It was dark when Sonny, Solaris and the Pirates reached Technoid's office building that night. Duke Maddox greeted them at the lower levels of the builiding with the plans for the floor and key cards. Sonny nodded as Corso put them in his pocket. Duke Maddox looked at Sonny. He had read up on what was known of Sonnys situation with Bleylock on the days of his employment there, and what he found, gave reason for him to warn his now new alliance with regards to his former enemy.
"I'm not sure what that scum Bleylock has put on this level but be prepared for anything Sonny. This place has remained mostly out of use since his days with us. Especially the vaults he may have used." He said in a warning tone. Sonny agreed.
"That's why he picked that place Your knew it would stay empty, and not checked upon. He hid his dirty secrets right under your nose. And you are right, there may be many nasty secrets to surface. The pirates are prepared to sift through it all, so maybe we can get a handle on this mess and his plans, once and for all. Removing the bad apples in the organization is one thing, rebuilding the reputation they tarnished and establish a trustworthy leadership will be hard, espceially with the breaches of trust that has been till now" He said, bracing himself for what they might find. Duke Maddox nodded, he knew Sonny to be right.
"If I'd known back then, I'd thrown him in jail much sooner. The reports that surfaced was anything but nice reading. I hope you know this was never Technoids policy, I didnt know how he treated staff and prisoners. If I did, I would have acted a lot sooner" He said. Corso growled.
"Why do I get the feeling the damn Flux War is tied in with this too? If He's responsible for what happened at Ascaron, I will find a way to haunt this bastard." he hissed. Sonny smirked slightly at that statement.
"If he was still alive Corso, by now I'd almost feel sorry for him. Almost." He admitted.
"Duly noted," Corso said.
Sublevel Twelve
The level was freezing cold. Sonny was glad he put on his extra sweater underneath. you could see the frost in the air as they breath. Duke Maddox had given them key cards and Bleylock's palmprint to open the personal vaults of his. Corso went a few steps ahead of Sonny, and opened the doors. The room inside was pitch black. And possibly even colder. Corso shuddered for a second.
"Welcome to hell. Don't be scared when the Devil shows up." he muttered. Artie tried to lighten the mood.
"It could do with some decorating. This place is depressing" He suggested. Bennett grinned, remembering the last time Artie said something simmilar. Solaris activated a new visor, before she activated the holoprojector on her arm. It pulled up the map of the area they were about to enter.
"The cell area is far away. Maybe 15 minutes or so, to walk. If its that cold in there as it is here, I am surprised he is still alive after all this time. I would have frozen to death staying here" She stated. Sonny looked at all the closed vault doors. It made him grind his teeth. This place would bust his real motivation for his wheeling and dealing wide open, he was sure of it. And Sonny was unsure where he himself fit into it all. He had no idea how his decisions had influenced Bleylocks plans back then, and had an uneasy feeling about what he might find.
"Our investigative teams will have plenty to do. If all these vaults are full, we got a lot of work ahead of us" He commented dryly. Corso gave him a look.
"I hope we get proper compensation from Technoid for this Sonny, this is a lot of work" He asked. Sonny nodded.
"This is part of the new Shiloh security contract we have with Technoid. Security there is now under our control. Its standard Technoid pay with all document recoveries, it was the finding and removing the bad apples that got us our pardon. This, is because Duke Maddox trusts no one in his own organization right now. He feels he can trust us, over his own people" He said. Corso grinned.
"And with that, all the information Technoid might have on us is available too. Imagine what we could do with it. But I get it, your line is to stay on friendly terms now, so I will play it nice." He promised. Sonny shook his head at that.
"Not Technoid Corso. We were wrong about Technoid as an organization and their role in this. Duke Maddox has been played in ways it is hard to believe possible. His board of directors also knew little to nothing. The sweep of their computers was conclusive to strategically placed bad apples had another boss all along, and its only now we see the reach of his doing within the company. And what lenghts he would go to, this operation is on one man alone Corso; Bleylock. This time we will close the book on that story. Once and for all" He stated. Corso noticed how Sonny had clenched his fists as they walked. He shouldnt have been down here. And it showed that he felt very uncomfortable. Corso put his hand on his right shoulder, making Sonny turn and look at him as they walked.
"If there's any justice in this Galaxy Sonny, your war with him will come to an end. He's cast a shadow over you for far too long." He said. Sonny nodded and with a smile, he put his left hand atop Corso's.
"Let's put an end to this once and for all."
Callie was soaking her feet after a long day at the station. She knew Sonny would be working late today, as his agreement with Duke Maddox had made him gather a team to go through a sub-level at Technoid's office building after a call from the Duke. She remembered the look in his eyes when he told her who had used that level. Callie had taken his hands in hers. Whatever the past held, Bleylock was the source of some dark memories for Sonny, and it was not something he liked being reminded of.
"Why don't you leave this to Corso and the others?" She had asked and embraced him. "What did he do to you?I can tell it must be something horrible" She asked softly and embraced him. For the first time since their relationship started, Sonny had freed himself from her embrace.
"Please don't push it Callie. I'm still processing a lot of ones you ask about, are still some deep seated issues I need to address. I'll be fine, I just need some time." He said. Callie could tell it hurt him to say those words but that he did it to protect her. She smiled when she recalled something else. She had come home one day to find Corso sitting on the sofa, reading a few files. He looked up with a smile as she enterd the living room.
"Where's Sonny?" She asked.
