Sonny woke up in a startle by cold water being poured over him.
He sputtered, trying to get off the chair he sat on, but found it impossible.
His arms were strapped to the chair, as were his legs, and another one was around his chest.
Sonny looked around in the dimly lit room.
This wasn't Bleylock's office.
At least the data was transferred before he passed out.
Sonny would hit himself if he could. Did he overlook something obvious?
Could it be Bleylock?
Sonny wasn't sure.
Sonny's trail of thought was interrupted, when someone grabbed the back of his neck.
"I knew you'd be back sooner or later, I'son " An all too familiar voice sounded.
" Bleylock." He whispered, as familiar eyes looked into his.
"You remember me. So they haven't wiped your mind. You just stole a lot of data from us. Well, not to worry. Technoid, as you know, makes life easier. We'll just wipe those pesky memories again, and you'll be ours once more." Bleylock said, sounding triumphant.
Sonny wanted to kick himself for being so reckless.
He had to get out of this.
Bleylock pulled up a chair and sat down in front of him.
"We have a LOT to discuss."
Once it was clear Sonny was missing in action, a huge debate started.
Some of the Pirates loudly wondered if he bailed on their organization all together, being their Captain too much to bear.
It wouldn't be the first time.
Corso didn't buy it.
"He would've told us. He doesn't just run like that." Corso explained, as he tried to calm the Pirates down.
Bennett looked at them.
"We're this close to a Technoid base, and he wanted stay onboard but not be in the front lines? I think I know what's up." He said.
Corso nodded.
"Considering his past he probably figured he could get something out of it and do us a favor." Corso said.
One of the Pirates disagreed.
"Do you really think he was that stupid? What would he even find there?" They asked.
Corso sighed, rubbing his eye.
"I don't know. He never told me." Corso said, before it hit him.
"In Shiloh's name Sonny, please tell me you weren't that stupid…" He whispered.
Bennett put a hand on his shoulder.
"We should enable his tracker. And, maybe… take into account he might've just been Technoid all along." Bennett suggested carefully.
Corso became furious.
"You have no idea what you're talking about. He'd never do that. Not after what Bleylock did to him. He's probably captured trying to do something stupid on his own." Corso said.
Bennett backed away a bit.
"Whatever the case, we need help with this. We don't know the compound like Sonny does." He said.
Corso took a deep breath, calming himself.
"Call the hotel and Don and get Ken Shudder and Ben Anders on the line, we need to find Sonny and get him out, before this becomes a body retrieval."
Sonny stared hatefully at Bleylock as he secured the handcuffs to the wall.
This room was in the lower levels and could get into sub zero temperatures if the heating wasn't on.
"I'll come back once you've cooled off. And don't think anyone's going to save you. These areas aren't on any map." Bleylock said with a silky soft voice.
Sonny kept quiet, trying to find a way to free himself.
Bleylock didn't search him, so he had that advantage.
He just had to remember what Corso taught him.
He wished Corso was here. But thanks to his own mistakes, he was alone.
He just had to remember Corso's words, as the door slammed shut behind Bleylock.
He wasn't beaten yet, and Bleylock wouldn't stop him.
Sonny started to try and get out of his binds.
Ken Shudder was shocked when Corso and Bennett told him what happened.
"Surely he could get that information more safely?" He asked.
Corso sighed.
"Doesn't matter. He needs help." He said.
Ken agreed.
"I'm not going back there. But maybe we can help from a distance? So he at least doesn't leave any evidence." Ken suggested.
Corso didn't like his phrasing.
"Don't act like he's already dead." Corso stated.
Ken nodded.
"They might keep him alive. I don't know if he told you, but he was one of the best scientists at Technoid. Last we saw him, he worked on something top secret with his lab partner, Labnor. Bleylock was around too. Obsessed, that guy." Ken explained.
Corso nodded.
He knew that better than Ken.
But he needed to know more.
"This guy, Labnor, a friend of Sonny? " He asked.
Bennett couldn't help but notice a tinge of jealousy.
Ken chuckled.
"Relax, Labnor is significantly older than Sonny. Besides, he was married. Not sure what happened to her. Or their kid. Wouldn't be surprised if Bleylock made them disappear." Ken explained.
Again, Corso nodded.
A picture started to build.
Was this the reason Sonny fled and joined the Pirates?
Corso pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as Ken and his friends started drawing up a map.
Right now, Sonny needed him, and he would get him back alive.
Finally, his struggling paid off.
His hands were sore and sweaty from the work.
He rubbed his hands, trying to keep them warm and dry.
He needed to get out of here before he froze to death.
Maybe…
Sonny checked a few boxes, and a smile flashed across his face as he found what he had hoped for.
It wasn't much, but these chemicals were all he needed to escape.
Sonny took out a small set of test tubes to do the mixing.
It didn't take him long to make a small explosive.
Still, he couldn't just blow up the door. That would surely raise the alarm.
Sonny rigged two tubes, on either side of the panel that closed the ventilation duct and ducked behind one of the bigger crates as they exploded.
Looking, he could see an opening in the vent now.
"Sorry Bleylock, but I'm going to have to reject your offer." He said, making his way into the duct.
Duke Maddox arrived at the Technoid base late, after his many business meetings were finally done.
Traveling the galaxy, signing new contracts for delivering droids and other goods took up most of his time now. His only real hobby was watching his pride and joy, the Technodroids, play soccer.
