I found it. I sat in my room, with the pieces of Max's blade on my lap. I
stared at the foreign object; the chip. Now what? I frowned, trying to
think up a plan. I folded my arms and thought. I needed to figure out how
to get three people out of a building that I may have never seen before or
know where it might be. Plus, my boss, my mother, will obviously have
other, taller and bulkier lackeys lurking about. She isn't dumb; she did
train Tala and myself in this business after all...
"How could you, mother...?"
Something wet dropped onto my white knuckles. I blinked, not realising that I had practically cut off the circulation to my hands due to clenching my fists so tightly. I raised a hand to my face. Tears... For some reason, I felt like laughing, but I couldn't.
"Get a grip, DuBois. You need your sanity..."
I heard a door slam downstairs. Hurriedly, I gathered the bits of Max's blade together and hid them under my duvet. I dropped the computer chip into my pocket.
"Oliver?"
I stopped. That was Kenny's voice. Thoughts began to hit me at once; I was surprised I didn't spin around from the impact. Kenny was home, but he sounded like he came alone. Could it be news from the hospital? But why couldn't the guys have phoned?
"Oliver!?"
I left my room and walked downstairs to face Kenny. The thoughts about news from the hospital haunted me. I hoped Kai was okay.
******
"Oli..."
"What is it, Kenny? Is everything okay?"
Kenny jumped and turned to face Oliver. He smiled.
"Oh, hey Oliver."
"Is everything okay? Nothing's wrong with Kai, is there?"
Kenny shook his head. "No. He's just fine. Doctors say that he should be out of Intensive Care in a couple of days."
Oliver sighed in relief. He smiled at Kenny. "That's great! So what are you doing back anyway?"
"Oh, I needed somewhere quiet to work. The hospital didn't want me to use my laptop. Something about the signal interfering with other hospital equipment."
"Oh... How did you get back?"
"We got a taxi home. I guessed you were here, moping about Kai. Couldn't have you home alone, could we?"
Enrique walked through the door, a grin on his face. Kenny looked at Enrique, confused.
"What do you mean, he'll be moping about Kai?"
"Nothing, nothing!" Oliver said hurriedly, hoping fervently he wasn't blushing. He sent Enrique a glare that would have made Kai proud before turning away.
"So you guys want anything to snack on? Whilst you update me on any information about Kai, Mrs Tate or Max."
"Just some juice would be fine for me, thanks, Oliver." Kenny said.
"Surprise me" Enrique said. "Though, I could really go for some chips right about now."
"How does a side of computer microchips sound?"
The three boys whirled around. Standing in the front door was what they had mistaken for a gorilla at first glance. Upon closer inspection, the boys found they weren't too far off. The man was of large proportions; there was hardly enough space between his body and the doorway for even Kenny to squeeze through. He was hairy as well, for a human. He wore a tailored suit and a pair of dark glasses, his arms folded across his chest.
"Who are you!?" Enrique asked.
"None of your business, rich boy."
The boys turned around and saw another man of similar proportions in the doorway to the kitchen. Oliver realised they were trapped.
"We want no trouble here! Leave us!" Oliver shouted.
"No can do, kid. The boss wants you to come with us, Shadow."
Oliver instantly went into Shadow mode. Grabbing the nearest things to hand; two vases, he threw one each square in the goons' faces before pulling Enrique's and Kenny's arms along.
"Run!"
Oliver dragged the two boys up the stairs and near enough threw them onto his bed before turning to barricade the door shut. Kenny yelped as Enrique landed on top of him. The blonde scrambled to sit up properly and looked at Oliver.
"Ol! Who are those guys!? What's going on?"
Oliver was pushing his desk to the door at that point. When satisfied that it would hold for the time being, Oliver turned his solemn face to the guys on his bed.
"Those guys are trouble, and we're in it deep. I can't explain right now, but you guys need to get outta here and fast."
Enrique and Kenny paled a little at Oliver's seriousness and nodded. Kenny shuffled a little but then yelped, rubbing his hand.
"You have something sharp under your duvet, Oliver!"
"Never mind about it." Oliver said quickly, looking around his room, thinking.