"Taking a shower. Training today was rough." Corso grinned. Callie looked at him. This was code, telling her it had been a sweaty affair and Sonny was cleaning up. After that, Corso waved goodbye and left. Callie got her shoes off, and then She went to pick up a towel. as she approached the bathroom, she could hear Sonny was still under the shower. An idea formed in her head. Maybe it would be a good idea to get some cuddle time tonight? They both worked insane hours and had little time together as a couple. Callie smirked as she prepared a small surprise for her man.
Sonny froze for a second when the bathroom door was opened. His instincts was still on high alert for danger, even weeks after their pardon. He would need to make an effort to make it die down. He turned off the water, and turned around, reaching for his towel and wrapped around his waist. As he turned again to exit the shower, he saw Callie standing in the doorway, dressed only in a towel.
"What's going on?" He asked, not sure what she was planning. Sonny watched her move closer to the bathtub and turn on the water, she had a certain look in her eyes. What was she up to? Sonny leaned causally against the wall, awaiting her next move. Callie closed the door and locked it. Now it dawned on Sonny what was happening. A smile formed on his face as he leaned against the wall, waiting for her next move. She was attempting to seduce him. Well, he was gonna play along for the time being, see how far she would go. Calle dropped her towel on the floor as she had filled the bathtub, which made Sonny smile. Her look made it clear, she was up for fun. Why not? This would do both of them some good. Callie approached him, and then He felt Callie's hands on his neck and her body leaning against his. Sonny smiled as he pulled her close to kiss her. Now it became a game of whom seduced who.
"This is a surprise. What's the occasion?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Callie smiled.
"I and a mutual friend of yours figured you needed the relaxation." She mused. Sonny let out a small laugh.
"What kind of advice did he offer? His idea of relaxiation and mine are not always the same" Sonny asked playfully. Callie had a naughty smile on her face.
"Just that you needed some fun in your life. And I was thinking tonight would be a good time to relax, just the two of us" She winked at him. Sonny threw his head backward in heartfelt laughter. Clever, he would give her that, but now he was curious of the continuation. Callie smiled as she saw that.
"Unless this isn't your idea of fun." She stated while raising her eyebrow. Sonny chuckled.
"What do you think?Is this my idea of a fun time?" He challenged with a smile and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, feeling very humored.
"Well now, Playing hard to get, are we?I bet the girls in your past found that to be an interesting challenge" She asked. Sonny decided to let his playful side shine and shook his head like a wet dog. Callie squealed as the cold water drops hit her. Sonny took advantage of the situation, and quickly moved forwards and lifted her into his arms, walking towards the bathtub. Sonny had a very decisive look in his eyes
"I always had the impression,If you want something, you need to go get it. The best things dont come for free, and this price is mine for the I intend to do" He replied with a small smirk. Sonny kissed her and placed her in the big bathtub as he continued the kiss. After that, he lowered himself into the water beside her, and pulled her into an embrace. Callie placed her hands around his neck.
"If you behave, I'll give you a massage." She said. Sonny chuckled.
"That was new. I happen to still have good manners, I will make sure to collect on that promise" He chuckled as he reached down outside the tub and grabbed a bottle from the floor. Callie saw Sonny open the bottle he had brought and added a few drops in the water.
"What's that for?" She asked. She didn't recognize the bottle. Probably something made by the Pirates. Sonny looked at her.
"It's a relaxing shampoo that I made myself. Soap's not easy to come by as a Pirate so we do it a lot. Its completely organic, tailor made to the individual using it" He said.
"Why?" Callie wondered. When she thought back, she remembered there weren't any off-galaxy brands on Shiloh, only products made by the pirates themselves. Sonny smiled as he leaned backwards, sinking a little deeper into the water. It had a smell like lavender. Sonny turned slightly towards her, attempting to explain why.
"Paranoia, mostly. But also, because we found that off galalxy brands could be spiked with content used to subdue a pirate, especially for those of us with a bounty on our heads. The pirates has been a shark tank before, you never knew whom to trust, anyone could turn on you, if they wanted the bounty for your capture" he said. Sonny then explained how some things from the outside could lead to a pirate being abducted in a helpless state, unable to call for help." He sighed, "I experienced that myself, and it still sits in my mind. It came close to ending badly, if not for the help of Corso and Magnus, I could have ended up imprisoned by Technoid back then, if it wasnt Bleylock that was behind it. We never knew in my case what was planned, it was in a file we could not decrypt" He said. Callie looked at him.
"What happened?" She asked, slightly anxious. Sonny sighed as he told of how he had been drugged once.
"At first, we just talked at the bar where I had stopped to have a refreshment.I needed to clear my head some, and took a walk alone,thinking myself safe to do so, since we were on out it wasnt, snyhow, these guys were young pirates, fairly new to the game. Their ship had a problem, so they sought refuge at our home harbour to have repairs made. They didnt know their way around,they were new in the lair and wondered how to find accomodations for the night. I told them, and my drink was spiked with a drug while I spoke to out, they knew who I was, and the bounty for my capture was too tempting for them not to make a go at it. I had no idea why I all of a sudden felt so dizzy after just one sip of my soda, I could not even walk straight. They promised the bartender to help me to my ship, after being told where I was crew. As soon we were out of sight though, their real plan became obvious, they wrestled me to the ground and pulled a hood over my head. I passed out and when I woke up, I found myself in an apartment on the outside of the lair, tied up." He recalled. Callie was shocked to hear just how dangerous and brutal piratelife could be.
