"Ow!"

Gage winced as she wrapped the wound. His mother only held him firmer, but she gave Gage a sympathetic smile, "Stay still, dear."

A hiss escaped him as Gwen finished up, "There." She cut the remaining wrap off and smiled at her son, "Freshly cleaned, new bandages..."

"... No more dried blood smell." Mr. Green joked from across the living room.

Gwen threw one of the couch pillows at him, laughing despite all attempts not to, "Oh stop!"

Gage's dad did not seem fazed from the pillow at all, from his throne which was the recliner he smirked, "I get that they're called throw pillows, dear, but that's not the type of throw the title means."

Gage could not help but snicker.

Gwen smirked as she packed her medical kit, "Now what? I should take a chill pillow?"

"Okay," Gage sighed, "That was trying too hard."

Gwen stood up from her knelt position on the floor. She lightly swatted his arm, "Just put your shirt on."

Gage reached beside him and pulled an orange t-shirt, mostly plain aside the darker shaded tornado on it, over him. He carefully avoided snagging his bandages. Green left his father to his reading and walked after his mother, to the kitchen. In the kitchen, she was putting the first aid kit in the closet.

Gwen turned to see Gage hanging around the entryway and smiled, "It's been nice seeing you around the house more, even if you spent the first half of the day sleeping."

Gage scoffed in amusement, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms, "I kinda needed it."

Gwen leaned against the kitchen counter, "You really have exhausted yourself this week, dear. Kid, you're going to kill yourself at this rate."

Gage leaned his head against the wall, "All I wanted to do was catch Silver. We've tried engaging him as a team, in separate groups... driving him into corners and trying to make him run out of fuel... Nothing."

Gwen sadly watched him, "Maybe you're trying too hard? You know about looking too much for something that has really been in front of your face the whole time, don't you?"

Gage let himself slide to the floor, trying not to jostle the wound at his side, "He has to have a weakness, but where?"

Gwen pushed herself off the counter, walking across the room and sitting next to her child on the kitchen floor, "I know I sound like a hypocrite saying this, but slow down. Take time to just not rush around, making decisions on the whim. Try stepping back, looking at the situation, and observing the world around you. I've done it too many times, I've watched you do it too, but all our rushing and haste will only wind us up frazzled, stressed, and confused."

"Yeah," Gage, who's hand and pressed against his forehead, said, "This goes for you too."

Gwen chuckled, "Just take time, take the time you have home now, to reflect. What did you see in him? How does he fight? Has he poorly reacted to certain maneuvers your team pulled? By the time you're back in action, use reflections to plan ahead for him."

Gage watched her with a smile, already thinking through the last two weeks with clouded eyes.

Gwen was about to speak more, but -

- *Ding ding ding ding! RIIII-IIII-IINNNNNGG! Ding ding ding ding! RIIII-IIII-IINNNNNGG!*

Gage was so surprised to remember his phone was in his jean pocket, he jumped. After that moment of shock, he pulled his phone out and lazily checked the caller. It was Rhett.

Gage looked upon the contact with a tired expression for a moment, then answered, putting it on voice mail.

The simple sound of unfilled, static background air was enough to chill him and his mother. The silence carried on for several more seconds, and Gwen gave Gage a confused expression. Another couple moments of wondering if anyone was even there passed before the faint sound of a shaky breath in the background was heard. From there, the voice that most certainly belonged to Rhett - but did not sound like him - came through. His usual demeanor was excited and cheerful, where was the innocence and liveliness?

"Gage?" his dead sounding voice almost monotoned.

Worry instantly swelled up inside Gage's heart. What on earth was happening? His reaction was a successfully calm tone, but his oak eyes showed signs of panic, "Rhett, where are you?"

Another moment or so of background fuzz, then Rhett responded, "Garage."

Gage obviously was not enjoying his tone of voice, he gripped his phone tighter as he asked in a more stern voice, "Are you okay?"

Rhett's voice came out feeling just as lost, but it carried more emotion to it. It was like that awkward, grey mix of sorrow and anger that had no notable difference. "Just... get... over here."

