Loonatics: United

Episode 46: Cataclysm (part 10)

Lexi, Rev and Duck had returned to Acmetropolis. They were reunited with their comrades in the HQ's lab, along with Anne, Matt and Peyton, discussing the situation, standing up around the table that was on the center, except for Rev, who was standing on a corner, away from them, glancing at the floor. "The plan was going well, we tried to destroy the ship but…" Lexi was interrupted by Rev's sudden words.

"I messed up." Rev's voice was broken, he gazed at them with real shame.

"Rev, I know how you must be feeling right now, but believe me." Lexi tried to reassure him. "This is not your fault."

Rev walked towards them. "It is." He breathed in to try to speak more clearly, as his voice had gotten more broken. "I was reckless in thinking I could do it." He sobbed and pointed at Duck. "You were right!" He exclaimed. "This wouldn't be happening if Tech had gone with you instead of me!" His eyes were teary and hopeless. "It's all my fault." He glared at the infirmary, with a frown. "I could've protected her! If I had stayed, if I had been at her side!" He sobbed. "And now…" He looked away. "And now she is on a…comma…" He started to cry while covering his face with both hands. He turned towards the lab's door. "I'm so sorry." He left in a rush, leaving a brief red blur in the lab.

A long silence stayed between them, then Ace spoke to Tech. "Scan the ship, Doc. And make a log wit…" Innumerable screams started to be heard from the outside, Ace hurried towards the window followed by the rest and they all glared horrified at the scene they were contemplating, green, ongoing beams coming from the mothership towards the streets, transporting reptiles and getting them there. The scaly creatures provoked terror with their growls and looks, they broke into homes and buildings and took people hostage, same as in the streets, hurting the ones who tried to resist, screams of loss and desperation were heard with no cease. The beams of the mothership began to take back the reptiles who held hostages to the ship, and more reptiles were sent, and so on. That way, people slowly were being taken from the streets of Acmetropolis and then brought to the inside of the mothership. Ace didn't want to believe what his eyes were seeing, he clenched his fists fiercely and turned enraged, walking towards the table. He let out a yell of rage and hit the table with his fist, exhaling and inhaling repeatedly, glaring at the black, now cracked part of the table he had damaged. He sighed and breathed in, then began to think in a new plan. "Tech." Ace looked at him. "Ready the Wave Cannon." He glared at Lexi. "Quantal still needs to be saved."

"What happened there?" Duck asked.

"There's no time to explain." Ace looked back at Tech, waiting for his response.

"The cannon is good to go, boss." Tech said with a nod.

"Good." Ace pointed both at Duck and Tech. "You two will enter that ship and rescue the hostages." He turned to glance at Slam and the three members of A.R.M. "Slam, you and Rev will go out to fight those things and protect our people. Same as you three."

"Don't worry, Ace." Matt said. "We'll deal with them."

Anne nodded. "Just as we did before."

"Actually, I've never fought with space reptiles." Peyton commented. "But, there's always a first time."

Slam let out a growl, stating a doubt about Rev being in conditions of helping.

"Leave that to me." Ace walked away from them, heading to the lab's exit. He arrived at the lounge and noticed Rev wasn't there, so he walked towards Rev's room, knocking the door.

"Go away!" Rev said.

Ace sighed, then he opened the door nonetheless and entered the room, it was basically the same as the others' bedrooms but with lots of technological stuff on the floor like chipsets and unfinished projects, the large wooden desk that was in front of his bed was also full of these things. Rev was sitting at the edge of the bed, with his face over his hands, Ace approached him and sat down next to him. "Rev." He expressed.

"I told you to go away." Rev replied, with his face still covered.

"You know I won't." Ace said, putting a hand over his shoulder. "Rev, we need you."

Rev lifted his head, glancing frontwards. "That's not true. All I know to do is to mess things up." He stood thoughtful for a couple of seconds, then he glanced at his boss. "I lost her."

Ace shook his head. "That's not happening." He reassured. "She is in very good hands, I can't think of better ones."

"You've said it." Rev replied. "Things would be better if Tech had gone to the ship."

Ace thought for a moment. "Rev, don't you know why I sent you instead of Doc?" His words gained an attentive glance of Rev. "I sent you because you have a lot of potential to unleash. I gave you this chance to prove yourself."

"And I've just proven I'm useless." Rev responded.

Ace chuckled reassuringly. "Come on, man. You only made a mistake, that's all."

"A huge one." Rev said with a serious tone.

Ace nodded slightly, glaring briefly at his sides. "I won't object that. But that doesn't mean you won't get better with time." He looked directly at him. "Rev, this is a process I need you to complete, you understand? If you mess up, well…" He thought for a moment. "You have us, we'll be there for you, always, Rev. Just be there for us too, that's how this works."

Rev got thoughtful for a moment, thinking about Ace's words. He took his time to reflect on them then looked back at Ace. "I'll…I'll do my best." Rev said. "That's all I can offer."

Ace smirked. "And that's all we need."

After that, Ace and Rev returned to the lab. Ace got in the middle of his teammates to revise the plan and instruct them. "Okay, Rev, you'll go to the streets with Slam and protect the people from the reptiles. Matt, Anne and Peyton will accompany you." He looked at Tech and Duck. "Tech, you and Duck must enter the spaceship and rescue all of the hostages." He finally glanced at his girlfriend. "Lexi, you and I will go to Quantal and defeat those guys once and for all."