"Was this before you came to power as their leader?" She asked. Sonny nodded.
"About a year before. At the time, I was just a captain, one of the younger captains, but still with that rank, and this was something I had not received training to handle. None of us had, we thought our reputation alone was enough to discourage people from trying to get us. We made an error in thinking so, and I almost ended up paying for that error with a very steep price. I admit, I was scared. I was unable to free myself. And the strange feeling of not being able to focus and remaining weak would not die down. I knew I had reacted to something in the drink, but not what. For days, I was drifting in and out of consciousness.I lost all track of time during that period, wich lasted for weeks it turned out later" he told her. Callie looked at him, her expression very serious.
"You could have died Sonny, That sounds like a severe allergic reaction. And from the sound of it, they didnt care to treat you for it. If the toxin been sufficiently strong, your body would have started to shut down" Callie said seriously. Sonny looked at her.
"True Callie, it could have happened, I am not gonna lie about that. It was very severe, the first time I ever experienced such a violent reaction to anything. As for me dying from it, Well,That didn't happen." He said as he continued the story. He was starved instead. His captors had not known how to handle a captive prisoner, so he had been given barely any food at all, or water. They only gave hin enough to keep him from dying, thinking Techoid would not pay for a dead pirate. Callies expression remained worried as Sonny described the treatment he received from them to the best of his memory.
"How did you manage to escape?It sounds like you must have had help, if not, you probably wouldnt be here" Callie asked. Sonny looked at her again.
"I don't know how that came to be Callie,thats how out of it I was. I somehow managed to activate my safety beacon.I am not sure how I managed to do that either, but the result was, The pirates found my signal, and Magnus was close by with his search team when it pinged, and they stormed the apartment. I was told that it was a close call, too close to be called comfortable " Sonny sighed. Callie got curious.
"How did things go from there?" She asked. Sonny smiled. Well, he had told this much, may as well tell her everything that happened, so she understood why the rules were as they were, then and now.
"I was in bad shape for a while, I vaguely recall Magnus cutting the ropes that bound me, and forcing me to drink some water. When that didnt help me return to normal in a few minutes, he left his team to deal with my abductors, while he took me back to The Black Manta to have me examined and medicated" Sonny answered. "Corso later told me he thought I was already dead when Magnus arrived with me. He had to be held back. They had led my abductors on board then, he would have murdered them. Magnus had rushed me to the infirmary where Corso did the blood work and found what I had reacted to. They gave me a few shots to neutralize it, and an IV fluid bag, before I was placed in the cabin. When I woke up, I found myself in my bed in the cabin I shared with Corso. Magnus and Corso were standing over me, looking rather worried. They checked my pulse often, to make sure I did not grow worse. It was bad." Sonny recalled. Callie was fascinated. Sonny continued "At that moment, Magnus realised just what kind of temptation my bounty had become, and he decided to put protective measures in place to make sure this would not happen to me again. As for Corso, this was when Magnus appointed him to be my bodyguard. He realised my two million bounty started to attrack unwanted attention, and he had bigger plans for me. I was given no choice in the matter, I could not go anywhere without protection. As for Corso and I, it made it so that We grew closer as friends. He would always have my back, as he was commanded to make sure I stayed safe. Our friendship grew closer and closer,To the point, people started thinking we were an item." Sonny smiled for a second. "Sometimes I wonder if I led him on… I never knew if he wanted anything like that, or if it was even his thing. The time was never right to bring it up, and I think we were both scared we would loose the friendship if we said anything. But other times...I get this feeling we were on the same page with it, we were just too scared to say it" he confessed. Callie looked at him before she kissed him. Sonny seemed to snap out of things. He had clearly revealed enough for his taste. "Enough with the interrogation. Lets relax" Sonny tried, but Callie did not buy it.
"That may work with your men Sonny, but not with me." She said. Sonny grinned, now the roles had switched for sure, she was back to being a naughty seductress.
"Alright, different strategy then." He mused. Callie grinned.
"Good luck. You wont boss me around Captain Blackbones" She teased and quickly slipped from his embrace. Sonny laughed, it had been a while since anyone actually used his title that pirates were informal and friendly with eachother. They were on first name for this little game, Who was boss was not yet decided. and this turned into a cat and mouse game of his liking. Sonny leaned back as Callie made an attempt to get out of the bathtub. she slipped a little, but didnt fall. Sonny decided to make this more interesting.
"I'll give you twenty seconds to get safely out of the room. And if I catch you before you get out of the bathroom,it will be my way" He warned. Callie didnt answer, she quickly got out of the tub and grabbed her towel to wrap around her as Sonny rose in his full height, moving to get out.
"Time is up, And we're on," He chuckled as he quickly swung himself out and grabbed his towel. Callie saw him come, but hoped she would manage to get out before her bossy boyfriend caught up with her. Callie just managed to unlock the door when she felt Sonny grab her wrist lightly. His smile told her in all clarity, he knew he won and now, they were playing by his rules."Got you Callie. Then, my way it is" He said as the two of them headed back to the bathtub to continue their relaxing, bubbling with laughter.
Callie pulled herself loose from the memories when she received a call. It was Aduim, the League president.
"Adium, how can I help you?" She asked, looking at the league president. She just smiled.
"I was wondering if you could talk to Sonny before the All-star versus Snow kids exhibition match. I want to know if he has an extra player from the Pirates that could fill D'Jok's position. We are short a player." She asked. Callie smiled at that.