Gage looked to his mother, eyes full of chaos. She herself was staring at the phone in concern. This was the first time she had ever heard Rhett like this, and he and Gage were running around together since they were toddlers. Her gaze met Gage's, she noticed just what his expression was begging. He really did want to go over there. He wanted to be there for his best friend. Gwen leaned closer to him, "Ask where the others are?" She whispered.

Gage followed her advice, "Where's the others? Wyatt?"

"Upstairs." Rhett responded just as bland as the voice activation boxes on phone.

Taking note that Rhett was in the facility, Gage continued, "And Brandon?"

...

The call was completely hung up.

"Okay!" Gage shouted, now starting to panic, "That's it!"

Gwen placed a sturdy hand on his shoulder, "I'll let you go over there, but don't get into any cat fights, and I mean it."

Gage gave her thankful smile and bolted off the floor, grabbing his favorite jacket from the coat rack.

It had been ten minutes since he left... the tears were still falling hard. Bloodshot eyes stared down at the steering wheel, shaky hands obviously taking his regrets and getting weaker under the weight of not wanting to go... wherever he was even going.

In such a state of mind as he was, the usually conscious and careful Brandon went faster every turn. Brandon picked up speed in the blazing desert, not paying any attention to any signs of danger. It was here, far from civilization, that he suddenly veered out of control. Brandon's misty eyes widened, the boy screaming, as his precious car wrecked for the second time today. Before he knew it, smoke was rising from a completely creamed front motor. Brandon opened his car door, unfazed himself from the crash initial shock aside, and pulled himself up from the trench he landed in, stepping onto the sand coated road. He looked down onto the wreck that he had caused. A defeated look crossed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around himself. No way had his GPS system survived that, and he had idea where he was.

Then, he noticed something.

The back tire of his car had completely lost air, and in that tire appeared to be... a bullet hole?

As if on queue, the sound of a car parking behind him reached his ears. Fresh tears still falling aplenty, outfit dirtied from his pathetic climb from the ditch, a spent Brandon slowly turned to see... Silver.

That sinister adversary stepped out of his car, holding a pistol, "I thought I'd never catch one of you people alone."

Brandon's eyes widened in panic. He was unsure if there was any form of connection out here, but he pulled out his phone in attempts to call somebody, anybody. When he did pull his smartphone out though, it was immediately shot straight out of his hand. Brandon gasped as his Hamhung Universe Six fell to the asphalt in many pieces. Blue eyes darted back to Silver as he advanced towards him, waving his gun, "I'd rather talk personally." He locked and loaded the pistol, "Now, hands in the air."

While Brandon could have asked just when he started taking prisoners, he was far too exhausted and already depressed as decaf coffee to even speak. All he could do, defeated enough as he was, was to raise his hands in surrender.

Gage stepped into the room. The familiar room, with its really poor couch and dozens of picture frames, was empty. Gage shrugged, thinking that Wyatt was possibly downstairs. He walked over to the elevator and pulled the lever down halfway. The team had learned that if they pulled it halfway, they didn't fall crashing like usual. Thus, pulling it halfway was the usual thing. Even speed king Gage hated how fast it went...

After several minutes of simply leaning against the elevator shaft, Gage was at the bottom. As soon as the elevator door opened, the teen looked around the... surprisingly vacant... facility.

"Rhett?" Gage shouted, "Wyatt? Brandon?"

Thus, the hunt began.

Worry built up more and more each second, as more and more doors and departments were left empty. Whether it be observation room or the spa, nobody was there. Nothing, zilch, nada.

Eventually, even if it took scowering the entire institution he had grown used to, Gage noticed the light to the pizza buffet kitchen was on. Suddenly realizing it, Gage facepalmed at his own stupidity and ran towards the most obvious place to look for an emotionally unstable Rhett.

Indeed, Rhett was there. He leaned against the silver counter as he gorged a stock piled, meaty pizza into his mouth. Gage's relieved smile only stayed for a moment though, fading when he realized that pure deadness in Rhett's eyes made his hazel pupils appear more grey. It was an expression Gage had only seen him carry in one other place ever... the months following his dad's abandonment.