Well, maybe joy. Pride, not so much.
His team lost to everyone, even those Pirates.
They didn't even have a Flux.
But they were good at dribbling, he would give them that.
He sat down at his desk in his office.
He just hoped Bleylock kept out of trouble.
He returned as soon as he was notified about the Pirates' raid.
His doctor was also with him, the stress of his work was starting to affect him physically.
The doctor tried to mostly stay out of his way.
Duke Maddox got himself a meal delivered, while he read through the report of the latest incident.
As he read, he cursed Magnus Blade, but also Bleylock, for being unable to defend his convoys.
Now that they had one of Technoid's best scientists, their raids were even more accurate than ever.
Duke Maddox grumbled as he kept reading, not hearing the noises that came from the vents.
Corso studied the plans of the compound carefully, before going for a four person crew.
Bennett decided to stay onboard, in case Sonny made it back on his own.
Corso carefully chose the three people that would accompany him.
All of them were agile.
They would be scaling ventilation ducts after all.
Corso selected a ship that would hold them and Sonny, once they've found him.
Once they had packed their gear, Corso engaged the stealth shield, as the rescue team headed towards the Technoid base. He just hoped they weren't too late.
The cold had numbed his fingers, as he climbed the vents.
These weren't meant for people.
At least there were no cameras.
He just wanted to get out and away from Bleylock.
He wondered how many more people Bleylock left for dead.
Bleylock killed before. And Duke Maddox was none the wiser.
This angered him, as he kept going forward.
So many lives lost. And nobody cared.
Duke Maddox would know about it soon, if he could help it.
Sonny decided, before he left the compound, he would make sure Duke Maddox knew what Bleylock did.
Corso and his team finally reached the Technoid base.
Before they left the pod, they activated their jammers.
As soon as everything was set, they made their way to Bleylock's office.
The route took them through the labs and Corso hoped Sonny wouldn't be having some bad memories.
They were gonna have a long talk when they got him home.
Right now, they needed to find him.
And with Bleylock involved, they needed to hurry.
Corso had a small tracker with him that homed in on Sonny's location.
Corso blinked for a second when he noticed Sonny was moving.
At least he managed to get out.
But he could still be followed.
Corso silently motioned the others to get into the vents.
Sonny made some headway in the vents, but he was also feeling the effects of the cold.
His movements became sluggish and painful.
If they were going to pursue him, he'd be at a disadvantage.
He could hear robots coming, but humans were quieter.
Some hot air hit him, and Sonny decided to follow it.
He'd get warm, get to his pod and leave.
He could look over all his gathered information once he got back to The Black Manta.
After getting yelled at by Corso of course.
There was no way Corso would not know that he was gone by now, and wouldn't be livid.
It would take a while to earn the trust he built up back.
He knew more about Corso now. The man wouldn't be able to handle another loss.
No wonder he was so closed off.
He shook his head. Not now.
Sonny could see he would have to climb up now, that was going to be a chore.
If he wanted to get out, though.
Sonny braced himself, as he started to climb the ladder.
Duke Maddox was going through the report of the last Pirate raid.
They were getting brazen.
Pirates were unpredictable, and with one of theirs, they now knew Technoid trade routes.
He would have to change the routes to cut his losses. That was going to be costly.
He looked up as he heard noises from the vents.
Something inside of it broke again.
That was gonna be costly.
However, it soon made another sound.
The protective railing in front of the vent fell out right in front of his desk, and soon, a person.
Duke Maddox took a shocked step back.
He recognized that face, Sonny Blackbones.
The man looked exhausted.
Duke Maddox didn't quite know how to react.
Should he call security?
Slowly, he approached the other man.
Sonny looked injured. And cold.
Did he come from the lower levels? How did he even get there?
Then he remembered Bleylock, that snake, was also on this base.
The man was keeping things from him again. And Sonny was going to tell what.
"Can I get some security?!" Maddox called out.
Soon, some guards entered.
"Get him talking." Maddox said. "I have many questions."
"No need for violence." Sonny softly said. "You need to know this."
Corso followed the signal from Sonny's tracker.
He wasn't at the cells, like he figured he'd be.
In Duke Maddox' office, of all places.
What in the galaxy was Sonny doing there?
Paranoia set in. Was Sonny still working for Technoid?
That didn't sit right with him.
Sonny wasn't like that. He couldn't be like that.
He rushed through the hallways, until he was at the door.
He could hear Sonny's voice from the other side.
Corso signaled his group that they were going in.
After that Corso kicked the door open.
Once he was outside, Sonny stood up from where he was sitting and held up a hand.
"Easy Corso. No danger." He said in Ancient Shiloh.
Corso kept his gun aimed at Duke Maddox, Technoid Security Guards training their guns on Corso.
Duke Maddox rubbed his beard.
"You've given me a lot to think about, Blackbones. So I'll let you go this time, don't think this is a mercy that will repeat." He said.
Sonny nodded slowly.
"We'll keep in touch." He said.
Duke Maddox nodded.
"Keep your head on around Bleylock." He said.
Sonny nodded as he walked away with his people, Corso keeping his gun level until they were out of the room and really, out of the building and back on the Black Manta.
The fool!
The Pirates were in his office and he just let them walk out!
Whatever Maddox told Sonny, it wasn't good.
At least they didn't have concrete evidence; he made sure of that.
Still, this could become a problem.
Bleylock would have to find a way to get rid of Sonny before things escalated.