"Of Course I'll ask him. He's not in right now. A Pirate's work is never done. you know the drill" She explained with a smile. Adium laughed.
"Or a Football Coach. Aarch is the same, work work work. Tell me Callie, How are Sonny and his people adapting to this new freedom? I imagine it's a big adjustment to make. Especially after having been on the run for so many years" She said. Callie laughed.
"Surprisingly well I must say. Sonny prepared himself from the get-go. No soft easing into things. We talked about it and made a plan for him, with the right persons around him, it would work. He moved in with me almost immediately and has adjusted well. I can't imagine living alone again now that he's always around. I also feel safer when he is here." she admitted. Adium Laughed.
"It has been a treat to see him in these interviews. He still is secretive about your personal life, and his own, but he shares more about himself than expected. His opinion as guest commentator and other things is refreshing. We even announce it in advance if he will be in the panel of the evening. He is very popular that way. Tell me something Callie, there's a rumor about his son being a Galactik Football player. Is that true?" She wondered. Callie smiled.
"It is True Aduim. I know who his son is but I can't tell yet. However, it will come out soon. He's talking with Sonny about revealing this to the Galaxy, they just need to find the right time. I will hold a spot ready for them on the news at eight as soon as they find a fitting time to do it. Sonny kept it secret, but he has spent a lot of time with his son recently. It helps relax him." She explained. A noise in the hallway alerted Callie to someone entering the apartment. It sounded like more than one. "Sonny, is that you?" She asked.
Sonny came into the living room. He wasn't alone. He carried someone wrapped in a cloack in his arms. She could tell he was very careful with whomever he was carrying. Solaris and Corso stood next to him with a worried look on their faces. This had to be a person of importance. Sonny carefully laid the person down on the sofa, while Corso quickly opened a bag to take out medical equipment to treat him. Sonny turned to Callie.
"Callie, we need some hot water and some bandages. This man is seriously emaciated and in need of medical help! he also has wounds that is next 48 hours will be a life or death matter. We also need to keep him warm, the prison cell was not meant for humanbeings. He is lucky to still be alive" Sonny said as he was checking the injured mans pulse when he felt someone looked at him. Corso looked at him, with a question in his eye, Sonny gave him a hand signal. It was not brilliant at all. This would be touch and go. As Sonny turned, He noticed Adium on screen. Sonny put on a smile as he addressed the league president."Always a pleasure Aduim. We're kind of busy at the moment so make it quick." He said seriously.
"Just Some football business Sonny, nothing pressing." She said. Sonny smiled when he heard that. "And I just wanted to know who your mystery son was. The league is very curious as to how this was kept secret and whom this lucky young man is" she said. That made Sonny smile for a second.
"I will reveal it later. Right now, we have other business to attend to." Sonny said. Adium nodded as she saw the commotion in the background, tending to an injured man. She ended the call and the Pirates went to help their wounded companion.
D'Jok and the snow kids had a tough training session.
"How's life as a Dad, D'Jok?" Rocket asked with a smile at half time. They were all sweaty and beat.
"Very tiring." The red-headed striker admitted. Tia grinned.
"You should take a break now and then. Let the grandparents help out." She pointed out.
"Mei's parents are way too busy for that," D'Jok said. Tia smiled.
"You have a grandfather on your side too, you know." She said. D'Jok smiled.
"True, He already babysat once. Dad knows what he's doing when it comes to babies. Even at her young age, she is a big pirates fan, and a granddad girl, when he is around, Mei and I dont excist. Then its all about grandad. And he seems to love every minute of it" He admitted. The Snow Kids laughed. Aarch joined them.
"I just got word from the League Snow Kids. The All-Stars have fixed their line up. D'Jok, you'll be playing as a Snow Kid but the one replacing you on The All-Stars may be a surprise,And I would say a treat for the galactik football fans too" Aarch grinned. D'Jok looked at him.
"Go ahead, I don't think I can be me whom Dad chose to send into this super team" He said. Aarch nodded.
"They'll be playing with two Pirates players, as no one from the Electras could step Aduim called Sonny to ask if he had an extra player to spare. He did. He decided to go in himself. Aduim confirmed it. Sonny is taking D'Joks spot on the team. He might be the oldest player, but he is more fit than most his age. I am sure he will keep up and make the play difficult, from what I have heard of him. And that means a massive change in the team, with seriously strong player" Aarch said. D'Jok indeed wasn't surprised.
"Stevens and Dad on the pitch. Should be interesting. And definately changed the game from hard, to superhard" he mused. Rocket was slightly worried.
"We know how Sonny Blackbones plays. We saw him in the last cup. He is intense and all over the place and he reads the play with ease,he was very controlled and an excellent team player" He said thoughtfully. Clamp nodded.
"Sonny was an excellent player even back in the day at Technoid's scientist team. Getting past him was difficult and if he got the ball, he was a good passer as well, and if he plays striker, Sonny has a high jump that defies even D'jok's. And if Flux gets involved, well, good luck. You may be in over your head this time" Clamp smiled. D'Jok nodded.
"Snow Kids, I think we have our work cut out for us."
Solaris was sitting next to the bed in the guest room at Sonny and Callie's home, looking at Corso, who checked Zarind's pulse. He wasn't optimistic.
"His pulse is extremely weak. It can go either way." He said. Zarind made a pained noise, he was running a fever, but his hands still felt cold. Corso adjusted the heating blankets, they had to slowly bring his body temperature back to normal. Solaris grabbed his hand.
