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Learning to Breathe

Chapter Sixteen: Mitch the Rock

"Where could he have gone?" Andi groaned as she and Zartan tore down one of the corridors. "Honestly, how hard can it be to find a 300-pound teenager?"

"Harder than you think." Zartan answered. At that instant, a loud crash was heard several doors down, in addition to a few screams.

"That's gotta be him." The blond sighed as she and the group handler walked to the door. With a whoosh, the door slid open to reveal the brown-haired teen locked in a wrestling match with one of the janitorial staff.

"Please! Help me!" The squished man squeaked.

"Feel the wrath of the Rock, coward!" Mitch roared.

"Rock, put the man down and come over here." Zartan said.

"Why?" Mitch said. "Who are you?"

"Your new manager." Zartan said. "And I've got some stuff right here that will boost your strength tenfold."

"Let me do away with this chump…" Mitch said before slamming the poor janitor into the tile floor.

"Get over here, Mitch?"

"What do you want, China?" Mitch asked.

"Come over here and try this stuff out, goober." Andi sneered.

"Yes." Zartan said. "All it will take is one whiff."

"Whatever you say." Mitch mumbled as he walked up. With a belying grin, Zartan held the vial up to the boy's nose. The teenaged giant sniffed, and passed out in a matter of seconds.

"That was easy enough." Andi said. "I wonder how the others are doing with Regan?"

XXXXXXX

Across base, Neal and Kristen had managed to track the blond telepath to the loading docks.

"What in blazes is that woman up to?" Kristen hissed. Regan—dressed in a hot pink sleeveless leather top, pants, and boots—paced up and down before a line of soldiers.

"Now, my minions," the blue-eyed girl smiled, her high blond ponytail swishing as she walked, "our time has come to rise and claim our rightful title as rulers of this dimension."

"I think she's gone off the deep end." Neal whispered.

"Ditto." Kristen mumbled back.

"We will fly into their stronghold called New York City and encase it in an ice coffin!" Regan bellowed.

"Time's up, Reg." Vampira shouted as she and Thunderbird stepped out of the shadows. "We won't let you get away with this!"

"We'll just see about that, kiddies." Regan smiled as her eyes glowed an electric blue. Neal succame to her control in a matter of seconds; however, Kristen would not be taken so easily.

"I won't let you take me, Regina!" the vampire shouted. Suddenly, the teenaged girl's form faded into a swarm of bats hell-bent on attacking the telepath.

"Don't be so certain, halfie." Regan sneered. She focused her energy into one massive mental attack, and the bats reformed into Kristen, who passed out on the floor. "You're mine now."

She never noticed the communicator buzzing on and off with Andi's voice echoing from it.

Uh oh, looks like Lady Mastermind is trying to take over the world. Can Atlantis and Zartan stop her before she spreads the virus across NYC, wreaking havoc as it passes from mutant to mutant? You'll have to wait and see. Reviewing will make me update quicker.