Chapter 8. Random Virus
Ace and Sparx raced down a mine track, running from a runaway boulder. Sparx had accidently set off a booby trap with her sword. As they ran, Ace ran backwards and blasted the boulder, breaking it apart. The knights then found themselves in a large room. Then, from a hole in the roof, Dirty Rat flew in, grinning. "Hey Lightning! Guess who?" said the rat. "What do you want Rat!?" snapped Ace. "Just flew by to introduce you to my new buddy..." said Dirty Rat. From the shadows came a cyborg. "Random Virus!" cried Ace "But how?". Random was a cyborg (half human, half machine). He legs were replaced by tracks and metal wheels. He had black hair and a dangerous look on his face, which had a metal contraption on it's side. His left arm was a normal human arm with a wrist cannon on it. The right arm was replaced with a frightening robotic claw. The cyborg lifted up Ace and tossed him to the floor. "Whoa! Old friend, we're the good guys! Remember?" said Ace, rubbing his head. "I remember nothing!? I only destroy goodness and virtue, wherever I find it" said Random, approaching Ace "Therefore, if you are good...I must destroy you!". "You're a Lightning Knight, there is evil in you, but there is also goodness" said Ace. "No! I despise my good side!" cried Random "Goodness is weak, kindness is soft! I am strong!". The cyborg then charged towards Ace, but missed and crashed into the wall. Ace watched as Random reversed to face him. "You leave me no choice" said Ace and launched a lightning ball at Random. Random smacked it away with his claw, hitting Ace in the stomach. "Hooray!" cheered Dirty Rat, flying around in circles "Way to go Virus!". Random picked up Ace again and threw him across the room, right smack into a wall. Ace's health dropped to 22. "Ace is not so lightning!" laughed Random, clanking his claw in triumph. "Random listen to me! You tried to save me once..." said Ace. Random gasped. "No..." he groaned as his good side took control, his red eye turning green. "Saved you? I'm trying to remember..." said Random, thinking hard. "Lord Fear had me almost beaten in the Sixth Dimension...he was about to kill be with he staff" began Ace. "...And I diverted energy blast, so he shot himself!" bellowed Random "Yes! I remember". Ace stood up, but then the robot backed away. "But? What am I doing here!?" said Random "I don't want to hurt you?". "You don't have to Random" said Ace. "I'm sorry my friend, but I must leave..." sighed Random "Incase my dark side returns and I do something that I regret for all eternity". "Random! Wait!" cried Ace. Random vanished down a path and Dirty Rat flew into Ace's face. "Well that is just great!" he moaned "Now I've got to go and find him and hang around to he turns evil again!". The rodent flew off after Random. Sparx stood by Ace. "So...what was that all about?" she asked.
The rat found Random sleeping in a junkyard. Googler then appeared and looked at the cyborg. "What's with him?" asked Googler. "He's in some sort of trance" said Dirty Rat "And when he wakes up, he'll be evil again!". "So, what are you going to do when he wakes up!" asked Googler. "I'll go and have him destroy Lightning!" cackled Dirty Rat. "Not if I googlerize him first!" snorted Googler and curled up into a ball and bounced off. "Googler! Get back here..." cried Dirty Rat. Googler ignored him and rolled onwards, down a tunnel. Nothing was going to stop him from completing his revenge.
Ace and Sparx flew down a tunnel, in search for Random. As they walked they spotted Googler rolling down the tunnel. "Oh no!" cried. Googler bounced into the air and tackled Ace to the ground. "Kiss the turf Lightning!" cackled the jester. "Googler! I do not have time for you!" said Ace and fired lightning bolts. Googler dodged them and hit Ace in the head. "Hey! Googler!" cried Sparx "You've just one a trip back to White Hot Oblivion!". "Don't even mention that place Sparxy!" snapped Googler and sent forth Zip and Snip to attack her. Sparx flipped backwards and blasted the glovepuppets with her blade. Googler bounced about and hit Ace in the chest, knocking him over. "Guess you are about to be googlerized" said Googler and brought out a massive machine gun and targeted Ace. Googler laughed madly as he pulled the trigger. Then, a mighty claw picked up Googler and shook him like crazy. The gun fell from his hands and smashed on the floor. Random had Googler in his grip. He swung the clown around and threw him into a wall. Zip and Snip returned to their master and stared up as the Lightning Knights surrounded Googler. Then the knights fired a massive lightning bolt at Googler and fried him. Then a hole in the ground opened, to reveal a portal. Googler was sucked inside and his banshee like screams were heard as the jester and his glovepuppets fell into White Hot Oblivion's terrifying heat. The portal closed and Googler was gone for good. Ace approached Random, who had his back on Ace. "Thanks Random!" thanked Ace, but the Random swung around with a red eye. "Prepare to suffer your death Lightning!" he shouted and swung his claw. Ace threw a lightning ball at the cyborg who shot it back with a slash of his claw. Ace then produced the Shield of Justice, a large shield with a red outline and a large lightning bolt symbol in the centre of it. The shield absorbed the lightning ball and shot it back at Random in a beam of light. The cyborg shouted and then he malfunctioned and lay forwards, his head down and and arms limp. "Let's take him to a safe place..." said Ace. Hours later Random awoke in his good side mode. He found himself in a junkyard. Random looked around for Ace and Sparx, but they were no where in sight. He then noticed a letter on the ground. It was from Ace:
Dear Random
We've left you in the Junkyard of Despair, so you can stay safe and not harm anyone. We will return for you when we require your assistant.
Do right and fear not!
Ace Lightning.
Random smiled and he looked around at the junkyard. "Well then, I'll have some fun here!" said the cyborg and he laughed.