"Easy Zarind, you're safe now." She said calmly. The door behind her opened and Sonny entered the guest room with a cup of coffe in his hand. "Did you sleep well Sonny?The walk in the sublevel twelve seemed to raise lots of memories for you, I hope it didnt disturb your sleep" Solaris asked. Sonny nodded.
"I'll be fine. My sleep pattern has been normal, Callie told me I only had one small incident, wich I calmed down from quickly. How is your patient?" He asked Corso, looking at the emaciated Paladin under the blankets. Corso sighed.
"I'll do my best Sonny but I can't guarantee that he'll make it. It could go either way. the next 48 hours will be touch and go" He reported. Sonny nodded.
"Solaris, I'll need you and Corso to stay here and look after him. Until we know if he makes it, we cant leave him alone. He is also under your command if I understand things correctly. As a leader, you are in charge of your mens well being. This is, for the time being, your sole task." Sonny said. Solaris nodded.
"What are you going to do Sonny?You got a plan laid out for your day too I take it " She asked. Sonny smiled at the question.
"I need to check with the investigation teams on what they found in the filing cabinets and boxes we retrieved from sublevel 12. It will take time to get through it all." He stated. Corso nodded.
"Who knows what ghosts will surface this time.I realy dont like the fact that we have to do this,not considering the past we had with Bleylock alone." He muttered. Sonny placed his hand on Corso's shoulder.
"Before all that Corso, let's focus on the All-Star team. Stevens and I are set to have a practice session every day until it's time for the match. So you will be here with Solaris through that. While I team up with Stevens for this stint" He said. Corso grinned.
"It's a match I look forward to.I know you are one of our strongest players, age aside. It will be nice to see you shine on the pitch, without having to hide your identity this time, that is, if you plan to play without the head gear" He said. Sonny chuckled.
"Even when you're sitting next to Duke Maddox?And I dont plan to use the head gear. Stevens may do as he likes, I will wear the jersey, but not the head gear" He joked. Corso made a disgusted face.
"You're going to pay for this eventually Sonny. You know damn well how I feel about him and now I have to play nice? Remind me to get you back for that one." He said with a grimace. Sonny laughed.
"Corso,You need to learn to be more diplomatic if you're going to be the commander of the Black Manta. That means having to talk to people you dont like. I have had to do it more than once, now its your turn." He suggested. Corso was not convinced.
"I have to take over and cover for you along with Bennett, is that it?If not, it would be you sitting there, with me behind you" He asked.
Sonny chuckled as he ruffled Corso's hair.
"Knock that off, its too early for those tricks" Corso said, sounding grumpy. Sonny handed him a cup of coffee.
"This should help your mood. Here's some tea, Solaris. I have to go." Sonny said.
"Where is Callie?" Corso asked. Sonny emptied his coffe mug and put it on the plate on the counter.
"She's already at work. She runs the early shift this week. I'll be back in a few hours tough." Sonny smiled before he took a small gym bag and slung it over his shoulder. His transmitter signaled an incoming call.
"I'll be right there Stevens." He answered and left the house.
Genesis Astroport
Duke Maddox was getting to be a real pain. Blackbones was also getting dangerously close to his plan. The hooded Man knew Sonny was a force to be reckoned with and from the looks of it, he didn't buy that Miller was the main culprit. The hooded man chuckled to himself as he gently stroked his robotic cat. Miller was just the bait. He was watching the surveillance video from the sublevel twelve vaults. They had found the prisoner. Good thing, the Paladin scout didn't know much. It was a peculiar coincidence that Miller chose Stellar Unix as his base of operations. The planet where Bleylock was exiled from. It was almost poetic, seeing the Pirates heading straight for him.
He could see Sonny and Corso open up one of the boxes and it was clear they didn't like it. Despite the camera being well hidden, he had a feeling Sonny knew they were being watched as the Pirates spoke among themselves in Ancient Shiloh.
As he could gather from his sweep of Maddox's computer, Shiloh Security, The Pirates company, was in charge of security of Technoid. It almost felt like a hostile takeover even with Duke Maddox being behind it. The hooded man clenched his fists. It was almost impossible to attack Blackbones and his people. But maybe... He grinned as he looked at a folder.
"You think you know everything about Bleylock and his plans Blackbones? You're wrong. That information will be what ends you. As soon as you realise the full extent of it, its over for you and your pirates"
Stevens and Sonny had reached Club Galactik and changed into their uniforms in the locker room as the other players appeared. They broke into big smiles when they saw whom their replacement would be. Sonny was already in his jersey, reading the number 11 for the occassion, and was adjusting his leg skins as the rest of the team entered, Luun Zia of the Wambas being the first to approach him.
"Sonny Blackbones,Wow it's an honor!" Luun Zia said as she took Sonny's hand. He smiled and greeted the footballers of the All Stars. Nilla, The Shadows player, greeted him next. Sonny noticed he was a bit weak with the handshake. Nilla could be the player that supplied Smog to the most recent cocktail of multiflux. Sonny made a mental note about it to see if that could lead him closer to some answers, he decided to have Nilla followed after practice, just to see if more info could be gathered. Luur and Warren came in side by side. Sonny smiled as he saw the two strikers. This match would be a tough call for the Snow Kids. And it also humbled him to be around two such gigantic players, whom meant so much for their respective homeplanets in the rebuild after the war. Luur reached out first. The Xenon had a friendly smile for once, as he greeted another great force in preserving the peace.