Gage's face was sober as he spoke, "Rhett, you okay?"

Rhett was unresponsive, still shoving the pizza into his face. He was easily an emotional eater, Wyatt was too, but Wyatt was nowhere to be seen here. None the less, Gage had suspicions. Something huge had to have happened to make Rhett dull like this, but what? And where were the others?

Gage needed Rhett to speak to him, "Rhett. Where are Wyatt and Brandon?"

Rhett only ate faster, now down to the crust. Gage walked over and took Rhett's hand, pulling the remaining pizza crust away from his mouth, "Rhett, now is not the time to drown your sorrows in pizza."

Rhett yanked his arm away from him, bland eyes suddenly having a supernova explosion of fire as he burst back to life, "Leave me alone!"

Gage could not help but take a moment to feel betrayed. Rhett was emotionally unstable, and he was getting nothing from him. It was Rhett who called him here though, and at this point he was not going back home.

"Rhett," Gage approached his companion softly, "I don't know what on earth is happening, but it's easy to tell something's happening. Rhett, I need you to talk to me. Can't I help you?"

Rhett shook his head, starting to sink beneath a shell again as he hugged himself, "No... No..."

Gage extended his hand to him, gently placing it on his shoulder. Childhood memories of when this type of vulnerability was a common thing crossed his mind. It was rarely seen today. What on earth could have happened to break Rhett's usually cheery momentum, especially in only one day? Gage smiled, like he always did. Green could try to reach him in his unreachable, he had reached him before. A still half unresponsive Rhett did not even glance at him, just swallowing the last of his pizza crust.

Gage pressed on, "Rhett, let me help you." His eyes were shaded in nostalgia, he himself falling into weakness as he repeated the same words from so long ago, "Let me in, please? You don't have to be gone like this. Let me help you live, we can rise up again."

Rhett still did not respond, but was tearing up. Easily remembering the words, Rhett grew less tense. Like that, they stood there together in the silence that was each other's mournful company. It was a stretching, long moment, but for once Gage was not in a rush. Rhett needed him to reduce speed to his level, and Gage was more concerned for his best friend than finding answers.

Wyatt's ranger green eyes widened in shock when he saw it. The whisper escaped him, "No..."

There was Brandon's familiar, azure car. It was down in a deep trench at the side of the road. Emerald pupils wide, Wyatt pulled over and leaped directly into the trench. Not taking any mind to any minor scraps collected by the fall, he raced to the open car door, "Brandon?"

Yet, much to his relief, an injured Brandon was not in there. Yet, at the same time, no Brandon was in there. His helmet, however, was carelessly tossed into the passenger seat. Wyatt reached past the broken glass and grabbed the functioning helmet. The entire thing was like its own computer, it could track team members, it could scan large areas...

Wyatt had actually used it several times throughout the team's career, he understood at least the basics of how it worked. He yanked his own helmet off and put Brandon's on, pressing several buttons on the control panel. Wyatt started pacing as he waited, "Please show up, please show up, please show up..."

And indeed, Brandon's signature, shown in a blue dot, came up. Wyatt smirked in victory as he raced back to his truck. Once inside, he made several modifications to the tracking device so he could stalk down his best friend. As he started the car, the stuntman pulled out his phone and dialed Rhett's number.

Rhett was finally starting to come to again, but when finally functioning just a little bit more again, all he could do was reach and hug Gage, staring off into space with a grief filled expression. At this point he still did not speak. After several moments of holding him, careful of his wound while clinging to his buddy, Gage decided to try to communicate again, his chin on his head as he spoke, "Rhett, what happened?"

A moment of silence crept across them. It felt long, so long. Easily struggling with so much pain, Gage could feel silent tears causing a stain on his shirt. For another long moment on top of all others, he felt he had failed to hold a conversation with him again. Oak eyes slightly widened in surprise when Rhett finally spoke, his voice cracking in an emptiness so deep, "He left..."

