonny Blackbones, became a pirate, to seek revenge for what had happened to them. And The pirates being who they were, they would have told him what they knew of Technoid. That would have fueled his sense of justice, to at the very least, even the score. Helena inhaled sharply when she realised what Sonny had to have been faced with. Poor Sonny..
As soon as she had her whits about her, Helena had more questions.
"D'Jok, I need to ask. How is he doing? Has he moved on after all that happened?" she asked.
D'Jok had a very soft smile on his face as he looked at his mom. Sonny had asked similar questions. Both his parents seemed nervous to approach the question. Like they had already been through more hurt than they could take. And just a tiny rejection would be enough to make their towers topple. He was perhaps young, but even he could tell, his parents wanted to meet, to see if they could bridge the gap and move forwards, together in some manner. But as of now, fear was in the way of either of them reaching out to eachother.
"Mom, Sonny asked the same questions. I have to say, he looked like he wants to meet you, but he would not come forth if you were with someone else. After all, he is the most wanted man in the galaxy. But he did tell me, you are the love of his life. He just doesnt want for you to get hurt, or himself" he replied calmly.
Maia had joined Helena. Hearing what her son had to say, Maia knew they would take off for Genesis as soon as Helena could put in notice she took a few days off. This was too important for her own well being, and clearly, also Sonnys, to be put on hold any longer. But a question popped into her mind that needed be addressed.
"But what brought him into contact with the snow kids? Someone like Sonny Blackbones has to be on alert all the time, to avoid Technoid finding him. He is taking a big risk for this. So what is the reason?" Maia asked.
D'Jok sighed.
This was the point where matters that happened before he was even born, came into play. D'Jok bade them both sit down, as he intended to explain everything.
Halfway done. Sonny had his men keep a look out for Technoid. They were sure to start searching for the snow kids as soon as Bleylock realised they had been relocated. His hackers had already given him a report. Professor Baldwin, Bleylocks henchman, had come to the Genesis Gymnasium for the snow kids, and been seen leaving in a fury as they were no longer there. They had intervened just in time to stop a disaster. When he thought of what Bleylock could have done to the kids.. He had to admit, it gave him some feeling of satisfaction to know this would make Bleylock fume. Half the team had the proceedure done at this point. Next person up was..D'Jok. Sonnys eyes met his sons emerald green as he entered the room, and laid down on the bench, ready for the process. Sonny kept an eye on the gauges on Clamps console. As soon as it was done, D'Jok got up.
"How are you feeling D'Jok?" Clamp asked.
"I feel fine. Are you sure this really fixed the problem Clamp? By the way, Dad, Can I have a word with you? Its kind of personal" D'Jok asked, instantly regretting it.
Clamp looked at them with shock in his eyes.
"I think you couldn't handle the procedure well D'Jok. I could have sworn, you just addressed Sonny as Dad" Clamp said.
Sonny smiled.
"Its not a mistake Clamp. Its a long story. We dont have time for it now. But D'Jok is my son. And by going for this option rather than the other, I am very proud of him" Sonny said as he smiled.
"We can speak freely here Son, what is it you have to report from your call to your mother?" Sonny asked.
Clamp smiled as D'Jok filled him in on what his mother had said. He could have sworn, he saw Sonny lower his shoulders considerably during the conversation. And since he knew what Sonny had lost, to hear he now had a chance to resurrect it..Clamp could not think of a more deserving guy to have this happen to him. Sonny had a son,and his wife still alive. They both wanted to meet him. He could remember how deeply Sonny loved his wife back in the day, to go though the things he had, it could tear a mans heart into a million pieces, and leave him a fuming powder keg, waiting to explode at any time. Sonny had fuelled his rage into attacking Technoid, to get back at Bleylock for what he thought he had done, and when he realised that history was about to repeat itself, Sonny threw all caution for his own personal safety aside. He was going to take it upon himself for deal with this, once and for all, Clamp continued to finish and prepare for the next person while Sonny hugged his son. He felt relieved. Helena would come to see him. What he felt was reciprocated, now his men would take care of creating a safe enviroment for this reunion to take place. Finally, after all these years, it seemed life took a turn for the better.
