A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long, but here's an update! To everyone who has reviewed, sent me messages, or even just read the story, thank you so much. It really does mean a lot to me to have people like you supporting this. You're all awesome, and this chapter is for all of you. (Sorry, you'll have to share. =P I do not own Di-Gata.

Chapter Seven - The Cellmate

The guard station was quiet as always. The monitors on the wall showed their views of empty corridors, lit by the stark lights from overhead. The man on duty reclined in his chair, feet propped on the edge of his desk, a steaming cup in his hand.

Behind him, the door opened, a female officer stepping inside, leaving it ajar. She glanced once at the monitors, then at her colleague. "You look comfy," she remarked, dropping into the seat beside his.

Dropping his feet too the floor, he straightened with a grimace. "Not really. I've got no feeling in my -"

"Anything to report?" she cut him off.

He slouched, his fun spoiled. "No . . . ." As his voice trailed off, a dark blur shot across one of the monitors, drawing the attention of both.

"What the -" the man started, half-rising. The female officer was already on her feet, heading for the door.

"That's the camera for this hallway, correct?"

". . . . Y-yeah . . . ."

The corridor outside was deserted as she stepped out into it. Looking left and right, one hand on the shockstick at her belt, she moved slowly along, keeping close to the wall.

"Wait here," she told her subordinate. "Close the door and keep it that way until I get back." The man nodded, retreating into the monitoring room.

Moving back to the desk, her watched the monitors carefully. His superior wasn't visible on any of them. He frowned . . . that wasn't right. Tapping on his keyboard, he scanned for an error in the monitoring technology. It came up clean. Still frowning, he moved to the wall, hitting the circuit breaker that controlled the nine screens. A cold shutdown wasn't supposed to be used except in an emergency, but he couldn't think of what else to do. He watched as they went dark, feeling slightly apprehensive. Suppose his superior couldn't contain the strange blur, whatever it was?

That was laughable, he scolded himself. The lieutenant was a good officer - she'd get the job done. As if to confirm that thought, a knock sounded from the door, which he hurried to open.

"What was it?" he asked as he pulled the heavy stone slab open.

Seth looked back at him, flashing a predator's grin. "Hi there." The surprised guard was still staring at him when the Defender's fist connected with his jaw, the impact of metal on skin knocking him out cold.

Checking around the edge of the door, making sure no other guards were on duty at this station, Seth took off along the corridor. Adam stepped from a side room up head, dusting off his hands.

"Out like a light," he said, in answer to Seth's unspoken question.

"Good. Let's hope Erik can keep the cameras busy for a little while longer; he said the loop video of the empty halls would only be able to run for a little while before it was detected."

"Better get a move on, then."

Both boys took off deeper into the bowels of the Consulate, feet making the only noise as they pounded the stone flooring. Coming up on the last corner, both skidded to a stop as sound rose ahead. Edging up along the wall they listened carefully.

" - mean, she was there at the last check?" a voice thundered. "Of course she was, otherwise even your idiot guards would have raised the alarm!" Deathly quiet stole in , only to be disspelled seconds later. "You! When was the last prisoner check?"

'T-twelve hours ago, s-sir," a new voice stammered. "Sh-she was in there, I s-swear she was!"

The first voice was now deceptively calm, loaded with menace. "Then she had to have escaped in that time, correct?" Another lull. "Tell me, Sergeant, what measures were you taking to ensure she stayed in custody?"

The resounding, tell-tale sound of a slap echoed from the hallway. "Stupid, do you ignore all your orders so carelessly? I specifically told you to keep her sedated, to prevent this exact situation! This is no ordinary girl you were dealing with; the usual measures won't work on an Wizard! Idiot!"

Around the corner, Seth and Adam exchanged glances - Mel was gone? Pushing lightly on his friend's arm, Seth motioned to one of the side rooms. Within seconds, they were inside, the door closed tight and a comm channel open to Erik.

"One second," the red-haired techie muttered. The sound of keys tapping filtered therough the speaker. "I'm checking the camera feed from outside her cell . . . . Okay."

