(If you're wondering why this reads so weirdly in the other chapters, this is why. I keep forgeting that FFN hates my page breaks so... yeah... Trying to fix that...)

Chapter 11

Chiro found it to be strange that he could be walking around in a maze of death, possibly towards his doom, and still feel at peace. Sure there was that uneasy feeling tugging at the edge of his subconscious but still. With Nova and Sprx-77 safely in his arms and a hope for the others a real tangible thing now, he found that he could once again breathe easy and carry on without care. He didn't realize that the one conscious monkey in his arms was not feeling quite the same way.

Though she had stopped trembling long ago, Nova was in a rather bad state. Her eyes were wide, watching for movement down every hall before turning to look back at Sprx-77. The red monkey had still not woken up from her attack and it was making her breath freeze... and she was still waiting for that awful voice to return. The one that bound her and caused her to do such horrible things. She had never been made to cause suffering! Her fists, though strong, were meant to protect not destroy! And yet for all her strength she had not been able to do anything against that awful power that bound her, and because of her inability to do anything Sprx had been hurt.

Chiro tightened his hold on the two robots, closing his eyes to take a deep breath before suddenly smiling at Nova.

"We'll find the others soon Nova," he told her cheerfully. "We'll find them and bring them back to normal, and then we can all get out of here and sleep like Sprx." Nova blinked at this, her body stiffening, before she looked up at the teens face.

"Are you sure he's sleeping," she asked. Chiro gave a quiet laugh, pausing to jostle the two in his arms in order to get a firmer grip.

"Oh yeah, he's asleep. He deserves it though don't ya think? After all that's happened, you should probably try and get some sleep too," he told her. She shook her head, reaching out her hand only to stop short of Sprx's scratched face in unknown fear.

"Are you sure I didn't hurt him badly Chiro?"

"Positive Nova. I think after all the times you've hit him over the head, he's kinda grown immune to it." Chiro blushed as he said this, Nova giggling softy before placing a hand on the red monkeys cheek. At her touch, Sprx inhaled deeply and looked at her. She froze at this, a blush staining her cheeks bright red, until he smiled at her and took her hand in his own before resting both their hands on Chiro's chest.

"Welcome back," the red monkey whispered, giving her hand a loving squeeze. Chiro pretended not to notice as Nova stared before her cheeks darkened further.

"Thanks," she whispered. Sprx merely smiled and closed his eyes once more, falling back into a deep and much needed sleep. Nova watched him for a while before looking at their entwined hands and smiling. She was startled out of her staring when Chiro said;

"Told you he was fine." She smiled at this and then lay her head on the teens shoulder as they continued on unbothered.

It was odd how much of a difference an hour of walking could make. The peace that had been with Chiro before was now gone as he could hear bone crushing thuds echoing through the maze while the walls shook with the impacts fury. He was terrified now, and he knew that Nova and Sprx could feel his tremors of fear as they had wrapped their arms around him in support. Whose support it was exactly he wasn't sure of at the moment, but he somehow found comfort from the arms clutching him around his back.

"Please don't let it be Otto," he whispered to himself before wincing at the reaction he got from his teammates. Nova whimpered and Sprx stiffened before giving the teen a hard look.

"I won't let him hurt either of you," he growled, the scratch marks on his face standing out all the more from his words and expression. Nova shook her head at this.

"He'd kill you," she mumbled before looking up at Chiro. "What will we do if it's him?" Chiro shivered then gave them both a sheepish grin.

"Run," he asked. Sprx snorted and there was silence save for the thuds, which were getting louder, until Nova spoke up again.

"What if it's one of the others?" Chiro paused and bit into his lip hard enough to cause pain but not draw blood.

"Monkey Fu worked well enough on Sprx. Maybe it'll work on the others?" Nova stared at him, then Sprx.

"You got hit with Monkey Fu," she asked incredulously. Sprx gave her an odd look and nodded as Chiro paused to look around a corner. The red monkey opened his mouth to reply, only to grunt as Chiro gave a choked cry and turn with his back facing the wall. The two robots looked up at him in worry as he panted, his heart banging in his chest.

"It's not Otto," he said after a moment, gaining twin sighs of relief.

"Who is it then," Sprx asked. Chiro looked as if he were going to answer, only he cried out instead as a corner of the wall was blasted away. A blue form shot out past the corner, paused, then grinned maliciously. Sprx and Nova leapt out of Chiro's arms, gaining a worried cry from the teen, and stared.

