The Fall of KORPS, The Rise of MI9: KORPS Takedown

Chapter 5

Things are changing for the team, but for better or worse? When disaster strikes, will they be strong enough to overcome the challenge? Can Madison save Liberty?

Over the following weeks, there were many changes within MI9, but the biggest one was Stella's shocking resignation. She moved back to New York, and even Frank was surprised. The team thought Stella's departure might please Liberty, but unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. Liberty's behaviour drastically worsened over time, and Frank soon discovered that the teen blamed herself for Stella leaving. It seemed like that was the turning point that tipped Liberty completely over the edge, and she lost her sanity entirely. The team had just finished a particularly draining mission, and everyone had headed to bed early so they would be ready for school. Liberty waited until she was sure Frank and her teammates were asleep before creeping into the office and grabbing her spypod and a set of car keys. She silently left the base and entered the garage, pressing the key to find out which car she'd be taking, not even thinking of the consequences of her actions. She climbed into the car and pulled away at speed, driving across town before it properly sunk in that what she was doing wasn't just illegal, but it was also perilous. You stupid girl! You're gonna get yourself killed! She slowly turned the car around and drove towards the school. She was driving down a lane when she closed her eyes for a split second, but it was, unfortunately, a second too long. Shit! Stay awake, Libs! Sadly, no amount of coaxing could keep her awake; she misjudged a turning and mounted the embankment. The car flipped in the air and landed in a ditch, and Liberty was instantly knocked unconscious. As the dust settled, Liberty flitted between a conscious and unconscious state, and she managed to grab her spypod, which had miraculously survived the crash somehow. I'm gonna be in so much trouble. She pushed the alarm on the device, praying her teammates would find her in time. If these are my last minutes alive, I hope Madi knows how much I love her. Knowing help would find her soon enough, Liberty fell unconscious for the last time.

Tom was the first to wake up when he heard the alarm sound, and he sat up in bed, feeling dazed as he checked the clock. 02:54. He threw on his shirt and ran upstairs, his blood running cold when he saw the alert on the monitor. "Frank! Get up here! Libs is in trouble!" A moment later, Frank and the three remaining agents appeared, rubbing sleep from their eyes. "Libby's spypod alarm is ringing, and there's a set of car keys missing. Wherever she is and whatever she's done, she's in trouble! We have to find her, but the only way I can do that is to trace the spypod, and even then, the location may not be accurate." Everyone was now very awake as they hurried to assist Tom in getting a location for the girl. "It's three in the morning; she can't have gone far in the dark." Dan glared at Aneisha. "We don't know what time she left." Keri pulled out the genetic tracer, and Tom shook his head slightly as he continued typing. "Unfortunately, that won't work this time. We need Madi to provide hair." Keri nodded and ran from the room, returning a moment later with a hairbrush. "Will this work for you?" Tom nodded. "Again, Keri, you're a genius. Let's hope I get something off this." Almost instantly, a bright red dot appeared on the map not far away, and Tom downloaded the data onto his spypod for Frank to use as a satnav. "Well, kids, what are we waiting for? Let's go and get our girl." Frank stood by the lift doors with the van keys in hand, and the four teens followed him without complaint. "Why would she do this to us?" Frank sighed as he leaned against the wall. "She's been getting worse lately. I think it's getting to the point where Jojo wants to remove her from the team. We know that it won't solve the problem, though." Keri shook her head as she turned away from them. "That would probably make it worse. She'd go back to KORPS without hesitation if MI9 dropped her." She ignored her teammates' surprised expressions. "If you know something, Keri, it would be beneficial for you to spill the beans." Keri shook her head. "I know nothing."

A few minutes later, they reached the written-off vehicle, and Dan was the first to spot her, unconscious and bloody, her seatbelt and the steering wheel holding her in place as she hung upside down. "Libs? Can you hear me? We'll get you out; I can promise you that." He received no response but continued talking as if she had replied. "You're gonna be fine, Libs. Just hang on for us, okay?" The group worked together to quickly manoeuvre Liberty from under the steering wheel and gently lay her on the grass beside the car, aware she could have spinal injuries. Keri grabbed the girl's hand, rubbing it slowly as she spoke. "It's gonna be alright, Libs. You're safe now, and we'll get you the best medical care. Please fight for me because I promise I won't ever give up on you." Frank smiled as he listened to Keri comforting the unconscious teen. "We need to get her in the van, kids. Help me lift her." Once Liberty was securely settled in the van, the team climbed in and sped towards the MI9 hospital, where doctors were already waiting for their arrival. "This is junior MI9 agent Liberty Taylor. She's sixteen years old and was involved in a rollover car accident." The teens slid down the wall as they watched doctors swarm around their teammate. "What made her leave like that? She's become so unstable lately." Frank looked broken as he ran a hand through his hair and sat beside his team; there was nothing else he could do. "All the changes with Madi and Stella pushed her over the edge again. She was starting to pick herself back up, then Madi let everyone down, and then Stella left. That was it; there was no turning back. Living with Liberty is like taking one step forwards and three steps back." Frank sighed as he stood and held out a hand to his agents. "We should head back to base. It's very late, and you all have school tomorrow." Keri was about to protest, but Frank stopped her. "Liberty is in the best hands here, so we needn't worry too much." Frank now had the incredibly difficult job of informing Madison. Madison is going to go mad.