A/N: Hey y'all!!! Thanks for all the encouraging reviews! I want to reply to them, actually....
To Fantasyfan4ever: I agree, poor Dana. :( I'd be so scared if I was in her place! But everything will work out for her, you'll see. ;) Thanks for all your reviews, I always look forward to reading them because you always have something nice to say!!
To Caraqueen: Thanks, I'm glad I played Dana alright. :) And I'm gonna use those scenes you suggested. SWEETNESS!
To AliJo: Thank you, my friend! You rock!! Thanks for being so supportive!
To princess-tikal12: Glad you and Alex like this story. :) I hope it's suspenseful enough for you, LOL!! Thanks so much for all your rockin' reviews!
To Mskatee: Thanks and welcome to the site! Feel free to ask me any questions about the site if you have trouble. And I understand, everyone wants me to update my dare story...but so many reviews have come in that it's getting more and more difficult to update. I'm glad you all like it, but it might take a while...I'll have to pick a good, lazy day (that's so rare nowadays) to buckle down and totally concentrate on my dare fic. But in the meantime, I'm having a lot of fun writing about my OC!
Now, here's the next chapter! Hope you like!
Chapter Four: Saving the Day
Dana ran into the guest room where Larissa was resting. "Larissa," she cried in a panicked voice. "They're onto us!" Larissa rubbed her eyes awake and sat up in her tube, cocking her head sideways at Dana. "What-" Before Larissa could finish, the beeping from the mainscreen interrupted them. Somebody was in trouble. Larissa and Dana exchanged glances, wondering the same thing as they hurried to the main room where everybody was waiting. They had never saved the day or fought crime before. They were raised up doing Mandarin's dirty work. Would the Monkey Team put two and two together when they saw the newcomers' inexperience?
"What is it this time?" Nova asked from where she was sitting in her round pod chair. Gibson for the second time that day hurried to the mainscreen and typed on the keyboard. "Apparantly a...cheese robot?" Gibson sounded incredulous. Sparx leaped to his side. "You mean the same one that was in Krinkle's La La Land?" Sparx asked, dumbfounded. A picture of the cheese robot flashed on the mainscreen. The team all exchanged confused glances. It was the same exact one that was in Krinkle's world.
"How can this be?" Antauri asked. Surely Krinkle wasn't back! He had disappeared, vanished. A worried frown creased Gibson's brow. "I'm not certain," he responded. "Scans indicate that the cheese robot is one-hundred percent real. It has not come from another universe, nor is it a figment of one's imagination." Jinmay, Larissa, and Dana looked puzzled. "Is there something we're missing?" Larissa asked. They had never heard of the Krinkle character before, and Jinmay hadn't been with the team when the incident on Ranger 7 had occurred. They certainly didn't know what the fuss was about over a large, robotic cheese on legs. "No time to explain," Chiro responded. "We'll tell you on the way." He stopped and glanced around at the monkeys. "Hyperforce, go!"
* * *
On their jetpacks, the monkeys, Chiro, and Jinmay flew to the source of the cheese robot. It was in Shuggazoom Park, and little kids and their mothers were running around frantically. Just as the Hyperforce arrived, a little boy and his mother were cornered near a tree by the large cheese robot, screaming for help and hugging each other. Just as the cheese robot was about to destroy them, Chiro yelled, "Chiro Spearo!" He heaved the lightning bolt at the robot. It hit and did little damage, but the mother and her child managed to scramble away.
The cheese robot turned and started stomping its way toward the Hyperforce. Nova jumped in the air, her fists ready to pound. "Eat this, you cheese freak!" she screamed. "Lady Tomahawk!" With one swift movement Nova used her attack on the robot, stunning it. Sparx was up next. "Magna Tingler Blast!" he shouted, the spark of electricity shocking the robot. The cheese robot grabbed Sparx and Nova and threw them into the nearby slide. "Hey!" Jinmay cried. She stared angrily at the robot and fired the rocket missiles from her fingers (I forgot to mention, she's in her robot form). It hit right on target, and it certainly got the robot's attention.
Just as it headed for Jinmay, Otto decided it was his cue. "Whirling Destructo Saws!" he shouted, his saws launching into the side of the cheese robot. The robot at the last moment grabbed Otto's saws and heaved him toward the swings. Otto screamed as he dove headfirst and got tanged in the swings with his outstretched saws. "Spin Shocker!" came the cry of Gibson, but the robot turned and knocked the blue monkey to the ground. Dana gasped. "Gibson!" she cried, then narrowed her eyes at the cheese robot.
With a shrieking battle cry, Dana leaped into the air, her weapons out. Her weapons were silver discs with pink spikes. "Take this!" Dana screeched, the silver discs whirling so quickly it became a blur of gray and pink. The spikes suddenly turned into pink lasers and shot toward the cheese robot. It knocked the robot to the ground. Antauri whipped out his ghost claws. "Claw Disrupter!" he yelled, diving at the robot. He turned into his purple ghost phase and like a purple streak he went right through the robot and came out the other side.
It was finished. Everyone stood, panting, as they stared at the defeated cheese robot. Gibson smiled at Dana as she helped him up. "That was very accurate aiming," he complimented. "I'm impressed. Thank you, Dana." Dana blushed in pleasure and embarrassment. Jinmay went to go untangle Otto, and Antauri helped Sparx and Nova get back on their feet. As everyone got ready to leave, Larissa spotted something that nobody had noticed. It was a beeping sound. Larissa cocked her head and listened. The slow, quiet beeping suddenly turned loud and rapid.
