A/N: Last time, not only Itzal got brainwashed by Zane, but the remaining heroes are also captured by him! How will they ever escape from this insane actor before he controls everyone with the stolen hypnosis program? Find out right now as we jump back online!
Double, Double, Spoil, and Trouble: Part 3
In an unknown location, Jordan and Zeus woke up in some kind of train tracks as they noticed they got tied up together with Calla.
"Jordan, are you okay?" Zeus asked in worry.
"Other than I'm feeling that I hit my head first into a bag of hammers, I'm good," Jordan answered. "I still can't believe Itzal would sacrifice himself to save me."
"I know you're guilty about his sacrifice, Jordan. But we have to follow what he said, which is to stop Zane."
Seeing that Zeus has a point, Jordan stops moping and says, "You're right. He still got that Tranze hypnosis program. And we have to stop him before he can use CodeX United's top-secret program to hypnotize everyone."
"Okay, Jordan, Zeus, what is going on here?," Calla asked.
"Well Calla, we can't really explain right now," Jordan said.
"But we're supposed to be best friends, Jordan," Calla reminded her.
"It's complicated, Calla," Zeus told her.
Calla then sighs and says, "Fine. If you two won't tell me, then it's your funeral. Uh, speaking of which, where are we?"
Then they quickly heard Zane's laughter as the spotlight shines on them, blinding them temporarily.
"Okay, what is exactly going on here, Zane," Jordan asked.
"The show, of course," Zane replied. "Because the show must go on."
Calla rolled her eyes as she said, "And to think I once liked his cheesy lines."
"And that there's the issue at hand. People just don't seem to appreciate my type of theatre."
"Well, from those old reviews from your office, lot of people don't enjoy it–no, in fact they downright hate it," Zeus pointed out.
"Which is why I decided to hypnotize those critics from last night's performance, and make them in to my newest production: The Crash of the Disaster Line."
As he said this, Tack, Itzal, Lena, Sierra and the other audience member, still hypnotized, walked in to the room as the three gasped.
"Okay so you turn everybody into terrible actors like you, so what?," Jordan said.
"I'm gonna turn the Earth's population into actors, and the world really will be my stage!"
As Zane is continuing laughing as he imagines his ideal on turning everyone into actors, an unknown figure snatches something from Zane's pocket.
"The premise is simple: Five unlikely characters meet on a train, that is headed for certain destruction!"
"And by destruction, you mean that brick wall there?," Zeus asked as the three saw the wall.
"All aboard and action!"
Zane and the others got on the train, which then whistled and started to move towards the trio.
"AAAGGHH! I'm too young to be crushed by a real train!" Calla cried as she tries to struggle free from her bindings.
"Don't worry, Calla! We'll get us out of this mess," Jordan said in determination before she realizes that she has no plan. "Only how exactly do we that?"
Zeus tries to think up of a plan until he realizes something.
"Wait, I got it! Calla, I think one of your hands is free. Can you reached into my deck box?"
"What? Why?"
"Just do it! Open it and show some sort of card from my deck box, quick!"
Seeing that she has no choice but to follow Zeus's instructions, she tries to reach to his deck box and successfully opens it as she grabs a card from it and show it to her friends while trying to let her hand out of the ropes.
"I got it! Only what did I get?" she asked in confusion.
Zeus then checks the card she took and seeing the writings on it, Zeus then says, "An item that will save us!"
Seeing the card on Calla's hand, Jordan realizes what Zeus is planning and says, "Then what are you waiting for? Bring it out!"
"Alright! Activate, -Gravity Hammer-!"
In a bright flash of golden light, a large hammer similar to Thor's appeared. Jordan grabbed it as it lifted into the air, taking the trio with it, just before the train could hit them, causing it to crash through the wall. After it had passed them, Zeus took out his katar from his sleeve and cut the ropes, freeing them and causing them to fall to the ground, where they all landed on their feet.
"Okay, we saved ourselves, but the train is still moving fast!" Jordan said in shock.
Zeus then pulls out another card from his deck box and says, "Running won't help us chase that train, but our -Energy Hoverboards- can!"
He turns the card into a hoverboard and jumps on it as Jordan does the same thing.
"Time to sabotage his play!" Jordan said in determination.
But when they about to leave, Calla stops them and says, "Oh no! You're not leaving without me!"
"No way, Calla," Zeus said. "It's too dangerous!"
