Escape from Kreludor: Part Five

8:27 AM NST

Kreludor

She saw him.

     The electric Ixi looked through the vent in the side of the tunnel. She recognized the quadrant immediately. This was where Agent Trinity went down. It was also where Sloth had his private meetings.

     Sadie leaned forward, listening and watching. Sloth was storming around the table, like he had done before. Commander Gormos stood there, stiff and tall. Good agent, he was doing a good job of fooling that cabbage-headed jerk. She half expected to see Dr. Frank Sloth slam a newspaper on the table, but he just smiled.

     "My plan is genius, wonderful, perfect! The concert kidnapping…oh! Perfection. More mutants for my little army, hehe! This will teach that Neopets Team who they're dealing with. Nobody cancels my plot!" and in a sudden fit of rage, he brought his fist down on the table. Then he calmed down, and laughed softly.

     "Hehehe…this will be my greatest plan. And I don't need foolish to help me out. The Space Faerie isn't even here to protect those stupid little munchkins. I think we're about ready, Gormos. Let's go the control room, I want to watch them all get zapped. Make sure that Skeith Quadron is there, he knows how to fix the outcome of the Ray. Come along Commander, we're about to have fun." With an evil grin, Sloth left the room, the Kougra trailing in his wake. Sadie quickly looked around, before following them through the ventilation systems.

Main Control

8:29 AM NST

Kreludor

Zinc watched as the Skeith talked to himself while he fiddled with the buttons. The Pirate Shoyru tried to see what was out the window, but it was still just a bulky shape.

     "Hmm…who are the victims today? Ah, those stupid Neopets from the Twisted Roses Concert in Neopia Central? Hmm…he wants all mutants. No sludge. Pity, it's always quite funny when they're squirming under the big ray one minute, and then turned into a pile of sludge the next! Hehe, just funny to think about it."

     Click. Click. Click.

     Zinc's head whipped around as he heard the noise. There was something else coming down the ventilation. He crouched down, backing away from the vent so the light wouldn't fall on him. He grabbed his radio and looked at it. There was a round, red button labeled "HELP". He pressed it.

     He suddenly heard a beeping noise and a quiet, computerized voice saying:

     "Radio User 3 needs help. Is located…3 feet ahead." What?

     Out of the shadows, Sadie appeared. She was staring at her radio as well. She looked around, but she still couldn't see Zinc who was hiding.

     "Zinc…Zinc!" she hissed. "Get out here, you're Radio User 3. What are you looking at?" Zinc came out of hiding and showed Sadie the vent. As they looked, Sloth and Gormos entered the room. The Skeith Quadron looked up and smiled, a horrible smile.

     "Ah, sirs, it's so nice to see you again. We're just about to send them through the Ray, sir. I've got them all on mutants, no faeries or anything today, sir," Quadron said. Sloth stepped forward and glared at the Skeith.

     "Tell me why, again, that I had a faerie Peophin appear under my lab Ray," Sloth said with an evil tone. The Skeith thought a moment before smiling sickly.

     "That incompetent mutant Grundo, Gragon, wanted a try in the controls sir. Since he was a mutant, I obeyed him because it is right, you always say to obey mutants, sir. He messed it up, just like messed up retrieving the Lupe and Ruki for you sir. I think he should have a chance under the Ray, I've got the sludge button ready, sir," he replied. Zinc sucked in his breath. The liar. He just wanted to get back at the Grundo for their fight a few minutes ago. Sloth smiled back and stepped forward to the window, and motioned Commander Gormos to get closer.

     "This is a sight to see Gormos, please watch and observe."

     Sadie and Zinc watched in disbelief as the light for the window as turned on and they saw the lab ray. It was pointed at a nervous Kacheek, shifting around, staring at the huge Ray pointed at him with frightened eyes. He held his hands above his head, as if he was going to try and protect himself. Zinc squinted, the Kacheek looked familiar. As the Ray was repositioning, Zinc realized where he knew him from. He was the Kacheek who had stopped Zinc from speaking. If it wasn't for that Kacheek, some Neopets could be saved right now.

     The Pirate Shoyru started fiddling with the vent, he had to get it open and stop them. He clawed at it and stuck his fingers in the lock, trying to get it open. He turned to Sadie who looked just as helpless. Sadie turned away as there was a loud buzzing sound. Zinc stared as the red beam got bigger and bigger…and suddenly, the yellow Kacheek wasn't standing any more. A grotesque mutant stood in its place, and it got off the podium with a sick, evil grin. There was a whimpering noise and Zinc turned to look. Sadie was huddled in a ball, rocking back and forth silently in the tunnel. She wouldn't look at Zinc, she just stared at the metal flooring of the ventilation.