"It's an honor to play in the All-Star match with you. Your exploits are well known among the xenon people. Welcome to The All Stars" He said. Sonny smiled warmly as he shook hands.
"The pleasure is all mine Luur, I'm looking forward to the match. I am aware of your exploits too. The Xenons are a force to be reckoned with, and your planet has regained its footing with yours and your teams efforts" He said. He then turned to Warren, his son's hero. He had to smile. Warren had a good influence on D'Jok. But it wasn't the time to reveal his connection to him yet. Warren smiled.
"I've always wondered how it would feel like to shake hands with the greatest freedom fighter this Galaxy has. Welcome to the All Stars Sonny, We are truly happy to have you onboard, and see how this will strenghten our team" He said as he took Sonny's hand. Sonny kept smiling.
"The pleasure's all mine. I'm aware of your exploits that made your planet prosper. I think this may be a fun experience" He said. Kernor, The Rykers goalkeeper stepped forwards.
"Good to have you here Sonny. I was getting bored with the normal line-up." She grinned as she shook his hand. Sonny smirked.
"The Snow Kids are three times Galactik champions. They know how to reinvent their play,but even they can be defeated. The Gyros proved that last match" He stated. Akka Muuk, the Cyclops captain looked at them.
"They were beaten by Team Paradisia too, dont forget that." He reminded them. Sonny looked at him.
"Even the best can loose. What makes a champion is how you handle loss. I always saw that as more important than how you handle a win. A champion handles both like the star that they are meant to be" He pointed out. The other All Stars players nodded agreeingly with a smile. Sonny Blackbones had already proved, through his words alone, why he was such a great leader for his men. Warren looked at their Coach.
"Artegor, are you ready to start us up?" He asked. Artegor Nexus grinned.
"Let's get this show on the road."
Corso checked Zarind's pulse again.
"Come on Zarind, you can do this. You're more stubborn than Sonny and me put together. Come on, wake up." He whispered. Solaris had been silently trying to warm his hands, now, she opened a small pocket in her uniform and extracted a small vial with a blue liquid.
"This may help." She said as she handed it to Corso, who looked at her. This felt like something he needed to ask more about.
"This isn't going to get you in trouble is it?" He said. Solaris sighed. That was his answer. Corso sighed as he waited for her to explain.
"A small dose of this will boost Zarinds energy, at least enough to get him through the worst, but it may also take away some of my powers for a while" She admitted. Corso looked at her suspiciously.
"Define 'some' Solaris. Unless you can bounce back, Sonny will have my hide for it if I let you do this" He said. Solaris looked at him. Corso was irritated by the visor that always hid her eyes. He never liked it, even if people had their reasons. He knew Bennet had his. He also knew Sonny was looking into it. He'd ask Corso for help in the matter when the time came. Artie too, who'd hidden his tracks well. So far, Corso had came up with nothing on his attempts to check Arties records. He sighed.
"Is there any way you can charge yourself if you do this?Sonny is gonna go not only no but hell no if not" He asked. Solaris grinned.
"Twenty-four hours of meditation under ultraviolet light. It would also get me a nice view of the situation at hand. So I can recharge." She explained. Corso nodded.
"I'll ask Sonny first." He suggested mildly. Solaris nodded and took Zarind's hand.
"Hang in there Zarind, The Paladins need you. So does the galaxy. You're not going anywhere. That's an order." she said. Corso grinned when he heard her order. He started to like her. He returned to watching Zarind's health.
At Club Galactik, the All-Star team were done with their training session.
"There's no way the Snowballs can beat us this time,Sonny, you really surprised me at that last save. I saw D'Jok do simmilar. But that ball isnt getting past you. How you spotted it is more than I know." Kernor said as she gulped down her drink. Akkamuk Ten looked at Sonny.
"I don't get it. Sonny's the oldest member of the team but he keeps up just fine, he even has energy to spare" he said. Before Sonny could reply, Warren stepped in.
"Akkamuk, Sonny has fully mastered his Flux. We all will in due time, Sonny just happens to be more disiplined and wise in his use. This will definately play in our favour" Warren commented. Luur agreed.
"These matches will be interesting. We should add Sonny as a permanent substitute to the team." He commented. Sonny nodded. Warren rubbed his chin as he had an idea.
"I've got a proposal; we're hanging out after practice, would you like to join Sonny? We all want to get to know you better. Stevens too." Warren said. Sonny looked at Stevens with a smile. Time to get used to normal life again.
"What do you think Stevens? You up for some fun?" He asked. The Pirates Striker grinned.
"Sounds like an interesting change. Im in." He said. Sonny nodded. He would have the opportunity to ask if they've experience resonance.
"Alright, we're coming along."
Stellar Unix
Coran looked at Zoonia, Aaraya and the rest of the Paladins.
"We received word from Solaris. She made it safely to the Shiloh Pirates and gave us good news; Zarind was found alive. He's currently recovering at an undisclosed location. We've also spoken to Sonny and filled him in on what happened here. Sonny will relay the message to Solairs and his men. As of now,A Pirate ship, under his second in command; Corso will come to assist in the rescue of King Aldoor and Queen Marcia." He informed. Zoonia raised her hand.
"Why isn't Sonny himself coming?" She asked. Coran sighed.