"That maniac nearly ran us over with a train! And plus, you guys still owe me an explanation for this."
"Looks like we got no choice, Z," Jordan says as she offers her hand to Calla. "Hop in and hold on tight!"
Calla jumps on Jordan's hoverboard and the three left to chase the train.
Meanwhile, outside Fils-Aime Moffitt school, Bren, Andre, and Kani, had finally managed to get the cow outside.
"Finally…it's out," Bren panted as the others sighed with relief.
"Ah-ha!," Principal Roenick said as she came out the front entrance. "I knew it. There are no cows allowed in school."
"But we are not in school, with the cow, Ms. Roenick," Andre said. "We're outside it."
"So you cannot punish us for this," Kani pointed out.
Just then the ground rumbled and out of the ground the train crashed out, sending all those outside campus running and screaming for their lives…including the cow who dragged Andre along with it as it ran.
"Help!," Andre screamed as the cow dragged him.
"Hang on, Andre," Kani shouted as she and Bren chased after them.
After that, Jordan, Zeus, and Calla chased the train with their hoverboards. Inside the train's controls, Zane is driving it in anger as he says, "No one rewrites me, unless this play ends in tragedy!"
When the Runners made it to the train's window, Jordan tries to warn everyone inside when she shouts, "Everyone, get out of the train before it's too late!"
However, they ignore her warning as Tack says, "There be gold in them there hills, so Imma heading west!"
"Oh no, Zane got them all messed up! Tack doesn't even realize he's already in the west!" Zeus said to Jordan, which she turns around and became shocked at what she saw.
"Uh oh!"
She points something to Calla and Zeus as she says, "The one and only stop on this line is the Los Angeles Pantages Theater, except I don't think it's not stopping!"
"Ugh! If those people are not messed up thanks to Zane, they would listen to us better!" Zeus said in dismay.
"Even Itzal got messed up the worst. He's even knocking the window!" Jordan said as she points at Itzal's window, who is doing the same thing as she said. However, Calla was able to recognize what he was doing.
"Uh, guys. He's not knocking at the window randomly, he's trying to use Morse Code!" she said to her friends.
"Morse Code? How can you be so sure?" Jordan asked in confusion.
"Kani taught me how so we can communicate more when I was back in Lena's posse. Let's see... He's saying "Ad...lib" and "I'm...blinding". I'm positive that he said that."
Confused, Jordan says, "I'll rephrase that. He's out of bonkers!"
"Forget about Itzal for now. Let's stop Zane first!" Zeus said as they try to find Zane. Unknown to them inside the train, Itzal's RunCom is somehow started to glow purple and grey.
Inside the train, Zane then notices the theater in front of him and seeing what will happen next, he says to himself, "Ah, a fitting climax to the story."
He then unbuckles himself and decided to escape the train.
"Break a leg, everyone!"
But before he can get out, he was stopped by Jordan, Zeus, and Calla.
"Not so fast, buddy!" Jordan said as she holds up her card. "Activate, -Bind Net-!"
The card then turns into a net as she throws it to Zane. After that, she and Zeus entered the train as Calla stays behind on Jordan's hoverboard.
"Sorry, Show. But you're the one who will break a leg in a literal way!" Jordan said in determination.
"Oh, is that so?"
Zane then pulls out his sword from earlier and uses it to free himself from the net.
"Oops! I forgot that he has a real sword with him," Jordan said in a sheepish tone.
"And by the way, have you meet my stage hands?" Zane said as he points some two guys behind Jordan and Zeus, who are actually some big men wearing some attire that resembles a samurai wielding real katanas.
"Stage hands!? More like crush hands to me!" Jordan said as she and Zeus became scared upon seeing Zane's minions.
"No matter," Zeus said, regaining his composure. "We can take them."
Drawing their swords, Jordan and Zeus charged in for the attack. But the minions blocked the attack with their own swords and then kicked the two Runners in the gut sending them flying across the train car. The minions then pick the two up by their legs and swung them around, hitting walls, the ceiling, and chairs with them, before tossing them away.
"This is hopeless! This is more humiliating than we fought the training robot and lost!" Jordan groaned in dismay.
"Yeah! It's too bad that Itzal not with us!" Zeus said. "He could have defeat them with his out-of-style sword skills."
