"Listen, we need to work together." Taro whispered to Chase. "We can come up with a strategy that fits us, that's what Alex was trying to say."
The very mention of Alex's comment enraged Chase.
"I'll show them. They don't know how much I kicked ass when I went to SAVE Hendrix." Chase thought as he gritted his teeth.
Chase loaded his magwell up with another magazine of rubber bullets before aiming his pistols straight towards his two enemies.
Kai grinned, seeing his opponents in disarray, while Alex pinched the bridge of her nose in disappointment.
"This… Scares me. I might not be able to trust them when it comes down to life and death." Alex thought.
Bang.
Chase began to dump his magazine, firing shot after shot in the direction of the speeding Kai.
Alex could just put her arms up, focusing Spirit into them to block the relatively low amount of Spirit in Chase's rubber bullets, but it wasn't the same for Kai.
He knew from the infiltration in D.C, him and Chase were at about the same level, when it came to Spirit levels.
Kai knew he would have to dodge the bullets, the one he got hit by earlier left an aching bruise on his thigh.
The boy weaved through the barrage of rubber bullets while charging his electric attack, gaining ground on the team of three. Before any of his opponents could react, Kai was in melee range.
Chase spun his pistol in his hand, attempting a pistol whip to the head.
Kai dodged the pistol, throwing his electric hand into Chase's abdomen.
The blue-haired boy convulsed before dropping to the ground.
Taro threw up his hands in frustration as Chase slowly got back up.
Hendrix looked at his teammates, gauging their emotional states.
"We should really-" Hendrix was interrupted by another barrage of bullets from Chase, whose expression only showed more frustration. Hendrix gripped his pink hair, trying to keep himself from yelling at his friend.
Gunshots rang through the gymnasium, a sound that Chase's teammates were beginning to dislike.
Kai sped through the bullets, getting another electric attack ready before-
Taro grabbed one of Chase's pistols, pulling it out of his palm.
"Dude, what the hell are you doing?!" Taro waved the pistol around in frustration. "You're just getting beat up for nothing! I tried to tell you-"
"What are YOU doing?!" Chase asked, reaching for his pistol back.
Taro pulled his hand out of Chase's reach. "If this was a real mission, we'd be dead by now!"
Alex watched on, taking a seat as they argued.
"Hopefully they'll be able to work it out on their own." Alex thought.
"Well, of course we'd be dead. You just took my fucking gun!" Chase reached for it again as Taro pulled even farther.
Chase gritted his teeth as he closed his fist.
Bam
Chase punched Taro in the face, his frustration taking over.
Taro and Hendrix looked at Chase with wide eyes. The whole gymnasium went silent.
"Well, there goes working it out." Alex thought as she dragged her hands down her face. "I'll still let it play out on its own."
Taro threw the pistol across the court as he closed his fist, hitting a clean blow to Chase's stomach.
The blue-haired boy gasped before jumping back.
To the surprise of everyone, Chase pointed the gun at his teammate, unloading the bullets he had left in his magazine straight at Taro.
Taro held his arms up as he channeled Spirit into them in an attempt to block the bullets, but Chase was a specialist in focusing Spirit into his manifestations. The bullets bruised the front of Taro's body from forearm to shin.
Hendrix grabbed Chase's pistol, his brow furrowed in confusion and frustration.
"Do you know what you're doing?" Hendrix asked Chase, pointing at the bruised Taro.
"Give it!" Chase tore the pistol out of Hendrix's hand, loading another round of rubber bullets into it, this time aiming it at Hendrix.
Hendrix was quick, his six guitar strings shooting from his back, tearing through his shirt and shielding the front of his body.
Chase shot rounds on rounds of futile shots.
"Taro-" Kai noticed his brother sneaking up Chase out of the corner of his eye. He knew that expression, and it never meant anything good.
Taro's hand glowed with Spirit as it closed into a fist.
Thud
Chase felt a sharp pain in his side as he flew across the court, tumbling onto the polished wood.
