Loonatics: United

Episode 15: Stolid

On the night, Matt followed Anne as she walked down from the caves through a little path that led to the lower part of the place, which was in front of the pool. "So, shall we start from where we left off the last time?" Anne got in combat position.

"Maybe from the beginning, just to remember." Matt answered as he also got ready.

"As you wish." Anne smirked and threw a kick at his face without more warning, Matt blocked the kick with his arm, then Anne crouched and grabbed his leg, making him to fall, then he made another move with both legs to free himself from Anne's grip. Matt stood up, same as her, he approached her and tried to tackle her, but she put some resistance with her fists. "You have got better at this, you don't suck horribly anymore." Anne joked.

"Thanks, I guess." Matt replied as he struggled to try to bring her down. "To be honest, I really missed this."

Anne pushed him and made him gasp. "Same, I had to see you bite my dust again."

"We are just starting." Matt moved fast to get behind her and cuffed her arms.

"Come on!" Anne got him to lay over his back after she had leaned forward to throw him.

Matt groaned. "I forgot that one."

Anne was standing behind his head, she got in his sight as she looked at him with a cocky grin. "Yeah, you still suck, where is that super strength of yours?" She offered him her hand, then he sighed and took it to get into his feet.

"You must admit that I almost got you." Matt argued.

Anne chuckled. "In your dreams, rookie." She sighed. "Come on, I'll teach you that one."

"Sure, uhm what do I do?" Matt asked.

Anne got behind him and took his arms, then she cuffed them the same way as Matt had done before. "Okay, here, I took some impulse and that was enough to throw you."

"Yeah, you don't need to remind me." Matt said, then he tried to do the movement, but he barely lifted Anne from the ground.

Anne couldn't help but to laugh. "Oh Matt, is that all?"

"Don't make fun of me!" Matt tried again, but failed the same way.

Anne sighed. "Take your time, and move back a little bit more, then try again." As Matt tried to follow her directions, Anne continued talking. "Do you think Adam is well?"

"He is fine, Anne." Matt groaned.

Anne gazed at the caves. "Maybe I should go and check."

Matt growled as he struggled to lift her. "Why are you so worried about him?"

Anne raised an eyebrow. "Uhm, because we must take care of him, as Ace ordered us to do so?"

Matt snarled and leaned to the front enraged, throwing Anne hard onto the ground. "Go then!"

"Ouch!" Anne exclaimed as she landed heavily over her back. "Nice job."

Matt gasped. "Sorry, I'm so sorry Anne!" He extended his hand and she got up with his help.

"Don't worry." Anne said as she rubbed her back. "Now I regret mentioning your power."

"Sorry, I, I didn't measure my strength." Matt replied.

"You have never had trouble with that." Anne said with intrigue.

Matt turned his gaze away from her. "Maybe I was just, distracted."

"Is something wrong?" Anne asked.

"No, no I am fine, Adam needs your help, I'll catch up with you in a second." Matt walked towards the pool to stand by it. Anne nodded, still worried for him and then headed to the cave.

In the meantime, Tech was about to enter the room where Adam was sleeping. "Uhm, hello?" He knocked the cave, the echo woke Adam up.

Adam glanced at him from his improvised bed. "What?" He said with somnolence.

"May I come in?" Tech asked, Adam just nodded. Tech entered the cave and stood in front of Adam. "So, are you better?"

"Yes, I am certainly feeling quite good now." Adam replied.

Tech nodded. "Right." He hesitated to keep talking. "Uhm, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Adam said.

"Well, when you were hurt and that light surrounded you, what did you see? I mean, apart of that." Tech asked.

Adam covered his chin, thoughtful. "I saw, uhm, lots of spherical shapes, similar to those in the learning expansions my father had installed on me back when I was a piece of software."

"Spherical?" Tech crossed his arms. "Like, planets?"

"Yes, that's the word, planets." Adam responded.

"Tell me more, it was like static, or there was movement in what you saw?" Tech inquired.

"Well, more than seeing something, I felt like I was actually traveling, I just remember very blurry images of that, like if it was some kind of dream." Adam answered.

"Uhm…" Tech scratched his chin. "Anything more?"

Adam shook his head. "I just remember that, I am sorry, I don't know how we ended here."

Tech nodded. "No problem, just one more thing."

"Yeah?" Adam said.

"How were you feeling before the moment you started to see those things?" Tech asked.

"Well I, I was fearful, I was very afraid, I didn't want to die." Adam responded. "Why are you asking me this?"

"So we can get out of this the sooner as possible, it may be more complicated than I thought, I just wanted to confirm that your actions were involuntary, that info shall be of help." Tech said. "But don't worry, get some rest and if there's no inconvenient, try to remember more about what you felt and saw there." Tech added and exited the cave.

On the caves' center, Ace and Lexi had gathered with Duck and Slam to talk with them about their previous fight, they were all sitting in circle with their legs crossed. "Guys, you well know this team was built with trust, without it, we are absolutely nothing." Ace said.

Lexi continued. "So we are begging you to resolve this, for the good of you and the rest of the team."

"Great! A lecture! Just what I needed!" Duck exclaimed. "Can I leave now?!"

"Could you cooperate a little? Duck? You can't leave until you and Slam solve this." Ace warned.

Slam growled with disinterest.

"Yes Slam, this will take all night long if necessary." Lexi crossed her arms.

"So, I just have to say sorry?" Duck asked.

Ace shook his head. "You know it's more than that."

Duck sighed, then he looked at Slam. "I'm sorry, okay! This place is killing me, is hot, I miss my home, and I feel useless while being here!"

Slam gazed at him and growled with agreement.

"Yeah! That´s what I am talking about! I'm bored, I want my TV and my junk food!" Duck explained. "Do we have all of that stuff here?! No! I am just stuck here with all of you."

Slam lowered his head and snarled apologetically.

"Well, yeah you nearly killed me two times, maybe I deserved it but, I mean, yeah no problem." Duck replied with forgiveness. "You are not a fool, Slam, you are a good, big guy, I was just trying to take out my rage onto someone."

Slam smirked and gently punched Duck in the shoulder in a friendly manner.

Lexi smiled. "See? Was it that hard?"

"Don't get too optimistic, I still kind of hate all of you right now." Duck stood up and went to his cave.

"Well, it's something, I guess." Ace said.

Meanwhile, Rev was running all over the island, thinking about what had happened. "Tech, what a jerk, he always thinks he has enough reasons to be worried about everyone else, doesn´t he know how to attend his own business? And well, who cares, I have the right to be mad, Ace and Lexi are supposed to be our example and what are they showing? Resignation, oh don't worry Rev, just wait and relax, what a stupid advice, is that even an advice at all? This sucks, Acmetropolis is unprotected, no one takes me seriously, and this island is so tiny! I've seen that rock thirty six times already." Rev stopped right in front of the entrance to the refuge, without any sign of exhaustion. "Okay Rev, just play their game, ignore them and they'll see who is being immature and irrational."