Hello. I've almost finished watching the second season. And this is the fourth chapter, guys :)

He felt lost after having most likely walked right into a trap, like an unassuming fly in a spider's web. Forty-five pretended once more to read, yet seemed a bit tenser, and Mandarin's smirk was grating on Chiro's nerves.

"Thunder Punch!" Chiro shouted while throwing a punch at Mandarin's head, who blocked it easily, condescending smirk still in place. The boy kept struggling, his fist in Mandarin grip was shaking in fury. The evil robot monkey cackled using momentum and his tail to trip the boy.

"Ow," Chiro said half-heartedly as he fell to the ground, like one of the Super Robot's missiles. Mandarin raised an eyebrow, challenging him to continue, which Chiro did. He sprung on his feet quickly, just as Forty-five turned the page on his newspaper, and rushed towards the orange robot monkey.

"Chiro Spearo!"

The lightning spear appeared, being thrown towards Mandarin's torso. Mandarin flipped out of the way, before using a "Monkey Mind scream!" at Chiro. The child leaped to the left, evading the energy attack. they were soon breathing deeply and circling each other.

Since they were in a closed space, they were damaging, minimally, the ship.

"Kid, shoot your lightning sparks to the left too, the command center needs a matching hole," snorted Forty-five.

Chiro shot him the victory sign and said "The ship's never looked better. Although, it could do with one less problem simian!"

"Oh, no, my future, young apprentice. The problem is your attitude adjustment, and I better be shown common courtesy or..."

"Or what?" Chiro challenged, trying to hide his unsettlement.

Mandarin flipped over Chiro, ripped Forty-five's newspaper, put his claws right near his adam apple, and spat "Use your imagination, Chiro."

The boy gaped, then closed his eyes, and hung his head, hands shaking by his side.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry I attacked you, now please let go of him," he replied in a small, shaky voice. Mandarin looked him in the eye, pleased with himself. He then proceeded to take a small collar out of the ship's top shelves (claw still at the man's throat), which yet remained intact and told the boy to come closer to him. Mortification, as well as fright and wounded pride, were battling inside Chiro, yet the fate of a man was literally in his hands now. Chiro approached, reluctantly, obediently, until the collar was put on his neck. As soon as it found its target, it sealed shut.

As soon as he was collared, he felt it in his chest, the Power Primate being distorted and spread around. It made him feel slightly woozy and terrified.

"What-" Chiro began to ask.

"You must feel it, don't you, my hairless monkey? A mere power inhibitor, forged by Skeleton King himself. It will hinder your power primate."

"Urgh! Uh! ARgh!" Chiro groaned as he tried, with all his mind to get the collar off. Needless to say, it didn't budge.

The next four hours were spent in silence and misery, for Chiro that is. Forty-five was throwing him pitiful looks, but the boy could care less, his concern being oriented solely on the monkey team now that the man was out of danger.

While the flight was taking place at a very slow interval for Chiro's liking, the boy could not help but wonder "What would Antauri do? And what would he say about his circumstance?"

Probably something wise and philosophical like, not to lose faith, or something along the lines of "Do not worry, my friend. He who laughs last laughs best."

So the boy preserved his strength, ready to face his fate, however gruesome it might be.

To Chiro's surprise, they were not going to the Citadel of bone but to a remote planet, shining light green, like an emerald. The diamond-shaped ship approached the atmosphere, slowly descending to earth, right near a dark, gloomy castle, right out of Otto's horror stories.

'Dark? Check. Gloomy? Check. Lack of taste? Check,' the boy thought.

"This must be the place," Chiro said out loud.

"Indeed," Mandarin told him, before putting a hand on his shoulder and guiding him, executioner style towards the Skelton King's castle.

The three of them walked on, around the strange, coiling flora, ignoring the red-eyed, flying insects, and the forboding crows. The castle was well guarded, Chiro observed, with many traps and dutiful formless sitting at their posts. They looked restless, only aware of what was their immediate, little world, which constituted of bringing pain and suffering. Chiro almost pitied them.

Each step the boy took felt almost like lead, his heart was beating wildly in his chest, fear digging its claws in deeper. He was, however, going to act fearless, no sense in intensifying Skeleton King's pleasure.

They took a few routes, which Chiro memorized, before reaching the throne room. Skeleton King looked like the cat who ate the cream, throwing Chiro an arrogant look. Skeleton King threw Chiro's 'guards' a look and said "Astonishingly good work, from the likes of you. Leave."

Mandarin and Forty-five bowed lowly then as expected, left the scene. Chiro was alone in Skeleton King's thrown room, without the power primate to rely on.

"Ah, Chiro. Are you surprised, boy? Surprised to see me away from my Citadel?" he inquired.

"I'm not astonished to see you have moved locations, like a scared rabbit. We would have found you eventually," Chiro answered, with a touch of rudeness.

"You see only what you wish to see, boy. It is more practical for me to have more bases. As for who would catch whom, do I not have you, like a squirming little worm in my hook, now, boy? You are at my mercy and..."

"And blah blah, you have none. Where are my friends?!" Chiro screamed.

" HAHAHAHA ! Such impertinence. Very well, little one. Let us see where your friends are," Skeleton King said while he conjured, seemingly out of thin air, an image of the robot monkey team. Almost like scrying. Chiro felt like vomiting and wondered briefly if Skeleton King could always scry their every movement at will, or if there were some limits...

'Kicking Mandarin's butt! That's what I live for!' Sparks announced 'If he were running any faster he'd be...'

'Oh, Oh, he'd be Road Runner!' Otto suggested.

'Otto's taste in puerile cartoons aside, I believe it quite odd that Mandarin left the fight so early,' Gibson said.

'Well, he was pretty beat up...' Sparks commented.

'We're not looking so hot either, Sparks,' Nova muttered drily. And indeed they were all scratched and shaken.

'Mandarin's retreat must not cloud our judgment. We must remain calm, and humble. Perhaps there are bigger events about to unfold...'

Chiro could see and hear everything that they said.

Author's notes: end of chapter four