Helena had filed her paper work to file for a few days off. She was going to Genesis, to cheer her son on in the cup matches, along with Maia. Well, that was the official version. The truth was not something she could tell Duke Maddox. Sonny was wanted, but there was nothing clear about what the charges against him was. But with a bounty for his capture, he had to keep a low profile. Helena was feeling her heart race. Genesis Stadium was said to be a huge place, and she was born and raised on the tiny planet of Akillian. On Genesis, she could meet him in secretsy, and spend some time with him, without fear of being discovered. Just the thought of seeing him again.. D'Jok had let her know, Sonny had already put his men to make a plan for this to be carried out in a safe enviroment for her. The way things was, they had a lot to discuss. And Sonny was not going to put her in danger of being exposed as the wife of the pirate chief wihout having a security net to fall back on financially. Helena had booked her ticket first. Possibly not the smartest choice, but she would fake an emergency to be with her son, if need be. D'Jok had played a bit unevenly lately, and the explanation that he needed his mom, was plausible. Helena suspected, the idea her son put forth was not his own, but his fathers suggestion. Sonny had not made it this far by letting others make the calls for him. As it was,Duke Maddox had already left for Genesis,, since his team participated in the cup. He was on Genesis stadium already, cheering his robot team on. She could bump into him. And then, she needed to convince him that her son had some issues and needed his mother. Her heart fluttered. After all these years, she would finally see him again. D'Jok had assured her, Sonny wanted this meeting as much as her. In fact, it seemed even he was anxious to make it happen the sooner the better. With that done, Helena booked her ticket to Genesis stadium. The Astro bus would be leaving in a few hours. She had better start packing.
At Genesis north, on the oposite end of Genesis from Genesis Gymnasium, Sonny had just received the report that Technoid was looking on the wrong side of the spinning star for them. Good, that would give them some time, but how much was hard to tell. Sonny told his team to stay on them, and let him know the minute they were coming in their direction. He decided to check on Clamp. Mostly, to calm his nerves. Helena was on her way too. in a few hours, they would be reunited. After 16 years, he would see her again. A part of him felt over the moon, and the other, the pirate instincts of his, told him to keep calm. And not to raise his hopes. He heard a sound behind him. As he peeked over his shoulder, he saw Corso enter the room the pirates used to rest up. They were four men sharing this space, as a security measure.
Corso smiled when he saw him.
"Just a few more hours now Sonny, and you will know where you stand.I have a feeling this will do you some serious good" he said.
Sonny nodded. Of all his men, no one knew him better than Corso. His right hand man had an uncanny ability to tap into his emotions. Corso himself did not display emotions, but they had a special bond from the start. Corso cared for his well being, on so many levels. Sonny was glad he was here, in the final hours before his life would either take a turn for the better, or dip for the worse.
Then he rose from the bed where he had been resting.
"For reasons I have not figured out, I feel nervous about this Corso. Its been so long. Most ladies would have moved on. Helena chose to hold on. According to my son, she dates, but no one has ever lasted more than one night. A part of me is happy, and another.." he sighed.
Corso nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"The other part is scared, and fears she wont like who you have become. I get it. All pirates that reunites with lost loved ones go though this Sonny. I cant really offer any advice on this. All I can say is, be who you are now. Let her see whom you became. Let your character and actions of good deeds speak for you. If she is even half the woman I suspect her to be, based off of what you told me,this will end on positive notes. I would not be surprised if this is a second chance for you. All the pirates will be behind you on this. So, instead of worrying and coming up with scenarious that does nothing to calm your nerves, if I was in your place, I would be more concerned with how things will move forwards from here. There are challenges you and her need to address as parents, and a married couple. Because Sonny, even with a name change, you are still legally married to her. And a pirate name will not trumph the name you were given. Unless you decide to get a divorce, wich I dont think is likely from what I heard, you are still a married man, whos wife wants to meet him" Corso suggested mildly.
Sonny nodded. Corso was right. He was not a well paid scientist any more. He was a pirate, a thief, a scavenger. And he was wanted, with a bounty on his head. That alone would be enough to deter any woman from seeking to be with him, or even in his life. By merely being whom he was, he was putting the people he wanted to be around him, at risk. Helena had returned to her old job, as a nurse for Technoid. She tended to Duke Maddox case. And by being a technoid employee, there was a chance Bleylock could be watching her.
Bleylock.
The very name made him feel sick to his stomach. If that scum knew about Helena and D'Jok,there was a chance he could be watching them.
D'Jok had an exceptional football talent, and he had the spotlight on him. That should be enough to keep him safe from Bleylock.
And Helena..
If Bleylock didn't know she was here, and she was coming with a friend, She would be safe too.
How to deal with matters further ahead.. he had to meet her and speak with her first, then, he would know.
