MUST READ

Okay, something important...right lol

Seriously, I'm giving warning here because I came a cross a story like this that didn't have a warning…it messed me up for a while. So to prevent that happening with any of you, the next three chapters are going to be rough. There's no sex scenes or anything…but they are extremely twisted and spychologically horrific…that said, if you're one who can't handle it please, don't read. I don't want any nightmares here people…but if you can handle it then by all means enjoy!

Second, if you're going ahead with the story then you can opt to participate in a little…activity if you will. Ever watch a show or read a book and they either play a certain song or you play one in your head, a song that matches the scene perfectly and kind of gives more meaning and emotional connection? Well, I've kind of done that here…kind of.

At the beginning of each chapter for the next three, including this one, I will give a song title and artist…your job is to go to Youtube or look it up on your IPOD/MP3 if you have it on your playlist, and hit the little play button whenever you see the *** then stop it when they appear again. I did it when I wrote Chapter 12 and it had me in tears…a little pathetic but you'll understand once you get there…

So, if you wanna play, great! Let me know how it goes. If you don't, that's alright, you wont miss out on anything, it's not going to take away from the story or anything. I just thought I'd give it a try…

So go ahead and read on my friends…

Song: Lie To Me by Evanescence

Ch. 10: Reflection

They all saw Duck land in front of a ware house, huge spot lights waving in the air on either side of it.

"I'd say d'at's pretty noticeable." Remarked Ace as he and the others peered from a nearby roof top. "Any ideas for a game plan?"

"How-about-we-swoop-in-and-grab-Marina,-Slam-and-D uck-and-fly-out-before-anything-really-bad-can-go- down." Suggested Rev. "I-can-have-them-out-in-presicely-30.45-seconds-an d-the-rest-of-you-can-divert-fire-until-I-can-come -back-for-ya."

"Or…" Lexi said as Tech tried to cover a look of irritation at his boyfriend's simple mindedness. "we can sneak up on them. A surprise attack."

"Impossible." Tech muttered. "We make just one move towards the door and Mastermind's little robo droids will detect us."

"Well,-what-if-we-pretend-to-be-a-pizza-delivery-g uy-and-who-ever's-under-cover-sneaks-the-rest-in." Rev asked, annoyed that his first idea had been shot down.

"You are not flattening me into a pizza box." Tech stated firmly. "Or me." Agreed Lexi.

"Guys, we gotta come up wi't somet'in." Ace said urgently.

"I may have something that can make us temporarely invisible. We wont be detected and we'll have a better chance at sneaking up on them." Tech said, rummaging through his jet pack.

"How about we just knock?" Lexi asked. "And demand they give them over and fight them if they don't…or fight them if they do…either way I'm not picky."

"We can't be so gun hoe, Lex." Ace said. "We want to live remember?"

"I want to pound that troll head into the ground. Sypher's crossed the line this time." She said.

"No." Ace told her. "Listen, no matt'a what our plan is, we don't do one a two t'ings. D'ey are, split up 'n attack before being attacked. Understood? If we're lucky, no one, 'n I mean NO ONE good or evil will die ta'night."

They all looked at him, not saying a word. The glint in his eye left them speechless. Of course they all knew where he was coming from. The onething he had feared, he had prayed would never happen, was happening now. He didn't want a repeat of the last major battle they had had with these guys. He didn't want to have to go through the pain of loosing any of his friends or the guilt of killing anyone.

"Look, let's just go in." Lexi said again. She was gripping Ace's hand reassuringly. "We'll stay together, we won't do anything unless it's self defense, and what'll go down will go down. All we can do is try. But we WILL get them back, all of them."

"That's-not-funny." Rev said, grabbing Tech's hand in reflex as the huge clown face glared down at them in a huge demonic grin. His face took up the whole front side of the building and above his blue tuffed hair were the words:

ACME'S FAMILY FRIENDLY FUN HOUSE OF MAGIC, MYSTERY AND THRILLING HORROR!

"Didn't they used to use this place to hold the anual carnival?" Ace asked, looking at Tech.

"Yeah, until they discovered that it was sending kids to therapy." Tech told them.

"Which-is-totally-not-the-thing-you'd-expect-to-ha ppen-when-you-read-the-words-'Family-Friendly'." Rev said. "I-keep-trying-to-tell-you-guys-clowns-are-evil."

