Chapter 17: Dr. X:
Duke's POV:
I was at the gym, exercising when the director came in.
"Duke, I got a job for you. Where are the others?"
"Jack's got a date with a girl named Sierra, I think. at Miko's at a concert. She convinced Raf and Twilight to attend with her. Dr. Robertson's visiting some relatives. Don't ask me where Brightmore is, because I don't know..."
"And the dog thing?"
"His name is Spike and he's sleeping."
"So, I guess it's just you?"
"Looks like it."
"Okay then. I need you to go to Mt. Everest."
"What for?"
"I need you to save Action Man."
. . .
Director Flagg was explaining the mission. "We got intel that Action Man's archenemy Dr. X was working on something in Mt. Everest."
"With all due respect, what kind of a name is Dr. X?"
"What kind of a name is Cobra Commander?"
"Good point."
"You remember Blizzard?"
"Yeah, Action Man's wolf who helped us while we were in the Arctic, where Jack may or may not have met Santa Claus."
"He's going to be joining you on this mission."
Blizzard comes in and I pet him.
"Let's go find your master."
. . .
Blizzard and I arrived at Mt. Everest. I was telling Blizzard about Timber.
"I think you'd like him."
Blizzard was sniffing around, and I followed him.
"Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain and the most dangerous, so we better be careful."
Then Blizzard suddenly gets knocked out.
"Blizzard?"
It was a tranquilizer dart.
"Who's there?"
"Sorry." It was a woman. "When I saw a wolf, well, self-defense. I'm Mercy Gale."
"I'm Duke. Have you seen anyone else around here?"
"None that I can recall."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive, but I did find footprints."
"Those could be his."
"Maybe I can help you find your friend."
"Sure, but first, we better get Blizzard somewhere where he can rest."
"Let's take him to my camp."
. . .
After getting Blizzard settled, Dr. Gale and I both searched for Action Man. She's a research scientist who was studying Mt. Everest. As we followed the trail.
"This friend... what is his name," asks Dr. Gale.
Director Flagg told me Action Man's real name and I was trying to remember it. "Ian Noble."
"Sounds noble."
As we continued on, something jumped out at us. It looked like a group of Yetis.
"I didn't think they existed," I said.
"Actual Yetis," says Dr. Gale, "this is incredible."
I fought them off, and so did Dr. Gale. Apparently, she can fight. The Yetis then ran off.
"There was something strange about them," I said.
"We can worry about that later," says Dr. Gale, "let's go."
. . .
We continued to follow the trail.
"Let me ask you something Duke, have you ever heard of the Sirens?"
"You mean those mermaids?"
"No, Sirens are mythical creatures that lure sailors to their doom through song."
"Why are you talking about them?"
"I just think it's interesting and it shows, somethings you just can't trust."
. . .
As we walked, we found a cave.
"Ian," I called.
Action Man comes out.
"Is that you, Duke?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Look out, Dr. X is behind you!"
"Where?"
"Right here," says Dr. Gale, who then knocks me out.
. . .
I then woke up and found myself and Action Man tied to a rock.
"What's going on?"
"You led my archenemy to me."
"Wait, Dr. Gale is Dr. X. But Gale doesn't even start with X."
"Action Man and Dr. X are both legacies. I'm the latest Action Man and she's the latest Dr. X. The Action Man before me was a man named Alex Mann."
"Sounds like he was clever," I said.
"This Dr. X, she was a member of the Action Man Program, but then she went rogue. She's a mad scientist. Did you see any Yetis on the way here?"
"Yeah?"
"Those were her experiments."
"I thought there was something strange about them. The sirens. She was hinting of her double-cross."
"Yeah, she's a clever one."
"And now, what experiments shall I do on the two of you," asks Dr. X.
"You won't get away with this," says Action Man.
"That's where you're wrong, Mr. Noble, I have already won."
"We'll get out," I said.
"And how?"
"We'll... think of something."
"Right."
As Dr. X works on some formula.
"We need a plan," I said.
"Did you bring Blizzard?"
"X knocked her out."
"That figures."
As Dr. X was about to inject Action Man, Blizzard came out of nowhere and attacked her.
"Get off me, you beast!"
Action Man and I manage to untie ourselves.
"Action Man, Blizzard, let's play rough!"
We all fought X. She fought back. She's tougher than she looks.
"Did you forget I'm not all brains?"
Blizzard then bites her leg.
"GAAAHHH! You stupid beast!"
"Nobody calls Blizzard a stupid beast," says Action Man, who then knocks her out.
"I'll just pretend I didn't see you punch a woman," I said, jokingly.
. . .
Dr. X was being taken in and so were the Yetis.
"We're going to try to find a cure for them," says Director Flagg.
"Thanks for the help, Duke," says Action Man.
"No problem, but there is one thing I'm wondering. What was X working on here? Was she just making yetis?"
"You fools! I was working on a way to destroy Evox! I didn't want any competition."
"Is there a chance..."
"Sorry Duke," says Action Man, "when we beat X, I destroyed her research. If I knew..."
"It's alright," I said, "I guess we're back to square one."
I don't know how, but one day, we are going to stop Evox for good.
In the next chapter, Evox sends his goons to find heavy water in one of the world's deepest trenches.