Sonny smiled.
"Thanks Corso. I needed that" he smiled.
Corso raised two fingers to the brim of his hat.
"Thats the reason you made me your right hand man Sonny. On that note, you better check on Clamp. He is done with the extraction. Now, he has to make some repairs to the energy sphere. I thought it would be wise for you to be there when he does. Seems to me, you know a lot about flux,I am not going to pry. It will take your mind off things for now. I will let you know as soon as they arrive at the astro port. Artie will be ready to pick them up and drive them here" Corso said.
Sonny nodded, then, he headed to Clamps room to see if he could help matters.
There they were. D'Jok had gone with Artie to pick them up, as the story was that he missed his mother during the competition. But on Sonnys advice, he had masked himself somewhat, to avoid being spotted. Being the star striker he was, he stood out, and the pirates did not want to be found as of now. Even Aarch and Dame Simbai had been very understanding once the situation was explained. Sonny was putting his own security on the line to help them, the least they could do, was to give him something in return. As the passengers exited the shuttle, Helena rushed to meet her son as she got out the gate.
"D'Jok! I have missed you so much" Helena whispered as she hugged her son tight. D'Jok could only smile under the caps he was weaing to hide his flame red hair.
"Me too mom, it is strange to be away from you for so long. But lets hurry to the hotel. I am here incognito, as the press are hunting for us. Dad and Clamp dealt with what made us sick. Have you ever heard of something called Meta Flux?" he whispered.
Helena nodded seriously as she freed herself from her sons embrace. This was about the cursed Metaflux again. It didnt take much for her to relive the flight for their lives that she and Sonny had done years earlier.
"That explains the bounty. I don't know much, but I know Bleylock, an oerative of Technoid, was your dads operative when it was made. I know it was very dangerous. I hope your father knows that if this is what caused you to develop your flux so fast, and to the level we have seen, then he is going to try to get it" she said.
D'Jok nodded slowly. He didn't know much about the past of his father, but this name he had heard.
"Lets head to the hotel. Dad sent one of his trusted men to get us there. I believe he is anxious to see you mom. Do you feel ready?" he asked.
Helena nodded. With Maia in tow, they got into Arties cab and drove off.
Corso had told them all to clear out the room. This was meant for Sonny and his wife. And them alone.
Even Sonny was visibly nervous. So they had reserved a private chamber for them to meet, and have a dinner. Sonny was just studying the menu, on the seafood courses. That had been his favourites since he was a child. Then, he heard the door open.
There she was. Even in a simple everyday dress, she was the most beautiful sight he ever laid his eyes upon.
"I'Son? Is it really you?" She managed, her voice shaking ever so slightly.
Sonny felt weak in the knees, as he got up from his seat.
"Helena..honey.." he whispered.
That was all he could say, before he felt her hands cup his face, and pull him to her. Seconds later, he felt her lips on his. He could not resist if his life depended on it.
He was drowning, and her kisses was like the air in his lungs.
Sonny let his forehead lean on hers. !6 long years..he thought he would never see her again, that she paid the ultimate price for his and Labnors mistake. And as by magic, she was still here.
If he was dreaming, he never wanted to wake up.
"I got no words to describe just how beautiful you are" he whispered.
Helena cradled his neck with her finger tips. It was really him. Her one true love, her sons father.
"Honey, what name do you prefer I call you by now? I understand you have changed over the years" she whispered.
Sonny smiled for a second.
"I think..we should put the past in the past. Meaning that also goes for my old name. So please Honey, call me Sonny from now" he said.
Helena smiled.
"That name is really you. I like it. It has a sexy sound to it" she said.
Sonny chuckled.
"Less than five minutes in, and you are already flirting with me? I guess that means, you are not recenting me over the past? If I had known you were alive, I would have risked it all to come back for you. The pirates would have helped me make it happen" he said.
Helena smiled.
"I am glad you didn't. Akillian was not a good place to be at that time. It was survival of the fittest. I nearly didn't make it myself. It was only because I was an employee of Technoid, Maia was able to get me to a hospital and get proper care after D'Jok was born. I was in a very bad state. But Maias care and perhaps most, feeling our sons tiny hands, even when I was in a comatose state, helped me pull through. If you had come back then too look for us, I fear what Bleylock would have done to you. The chase told me just how serious things had gotten" she whispered.
Sonny nodded. Helena was intelligent. She knew that it would have ended badly. And she was not angry with him by all accounts.