"This isn't IT, Love." Tech assured him, referring to the Steven King movie about the demonic clown which was the sorce of Rev's fear.

"A-clown-is-a-clown,-guys." He told them. "You-never-know-what-kind-of-person-they-are-under -all-that-make-up. For-all-we-know-he-likes-to-terrorize-superheroes. "

"Rev, you can run at the speed of light." Lexi reminded him. "I think you can out run any maniac wanting an autograph."

They all walked through the door which was centered right in the middle of the clown's bared teeth.

"So glad you could join us." Cackled a voice. Lights flashed on, illuminating the entry way to the fun house. It was a lot bigger on the inside than the out. Rooms opened up on either side. Ace peered through one and saw that more rooms branched off from there. This whole place was a giant maze, each room leading to a different section of the fun house and each section separated into smaller parts. No wonder kids needed therapy after coming here. The horror and twisted carny stuff aside, walking around here and trying to keep track of where you were would be enough to drive anyone up to one floor above the kuku's nest. He turned his attention to the person who had spoken. He was a tall blue skin man in a cloak, a top hat hiding the top of his face. The man reached up and threw the hat and cloak off in one smooth motion, revealing himself. It was Massive. Big surprise.

"Where's Duck and the others?" Ace demanded, choosing, for once, not to taunt the bad guy.

"All in good time, Loonatics." He cackled. "We have a little game to play first." He pointed to his right. "This way will lead you to your purple friend. "He pointed to his left. "This one will lead you to your orange one and his brat of a sister. Now," he crossed his arms. "if you want to go get one, the other will instantly be killed. But you do have the option of choosing to split up and hopefully save both." He gave them a nasty smile. "But before you choose, you have to get passed me." His eyes were on Lexi the whole time. "And only Lexi there can fight."

"If we jump in?" Ace snarled, his teeth gritted.

"Both of your team mates die." He said simply.

The moment his words left him, he was blasted backwards into the door behind him.

"I'm up for that." She said coolly, her eyes glowing pink. She shot more brain blasts at him. "I know you're upset about loosing your twisted girlfriend, but that was all Dare's fault you rock head. I wasn't the one who killed her. I just knocked her unconscious. But if you want to play, I can play." She aimed a giant blast straight at his face. He was unconscious before he slumped to the floor.

"Now, who's going after who?" she asked, turning to the others who were all starring at her in disbelief.

"Ummm…" Ace was lost for words. If they hadn't been in a highly dangerous situation, he'd probably have kissed her right there and then. He shook his head.

"Rev and I'll go grab Slam, you two go for Duck." Tech said, clapping a hand on Rev's shoulder. Rev didn't hear him. He was looking at Massive. Something felt wrong. Massive's body was so dense not even Ace's lazier eyes could penitrait him. Lexi got in a good shot, blasting him back when he was off guard. But there's no way she should've been able to keep him down like that. Of course, he'd once or twice been on the receiving end of her brain blasts, they all had at one point or another, and they could be powerful when she wanted them to be…but still…this seemed too easy to him. Why was Massive, if Lexi's blast really didn't have any effect on him, faking a down? He couldn't figure it out.

"No, d'at wont be smart." Ace was saying in reply to Tech's suggestion. "Nie'd'a one a ya can give a long distance attack 'less ya have blast'as 'n if d'ey're knocked out a ya hands, ya two are screwed. Tech, you go wi't Lexi ta get Slam, 'n Rev 'n I'll get Duck."

"I-don't-like-this-Ace." Rev rambled as they walked through rooms on the left side of the building, trying to keep track of where they were going and find where Duck and Marina were at. "I-mean,-okay,-I-can-understand-why-Sypher-started -dating-Marina-and-why-he-agreed-to-come-and-meet- us. He-wanted-to-taunt-us-and-tell-us-that-there's-not hing-we-could-do-to-stop-him-and-the-others-from-i nvading-in-our-personal-lives. But-why-separate-them-into-different-hostage-group s?"

"I dunno Rev, ta make it less likely d'at we could save d'em? D'ey're mad, all three a d'em, who knows how d'eir minds work?"

