Thunder Craft : Weaponized Chaos

Chapter 15: On the Road Again

After hours of tinkering in Dex's lab, we finally felt a sense of accomplishment. We had developed a prototype for the pheromone sensor, and I was cautiously optimistic. But I couldn't shake the feeling that we were still missing something crucial.

"Alright, what's next on the agenda?" I asked, glancing between Beta and Dex.

Dex adjusted his glasses, peering at the blueprints spread across the table. "I think we should head to the KOBKA headquarters. If we can get approval for the pheromone sensors, we might be able to convince them to take this seriously."

"Great idea," Beta chimed in, her enthusiasm evident. But then her face turned serious. "Do you think they'll believe us? I mean, they might think we're just kids playing around."

"Yeah, well, we'll just have to show them," I said, trying to mask my own uncertainty. "Let's do this."

As we gathered our things, my thoughts wandered to my parents again. I had saved them from the fire, but I felt like I was still living in a nightmare. I shook my head to clear the thoughts. "Focus, Thunder. You've got a mission," I reminded myself.

Once outside, the sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the debris that used to be my home. "Hey, let's check on my dad's battle bike," I suggested, hoping it would distract me from the weight of everything.

We walked toward the garage, now a charred shell. I pushed aside some fallen beams and rubble, my heart racing. "Come on, please be in here," I muttered.

And there it was. My dad's battle bike, somehow miraculously intact amidst the wreckage. It was a Tier-4 marvel with sleek purple lightning streaks along the sides. My excitement bubbled over. "Yes! This is perfect!"

"Does it still work?" Dex asked, already inspecting it.

"Only one way to find out!" I hopped on, fiddling with the controls. The bike roared to life, its engine purring like a content cat. I grinned from ear to ear. "We're back in business!"

"Don't forget the passenger car attachment," Beta said, pointing to a compartment next to the bike.

"Good eye!" I jumped off and opened the compartment, revealing a sleek attachment that could carry another passenger. "This'll be perfect for you, Beta."

"Oh, you're just trying to get me on your bike so I won't complain when you drive like a lunatic," she teased.

"Hey, I only drive like a lunatic when the situation calls for it," I shot back, my smile never faltering.

"Let's just get going," Dex interjected, already securing the attachment. "We need to get to KOBKA before it gets too late."

I mounted the bike, Beta hopping on behind me as Dex secured himself in the passenger attachment. With a rev of the engine, we sped off into the dusky streets, the wind whipping through my hair. It felt good to be back in motion, even if it was under less-than-ideal circumstances.

As we approached KOBKA, the headquarters loomed ahead, a massive structure that seemed to both intimidate and inspire. I parked the bike, and we quickly made our way inside.

"Alright, let's find someone who can help us," I said, my heart pounding as we entered the lobby.

We navigated the corridors until we found a room filled with various agents, some looking busy, others chatting idly. We approached a familiar face—Agent Carter, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a perpetually skeptical expression.

"Thunder, what brings you here?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"We've developed a pheromone sensor to track the Roche, and we need your support," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "They're here on Ilius, and we have evidence."

Carter crossed his arms, skepticism etched on his face. "Roches? On Ilius? That's hard to believe. We haven't seen any signs."

"But—" I started, but he cut me off.

"Look, Thunder, I know you're trying to help, but we can't jump to conclusions without solid proof. You're just kids playing hero."

"Just kids?" I retorted, frustration bubbling up. "We almost died fighting these creatures! We saved our families from a fire caused by them!"

He looked taken aback but still held his ground. "You need to understand, there are procedures. We can't act on mere assumptions."

I felt Beta tense behind me, and I turned slightly to see her biting her lip, clearly anxious. "What if we could show you? We have the sensors ready. They work."

Carter's expression softened a fraction, but the skepticism remained. "Bring them to the lab. We'll run some tests."

"Great! Let's do this," I said, my heart racing. Maybe we had a chance to prove ourselves.

As we made our way to the lab, a sense of urgency gripped me. I was determined to show them what we had. But deep down, I could sense something was off. It was almost as if they didn't want to believe us.

When we reached the lab, I laid out the pheromone sensor. Dex started explaining how it worked, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

"Thunder," Beta said softly, pulling me aside. "You okay? You look... off."

"I'm fine. Just worried about everything. About my parents, about us." I looked into her eyes, searching for reassurance.

"You saved them. You're doing everything you can. Just trust in that," she said, her voice steady and warm.

Before I could respond, an alarm blared through the lab. "What the hell?" Dex exclaimed, rushing to the control panel.

"Something's wrong," I said, adrenaline spiking. "Let's check it out."

As we moved toward the door, I caught a glimpse of a figure lurking in the shadows outside the lab. My instincts kicked in. "Stay close!" I commanded, grabbing Beta's arm.

We stepped outside, but the figure was gone. "Did you see that?" I asked, scanning the area.

"Yeah, but who—" Dex began, but the words died in his throat as the lights flickered ominously.

"Something's not right," Beta whispered, her eyes wide.

Before I could respond, an explosion rocked the building, sending us sprawling to the ground. Dust and debris filled the air, and the chaos that followed felt all too familiar.

"Get up! We need to move!" I shouted, pulling Beta to her feet.

We stumbled into the hallway, dodging the falling debris. My heart raced as I thought of my parents, the fire, and the helplessness that threatened to consume me again.

"Thunder!" Beta's voice pierced through the noise. "We have to find out what's going on!"

"I know!" I yelled back, but my mind was racing. Who could be behind this?

As we dashed through the smoke-filled hallways, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. And then it hit me—the teacher who had been missing for weeks, someone I had never thought twice about, suddenly felt connected to this chaos.

Was it possible that the outbreak had a human hand behind it?

I glanced at Beta and Dex, determination filling me. We had to get to the bottom of this—whatever it took.

"Stick together!" I shouted, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. "We'll find the answers, and we'll stop whoever is behind this."

As we pressed forward, a shadow lurked just beyond the edge of the hall, its eyes glinting in the dim light. It was just the beginning, and I knew we were on the edge of something much bigger than any of us had anticipated.