Hello guys. I'm sorry I couldn't update sooner. I was not sure how to continue it for some time. I also currently have some problems at home and some exams to study for, but this will definitely not get abandoned! In this chapter, dialogue via the power primate is shown in italics.


He got them a room, a subterranean one, judging by the spiral of stairs leading down and down. It was furnished like it was fit for some foreign dignitaries, on a high horse and full of bloodiness. The décor fit Mandarin and Skeleton King, but Chiro did not want to see such luxurious paintings depicting grotesque scenes. He had enough of them at home. Skeleton King's home, that is.

There was a drawer full of books, and Chiro wanted, despite himself to touch them, run his hand on their surface, smell parchment. It had a soothing effect, but he could not calm down regardless. He blamed himself, and kept telling himself he did not say the right words, he was a stupid, little boy, and because of him, those warlocks had lost their youth. Their skin was riddled with crow's feet, their hair grew white as the purest snow, they could not walk alone. And the screams, the horrible screams. They would haunt Chiro's entire life.

Thrice he tried to look imploringly at Skeleton King, and ask him to reverse the curse, but the evil Dark Lord grinned and shook his head. The monster seemed to know instinctively what Chiro wanted but did not lift a finger to help him. And now, guilt might just swallow him up. Skeleton King walked toward their door, his black cape swishing elegantly. He mumbled a complicated spell, wisps of green light surrounded the door, almost protecting it. Chiro concluded it was strange and yet exciting. What could the purpose of that spell be?

Skeleton King turned around and said "Well, little thorn, this is how it's going to be. I will block all sounds from you and Mandarin, so that I may sleep and try to forget today's exceeding incompetency! I might just contact the Dark Ones again. You, little boy, are going to temporarily get back your power primate. There might surely be more assassins at hand, moving around like cockroaches. I need you to be able to defend yourself, as I don't trust only Mandarin's defense against a large number of them."

"I-I'm getting back my powers?" Chiro asked, dumbfounded. He could not believe his ears.

"Temporarily!" Skeleton King hissed, but the child began to smile.

"I have a cast a spell on the door, Chiro. If you try to escape, and Mandarin is indisposed and incompetent enough not to be able to tell me about your little rebellious acts, know that the door will alert me immediately, boy. I will at once take away your power primate and the resulting punishment will not be to your liking!"

"What are you gonna do? Flare me alive," Chiro scoffed while his arch-nemesis took hold of his chin and said, "Don't give me any ideas, child."

The evil overlord waved his hand, and immediately, miraculously, the power primate surged through his veins, and rearranged itself, in a tight ball in the center of his body. The teen was tempted to attack, but knowing that he would be powerless in two seconds flat and most likely apprehended in four, he held back. Barely.

Then Skeleton King began his deep slumber. Chiro sat down on a nearby chair that was looking directly at Mandarin, who had his arms crossed and a grin on his face.

Chiro looked crestfallen, playing with the hem of his sleeve. Mandarin's smile fell, he began to frown.

"What is it, my hairless monkey?" he asked, looking seemingly concerned.

"It's all my fault," Chiro whispered, so softly the orange robot simian struggled to hear him.

"Your fault? What could possibly be-"

"It's my fault that the warlocks are old now," Chiro said, angry at himself.

Mandarin cackled, " My hairless monkey, that is by far the stupidest thing you had ever said."

"But-!"

"Did you tell those insects to attack us?" Mandarin asked, turning serious.

"No."

"Were you the one who put the aging curse on them?"

"No, but..."

"You tried to save that imbecile Kayden. Did you know they were going to be targeted instead?"

Chiro shook his head, feeling a little relieved.

"Then I cannot imagine how you would be at fault, Chiro. Unless of course, you can foretell the future," Mandarin said, raising an eyebrow. He put a hand on Chiro's shoulder and the child, overwhelmed with gratitude and what he would later describe as a temporary bout of insanity, got out of the chair and embraced him.

"Thank you, Mandarin," Chiro said.

"You're quite welcome, nephew," Mandarin answered, patting Chiro's back paternally.

Chiro could almost imagine for a second Skeleton King's sardonic voice, telling him, "Well isn't that touching," and for a second wondered if maybe, he could save Mandarin too. He wanted to.


"How are we going to get back the kid, he could be anywhere in the bloody galaxy by now?" Sparx raged, his foot hitting their power console.

Even Gibson refrained from chiding him for using expletives near Otto.

"We're going to get him back, Sparx. We have to!" Nova said, putting a hand on her teammate's shoulder. She missed Chiro terribly.

Sparx's hands clenched, just the thought of Skeleton King and Mandarin having his baby brother made him want to hit something. Particularly the console again.

Gibson did not even chide him when he did it again, and again, and again. He was expecting a "Don't act like a common barbarian, Sparxs." But, nothing, except Gibson putting his head in his hands, looking exhausted. Antauri's shoulders were shaking, Sparx could not stand to see his eldest brother cry. He was their pillar, their reservoir of strength. But surely. Oh, no. He was sobbing.

"It's going to be alright, Antauri," Otto said, coming to Antauri's side and hugging the second oldest of the super robot monkeys.

"It's going to be alright," he repeated, rubbing circles down Antauri's back. It's like their youngest and oldest switched places, Otto trying to be strong for his brother's sake.

The black robot monkey eventually calmed, he cleared his throat and said, "Thank you Otto, I-"

Antauri gaped.

"It's Chiro. I can feel his power primate!"

"Yes!" Gibson shouted.

"He's alright?" Nova asked, worried.

"He must have escaped. Way to go, kid!" Sparx yelled, elated.

Otto smiled, relieved.

"I will try contacting him telepathically using the power primate," Antauri said, hurriedly. He couldn't wait to talk to his son again.

"I want to talk to the kid, too!" Sparx mumbled, his teammates nodding their heads in assent, one by one. They imitated Antauri's meditating position and called on the power primate for help.


As Chiro embraced Mandarin, Antauri's voice suddenly rang in his head "My son, Chiro, are you alright?"

"Antauri!" Chiro suddenly yelled, surprised. His heart swelled with love. It was Antauri!

"Chiro? What about Antauri?" Mandarin asked, suspicious.

"N-nothing," Chiro said hurriedly.

"I just miss him, that's all," He had never been good at lying.

"Antauri! I'm alive! I'm so sorry, I got fooled. I thought you were caught by Skeleton King!"

"My son, it is not your fault," Antauri reassured him.

"Kid, are you alright? If that bag of bones and the traitor touched a hair on your head, I will-"

"Sparx! I-I'm alright! Skeleton King got totally mad though,"

"Chiro. Are you hiding something from me?" Mandarin purred, stepping closer to the boy.

"Debatable, Chiro. Skeleton King has always been mad," Gibson's lectured.

"Chiro. We miss you," Nova said.

"We love you," Otto added and the boy's eyes welled with tears against his will.

Mandarin's eyebrows shot up. Suddenly, he understood.

"Chiro, kid, where are you?"

"Hello, my brothers. Your plans are as poorly thought out as before. Shame," Mandarin entered the conversation and Sparx cursed.