"It-doesn't-add-up. They-wanted-Duck-and-only-Duck. But-when-he-comes,-they-tie-him-up-with-his-sister ? Shouldn't-he-be-meeting-his-maker-or-at-least-in-a -battle-to-the-finish? They-knew-we-were-coming-after-him-and-the-others. Why-didn't-they-just-demand-for-all-of-us-to-come- at-once? Why-go-through-all-these-charades?"

"What are ya get'n at Rev?" Ace asked, pausing as he turned his blue eyes on the rambling bird.

"I-don't-think-Duck-or-Marina-are-around-here." Rev said. "They-wanted-us-to-separate. They-have-vendetas-against-Tech-and-Lexi. Massive-would-never-have-been-that-easy-to-beat,-a nd-would-never-had-agreed-to-just-take-Duck-withou t-Lexi,-the-one-who-he-believed-killed-Weather-Vei n. We've-walked-right-into-a-trap."

Ace's eyes grew wide as what Rev was saying hit him.

"We gotta get back ta d'a others." He said, panic rising in his voice. They turned around, ready to run back the way they came but the door they had just passed through slammed shut.

"I don't think you're going anywhere, fur ball."

They looked, horror struck, at each other as Mastermind appeared in the mirrors lining the walls of the room. columns of mirrors stood around them, making a maze of reflections. This might not have made any difference to Rev who had the all mighty GPS and who could keep track of where the real Ace was, but the room started to move. Both he and Ace were thrown off balance as the floor started rotating. Before they knew it, they were both disoriented and separated from each other, though they still saw the other's reflections in the walls.

"I was expecting the dog to be with you, Rev, I'm disappointed."

"Good." Rev said, trying to get back on his feet as the floor continued to move beneath him.

"It would've made the game so much more fun." She sighed. "Oh well, at least I have you to play with."

"You-can-try,-Big-Brain." He said and started running in the same direction as the floor.

"Rev! Where are ya?" Ace called out, trying to grab for him and instead hitting a mirror.

"I-gotcha-Ace." Rev said, coming up and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Do ya know where she is?" Ace asked, glaring at Mastermind's grinning mug.

"She's-definitely-in-this-room." Rev said, his eyes glowing red, trying to pin point her exact location. "It's-no-good." He sighed. "She-keeps-moving,-I'm-getting-a-head-ache. It's-worse-than-when-I-tried-tracking-that-moving- fighting-arena."

"D'at's it." Ace said. "We can track her like we tracked d'a arena." But Rev just shook his head.

"The-arena-left-behind-transportation-residue,-rem ember? We-used-that-to-track-it,-we-can't-do-that-with-he r."

Ace shook his head. All this science mubo jumbo was too much for him. Why couldn't those old scientist geezers have made it easy to understand for dumb guys like himself?

"Just as smart as that annoying mutt, aren't you feather head?"

"You-shut-up." Rev said. "You-can't-hide-forever."

"I can hide long enough." She cackled.

Rev and Ace looked at each other as the floor moved them all over the room.

"Rev, what's d'at?" Ace asked as they passed a patch in the wall that was shinning a different color light then the dim green one that was above them.

"I'd-guess-it-was-a-second-section-of-this-room,-o ne-with-even-more-mirrors-no-doubt."

"Worth a shot." Ace said and he grabbed Rev's arm before running against the floor and jumping into the adjoining room. This one had blue lighting, and a still floor.

"T'ank goodness we're outa d'at damn rotat'n room." Panted Ace. "I was start'n ta get dizzy."

"I-don't-think-this-is-an-improvement." Rev said, looking around. The mirror columns in the room were rotating. Mastermind's face was still plastered on all of them.

"Why are you with him?" she asked Rev as he and Ace tried to grab her, each time running into another mirror. "You do realize what kind of guy he is don't you?"

"Shut-up!" he said again, his eyes burning red. "He's-a-better-inventor-than-you,-and-a-better-per son-all-around. You're-just-bitter."

"Bitter?" she cackled. "I bet you he told you we broke up after my arrest."

Rev paused, not wanting her to keep talking.

"Rev, block ya ears and keep search'n." Ace commanded. "D'ere's gotta be an exit some where around here."

"I was the one who ditched him." She continued, not paying any attention to Ace. "Why do you think I call him a dog?"

"Because-even-with-you're-swollen-head-you-can't-g et-the-concept-that-a-coyote-is-different-from-a-c ommon-house-hold-dog." He snarled.

"Because when he was with me, he was also with three other girls, all from my group he was tutoring."

