Family Matters

Chapter 16: I Found It!

The blues were against the sides of their machines in an instant. They sat in the shadows, their knees pressed tight against their heaving chests, while the flashlight swiveled crazily past them.

No, no, no, no! Bubbles internally screamed. She was breathless, and her muscles felt like they were made of steel. Boomer! Boomer, why? You should've waited!

Boomer was just as panicked. He gripped the hand that had touched the keys as if it had been burned. Oh, crap! I totally screwed up! Now all the guards are gonna come our way.

Indeed, the other guards seemed to have noticed the commotion. Their flashlights, which used to be on the far sides of the arcade, were now coming in their direction. The problem himself was absolutely shaken and throwing his own light all over the place.

What are we going to do? Bubbles wondered apprehensively. Do we leave? But we really need those keys! How are we gonna get them?

She was glancing around, trying desperately to find a solution, when she saw something that nearly gave her a heart attack.

Two columns away, a guard was coming her way.

This time, Bubbles couldn't suppress her alarm. With a strangled cry escaping her throat, she jerked back. The sudden movement caused her arm to slip out of its hiding spot and right into the open. Bubbles quickly yanked the limb back, but it was too late.

"Hey! Who is that?" said the first guard. "Come out of there!"

Bubbles shrank back against the console, chiding herself furiously for her mistake. She didn't think a normal person could make her feel so scared, but her heart wouldn't stop hammering. Her skin felt all cold and clammy, and her hands were clasped so tightly, the knuckles were white.

The guard approached the console slowly. His heavy leather-clad boots drummed against the floor, the jingle of his keys like a funeral bell. When he called out, his voice was like the calls of a predator. As he took out his gun from its holster, the sound of the clasp unsnapping was unnerving.

Bubbles wracked her brain for a way out. For a moment, she contemplated running, but she didn't want to leave Boomer behind. Not like she could go anywhere anyways—the other guard was still closing in, and although his flash wasn't directly on her, it was near enough for him to see her shadow.

She didn't even want to think about how close the other guards were right now.

As the guard closed in, the inevitability of being discovered set Bubbles's body shaking. There was a strange fluttering in her stomach, and her heart was going so fast, it was practically doing flamenco.

The guard was now only a step away from her. Bubbles wondered what the professor would think once he got a call from the arcade owners. When she heard him stop, she didn't even bother to turn around. We're doomed.

Just as she thought she was going to end up a deer in headlights, a blur of movement and a swift thump! caught her attention.

Lurching backwards, Bubbles turned to look for the cause of the sound. The guard was next to her, but with the state he was in, she wasn't sure if what she was looking at was real.

It looked like he'd just fainted. He was slumped forwards with his head tilted against his chest, while the tips of his boots were against the floor. His arms were pulled towards his back, and neither the gun or the flashlight was in sight.

Behind the guard, Bubbles could see a person standing behind him. A familiar head of blond hair peeked out from the man's shoulder.

"You good?" Boomer asked.

Bubbles stared up at him, slack-jawed and eyes wide. "Boomer, did you just—"

Before she could finish, Boomer made a move.

He whirled the two of them around and snatched the guard's tools from his hands, which were held in one of his. Turning around, he beamed the light towards the other guard, blinding him. This was quickly followed by a throw of the gun. There was a horrible impact as the gun made its mark, and the guard's flashlight went flying as he hit the ground.

Now, Bubbles was stupefied. In less than a minute, Boomer had managed to incapacitate both guards and cause a diversion at the same time. The other guards, having seen their colleague's fluttering light beam, had changed direction and were running towards him.

For a few seconds, the blue puff could only stare at her counterpart. When she finally spoke, the first thing she said was, "You hit them!"

"Had no choice, Boomer said lightly as he put the first guard on the floor. This guard had fallen when the ruff took his things, and he'd caught him with his foot before he hit his head. "We nearly messed up."

"But what about the gun you threw? What if it went off and killed the guy?"

"I put the safety on. Don't worry about it." Boomer slipped the carabiner deftly from the guard's belt and pocketed it. "Let's go. The guards won't stay distracted for long."

"What about him?" Bubbles asked worriedly. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He's going to be fine," Boomer assured her.

After hitting a console with a bolt of lightning, the blues made a run for the lobby, leaving the machine playing behind them.

With all of the guards concentrated at one part of the arcade, it was fairly easy for the two metahumans to make it to the lobby. Their companions joined them a few seconds after, looking pretty exhilarated.

"You got the key?" Brick asked.

Boomer reached into his pocket and took out the ring of keys. "More than one."

"It was a light show over there," Buttercup remarked. "What did you blondies do over there?"

The blues gave a brief, but detailed explanation of their earlier ordeal. The eyes of their audience grew twice their usual size when they told them about Boomer's surprise attack.

Butch whistled. "Wow, didn't think you'd be the one to throw the first punch, Boomer."

"I thought we were supposed to be sneaky," Blossom reminded them, "but since it was an emergency, I guess drastic measures need to be taken."

"At least you remembered to put the safety on," Brick said. "Now let's get going before we're cornered."

At this point, the metahumans didn't need telepathy to know they were thinking the exact same thing. Just a glance was enough for them. They made for the doors at once.

However, they had just crossed the arc when a shadowy form in the corner caught Buttercup's attention.

"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me."

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They really can't just get a break! It's just obstacle after obstacle. Just as they think they've finally found a way out, it just loops them back to where they were before. What's the problem this time? (╥﹏╥)

Second chapter, in! This is a small gesture, but I hope it's enough of an apology! I really left you guys waiting for so long. Ha... I feel so accomplished finishing these chapters... (ノ・∀・)ノ

At this point, I'm just spamming you this, but please check out my website and DeviantArt. Tell me what you think about my digital artwork. First time making it!

I'll leave all the links down here!

My blog:

blackandwhitepersona.wixsite.com/penandink

My DeviantArt:

www.deviantart.com/bwpersona

- BlackAndWhitePersona