Gage was confused even more than before. That two worded sentence could point in a million directions. As Rhett vibrated in his embrace, Gage held him tighter, starting to rock back and forth, "Who? Rhett, I'm confused."

Rhett squeezed his jacket, slightly pulling at his neck collar and threatening to choke. Gage only winced though, understanding this was coming from looking back on bad memories.

"Brandon..." Rhett whispered, closing his eyes as more tears escaped him, "Brandon, he's... gone. ..."

Gage felt panic slowly rise in his heart. Brandon left? Brandon was gone? Gage at first felt somewhat disappointed, not getting it one bit. Why would Brandon leave work early, especially after promising him he would watch over the team? Then, of course, how Rhett was reacting hit him. He did not just leave for the day, did he? Brandon left to... perhaps take on Silver alone? Gage did not know, but with how Rhett always looked up to Brandon, and was behaving now, this was serious. And still, the question cruised through through his mind, where was Wyatt in all this? Was he chasing Brandon?

Rhett whispered, "First dad, now him..."

Gage was so shocked upon the mentioning of Rhett's father, he outright yanked him out of their hug. Hands on his shoulders, Gage attempted to make eye contact, "Your dad?"

Rhett finally looked at him. Gage instantly saw, up close, the look in his eyes so similar to the time Gage saw him after his dad's death. It was a look of silent surrender to a world without a cherished soul. A look that accepted how he was left behind and would suffer for it. When did Rhett become blank and hollow like this anywhere else? Even if Brandon was his well respected friend, fresh anger built up in Gage as he asked the question, Brandon, what have you done?

Gage tried to keep calm, but was stayed the task of continuing to be the serene shoulder when Rhett's phone went off. Gage pulled a significantly weakened Rhett's phone from his pocket and saw that it was... Wyatt.

Eyes widened as adrenaline rushed through his body, Gage instantly answered, "Wyatt?"

Confusion was in the southerner's voice, "Gage? You have Rhett's phone?"

Gage started pacing back and forth, Rhett too caught up in his inner struggle to care, "Yeah, I have his phone. But please, for the love of Chrysler, what on earth happened today? Rhett's having an emotional breakdown! Where is Brandon?!"

"Rhett?" Wyatt's voice bled in shock and worry, "Is he okay? I only noticed Brandon leaving and tried to follow him."

Gage was becoming more and more frustrated, "I don't know what just happened, but Rhett also confirmed Brandon left and is going freak about it!"

Wyatt sighed, his voice stinging in regret, "Never should of let him go talk to him..."

"Wyatt," Gage's voice was stern, "Where is Brandon?"

Wyatt could be heard meddling with something, "I don't know exactly, but it's somewhere in Comb Avenue, the dilapidated part of town. Just saw his car, it's in pieces, got his helmet and found his signature."

Wyatt himself seemed to be nearing a state of panic as he continued, "Gage, this is far too much of a distance to cover, on foot, so soon after a car crash. He must of been driven there, and... his phone is on the ground and has a bullet hole..."

Gage's commander mode was instantly activated, the possibility of Brandon being abducted quickly overriding the anger caused by... whatever he did to Rhett... and dropping out on them all. "Wyatt, head straight there. Send me the coordinates, I'll meet you there."

"I'm sending them through the comn messenger now!" Through his voice, Gage could hear Wyatt already starting his truck and driving away.

Gage received the lettered coordinates in a text, which was sent to his own phone. Green responded, "Okay, got them. Meet you there!" And he instantly hung up, turning to Rhett, who was finally back to reality and was watching with frightened eyes.

"What's happening?" He whispered as Gage approached him.

Gage put a free hand on his shoulder, "Brandon could be in danger and we're trying to find him, that's what's happening."

Rhett's expression slightly changed to, was it sorrow? "Brandon? Where is he?"

Gage shook his head, "Somewhere downtown? I don't know exactly."

Rhett teared up more, "Will I see him again?"

More and more, that feeling of dread was causing goose bumps to creep up his back. Never since his father's disappearance did Rhett ask such things so openly and vulnerably. Gage felt tears developing in his own eyes, caught in some kind of mess he did not understand or comprehend, yet was trying to jump in and solve off the bat. "I hope so," he whispered. Gage took Rhett's hand, tugging him away, "No time to change, we're too pressed on time."