"What the hell?!" Hendrix reeled his strings back as he walked up to Taro. "Did you really have to use your Mode?"
"That motherfucker wouldn't stop!" Taro pointed at Chase.
"You two are ridiculous." Hendrix dragged his fingers through his pink hair. "What are we gonna do? Ask to switch out teammates?"
"I'm over this shit!" Chase exclaimed as he got up.
Taro and Hendrix grew wide eyed as they looked at Chase.
"He's… Crying?!" Taro thought as he stared.
Tears streamed down Chase's face as he stomped towards the gymnasium door.
"Are you-" Hendrix was interrupted.
"Fuck you!" Chase yelled as he slammed the door behind him.
"Alright. I guess we'll put a pin in this for now." Alex stood up, making her way towards the doors as well. "Don't worry, we still have a week before the mission. I'll see you all here tomorrow at ten."
Alex nodded before closing the door.
Taro, Kai, and Hendrix looked at each other in silence before slowly making their way out.
In the garden:
Amora and Vida built a snowman with the snow they had collected from around the garden while Akilah watched as she read a book on the bench.
"How's your arm?" Vida asked Akilah while she looked for a good branch for the snowman's arms.
"It's alright. Doc said to lay off it for another week, but I feel fine." Akilah kept her gaze on her book.
"I think you should lay off it, still." Amora said.
Akilah shrugged, brushing the comment off.
"What about you? Is your shoulder okay?" Vida turned to Amora.
"Oh, that? It didn't even get to the muscle. Doc healed it the day we got back." Amora chuckled. "I was just scared that you wouldn't make it, after you passed out before we saw the ice lady."
"What?" Vida laughed. "I was fine. I just needed a minute."
"Y'know, you should give yourself more credit for what you put yourself through." Akilah raised her brow as she looked up from her book.
"Ugh, now you sound like Hendrix." Vida groaned as she picked out two branches.
"You mean your boyfriend?!" Amora giggled.
"What?! It's not like that!" Vida exclaimed. She tugged at her scarf, feeling hot all of a sudden.
Her friends laughed at her flustered look.
"I wonder why Hendrix always calls me amazing, though." Vida thought. Akilah's remark made Vida think of all the times Hendrix said something similar.
"I'm… I'm not amazing. He's amazing. He's special." Vida thought as she recalled the conversation she overheard in Doctor Nagi's office.
"So, if he was any more deliberate with the attack, Biggie would have never gotten movement in his leg back, ever. That's why I've brought you two here. This isn't just some child prodigy, this is well beyond that." Doctor Nagi's words echoed through Vida's head.
She had only been trying to look for Hendrix, since she was worried that Molly was trying to make advances on him again, but she heard Hendrix's name echoing from the infirmary.
"I wonder why everyone's so worried about him. I thought all his danger was in the past." Vida thought. "If there's something wrong, I need to help him. But how."
Vida felt helpless again. Just as helpless as that street fight with Officer 1060. Just as helpless as Hendrix's battle with Shezmu.
"I've come all this way, but I still can't help my friend." Vida thought.
Vida felt an icy cold hit her cheek.
"Gotcha!" Amora exclaimed as her snowball landed against her friend's face. "We've been calling your name this whole time! Put the arms on!"
"Oh, right." Vida laughed, trying to shake her thoughts off, just for the time being.
She put the arms on the snowman as her and Amora stepped back in awe of their masterpiece.
"I'll name him Wiggles." Vida giggled as Amora joined in on the laughter.
"Is that Chase?" Akilah asked, her eyes trained on the window into the building.
Chase stomped past, wiping tears from his eyes as he held his side, wincing at every step.
"Chase? Chase?!" Amora grew worried, jogging inside to catch up to her boyfriend.
"I should probably check on everyone else." Vida made her way inside as well.
"Yeah, go check on your boyfriend." Akilah smirked as her eyes locked back into the book in front of her.
Vida looked back with a sharp look before making her way into the building.