"Sonny would be in grave danger by coming here. Our enemy, Maurice Miller, is after right hand man Corso, believes Sonny is being put in harms way if doing so, and has asked him to stay on Genesis, where he is safe. Sonny has an incredibly strong flux, and Miller aims to use him as a source of energy, to strethen his new flux mixes. We dont know if he has any of our men in captivity, but we must assume he has access to flux in some form or way. Sonny may be the final link in Millers chain. Its important that he stays at a safe distance. Corso also informed me that he now has a girlfriend and a granddaughter and wants to step away from a dangerous life. Life is starting anew for him. They want to keep him out of the danger now, as Sonny also managed to have the pirates pardoned" He informed. The Paladins nodded with a smile. The ancient prophecy was taking form.
"Zarind always knew that would happen, I recall he spoke highly of Sonny even then. He would love to hear this" Aaraya said. Zoonia looked at him.
"We need to find out where our King and Queen are held captive. How is Solaris doing?" She asked. Coran grinned.
"She's doing fine. The Pirates have a Flux master among them. He helped her heal her shoulder. using the seed of shiloh" He said. Aaraya looked at him.
"A Flux Master?With The Seed of Shiloh? That's rare. It has been forever since that flux was ever heard of" She asked. Coran nodded.
"The Seed of Shiloh was born from the destruction of another planet, I learned that the pirates used it in the last cup for the first time,a cup wich they won. We dont know how long they have had the ability to use it. It is not on record and Sonny is tightlipped about it." Coran explained. The Paladins nodded.
"Whoever it is, He has to be very strong, healing an injury of that magnitude that fast." Aaraya mused. Coran nodded.
"He is. Possibly the strongest one I have ever seen" He confirmed.
"Do we know who this Flux Master is?" Aaraya asked. Coran nodded.
"Its Sonny himself, and the Pirates are protecting him by keeping him away from here. We will work with whomever comes here. But it wont be Sonny." He said before he pulled up a screen.
"This is the intel we have on Miller so far. If Sonny comes here, Miller will attempt to capture him to mix our flux with his. So Sonny will need to maintain distance" He said. Aaraya looked at him.
"He won't let that happen to himself. Sonny is known to made wise decisions. We dont need to worry about him" she said. Coran nodded.
"He could be forced. That said, we will get to see his Flux in action at the All-Star Match in a few days. Until then, we will gather intel so we're prepared."
D'Jok was wrapping up practice sessions at Club Galactik when Warren walked in.
"How are things with the kids?" He asked with a smile.
"It's impressive. These kids are younger than us and their Flux is extremely strong. I wonder if it had anything to do with Ahito sending his Flux around during the last cup that the snow kids won. I myself felt supercharged, but it wore off in a few months, and we still have an element of feeling weak from time to time" D'Jok answered. Warren laughed.
"That goes for all that participated in the paradisian cup. Something happened then, that weakened us all. How are your preparations for the All-Star match going?" He asked. D'Jok grinned.
"We're in tip-top shape and ready to take you on. I look forward to facing your new player. I heard he is a real powerhouse" He said. Warren grinned.
"I can confirm that. Sonny is a force to be reckoned with on the pitch. I never saw someone his age that better be at your A game when he is with us. It was a real treat for the All-Stars to get to know him after practice too. He and Stevens joined us for drinks.A facinating man, a true hero and still so down to earth. He asked us about something called 'resonance'. Do you know what this is?It is the first time I ever heard of it, but when it was explained, I understood we are many that have it, the effects vary, and Sonny was clearly interested in learning more about it." He asked the Striker. D'Jok nodded. Then an idea struck him.
"What do you think about Sonny Blackbones?Would you trust him?" he asked. D'Jok wanted to reveal his family bond to Sonny to Warren, but he wanted to know what he thought of his father. Warren smiled.
"I like him. He's a hero. I'm happy for him and the other Pirates. They get a second chance at a normal life. Sonny has great skills, and it was very evident why his men are so loyal to him. I would say he is all heart. As for trusting him, yes, I would not hessitate to do so" He smiled. D'Jok nodded.
"Me too. He is like no one I ever met. " He said. Warren looked at him. He felt like his young assitant coach had something to tell.
"Is there something you want to tell me, D'Jok? Something to do with out new star of the team" He asked. D'Jok nodded.
"Did you see that interview where Duke Maddox revealed that Sonny Blackbones has a son?" He asked. Warren nodded.
"I have a feeling I met his son on the pitch, several times. I have definately seen simmilar moves to Sonnys somewhere on the pitch before. I'm trying to figure out who it was." He admitted. D'Jok smiled.
"You're right Warren, you have. Want to know who it is?" He smiled. Warren smiled back, studying D'Jok for a minute before it clicked.
"Are you trying to tell me that you're Sonny's son?" He asked mildly.
D'Jok smiled. The secret was out in the open, and it felt good.
"I do. And I am proud of my father" He said. Warren nodded.
"I'm happy you told me. Now that I look at you closer, I can see the resemblance. It's going to be interesting to see you play against your father. I doubt it will stop him from playing his hardest. And neither should you. This is a father and son duel worth watching" He smiled. D'Jok grinned,
"I hope so. It will be a father and son duel for sure. I just hope I can stop him" He said. Warren smiled.
"You can try, but he wont make it easy on you. Give my regards to Mei and her baby. Whom happens to have a magnificent grandfather too. " He said. D'Jok grinned.
"I'm talking with Dad about revealing this on tv. I don't want to hide it anymore. I'll also take the last name Blackbones." He confessed. Warren smiled.
"Just make sure everyone is safe when you do this. Now, do you want to head into the holo trainer for some practice?" Warren asked. D'Jok grinned.