     "Sadie…what's wrong?" Zinc asked, turning away from the vent as a scared Techo was being led up to the podium by a Mutant Grundo. Sadie didn't look to the Shoyru as she whispered,

     "He did that…he did that to her. I was here, right here in this ventilation. She was brought up to the podium, and then that Sloth reached down and pressed the button. And she was gone, just like that. My sweet little Aisha sister…gone…gone just like that. She started snarling and they took her away. He did that…he did it…and he's doing it again. It's hopeless. I can't watch. After all these years and I haven't done anything more to stopping it. I can't stop it…I can't. There's no way…no way to get rid of him. Beat him as much as you like but he's always back for more with his ray…to hurt someone else's loved one."

     Zinc could only watch as Sadie squeezed her eyes shut, and a single tear trickled out unto the metal. Zinc wanted to do something, but he could think of nothing. He turned back to the vent. He had to get in there. To do something. He pushed with all his might…the vent didn't budge. He pulled it back towards him, but the vent stayed firm. Maybe Crash would be able to help out.

     The Pirate Shoyru pulled the radio out and tried pressing the button "RADIO USER 2". When Sadie's radio didn't ring, he was sure he had gotten a hold of Crash. He pressed the "TALK" button and held it down while speaking quietly,

     "Crash. This is Zinc. I need your help getting this vent open. We're at the control room vent. I'll press the help signal so you can find your way here, over."

     Zinc waited.

Main Control

8:34 AM NST

Kreludor

"Crash, this is Zinc. At control room with Sadie, sending help signal again. Over."

     Silence.

     "Crash, this is Zinc. At control room with Sadie, sending help signal again. Over."

     Silence.

     Zinc put his head in his hand. So Crash was…he couldn't bring himself to think it. Thirty minutes ago he was with the Kougra, and now he was gone. He threw the radio as far as he could down the tunnel, he didn't hear it hit the metal tunnel, it went so far. What was the use of coming here? It was dumb, they couldn't rescue those Neopets…they couldn't stop Sloth…and they had lost somebody for nothing.

     Zinc sighed, and leaned back against the wall of the tunnel. Sadie was watching now, with a grim expression. He didn't want to watch now, didn't want to see his Gelert brother take the podium. Didn't want to see Prozzie's littler sister go on the podium. Didn't want to see that Zafara who had been behind him on the stage go on the podium.

     BANG! CRASH! BANG! ZING!

     Zinc sat straight up, what was that? He looked around wildly and saw Sadie's face glued to the vent. She was staring open-mouthed at the room.

     "What was that Sadie?" When she didn't answer, Zinc moved forward and gasped. There was a red Kougra running around the room like mad, attacking the Skeith and scarring up his face with claws. The Kougra was pressing every button he could. Zinc caught a glimpse of the Kougra's face.

     Crash was back.

* * *

     "Give me that," Zinc instructed, but he had already taken the small bag of gadgets that Sadie had. He pounded against the vent with them, which fell out in just a few seconds. He pulled Sadie on his back and he flew down, it'd be painful to just jump. He dropped Sadie off on Sloth's head and she rapidly started attacking him. Sadie covered Sloth's eyes with her hooves and pounding him. The Skeith was screaming as he made a run through it. Gormos pulled out a laser gun…no more Quadron the Skeith. As Zinc tried to break open the window to get to the Lab Ray, Commander Gormos began to sneak away. Right before he left the room, he reached out…and pressed a large red button.

     There was a deflating noise and the beam froze in its spot. An Elephante sighed with relief, and his knees buckled. There was cheering as Zinc burst through the window. He saw the two Neopets who had been turned into mutants just now. There was still time to change them back.

     There was a loud crash behind him. Zinc turned around quickly. Crash had been slammed against the wall, and he was slumped, with his head hanging down on his chest. Sadie was crushed by a huge, metal box…and Sloth was dodging out of the room.

      * * *

SS Quadrant 835

2:45 PM NST

Virtupets Space Station

     They were around the table again, all five of them. But this time, panic wasn't rushing through their veins, and they weren't working hard on a code or a message. They weren't rushing. They were just…talking.

     Prozzie, the Red Nimmo, was in avid conversation with Zippy, the Ruki as they were talking about their favorite band, Chomby and the Fungus Balls who were playing in Neopia Central for a "Welcome Back Appearance" for the Neopets that were kidnapped.

     Lucifer, the Bori in charge of the Resistance, was talking to somebody on Neopia, on Mystery Island to be exact. He was using the monitor, so he could see and talk with his correspondent. It sounded like he was scheduling a vacation.