Rev stopped dead, trying to not let her words get to him.

"He's a player, you idiotic bird. And you're nothing but another useless, worthless piece of tail to him."

"Lady, ya need major psychiatric help." Ace shouted, shooting a lazier blast at one of her laughing faces and shattering the mirror. Tiny glass shards fell like chrystal to the floor, reflecting the over head blue light. It looked like sapphire rain.

"And you need to stay out of other's private matters." She shot back. "Here, I think this will do the trick." She pressed a button and large robotic disks started flying straight at Ace's head.

"Rev, don't listen ta her." He shouted, slashing at the metal monsters with his sword. "Tech loves ya and ya know d'at."

"There was Keleene, Daysha and who was the last one? Oh yeah, Clare." She counted them off on her fingers. "We all thought we were his one and only, but then again, that's what a hound dog like him wants you to think. Never thought that the player of Acme Tech would go over to the dark side."

"Rev, find her and kick her ass." Ace shouted, blocking a spinning blade from slicing off his ears with the flat of his own blade.

Rev just stood there. She was lying, right? Tech wasn't like that, he got nervous when asked to talk to a store clerk. He definitely wasn't a people person. But the look on Mastermind's face told him she wasn't lying, at least not entirely. Maybe she was just a good liar?

"How many others is he screwing?" she asked. "How about that pretty little pink one?"

Ace's eyes glowed bright yellow. "Ya leave Lex outa ya little taunts." He snarled. She cackled.

"I hit a soft spot." She said. "Then I must be right."

Rev looked like he had been punched in the stomach.

"Rev, listen ta me." Ace said, slicing through the last disk and coming over to him. "Tech loves ya. He's not cheet'n. He would nev'a be like what she's say'n 'n ya know it. So just let it go 'n find ei'd'a her or d'a damn exist will ya?"

"You're starting to get on my nerves rabbit." She said, pressing another button. This time, no robots came in, just a tall man with hate filled eyes.

"Massive?" Ace asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I-told-you." Rev said, his eyes lighting up again.

"I figured killing her lover would be fitting, no?" he cackled. He lifted his hand and Ace hit the floor, first falling on all fours then being pushed face down. He managed to turn his head to the side to prevent himself from being smothered to death, but apart from that, he couldn't move.

"Hey!" Rev shouted, trying to come to Ace's defense, but he was stopped in his tracks.

"I think not, Beak Face." Whispered Mastermind, coming up behind him. The tiny woman had his arms pinned to his side and was whispering in his ear, a jet pack holding her up so she could reach his head. He gritted his teeth. "You're going to come with me. I know you'll need a shoulder to cry on after finding out that your boyfriend is a lying piece of scum."

"I-don't-believe-you-so-there's-really-nothing-for -me-to-cry-about." He snarled, trying to throw her off of him.

"Oh? Would you believe me if I told you he usually hooks up with people who are pathetic nobodies?"

"Rev…" Ace grunted warningly. "don't listen ta her. Keep ya head, man."

"You are a noisy little carrot muncher aren't you?" snarled Mastermind. She looked at Massive. "Why don't you finish crushing him in the other room. The floor should've stopped moving by now."

"Ace!" cried Rev as he was slammed up against a mirror. What on earth were they going to do?

"What the fucking hell is wrong with you?" he shouted.

"That mutt took everything from me." She growled. "My life's work, my future, any chance I had at being brilliant and famous. He ruined my life the day he ruined my invention. Now, I'm going to ruin his life, even if it takes me the rest of mine."

Rev thought quickly. He was pinned by a woman who doesn't even BEGIN to define the word psychotic, Ace was in the other room slowly being crushed to death by a vengeful boyfriend, Tech and Lexi were no where near them and who the hell knew where Duck, Slam and Marina were. There was a good chance they were all dead by now. No, he couldn't let himself think that, then he really would give up all hope. Right, he needed to act, now. But before he could do anything Mastermind was whispering in his ear again.

"What are you afraid of, Rev?"

"Excuse-me?"

"When I pumped the syrum into you, what did you see? What was so frightening that not even the fastest living thing on the planet could run from it?"

He thought back to the dream, or vision, or whatever you would call it. He remembered being in a dark tunnel, unable to run, unable to fly. He was looking for the rest of the team, not knowing where he was or what had happened. Then…he mentally shook his head. He couldn't bring that image back into his head. He had worked too hard to get it out.

