Episode 10:
Self-Control
Mileena strode Xaviax's chamber in a mood both amused and annoyed. The other two were in deep conversation with their master, no doubt discussing their next hair-brained and doomed-to-fail plan. But they hadn't even deigned to let her know that they'd progressed to the next stage of planning. In fact, they hadn't let Mileena know much of anything since the Dark Ranger fiasco.
And she'd had just about her fill of it.
"Planning your entry to MENSA, are we?" she sneered as the doors hissed open. Ender and ArcKnight spun around, and Xaviax barely lifted his masked face in acknowledgment of her arrival. "Sorry, am I interrupting? By all means, go on. Have you got to the part where it all falls to pieces and the Rangers use their Megazord to blow up your monster? I'd say you've got that down to a fine art by now."
"You will not take that tone in the presence of our master," ArcKnight warned. "You will show the appropriate respect or-."
"Or what, ArcKnight?" Lena scoffed. "You'll do to me what you did to the Dark Ranger? Oh, that's right. He always ends up wiping the floor with you."
"Now, now," Xaviax hushed. "Play nice. All this bickering is starting to give me a headache. Mileena, how nice of you to join us."
"Happy to be here. Sorry, I'm so late; I'd have come for the start had anyone bothered to tell me you were meeting."
"Oh!" Ender gasped, his tone brimming with insincere protestation of his innocence. "Didn't you get the message? I could have sworn I sent Cyberdrone 1387 to go find you. Or… was it 1489…?"
Lena rolled her eyes and fixed her attention on Xaviax, his cold, steel mask an readable face as she maintained her composure and lodged her protest. "Your displeasure has been noted, Master, but I can only insist that the display from these two the other day is perfect evidence of why you still need me. The Rangers managed to destroy the monster with barely any effort at all."
"My dear Mileena," Ender chuckled. "If your assessment of the other day was purely on the lifespan of ElectrEel, well… you'd be right! It was a disaster! But what you perhaps have not realized, like an audience wowed by a spectacular sleight of hand, is that there a much greater purpose at play."
"What Ender is trying to say," Xaviax interrupted, "is that things are well in hand. If we require you, then we will call for you."
"Really? And how many embarrassing defeats at the hands of the Dark Ranger will that involve?" Lena inquired, shooting a glare at ArcKnight. The armored warrior almost jumped at her, there and then, had Xaviax not raised a hand to stand him down.
"What is it you want, Mileena?"
"Make use of me, master," Lena insisted. "You insist that I maintain my position at the high school. Is that not punishment enough? Give me some Cyberdrones; perhaps then I can at least make the Rangers' lives more difficult."
Xaviax's concealed and hooded face slowly turned to Ender, who shrugged in reply to the unspoken question. Then Xaviax nodded, and the top-hatted monster maker skipped off toward his lab.
"Very well, Mileena," Xaviax decided. "You may have your Cyberdrones. Make good use of them. Show us what value you still hold."
"Thank you, my lord." Lena bowed graciously before spinning on her heels in striding to follow Ender's exit.
Oh, she'd show them all right.
She'd show them exactly what she could do.
The bell rang to signal end the of lunch, and a sea of students slowly meandered into the building like the lazy tide. The Rangers were no exception, far too appreciative of the rising autumn sun to simply leave without a long goodbye. For Miguel, it was nice to just relax. In the nearly two weeks since he'd received his Morpher, he'd wondered if the excitement would wear off. And yet, despite all the angst it had caused when he first it on, Miguel kept looking at the device on his wrist in disbelief.
He was a superhero! Him!
That didn't happen. People like him didn't just become… important.
And yet, there it was; the device that empowered him to spring into action when the need arose. And the best part was that Miguel's friends were by his side when it did. There was something different now, a changed tone about the air as they hung out. Like putting on that Morpher and standing beside them had made their friendship stronger, deeper even. Their time together had always been enjoyable, but now it felt like the time was flying past, vanishing into the ether to be consumed by the joy and laughter.
A day like this was no exception. To Miguel, it was like they'd barely sat down when the bell had called them in. He could have stayed sitting under that tree with them forever.
With Abbey…
"So, what's everyone got now?" the redhead inquired as they made their way up toward the greeting gloom of the halls.
"Trig," Erika groaned. "I swear I'm going to be happy if I never see another triangle in my life."
"Just try getting Mr. Hernandez talking," Zeke suggested, before adding with a cheeky grin. "He really likes to go off on a tangent."