"Honey, after all these years, you never met someone else. Our son grew up with an absent father. I am curious. Why did you never move on, and remarry?" he asked carefully.
Helena smiled.
"Because, if I was to move on, I needed a body to bury. Your body was never recovered. Until I knew, I was still married to you. I never broke my wow. What about you?" she asked.
Sonny smiled.
"The same Honey. Nobody would compare to you. I still got my bracelet, it reminded me of you, every day. And that bracelet showed me my son. We got so much to talk about. But first, how about a dinner?" Sonny suggested and beckoned to the table.
"I hope they have good seafood here. And Akilian shrimps.I am still your wife Sonny, and I want to ask you, if we can start over. I realise we got some challenges ahead, with you being a wanted man, but we will find a way. If you are willing?" she asked.
Sonny smiled.
"That would make my life complete. We will deal with anything and everything the galaxy throws at us, together. Like we wowed to do when we married" he said.
Helena smiled as she took the glass with the wine that Sonny offered her.
"Then, lets toast, to a new beginning".
They had been hiding for days, not spotted by the press, thanks to the pirates efforts. Training on how to play without using the breath, wich in so many ways had become a safety net. To have to play without using the flux had frustrated D'Jok in particular. It got to a point, where Aarch asked Sonny to sit in on the training, knowing him to be the coach of the pirates. He could use some tips on how to make the snow kids play better as a team. Sonny did as Aarch asked. And he could see the problem. D'Jok had let ego get to him, and was so full of his own importance, he became a problem for his team. As Sonny watched Aarch try to correct his stubborn son, he could see Helena, whom was here for D'Jok and also him, since they would now try to restart their marriage,also enter the training room.
Aarch smiled as he looked at Sonny and Helena.
"Normally, I don't want the parents around during training, but right now, maybe you two can help me?" he suggested.
Sonny put his arm around Helena.
"What do you think Honey? You want to consider to be assistant coach for the day?" Sonny asked before he gave her a kiss.
Helena smiled.
"Let me guess, our son has another big headed moment?" Helena laughed.
Sonny rolled his eyes.
"He is lucky he is not on the pirates team. This kind of behaviour, I got my own methods of handling. And it is not a favourite of the teams. I tell you that" Sonny said, getting annoyed with how his son tried to make himself the star of the team.
Corso, whom was watching the door chuckled.
"True, when Sonny is in charge, he knows how to break down the hot heads. They tend to underestimate him, because they think he is a lot older than them. Many hot heads among the pirates learned the hard way, Sonny is a force to be reckoned with. Age does not mean easy to beat around our camp" he said.
Aarch looked at Sonny, a smile forming on his face.
"Do you have a suggestion as to how we can deal with D'Jok Sonny? I need the team to be more together than they are now, act as a unit. As of now, I consider you a fourth member of the staff" Aarch said.
Sonny nodded.
"What say you Helena? Is he as stubborn as his old man, or can this be cleared relatively easily?" he asked.
Helena smiled.
"He is actually a few notches worse than you Sonny. I do think he needs to be taken down a few notches. As a coach,do you have any creative ideas?" she asked.
Sonny seemed to think for a moment. Then, a smirk formed on his face.
"They need to focus on team play, right Aarch?" he asked.
When Aarch nodded, with a smile, Sonny grinned.
Then, he told Dame Simbai what to put in, to make sure the hole in the team unity would be tightened.
Bleylock was fuming. The snow kids didn't have the meta flux any more. For the entire first half of the match, they played without flux. He understood, better than anyone what had happened. Sonny Blackbones had happened. Sonny had relocated the kids, to extract the meta flux. And if he could not find a way to stop him, this time, the cursed pirate would succeed in doing what he failed at 16 years ago. But then, he was notified that someone wanted to see him. Duke Maddox was pleased, since his team was winning by the look of things, so he didn't much care that Bleylock left to meet with someone. Bleylock met the person in the stadium. This was a person dressed in the ceremonial cloak of The flux society. Bleylock listened to what was reported. And then, he was given a piece of information that was unexpected.
Sonny had a son, and they had met. Bleylock knew whom he used to be. Humans were predictable beings. And Sonny, even in the past, was sentimental. His son would mean the galaxy to him. And said son would be his ticket to get the upper hand. With what he knew, he would make some moves, and have Sonny hand him the meta flux, personally. There was some old debt to settle between the two of them. Only one of them would survive this, and Bleylock was determined, that would not be Sonny Blackbones.
