Everyone could hardly believe what they were seeing right now. it was some kind of hallway that looked conspicuous. This hallway looked very peculiar and somewhat a little eerie, even though it looked modern and not medieval and old like many other buildings across Paris.
"What kind of a place is this?" asked Luna
"Je ne sais pas (I don't know)." Mason said. "But we should be very, very careful. we don't know what we'll find." a thought suddenly occurred to him. "wait, i think this is the base of operations for Les Loups Enrages." he looked around the corridor and on the ceiling, there was an insignia of a rabid wolf looking deadly and dangerous. Mason and his friends recognized this insignia very well since they have all seen the goons that belonged to this organisation wear this insignia before. Yes, this had to be the right place.
Everyone else realized that Mason was right, and it was out of the ordinary that the Louvre would have a corridor like this.
This was certainly not a place open to the public. Something was fishy and they all had to find out what was going on.
Perhaps the truth will be revealed. Carefully and in a stealthy manner, they went down the corridor and looked at the ceilings for any cameras that could be monitoring them like hawks in the sky.
Turns out there were cameras, and they all couldn't be seen by them at all. Everyone hid behind walls, furniture and other objects that they can hide in.
Every single camera was either iced out by Luna's ice blasts, shorted out by Sam's electric beams, melted our overheated by Mason's fire balls, or blasted by Jesse's rays of light so they they all wouldn't be caught by this militia group.
Whenever there were any guards patrolling the areas, they were all quickly subdued by the five GIGN special ops troops by being smothered by blocking their mouths, or quietly shooting them with their firearms (that they placed silencers on). It was a little scary because there could be around hundreds or even thousands of these goons patrolling around the areas of this hidden base, and one false move can lead to their demise. For all they knew, they could be vastly outnumbered. Despite that, they were making good progress in trying to keep it quiet and not compromise themselves to the enemy.
Lincoln almost felt like a ninja, skulking in shadows, and awaiting to strike at his opponent in the darkness. Sure, most of these heroes had powers, and the normal people had guns and firearms with them, but numbers can help win a battle. Hundreds or even a thousand of Les Loups Enrages to ten of these interlopers, if not counting Danielle, who does not have a weapon at all.
Mason kept his longtime friend close to her since he doesn't want anything bad to happen to her at all. Before Danielle moved back here to France from New Orleans as an exchange student, she was one of the closest friends that Mason ever had, long before he met his friends in Royal Woods. "Are you alright, Danielle?" asked Mason to her
"Oui. I'm fine, as long as I'm with you." she hugged him tightly and Mason hugged her back. Luna was suddenly feeling a small batch of jealousy inside of her rising from within.
"Luna, there's no need to be jealous." Lincoln said
"Wha? I'm not jealous dude!" she quietly screamed at him. "Come on. That's crazy talk."
"Jealous of what?" asked Sam
"Oh nothing." Luna said. "Nothing at all, dude."
"Come on, guys." said Jesse. "We need to keep moving and get to the bottom of this. That's what my dad would always do. Keep pushing forward."
"Right." said the other heroes. All of them kept on snooping around and they suddenly found themselves in a dark room with no lightswitch.
"What the? Who turned off the lights?" asked Sam
"Don't worry." said Adewale. "We'll handle this." he and his comrades pulled out flashlights, and just when they were about to light them up, the lights suddenly came back on, and they were all surrounded by Les Loups Enrages guards! The heroes, the GIGN team, Sebastien, and Danielle were all being held at gun point all around them.
"Oh mon dieu!" said Lincoln.
Almost everyone was about to kick some butt, but Sabre stopped them. "Wait! Arret!" he exclaimed. "We're outnumbered, there's no way we can survive zis."
"I would listen to him if I were you all." said a familiar voice. Some of these militiamen lined up like the queen of England was walking down the red carpet, and it revealed to be a familar face.
"You?" Luna said
"Ah, you remembered me." said Chacal. "I'm impressed."
"Who is this guy anyway?"
"Zis is Chacal." said Paton
"He serves as the second-in-command for zees madmen." Leclerc noted.
"One of France's most wanted men, along with Le Loup Blanche, ze true leader of these terrorists." Chevalier said
"We are not terrorists!" Chacal argued.
"How did you know we were here?" asked Jesse
"We've noticed that there was something wrong with our cameras, along with some of my men not responding to my calls." he looked at the heroes. "Either way... move!"
"Mason, i'm scared." Danielle admitted.
"Don't worry, Danielle." said Mason, "we'll be fine." Sadly, deep down, Mason didn't know for sure if they would be fine, but he certainly didn't want to freak her out like this. Regardless, Danielle kept close to him so she would be less terrified. At last, they stopped down a dimly lit room that was so ginormous and huge that there was a person sitting in a large chair and looking casual.
