Chapter 21: Tempest:

Duke's POV:

I was at the gym doing target practice. I was shooting targets that looked like Evox. That thing has caused us too many problems, and I would like to see it recycled. Then I almost shot Jack.

"Sorry Jack."

"It's okay," says Jack, "I can see how you can get me and Evox mixed up. That's alot of Evoxes."

"And there's one too many."

"By the way," says Jack, "we got a mission."

"Well, let's go."

Jack headed off, but I shot one last Evox before I went with him.

. . .

We all went to a lab in New Jersey. Our job is to protect a young genius. His name was Templeton Storm.

"I'm glad you could all be here," he said, "you see, I have a very special project."

"Question," says Miko, "is this gonna put me to sleep?"

"Your job is just to make sure Evox doesn't come after me while I work on... my project."

"Don't worry," I said, "if any of Evox's goons show up, we're taking them down."

"Is he starting to scare anyone else," asks Miko.

"Excellent," says Templeton.

Then he walks away, but Jack looks at him suspiciously.

"There's something about that guy," says Jack.

"Other than the fact that he has a funny name," asks Miko.

"We're here to provide security," says Duke, "so, let the young man do his thing."

. . .

I was walking around when I saw something strange. It started to snow.

"You're curious," says Storm.

"What is this," I asked.

"My project. You see, I have created a machine that could allow me to control the weather."

"If Evox got his hands on that..." I started.

"Don't worry, Templeton Storm plans to use it before Evox does."

"For what? Making sure kids can't get a snow day?"

"I don't get it."

"It's... it's from a cartoon."

"I see. I don't watch cartoons."

"Okay then."

"I have... other plans, but they are top secret."

"Understood."

"Let me ask you something, Sargeant Hauser," says Storm, "have you ever had so much rage towards someone, enough to want to end it?"

"Oh yeah."

"Good." Storm then went back inside.

Jack was seeing the whole thing.

"Something about that guy rubs me the wrong way," says Jack.

"I'll admit, a machine that controls the weather does seem a little..."

"Terrifying?"

"This is something Evox should never have."

"Duke, it's something no one should have."

Jack then walks away. He has a point, but right now, we should be prepared for if... wait, how does Storm know about Evox?

. . .

I walked through Storm's halls, looking for his lab.

"Can I help you?"

"Mr. Storm," I said, "I have a question, how do you know about Evox?"

"If you must know, I was there when Evox was created."

"What?"

"Evox was a virus created by... a mad man. I saw that it could be a threat to the world, but no one listened. I managed to escape. I knew that thing would be on the loose and I was right."

"But I bet you didn't know he has a body now."

"What? That thing can walk now?"

"Afraid so."

"How did this happen?"

"It's... a long story."

"Then I must finish my plan!"

"So, you talked about rage. Is that towards Evox? Or his creator?"

"It's... more complicated than you think."

"I see." One thing's for sure, he is an odd one. It probably is best to keep an eye on him.

. . .

I was in the attic, looking through the window. I figured I'd get a bird's-eye view. I looked out and saw Jack with Brightmore, Miko with Dr. Robertson, and Raf with Twilight. Everything seemed peaceful, but then someone showed up.

I got up my communicator, "I think one of Evox's goons is here. Unit: E, let's play rough!"

. . .

We attacked the stranger, only to then learn it's Action Man.

"Action Man," says Miko, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to warn you guys."

"About what," asks Raf.

"About Templeton Storm..."

"Don't listen to him," says Storm, "he's working for Evox!"

"Come again," says Miko.

"He's a traitor!"

"I worked with him," I said, "we teamed up against Dr. X."

"He's the one who can't be trusted," says Action Man, "he's making his weather machine because he wants me dead!"

"Don't listen to his lies!"

"Then tell me," I said, "why did you begin working on this project?"

Storm was hesitant, but then some Army Ants showed up.

"I'm afraid you all will be too busy," says Storm, who then goes back inside.

"We better take these guys down," I said.

"I'm going after Storm," says Action Man.

Action Man's POV:

I raced through the halls, looking for the lab until I found it.

"Storm!"

"Hello Action Man," he said.

"Listen, we can talk about this..."

"Talk? You arrested the only woman I have ever loved!"

"Mercy Gale is not worth it..."

"Silence! Now I have the power to..."

Then Miko showed up and blasted the machine.

"Take that... wait, was all this because he had a crush on Dr. X?"

As the machine went crazy, Storm had his hands on it, and he started to get electrocuted.

Duke's POV:

We took down the Army Ants, but then the house exploded, and Storm came out, surrounded by electricity. Miko and Action Man were alright.

"The good news is, I destroyed the machine," says Miko, "the bad news is, that!"

"Tremble before the new God! I am Tempest!"

"Yeah, that's a problem," I said, "okay team, we have to take him down. What is this about, anyway?"

"Turns out, he has a crush on Dr. X," says Miko.

"He wants revenge on me because we put her away," says Action Man.

"Now it makes sense. Okay, Unit: E, let's play rough!"

Twilight used her magic, Brightmore summoned Ra-Vu, Raf used his Maximal powers, and the rest of us used our NERF blasters.

"Fools, can't you see I am invincible!"

"Dr. Robertson, any ideas," I asked.

"We need a way to contain him."

"We could use the space bridge to trick him into going into space," says Miko.

"Sounds too inhumane," I said. I then looked. Wait, what if we can get him to beat himself?"

"Behold! I can make it rain! Snow! Hail! I can create a storm! I can..."

"Dr. X will never be into you," shouts Miko, causing Tempest to follow us.

"We just need a way to reflect his attacks back at him," I said.

"There is a creature that can do that," says Brightmore.

When it seems like Tempest has us cornered...

"Any last words?"

"I have some," says Brightmore, "Soul Reflection!"

"I was thinking something like 'no, please don't hurt us, oh master of the World,' but whatever."

Tempest fired a lightning blast, but Soul Reflection showed up and reflected it back at him, knocking him out.

. . .

Tempest was then being taken in.

"Good work, guys," says Director Flag.

"Thank you, sir." I looked at Tempest and the truth is, he's not that different from me. I still say we should take Evox down, but I'm not gonna turn into Tempest.

In the next chapter, the team will be helping a talking dumptruck get back to his world.