"Urgh! Save it for the monsters!" Erika stuck out her tongue and pretended to gag, giving Zeke a light and playful shove. Their Red Ranger bid them farewell at the stairs as the other three continued, with Zeke soon stopping before the hall that to his Physics class.
"It's on the way to Modern Lit," he said to Abbey, "I'll walk with you."
The boy's intentions were plain as day, and Miguel couldn't help but take a step back. Since joining the team, he and Zeke had seemed to reach some sort of uneasy, unspoken truce. Zeke could stop letting his resentments get in the way, and Miguel would stop putting himself between the boy and Abbey. Not that it was exactly easy when Zeke was blind to the Abbey's obvious signals about their friendship and any likelihood of it changing.
But Miguel had to admit, he wasn't exactly in a position to push back on Zeke's delusions. He was lucky that any of them were even still talking to him after he'd let Lena crawl into his head and give him the Dark Morpher. After he'd…
Miguel pushed the memory back, dismissing it just as Abbey did the same to Zeke's offer.
"That's okay," she replied with all the sweetness of her trademark charming smile. "I need to swing past the library on the way."
Zeke did little to hide his disappointment, slouching into a sulk as he nonetheless accepted her reply and turned toward the gradually emptying corridor. Now that it was just the two of them, Abbey turned back to Miguel, her lips parting to a warming smile looking up at him with a pair of alluring green eyes.
"So where are you heading off to?"
Man did he wish he could say Modern Lit, and for a moment it felt like she was inviting him to. Or maybe… she could tell him about it after? He could just walk beside her, listen to the enrapturing sound of her excitedly explaining the intricate dynamics of Lizzie and Darcy's "will they, won't they", and he could pretend that he understood what she saying.
That she wasn't way out of his league.
That he was in any way deserving of her affection.
He'd put her through enough, and if he waited any longer, he was going to make her late for class as well.
"I've actually got Global Studies across the quad," said Miguel, taking a step back as his heart sunk and glared at him from within. "I should probably get going."
He didn't have to be a mind-reader to detect Abbey's disappointment, kicking himself as he watched her reply with a soft, consenting nod.
"Okay…" she replied. "I guess, I'll… see you later then?"
"Yeah," Miguel nodded. "I'll see you around."
Way to go, Miguel. A beautiful girl seems to actually like you, and you're just walking away.
With no excuses left, Abbey slowly turned back to the hall and walked along in Zeke's shadow, vanishing into the crowd moments later. It was for the best. Miguel had already nearly screwed things up beyond repair, and he was definitely making things awkward between her and her life-long best friend. Even if Zeke's expectations were far from realistic, Miguel didn't need to be butting his nose in and making things worse. Resecuring the backpack slung over his shoulder, Miguel resumed his solemn journey across the school, the solitary walk across the quad to the east wing classroom.
Was he being too cautious? Too careful?
Maybe he was just counting his blessings. He'd already been so lucky that there hadn't been any major repercussions with his foster family. His return had been nothing but grateful hugs after he'd fallen into Xaviax's clutches and done a runner on his escape.
He still owed Ray for that, the way he'd taken him home, assured Miguel's family that things were on the up and there was no cause for concern. One more debt that Miguel had no idea how he'd ever repay. The fact that the team had taken him into the fold with open arms, more or less, was a miracle. No, he wasn't going to screw that up, not by blowing it with Abbey.
She deserved better than that. They all did.
Miguel had barely reached the end of the quad when something caught his eye, the sharp flicker of movement from someone sneakily hurrying. It was instinct that told him to stop, a cautious anxiety that spun Miguel around to stare at the retreating figure. His eyes only narrowed as he saw who it was.
Lena.
The source of all his problems. How simple would his life be if she hadn't appeared the same day that he'd arrived at Lakeview High? If she hadn't leeched her way into the group like a parasite looking to infest.
No mind control.
No weirdness between him and Abbey.
Her back was turned, shooting nervous glances over her shoulder as Miguel quickly slunk behind a pillar to hide from discovery. From the safety of cover, he peered around to watch Lena vanish into an empty hall.
Wherever she was going, it clearly wasn't class.
All right, Lena, Miguel decided as he picked up his pace and followed. Let's see what you're up to…
"You know," Ray admitted as he climbed out of the car. "When you suggested that I take the day off to go for a drive, I think I expected something else."