Realizing what Zeus just said, Jordan then says to him, "Wait a second! That's it! Remember what Itzal told us back in CodeX United?"
"That we only got beat up because we seem to just charge right in and start attacking head on?"
"That's right! And think about what he just Morse Coded us, we have to ad-lib our fighting skills to fight our way to Zane's goons!"
"Improvising our fighting style? Good idea! Let's do it!"
Jordan and Zeus jumped back up and charged at the minions again, but this time moving left and right at the same time like samurai. The minions attempted to grab them again, but this time, the two jumped and somersaulted over their heads. They turned to where Jordan and Zeus had landed only to encounter two slashes that broke their sword blades. Jordan and Zeus then kicked the minions in the guts causing them to keel over, and then spin-kicked them in the heads, knocking them out cold.
"Sweet! It worked!," Jordan said in glee.
"Itzal was right after all," Zeus agreed as they high-fived.
However, their celebration cut short as one of the stage hands grabbed Jordan.
"Wha?! Hey! Let me go, you big lumax!" she said in anger.
"Too bad. You had all the good qualities of a leading lady," Zane said as he's about to pull out his ray. "But your role is about to change!"
"No!"
"Don't you dare touch her!" Zeus said in anger.
"Leave her alone," Calla shouted as she jumped on Zane's back to stop him. One of the minions, however, pulled her off Zane and restrained her as she struggled against him.
But as he tries to pull out his ray, Zane notices that it was gone.
"What the–my ray! Where is my ray?!," he shrieked. He then turned to Calla and pointed at her. "You! Give me my ray."
"Um, I don't have it, dummy!"
"Then who does?!"
As Jordan, Calla, and Zeus are confused by this turn of events, they heard a familiar voice.
"Hello there, govn'r. Mind directing me to Mulberry St?"
They turned around to see Itzal, to their shock, holding the hypnosis ray.
"Oh great, just when things get even stranger," Calla groaned.
"Ah yes my mind-controlled Runner friend," Zane said with a smile. "Give me my ray now."
"Hello there, govn'r. Mind directing me..."
Suddenly his eyes widen as his RunCom starts to beep very quickly.
"To the circus you clowns are headed back to!"
To their shock, Itzal quickly aims the ray to Zane's minion who is holding Jordan (who was being held like a sack) and activates it. Jordan covers her eyes to the light and when she opens her eyes, she was surprised that the minion turned into a clown and dropped her while he juggles some balls.
"What?!" Zane shouts in disbelief, seeing that one of his victims somehow managed to break his hypnosis.
"ITZAL! You're free from the hypnosis!," Jordan said with glee.
"But how?" Zeus asked.
"I'll explain later, guys," Itzal answered. "But right now we kick butt."
"What's the meaning of this?!" Zane asked in anger.
"Simple, I'm rewriting your own script, Zane Show," Itzal said in determination. "And looks like your play has a plot twist on it. Turns out that the elderly Englishman turned out to be..."
He then aims the ray to himself, shocking his friends.
"...an English detective who will foil your plot!"
Itzal zapped himself with the ray and in a flash of bright light, he was transformed into a Sherlock Holmes-type character.
"Now you fiendish villain," he said in a cockney accent, as he quickly tackled Zane to the ground and tied him up with a rope.
"Hey, let me go! The hero always wins!," Zane shouted as he struggled against his bindings.
"Exactly why you're not going to get away," Itzal said.
"Nice job, Itzal! But if we don't stop this train, let's just say there won't be a sequel," Jordan says as she grabs her hoverboard and took off from the train.
"Guys, make sure Zane won't escape," Zeus said to Itzal and Calla as he follows Jordan.
Then the two Runners decided to use their hoverboards to pull the train out of the theater. But as they try to push it, the hoverboards' power cut off, although managed to pull the train away from the theater.
"Okay, what now?!" Jordan said in panic.
"Well, we steered the train away from the theater, but now we're heading for a small canal," Zeus said as the train approached a canal. "We gotta get everyone off the train!"
"But even Itzal is now able to listen to us, the other actors don't," Jordan said to Zeus.
"They can't listen to us, but they will listen to the director," Zeus said in determination as he grabs his hoverboard. "Come on!"
Back inside the train, the gang tries to convince Zane to order the actors to evacuate, but he won't listen to it.
"Forget it! I won't do it!" Zane said in his usual attitude. "Zane Show doesn't take notes on his own script.
