Soaring through the air at top speed, I wondered why Extroyer had appeared again in Copper Canyon.
"Do you think he's after Max Steel?" Shock asked.
"I really don't know. Wait, you don't think he's after us…do you?" I replied as I came to stop and hovered there. "I hope not."
"Hey guys!" Max Steel suddenly called out and I turned to see him hovering nearby. "What kept you?"
"I had to sneak away, unlike you. Anyway where's Extroyer?" I asked him and he shrugged. "How did you lose him?"
"Excuse me but I didn't lose him. I …just don't know where he is now." Max replied and I rolled my eyes under my helmet.
"Fine then let's find him together." I said as I took off again, leaving Max to catch up with me. Once he did we scoured the city looking for any sign of him. When a couple of hours passed and with no sign of Extroyer I was about ready to give up.
"How about we split up? That way we can cover a wider distance?" Steel suggested and I hesitated, until Max said that I'd probably be too scared to split up. Not realizing he was kidding, I growled that I could take care of myself and flew away before Max could stop me. "Nice one, Max."
"I was joking, Steel. Should we go after her?" Max replied.
Still fuming at Max's comment, I flew closer to the ground and looked around for any sign of Extroyer. As I hovered there, I didn't hear footsteps approaching from behind.
"I'm picking up something." Shock said and as I hovered just above the ground, something was getting closer and closer. Suddenly something smashed its way through the window of an abandoned warehouse directly behind me and slammed into me. Taken by complete surprise I was thrown into the building behind me as the same black tiger I saw in the park attacked me with an ear-splitting roar. Returning to Base mode, I tried to climb to my feet but Extroyer leapt at me, striking me with a huge paw, and I hit the ground again. Dazed I heard Shock tell me to fight back but I couldn't stand because Extroyer had me pinned to the ground in his beast form.
"So we meet again. I have to say you are a poor substitute for Max Steel. Even he would not allow himself to be taken down so easy." He growled and that's when I got angry. My Turbo energy flared up and I managed to shove him from me. Climbing to my feet, I growled at him.
"I wish people would stop comparing me to him. I'm J-Shock and I'm going to take you down." With that I lunged forward and Extroyer jumped back then leapt at me again, smashing me into the wall. As I groaned, he laughed at my failed attempt.
"Such a poor performance. I guess its curtains for you." He said and launched himself at me again. At the last possible moment Max Steel turned up and knocked Extroyer aside, giving me time to climb to my feet.
"Let's try that again. Let's rock, Strength." I said as we changed modes. This time I smashed my fist into Extroyer's face and he was the one sent flying through the window of a nearby building, completely shattering it. "Wow, don't know my strength sometimes."
"Nice shot." Max Steel commented as I stood there, pretty impressed with my punch, only for Extroyer to return in his Gorilla form. Grabbing a metal beam from the ground he rushed me.
"That won't happen again." He growled as he took a swing at me. When Max Steel rushed in to help me Extroyer struck him instead and I could only watch on as Max was sent through another window. Laughing Extroyer turned his attention to me and I fought back, grabbing the beam with both hands as he swung it at my face. As I soon found out, that's exactly what he had planned and he spun around, using the momentum to throw me off the pier and into the water below. Unable to stop myself I landed with a huge splash and instantly began to sink like a stone.
"Jessie!" Shock shouted as I fought my way to the surface, only to discover that my suit was too heavy and I couldn't breathe. I started to black out and that's when Shock began to panic, changing us back to Base mode though it didn't help. But just before I passed out I felt a pair of hands grab me and pull me from the water, dropping me on the pier. Gasping I looked up and found C.Y.T.R.O standing over me.
"Jessie, are you okay? What happened?" Berto asked and I could tell he was worried by the sound of his voice.
"I took an unintentional swim today." I replied as I sat there, coughing. "I'm okay." Totally soaked I couldn't help feeling pretty miserable about losing to Extroyer (again) and taking a dive, in more ways than one.
"Max's gone after Extroyer. You, however, should come back to N-Tek." Berto suggested. I wanted to argue with him but I was freezing and I was pretty shaken by what had almost happened to me. Changing to Flight mode, we flew back to base. The moment I landed in the hangar I changed back to my camouflage mode. Without warning I started coughing and I fell to one knee. Shock detached and hovered in front of me, worried.
"Jessie? What's wrong?" He asked me as I knelt there. Thankfully Berto had called ahead for help and I was soon helped to my feet and I found myself in the Medical bay once again.
"This is becoming a habit of yours." Forge commented as I sat on the couch, now wrapped in a blanket. I tried to speak but I kept shaking and I wasn't sure if it was just because I was soaked.
"What happened to you this time?" Berto asked as he stood nearby. This time I told him that Extroyer knocked me into the water.
"Apparently Strength mode and water don't mix well." Shock said and I laughed, only to start coughing again.
"Take it easy." Berto said, laying a hand on my shoulder. Even when I managed to stop coughing I couldn't stop shaking.
"Let's see here." Kat said as I sat there. Holding what I assumed was an electronic thermometer just inside my ear for a few seconds, I heard a beep and she removed it. After a glance at the reading she frowned. "You have a fever." She told me and I sighed.