"What are you talking about, what's not to love?" Hilary replied. "A day without work, see new parts of town…" She stopped, starting at the chain-link fence that stood between them and the large, ominous entrance to the concrete tunnel. "Explore a creepy abandoned maintenance tunnel that's probably crawling with killer robots…"
"You always find the nicest places to take me." Chuckling, Ray reached into the car and pulled the backpacks from the backseat before wandering over to join his wife. "So, do you think this is it?"
The mouth of the tunnel loomed just ahead. It stood alone, rising from the earth like an island in the middle of a barren, concrete sea. Its entrance was a gaping maw that stretched to reveal nothing but darkness that called them from within.
It was far from the most inviting way to spend his day off, but for all his nerves, Ray was glad Hilary had suggested it. The idea had come to her just after the city's local enigmatic billionaire had dropped by the office. Hilary had dived into the city records and soon discovered the gradual decay of infrastructure across decades of the settlement's history. Every night, as the two would sit down for dinner, she'd excitedly fill him in on her latest discoveries.
Eventually, it was her assistant, Jessica, who uncovered their biggest find.
Built during the prohibition and used as a network hub for the surrounding communities, Lakeview had a stretching maze of tunnels built beneath the city. Most were then converted the maintenance shafts following their official discovery, and others to bomb shelters during the early years of the Cold War. Hilary was amazed to learn that during a citywide upgrade of the power grid during the 1960s, the tunnels were then utilized as an existing framework to connect the city's electricity supply. In Hilary's mind, this made the gradual neglect since the eighties all the more appalling.
"From what I could tell, this tunnel's one of the clearest access points," Hilary explained. "Most of it has already been decommissioned but hasn't been sealed or blocked off yet. So, the tunnels are free to traverse, but we shouldn't run into any city officials who are wondering what we're doing."
That was good at least, certainly considering everything else they could run into down there. But Ray couldn't help but feel a growing weight in his stomach as he stared at the void before him, while Hilary reached for the lock as her hand turned to steel. With a soft tug, the padlock came apart, and the gates creaked open as if pushed by a stray, wandering draft.
"Shall we?"
Flicking on the flashlights, the two descended into the tunnel, a wall of cool, still air hitting their faces after only a few steps. It was barely more than a discomfort but enough to send shivers down their spines. Steeling themselves, they continued nonetheless, and soon the welcome retreat of daylight faded behind them as they walked, side by side, through the darkness.
"See anything that looks familiar?" Hilary asked as she stared around the walls.
"I mean, they were definitely some concrete tunnels," Ray admitted. "But all these walls look the same. If our friends are really hiding out in one of these, then your guess is as good as mine."
It was only then that Ray started to truly realize how vulnerable they were. With just the two of them wandering in the dark, their source of vision doubled as a beacon for anything lurking with untoward intentions. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to not tell the Rangers.
It had been their longest debate after Hilary had suggested they go looking for Xaviax's base.
"He knows where we are," she reasoned. "We may as well return the favor."
Easier said than done. Xaviax could teleport Cyberdrones anywhere outside the firewall with the click of his fingers, whereas Ray and Hilary were much more vulnerable. The second Hilary had suggested it, Ray had refused to let his wife poke around the tunnels on her own, reasoning that his time in Xaviax's captivity could help identify and narrow down the suspected area.
What to tell the others was another matter.
Ideally, having the Rangers ready for backup was the best idea, people to bail them out if they ran into more trouble than they could deal with. But that led to another issue: when would be the best time to investigate, and when the Rangers would be prepared to go. Both Ray and Hilary quickly realized that once they shared their suspicion of Xaviax's hideout with the team, they would more than likely run off and investigate all on their own. For Ray and Hilary could hardly blame them either. It's exactly what they would have done.
But while preventing the Rangers from recklessly endangering themselves was certainly ideal, Ray had to admit now that backup would likely have been wise.
"This feels a little like old times," Hilary pointed out. "You know: you and me, sneaking around an abandoned city facility."
"You're right," Ray chuckled. "Now all we need is Ben to suggest directions for you to ignore, and maybe we'll find some stolen technology."
Hilary playfully poked out her tongue, rolling her eyes at her husband's teasing. "It was his directions that were wrong," she insisted, still adamant even after all these years. "It was his wrong turn that started this whole mess."
After all these years, it was still amazing to think just how different their lives would have been had it not.