Helena and Maia sat with the other parents in the stands. Helena wished Sonny would have been there too, cheering his son on, but the problem with the meta flux had not yet been resolved. So Sonny and the pirates would bring it to a safe place so Sonny could destroy it. By the time the match was over, Sonny would be on his way with his men. As soon as matters was taken care of, Sonny would come to Akillian, and they would think of how to progress from there. At the moment, Sonny was tense, getting ready to finalize what had cost him so dearly last time. As of now, there was no sign of Bleylock, but Sonny had a sixth sense that warned him, Bleylock wasn't far behind. They had to leave tonight. Helena smiled when she thought of last night. Sonny was trying not to push things, but what was meant to be a small kiss, had fuelled the flame in both of them. And instead of heading back to the pirates room for the night, Sonny had let himself be persuaded to spend the night with her. It had made her feel so good, finally, he laid next to her, his arms around her. She had slept so well, feeling more safe than she had in years. She was at home, with him. She had loved him when they married, and she loved whom he had become. She even liked his men, whom she had gotten to know these last days. She could see the family bonds between the pirates. And she could see the respect, and care they had for each other. And the love they had for Sonny. Knowing whom he used to be, what she fell in love with about him, she was not surprised if he had done this for his pirates too. And now, he was once again proving just whom he was, he wasn't just saving his men. He was literally saving the galaxy from falling into war. Sure, it was a bit worry some that the breath had not come to the team yet, but she had a feeling it would, as soon as the second half started.
Sonny starred out the porthole as they left Genesis Stadium. He hoped his son and his team would go all the way. Their journey so far had been the stuff of dreams. If they beat Technodroid v3, they would face the shadows in the final. It was rivalry between Aarch and Artegor. That could be interesting to see. But he needed to focus on his task. He needed to get the recovered Metaflux as far away from Bleylock as possible.
That was Corso looked at him.
"Sonny, we are at a safe distance now. There is no way Technoid can catch us now. Maybe now we can take these handcuffs off?" he asked.
Sonny didn't agree.
"We will take them off once the metaflux is in a safe place Corso, not before" he replied.
Corso looked at him.
"Relax Sonny. We have access to every known frequenzy in the galaxy. If someone was hunting us down, we would have known about it weeks ago" he reminded his friend.
That moment, Bennett, whom was working the radio communications, turned to them, he looked worried.
"You should listen to this" he said and pushed a button.
Sonny and Corso listened. Then, they heard a voice on the speaker.
"Blackbones, if you care for your son, I advice you to bring you know what to the place were you freed clamp, there is no telling what I could do" it said.
Bleylock. Sonny involuntarily clenched his fists.
"That one has been playing on a loop for over a minute" Bennett commented.
Then, Artie noticed something.
"Look, there is an image with it" he said and pointed.
Once the video clip played, Sonny felt cold.
The images was his son, banging the door of some kind of vault.
"Oh No! D'Jok!" he exclaimed as he heard his son yell and bang the door.
Sonny was angry. He got his hands on Bleylock, he would kill him for this.
"The Scum! How dare they? We have to turn around" Sonny said.
It was clear that he conceded to Bleylocks demand. Corso was angry.
"But thats crazy Sonny. You know he will never free your son. And you will be putting everything we worked for at risk. Its just a trap Sonny" Corso tried.
But Sonnys mind was made up. He just looked at Corso.
"We have to turn around" he said, making it clear, he was not going to change his mind on the matter. Then, he turned around to walk away, to his own private cabin.
Corso looked at him. He just could not let Sonny do this. All they had worked for would go down the drain. This was putting his head in the lions mouth. And Sonny wasn't thinking straight. Someone threatened the son he has just met. It was understandable that he would react as he did, but they could not let this happen. Corso closed his eye for a second. He hated being put in this situation. But Sonny gave him no choice. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a stunner. In two steps, he was directly behind Sonny and held the stunner to his back.
Sonny yelped, then he fell to the floor, unconscious. Bennett and Artie looked at Corso. Was he insane? But Corso seemed unphased.
"Sorry Sonny, but I couldn't let you do that" Corso said.
Bennett and Artie were hesitant to move. Corso had never done something like this to Sonny before. They saw Corso lift Sonny into his arms.
"He needs to cool down. We will place him in the hold until he can be reasoned with" Corso informed as he carried the unconscious pirate chief to said vault, and placed guards at the door, to keep him from doing something the entire galaxy would suffer for.