Loonatics: United

Episode 23: Groundwork

Susan and Tech were arguing inside the HQ's lab, standing in front of a work table. "This needs a harness Susan! Come on!" Tech argued as he lifted the rifle he had been holding right before her face. "Just use some logic!"

Susan growled. "It's the harness or the voltaic repeater and I refuse to take the first option!" She lowered down the weapon from her sight aggressively.

"The repeater?! Why do you insist that much on that?" Tech complained.

"Do you want your friends to be electrocuted?!" Susan crossed her arms.

"That is not…entirely possible but I mean it's not likely." Tech replied.

Susan sighed. "Alright, it's okay." She took a deep breath. "We can solve this." She exhaled. "What if we put a compressed holo-shield instead of the harness?"

"Give me a break that's…actually a good idea." Tech said.

Susan nodded with a grin. "And that way…"

"The repeater won't be compromised." Tech completed the phrase.

"Okay." Susan turned to the table and continued to work on the component she had been working on."

"Okay." Tech refocused on the work and put the rifle over the table; Susan slid it to her side to install some components. "Susan?"

"Yes?" Susan was soldering the weapon's chips.

"Sorry." Tech scratched the back of his neck.

Susan raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "For what?"

Tech sighed. "You see, I am not accustomed to work with someone else besides me, sometimes I can get…"

"Frustrating?" Susan smirked.

Tech nodded. "Yeah and…"

"Authoritarian?" Susan interrupted him.

"That might very well be an exaggeration but…" Tech got interrupted once again.

Susan chuckled. "It's okay, Tech, I also have my temper sometimes, there is nothing to worry about."

Tech sighed with relief. "You are unique, Susan." He looked at her eyes. "Thank you."

Susan grinned. "You know, despite everything; I've really enjoyed working with you."

"Well, teamwork can be really effective when is about applied science." Tech replied.

"Maybe I was too specific." Susan put a hand on his shoulder. "I enjoy being with you."

Tech smiled. "And I double that, of course."

In the meantime, Lexi, Rev and Duck were watching over Magnus, each one of them was standing on the edge of a rooftop of a different edifice, they had made sure to cover three quadrants of that part of the city in case Magnus tried to make another mess. "Rev, can you go and see what he is doing? I didn't bring my binoculars." Lexi said through her suit's comm.

Rev answered from the rooftop he was covering. "Sure Lexi maybe he is rethinking about his life and his recent actions and wants to reconsider about the decisions he has made…"

Duck growled. "Just do it, Rev! Can't you save your opinions for yourself?"

"Sure, maybe I have to see someone who helps me with this need to speak my mind all the time…" Rev was interrupted.

"Rev!" Lexi and Duck both said.

Rev ran fast over the building's facade towards the street. "Take it easy guys I'm not that annoying one day I met…" He had approached Magnus, he ran carefully behind him and focused on what he was seeing as his speed slowed down the environment, he saw him staring at a monument which was a big brick of marble with small plaques with names printed on them, he managed to hear a scream of rage and hate of him just before he made a huge, hammer-like shape with the help of the branches around his arms then he smashed the monument with it and destroyed it.

"Liars!" Magnus yelled then Rev raised an eyebrow at the scene he had seen then he returned to the rooftop from where he had been surveilling the situation. "The guy destroyed the Clarkson Monument For The Fallen." Rev communicated.

Lexi scratched her chin. "The big rock with the names?"

"Yes." Rev replied.

"And, aren't you going to drive us crazy with unnecessary details?" Duck inquired.

"That's all I had to say." Rev responded.

Lexi sighed. "I'll contact Ace to ask him for orders."

Ace and Slam were inside of Ziox's cave, walking inside its dark depths looking for the zeolites Tech had mentioned. "He did what?!" Ace told Lexi through the communication device of his suit. "Did anyone get hurt? No, okay, please, don't act unless civilians are at risk, otherwise, just keep an eye on him as you've been doing." Ace sighed. "It is too risky, you three won't stand a chance, do it only if absolutely necessary, understood? Alright, thanks, we'll be back soon."

Slam growled with pain after he hit his forehead with the upper part of the place of the cave they were walking though while going down through a leaned rocky path.

"Careful, Slam, I'll need you to carry those rocks when we find them." Ace said and Slam snarled affirmatively while they arrived to an alternate cavern. "I'm so glad Tech put this glow in the dark function in our suits, I forgot to bring a lantern."

Slam chuckled and growled mockingly as they kept walking.

"Well yes, I am the leader but you know, I am not that responsible." Ace replied while they crouched a little bit to walk through a small tunnel.

Slam raised an eyebrow and snarled with doubt.

"It's true!" Ace placed a hand on the wall outside of the tunnel and got fully into his feet again along with Slam. "Sometimes this part of the job just, changes you and makes you, you know, look good to others and increase their expectations, and since that happens, you commit to live up to that." He gazed at the new place they had entered and gasped after he managed to see something. "Could those be?" Ace pointed towards a formation of white, porous rocks that was ahead of them.

Slam walked past Ace and stood before the rocks, he growled and threw a punch at the formation, making it to collapse into individual, yet big pieces of the mineral.

Ace looked at his surroundings then walked to where Slam was. "I can't find other distinctive rocks other than those."

Slam looked at him as if he was waiting for an order.

"Take all you can from that, it seems to fit Tech's description." Ace commanded then Slam nodded and grabbed several chunks of the mineral. They both walked all the way back to the principal cave then activated their jetpacks and flew out of the hole heading towards the city. "Lexi, any news?"

"Nothing to worry about for now, Ace, except for the growing branches of course." Lexi replied from the other side of the line.

"Slam and I are in our way to the HQ, see you there." Ace concluded as the city's skyscrapers began to get in their sight.

Tech and Susan had finished the weapons after Ace and Slam had provided them with the zeolites. The entire team was reunited in the lab before a table with Tech and Susan behind it. "Who will test them first?" Tech asked.

"Me! This awesome, threateningly looking rifle!" Duck said with excitement as he moved forward towards the table and admired the large weapon over it.

"You got good eyes for greatness, Duck." Tech handed him the weapon. "I call this the Zeo-Shot, I made one for each one of us, it dehydrates everything its beam reaches."

"Can I test it on Rev?" Duck looked through the aim and pointed the rifle at his comrade.

"You are so funny Duck but I know all of you would miss me in a split of second." Rev looked at his friends. "Right?"

Tech sighed. "Just shoot at this, Duck." Tech walked towards a plant pot that was next to a window and dragged it with effort closer to Duck's position.

Duck aimed at the large plant. "You've won a powerful enemy, the same, the unique..."

"Time is running, Duck." Lexi warned.

Duck sighed. "Sometimes you can be a little too boring, guys." He pressed the trigger and a crystal clear beam came from the weapon, it hit the plant directly and made it to turn into mere particles. Duck moved his sight from the aim and looked at the remains of the plant. "This guy has got serious trouble."

Ace nodded at the results. "Good job Tech, same to you Susan."

"And that's not all." Susan took a spherical, semi-transparent object from the table and lifted it to let Ace see it. "This is the Zeo-Boom; someone will have to throw it on the same place the hyperseed is located, it will dehydrate it and stop its power with no doubt."

Ace took the Zeo-Boom as Susan handed it to him. "I will do it, Lexi, you'll be my support, the others must destroy the growing branches to give us time and free the city." He looked at Tech then at the rest of his team. "Do you want to end this? This is our last chance."

Lexi nodded. "Give me one of those rifles; we got a jerk to take down."