A/N: Hello hello hello! Sorry last chapter was sort of short (Sarqueen lol) but I will try to make this one longer, and a little better. Last chapter just didn't flow, so it came out kind of forced. X, if you're going to tell me I suck, back it up with some constructive criticism I can actually use, all right? Ciao!

Chapter 7

Dread looked up from his computer monitor when he heard a beeping coming from a device to his left. Giving a heavy sigh, he pressed a button on the apparatus and waited a few seconds for the visual to pop up. As he saw what had made the alarm go off, he became even more exasperated. Psycho was stealthily (or what passes for stealthy when you're partially metallic) creeping down the hallway towards Max Steel's room, where Max was currently sleeping…again.

John Dread tapped the microphone and cleared his throat. Psycho stopped in his tracks and slowly turned, staring into the camera that had emerged from the wall behind him. He waved nervously at it. "Good morning, sir."

"Might I ask what you are doing roaming the halls at 3:30 in the morning?"

"Well, sir, it's already 8:00 in the UK…"

Dread almost smiled despite himself. So the cyborg had finally learned the time difference. "We are not in the UK though, are we, my friend?"

"Uh…no, sir."

"Where were you going, Psycho?"

"Nowhere!"

"I see. Why don't you come by my office and we can have a chat?"

"Oh, no, sir. I know you'll probably want to be getting to sleep."

Dread sighed. "Not likely. I expect to see you at my door in four minutes."

Psycho groaned. "But, sir, that's half way across the base!"

Dread smiled. "Run."

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Abigail flung open the door to Berto Martinez's room and flipped on the lights.

"Rise and shine!" she said cheerfully.

Berto rolled over and reached for his glasses. "Are you insane!"

Abigail considered the question. "Maybe," she shrugged, "but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is you getting out of bed and me getting you and Max out of here right now."

Berto sat up. "Why don't I trust you?"

"You don't have to. You can stay here if you want. As I see it, you have nothing to lose. Bye!" With that she walked out of the room, giving him a backwards wave and closed the door.

Standing across the hall from Berto's room, Abigail only had to wait a minute and a half before she heard someone fumbling with the doorknob, and Berto appeared in the hallway.

"Let's go."

Abigail smiled at him and strode down the hallway to Max's room with Berto in tow.

Berto ran a little to catch up to her. "Um…won't he be able to see us?"

"No, Grandfather is distracted at the moment. Now, here's what I need you to do." Abigail stopped in front of a door halfway down the hall and pulled a keychain out of a pocket. She inserted the correct key into the lock and pushed the door open, revealing the base's security center.

Inside the room, there were two walls lined with computers, and three men moving from one to the other, monitoring the progress of each one. When the door opened, they looked up, surprised, at Abigail.

"Go away."

The three guys quickly got up and left the room.

"Aren't you worried they'll tell Dread what you're up to?"

"Employees don't get involved. They just do what they're told. Gotta love minions."

Berto slowly walked around the room, taking in all the equipment. "This was down the hall from my room the whole time and I never knew about it!"

"Funny, huh?"

"Hysterical," he answered dryly. "So, what do you want me to do?"

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"Now, I can not have any 'friendly fire' incidents occurring in my base. Do you understand me? You must learn to work with Mr. Steel, as he is now on our side."

Psycho stood in front of his employer, nodding his head, and mentally cursing Abigail for making him sit through a lecture. He was not a happy cyborg. He was positioned in front of Dread's desk, so that Josh Dread would have to look forward to talk to him. Dread would not see when Abigail and Berto entered the security center, which Dread kept a constant watch over via security cameras. Of course.

Psycho sneaked glances at the monitor behind Dread's head as he saw the three security guards leave their stations and be replaced by that annoying computer whiz. Then he watched as the monitors in the security center went dim one by one, and then once they were all dim, the one behind John Dread's head also went dim.

When Dread began to look at him suspiciously, the cyborg realized that he had been staring too directly at the monitor. The man in sunglasses began to slowly turn around, following Psycho's gaze.

Realizing that he couldn't let Dread see the blank monitor just yet, Psycho decided a rage would be convenient just right then. For diversion's sake, Psycho started yelling and stomping around the small office. He broke a chair against one of the heavy oak bookshelves against the wall, and ripped his artificial face off and threw it down on the ground.

Having taken Dread's attention from the screen behind him, Psycho stood fuming.

"Feel better?" the man behind the desk asked, sounding slightly amused.

"A little," Psycho grumbled.

"You're dismissed. Please stay away from Mr. Steel."

Psycho wondered whether or not his plans for the evening would allow him to obey this order.

All right, maybe only a little longer, but it IS longer! Yep! And hopefully better! Feedback appreciated, as always. Ciao!