I know a lot of people are worried and concerned about XR. Other people believe he is protected by plot armor and will be fine. I guess you'll just have to wait and see. I do apologize that this isn't the longest chapter ever. It was just the point I thought would be the best natural stopping point for this one.
Fury and frustration burned through his processor as he launched himself out of the secret room and into the air, his energy wings snapping out. Nos-4-A2 knew he'd lost control of his temper. He lashed out in rage and focused on destruction rather than torment. He embraced mindless violence. He lost control of the situation and himself. And by losing control, he ended his fun.
He felt furious because XR managed to alert his Space Rangers to his general location. He felt furious because XR tricked him into lowering his guard and not realizing his prey had some fight left. He felt frustrated that he would need to leave and find new hunting grounds, which would likely not be as plentiful as his current ones. Nos-4-A2 hated how XR's last words were declaring he'd beaten the energy vampire again, bringing up unpleasant memories of past failures and provoking him. And he despised the fact he lost his temper and lashed out like some dumb and wild organic beast. He ripped and tore rather than draining energy like always, acting like a savage.
Soaring out of the abandoned factory, Nos-4-A2 dove into the city with furious thoughts buzzing in his processor and a burning need to hunt. The pain and fear of the Little One as the energy vampire tore out everything his claws could reach of his inner workings and crushing his motor until it gave out… It awakened his appetite, but it was over too fast to sate him. He was left unsatisfied and frustrated, not even bothering to drain the last few joules in XR's broken and offline body. There was no real point. In that state, Nos-4-A2 couldn't enjoy himself as he finished off his prey. It wouldn't be enough to quench his need for energy and his appetite for suffering.
XR was as good as dead and useless, so Nos-4-A2 needed new prey. He needed to hunt a new victim and torment it enough to satisfy his burning desire to cause pain and fear. Then he would calm down enough to think rationally. Then he would be able to work on finding a way off the planet.
What a waste of a perfectly good planet full of robots and someone to hide the bodies. It was such a shame to surrender perfectly good hunting grounds. And he felt so disappointed with himself that he lost his favorite victim in such a boring fashion. But he couldn't change the past and would just have to deal with the situation as it was.
He would hunt. He would torment and drain his prey. And then he would leave forever. He could continue with his revenge later.
"Lightyear," said Nebula, making the man pause right before he reached the spaceship. "Before you go, take these with you."
When Buzz reached out a hand, Nebula gave him a few silver-white disks with green buttons. Buzz didn't recognize the devices, but he knew LGM handiwork when he saw it.
"These should help against the energy vampire," he explained. "Miniature EMP disks. Activate them and throw the things at Nos-4-A2. It'll hopefully disable or even knock him offline if he's in range. Just make sure that you're careful with the things. They'll also work on your spacesuits or… If he's still… Just be careful."
Buzz nodded solemnly. They all saw the same thing on screen. They knew how bad it looked. But if there was even the slightest chance of recovering their missing Ranger, they would find a way. And that apparently meant keeping the miniature EMP disks away from XR while using them to keep the energy vampire at bay.
"Thank you, Commander. I'll make sure to only use them on Nos-4-A2," Buzz said.
"Good," said Nebula with a nod. "And Lightyear…? Bring our Ranger home. No matter how bad it is, don't leave him there with that thing."
"We won't come back without him. We never leave a teammate behind."
Lana was going to be so impressed when he told her about this. XL led the way into the Fixer's place, enjoying the sensation of being tall and broad again. Being a walking arsenal with thick armor had a way of boosting a guy's confidence. It was good to be in his old body and he was finally going to be what he was created for. He was going to be the best Space Ranger possible.
XL just needed to remember the difference between a target to shoot at, his allies, and innocent bystanders. Indiscriminate blasting was why he spent a couple decades turned off and in storage. He needed to avoid repeating that mistake.
"XL," said the Fixer, "you're here. Come in, come in. It is great to have you back." He floated towards the robot in his anti-grav chair and spread his arms in welcome. "I have some nice merchandise that I'm sure you'll be interested in. I might even consider a discount since you've always been one of my best customers."
"Thanks, but I'm actually more interested in some information," he said.
The Fixer's nearly-perpetual scowl deepened into a frown of confusion. XL took the opportunity to take a step forward and clear the doorway, allowing his companions to enter on either side of him. The little girl in her Junior Space Ranger uniform might not be the most impressive sight initially, but Ranger Parsec was enough to make the Fixer gape in shock.
His mouth twitched a few times, trying to find the words. Then the Fixer tried to do the next logical move and escape. But there was a very large hand gripping his throat before he could go very far.
"Mr. The Fixer?" said Ty, sounding rather official and calm in the face of XL's actions. "We have reason to believe that you have been aiding and abetting a known felon and fugitive from the law. We would like to discuss the matter thoroughly."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said in a rehearsed fashion. "And everyone is a welcome customer here. I don't discriminate against my customers just because they may or may not have criminal records." The Fixer gave XL a significant look. "Their uni-bucks are just as good as anyone else's. It isn't a crime to participate in commerce."