"Well?"

He stared defiantly into her eager little face. Why was he feeling like he should tell her? He thought he felt some small pressure on the back of his head, but that might have been from Mastermind pushing him a little harder against the glass wall.

"Tech-turned-into-a-demonic-clown." He whispered.

She cackled. "That's your fear? That your so called boyfriend will join the circus from hell?"

He gritted his teeth. Why had he told her? Tech turning into a clown hadn't been the real fear. What it projected was his real fear…of someone close to him turning out to be something different than what he knew. That someone close to him, Tech, Ace, Lexi, his family, anyone, turning out to just be playing him for a putz. He was afraid of being lied to.

"That can't really be your fear, birdy. Lets see what else is in that brain of yours."

"What?"

She tapped the glass behind him with one fingner, not releasing her hold on his upper arm. The mirror's surface shifted and images started to appear, images of Rev in other times, the backgrounds not matching his surroundings of the blue room.

"Stop!" he shouted, knowing what was happening. The pressure on the back of his head had been a probe, reading his mind and projecting memories on a simulation screen. That answered the question of the 'magic mirrors'. Simulation screens looked like normal reflecting glass, until they're turned on. Tech had one as part of their simulation training room. Duck hadn't known what it was and had teased Tech for a whole month about being a vein coyote. But this wasn't right. Why would the mirrors at a public amusment attraction be simulation screens? It was illegal to probe anyone's mind without their permission, so these devices were obviously tampered with. He was curious to know how they worked originally. What they had been like when this was still the carnival. But a larger part of his brain told him to stay on track. You're in a life or death situation, here. He reminded himself. Pay attention!

"Now, you'll find out why they call this the Hall of Reflections. With some modifications to the juvenile system of illusion sensors, these mirrors are designed to show you anything you want to see. Your true self, all your fears and all your desires. When tapped into your central cortex, I have access to even your darkest thoughts and memories."

He felt sweat start to pool on his forehead. He couldn't let her into his head. But of course, that little poke was all it took to read his thoughts. He stared as images flitted in front of him, different memories and fears appearing on different mirrors. It was like he was looking at a moving collage of his life.

"Rev, you're so much smarter than this." His father was saying in one mirror as he drove an adolescent and drunken Rev home. "What on earth possessed you to accept that drink?"

Rev knew that time. He had been in high school. He was at the top of his class, the track star and president of the Student Body. He had been partying with a group of kids one weekend and had accepted a beer. That one beer had turned into two and then three and had multiplied into six before he was being egged on by the others to "Chug, chug, chug." His pop had really let him have it that time.

"What are you doing working for that dilivery service?" his mother asked in another mirror as the whole family sat around the table, Rip bent over his plate and being passed over by both parents as usual. "I don't think that's what you really want to do for the rest of your life is it?"

"Now, Harriet," his father cut in. "it's not for the rest of his life, but the boy needs to start earning his own money. He needs to work hard from the start or he'll loose all sense of value. You have a great future ahead of you, son, I can just feel it. You'll be taking my job before my feathers even turn grey."

Rev hated seeing these memories. His parents had always seemed to think that just because he was smart, he needed to be given every opportunity in the world. He remembered their disappointment when they discovered that not only did he not want to inherit the family business, which was Rip's dream, but he was going to spend his life doing 'charity work' playing around with his 'little friends' saving the city. Add his coming out falling for a coyote, boy or girl, and he was just one big disappointment.

"This one's interesting, don't you think?" Mastermind cackled, pointing to a mirror on one of the rotating columns. Rev looked and felt his heart shatter.

"Pop." Tiny Rev, maybe five or six, was hiding behind his father's leg, hugging his knee. Rip, around two or three, was on the other leg, hiding his face. They had been out with their father at the zoo. Rip had cotton candy clutched in one hand and Rev's beak was sticky from ice cream. A coyote father and his daughter had just walked by and had scared the two road runner children to tears. Rev felt a pang of guilt as he saw his smaller self looking so wide eyed and scared at an innocent father and kid having a good day at the zoo. How affended they must have felt.

"It's okay, boys." His father said, giving a tight smile to the coyote father and hurrying his sons along. Once safely out of ear shot, Pa Runner knelt down to clean their faces and dry Rip's tears. "They can't hurt you in public, it's against the rules." He was explaining gently. "But you never trust one."

