Micro Ice wanted to hide in shame. His actions caused Sonny to get hurt. D'Jok tried to cheer him up, but it didn't help. He was also worried about his father. As they arrived home, Corso approached them.
"Sonny's fine. He just needs to rest. Let's just take it easy with him today." Corso assured them, gently leading Sonny inside, an arm securely around his waist. As soon as they were inside, Corso helped Sonny to the bedroom. Sonny sighed as he laid down. Corso smiled.
"Get some rest." He said, before he gave him a quick kiss, and silently left the room.
D'Jok sent Micro Ice to his room.
"I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen, I swear." Micro Ice started. D'Jok just sighed.
"No, this is my fault. I should have done my job. Can you forgive me?" He asked. Micro Ice smiled for what felt like the first time in ages.
"If you can forgive me in return." He said. The two Snow Kids hugged each other, for a long time, after that. Corso looked at them from his laptop and couldn't help but smile.
Bennett checked on the prisoner in the holding cell again. He had a sinking feeling about him. The past came back to haunt him. He was still a kid, but the memories had stuck. Memories he kept to himself. The prisoner seemed to recognize him and smiled. He knew. It left Bennett ill at ease.
Stevens and Hawkins arrived to relieve him of his duties. Bennett made his way home. He finally made it to a point where he started to have a normal life outside the Pirates. Took him five years. But seeing this creature made it feel like it came all crashing down again. He knew his family was involved with this. And it frightened him.
Bennett sighed as he undressed to go to bed after locking the door. He chose to live alone, because that way, he could keep his secrets to himself. He soon was fast asleep, but his dreams didn't allow him to be at peace. Avoiding gambling debts. No chance at a steady job thanks to being part of a family that was supposed to be extinct. Knowing about the one key that would have allowed The Bleylocks to rule his home planet.
Tonight, however, his dreams felt invaded. Bennett was tossing and turning. Dreaming about repressed memories from his childhood. He could see Sonny, when he came to Abraxor with Bleylock. He tried to warn him to no avail. Then, the dreams took him to the incident on The obia moon again. The card game where he had cheated, gotten caught and the punishment. Acid poured in his eyes. He could still remember the pain of his skin melting away, and he remembered that nasty creature in the background, watching, observing his every move, even in his nightmare.
Bennett awoke, covered in sweat. This couldn't be a nightmare, it was too intense, too real. He put his sunglasses on, and sat up before he called Corso.
Corso was fast asleep. Still, that creature haunted him. Being part of the Chissian military, he knew about this. This was Professor Eugen Monteague's work. A shapeshifter and a telepath. They had to be within range for that to work. Corso was well aware that he knew things people from his military didn't want him to know. If this being found out, he was done for. He felt Sonny take his hand. He relaxed.
He could feel the buzz from his silent transmitter. Corso reluctantly let go of Sonny, careful not to wake him up. Putting on a bathrobe, he headed to the living room. It was Bennett, and he looked terrible.
"Bennett, what's wrong?" Corso asked. Bennett didn't even get properly dressed. And he looked like he just saw a ghost.
"Hey, about that guy we captured today?" Bennett asked, a bit hesitant. Corso frowned.
"What about him?" He asked. Bennett sounded insecure.
"I feel like I've seen it before. When I was little." He managed. Corso was caught by surprise.
"Do you know something about it? I feel the same way. I just don't know where." He said. Bennett swallowed.
"Can I ask you some personal questions?" He asked carefully. Corso nodded.
"Depends. Just ask and I'll see what I can say." He said. Bennett nodded.
"Have you ever heard about something called Operation Scout?" He asked. Corso gasped. Operation Scout was a top secret mission, concerning the safety and peace of the galaxy. Only his unit and the members of the one family that wanted to prevent a new Galactik war in that region of the Galaxy knew of it. That family had asked their help with a safe evacuation of youngsters, to keep a disaster from happening.
"How do you know about that?" Corso asked, not able to hide his shock.
"Did you ever find the key to the doomsday weapon? Did you get all the ones with the information out?" Bennett asked. Corso raised an eyebrow at these questions. Just what did Bennett know?
"A member of the family managed to escape Abraxor, they must have had it. We never knew who the last keybearer was. Despite our job being to keep them safe." Corso admitted. Bennett nodded, then, he walked to a safe he had, opening it. Bennett reached inside and took out a small box. The final key to Abraxor's doomsday weapon. Bennett was the key bearer his unit had protected. Sonny had to know this.
"We need to tell Sonny first thing in the morning."
The being smirked inside his cell. They really figured they could break him. That would not work. Him and his peers were the best there was of the likes of him, one of the Galaxy's best secret agents. If anything, his captivity brought him closer to his goal; The Pirates. Micro Ice had been a help and didn't even know it. Told him some things. Especially about the Pirates. About this one named 'Bennett'. Not the name he knew him by, but he knew him. And he knew just how much he was worth.
Brim Balarius studied the material he managed to intercept. Sonny Blackbones needed to know this.
He contacted Dame Simbai.
"I need to meet with you and Sonny Blackbones as soon as possible."
