The Suite Life X

40 - A Rude Reawakening

The presence that Zack had just been fighting against had been only the latest of Lucien's attempts to suppress the boy's will. Feeding him his nightmares and worst fears on loop and (stupidly) trying to sway him to his side were the others.

To be fair, even he didn't know why he didn't completely break by this point. Maybe it was his own numbness to being shown things he already believed over and over again. Maybe it was the desperate man trying to reach out to him through his conditioning...

Maybe it was just good old-fashioned Martin Family stubbornness. Regardless, the end of this long-drawn-out conflict was as sudden as it was suspicious.

He was fighting against his evil doppelganger in a desperate bid for freedom in one minute...

...only for it to be over in the next.

He had complete control again.

It was the suddenness of this liberation that made it all the more suspicious...

He put the thought aside on instinct, however, when he realized whom he was looming over.

Cody...

He looked numbly at his unconscious brother. Contrary to his appearance, he was horrified to see this and moved to pick him up immediately.

He was so mentally drained not only from the various attempts by his enemy to brainwash him (ranging from simply trying to break his spirit with more of his worst nightmares to actually trying to befriend him) but from all he had to take in with the strips of himself he hung onto in the process.

On top of all of that, he'd heard everything that had gone on with regards to his brother's journey.

Forcing everything on his mind to the side for the moment, he carefully braced his brother's body carefully with one arm, which wasn't a challenge at all thanks to his super-strength and moved to attempt to link up with the base...

"Congratulations!"

Zack froze, instantly shoving his misgivings to the side.

He knew that voice, and hated it just as well.

"Where are you, Coward?!" the boy's snarl was absolutely filled with hatred.

"Right here," the Maverick answered, immediately warping in front of him. The look on his face might as well have screamed "I've already won"...

Instinctively, Zack took a fighting stance. He barely even registered stepping protectively in front of his twin to shield or redirect a coming beatdown, which he hadn't had to do since the boys had been on the ship.

"Why so hostile? I'm not here to fight you. In fact, I want to congratulate you on earning your freedom."

The shorter twin didn't relax, his eyes remaining narrow and vigilant.

"That...and..."

Instantaneously, he transformed into a doppelganger of Zack, utilizing Speed Burner to attempt to tackle him to the ground.

The brief scuffle between the two lookalikes didn't last long, as the real thing was still pretty beat-up, all things considered.

The only thing it accomplished was allowing Lucien close enough to touch Cody and become enveloped in light.

Backing away from the body, the Maverick, to the boy's horror, transformed into the very person he'd failed to protect.

"How about that? Add this one to the list of people you failed, boy?"

Part of Zack wanted to rush him and turn him into scrap metal, but couldn't move. His mind was at war with itself.

Wasn't he right? But if he was, why did Cody seem to believe in him so much?

"We'll meet again soon enough. Believe it or not, my plans are much bigger than any of you. Your power is nothing more than a means to an end..."

With a confident grin, Lucien warped away, leaving his adversaries alone.

Getting up with some difficulty, he picked up his brother before carefully turning on his communicator.

"Black. Black!"

No answer came for a moment until...

"Z-Zack? Thank goodness you're alright! I thought he'd--"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. We don't have time." The teen had to bite his tongue to keep himself from telling the old man what he really thought of him and his schemes. "Did you get all that, and can you patch me back in with the Hunters somehow? I don't exactly know how to teleport back on my own."

"To answer your first question, yes and then some. And I'm working on your second as we speak."

As the man worked, Zack spoke his piece.

"Don't get the wrong idea, though. I'm not saving those two for you, and yes, I heard that."

More silence. Now all traces of excitement were gone from the scientist's voice. The jig was up. "I-I thought you might say that. How did you find out?"

"They told me." No more words were spoken as he was automatically warped back home with his downed brother in tow.

---

WEAPONS ACQUIRED

Sonic Scythe (Zack): Allows for sharp, wind-based kicks.

Drill Run (Zack): An advancing drill attack that can breach certain walls.