"If you really want to make it like old times," Ray suggested. "I could awkwardly flirt with you a little."
"And then have me not even notice while I do the same to you?" Hilary giggled. "hang on, now? Are you flirting with me right now?"
"I guess that depends. Are you?"
"God, we were so hopeless!"
"I know right? Although to be honest, now that I work all day, in a building with a bunch of hormonal teenagers, I'm in no hurry to relive my glory days."
Ray just hoped that a reminiscence on their oblivious early relationship was the only "old times" that they met down there.
He moved his torchlight off the wall, watching as it vanished into the distant pull of the shadows ahead. "It really does just keep going, doesn't it? Just how far do these things stretch?"
"There's a whole maze of them," Hilary replied. "I have to admit, as far as hiding places go, it's a pretty good one."
"You can leave it as a Yelp review," Ray decided. And then he stopped, something small on the ground catching his eye as shone the torch in its direction. "Ah, Hil? How long ago did you say these tunnels were abandoned?"
"About two years ago, why?"
Ray knelt to peer at the footprint embedded in the dirt. "Because these prints look a lot more recent."
He wasn't sure whether to be happy or alarmed. With a single, silent look, they agreed to keep going, now stepping closer together in the only comfort they could find. And with every step, Ray's instincts only screamed louder and louder the same warning he'd ignored outside.
That this was a really bad idea.
At last, they saw an opening ahead, a parting in the passage that appeared to widen. With a pair of deep breaths, Ray and Hilary shared a look of affirmation as both of them stepped out into the open.
It was a large, cylindrical chamber, rising high toward the surface. Various walkways and catwalks crisscross above, connecting other passages to the subterranean maze. Three other archways surrounded them, each with a metal grate suspended above by a chain and pulley.
"What is this place?" Ray gasped, spinning around to fully take in the scale of what he was seeing.
"Looks like some sort of sluice gate," Hilary realized. "They must have put it in here in case of flooding. The catwalks would let them get around even if the lower sections were washed out."
"So, if they are down here, they could be down any one of those passages?"
"Yeah," Hilary admitted, "I guess they could be. Wait… hang on."
Ray followed the beam of light as Hilary shone it against the gantries, following along the steel walkway until she reached where the railing bolted to the concrete. And then she checked the next one, gasping as she realized the difference.
"That one's new," she realized. "Look! It isn't rusted like the one above, and there's an extra set of guide holes next to the bolts. The chrome hasn't even muted with age. Someone replaced the old gantry. And recently."
So much for long abandoned. But by now, they'd gone far enough. The maze was getting too complicated, and if they were to have any hope of finding Xaviax's lair, they were going to need more information. Some better maps of the tunnels, a systematic plan for exploring them without alerting…
Just as Ray was about to voice his concern, the air filled with the humming of motorized joints and sluice gates guarding the tunnels slammed shut. A hive of green, glowing eyes blinked awake, looking down from the shadows as both Ray and Hilary growled and snapped back-to-back.
The Cyberdrones were everywhere, surrounding them.
They were trapped.
Slinking to the next wall, Miguel peered around the corner, watching Lena continue her journey to the outskirts of the school. She was approaching the rear parking lot, out the back of the campus, still acting as suspicious as ever. But as she stepped further out into the open, Lena stopped and looked back with a sinister smile. Miguel's heart seized, whipping around and pressing hard against the wall in the desperate hope she hadn't seen him. A hope that was in vain.
"You may as well come o-ut," Lena called, with a sinister sing-sing that trilled the final syllable. "Honestly, I could pick out your clomping feet out even before there were no swarming teenagers to hide you."
Cursing himself as his fists clenched tighter, Miguel slowly stepped around the corner and out toward the smirking Lena. She didn't move, staying perfectly still as Miguel walked toward her, unflinching as he tried to stare her down.
"What are you up to Lena? Looking for more friends to stab in the back?"
"Me?" she asked. "I'm just enjoying the serenity of youth, basking in the halls of knowledge that are wasted on the likes of you. And you're one to talk; I'm not the one who abandoned the very people who made me strong."
"You didn't make me strong," Miguel sneered back. "You made me a slave."
"I…" For a moment, Miguel's bitterness and anger seemed to catch Lena off-guard, a momentary slip in her façade. It lasted less than a heartbeat, or whatever she used to count without one, and just as quickly the smirking sneer returned. "Look, this catch-up has been fun, and much as I'd love to continue our stroll down memory lane, I do have a class to get to. But you… well, you might have your hands full."