"Fine," Jordan says as she directs Zane's view to the front window.
"Then I'll guess you'll just go down with the ship, just like the extras!" Zeus finished.
Zane looked ahead and saw where the train was headed. Scared, he grabbed the P.A. and said, "Attention, passengers! Abandon ship, now! This is not a drill!"
Itzal and the others quickly opened the door to the train and they all jumped out. Jordan and Zeus with Zane quickly followed, just as the train flew into the air and crashed into the canal.
"Yes, we did it!" Jordan said as she high-fived her friends.
"Nice job, guys," Zeus added.
"Jolly good, my good man, pip-pip and all that," Itzal said in an English accent, still in the effects of the hypnosis, which Jordan and Zeus chuckled a little.
Later on, Tina had arrived with some men of CodeX United to take Zane to the police.
"Excellent work you guys," she said. "And don't worry, we'll soon figure out away to break the hypnosis. And no one–except Itzal–will remember what happened."
"Well that's great to know," Jordan asked.
"I have to admit, I'm impressed your training with the training robot really pays off for your mission," Tina said. "But Itzal's ability to break off even with our strongest hypnosis program made me even more impressed."
"Me too," Jordan agreed, which somehow leaves her confused. "But how did you able to snapped out of hypnosis?"
"Elementary, my dear Jordan. You see, in relation of my -Mind Blinding- ability, I can resist any mind control they throw at me," Itzal explained as he blows a bubble pipe, still under the effects of the hypnosis.
"So wait, that Morse code, "I'm blinding"..."
"Is actually... Wow, I didn't realize it sooner," Zeus said in a surprised tone. "But why did you get brainwashed despite your resistance on it?"
"It's because of not only giving some villains a surprise attack, it let's me collect -Mind Points-," Itzal answered.
"-Mind Points-?" Jordan asked in confusion.
Itzal then shows his RunCom to his friends, which the screen shows some kind of meter.
"It's a customized experience points that lets me increase my -Mind Blinding- skill," he explained. "The only way to gain it is by being brainwashed. And because of that, it gave me an advantage."
Flashback: In a bright flash of light Itzal vanished. When the light cleared, Itzal stood dress as an old man dressed in a British gentleman's suit.
Jordan: So you sacrificed yourself just to be hypnotized on purpose?
Itzal: Yes. If I wouldn't, not only you and Calla might suffer at the hands of Zane, but I wouldn't crippled his plans.
As Zane is continuing laughing as he imagines his ideal on turning everyone into actors, an unknown figure snatches something from Zane's pocket. The figure turns out to be Itzal as he hides the ray into his back pocket.
Zeus: And I'm guessing you're the one who snatched Zane's ray, correct?
Itzal: Exactly.
"And to top it all off, I use little of my willpower and resistance to give you guys Morse code, just in case," Itzal added.
"Well, without Calla, we wouldn't have figure it out immediately," Jordan said as she blushes.
Surprised by this, Tina became even more impressed by his strategic skills as she says, "I must say, you used Zane's weapon against him. Excellent job."
However, their conversation was interrupted when they saw Zane being escorted to the police car by the police.
"So, what do you have plans for our friend, Zane? Or should I say Zachary?" Jordan asked in suspicion.
"He'll be meeting an entire all new audience now: His fellow inmates in prison," Tina answered.
"Audience? Then I must start on a new play. Perhaps a comedy about being behind bars!" Zane asked as the police took him away.
"Some people never learn to give up," Zeus said.
"Eh-hem!"
They turned around to see Calla, who is now irritated after Jordan, Itzal, and Zeus explained to her that they are world-travelling protectors.
"I have more questions about this, this, this "Runner" thing!" she demanded.
"Right," Jordan said. "It's a long story."
Jordan went on to explain all about the Runners, ULO, the Black Tundra, the Data Cores and all of the different worlds.
"Wow," Calla said shocked at what she'd just learned. "I knew you guys were cool Jordan, but I didn't think you were that cool!"
"Yeah, that's us," Zeus added. "A couple of world saving kids!"
"Catching scoundrels from all around," Itzal said, still in character.
"Uh, maybe you need to be de-hypnotize, Itz," Jordan said.
"Good point," Itzal said as the scientists escorted him to the truck.
"So now that Calla knows about our secret as world-traveling protectors and seeing us in action, does that mean you have to erase her memory?" Jordan sheepishly asks to her superior.