Oliver ran to his window and opened it. Looking out, he smiled. Glad for the ever-useful branch just outside his bedroom, he motioned for the other boys to follow quickly.
"Okay guys. I want the two of you to climb out onto this branch then run as far as you can. Don't stop for anyone."
"Oliver, what's this?" Enrique asked, picking up something that had fallen out from under Oliver's duvet. Kenny took it and inspected it.
"It looks like a weight disk." He whispered.
"Not just any weight disk, Chief. That weight disk belonged in Max's new blade!" Dizzi piped up.
"Dizzi, are you sure?"
"Positive, Chief! I'm not some two-bit bitbeast, you know!"
Oliver froze momentarily as Enrique lifted Oliver's duvet and found the other pieces to Max's blade. Kenny and Enrique looked up and stared at Oliver in disbelief.
"Oliver, what are you doing with Max's blade in pieces under your duvet!?" Enrique asked.
Oliver moved his lips, trying to find someway to explain. However, he was interrupted. A gunshot rang out and a piece of Oliver's door was blasted out. Kenny yelled as Oliver pulled the boy closer to the window.
"No time to explain! Just get out of here!"
Enrique nodded, pale. He helped Oliver help get Kenny out onto the branch. The Italian followed behind. Once a fair deal away from the window, Enrique looked back at Oliver.
"C'mon Oliver! Get out here!"
Oliver shook his head. "You two get to the ground first! Like I said, don't stop for anyone! Just get going!"
"Oliver!"
"That branch will break anyway with the three of us on it! Just move it! I won't be far behind!"
Reluctantly, Enrique helped Kenny sidle down the tree. When both their feet touched the ground, Enrique looked back up at Oliver's window. The French boy wasn't there, and the sound of the desk crashing caught their attention. French shouting and a struggle could be heard.
"Oliver!" Enrique and Kenny shouted.
A muffled cry could be heard, then the boys' worst nightmare. A gun shout and a yell of pain rang out through the air. Enrique, deciding to take Oliver's advice to heart, grabbed Kenny's collar and ran, fear and shock fuelling his legs. The Italian hoped with all his being that Oliver kept to his word and wasn't too far behind.
====================================================
*gasp* Oh no! Oli-kun! How could I do that to him!? *sobs* What do you guys think anyway? Is Oliver alive? Will Max survive? What will happen to Tala? Whaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"How could you, mother...?"
Something wet dropped onto my white knuckles. I blinked, not realising that I had practically cut off the circulation to my hands due to clenching my fists so tightly. I raised a hand to my face. Tears... For some reason, I felt like laughing, but I couldn't.
"Get a grip, DuBois. You need your sanity..."
I heard a door slam downstairs. Hurriedly, I gathered the bits of Max's blade together and hid them under my duvet. I dropped the computer chip into my pocket.
"Oliver?"
I stopped. That was Kenny's voice. Thoughts began to hit me at once; I was surprised I didn't spin around from the impact. Kenny was home, but he sounded like he came alone. Could it be news from the hospital? But why couldn't the guys have phoned?
"Oliver!?"
I left my room and walked downstairs to face Kenny. The thoughts about news from the hospital haunted me. I hoped Kai was okay.
******
"Oli..."
"What is it, Kenny? Is everything okay?"
Kenny jumped and turned to face Oliver. He smiled.
"Oh, hey Oliver."
"Is everything okay? Nothing's wrong with Kai, is there?"
Kenny shook his head. "No. He's just fine. Doctors say that he should be out of Intensive Care in a couple of days."
Oliver sighed in relief. He smiled at Kenny. "That's great! So what are you doing back anyway?"
"Oh, I needed somewhere quiet to work. The hospital didn't want me to use my laptop. Something about the signal interfering with other hospital equipment."
"Oh... How did you get back?"
"We got a taxi home. I guessed you were here, moping about Kai. Couldn't have you home alone, could we?"
Enrique walked through the door, a grin on his face. Kenny looked at Enrique, confused.
"What do you mean, he'll be moping about Kai?"
"Nothing, nothing!" Oliver said hurriedly, hoping fervently he wasn't blushing. He sent Enrique a glare that would have made Kai proud before turning away.
"So you guys want anything to snack on? Whilst you update me on any information about Kai, Mrs Tate or Max."
