Matt and Inez hiked up the snowy hills, squinting through snow goggles pushing past the storm.
"This is obviously dangerous, Matt." Inez told him.
"I know, but we gotta do it. Look we're almost there!" Matt said as they approached the factory a few hundred feet away. It stood like a pyramid; gradually forming a peak at the top...which was not visible through the foggy sky.
"C'mon." Matt gripped Inez hand as they trudged through the snow. Matt was suddenly away of his surroundings when he started to hear echos and other sounds.
"You hear that?" Inez told Matt. He nodded. They stopped, listening out the wailing and distant thumps of the storm. They had two theories; it was coming from the factory, or there was something big out there in the storm and it was moving fast.
"We should probably move fast." As Matt began to jog through the accumulating inches of snow. Then there was a mild quake beneath them.
"Crap!" As they steadied their stance. Inez pointed up at the shadow in the fogs behind them. It walked on fours, clearly blending with the white. It could be the giant abominable snowman for all they know. But Matt knew he didn't want to hang around it for any longer. He and Inez broke into a run, dragging through the several inches of snow behind them with the snow and ice biting their faces. They had to get into that building before they were probably seen.
"Check your watch!" Inez called as she ran beside him. Fumbling, Matt managed to pull up the map on his watch. His eyes widen at the size of the blue dot scaled on the mini map. Compared to the little yellow dots representing them; this thing was many times their size. And it was gaining on them. Matt side glanced, when he saw a giant paw just about to crush them.
"Dive!" Matt shoved Inez as they landed out the way of the giant metal paw. Matt stared up to see the furry stomach of this great beast, still not confirming his exact species.
"Inez!" Matt called through the storm. He saw her figure get up; the foil pants shining and covered with some ice, she brushed herself off before searching for Matt. She spotted him getting up, a few feet from her. They caught each other's hand as they stared at the snow beast trudging off, climbing over a mountain. More quakes. The couple stood as they gripped each other.
"C'mon." Matt gripped Inez's hand tightly as they pushed into the dim blue light and closer to the building. Matt reached out and placed a hand on the metallic surface, pressing himself away from the wind. Inez did the same as they used the wall to get around.
It took them time to get behind the building to avoid the heavy storm. They burrowed away the snow and sat, staring at the blue light shining on them and at the foggy distance ahead.
"Damn." Matt growled, shivering while glancing his watch, "Only 20 minutes now. How are we going to get in here?"
Inez pointed to the vent; large enough for each of them to fit. She crawled over and gripped it; trying to pull it up,
"Matt help me with this thing." Inez called him. He rushed to her as he got the other side and pulled it up with great strength to pop it off. They glanced down; the vent dark and, unusually warm. Inez decided to go first.
"'Nez wait what are you doing?" Matt asked. Inez glanced at him.
"Going first. This is the only way we're getting in and we only got..." She glanced at her watch, "17 minutes. Now, can I go?"
Matt hesitated, wanting to go first. He wanted to face any danger before her to insure her safety. But knowing his girlfriend; she is the most stubborn.
"Be careful." Matt closed the cool space between them and warmed both of their faces with a full-on kiss. "I'll be right behind you."
Inez smiled, "Yeah." As she climbed down, her feet creating clanking noises against the metal. With haste, Matt tied a rope to a draining pipe and yank the rope for safety. He began to climb down, feeling the warm of the vent thaw his numb joints.
/
With a loud clank, both teens Matt and Inez landed in a passage almost pitch back with the bit of electricity running beneath the ground. Inez grabbed a flashlight, fairly working, and shone it in all directions. It was like an underground sewer; ice water running down the middle with a narrow walk way. Inez pointed the flashlight north, and suddenly decided that was the way to go.
"How do you know?" Matt question her. Inez opened her mouth to protest, then remembered the watch.
"12 minutes." Inez said, as she popped up a 3D holographic map of the building layout on the SKWAK watch. From where they were standing, the path they were on would lead them to a bigger room; not to mention there were at least 7 lifeforms in this building. "So I was right."
Matt rolled his eyes, "Alright girl, let's go."
They walked briskly down the slimy sidewalk, occasionally glancing back to see anyone following. Then there was two tunnels. Inez glanced at the one left and right.
"Map again." Inez told Matt. This time he pulled up the map and examined the tunnels from there. Which way should they take.
"So it looks like if we go left, we'll be lead to a big room with at least 4 people. That is if we don't take the discreet way." Matt told Inez. "We go right we're taking a longer route and we won't have much time to get what we want."
"What is your plan?" Inez raised a brow, shining a light on both.
Matt smirked, "We'll we can just have our little time here and come back another day. Such a nice place isn't it?"
Inez scoffed as she shoved Matt. "Yeah, no."
"All honesty." Matt glanced ahead, "Let's bust in on these guys and get our business taken care off. You got your gun?"
Inez touched the side of her thigh, the pistol strapped around the foil pants. "I'll try."
"It's going to be fine, don't worry." Matt told her as they went left.
/
Through the tunnels, they came across a giant door. Matt glanced at the handle.
"This is the place?" Matt whispered. Inez nodded. Matt reached for his yo-yo, wrapping a great length of it around his fingers and letting it hang like a flailing mace. Matt touched the handle, gripping it as he checked Inez is she had her weapon ready.
"Ready?" Matt breathed.
"No." Inez glared at him, bracing herself.
Matt ignored her response, smirking as he swung the door out. The room was bright as many tiny lifeforms became alert of their presence. The froze and dropped everything. They were small white robots, wearing lab coats and blue rubber gloves. They were,... little helpers.