"Erase my what?!" Calla said in shock.
"I would," Tina answered, which made Jordan very dismayed about it. "But I decided to keep hers for your sake, Jordan."
"Seriously?!" Jordan exclaimed in shock.
"Besides, she is your best friend and it would be really hurt if this is going to be a secret any longer."
"So you're not gonna zap my head or anything like that," Calla asked.
"Nope," Tina said. Jordan and Calla then hugged each other, glad that the latter could remember everything that had happened.
"But that's not the only reason why I keep her memories."
Tina then approached Calla and says, "Ms. Calla Gale, correct?"
"Yes?" she asks in confusion.
"You're bravery in helping your friend really impressed me. In time, you might be joining our forces soon. But for now, I'm going to approve your e-mail address because of your actions."
"My e-mail?," Calla asked.
"So I can contact you if we need your help," Tina said.
"Sure Ms...Reyheart, right?"
"Yes."
"I'd be honored," Calla said as she glanced back at Jordan and the others.
The next day in school, the damages from yesterday's incident were quickly fixed (due to being a minor one) as Jordan, Itzal (who returned to normal), Zeus, and Calla walks into the school grounds.
"Glad you're back to normal, Itz," Jordan said in relief.
"Yeah, the Chicago scientists managed to help the L.A. ones, so they were able to reverse the hypnosis without a problem," Itzal explained. "Though somehow, I'm kinda felt attached to that role."
"Well, to be honest, I like the Sherlock-Holmes-look on you."
"Me too."
The two stare each other for a few seconds in lovestruck, but was interrupted by Zeus, which he says, "Let's save that for Halloween, okay Itzal?"
"Okay," Itzal said in a casual manner, which it switches to worry when he saw Calla with them. "And listen, Calla. Even if you can keep our Runner secret to others, you have to stay away from our missions."
"I agree. Even if you want to support us so badly, we can't risk you getting hurt because of us," Jordan said in worry. "Plus, even though you're my best friend, I can't see you getting hurt or injured whenever you're in the same area as we are. If you do see us, you have to run away as possible. Do you understand?"
"Well, Ms. Reyheart said that I might be joining you guys as a Runner soon," Calla replied.
"Maybe, but until she does, we can't risk your safety being jeopardized," Zeus said. "Got that?"
"Yeah, I suppose so."
"Good. And BTW, had to picture Lena and Sierra before they were de-hypnotize," Jordan said as she pulls out two photos from her pocket. "Gonna give to my cousin as a promise. Speaking of which, here's yours, Calla."
"Thanks," Calla said as she takes the copy from Jordan. "Speaking of your cousin, how's he and my cousin are doing?"
As they entered the Mid-Zone lounge, they saw their friends minding their usual business as Bren greets, "Yo, guys!"
"Hey, Bren. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm impressed you were able to get out of trouble from yesterday," Jordan said in an impressed tone.
"Which of course, where is the "trouble"?" Itzal asked when he notices the cow is gone from the lounge.
"Well, let's just say it gave Andre the "ride" of his life," Kani explained.
"And luckily for Mr. Troublesome over there, he was able to send the cow to his friend as promised," Bren added.
"What a relief," Jordan said in a relieved tone.
Zeus then turns to Andre and says to him in a stern tone, "And Andre, I hope you learned your lesson about not bringing any farm animal in the school anymore."
"Oh don't worry, I won't. I will never happen again," Andre replied.
"Promise?," Jordan asked.
"Cross my heart."
"Well, glad that's over with," Jordan said as she and Calla seated on the bean bag chairs in relief.
"Besides, I'm already ordered a crocodile for my another friend! He's an animal tamer by the way," Andre mentioned.
"Yes, that's really-"
Jordan froze with her friends as they are shocked at what Andre said.
"YOU ORDERED A CROCODILE?!" they asked in shock.
Just then they heard a growling noise and turned to see a large crocodile at their feet. The group all screamed and jumped on top of the tables in fear. The croc then turned and exited the lounge, as the group turned to glare at Andre.
"What?," he asked. "You said no more farm animals. You didn't say anything about bringing in other animals."
"ANDRE!"
A/N: Geez, Andre just never learn. At least everything's back to normal, plus we get to see one of Itzal's mind control resistance ability! Stay tuned for the next episode! Review and I'll see ya later!