Micro Ice made a decision. The being frightened him but he couldn't protect the ones he cared about by staying silent. He got out of bed. Time to do something about it. Slowly, he put on his clothes and combed his hair.
As he looked at himself in the mirror, he took a few deep breaths before he headed downstairs.
As he entered the kitchen, he saw Sonny at his laptop. He coughed and Sonny looked up with a smile.
"You're up early." Sonny chuckled. He saw something was different about Micro Ice. Less scared.
"Sonny, can I talk to you about something?" He asked. Sonny looked up from the screen.
"Is it about what happened today?" He asked. Micro Ice nodded.
"I figured I'd protect everyone by keeping quiet." He admitted. Sonny knew he had to be careful with his words.
"Micro Ice, it's never wrong to want to protect those you care about. Are you ready to tell me what happened? What they told you?" Sonny pointed out carefully. Micro Ice nodded, then he sighed.
"That being from last night, it was like it was inside my head. Like, I could see him in my sleep." Micro Ice said. Sonny nodded. They had to investigate this first thing in the morning.
"Why don't you start from the top? And let's go from there." Sonny said as he prepared to record the conversation. Micro Ice nodded, feeling a bit better now.
"I'm sorry about what I made you do. That creature looked like it almost killed you." He said, sounding remorseful. Sonny smiled.
"Think nothing more of it Micro Ice.I am fine now. Now, let's start talking."
Bennett had one of the most restless nights he had in years. He just couldn't shake the image of the being from his mind. He knew parts of that being came from his Home Planet and more specifically, his family. Sonny had to know. And it looked like Corso already did know. Some of it, at least. That said, Corso being as secretive as he was, maybe he wouldn't tell. But Bennett hoped he would.
As his car rolled up to The Blackbones residence, Bennett parked, and got out.
Bennett rang the doorbell, and Sonny opened. They soon were in his office with Corso and Micro Ice.
"Alright Bennett, let's hear your part of this story."
Sonny rubbed his chin. He now had three sides of the story; Corso's, Bennett's and Micro Ice. Looked like the Shadow Behind the Throne might not be an enemy of them at all. The Pirates Council of Elders needed to know. And they had to know the exact details of what was happening. Brim Balarius wasn't the threat. Whoever tried to control him was. Raven could help with that.
"Let's get our priorities straight." Sonny said as he turned to Corso. "We are going to need all the information that the Chissian military has on this being. We need to know how he works. And let's keep Technoid out of it. That's where you come in, Bennett. Make sure they let us investigate this." Sonny said and looked at his third in command. Bennett nodded.
"You want me to find out about the weapons on Abraxor, too?" He asked. Sonny nodded.
"I'm sorry, but yes. You might even have to go there. I will ask the Paladins for help if it comes to that." He said. Bennett nodded.
"And what will you be doing?" Corso asked, looking at his husband intently.
"By now we know who the Shadow behind the Throne is, but who occupies that Throne? And what is their goal? I'll ask Callie to dig for answers with me. Also, I now know what was in the tubes; a new Flux Mixture. It contained Flux samples from Stellar Unix. I will need to speak to prince Zoltar and ask where they might come from. One of the Fluxes used is banned, and another one old and nearly forgotten. Duke Maddox will be helpful to gain access to Abraxor. I just hope this doesn't turn too serious." Sonny said with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Just don't put yourself in too much danger." Corso muttered. Sonny looked at him.
"Regardless, you know about Chissia's Flux, right?" He asked. Corso nodded.
"I know the Breath of Akillian can freeze it. That should be relatively easy to deal with. I just don't see how it connects." He said.
"There's an unknown strain of Flux in the mix. Raven searched secret archives for it. Apparently this Flux is crucial to the stability of the Galaxy. I need to research this." Sonny admitted.
"Where does this Flux come from?" Corso asked, sounding worried. Sonny sighed. He'd rather not tell but he had to.
"It's synthetic, much like the Meta Flux. The project was shut down after the Akillian Disaster. It has many similarities to The Darkness Flux. There's rumors someone is alive who can use it, but nothing substantial." Sonny started, before he stopped. Corso frowned.
"Just tell me the details you're keeping from me. I can handle it." He said. Sonny sighed as he looked at Corso, worry in his eyes.
"It's from Abraxor. And the person involved..." Sonny said. Bennett stood up.
"You're talking about HIM, are you?" He said. Corso looked at the both of them.
"So who's going to be the adult and just tell me what's going on?" He asked. Sonny nodded to Bennett.
"The one we're searching for is Bertrand Erwholer. If he's alive, he is dangerous. But he knows that for his plans to work, he needs the Weapon. And the Keys." Bennett said as he handed a box to Sonny. "It's better if you hold on to this." Corso was getting agitated.
"Will you two just tell me who this guy is?" He asked. Bennett sighed.
"Fine. He's my brother." He said.
A/N: It's Bennett's time to get into the family trouble.
Micro Ice also still has a role to play, but for now, I'm a bit unclear on it.
Thank you Paranoidgirl, for all helpful suggestions and also the changes to dialogue and other ideas that lift the story.
Happy reading!