"Because they're mean, right?" little Rev asked. He hadn't cried, but he had been shaken.

"That's right, son." His father said. "They might seem nice and friendly, but they're nothing but a wolf in sheeps skin."

"Huh?" both boys looked confused. Rip trying hard to understand what his father was saying.

"You'll find this out when you're older." He continued. "But coyotes are monsters who will try and make friends with you for their own reasons. They can't eat you anymore, then they'll get into trouble, but they can still hurt you. Some don't care if they get into trouble or not and will come after you for a quick snack. Make sure you're never alone with one."

"Should have listened to daddy." Cackled Mastermind as Rev tried hard to block his ears from his father's twisted but well meaning words. He remembered how amazing he thought his father had been, so brave for smiling at the monster and saving him and his brother.

"Tech's-different." Rev snarled. "Tech's-not-like-that."

"You really are in deep." She whispered in his face. "Even with all that knowledge, all that greatness your parents were so sure you had, you can't see what's right in front of you. I can see why he chose you, little birdy. Do you even know the real you? Trying so hard to impress others your whole life, make daddy proud, be a strong hero for your friends, canter to that mutt's every whim because he's just so brilliant and you wanna be just like him. Who are you, Rev? A sales man like your pop? An inventor? A superhero? Or just a pathetic little bird who tries to fly into many directions at once? Tech may wear a mask to fool all you furry little pests, but you my pretty little bird wear more masks than you can keep track of."

Rev felt like crying in pure frustration and humiliation. This woman maybe a good liar, but damn it she knew exactly what buttons to press, lie or not.

"I'm Rev Runner, you bitch." He spat out. He was about to continue but the sight of yet another mirror stopped him.

"You're a looser." He was staring at his still reflection, like a normal mirrored image of himself, Mastermind and the blue room. The Rev pinned against the wall, being forced to watch all of this shit that had been buried in his own head looked wide eyed at the Rev in the mirror.

"You're not what they say you are, admit it." He was repeating words that some horrible invisible voice had seemed to whisper in his ear everytime he messed up or thought about what he really wanted and not what others wanted for him. He remembered that voice. It still haunted him from time to time. "You can't do anything right. You're going to fail at everything. You're going to fail your family, you're going to fail your team. You can't keep this up, you're not good enough. Sooner or later someone is going to be disappointed. Most of all, you're going to fail yourself. You're lying to everyone, to yourself, by trying to please everyone else. Honestly, Rev, I mean, who are you? You're just a pathetic nobody who keeps trying on all these different faces, but let me let you in on a little secret, non of them will ever fit no matter how many times you try them on. You're a looser no matter what you do, and all the knowledge in the world wont help you escape that. Admit it, Rev, no matter what you do, you're a broken, useless failure who can't do anything but run away from everything and annoy everyone."

"So that's the real you." She cackled as the two of them watched Rev virbally beat himself up. "I must say, I'm proud to see that you do realize how much of a little insignifact bug you are. Now, if we can just get you to see that about the dog."

"Shut-up." He whispered, his heart feeling heavy and broken. Why was that? Whenever your heart seemed to just fall apart it fell heavier? Didn't that go against the laws of physics? "No matter what you say I KNOW Tech's the one for me and that he loves me."

"But, if you're not showing him your ture self, why would he want you?" she asked, starting to tie her two taunts together. "If you're a worthless, pathetic nobody, why would he not just use you to satisfy his own needs then go out and find one more suited for him?"

"Shut-up!" he cried again. He had to keep saying that, not only telling her to put a monkey wrentch in it but also the voice that started whispereing to him from the moment the first memory appeared. He had shown him his real self, hadn't he? Tech knew who he was, didn't he? The voice laughed softly in his head. "No, he doesn't." it said in an evil whisper. "You've hid your ture self from everyone for years, even your yourself. How can anyone know the real you if you don't?"

Suddenly all the mirrors changed. From each one Tech's face appeared, Tech at college, talking with different girls, all of whom were looking at him with chushed filled eyes. He was making jokes, his arm around most of them, his eyes light, humorous, social. What the hell?

"Tech?"

"These are some of my memories." Mastermind informed him. "I told you he was a player."

Rev shook his head. "No, no, no, NO!"