"Gibson?" The blue monkey only cocked his head to the side as another loud, earth shattering thud sounded from the hallway he'd just appeared out of. Daring to sneak a glance, Sprx looked to see Antauri flinging himself against the now cracked walls, his mouth open in a silent scream. As the silver monkey lifted himself up for another hit, Sprx rushed at him without a second thought.

"Antauri! NO!" he slammed the silver robot to the floor, hearing Nova calling for him before she cried out from an attack he didn't see, and stared into eyes that flickered back and forth between red and blue. "Antauri stop! Hurting yourself isn't helping! Fight it and help us stop Gibson!" Antauri made a strange low gurgling noise in the back of his throat as Sprx held him down before laying still. The red robot sighed and relaxed.

It was his ultimate downfall. The instant his grip slacked, red eyes shot open and a glowing purple hand shot through his chest. Chiro saw this and froze, his eyes widening as a chocking noise escaped the little red robot and red splotches appeared on Antauri's face. He didn't recognize that Gibson and Nova were fighting around each other, ignoring him, his gaze had tunneled to Sprx and Antauri. The silver monkey was lifting himself up, floating above the ground with Sprx-77 dangling from his grip as his eyes burned a vicious red. More red splattered to the dirty floor and the teen distantly heard himself scream before his entire world went GREEN.

It was a fury that he had only known once before, and he welcomed it all the same. His mind was filled with rage, his arms tightening in the want to destroy, as the rest of his body shivered in anticipation. He felt himself grow, expand, and as the power primate filled this small section on the maze he could feel the walls crumbling and the floor whining as it unwilling bent to his demands. Glowing green furious eyes stared into red murderous eyes, and a snarl pushed past his teeth as the silver creature dropped his red and attacked. It didn't get very far, his large hand slamming it into a wall and pushing it through as the weak force crumbled. From his left, something gave a loud scream and he could see a blue creature attacking his yellow. With a wave of his mighty hand the blue collapsed and did not move, his yellow rushing to it's side in... worry? He did not ponder on this for long, the silver creature giving a loud scream that hurt his proud head and made him stumble back, just missing his yellow. Silver leapt up from the destroyed wall, eyes glowing red in its malice and he hated it. His silver was gone, stolen by this thing, and he wanted his silver back. NOW. With a mighty roar, he slammed his hand down once more, his power expanding until his world went white and he screamed a terrible beast-like scream that resonated and shook everything to its foundation.

"MONKEY FU!"

And then there was silence.

There were screams everywhere as the entire ship shook, the maze crumbling and sending a cloud of dust high into the air. The camera's were destroyed and Caesar was turned into a shocked mass on the floor as the bull robot Morgan clung to the computer terminal, barely able to remain standing. The shaking stopped and the two stared at each other before Caesar grinned maliciously.

"Bring my sword," he growled. Morgan bowed, hit a few keys rapidly with one hand on the terminal, and left. He returned shortly with a sword that was as long as he was tall and nearly as thick in width. Caesar laughed gutterly as he accepted his weapon before yelling;

"COME TO ME CHIRO! I'M WAITING FOR YOU!"

Morgan merely began typing away at the terminal, silent.

A green form ambled along a metal hallway, stumbling as if drunk as he carried on. There was a twisted grin on his face, bloody eyes staring out listlessly into nothing as he continued on, following the sounds of deranged laughter and he chuckled. Behind him, bodies littered the floor and he mentally tallied a count before nodding to himself. This action nearly sent him tumbling to the floor, but he didn't care. His mind was addled and aching, twisting around one thought. Hatred; revenge.

He knew nothing else as he stumbled upon a fat boar and a metal bull. The bull took a look at him and calmly fled as the boar grinned toothily and chuckled. The green ones grin widened and the boar brandished his ridiculously large sword that crackled with living energy in foolish pride.

"Come for me have you," the boar asked. The sound of whirling saw blades was his only reply before the green one attacked at unanticipated speed. A teeth shattering clang, a scream, and then silence as one fighter fell and the other stood with an unnerving chuckle. The chuckle quickly turned into mad laughter as the victor fell into the large chair and waited. Chiro would be coming soon. He knew it for a fact.

TBC