Thirty Feet Below Los Angeles
7:58 P.M.
Miracle rode on Predator's back as they trudged through the musky waters of the sewers of Los Angeles. Her knee was partially healing (albeit slowly). She was forced to plug her own nose and Predator's due to both of their heightened senses. Unfortunately, that didn't help in the least, seeing that Predator was almost throwing up half the time and Miracle could taste the food on her tongue. Talkback was using his gloves to create a fire to light up the sewers.
"You know, if it wasn't for the smell, this would actually be pretty awesome." Talkback smiled.
"Exactly how would this be awesome, Talkback?" Arsenic asked as she pulled her leg up from the guck. "We're walking in two feet of Los Angeles used food and shit."
"I'm just a positive person, okay, Gert?" He looked back. "Besides, if you didn't have that gay dinosaur with you, we wouldn't have to use the sewer."
"Oh, yeah," Miracle slapped her palm to her forehead. "Because, you know, we can take the bus. Because we're not fugitives or anything, right?"
"Homeless fugitives." Arsenic corrected. "Who are running out of places to hide form their psycho parents!"
"That's why we're done hiding. We're taking the fight to them. Right, Alex?" Sister Grimm turned to the boy with his head stuck in the book.
"Umm…I guess, Nico." Alex said softly.
"That sounded so reassuring." Predator nodded; adjusting Miracle on his back.
"Sorry," He apologized as he turned to the group. "I've pretty much deciphered the Abstract. But I haven't found a surefire way on how to defeat the Pride. Although, I did read something called the Rite Of Thunder."
Miracle's head shot up. "The Rite Of Thunder is a ceremony where the twelve chosen ones take the soul they've obtained and offer it to the Gibborim as food for the energy they need." She then blinked. "FUCK!"
"Wait, so they're going to feed the soul of that dead chick you guys were telling me about to the Gibborim?" Predator cocked a brow.
"No they're not." Lucy In The Sky shook her head. "We're not going to let them."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Arsenic placed a hand on her chest. "I'm an agnostic. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to risk my life on something I don't even believe in!"
Miracle blinked. "You have an Angel on your team and you're still an Agnostic?"
"Look, all it says here is that our parents have to enter humbly, which means without weapons."
"Sweet," Predator grinned, "guess that means we have an advantage."
"Wait, so how many ours do we have until the Rite Of Blood?" Talkback asked.
Alex flipped through the pages of the Abstract until he found the answer. "About four hours."
Santa Monica Beach
3:43 P.M.
"This is it." Alex announced as the group made their way out of the sewers. "According to the Abstract, the Gibborim's base is right out here."
The teens panned out only to see the beach standing before them. Talkback sneered. "What, they lived in a sand castle?"
"They're underwater." Miracle answered. "Under 2,500 feet."
Bruiser looked at the beach. "Uh-oh, I forgot to pack my tankini."
"You and me both." Miracle wiggled in Predator's arms.
"Is your wound-?" He looked down to see her knee was half way healed. "That thing really is not healing for shit."
"I know." Miracle groaned.
"And how do you suppose we get down there, Captain Nemo?" Arsenic asked.
"Already on it, Gert." Sister Grimm pulled her Staff forward. "Waterproof." From her staff formed a large lopsided bubble. Miracle cocked a brow.
"You're joking, right?" Arsenic asked.
"I'm not getting in that." Talkback shook his head.
"Why not?" Predator chuckled lightly.
"A, it's a freaking bubble," Talkback listed off the reasons off his fingers. "a lopsided one at that! And B, we still don't know who the traitor is! If Nico's working for our parents, she'll pop that thing halfway down there!"
"We can trust her." Alex assured.
"That's what you said about Dracula Jr.!" Talkback got in Alex's face. "And I'm not even sure we can trust THIS one! Trini's right, how the hell can we trust you!"
Alex mimicked Talkback by pulling up his fingers and counting off the reasons. "A, if she wanted to kill us, she would have done it a long time ago. And B," He face Sister Grimm, grabbed her and kissed her.
Miracle twisted her face in disgust while Predator chuckled. "Ah, how gross." He said in a baby voice.
"For real! They're using tongue!" Bruiser cried.
"I can't believe I'm going to die a virgin." Talkback complained.
"Okay, I know we all want to hurt our parents. But there's gotta be another way then that." Arsenic rubbed the back of her head.
They pulled away, mumbling something to themselves before Alex turned to announce, "I wanted to tell you-all of you-that no matter what I ever said or how I acted, I always secretly looked forward to our get togethers our parents made us have. Most of my friends were Xbox screen names, but I always liked you guys-." His heart skipped a beat. Trini could hear that. He was lying. "-even before all of this. I always felt a connection-." Another lie. "Whatever, I don't believe any of you try to ever betray what we have. But if you do try, know that the rest of us won't hesitate to destroy you. Agreed?"
"Totally." Bruiser agreed.
"Agreed." Talkback and Arsenic nodded.
"Ditto." Lucy nodded.
"Definitely." Miracle narrowed her eyes; knowing who the traitor is now.
Predator just nodded.
The group then made it towards the bubble and climbed inside.
2,500 feet underwater.
Miracle saw the small bullet poking out of her knee. She reached forward and grabbed it; plucking it out of her knee cap. She groaned and watched as the wound got bigger. "Great," She said out loud.
"What?" Lucy In The Sky turned.
"My damn knee." Miracle answered.