He took a deep breath and pulled his knees up to his chest. He wedged his feet between himself and Mastermind and pushed as hard and fast as he could. You can guess the amount of force exerted in that little kick.

Mastermind went flying back and landed just short of the farthest mirror. The wind was knocked out of her but nothing worse than that.

The mirrors went blank once more and was just reflecting himself and Mastermind. She got to her feet and glared at him.

"You don't want to play anymore, fine, I have more games we can try out." She pulled out a small pellet and threw it at her feet. Her laughter echoed aroud the room as he shielded his eyes. When the smoke cleared she was gone, but her face was still in all the mirrors, accompanied with his own. His face was pale, cold sweat running down and soaking his feathers. Or were they soaked from tears? He didn't know, nor did he want to.

He glared and tried to race forward to grab her, running into mirror after mirror.

"I wonder how he's going to dump you." She laughed. "What will you do then? Who will you become then, after your latest idol is gone. Will you turn back into that self loathing cry baby? Or will you absorb yourself into your little books and search for another face to put on?"

Rev shot forward and punched one of her laughing faces. He felt the sharp sting of the glass pierce his wrist and the trickle of warm blood run down his arm but he didn't care. He wanted that taunting voice to shut up. It's not true. He told himself. But it was too late. The words were embedded in his head, playing on repeat like some CD from hell.

He starred down at the glass at his feet. Tiny reflections stared up at him, disfiguring his face and making it look fragmented. "For once," the voice hissed, "the mirror reflects the true you. Scatter brained and broken, reduced to nothing but fragments of what you've tried to be instead of a whole picture of who you really are." Rev fell to his knees, scrapping them up as he knelt in the glass, and put his hands on either side of his head, trying to block the words.

Mastermind once again came up behind him and this time wrestled him down to the floor, pinning him and sitting on top of him. She leaned down, holding his hands over his head.

"And you know what'll happen then?" she asked. "You'll know that I was right. That that little mutt is nothing more than a two faced player and you're just another chew toy to him. And no matter who you find to idolize you'll always know that if you had just taken advice from a villain you'd never had been made a fool of. Won't that make you question who's good or not in the future?" She leaned down even further and lowered her voice. "But I think I'll have some fun with you in any case. You might be a toy, but you seem to be his favorite out of all the ones he's had in the past. How lucky for you." She sat back up and pressed a third button. A Tech robot came in, learing down at Rev. He knew what was going to happen and he was praying to any god of any faith that it wouldn't.

"Get away from him." Ace shouted, his teeth bared in pain, a hand holding his side. The robot and villain turned in shock.

"Ace." Rev said relief flooding him. "How ya do'n?"

"Been better." He muttered. "But still better than Massive."

"What happened to him?" Rev asked.

"He's buried under some mirrors right now but he'll get up in a few. Decided ta check ta see how ya was do'n."

"Can't really complain." He replied. "Just trapped here under a freak and about to be beaten to death by a heartless robot. Other than that, I'm great."

Ace blasted Mastermind off of Rev and walked over to help him back to his feet.

"Rev." the robo Tech was staring at Rev with such softness that if he didn't know better he would've sworn it was his actual coyote starring at him.

"What's wi't da ugly dopple gang'a?" Ace asked, nodding to the robotic Loonatic.

"I don't know but he doesn't do the Real Tech any justice at all, does he?" Rev said, trying to remind himself that it wasn't Tech. The robot walked up to him and before Rev could move put his arms around hhim.

"That hurt, Rev."

Rev inwardly flinched. This was getting out of hand. Ace was about to blast the metal head off the green coyote but just then he was once again on the floor.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to finish me off bunny." Massive grunted, holding a hand to his head as he walked in, holding Ace down. Mastermind walked up beside him, grinning down at the two trapped Loonatics.

"Now, Ace you're going to die like a good little rabbit and Rev…" she turned to the struggling road runner. "You're going to let Tech show you just how much he loves you." She cackled as the robo Tech punched Rev in the gut, that gentle look never leaving his eyes.

Ace was pinned to the floor, his eyes seeing nothing but theblue lights on the ceiling. His arms were pinned to his side, his fist gripping the sword in a death grip. He shut his eyes tight as Massive applied more preasure to his body and the sound of Rev's cries of pain as Tech beat the crap out of him rang out.