"You're doing more than selling parts, legally or illegally," Savy spat venomously, somehow managing to loom menacingly while being shorter than everyone. "You're hiding the offlined bodies. You're probably giving him stuff in exchange for all those parts. Tools, equipment, information, and so on. You're helping Nos-4-A2. You're helping that monster. And you're going to tell us what dark hole that energy vampire is hiding in."
"Even if what you're saying is true, which I'm not saying it is, what's in it for me? Why should I say anything that'll help you?" he asked sharply. "It would only make me look guilty and probably wouldn't do any good. Not to mention it would hurt my business if my customers found out I was talking about them to the Space Rangers. Some of them value their privacy, after all."
XL tightened his grip on the Fixer and said, "Because Nos-4-A2 kidnapped my little brother. Now, I know that last time we spoke, me and XR weren't on the best of terms. And yeah, I did try to shoot him a few times. And tried to crush him. And tried to tear him apart with g-forces. And stole his body one time to impersonate him to try and blow up Star Command. And… Um, where was I going with this?"
"Nos-4-A2 kidnapping XR and you aren't happy about it?" reminded Savy.
"Right," he continued. "You see, I like XR now. We both work for Star Command and get to see Pops. Which is awesome. And go on family picnics, even if Dad seemed a little reluctant. He probably just wanted to get back to work. Anyway, I like XR. I like my little brother. And Nos-4-A2 kidnapped him. You're helping Nos-4-A2. You're helping him hide on Tradeworld. That's going to change now. I want my little brother back now. And if you don't do everything possible to help us, I'm going to consider you just as guilty as the energy vampire. As in I'll blame you just as much for what has been happening to him."
Aiming his other hand at the Fixer's face, XL knew the built-in weapon made his intentions perfectly clear. Subtlety was never XL's specialty, but at least there would be no misunderstandings.
"I've been nice so far. But if you don't help us now, I will completely lose my patience with you. Understand?"
"Can I help?" asked Savy with a vicious grin. "I think I still have some of my arsenal still hidden away from the last time the energy vampire was around."
Growing a little paler in XL's grip, the Fixer glanced towards Ty and asked, "Aren't you going to stop him? You can't really just stand there and let your fellow Rangers threaten me."
Ty shrugged and said, "Savy is a Junior Space Ranger or did you miss her uniform? And XL works with paperwork. Neither of them are part of my team. I'm not sure how much authority I have over them. But if you are concerned about their behavior, I suppose I could step out to contact Star Command about how I should proceed in handling this situation. It might take some time, so I'll have to leave you in here for a while. With them."
XL grinned. He definitely approve of Ranger Parsec's style. Even with the whole "once or twice turned into a wirewolf and attacked robots" thing, he was actually pretty nice to have around. He played the Good Ranger part while XL did the Bad Ranger role. And Savy apparently did the scary-tough little girl part.
The robot and Savy did their best to look intimidating while the Fixer glanced between everyone nervously. Then, when Ty turned towards the exit as if to leave, the Fixer slumped in XL's grip.
"Fine," he said. "I might have an idea where Nos-4-A2 is staying. The Asimov Robotics factory over in Killerville shut down a while back. It also has a secret room hidden under the main assembly floor. Supposedly for hiding stuff that was… of questionable legality. Small stuff, but things that no one wants an inspector or law enforcement to find and not everyone will develop 'temporary blindness' if you give them a few extra uni-bucks. So yeah, someone supposedly installed a hidden room underneath that doesn't show up on any of the blueprints and I later heard about it. And maybe Nos-4-A2 is using it. But that's all I can tell you."
"I'd ask how he would know about the secret room, but I have a feeling I already know the answer," said Savy, crossing her arms.
The Fixer shrugged and said, "Business is business."
"The Fixer says to look in the old Asimov Robotics factory," Ty's voice said over the communicator. "There's a secret room under the assembly floor, apparently used for hiding contraband or something originally. It's the perfect place to keep someone locked up."
"Roger that," Buzz replied, turning in flight towards their new destination. "We're on our way. Watch the Fixer closely. We can't risk him contacting Nos-4-A2."
"Considering the way XL is glaring at him, I don't think that'll be a problem. Just be careful. You're heading into the monster's den. It'll be his home turf and that will give him the advantage."
Booster saw the faintest hint of a smile cross the man's grim face as Buzz said, "If we run into trouble, you can always rescue us. I know we can depend on you."
"While it would be a nice change of pace, don't make it necessary. Ranger Parsec out."
Once Ty stopped communicating, Booster was left with nothing to think about except dodging traffic and trying not to think about what they saw on screen earlier. He'd been worried for days to the point Booster couldn't even consider sleeping, but he'd been sure they would find XR. The Space Rangers always succeed. But the recording and then the video conference sowed a little doubt in his mind. XR was in trouble, serious trouble that they needed to save him from.
But they would find him. They would save XR. No matter how bad it looked or how vicious Nos-4-A2 acted when he attacked XR, they would get their teammate back. Everyone would get back to Star Command safe. Booster knew that would happen because they always did. As he flew between increasingly-empty buildings, Booster kept that knowledge firmly in mind.