Miguel lunged forward, hoping to reach her as the green flashed around her, and Lena's cackle echoed across the lot as she vanished. He stumbled through, cursing as his sneakers skidded on the asphalt, and spun around to realize he had a whole new mess of problems. Where Lena had left, the Cyberdrones had come to take her place. And unlike her, they seemed eager for conversation.
Dammit!
Idiot!
Lena had led him right into a trap and cut him off from the others. And now Miguel was surrounded, completely alone. For a moment he considered vanishing just as Lena had with the light, disappearing into a "Wisp" as he'd started calling it. But that wouldn't deal with the even more pressing problem. Of the posse of Cyberdrones who would be free to run amok inside the school.
Which left him only one option.
"If you're not here for a class," Miguel warned them. "Visitor sign-in's at the front."
The Cyberdrones were not amused, their cold expressionless faces tilting in momentary confusion before they lunged at the surrounded teen. It was the only preparatory moment he was getting.
Miguel's feet shifted back as his arms whipped up, forearms smacking away their strikes as his elbows countered back, knocking away the eager henchmen as their allies engaged. One swung high, just high enough for Miguel to take the opening and duck. A fist swiped above his head as his foot rocketed out, his sneaker planting into the chest to send the robot stumbling into its comrades.
Finally, some breathing room.
Some.
As another swung in, Miguel lashed out, grabbing the wrist and shoulder to twist the arm into a lock. Using his prisoner as leverage, Miguel leaped, the helpless Cyberdrone squirming as the boy's feet swept into a crescent that hammered into the surrounding forces. Landing on the other side, he relinquished the footman, sending it spinning as Miguel kicked its rear to send it sprawling into its fallen friends.
But before Miguel could so much as chuckle another quip, another lunged from behind, its arms whipping up beneath his arms and squeezing tight. Trapped in an iron full-nelson, Miguel wriggled with all his might, desperate to free himself before the other Cyberdrones recovered. Before one of them saw his predicament and took a shot at the opening.
But it was too late, writhing in the vice-grip, Miguel's eyes widened, heart seizing as the Cyberdrones rose before him and rushed to overwhelm their rooted foe.
Another bot hit the ground, smashed into the concrete by Ray's crashing shoulder. With the limb in swing, Ray was already moving, leaping into a spinning kick that cracked at another from behind. The goon went reeling, clattering into its comrades as Ray snapped back into a fighting stance, his defense raised as he readied for the next.
Beside him, Hilary was in full flight, cartwheeling deeper into the horde to catch them while their guard was down. Unprepared for an attack from behind, the footsoldiers scrambled to face their foe, but Hilary was long gone by the time they'd moved.
She was beneath them.
As her hands sprung her up, Hilary lowered her shoulder and rolled, leg jutting out and sweeping to trip the hapless footsoldiers. With their armored casings clanging on the ground, Hilary spun to her feet, arms raised in an X across her chest as a lone Cyberdrone tried to strike while her guard was down.
Hilary was faster. The fist had barely clashed with her forearms when she swatted it away, shooting out a hand to grab behind the head and smash the faceplate into her knee. The Cyberdrone dropped, rolling on the ground with its felled comrades as Ray took his chance and shifted beside his wife.
"When I said this felt like old times," he admitted. "This? I could have done without."
"I don't know," Hilary smirked. "You make it look like riding a bike."
"I've had practice, recently," Ray replied. "You're the one making it look easy."
But for all their light humor, both were all too aware of their precarious position. With the tunnels sealed on all sides, and the Cyberdrones descending from above, they were far too exposed and cut off for an easy escape. They may have been handling the Cyberdrones well enough, but sooner or later the alarm would get to Xaviax.
And they wanted to be long gone by the time something bigger arrived.
Looking for his options, Ray's head shot up, scanning the railing in desperate hope. Then he caught it, a mechanical ladder just out of jumping distance.
If he could just get up there…
He ducked beneath another blow, striking back with his elbow and knocking the Cyberdrone away before spinning back to Hilary. "Boost me!"
No further explanation needed, Hilary flicked back her hair as the liquid metal emerged along her skin. With newfound strength, she swung into the Cyberdrones, sending them flying before reaching out and grabbing her husband.
"Fly safe!"
