Chapter Ten: Vacation is over... Back to work!

Lloyd stood still, his expression blank as he stared ahead. Kai nibbled his bottom lip for a second, before placing a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. It's been five and a half weeks since Lloyd has been on the field, and he didn't appear to be paying any attention. "Kid? Come on. We're going to loose Mindroid if you just stand around here."

Lloyd shook his head, in a poor attempt to clear his mind. "Sorry Kai... let's go."

Kai waited a few minutes, before timidly speaking up. "Do you... need Dr. Julian or Uncle Lou take you in to a therapist?"

Lloyd clenched his fingers into a fist, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "What will I tell them? Hi, I was raised by criminals, thought this one criminal was the one that took me in but it turned out to be a completely different criminal? And now I keep getting flashes on how I most likely was found all those years ago?"

Kai winced, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry... didn't mean t..." Lloyd clapped a hand over Kai's mouth, a soft hiss of quiet escaping him.

Mindroid was walking past a businessman, and as they watched, he slipped a bag into the man's hand. The man casually slipped the bag into his pocket. "I'm going to go pick his pocket. Find out what it is that Darkley's is up to now."

"You sure that you're up to it?" Kai questioned him, his voice soft.

Lloyd rolled his eyes skyward, before shrugging his surrogate big brother off. "I know that Z told you to keep an eye on me. I wasn't born yesterday."

Kai grinned, jogging next to the moving quickly teen. "I told him that you wouldn't like that."

…..

Lloyd rubbed the gemstone between his fingers, one eyebrow arching upwards. "Alexandrite? What use would this be to Darkley's?"

"Who cares? How soon till we're in Rio? I can't wait for this Carnival that Z mentioned!" Jay bounced slightly in his seat. Instead of taking their normal passage on the private jet, they had booked three tickets for the commercial line.

Cole arched one eyebrow upwards, finally looking up from the lists of food that could be found in Rio. "You do know that the Carnival doesn't have any rides...right?"

"Oh..." Jay slumped forward in his seat, for five seconds before popping back up. "Can we still wear masks like everyone else though!?"

Cole turned to face Lloyd, who quickly lifted his hands up in the surrender position. "He's your best friend...not mine. You deal with it."

Cole groaned, before going back to read about the native food. Lloyd shook his head, amused about his friends' response to everything.

…..

Lloyd stumbled, blinking rapidly as he scanned the area around him to make sure that no one had noticed him freezing up. Cole and Jay were interrogating a jeweler for information while he was looking for a Darkley's Agent to follow. Lifting a hand up, he rubbed at his eyes, before lifting his binoculars back up to his face to stare at the young couple with a baby that he could of sworn was himself. Relief flashed through him upon seeing that it was just a random baby that looked nothing like him. "I've got to stop seeing things..." Lloyd muttered under his breath as he shifted his attention away to look in a different place.

When his phone went off, he tried his hardest not to act excited. Pulling his cell phone out, he pushed the talk button as he lifted it to his ear. "Report."

"We got Mindroid in sight. We're following him now. We're down in the Favelas. Do you see us?" Jay's voice was brisk, but lacking the tone that indicated all business.

Lloyd lifted his binoculars up with one hand, peering in the direction that Jay claimed they were in. Upon spotting Mindroid with two familiar figures right behind him, Lloyd smiled. "Yeah... I see you. I'll be down in five." Lloyd hung up, shoving the phone and binoculars into his coat pocket. Stepping onto the railing, he allowed himself to fall, activating his hang-glider.

…..

Lloyd took a step back, blinking rapidly as he stared at the shocked family that was sitting around the living room that Mindroid had just ran through. A groan escaped him as he pressed a hand to the side of his head, annoyed at himself for once again seeing himself in another. Leaping out of the same kitchen window that Mindroid had just jumped out of, he charged into the next house...only to find it completely empty.

Spinning in a circle, Lloyd ran his hands through his hair, a low growl of frustration escaping him. He stopped abruptly upon finding the young family that he just ran through the home of, standing behind him, concern in their eyes. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Lloyd hesitated, even as his stomach growled in agreement. Hearing his stomach growl made the young boy burst out laughing, reaching out to grab a hold of his hand. "Come on! Mom makes the best food!"

Lloyd laughed at that, allowing the child to drag him back to their house. "I guess a small bite wouldn't hurt."

…...

"Thank you ma'am for such a wonderful meal." Lloyd sincerely thanked his host as he gathered his dishes up, with the full intention of taking them to the sink.

"It is nothing, really." The mother of the household insisted, already working on cleaning up the mess.

The father leaned back, clasping his hands together in front of him. "If you don't mind me asking...but why where you chasing that young man so, willy-nilly? As if everything depended on you catching him?"

Lloyd debated on what to tell him, for a few seconds. "That young man is known for working for a criminal organization. I was trying to arrest him before he could ruin more lives than he already has."

"Hmm... he's one of the ones that have been staying in that old rundown tenant house." The mother commented.

Lloyd felt his eyes widen, his mind latching on the fact that, despite watching Mindroid enter the building, he was no where in there. "Trap door. There must be a trap door over there somewhere."

"Go. If you need to save the day, then you shouldn't delay."

….

Lloyd moved quietly through the underground tunnel, moving slowly to where he could hear voices. Pausing, he peered over to where Mindroid and Gene were arguing over something. Before he could say or do anything, there was a loud thud from behind him. "Uh...who let Lloyd Ninja in here!?"

Lloyd spun around to find himself facing Nindroid, even as Gene and Mindroid rushed over to aid him. Three against one... and the one only just recently was given the doctor's okay for this kind of stuff. Lloyd gritted his teeth, frustration flaring up. He really didn't like his odds here...