"'Okay' what?" Seth prompted when his teammate didn't elaborate.

"Two guys came to her cell early this morning, three hours into the second quarter. Guards, I think, from the look of them. They used full binding . . . ooh, nice one!" A humourless laugh. "She managed to freeze one guy's face . . . oh, never mind. His partner made her get rid of it." He hesitated. "With a, uh . . . a shockstick." When neither Seth or Adam responded, he kept going. "Anyway, they take her off, but then about two hours later, another prisoner gets tossed in her cell. The face is blocked - I can't see them."

"Where'd they take Mel?" Seth said, consciously unclenching his left hand. It had curled into a fist just after the word 'shockstick.'

"Umm . . . ." The tone of voice indicated Erik was searching for their friend. "Oh, there she is. They took her up to the Questioning chambers -"

"They what?" Those chambers were stuff horror stories were made of. No one knew for sure what went on behind the closed doors . . . except that it was never pleasant.

"Hang on, I'm not finished!" When both boys were quiet, Erik continued. "Two hours later, the Questioner goes in. He's carrying a file - they probably have one on all of us. xcept he's only in there for about five minutes before a Protector goes in with full binders. They bring Mel out . . . and this is where I get confused."

Another pair of glanced was exchanged. "What do you mean?" Seth said, frowning quizzically.

"Well, when they bring her out, they don't take her to the right back toward the detention cells. Instead, they go left; the only thing that way is a bank of liftchambers."

"Look around - find where they took her after that," Adam said.

"That's just it," Erik said solemnly. "She's not on any camera after that. Not her, or the Questioner and Protector. It's like they just disappeared."

"Keep working on it - we'll take a look at her cell," Seth told him. "Let us know if you find anything."

"Be careful," Erik warned.

"Right." Breaking the connection, both boys moved to the side room's door, listening for sounds of the guards outside. The shouting officer had apparently left, with a majority of his underlings to invesitgate Mel's disappearance. Good - that meant the way would be mostly clear.

Looking at his friend, Seth jerked his head in the direction of the hall. Adam nodded, already lifting his cloak hood. Pulling the cloth tight around him, he vanished, the only sign of this presence being the door that opened.

Crouching in the open entry, Seth watched the hall in the opposite direction, in case someone decided to take a trip down to this season's must-go destination: the oh-so-cheery detention cells. Minutes later, a faint, two-tone whistle sounded - all set.

He made it to the cell within a minute, studying the look on Adam's face. "What is it?"

"You're never going to guess who her 'cellmate' is," the thief said darkly, glowering at the solid metal door. Reaching out, he flipped up a little flap, exposing a slot. Seth peered through . . . his eyes widened when he saw the person inside.

. . . . . .

Erik was waiting for them on the roof, pacing agitatedly. His head came up as Seth pulled himself up through the hole, looking just as ticked as he had when they'd started this whole ordeal.

"I shut everything down and erased my data searches," the red-haired boy said, coming to a halt. "Did you guys find Mel?"

"Not quite."

A loud male voice - strangely high-pitched - came from inside the hole. "I don't care what you say, I'm not going up - aaaaaaagh!" A body came shooting up through the opening, landing in a heap on the black roofing material.

Erik stared. ". . . . You have got to be kidding me."

Climbing to his feet, Flinch dusted off the gray prison clothes he wore, casting venomous glances at the two of them. "Just my luck . . . I get out of prison and have to deal with you people . . . ."

"We could always just leave you here," Adam muttered, hoisting himself out onto the roof. Flinch looked at him and fell silent.

"Why are were bringing him with us?" Erik muttered to Seth, watching the scientist warily.

"He got caught tapping into the power grid for a group of rebels," the other whispered back. "He's going to take us to them; says that they all want the same thing we do."

Erik's eyes narrowed. "Are you crazy? How many times has he sold us out before? How do we know he won't do it again?"

"Because," Seth said calmly, "we have stones and he doesn't. He's smart enough to know we have the upper hand. He'll play it straight until the ball's in his court - if he messes up then, he'll end up right back here. Either way, we win."

Breathing a sigh, Erik shrugged. "You're the boss."