"Stop messing with it and it and it'll heal." Talkback ordered as he reached down to the hem of his shirt and ripped the bottom of, he then wrapped it around Miracle's kneecap.
"So," Lucy said. "What does everyone wanna be when they get older…assuming we live through this of course."
"Well," Arsenic started. "I used to want to be a senitor. But I've been soured on the whole position-of-power thing."
"Agreed, I used to want to follow in my parents footsteps and want to be an actress." Lucy added.
"My parents always said they'd disown me if I didn't become a doctor." Alex stated.
"Yup, time to break out that base my parents never let me have." Sister Grimm nodded.
"I used to want to be an announcer to ESPN." Talkback confessed.
"That's pretty hard to imagine." Predator admitted.
"Yeah, but now, I wanna work to help kids like us, you know? Like the FBI or something."
"Aw, that's really nice, Chase." Lucy smiled.
"Plus it'd be pretty cool to carry a gun around the whole time."
Miracle rolled her eyes. "Way to go."
"What about you, Trinket? What do you want to be?" Talkback smirked.
She simply shrugged. "Never really thought I'd make it anywhere. I mean, when I was younger, I wanted to be…" She smiled. "A superhero."
Molly giggled. "Well, you have the power to be one."
"I do."
"Maybe that dream might come true." Arsenic smiled.
"Maybe." She nodded. "What about you, Molly?"
"I…" She looked unsure. "I want to be a mom. Not like my mom, you know? A good one." Miracle smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "You will be."
The Marine Vivarium
10:51 P.M
"Is…is this Atlantis?" Arsenic gawked.
"I wish," Miracle limped with the help of Predator. "but this is the Gibborim's little portal to earth."
"And it's a thirty-five minute walk until we hit the Gibborim's master chamber." Alex announced.
Miracle stopped limping as she felt something here. Sister Grimm walked talking about God knows what and didn't even realize the large rock hand aiming for her. Miracle gasped; automatically in her head she knew it was the guardian Vivarium. Only attacked the intruders, not the twelve chosen ones.
"NICO! LOOKOUT!" Lucy In The Sky screamed as she ripped her bracelet off and flew towards Sister Grimm. Unfortunately, she was too late and Sister was knocked to the ground unconscious.
"What…What is that thing!" Talkback cried.
"I don't know!" Alex answered. "The Abstract didn't say anything about a guard!"
Lucy In The Sky flew up and zapped at the rock creature; but it had no effect on it. "My powers aren't doing anything!"
"Just look after Nico, gorgeous." Talkback stated as his gloves lit up in flames. "I'LL handle this wannabe Thing. After all, there's only one way to deal with a Fantastic Four rip off." He shoved his hands forward, shooting off an entire flood of fire at the Rock Creature. Unfortunately, it did nothing but set the monster of fire while still stomping towards the group.
"Flame Off! Flame Off!" Talkback cried as he ran away.
"Way to go, you dumb Pyro! Now we have to fight a fiery rock creature!" Arsenic berated.
"Lemm at 'em!" Bruiser jerked forward, but Alex grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her back.
"Stand down, Molly." Alex ordered. "I just have to figure out the off switch for this thing."
"Off switch?" Miracle blinked. Her brain then automatically ran through searched to find the word to shut it off. She didn't know how the hell it was happening, but her brain was doing all of the work perfectly.
"Well, you know, it'd be good to find it faster!" Predator shouted as he flipped through the air and kicked the rock monster in the face; sending it back a couple feet. The monster didn't take it lightly and began to swing at Predator. He would duck and jump over the fist and dodge the punches. "This thing might not have good fighting skill, but his swing is pretty hard!" It slammed its fist down on the ground right were Predator would have been if he hadn't back flipped away. Predator then swung and punched the rock creature in the leg, though that did nothing as well, and he was kicked across the room and into the water.
"JAKE!" Lucy In The Sky cried.
"He'll be fine." Alex assured nonchalantly as he flipped through the pages of the Abstract.
"The word..." Miracle shook her head; feeling the word coming to her.
"What about us-ah!" Arsenic cried as the rock creature yanked at Old Lace's tale.
"The word." Miracle grabbed her head. The Off switch was on the tip of her tongue.
"Hey, Rocky!" Talkback called as he stood in the water were Predator was quickly coming out of.
"Over here! I'm the one who barbequed your behind! Let's do this!" He waved his flaming gauntlets up in the air. The Rock monster turned and raced toward Talkback; running into the water as well.
"Yes! I knew he'd come for me! Fire Extinguished!" He cheered.
"Great, Chase! But what are you gonna do when it gets to you!" Arsenic shouted.
"Crap, I didn't think that far ahea-." Before Talkback could finish, the Rock creature plunged him underwater.
"The word!" Miracle cried as she grabbed her head. It was there.
"CHASE!" Bruiser cried as she raced towards him.
"Shit!" Predator cursed as he dove into the water.
Bruiser jumped on The Rock Monster's back and began to punch it. "GET OFF OF HIM! I SAID-!"
"Philoprogenitiveness!" Miracle cried.
The rock creature stopped and stood up straight, facing the girl.
"Affirmative." It said. "Sentry...powering...down..."
"Jake!" Miracle and Bruiser cried as they saw Predator jump out of the water with Talkback in his arms.
"It he-." Miracle stopped; already knowing the answer. Predator carried Talkback to dry land and laid him down, his face in utter dismay. Miracle could feel it, too.
Predator took a deep breath before saying,
"Chase...he's dead..."