"I would be honored."
There were a lot of boxes on the table in the living room. Sonny had ordered Artie and Bennett to go through the files, and sort them in boxes. There were many low priority boxes. Sonny hoped they would find more clues to Bleylock's grand scheme. That had always escaped him. They knew Bleylock wanted to rule the Galaxy but what was his grand plan to do it. It was in these boxes somewhere, the tons of boxes retrieved from the vaults. Sonny knew at least some of his research had been used by General Bleylock back in the day and he intended to find out what that was. Bennett sighed as he looked at the boxes.
"This is just intel on production. It's gonna be a long night." He said. Artie sighed heavily.
"If it's not in here, then it will show up later. No worries, we will find it." He said encouragingly. Sonny had to smile at them. Both still had some issues they needed to work on. But they were at high fuction despite of it. Then, His gaze fell on a smaller box on the floor.
"Maybe?" Sonny picked the box up and put it on the table. It turned out, it was locked with a code. Sonny felt his pulse raise. knowing Bleylock, this broke the pattern. This box had content of value. Sonny looked at Artie. "Artie, can you open this box? We may have something here." he said. Artie did so quickly, eager to please. Sonny hoped he could help him with his issues later on.
"Here you go," Artie said as he opened the box. Sonny looked into it. It was filled with research papers and videofiles. They all looked eerily familar to him. Sonny couldn't hold back a gasp. He always had a suspicion of it, but here was the proof. Sonny picked up the research papers. This was all his old research, or Clamps part of it, from when he worked for Bleylock. Sonny lifted them out of the box. Corso came into the room. And he noticed Sonny had become quite pale. Corso realised that the ghosts he had feared would rise, had hit Sonny hard.
"Are you okay Sonny?" He softly asked. Sonny nodded.
"I'm fine Corso, just a little caught off guard." He admitted. Corso picked up a stack of small discs.
"That's surveillance footage and those dates… "Corso stopped. He looked at his best friend with shock. Sonny nodded.
"It's from the lab that Clamp and I worked in Corso. I should have known he kept an eye on us." He said. Then Sonny looked at the papers.
"These are Clamp's progress reports on the Metaflux project." He said. Corso looked at him.
"And yours?" He asked. Sonny nodded.
"I never wrote anything down. At least not in the lab. I wrote at detailed reports. I always felt like it would not be safe to leave anything I wrote at the lab. Clamp's reports were harmless. Mine was detailed in how to create the damn thing from ste start. My reports on the project were lost when mine and Helena's ship was set ablaze on Akillian." He said. Corso nodded and picked up a new stack of files.
"What's this?" He asked, opening the files. Sonny could feel himself grow tense. He knew what the content was, seeing the front of it, and he was not ready to face this demon again. At least not yet.
" Corso,Don't open it." He said. Corso sent him a look, but realized now was not the time to push this issue and closed the file. Now,Sonny picked up a final, small disc. He felt his heart race.
"We should take a look at this one, it's not as old as the rest." He said. Corso nodded and put the disc inside his laptop. Sonny sat down, feeling uneasy about what they were about to see. Corso booted up the file. It contained a video from the time he was still in a relationship with Bleylock. Sonnys audible gasp made Corso order Artie and Bennett out of the room almost immediately. Corso could feel how tense Sonny had grown and started to massage his neck to make it ease up a bit. He could see the table of content on the disc. There were images of how he had looked after Bleylock had beat him medical photoes, Bleylocks personal photoes of his then lover, beaten into submission to his will. Corso tried to calm his anger. This was horrible to see. Sonny was indeed lucky he had not been crippled in these attacks.
"We need to discuss this with Clamp Sonny. He needs to know," Corso said. Sonny agreed. He held onto another file to stop his hands from shaking. Corso looked at him with understanding, before he noticed what the file was about.
"This is a medical file on Yarrit Labnor. Old, but still...There must be one for you too, right?" He asked. Sonny nodded.
"There should be." He said. Corso looked at the content of the disc. He grew pale, as they heard a voice.
"Looking through the files? You wont find the ones you seek in the boxes,I made sure of that. But have a go, take a walk down memory lane Blackbones, remember what made you who you are, and what pain you caused to others in chasing those dreams that was shattered. Fitting for someone like you" it said. The one talking on the file sent cold shivers down their spines. Sonny was pale as a ghost when a hooded figure stepped into the frame. Sonny inhaled sharply. Those glowing yellow eyes looked painfully familiar. He had seen it so many times, in his worst nightmares. Sonny tried to figure out who he was dealing with. "I'm not who you think I am I was, you would be dead by now. He could not come back to physically go after you. You made doubly sure of that." The stranger said. Corso hissed.
"That monster had it coming. It wasn't Sonny's fault. If anything, Sonny would have risked his own life to save that miserable was his victim, like countless others." He said. "And with that said,Who the hell are you?" Corso demanded to know. The hooded figure pulled down said hood. The man had Bleylock's eyes, but it was not Bleylock. His hair was far longer and his features much sharper. It dawned on Sonny who this was.
"Are you… His Son?"
A/N: A real shocker.
Why is this figure appearing now?
Does this man hold the same hatred like his father?
What will the files on the Metaflux project reveal?
Why is Sonny's old medical file missing?
All this and more will soon be revealed!
As always, big thank you to Paranoidgirl, for beta reading and tossing ideas back and forth. It is truly amazing.
If you like the story, please review it.