"I guess no fighting any bad guys for a while." I said and she smiled. "I should have thought of that before I took that dip."
"Maybe so. Where's Max and Steel?" Shock asked and that's when they got a call from him.
"Guys I found Extroyer." He told us and I managed a grin. "I need a little backup though to bring him down."
"Backup coming up." Berto said, calling C.Y.T.R.O and hurrying back to his lab. As I sat there, I couldn't help feeling guilty again.
"You can catch the next bad guy." Shock suggested and I smiled at him. As Forge and Kat left for the communications room, I remained sitting on the couch rubbing my throat.
"I can't believe I made another mistake. It's just not my week." I muttered as Shock flew around the room. "I almost…" I rubbed my eyes suddenly, unwilling to finish that thought.
"Don't think like that. You're a great superhero; you're just having an off day." Shock told me as I looked up at him. "Speaking of superheroes, I wonder how Max Steel and C.Y.T.R.O are going against Extroyer." Climbing off the couch I stood and wandered into the corridor.
"Let's find out." I said as he followed me. Pulling the blanket tighter around myself, we walked the short distance to the communications lab. The second we entered Forge frowned at me.
"I thought you were resting." He said as I stepped next to the computer in the center of the room.
"And miss all the action? Yeah right." I said as I stared at the computer.
"That's Jessie for you." Jefferson commented and that made me laugh, only to start another bout of coughing.
"Ohh…bad idea." I coughed as Kat moved a desk chair and helped me into it. "Thanks Kat." I said and she gave me a nod, before returning to the computer. From what I could see from my vantage point, Max Steel and C.Y.T.R.O were now wiping the floor with Extroyer. As I watched on, silently cheering them on so I didn't started coughing again, they had the upper hand. To my amazement Max Steel vanished into thin air and as I wondered where he went, I saw Extroyer get hit several times. That's when I understood that Max had Stealth mode too and before my eyes C.Y.T.R.O fired a volley of missiles at Extroyer, knocking him to the ground. When he didn't get back up I realized that he was down for the count and I grinned. Less than a minute passed and Max Steel called in, asking for assistance in bringing Extroyer in. As everyone else left for the hanger, probably to bring Extroyer back, I stayed with Shock.
"Two down." Shock said and I giggled, happy despite feeling unwell. My mind made up, I climbed off the seat and made my way out the door. I had only just reached the outside of Berto's lab when I began to feel woozy and I leant against the wall for support. Instinctively Shock went for help and seconds later Berto had wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"What happened?" He asked as we walked the short distance to the Medical bay.
"Felt a little…lightheaded. Must be the fever." I muttered as I attempted to keep myself upright. "Should have stayed…sitting."
"Why didn't you?" Berto asked as we walked through the door.
"I was curious." I muttered as he helped me back to the couch. When I didn't explain myself further he looked at Shock.
"She wanted to watch the battle." Shock answered for me and Berto nodded as he leant down and placed a hand on my forehead.
"You're burning up." He told me and I looked up at him, confused by what he said. "Why aren't you resting?" He said and raised an eyebrow when I gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Rolling his eyes at me, he adjusted the blanket and asked if I need anything.
"Water would be good." I asked and with a nod, he left me with Shock. While he was gone I began to feel dizzy again. As Berto walked back to the Medical bay, now carrying a glass, he thought he heard a noise. Stopping for a moment he listened and when the sound wasn't repeated he shrugged and kept walking.
"I'm back." He announced as he stepped through the door, only for the glass to slip from his fingers as he saw the sight that greeted him. Finding Jessie lying in a heap on the floor he rushed over and knelt beside her. "Jessie, can you hear me?" He asked and sighed, relieved, when Jessie stirred.
"Huh…what happened?" I said as he gently pushed me back against the couch. Blinking up at Berto and Shock I asked "Why am I on the floor?" and Berto shook his head at me.
"I think you passed out for a moment." Shock said as I rubbed at my forehead.
"You're getting some rest. No arguments." Berto said, helping me to the couch. Too dizzy to argue I did as I was told. While he got me settled Shock retrieved the glass. "Oh right. Sorry about that." He added as he took the glass from Shock. "Maybe I should get you some more water." He said and left in a hurry.
"Do you promise not to pass out again?" Shock asked as I lay down on the couch and got comfortable.
"Don't know." I muttered as I yawned and closed my eyes. When the Ultralink hovered in front of me, I opened one eye. "Alright I promise not to take another nosedive off the couch." I told him and he seemed happy with my answer, until he had to ask what a 'nosedive' was. By this point I was sound asleep anyway so I didn't hear his question.
When Berto walked in, holding the glass tightly in his right hand, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Jessie lying on her side.
"Chill out. She's asleep." Shock told him, his eye slightly higher than normal in his version of a raised eyebrow.
"That's a relief. For a second there…anyway at least she listened. For once." Berto commented, setting the glass on the table opposite the couch. Then, retrieving the blanket from the floor, he spread it over his friend.
"Just my luck to be Ultralinked with someone so stubborn." Shock joked and despite worrying about his friend, Berto couldn't help laughing.