"Just some juice would be fine for me, thanks, Oliver." Kenny said.
"Surprise me" Enrique said. "Though, I could really go for some chips right about now."
"How does a side of computer microchips sound?"
The three boys whirled around. Standing in the front door was what they had mistaken for a gorilla at first glance. Upon closer inspection, the boys found they weren't too far off. The man was of large proportions; there was hardly enough space between his body and the doorway for even Kenny to squeeze through. He was hairy as well, for a human. He wore a tailored suit and a pair of dark glasses, his arms folded across his chest.
"Who are you!?" Enrique asked.
"None of your business, rich boy."
The boys turned around and saw another man of similar proportions in the doorway to the kitchen. Oliver realised they were trapped.
"We want no trouble here! Leave us!" Oliver shouted.
"No can do, kid. The boss wants you to come with us, Shadow."
Oliver instantly went into Shadow mode. Grabbing the nearest things to hand; two vases, he threw one each square in the goons' faces before pulling Enrique's and Kenny's arms along.
"Run!"
Oliver dragged the two boys up the stairs and near enough threw them onto his bed before turning to barricade the door shut. Kenny yelped as Enrique landed on top of him. The blonde scrambled to sit up properly and looked at Oliver.
"Ol! Who are those guys!? What's going on?"
Oliver was pushing his desk to the door at that point. When satisfied that it would hold for the time being, Oliver turned his solemn face to the guys on his bed.
"Those guys are trouble, and we're in it deep. I can't explain right now, but you guys need to get outta here and fast."
Enrique and Kenny paled a little at Oliver's seriousness and nodded. Kenny shuffled a little but then yelped, rubbing his hand.
"You have something sharp under your duvet, Oliver!"
"Never mind about it." Oliver said quickly, looking around his room, thinking.
Oliver ran to his window and opened it. Looking out, he smiled. Glad for the ever-useful branch just outside his bedroom, he motioned for the other boys to follow quickly.
"Okay guys. I want the two of you to climb out onto this branch then run as far as you can. Don't stop for anyone."
"Oliver, what's this?" Enrique asked, picking up something that had fallen out from under Oliver's duvet. Kenny took it and inspected it.
"It looks like a weight disk." He whispered.
"Not just any weight disk, Chief. That weight disk belonged in Max's new blade!" Dizzi piped up.
"Dizzi, are you sure?"
"Positive, Chief! I'm not some two-bit bitbeast, you know!"
Oliver froze momentarily as Enrique lifted Oliver's duvet and found the other pieces to Max's blade. Kenny and Enrique looked up and stared at Oliver in disbelief.
"Oliver, what are you doing with Max's blade in pieces under your duvet!?" Enrique asked.
Oliver moved his lips, trying to find someway to explain. However, he was interrupted. A gunshot rang out and a piece of Oliver's door was blasted out. Kenny yelled as Oliver pulled the boy closer to the window.
"No time to explain! Just get out of here!"
Enrique nodded, pale. He helped Oliver help get Kenny out onto the branch. The Italian followed behind. Once a fair deal away from the window, Enrique looked back at Oliver.
"C'mon Oliver! Get out here!"
Oliver shook his head. "You two get to the ground first! Like I said, don't stop for anyone! Just get going!"
"Oliver!"
"That branch will break anyway with the three of us on it! Just move it! I won't be far behind!"
Reluctantly, Enrique helped Kenny sidle down the tree. When both their feet touched the ground, Enrique looked back up at Oliver's window. The French boy wasn't there, and the sound of the desk crashing caught their attention. French shouting and a struggle could be heard.
"Oliver!" Enrique and Kenny shouted.
A muffled cry could be heard, then the boys' worst nightmare. A gun shout and a yell of pain rang out through the air. Enrique, deciding to take Oliver's advice to heart, grabbed Kenny's collar and ran, fear and shock fuelling his legs. The Italian hoped with all his being that Oliver kept to his word and wasn't too far behind.
====================================================
*gasp* Oh no! Oli-kun! How could I do that to him!? *sobs* What do you guys think anyway? Is Oliver alive? Will Max survive? What will happen to Tala? Whaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!