With that, they raced to their cars, not even grabbing their helmets as they got in. As they prepared to go, Rhett fumbling clumsily at even holding his keys, the dark, sarcastic thought entered Gage's mind. Yeah, we'll see Brandon again... and when we do, I'm going to have a happy, sweet, little chat with him over tea and crumpets.

*Smack!*

On his knees, wrists cuffed and arms wrapped around the large pipe behind him, Brandon took yet another blow. His vision blurred for a moment, barely taking in the crumbling walls of the broken house they were in. The single couch in the corner, covered in rubble, suggested that they were in a living room. Shades of darkness only illuminated by the cracks in the walls of peeling wallpaper, Brandon's vision readjusted after looking upon the dusty, sooty ground. Another hit was landed on his skull, causing Brandon to wince as his head fell lower to the ground, causing strain on his arms and back.

Brandon saw the silver pants, dirtied over not being washed in several days, standing firmly in front of him. Brandon looked up, the techie seeing the face of his adversary for the first time. Visor up, the Melanesian born boy had dark skin and blond, curled hair. Silver watched him with amethyst, brooding eyes, "Wow, LeBay, you really are soft! Have you always been this pathetic?"

Before Brandon could reply, even if he was going to, Silver lifted his leg and kicked him in the side. "Leaving the safety of your protective, brooding cave when the predator is on the prowl? Bad idea."

Silver kicked Brandon again, this time in the stomach. Already covered in bruises from the ongoing beating, a battered Brandon's chains prevented him from holding his aching stomach. A choked cry escaped him as a third kick was also landed on his stomach. Whatever scrap of anything he had left before this was being kicked away now. Brandon moaned as Silver reached, grabbing Brandon's thin hair and pulling his face up to meet his eyes. "Because the predator caught its prey, and its quite hungry."

Silver backhanded Brandon, who had blood starting to trickle from the side of his mouth. "What am I hungry for you ask?" Silver smacked his other cheek, "... Tonight, I hunger for vengeance."

Silver stopped hitting him at this point, reaching and gently holding Brandon's chin. He lifted the gadget guy's face to meet eye to eye again, "Science. It should be such a beautiful thing. Science has built up the world... and yet, it's funny, because it managed to destroy mine. When I was young, science changed everything and decided my every moment, my every relationship. And it stung, just like those petty slaps stung you."

Silver let go of Brandon before clenching his fist, punching him hard enough for his entire body to sway from the impact. Brandon gasped under his current pain. Silver just bent down to him, shaking his finger as he lowered one knee to the floor, "Now, I finally have the opportunity to strike back. My soul purpose here, why I'm doing what I'm doing, is to make your lives miserable."

"Brandon?"

Both kids eyes widened at the southern voice calling from hallways elsewhere in the house. Brandon caught a moment of shock in his captor's purple eyes, but the surprise almost instantly died away. With a look that changed to thrill, the silver driver looked towards the hall that started at the entrance of the room. They both knew who was out there. Silver reached for his visor, pulling it down to his nose, and continued off his last sentence, "... Starting with him."

A devilish smirk spread across his face as he pulled the visor all the way down, his facial features hidden once again. From the hallway, the silhouette of a familiar, wild and western boy came into view. Finally seeing him, looking for a lost companion, Brandon's eyes instantly flooded with tears. LeBay did not even notice how Silver stood up, looking down on him in pure triumph as he opened his mouth, "Over here, rancher."

Instantly, Wyatt's head snapped in their direction. He took several paces forwards, stepping out from the shadows as the out of uniform teen, who wasn't even wearing any form of headgear, saw Brandon chained to a pipe. Instantly, a look of pure rage spread across his face. Eyes hosting the dark sunspots of passion, his normally warm, positive energy exploded into deadly,solar flares as he clenched his fists, screaming, "LET HIM GO!"

Wyatt instantly charged towards Silver, raising a fist in fire and fury.