Ray went soaring, flying upwards with the flick of Hilary's wrist, aiming his body for the target catwalk. The Cyberdrones above didn't know what to do, unprepared for Ray's sudden ascent and scrambling to form a defensive line.
The perfect targets.
Reaching his peak, Ray unleashed a barrage of energy, crimson beams bursting from his eyes as they lanced through the robotic chests and burst into sparks at their feet. Two managed to dive, avoiding an equal fate as their remaining comrades went flailing over the gantry and Ray's feet hit the metal. They scrambled upwards, charging him as he locked eyes on the ladder.
At this point, they were just in his way.
Ray ignored them, bolting for his target and dropping into a skid. His feet smashed into the oncoming robot, its momentum continuing to carry as Ray leaped up and kept going, ignoring the one on his tail as he reached the ladder.
With one, mighty kick, the run unfolded, sliding down its rails as it thudded on the floor.
"Come on!"
The only warning Ray could give, spinning around and engaging the final Cyberdrone as Hilary made for the ladder below.
They just didn't stop coming!
He kicked for the face, heel cracking into the faceplate to send it reeling as Ray whipped over the edge and fired another pair of beams at the robots pursuing his wife. With two more smoking androids tumbling to the ground below, Ray stretched out his hand as Hilary reached the top.
"M'Lady,"
"Always the gentlemen."
Maybe he should've reconsidered the chivalry. He'd barely helped Hilary up onto the catwalk when the Cyberdrone from earlier made it back to him, grabbing him by the shoulder and hurling him into the railing. Thrown with surprising strength, Ray was sent skidding across the gantry, his attacker already rushing to strike while he was down.
Not fast enough.
Rolling back a little, Ray curled his knees and kicked out, planting his feet into the Cyberdrone's waist to send it tumbling. Leaping up, Ray shot a look at Hilary, coming up from behind and sharing the same glint of intent.
The pair moved in synchronous motion. Ray went high while Hilary went low, both spinning into sweeping kicks that crashed into the robot from opposite sides. With the force applied to both its face and its ankles, the Cyberdrone was sent spinning, bouncing with a clank against the catwalk's railing before falling to its comrades below.
By now, the two knew better than to start celebrating. Already, the drones at the foot had recovered to begin climbing the ladder, and the gantries above were already filling with the echoes of the metal treads.
They needed to move.
"This way!" Hilary decided, motioning the passage at the end of the railing. She didn't wait for Ray's response, knowing full well that he'd follow. As Hilary took off in the dark tunnel ahead of them, Ray paused briefly at the edge, firing down a volley of blasts that he hoped would do something to hold the Cyberdrones off. Then he too raced at top speed, following his wife into the darkness.
Miguel didn't think, he acted. Sinking his weight into his knees, he threw his weight forward with all his might. Unprepared for the sudden jerk, the grasping Cyberdrone was reefed upwards, legs kicking helplessly as it was held by its own grip above Miguel.
Using the confusion to his advantage, Miguel spun, throwing the kicking legs into an oncoming Cyberdrone. Confused by the movement in front, the henchmen were knocked back as their comrade's legs wildly battered into them, sending them stumbling as Miguel kept trying and shake it off.
Another came at him, unperturbed by the tug-of-war unfolding with hostage and swinging in a punch aimed right for Miguel's face.
Thank you!
Miguel whipped around, throwing the grasping Cyberdrone into the path of the blow. The metal fist smashed into the armor, surprise slackening the grip as Miguel reached up and grabbed hold. Still spinning, he hurled to passenger on his shoulder, coming full circle to send it careening into the comrade that had struck it. The two Cyberdrones crumbled to the ground in a tangled mess, and free at last, Miguel could finally take stock of the others coming at him.
Shaking off the captor had freed his movement, but it also relinquished his shield. Miguel was still surrounded, and they were still doing all they could to pummel him.
He needed to change the field.
Seeing his window, Miguel leaped for the gap between their numbers, making for the concrete bench at the edge of the lot. The Cyberdrones gave chase immediately. Miguel launched into a flip, landing on the other side of the bench as a Cyberdrone leaped to follow.
"You looked tired," Miguel sneered. "Here, have a seat!"
His foot snapped out and planted into the Cyberdrone's stomach, overexposed having taken the high ground without a defensive plan. It soared backward, crashing into its friends on the other side as Miguel fixed his focus on the incoming. Seeing the strike swing out, he spun, kicking up dust as the Cyberdrone overextended. With a well-placed, kick, Miguel sent it crashing into the bench.
