The Variable Facility

Chapter 9

CW: kidnapping

As several years went by, X's life changed for the better (sometimes, bad things still happened, though, such as Four's mistreatment of X at the start of BFB).

But for the most part, things changed for the better. X co-hosted in BFB, his mom had a new kid named Value-Squared (who was a Y-squared), and he became best friends with Four. For some time, they were even a couple but sadly broke up later on.

X really loved the way his life was... but things were about to twist into a loop.

***

It was the present day. X hung out at the Equation Playground. He sat under a tree like usual. A hooded figure walked up to him.

"Oh, hello there!" said X.

"Oh! Um, hello," said the figure.

"Wanna sit with me?" X offered the figure a place to sit down.

"Oh, sure." The figure sat down next to him.

"What's your name?" X asked curiously.

"X-radical-3," said the figure as they removed their hood.

"How about I just call you Rad?"

"That's a nice nickname!" said Rad.

"Thanks!" said X.

"You're welcome," said Rad.

"You look pretty," said X. "How come I've never seen you around here before?"

"Well... Let's just say... I work with someone... err... dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"Yeah."

"If you don't mind me asking, can you tell me more about it?"

"Uh, sure. The one I work with is Radical-16. He is an irrational guy who kidnaps variables and keeps them in a facility."

"That's terrible!" said X.

"I know."

Rad looks off to the side and notices Radical-16 hiding in a bush, signaling him to kidnap X.

"Where is he now?" said X.

"Um, about that, he's here. In the bush over there. We should start running."

X shivered in fear. "I don't wanna be kidnapped!"

"Let's go, X," said Rad. He picked up X and started to run as Radical-16 chased them.

X hugged Rad in fear as Rad ran.

"Look, Rad! A cave!"

"I see it!" Rad said as he and X dashed into the cave.

Radical-16 followed them to the cave.

"I know you're in there!" he said angrily.

"Uh-oh," said X. "Will we be able to get out of here?"

"I'm not sure," said Rad.

Just then, Radical-16 uses his powers and pulls Rad and X out of the cave.

"Gotcha."

"Let us go!" said X, holding on tight to Rad.

"Not on my watch," said Radical-16 as he separated X and Rad.

"X! NOOOO!"

"RAD!"

"As for you, X-radical-3, you are a traitor. Helping a variable who has been my greatest target since his escape."

X remembered his escape and became even more afraid. He hoped that Radical-16 would've never known.

"Get in the van, X-radical-3 and X. NOW."

"No! I won't!" said X defiantly.

"Then I'll make you do it."

Radical-16 used his powers to wrap X in chains.

"Ahhh!"

Radical-16 then placed Rad and X in the van and shut the door.

X looked around in horror. He saw various variables in cages around the van.

Then, the van started to move.

X hugged Rad the best he could, as Rad was his main sense of safety.

To be continued...

Word total: 556