"I can't wait." Lexi said with confidence.

Ace nodded. "We're good to go, then." He briefly looked at each one of his comrades. "A whole planet depends on you, again. This is why we are here, for our people. This is why we returned! For them, Loonatics!" He glared at Matt and his team. "They are also your responsibility, your duty." He nodded at them. "I know this city can count on you too."

After Ace's speech, Slam and Rev stood in front of one of the windows at the lounge, Ace opened the window for them with the press of a button that was just next to the kitchen, attached to a wall. The glass slid upwards and with that, Rev and Slam were ready to leave. "Don't let those things take any civilians with them. Don't permit it." Ace commanded.

Slam growled, accepting Ace's command. Rev did so with a nod. Before they could leave, Duck arrived.

"Wait." Duck said hesitantly, approaching Rev. "I…I'm sorry man, for wh…"

"No." Rev placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did took the worst part of the discussion so I'm the one who has to apologize." He smirked. "You know when I punched y…"

"Yes, don't remind me of that." Duck rubbed his beak. "But…" He sighed. "I mean, we're good?"

Rev nodded. "Of course." He extended his hand and Duck shook it.

Slam growled at Rev with impatience, pointing at the outside.

"Okay, calm down." Rev told Slam. He gave Duck a glare of renewed friendship and activated his jetpack followed by Slam and both left the HQ. Duck nodded at knowing he had put things right, having made a huge effort to do so.

"Now that's something you don't see everyday." Ace had seen the moment as he rested against a nearby wall. He then began to head back to the lab. "I'm glad you've found some humbleness in you." He told Duck.

"Yeah." Duck raised his gaze and put a hand on his chest. "That's me."

Ace chuckled a bit. "Maybe I spoke too soon."

After Ace had left with Lexi on the Wave Cannon, Tech was speaking with Matt and his comrades at the lab. "As your chopper is, well, gone for good…"

"Oh, I miss it so much." Peyton interrupted. "It was so cool."

"Worry do not, Peyton." Tech smirked. "You will take the Zoomatrixes, one of my greatest inventions." He said proudly.

"The Zoo-what?" Anne inquired.

Tech chuckled and began to head towards the exit. "Follow me."

Ace and Lexi were en route to Quantal, wearing their respective helmets. Ace was pushing the capsule shaped vehicle/weapon to the limits, focused on the target. Lexi then spoke to him hesitantly. "Ace, back on the ship..." She shook her head and turned her gaze away from him. "Forget it."

"What happened?" Ace briefly looked at her before looking back at the front. "Is anything wrong?"

Lexi sighed, remembering the great pain she caused to the reptile to make him speak. "I…" She breathed in and out. "I think I can't see the limits anymore."

Ace didn't understand her statement. "Limits?"

Lexi sighed again. "When the boys and I were making our way inside the ship, we got trouble with some reptiles. But we defeated them."

Ace nodded and smirked at her. "That's my girl." She just looked at him, her eyes asking him to let her continue, he just nodded slightly and refocused on the horizon. "Sorry."

"We needed information." Lexi continued. "And I…" She was afraid of what her boyfriend would think or say. After gaining courage, she finally told him, with a sigh of shame. "I tortured him." She softened the tone of her voice and kept her gaze away from his.

Ace wasn't sure of how to respond. "Oh…" He did his best to reply. "That is…serious." He looked at her, who had her head lowered and her gaze lost. "To be honest, I also did something terrible." His words made her to look at him. "When we were chasing those guys, we entered a tunnel." Ace constantly switched his attention between Lexi and the vehicle's frontal window. "I really wanted to get them. Nothing mattered more to me in that moment. I didn't care, not a single bit, Lexi."

"Care for what?" Lexi inquired.

"For the people." Ace answered. "I saw them as…" He sighed and shook his head. "Collateral damage." He glared down. "The drivers at the tunnel." He explained. "I attacked, Tech tried to stop me but I didn't listen. Many people got hurt because of me." Ace moved the steering wheel rightwards. "Their lives were at risk….and I was that risk, Lexi."

Lexi remained silent, thinking about what Ace had told her. She exhaled, hopeless, with her sight on the vehicle's black floor. "What happened to us?"

Ace looked at her. "There's something broken inside of us." He said. "But, I think we can fix it."

Lexi sighed. "I don't know, Ace." She responded. "Maybe is part of this life, of being heroes."

"Remember that saying? Desperate times…" Ace waited for her to complete the saying.

"…call for desperate measures." Lexi completed.

Ace nodded. "Well…" He looked at the front, with a straight, convinced face. "That's a trap." Lexi raised an eyebrow, he reaffirmed his statement with a subtle smirk, hopeful and contemplative. "People think heroes can do whatever they want, with who they want." Ace said. "Powerful, untouched by the law." He let out a small chuckle. "I've heard that in many discussion programs." Ace accelerated a bit more. "Maybe it has some truth…but not all." He said. "We also have a great burden to carry, one that never lightens up." He looked at her. "To be their example, their steps to take, you know?" He smirked.

Lexi stood silent, she then reached for the steering wheel and put her hand over his. "Do you think we can be that for them?"

Ace nodded and looked back at the front, already spotting the city of Quantal. "That is the mission." He said. "It's always been."