Time for a trick; he just hoped he could pull it off.
Seeing the rest of the Cyberdrones coming straight for him, Miguel launched at them dead on. He kicked out as he jumped, launching himself off the downed Cyberdrone to propel into a flying kick. The Cyberdrones saw it coming, skidding to a stop and preparing to block.
Just as he'd hoped.
Still in the air, Miguel breathed in, visualizing the space behind his enemies. The shadows flashed around him, consuming his form before vanishing completely. With a whiplike crack, the smoke burst out as Miguel Wisped to the other side, still traveling with full momentum but now completely turned around. Where the Cyberdrones were completely defenseless. His kick planted square into the back, sending them sprawling over the bench like a cluster of ten-pin skittles.
Landing firmly, Miguel snapped into a defensive stance, his guard held high as glared at the recovering Cyberdrones.
"Did that all make sense?" he asked them. "Or do I need to repeat the lesson?"
Scrambling to their feet, the Cyberdrones scampered back, formation now loose and ragtag as they regathered and turned to face Miguel. But while they were all still standing, Miguel noted they were no longer in peak condition. Some were limping, others had buckled plating as they huddled and glared back at him. Then, having shuffled to a safe distance, they vanished, retreating into the safety of an emerald flash and leaving the boy alone in the lot.
Silence fell, and for a moment Miguel remained alert, cautious of a possible trap designed to lower his guard. But as all remained still, as the quiet hung across the carpark, he quickly concluded that the drones were gone and not coming back. Miguel hunched over, breath catching up as he buckled into heavy panting, his body beginning to shake as his adrenaline crashed. He only needed a moment, but it was a moment he didn't have.
Seconds later, Miguel spun around and ran back into the school. He'd learned nothing about what Lena was scheming and had only earned a near-beating for his efforts.
And now he was late for class.
Ray and Hilary raced at top speed, every stride a desperate sprint to put greater distance between themselves and the pursuing Cyberdrones.
"Over here!"
Hilary jolted left, Ray skidding to keep up as they twisted deeper into the maze in desperate search of an exit. He sure hoped she had some idea of where they were going because, at this point, he was flying blind. But Hilary's memory was excellent, likely running a full list of turns they'd taken as she constructed a mental map of the tunnels.
"Now this way!"
Spinning only to fire off a volley of warning fire, Ray lunged after Hilary, turning down another tunnel as they reached the end. He almost ran right into her. She'd stopped dead still, wobbling as she reached a ledge and struggled to stay standing. Ray's hands snapped to her waist, supporting her realignment as he stared into the drop below.
"That's it," she told him. "That's the tunnel we first came down."
More whirring, the clanking of metal boots in hot pursuit.
"Sounds about right," Ray decided, having no idea how true that actually was. "Here goes!'
With nothing to guide him but absolute faith in his wife, Ray jumped from the ledge, dropping down into the lower tunnel as Hilary jumped to follow. Their feet hit the ground, both rolling to reduce the impact before taking off again, Hilary leading the way back out into the open.
Up ahead, Ray saw it. Sunlight!
With salvation now in reach, both took off at top speed, no longer caring for what was in pursuit and only interested in escaping the dark confines. Moments later, the duo burst back out into the open air, skidding to a stop on the barren concrete and buckling over into fits of panted breaths.
Finally able to think once again, Ray dared a look at the entrance. It was empty.
The Cyberdrones had chosen not to pursue them into the light.
"Well, at least we know they're down there," Hilary reasoned with words still heavy through her breaths.
"We do," Ray agreed. "Although, just as a thought, how about we don't do that again?"
"Good idea." Hilary's nod was firm, and yet Ray couldn't help but be skeptical of his wife's quick agreement. He had no doubt that if he hadn't expressed an unwillingness, Hilary would have almost certainly been considering a second trip. But Hilary's mind had already moved on. "I'll try and line up those tunnels with a map of the city, see if we can place where they're lurking underneath."
It was a start, but as Ray climbed back into the car, ramming into gear and reversing away from the tunnel entrance as fast as he could, he couldn't help but feel that that information would help less than they wanted. And it mixed with the dreading realization that Xaviax was likely embedded even deeper into Lakeview than they expected.
Miguel hurried as quickly as he could down the hall, rushing toward his locker to grab what he needed for class. Saying that he was late was an understatement. He'd already taken a detour walking Abbey as close to her class as he'd dared, and was cutting it even finer in his need to cut back to his locker.