     High Agent Sadie of the Resistance was talking to Junior Agent Zinc of the Resistance. It was an interesting conversation. They were talking about their next mission together; they were going to Maraqua to see how everything was going down there.

     Agent Crash Teeth of the Resistance entered the quadrant and was greeted happily. He sat down to talk with his buddies, Sadie and Zinc. His head turned out to be okay, just a slight concussion. Sadie turned out to be okay too, the metal box wasn't heavy at all, and only a rib or two had been broken. The conversation changed from Maraqua to Sloth.

     "That no-account-good-for-nothing-scum-of-Neopia! He got away before I could punch him head on! And then he bluffed by pretending he was so strong and threw that box at me."

     "He still got away Sadie!"

     "Shut up Crash, stop teasing me."

     "Yeah Crash, stop teasing her. It's not very nice for an Agent of such high ranking!"

     "Hahahahahaha! That was a good imitation Zinc."

     "I don't sound like that!"

     "Wannna bet?"

     "Not really."

     "So where's the Ray now?"

     "In it's secret place, Junior Agent Zinc. Don't even try and get me tell you the real location."

     "Fine, I won't. I was never told, but were there any more Neopets captured, Crash? Besides the ones at the concert, I mean."

     "Yeah. From all over."

     "Break it up, you three, Jerdana and Tornado have been waiting in the rocket for more than an hour now."

     "Do we have to go now, Lucifer?"

Resistance Loading Dock 2

3:05 PM NST

Virtupets Space Station

     Junior Agent Zinc sat down next to his little Gelert brother Tornado, who was busy trying to touch every button, but his seat belt was holding him back.

     Behind them, Prozzie and his little Aisha sister Jerdana were buckling in and shutting their doors.

     Tornado could just reach his door, and he slammed it shut with a loud bang! with an approving smile. Zinc reached out to close his door when someone stopped him. Zinc looked up and smiled. Lucifer, Crash, and Sadie were all standing there. Crash saluted the Pirate Shoyru while saying,

     "See you later man." He moved back and Lucifer stepped forward.

     "Come back in two weeks Zinc, or I'm giving your mission to Rexi. Have fun back at Neopia Central, Zinc. Good-bye Prozzie, nice meeting you." He stepped back and left with Crash to go work the controls for the dock, so they'd be able to get the rocket out. That left Sadie. She stepped closer so she could see the passengers of the ship better and smiled. Before she could speak, Zinc said quietly,

     "I'm sorry about your sister, Sadie. I can't imagine how you can live, after your sister being…" Sadie smiled a sad, knowing smile and replied,

     "It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair. But now I'm somewhere where I can help others, and protect others. This is the place I want to be, and I've learned to deal with it. Thanks, Zinc." She stuck out her hand. Zinc reached out and shook it. She stepped back and said,

     "I'll see you in a little while, Agent." Zinc smile as well, and waved before pulling his door shut. He watched his new found friend step a few paces back. As the engine started revving up, he shouted on impulse,

     "Bye Sadie!" He turned to the large window in front of him as he pulled back the levers and took a hold of the steering wheel. And then, he was off into space, heading towards Neopia Central.

      * * *

Central Square

9:05 PM NST

Neopia Central

     "Thanks for coming on out, folks! We're here to welcome back those who were unfortunate and were kidnapped by Dr. Sloth. The Twisted Roses were feelin' a little down, so we volunteered. C'mon, let's hear some noise! One two three…make some noise Fungi!" Chomby and the Fungus Balls began playing their music. There was a loud cheer as they played their music, and the crowd was happy. They weren't afraid, they felt safe. The Neopian Security Force had doubled and they were all protecting the edges of the crowd.

     Zinc looked around. He saw Neopets who felt better, who were still a little nervous about being kidnapped again, but they were okay. They danced and talked to each other, knowing they were fine now. They truly knew how evil Sloth was, but they were determined not to let him get a hold of them again.

     Zinc saw Prozzie and Zippy in the very front of the crowd, carrying every Chomby and the Fungus Balls item every time that had ever been made. Someone tapped him on his shoulder and he turned around to see the Kacheek.

     "Hi!" he shouted above the noise. Zinc nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you! I feel really bad! Thanks for saving us though, up on Kreludor! I'm really thankful, thanks so much sir!" Zinc smiled.

     "No problem! Just glad you're okay!" he replied with a shout. The Kacheek smiled as well, and he melted into the crowd. Zinc turned back towards the stage, but kept his eye on Tornado who was running through the crowd trying to annoy everybody. Suddenly, the lights flickered. And the lights went off. The music stopped. And the crowd stopped cheering. It was deathly quiet. Zinc's heart began to race. For a moment, the lights stayed off. When the spotlight lit up the area on stage, the band was still there.

The End