And then they scurried and screamed in panic. Matt flinched, exchanging glances with Inez.
"Uh...?" Matt started.
"Don't hurt us! We aren't doing anything in oppose to The Hacker!" One said, cowering under a table full of flasks of chemicals.
"We, we were conducting experiments to stop the storm! It's been going on ever since the giant snow beast arrived. We can't get to the surface and we're very low on food!" Said another with a loose circuit.
"Hold on! We aren't a friend of Hacker!" Inez stood. The robots stopped cowering and fear and stared at the teens anxiously, "And for a second I thought we were on enemy-base."
A robot with a black claw scoffed, stepping forward about 3 feet tall. "As if! Whaddya think we're down here? We're not gonna to have any business with da Hacker when he tries takin' over Cyberspace-oh wait he already did that."
"KRAKEN!" Lenny whimpered. "You said too much!"
"Shaddup ya wimp." He growled.
Matt shook his head, "You have no idea anymore he wants to do. It's going to be really bad, and we're here to stop him."
"Stop him?" The black-clawed robot jumped on a box, standing at Matt's height, "Yeah right." Kraken unhinged his jaw and chewed on a bent-up nut.
"Okay, so what if you don't believe us? We need some papers on archive. You guys got some dated stuff?" Matt stared at the tiny bot.
"So what if we have dem? They ain't free newspapers to give around ya know!" He jumped down, beginning to bang a metal plate signalling a work bell. "Alright everyone back to work!"
The robots got back to experimenting and recording, while the cocky one still stared at the teens. His glance softened.
"You guys are humans; I can tell." Kraken said calmly. "The question is: which ones?"
Matt flinched, "None of which you know about."
Kraken rotated his jaw, blinking. He glanced down and saw the cyan watches. "Nice watches."
Inez stepped up, "There's no time Matt. We only got 7 minutes." She glanced at Kraken, "Please, we would like to tell you how much it would mean for us to get them in file. I promise that we will put an end of all of Cyberspace's misery."
Kraken contemplated. He heard never to trust humans, but then he remembered Doctor Marbles; who helped fix him up and give him a new and better hand. He would blab about earthlings, also by instincts, he had a feeling they were the same ones he used to talk about. He sighed. Maybe they were the same ones that were good after all. He never trusted the news anyway.
"Alright. There's a big 'ole folder Lenny was lookin' at earlier. I don't know why he wanna do that, but he's such a sap." The bot pointed to the table three robots were working at.
"Thanks a lot. We owe you." Matt patted Kraken before snatching up the files. As expected, they were logs of the past few years of Cyberspace; specifically Hacker.
"Now, get outta here before Hacker shows up! You might jynx us." The robot told them to scram." As the two hurried out of the room.
/
Matt and Inez's heels clacked against the wet sidewalk, as they heard more footsteps approaching their way. They cut into the tunnel and dashed; lights flashing behind them.
"Damn it Inez, somebody's onto us! How much time now?" Matt growled.
"Three minutes. Why? Can't we just teleport?" Inez asked.
Matt's forehead sweat, "Not here. We need to remain low."
"I hear footsteps in the tunnels. They must be here." Said one of Hacker's droids. Matt's bones froze.
"Matt! Hacker found us!" Inez glanced back at the lights brightening their path. Matt flinched as he glanced back, then grabbing Inez's hand and pushing her into a narrow pathway that sandwiched the two together. He clamped a hand over her mouth.
Inez would've thought otherwise that Matt didn't have to almost suffocate her, but he didn't mean to. He panicked, and resorted to the best last resort. They waited as the army of droids stormed through the sewers.
"Find them!" Hacker growled, standing infront of the pathway with his back to them. "I know they're here."
Matt gestured Inez to move deeper into the dark pathway between the walls. They went deeper until complete darkness engufled them.
/
They reached the other side, landing by a drainage with little water running through. They panted; lungs burning with anxiety, fear, and exhaustion. Matt collapsed on the wall, his head pounding like a sledgehammer.
"Time." Matt groaned.
Inez leaned on the dried wall, "One minute."
Matt exhaled, dialing Jackie. It's been too long since they last communicated. Jackie picked up.
"Jackie, you alright?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, I'm good." Jackie said with a tight lip. Something was wrong.
"Where's Sly?'" Matt asked. Jackie stared at Matt in the eyes and then averted her glance.
"He said he needs to stay there. I'll explain when you get back here. Where are you guys?" She could barely speak.
"In a sewer. We're on our way." Matt nodded. He was for sure Jackie meant nothing bad of Slyder's reasons...did she?
"Matt?" Inez asked. "It's time."
He turned to look at Inez, her face marked with grime and sweat. Her foil suit was nearly deteriorated revealling her old outfit. But still, she looked worn. Thankfully, she wasn't all hurt. Matt though felt partial the blame putting her in danger. It made him feel so sick he felt a painful kind of sadness well up in his chest. He walked up to her resting his forehead against hers.
"I'm sorry Inez." He whispered, barely so that even Inez couldn't even hear. Then a feeling of something wet streamed down his eye. Inez felt a drop on her neck as she flinched.
"Are you...crying?" Inez whispered. Matt drew back wiping his eye.
"No, of course not." Matt drew back smiling, "My glands are acting up. We should head back. I'm worn girlie."
Inez placed a hand on Matt's grimy cheek, "Yeah. Let's go."
They gripped one another's hand before dialling on their watch the teleportation code.