Seeing Lena had thrown him right off, and now he was weighing the consequence of arriving late and unprepared instead of just simply super-late. Slamming the locker shut, Miguel tucked the books under his arms and power-walked across the scuffed laminate, making a desperate B-line for the classroom.
And then a voice halted dead in his tracks. "You there! Stop!"
The call was firm and commanding, and Miguel couldn't help but wince like they were nails on a chalkboard. Slowly turning around, Miguel clutched his objects tighter and gazed back at the face of ultimate authority. The last person he had ever hoped to run into in a time like this.
Principal Goodson was standing barely ten feet down the hall, glaring at him through an intimidating pair of thick-framed, black glasses, folding her unimpressed arms across her chest as the toe of her shiny, black heels tapped impatiently on the laminate.
How could she even sneak up on him in those?
Slowly, Miguel shuffled forward, head lowering in shame as he approached the school's master. "Yes, mam'?"
"Where are you meant to be, Sanchez?" she asked, tone curt and direct.
"Umm, Global Studies, mam'?"
"And aren't you there right now?"
"Uh…."
Great. In trouble with the principal and he couldn't even say why. What could he tell her?
Sorry, I thought one of the students, who's totally evil, was up to no good, and I tried to follow her when her robot goons jumped me?
Yeah, real believable. Because that wouldn't lead to even more questions. But Goodson had had enough, rolling her eyes as she tired of Miguel's silence, and clicked her pen to begin scribbling a note.
"Thought so," she decided, tearing off the slip and handing it to him. "This late to class without a reason means detention. I'll see you after school. Now go, before you miss any more."
Hang on…
Miguel was late, sure, but detention? This was his first offense! Surely she could cut him at least some slack for that?
His heart started beating fast, breathing growing quicker with his thoughts racing at a million miles-a-minute. Goodson had been so nice to him until now. On his first day, she'd been warm and friendly as she introduced him to Abbey. And now she was just throwing the book at him for dipping a toe out of line?
Already, Goodson was walking away, clearly satisfied with her torment as she left Miguel alone in the hall.
"That's not fair!" he replied, voice an angry cry before he even realized it was coming. "It's one time! It's not like I can't make up what I missed."
Goodson stopped, head slowly turning as her eyes narrowed. "And you will, in detention," she replied calmly. "And if I were you, I would stop talking and go to class."
"So what? Opinions get you detention now too?" Miguel demanded. "What's next? Are these sneakers the right kind? Did I stumble through the pledge this morning? Should I get you to check my books to make sure I'm reading the right ones?"
Part of Miguel's brain was screaming at him, begging him to stop, but it was like his tongue had loosened with a life of its own, unfurling his anger as it rushed out without filter. For a moment, Goodson simply stood there, jaw parting as if uncertain of what was happening. And then her posture straightened, and her face turned stony as she stepped forward and met his height.
"I don't know what's going through your brain right now," she said coldly, "but let me make something clear. I run a tight ship here at Lakeview High, and I don't bend the rules because some students gave me a bright smile. I keep it consistent, even for small things, to let the ones who want to try in the big leagues know where the line is. So yes, detention for being late to class. And now, because you apparently don't know when to walk away, it's for the week. So, stop talking, turn around, and go to class. Before you turn an already bad punishment into a suspension."
Already it was boiling within him, the urge to bark again, to fight the ridiculous punishment with all he had. But Goodson's finger snapped up between them, a warning paired with a deathly glare that shocked Miguel back to his senses. Every nerve suddenly withered inside of him, shirking back in horror as Goodson's icy glare froze his insides.
"Not. One. Word." she snarled. "Now get to class."
Miguel nodded quickly, spinning on his heels and taking off, moving as fast as he could without getting slapped with another detention for running. The journey to the classroom was a blur, an awkward stumble inside as all eyes in the class turned and stared at him at once.
Late, detention, and now Kramering his way into the room. If for some reason he was suddenly struck dead at that moment, Miguel was pretty sure he'd have welcomed it.
"Miguel, how nice of you to join us," said Mr. Hernandez with an air of disinterested disapproval. "Take a seat."
All too aware that all eyes were watching him, Miguel squeaked an apology and plunked down at the desk by the door. And as he did, he caught a look, one gaze piercing through the thicket of curiosity, looking at him directly with a snicker of sadistic glee.
Lena.