But even with that absolute certainty, the concern and dread wouldn't completely disappear.
Tradeworld's crowded, loud, urban environment couldn't be more different from the peaceful farms of Jo-Ad. But this particular corner of it seemed nearly abandoned in comparison. Old warehouses and factories made up most of the buildings, the sort of places people like Torque would use for storing illegal merchandise or making shady deals. And their destination only looked worse.
The closed Asimov Robotics factory hadn't been operational in a long time. The walls were discolored with age, the doors practically rusted shut, and the entire place seemed to be on the brink of being condemned. It would be perfect for keeping a low profile. And considering how much trouble Booster was having spotting a way inside, the building would also be an excellent way to contain a prisoner.
His stomach twisted at the idea of XR being trapped inside for so long. He was Booster's best friend and deserved far better. They needed to get inside now. Booster eyed the thick doors, trying to decide if he would be able to smash his way through or if they would need to cut their way inside.
"Hey, up here," called Mira, drawing their attention to an upper corner of the factory. "This window is open."
"That's probably how Nos-4-A2 enters and leaves. Good work, Mira," Buzz said as they flew up to join her. "Stay sharp, Rangers. We don't know if the energy vampire is still here."
Mira and Buzz fit through quite easily. Booster, on the other hand, encountered some issues. While a lot of buildings and doors were required to accommodate most of the sentient species in the Galactic Alliance (because making it harder to enter places made it harder to get their money), that didn't extend to windows. The construction of the factory's window didn't take into account that it would someday be the only point of entry and a member of a larger-than-average species might need to squeeze through. But by sucking in his gut and wiggling a little, Booster managed to scrape his way inside.
The interior of the abandoned factory turned out to be creepier than the rundown exterior. Darkness and shadows clung to every corner. Old pieces of machinery sat silently throughout the building, rusting away and coated in dust. Long conveyer belts stretched across the room with pieces of half-constructed metal still on them. And scattered across the floor in a rather morbid display was the still and lifeless forms of offline robots. The Space Rangers were forced to land among the remains.
"I guess he didn't give the Fixer all his victims," said Mira quietly, reaching towards one of them and turning their head to expose puncture marks.
"We're definitely in the right place," Buzz said. "Spread out and search for XR or access to a secret room. Remember, locating him is the priority for this mission. Not capturing the energy vampire."
They gave him a quick nod in response. Like Booster could ever forget that. They needed to save his best friend. They could always catch Nos-4-A2 after they got XR back to Star Command and safe.
Swiftly and silently, the Space Rangers moved around the abandoned factory while trying not to disturb the occasional offline robot scattered around. Booster kept glancing over his shoulder in case Nos-4-A2 came swooping down. There was just something so foreboding about the place. There were too many shadowy corners and large machinery to hide behind. He could only imagine what it would be like for XR. The energy vampire and his lair were just plain creepy.
"Anyone find anything yet?" Buzz asked quietly.
"Nothing," said Booster.
"Don't see anything over here," Mira said. "And I don't think Nos-4-A2 is here either. Which is, which is a good thing for us. I mean, it'll make getting out of here easier once we find XR."
As Booster checked on the other side of the conveyer belt, he noticed something about the floor. A few parallel marks ran a short distance. It only took a few moments to realize the marks were from something heavy being dragged repeatedly across the floor and scraping it in the process. Looking a little further, Booster noticed the marks led towards a large piece of machinery. And half-concealed by the shadows, he saw a gap in the floor that was only partially concealed by the machinery. The dust suggested that the machinery hadn't been moved in a while, though. Nos-4-A2 probably just slipped through the already-exposed gap to get in and out. Even half-covered, the opening would still give the energy vampire enough room to slip through.
Booster shoved hard and the piece of machinery moved without any problem, a loud creak echoing around the room. His efforts revealed the rest of the opening. He could now spot a narrow staircase leading down and out of sight. He could also tell there was no chance he would be able to fit. Whoever originally built the secret room didn't have Jo-Adians in mind.
"Good work, Booster," Buzz said, the noise clearly grabbing his and Mira's attention. "Whoever built this might have been clever, but they're no match for the keen instincts of an observant Space Ranger."
Booster quietly thanked him for the praise, but his thoughts were wandering towards what lurked down there. Part of him wanted to shout XR's name. But he held himself back. What if Nos-4-A2 was down there and he ruined the element of surprise? True, the loud sound from moving the equipment and exposing the hidden passage down probably already did that, but he shouldn't risk it. Or even worse. What if he called for his best friend and teammate… and XR didn't answer?
"Mira, you and I will check out this secret room while Booster covers us from out here," Buzz said "If XR is in this building, he'll be down there. But we can't let that energy vampire sneak up on us. Everyone understand?"
Saluting firmly, Booster said, "You got it, Buzz. I won't let you down. Nos-4-A2 won't get past me."
If you can't figure out what Asimov Robotics factory is a reference to, Isaac Asimov was a famous sci-fi writer. He did a lot with robots in fiction. So I figured this would be a reasonable reference to him and his work.
Remember, writers always enjoy reviews. And even if it might take me some time to update this story, I appreciate feedback. Thanks.
