Notes: For all those wondering about Rich, he's Rowen's younger brother. I'm sorry about that and I should have mentioned it sooner.

Dais stuck his head around the corner of a particularly long wall. No one coming. He thought. Good. He jogged the distance back to the others. "It's all clear." He said as he approached them.

"Good. Now all we have to do is figure out a way to rescue the guys."

"Won't be that easy, Sekh." Sage flipped his hair out of his eye. "They're probably locked up tighter than Cye in the kitchen on a bad day."

"So how do you propose we get them out?"

"It's gotta be in a way Talpa won't notice until it's too late."

Sekhmet tossed a sword back and forth in his hands. "Hm...Cale, you said your brat won't take orders from anyone but you, right?"

"Yeah...what's your point?"

"Duh! Tell him to bring us the guys!"

"Ooohhhhh yeeeeahhhh...I forgot about that."

"That's a great idea Sekhmet!"

"Thank you Sage."

"How soon can you tell him what to do?"

Cale thought for a second. "Well, as soon as I can get in contact with him."

Anubis threw his hands in the air. "That'll take forever!"

"No it won't."

"Yes it will, Cale! In order for you to talk with him, we have to find him first. A-duh!"

"Who says I have to be face to face to talk to him?"

Sage stared at his enemy-turned-friend. "You mean..."

He smiled. "Yep! Just sit back and let Uncle Caley take care of everything!"

Dais rolled his eye. "That was lame, Cale."

"Do you want me to contact him or not?"

"Yes! Please go ahead Cale." Sage gestured for Cale to continue.

--

"I DON'T CARE!!"

"Roanna...Please calm down. Yelling won't do any good."

Roanna swallowed her anger and sighed heavily. "Alright. I'm calm. What did you want to talk about?"

"Do you think our fathers really were kicked out? Or were they lying just to get us to help them escape?"

"Gee, I don't know Sterling. For all we know, they probably just made it all up to throw us off guard."

"It's possible, but untrue."

"So they were telling the truth?""Yes. Which would back up the fact that Talpa has ignored our fathers and focused of us."

"You're right. That does make sense. Now all we need to figure out, is if we help them or not."

Just as Sterling was going to reply, a very familiar voice popped into his head.

Sterling, can you hear me?

Yes, Papa. What can I do for you?

Do you know where the longest wall in the defense maze is?

Yes, what about it?

I need you to bring the captured Ronins there ASAP. Do you understand?

Yes Papa. They will be delivered there shortly.

Thanks.

As soon as Cale's voice faded from his thoughts, Sterling addressed Roanna. "My mission is to help them."

She blinked. "Your mission? Since when did this become a mission?"

"Since Papa just told me."

"Ah." After a brief pause, she said "So it's off the roof and back to the dungeon?"

He nodded and the two of them teleported themselves to ground level.

--

"How much further do we have to walk, Lady?"

"Not much farther, Strata. We are almost to the building that contains the dungeons."

"Thank the Gods!" Rich was, quite frankly, sick of walking. The scenery was boring, the air was slightly more hot and humid every minute, and she kept calling him by a name that wasn't his! "By the way, Lady...I'm NOT Strata!"

"You can't lie to me, boy. I know who you are."

"Then maybe you could get it right. I. Am. Not. STRATA!"

"Whatever you say...Strata."

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!"

"Kayura! Leave poor Rich alone! I'm telling you, he's not Strata!"

"Ok, ok. Don't get your computer disks bent outta shape."

They continued walking in silence. After a while, Rich noticed two people to the left of them, walking in the same direction. He leaned in close to Mia so Kayura wouldn't over hear him. "Hey, Mia?"

"Yeah?" She whispered back.

Pointing to the two figures, he said, "Who do you think they are?"

Looking in the direction he was pointing in, Mia shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

"Right. Have Lady K help me if necessary."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm gonna go over and talk to them. Be right back!" Before Mia could stop him, Rich took off running toward the pair in the not-so-distant distance.