Hello, guys. This is the ninth chapter :)
That feeling, between stabbing red hot pain and hopelessness, was dominating the robot monkey team. Antauri had searched everywhere inside the super robot for his cherished child and, as expected, there was no Chiro to be found. Since then, he had been as silent as the grave.
"The kid may be playing hide and seek, that's all. That's all," Sparks said, reassuring himself.
"In his condition? He'd just recovered, Sparks!" Nova shouted, the burdensome feeling of worry festering inside her gut.
"He can't be gone, right?" Otto asked in a shaky voice while thinking 'He seemed to have vanished into thin air.'
"No, Otto. We'll find him," Nova responded, reassuring her younger brother.
Antauri suddenly spoke up "We'll split up and search the entire Shuggazoom city. He can't have gotten far. Where does he usually go when he's not fighting?"
"Oh-oh! The park!" Otto responded.
"The fast-food joint!" Sparks shouted, enthused to be of some help.
"Maybe the arcade?" Nova asked, even though she was quite sure Chiro would not be irresponsible enough to miss out on much-needed rest for video games, or food for the matter.
"Everyone, halt! I have a much better idea!" Gibson yelled.
Everyone's attention turned towards him. Expectantly.
"All we need to do is to check the spy cams I have implanted around Shuggazoom. One of them is bound to have caught Chiro on camera."
His brothers stared at him.
"Okay, brainiac. You mean to say that you've installed cameras everywhere on this city, without the citizens knowing about it?" SPRX-77 asked humorously.
"Affirmative," Gibson said before continuing "These times, where we have more foes than we can count, vigilance requires that we are also one step ahead of them. That way we have the advantage, at least on our planet. Besides, I only check it for possible threats, I do not spy on our citizens. I am protecting them."
"Are you watching the citizens, Gibson?" Sparks inquired.
"Yes."
"Without their knowledge?" he continued.
"Well, technically yes, but-"
"Then that's spying," Sparks said playfully only to be hit lightly on the shoulder by Nova.
Gibson sighed.
"Ouch! I'm just joking, Nova. Sheesh. So the cameras are planted everywhere. Will you check each and every one of them?" Sparks asked curiously.
"Of course I will!" Gibson voice resonated inside the chamber, "Anything for Chiro."
"How long will it take?" Nova questioned.
"My calculations estimate...three and a half hours," Gibson said somberly.
"Three and a half hours?! Remind me again why we don't just search for him?" Sparks asked, getting irked and more concerned by the second.
"Do it," Antauri commanded "Activate the cameras. Sparks if you do not want to remain you can search for Chiro. Both of these activities are productive. What we shouldn't do is squabble like children over searching methods."
Sparks scowled, and was about to go when Gibson said hurriedly "Let's check camera number one, the Outskirts!"
Not even thirty seconds passed before Nova said "Chiro!"
Sparks turned hurriedly. Indeed the camera showed Chiro, in his plain blue pajamas and without any shoes on. He was questioning a tall, mysterious man about their whereabouts. Then they heard it, "Follow me if you wish to see your friends again."
They saw everything, including Mandarin getting on the ship with Chiro and the elusive man.
"Mandarin! That bastard! He must have had a hand in Chiro getting kidnapped," Sparks replied.
"Why did Chiro ask that man if he had seen us? Couldn't he have waited until we finished the battle or searched for our coordinates?" Nova's voice rang, confusion seeping through it.
"Indeed. Unless he had the impression that something nefarious must have happened to us. There is only one person malefic enough to use Chiro's love for us against himself..." Gibson trailed off.
"Skeleton king," Antauri grumbled, his voice for once not neutral. It was full of hatred.
Meanwhile, Chiro, after listening to Mandarin talk about his ex-family for a while (ex, because he relegated them to enemy status ), was taking mandatory violin lessons. And, to his wonderment, he found himself enjoying it. The feel of the violin in his hand gave him a thrill, the way he could express himself through it, all his pains, all his worries, was cathartic. Of course, at first, it sounded like a cat had just been slaughtered, or like nails on a chalkboard, but with his instructor's help, Chiro was getting better and better.
His teacher was unsurprisingly, not Mandarin. It was the monkey, Sakko, Skeleton King's spy, and Jinmay's ex-pet. His presence reminded Chiro of his beloved, which was bittersweet knowing that he might never see her again, yet that even when in the clutches of a deranged maniac, her presence was still felt. Thoroughly.
His mind wandered while he was playing a piece. A horrible sound came out of the violin. It made Chiro almost drop it only to protect his eardrums.
"You sound like an uncoordinated baboon. Try again, Chiro!" Sakko ordered harshly.
"You know I'm only as good as my teacher is," the boy responded slyly, before playing the piece almost perfectly.
After he was done, the small monkey smirked, then he applauded slowly and grudgingly said "Amazing, you have a talent at something else than being a pest."
"What's truly amazing is that you can dish out half-hearted compliments. I thought for sure your face was going to get stuck in an ugly scowl forever," Chiro said, the hand holding the bow on his hip.
"My face naturally scowls when I hear incompetence," the small monkey replied, unperturbed.
"Wow, so you must be used to disliking the sound of your own voice," Chiro commented, but Sakko only rolled his eyes, then said " Again!"
During his practice, Chiro could not help but wonder if Skeleton King was truly sleeping while he was playing the violin. And if so, how could he sleep with all the loud noise? Especially since Chiro was practicing in his quarters, and Skeleton King's room was right next to it. For a second he entertained the thought of Skeleton King, burying his face in his pillow to escape the musical madness.
Smiling, Chiro lifted the bow and pressed too hard on the violin chords intentionally to create a horrendous cacophony. He hoped Skeleton King heard that.
End of the ninth chapter.