Suddenly it clicked. Larissa knew what it was. Mandarin had entrusted her with them many times before, and she and Dana had often used them on missions. "Larissa, what's wrong?" Jinmay called from where she and the rest of the team, including Dana, were in the air, waiting for her. Apparantly Antauri noticed it too, for suddenly the straight expression on his face turned to one of concern. "It's a bomb!" he realized.
Larissa whipped out her suddenly flaming hands. I need to deactivate it before it blows up the entire city, Larissa surprised herself by thinking. She had never been the least bit concerned about Shuggazoom City before. Everyone gasped at Antauri's statement, then turned to see Larissa with her flaming claws, trying to get inside the cheese robot. "Larissa!" Chiro shouted. "It's not safe! You need to come back!" Everyone soon joined him with their callings.
Larissa ignored them and finally found the hole from which Antauri had gone through. She dove into it and used her flaming claws to light her way as she searched for the bomb. Back outside, Dana was frantic with worry, but she tried to not let it show. "What is she doing?!" she asked Gibson. Gibson's black eyes widened as he peered closer. "I believe she's trying to deactivate the bomb!" he exclaimed. Dana let out a cry of alarm and tried to zoom over, but Jinmay held her back. Dana struggled, but was no match for the robotic teenager. "LARISSA!" she screamed.
Larissa heard her friend's screams but paid no heed to them. She needed to find that bomb! Following the sound, she finally found it. It read 0:40. Only forty seconds left?! Larissa made quick work. She started to rip apart every wire, hoping she wouldn't cut the wrong one and everything would explode. Back outside, everyone watched anxiously as the beeping grew louder and more rapid. Sparx, Nova, and Otto went to go prepare the crowd, and Chiro helped Jinmay hold Dana back.
Antauri calmly but with concern looked at Chiro. "I'm going to go find her," he told them. Chiro didn't even try to argue with the silver monkey, instead he nodded and just said, "Be careful, Antauri." Antauri read in between the lines of what Chiro was saying and nodded with understanding. He turned into his purple ghost phase and flew over to the cheese robot. "Please find her and bring her back, safe!" Dana called just as Antauri slipped inside.
Larissa had only three wires to go and there were only twenty seconds left when she felt a rush of movement behind her. Not caring to look back, Larissa kept on working, thinking hard about which wire to cut. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. Larissa let out a cry of alarm and spun around to see a pair of dark blue eyes. Antauri. "Larissa, we need to leave," Antauri said sternly. "Now!" Larissa trembled as she stood up, shrugging his hand off her shoulder. "Antauri, everything's gonna explode and destroy the city! Either go back outside or help me deactivate it." Larissa lifted her chin stubbornly, waiting for his response.
Antauri knew arguing would be useless and wasting time. He took a quick glance at the clock. Ten seconds. He saw Larissa's stubbornness and knew she wasn't going to give up. Antauri secretly admired her perseverance yet knew her stubbornness was a barrier that would be hard to go through. At last he nodded. "Alright, but let us hurry. We have but little time." As soon as the words left his mouth, they set to work. Antauri lowered his ghost claw into the bomb, trying to find another way to deactivate it.
Larissa was trying to decide between the wires. "Larissa." Antauri's deep, authoritive voice made her look up. His face softened. "Do not rely on what you think. Do as your heart says." His words ran a shiver through Larissa. Not only did it fit the moment with the bomb, but it also related on her choice in life. Could it be possible that...Antauri knew? Larissa didn't have much time to think about it, though the thought lingered in her mind. Larissa bent over the wires, putting her full concentration in her decision.
Five seconds left. Sweat ran down Larissa's head and her heart pounded as she reached for the blue wire. We've got nothing to lose. Larissa cut the wire and braced herself for the deafening roar of the bomb and the explosion. But surprisingly, all was silent. Larissa dared to open her eyes and look at the bomb. It had stopped! Antauri smiled and lifted his claw out of the bomb, his hands returning to normal. "You have done it, Larissa. You saved everyone."
Larissa's mouth turned to cotton. She had saved the day? She hadn't even realized it. If Mandarin ever found out....The thoughts dissolved as Antauri's kind eyes smiled at her. Moments later Larissa found herself in Antauri's arms as she trembled, the realization of what happened sinking in. She had nearly risked Antauri's life...and her own. Larissa found great comfort in Antauri's gentle embrace. The worries of the present faded away and for a moment Larissa wondered if this could ever be her future. Being part of the Hyperforce.
Larissa immediately shook off the thought. Never. It's not possible, and I have to face the facts. It can never happen. "Everything's alright now," Antauri whispered. Larissa blushed and pulled away reluctantly, for once in her life feeling....happy. "Shall we join the others?" Antauri asked. But Larissa read in between the lines. What he really saying was, Are you ready? Larissa nodded and took his hand, and off they flew to an overjoyed Hyperforce and a relieved Dana. But one nagging thought remained in Larissa's mind.
Why do I feel so happy doing good deeds?
A/N: (insert dramatic music here) Dun dun dunnn!!
Larissa: (pops in) Hey, you didn't tell me you were updating this!
You didn't ask. XD I'm really excited at how this chapter turned out! I hope I wasn't OOC with anyone. Anyways, more and better chapters are on the way! Now, time for you to do your part---REVIEW!
Larissa: And we're out!
That's a wrap. XD