The Suite Life X

38 - A Battle On Two Fronts

Cody's touchdown on site was an unorthodox one, to say the least... Mainly because it wasn't one.

He'd warped into the air of an empty, black void!

Any bravado he'd entered with had melted away instantly as yet another rather girlish scream ripped its way from his throat. He would have been mortified had mortal terror not overwhelmed any discernable thoughts...

It was a foreign whirring noise with an accompanying bright light that finally snapped him out of his fit.

What's that...?

Even with his enhanced speed, he didn't had much time to duck to avoid getting roasted by a redhot laser that was headed infinitely past him.

He recovered just in time to dodge one coming for his feet. And another. And another. And another. All of them coming from every direction imaginable.

Miraculously, the near-death experiences eventually had an end.

He had to collect himself upon hitting solid ground for the first time, realizing how lucky he was to escape with only the burn marks from grazes he got rather than the alternative.

The surround-sound echo of a voice he never wanted to hear again despite only hearing it once before broke through his thoughts.

"Enjoy the warm-up, boy?"

The taunt in his tone immediately got the normally mild-mannered teen angry.

"I'm not in the mood. Where are you and where's my brother?!"

"Oh, close by..." his tone turned darker and even more unsettling. "Very close, indeed. But we'll get to him. Just as soon as I'm through...testing you."

Now he was staring to get just plain annoyed. "I'm NOT a guinea pig. Where is he?!"

Lucien's voice turned cold. "I don't remember saying that you had a choice in the matter. Remember who holds the cards here, Organic."

"Organic?" He knew they were human?

"Yes, Organic. And unless you want me to snuff out the life of the clone you care for so much, you'll provide me the information I need! Now go. Show me everything that you have to offer."

A blinding flash of light soon gave way to a grueling path that seemed to stretch on forever.

His shoulders slumped. Before he could talk himself into backing out, he reminded himself what was at stake before racing off.

When me and Zack are back together, safe and sound, this'll all be worth it.

---

Zero hadn't taken long to act after the taller of the twins had left. Much like he had done the previous night, he headed to the sparring arena at Troia Base and trained alone.

He refused to think about them...that. Refused to relive it. He missed them, that was a cold, hard, fact. But he'd moved on. He wasn't that person anymore.

He was a weapon. He wouldn't lose...

"Zero?"

The warrior turned around, half-expecting to have to chew Layer out for breaking his concentration.

The face he saw was not his would-be admirer, but a different girl with a slightly lighter complexion.

"So this is what you were doing..."

He raised an eyebrow at the unnecessary statement. "London, right?" She nodded the affirmative and he continued. "What're you doing here?"

"I...needed something to do." Her hesitation implied that there was more to it than that, and he could guess what.