"Monsieur," said Chacal as he went up to the man sitting in the chair with his back to him. "We have... visitors to say ze least."
"Parfait." said a booming voice.
"Who are you?" asked Luna. "And what do you want with us you stupid-"
"How dare you speak to him in that such tone!" Chacal grabbed her face with his right hand, squeezing her cheeks,
"Stand down, Chacal. No need for irrational violence. I will deal with zem." He turned around and it revealed to be a shadowy figure. "Bienvenue to my secret headquarters." said the man. "I've long wanted to meet you, Luna Frost, along with your friends and zis... stupid man right here." he was probably referring to Doctor Sebastien here.
"Look, they are just kids. Leave them alone you pathetic vermin!" Sebastien insulted the figure. "I will rip your throat out if you try to hurt any of them!"
"Oh come on now, Sebastien." said the deep voice. He revealed himself from the shadows which caught everyone absolutely off-guard. "That's no way to talk to your little brother."
Sebastien seemed to be the one most shocked to see who the leader was. "Arno!" said everyone, except for Danielle. "Wait, little brother... you're the leader of Les Loups Enrages?"
"Of course. I have created something that you wish you could have came up with. Now I have an IQ just as equal as yours." said Arno. He sighed before adding: "If only mere et frere could see me now. Perhaps they would be more proud of me."
"But... why?" asked Mason. "Why would you do all of this, uncle Arno?"
"Why?" asked the leader in curiosity. "I will tell you Mason. When I was a child, I never gotten as much love from my parents as your father did. They always said they were proud of him and his accomplishments that many children couldn't think of possible! And what about me? I am a special person, but they never paid zat much attention to me. Leave it to my big brother to take away everything from me with his gifted IQ or special memories or academic skills. I try everything to get my parents' approval and it was absolutely no use!"
"OK," said Luna, "But why have you formed this group?"
"Simple, Luna." Arno replied. "Take a look at France. We've fallen from something that was once very great for France; a large number of colonies, prestige, and influence over the land. But look at us now, we're a joke!"
"Zat is not true!" said Paton. "We're still one of the most powerful countries in the world."
"Oui, at seventh place!" Arno argued. "What I am trying to say is, Macron is poisoning France, and he needs to go and be dealt with once and for all. With him out of the way, I can make something very great for France, something that the people have not seen in many many years."
"By blowing things up?" Lincoln asked
"And killing many people in the process?" Danielle added
"I am saving France from itself!" said Arno. "I can rebuild France to its former glory."
"Former glory?" asked Sam
"That's right, Sam." said Arno. "We were once one of the greatest empires in the world with all ze colonies in our possession: Africa, many parts of Asia, and other places. But now, we have lost our purpose! Thanks to zat clown: Macron, France is nothing but a joke. Look at what he is doing to France!"
"And you're the one who can save France?" asked Mason in anger
"With what I am doing, nephew." said Arno, "I am bringing greatness back to the country."
"Then why were you having your soldiers kill us, monsieur Arno?" Lincoln asked him
"Well, you kids are becoming quite popular in France just as you are in Etats-Unis. I knew you would try to get in ze way of my plans, and I knew you would give everyone hope. It was only a matter of time before you would figure it out. But I wasn't planning to kill Mason here. He is my nephew, and we are family."
"Look, i never wanted to hurt or kill anyone, but I am doing what is absolutely necessary. There had to be sacrifices along the way to achieve my dream of a better France. With what I am doing, I can even bring world peace."
"Many twisted men throughout history had said the same argument, Arno." said Sebastien. "Look where they have ended up."
Arno made a "tch" sound and replied: "That's exactly what I thought you would say."
"You're a monster!" said Luna.
"A very evil monster!" Lincoln added.
Luna felt herself being hit in the back of the head by the rear of a soldier's gun, and everyone else being hit by the soldiers, rendering them stunned and unconscious. They woke up thirty minutes later tied up and bound to chairs.
"I'm very sorry it had to come to this, mes amis." said Arno with Chacal on his left side, and a soldier on the right. "You will understand what good I am doing to France." he turned his attention to Mason, and knelt on one leg. "For your question, Mason," said he. "No. No, I am not the only one who can save France. We can. Together." he offered him a hand so that Mason could be his ally.
The poor teen could hardly believe what a monster his own uncle had become, and he felt like shedding a tear. "L'oncle," he said, "You know I can't do that."
Arno gave a said look on his face and slightly bent his head down. "Well, zat's a shame. I understand." his demeanor changed after a few long seconds of silence, and he looked angry and determined, turning his attention toward Sebastien. Arno pulled out a gun and aimed it at his own older brother, and shot him in the left knee, making him yell in pain in the process. The kids all exclaimed in horror, along with the GIGN troops.
"NOOOO!" Mason screamed at the top of his lungs seeing his own father get shot.
Author's Note: This chapter is rated T because of the outcome of this chapter.